Akashi had thought that the day couldn't be any more disappointing. Of all the times to be wrong, it had to be then. He knew that there was bad news the moment he stepped out of the helicopter. Two of the newer guards were bickering a little ways off, unaware that Akashi could hear every word they were saying.
"You tell him!"
"Not a chance in hell! You were the one who made Midorima-san take your shift so you could slack off! If you had done your job properly, this wouldn't have happened!"
"But if I tell him, he'll kill me!"
"You have to tell him; it's your fault!"
Akashi sighed softly; their arguing was going to give him a headache at that rate. "Tell me what?"
Both of the men visibly paled as they swiveled around on the heels of their feet to face Akashi. Outwardly, Akashi knew he was carefully emotionally neutral, but it was harder to keep up the façade than usual, after all everything that had happened lately to make him angry. Whatever ultimate power was dictating his life seemed to have turned against him. First Daiki had escaped and continued to evade return, then Kasamatsu and Ryouta had defected. After that, Atsushi had been killed and Akashi had had to kill Mayuzumi for his lies. Akashi had regretted the loss of a good analytical mind, but he had had to prevent the snake's defection before it happened. And then, a pair of guards were arguing over who was going to deliver what was no doubt anything but good news to him.
All in all, Akashi was neither in a good mood nor a merciful one at the moment. The two men were right to be afraid.
"Tell me what?" Akashi repeated.
The two men exchanged a glance and the one who had been told it was his fault swallowed nervously.
"Ah, Akashi-sama, um… There's been another escape." The man blurted.
Akashi took a moment to process the information and make sure that he was, at the very least, visibly calm. "And who was it this time?"
"T-two people. A hawk shifter, a-and a guard."
Akashi inhaled deeply through his nose and barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He obviously wasn't going to get names from the two idiot guards; he made a mental note to ask Tatsuya later.
"And how did they escape?"
The two men exchanged another nervous glance and there was a hesitant silence. "They… They got out through the hole the other escapees used."
Akashi sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was under the impression that that was being fixed and that it was to be guarded around the clock until that job was completely finished."
The one who had been accused of being at fault earlier shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other under the pointed stare of his companion. "Well, I was, um, taking a break from guarding that exit and, er…"
It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had been slacking off. Akashi took a moment to collect himself, then sighed again. The guard looked terrified, and rightly so. Akashi turned to two of the security guards who had accompanied him in the helicopter and waved a hand in the direction of the other two men. "One of you dispose of those two useless fools and the other needs to go find Tatsuya and bring him here. When you're done with that we have a visit to make."
Akashi turned around, ignoring the pair of gunshots that sounded behind him. He needed to collect someone, and he was sure that seeing something burn would improve his mood.
All in all, Furihata had been having a pretty good day. Business was slow, so he got to sit in the sunlight filtering through his window and read for most of the day. It was a nice, calm day, and he expected it to be the same that evening, just like always.
Furihata knew that wasn't the case as soon as the bell of the front door opening jingled almost three hours after he had closed the shop. He turned from the book he had been putting away, smiling amiably. "I'm sorry, but we're closed. You could come back—"
The smile fell from his face. Akashi stood in the doorway, eyes cold and arms crossed. Furihata shivered in gear; Akashi was very obviously pissed off beyond belief.
"Why are you here again? You visited less than a week ago. Leave." Furihata was instantly on the defense, eyes narrowed and muscled tensed in an instinctual fight-or-flight reaction.
"No. You have no right to demand that of me, Kouki. There's been a change of plans; you can't stay here any longer." Akashi's ton of voice scare Furihata more than anything. It was cold and clipped and held none of the warmth Furihata was used to having directed at him from Akashi.
"What do you mean? I still have a few more months before I my rime is up. I'm not going back to you; not yet." Furihata snarled.
Akashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and he stepped forward. Furihata stepped back, pressing his back against the edge of the countertop. Akashi approached steadily, a dull, angry fire burning in his mismatched eyes. He got so close that Furihata could feel Akashi's breath puffing coldly against his face. It made the dachshund extremely uncomfortable.
"That wasn't an offer, nor was it a request. You are coming back to me, under the same conditions as before. You can finish your three years elsewhere at a later date, but I'd prefer to keep an eye on you until this unfortunate situation is over with."
That brought Furihata up short. "Situation? What do you mean, situation? Have you not caught Aomine yet? If I go with you, you have to explain to me what's going on?"
Akashi paused, nodded, and took a step back. It wasn't much, but it was enough to let Furihata breathe a little better. "That's fair enough. I'll explain later, then; for the moment we're going to leave. If there's anything you want to take with you, get it now. You have five minutes.
Akashi took another step away from Furihata and the dachshund scrambled to the tiny bedroom in the back of his shop. His heart was pounding, partially out of terror and partially out of sheer confusion. He didn't know what was going on, but Akashi was angry and forceful and it scared Furihata to no end. Usually, Akashi was almost sweet to him, which brought up emotions that Furihata would rather forget, but there had been none of that. Furihata was absolutely terrified.
