Tantalising Cacodemons

The noble Akashi Family of the Teikō Empire reigns over the crippled lands of a once prosperous modern society. Fearless and dignified, General Seijuurō Akashi will stop at nothing to achieve his goals; to purge the rampant D-Virus from destroying the world and to unite all nations under the Teikō Empire – all for the sake of one man; for the crown prince, Tetsuya Kuroko.


Chapter Three

Just as he had suspected, Akashi found Kuroko reading on a stone bench in the courtyard. Surrounded by rows upon rows of Peony flowers, he found himself smiling when a white butterfly landed on the boy's button nose. Kuroko's face lit up in pleasant surprise, but quickly faded back to his impassive façade when the insect fluttered away. Checking the time on his smartphone, he decided a quick greeting wouldn't hurt.

"Ah, Kuro-chin."

Akashi paused in his gait, turning to face the west entrance of the courtyard. Wading between the rows of flowering plants, Mursakibara approached Kuroko with a few snacks in hand.

"Good afternoon, Murasakibara-kun." Kuroko greeted, unfazed by the strange nickname.

Said giant plopped down next to the blue-haired boy and stretched his hand out, offering a small piece of candy. Kuroko stared at the item, clearly confused despite the lack of a visible reaction.

"What is this?"

"It's Kuro-chin's reward." Murasakibara explained lazily, "For being good at hide-and-seek. You almost beat me, but I still found you anyway."

Kuroko accepted the reward and unwrapped it, staring at it for a good ten seconds before plopping it into his mouth. Almost immediately, his eyes widened as a small smile adorned his lips. Akashi knew right away – it must be vanilla, he mused.

"Thank you, Mursakibara-kun. It's delicious." In response, the taller man raised his hand and ruffled Kuroko's hair. He didn't appear to mind when it was swatted off.

"T-there you are, Kuroko-sama!" Kise yelled indignantly, pointing a finger of accusation at the two idly sitting on the bench. He hunched forward and spent a few seconds catching his breath. "Murasakicchi, you could've called us when you found him."

Mursakibara lazily muttered a half-hearted apology and resumed snacking. Visibly annoyed, Kise sauntered towards them as he tiptoed around the mass of flowers. Suddenly, Kuroko shot up in alarm and pulled his delicate robes up as he dashed towards the blond man.

"Please don't move, Kise-kun!"

The blond man looked up in surprise with an unintelligible grunt. Mursakibara looked on curiously, Aomine joining the fray as he entered the courtyard at that exact moment. One step too late, a bright glint flashed from the far end of the courtyard the second Kise's left foot landed on a loose tile. At that moment, Kise pulled out the short sword hanging from his waist and deflected a single arrowhead that was aimed at his head with terrifying precision. Just as he lowered his weapon in relief, Aomine's alarmed voice called out from afar.

"Behind y—!"

A sharp ping and tinkle resounded in the open air; the three men stood gaping with wide eyes as white robes elegantly fluttered to the ground. Facing the other direction, Kuroko stood behind Kise with a sheathed dagger in hand; a glistening arrowhead lay fallen by his bare feet. A single golden bell tinkled as it dangled from a red string tied around the handle – Kuroko straightened up and quickly hid the weapon inside his sleeve.

"Are you alright, Kise-kun? All the loose tiles in this garden are set to trigger a two-way trap."

Kise continued staring wide-eyed in astonishment, failing to form a cohesive response. Mentally replaying the situation a few hundred times over in the span of seconds, his eyes sparkled in admiration and respect. Aomine snapped out of his daze and rushed over, gushing over the small boy's hidden abilities.

"Kuroko-sama! Would it be alright if I called you Kurokocchi?"

"Damn, I didn't see that coming! Oh, hope you don't mind me calling you Tetsu from now on!"

"Kuro-chin, do you want another piece of candy?"

Akashi watched on fondly, tearing his gaze away as the four men interacted joyfully. For the time being, he would leave them be.


In the main ward of Teikō's headquarters, the usually silenced halls were abundant with activity. A hushed commotion enveloped the workers as they moved about, meticulously preparing the vicinity for what appeared to be a grand ceremony.

Colonel Midorima stood in the middle of a grandiose ceremony hall, surrounded by a small group of workers. "Finally, please ensure all staff members are notified of the mandatory screening process at sunrise the day before the ceremony. That will be exactly two days from now."

As the group of contractors excused themselves to resume work, a frenzy of whispers and mumbles enveloped the area. Midorima ignored the fuss, knowing who was approaching from years of experiencing the same routine.

"How are things looking, Shintarō?"

"Akashi." He greeted, "Everything is going smoothly. What brings you here?"

"I just came to see how things were going since I had a bit of time to spare." Akashi replied. He hummed as he took a look around, eyes narrowing in displeasure at the opaque red curtains pulled over every window. "Have them remove all the curtains in this room and tint the windows on the outside."

Midorima raised a brow in confusion, unsure what to make of the command. Regardless, he jotted it down on a memo and ushered someone over to take the memo to administration. "Have you talked to Kuroko about this yet?" He asked after a long moment of deliberation.

Akashi returned his gaze to Midorima; "No, I haven't seen him since I appointed Ryōta, Daiki and