He shoved a few pictures, clothes, and his basic kit into a battered suitcase and was back out to Akashi in the front store in less than the five minutes he had been allotted. His obedience, albeit reluctant, seemed to please Akashi at least a little, because his eyes were gentler than they had been before when he turned to face the dachshund.
"Let's go, then, if you're ready."
Furihata nodded reluctantly and cast one last longing look around the shop as he followed Akashi out. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't dare defy Akashi when he was angry. Furihata valued his life and his limbs more than his freedom, especially when Akashi was in a bad mood like that.
Furihata followed Akashi meekly, reluctantly, through town to the top of one of the hills that stood to the east. It was only then that Furihata noticed the smoke billowing from the buildings and the fire flickering in many of the windows. He let out a small, strangled noise and Akashi smiled coldly. "They saw too much. I should have done this earlier, really."
Furihata watched, horrified, as the town burned. Akashi was still smiling. Furihata pretended that the sting of the smoke was what was bringing tears to his eyes; he wouldn't give Akashi the satisfaction of seeing him cry if it was the last thing he did.
Himuro watched from a distance as Akashi's men – he liked to call them sheep, since they were so disgustingly subservient in Akaashi's presence – set about burning down the town that Aomine had stepped foot in for probably no more than an hour at most. Himuro tried not to think about the people who would wake up in agony, life for a few minutes in agony, and die in agony.
He was not successful. He thought about it and felt sick.
Himuro winced when the screaming started, moving further away. He still couldn't escape the acrid stench of the smoke or the tortured screeching from the direction of the town. It was fainter, at least; not as obvious.
Himuro wandered a little further off, in the direction of the house Atsushi, Kise, and Kasamatsu's bodies had been burned with. It wasn't a pleasant memory, but he'd get over it eventually, he knew. Himuro had tried countless times to convince himself that Atsushi had just been another shifter, not anyone important in the grand scheme of things. It never worked, but he had to try anyway. At least sometimes it helped Himuro sleep, at least for a little while.
His depressing thoughts were interrupted by the sound of huffed, frantic breaths approaching him from the other side of the hill. Himuro's heart rate doubled. A survivor from the town? Did someone make it out in time?
It turned out that the answer was no. The redhead puffing his way up the hill wasn't in what looked to be any kind of sleepwear, he didn't look tired at all, and he wasn't burnt or singed in any way. That, and the redhead was coming from the direction of the house that had been previously demolished, not the town that was ablaze at the moment.
Himuro turned away from the redheaded man, partly because his grief was none of Himuro's business and partially because he felt guilty about allowing Akashi to do such an overly horrific thing. Unfortunately, his luck was as bad right then as it had been for the entire week.
"Oi! Hey, you! What's going on?" The redhead panted."
Himuro turned with a sigh, carefully modeling his face into the perfect mask of nonchalance. "It's—"
"Wait a second. Himuro? Himuro Tatsuya?" The stranger interrupted; Himuro blinked confusedly.
How does he know my name? "Excuse me, but do I know you? Himuro asked quietly.
In response, the man pulled a simple iron chain from beneath his shirt. Hung on the chain was an equally simple metal ring; plain, but Himuro recognized it right away; he himself had the matching one stashed away in a drawer, away from prying eyes and inquiring minds. Himuro did, indeed, know him. The mam in front of him was Kagami Taiga, a childhood best friend that Himuro still considered a brother to that day.
"Holy shit. Kagami?" Himuro asked, his voice tinged dully with disbelief.
Kagami grinned—which Himuro was surprised by, considering the situation at the moment—and pulled Himuro into a brief hug. "Holy hell. Where the fuck have you even been for the last—Jesus, has it really been six years already?"
Himuro nodded. "It has. I've been helping run an illegal fighting ring full of shape-shifters that most of the world is unaware exist for the last four and a half years. You?"
Kagami laughed; Himuro knew he figured that it was a joke on Himuro's part. "Hah! I've been working as a doctor. But seriously, what have you been up to?"
Himuro sighed softly. "I already told you. My boss is the one who ordered the town be destroyed. He's most likely enjoying watching it burn at the moment."
Kagami's smile began to fade when he realized that Himuro wasn't just joking around. "Wait, really?"
Himuro nodded. "Well, shit, man. That's rough."
Himuro nodded again. "Some days are much worse than others."
The mention of Akashi reminded Himuro that he needed to return to the helicopters soon. He knew that when it came to Akashi, it was far better to be early than it was to be late. Especially now, Himuro mused, when we've been having so many defectors lately.
Kagami seemed very thoroughly confused and visibly looked like he was having a hard time wrapping his head around Himuro's sort-of-career choice. Himuro could easily understand why.
"I hate to cut our reunion short, but I really do have to get going." Himuro said reluctantly.
Kagami's face fell further, but he nodded. "Oh, okay."
Himuro hesitated for a moment. "What's your address. How about I stop by Friday at five?"
Kagami grinned again and nodded, rattling off his address by memory. Himuro nodded back, glad that he had a good memory. After an extremely nostalgic fist bump that brought back memories of childhood basketball games and general happiness, Himuro headed back to the helicopter that he and Akashi had arrived in. He left Kagami standing on the hilltop, watching thoughtfully as the unfortunate town was leveled.
The last few screams died on the wind as the helicopter left, the only remnants of their lives being the charred bones, the ashes of the buildings, the hollowed-out shells of a few structures, and the dead screams of the dying that would certainly haunt Himuro's nightmares for the next several mostly-sleepless nights.
By nightfall, Aomine and Kuroko were comfortably settled in a hotel. Aomine had pickpocketed several people for money, but Kuroko had just used his debit card. Being on the run wasn't how Kuroko had planned on using his life's savings, but he figured it was a better idea than letting Aomine use his illegally-acquired money. Besides, Kuroko would much rather sleep in a bed that was probably not infested than on the streets. Showering was nice, too.
"Tetsu, we're going on a date." Aomine announced as Kuroko emerged from the bathroom, a towel around his neck to catch the water dripping from the ends of his hair.
Kuroko raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh, really? Is this the next step of your courting process?"
Aomine nodded, seeming pleased with himself. "Yep. It won't be all fancy and shit, but it'll be fine, right?"
The panther looked too eager for Kuroko to say no. It was fine, anyway, anything excessive like Aomine had no doubt wanted to do would have made Kuroko exceptionally uncomfortable. He nodded and smiled a little, sitting down cross-legged on the bed beside Aomine.
"Sure. I'll look forward to it."
Aomine grinned and Kuroko knew that no matter what happened—no matter how much of a disaster the date may or may not end up as—that ecstatic expression would be completely worth it. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes while Kuroko toweled off his hair. Aomine watched, then put his hands atop Kuroko's.
"Can I do it for you?" Aomine's voice was almost shy. It was quite endearing.
Kuroko nodded and lowered his hands, folding them neatly in his lap. Aomine took up the slack quickly. It was a little rough at first, as Aomine figured out how much pressure to use, but then it became comforting. Kuroko's eyes slipped shut and he smiled; Aomine's hands were large and warm and gentle against his scalp. The feeling of someone else toweling off his hair dry was surprisingly nostalgic; it reminded Kuroko of when his grandmother would do the same thing for him when he was little. It was nice.
Eventually, Aomine dropped the towel onto the bed, deeming Kuroko's hair dry enough. Kuroko had lost track of time in the domesticity of the moment, but the feeling was gone as soon as he opened his eyes.
"You ready? We should get going before all the places around here close." Aomine was very obviously trying—and failing miserably—to conceal his excitement.
Kuroko smiled, nodding as he stood with a stretch. Aomine practically jumped off the bed; Kuroko found his enthusiasm to be quite endearing.
"Great. Let's go." Aomine was rocking back and forth anxiously on his heels as he waited for Kuroko to put on his shoes.
Kuroko barely had time to grab a thin jacket before Aomine was pulling him out the door, nearly dragging him down the gall by his hand. Kuroko couldn't help but smile; Aomine's enthusiasm was contagious. Aomine slowed down once they were outside the hotel, giving Kuroko an apologetic smile. Kuroko gave him a kiss on the cheek in return.
Aomine had lead Kuroko to a fast food place a few blocks from the hotel. He looked rather sheepish that that was where they were going for their first date, but Kuroko didn't really care. Aomine had to work with what he had, after all, and Kuroko hoped that there would be many more dates after their first.
They sat down after getting their orders and ate in relative silence, though it was a soft, lovely kind silence that made Kuroko smile into his vanilla smoothie. The food was surprisingly good quality, for fast food restaurants, at least. Aomine seemed pleased with himself, like he had planned it all so that the food would be particularly good that night, even though Kuroko knew that the panther had probably just taken him to the nearest restaurant that didn't look like it would be infested with fleas within the budget. At least he didn't steal any more money, Kuroko figured.
When they were done with their meal, Aomine didn't take him immediately back to the hotel. Kuroko was a little surprised but he didn't say anything, instead opting to try to figure out where they were going. Aomine's hand was almost unnaturally warm against his own, and the temperature difference made the rest of Kuroko's body feel cold. Aomine lead Kuroko to a park that sat right on the edge of a river. It seemed like everything stopped beneath the trees; even the bugs were silent. It was calm and peaceful, and the moon was full so there was moonlight filtering through the leaves and turning the ground silver. It was a truly beautiful sight, and Kuroko was glad that Aomine had found the park, whether it was accidental or otherwise.
Aomine stopped on the bank of the river, turning toward Kuroko. He watched the river for a moment, marveling at the way the moonlight sparked off of the water and made it look like it was filled with precious gems, before facing the panther. Aomine was smiling as the hand that wasn't twined with Kuroko's came up to cup the human's face with more gentleness than most could expect from him. Aomine leaned in and kissed Kuroko gently, staying for just long enough for Kuroko to melt into it before he pulled away. Kuroko grinned and leaned up to kiss Aomine again, chuckling under his breath.
"Thank you. You're very sweet, Aomine."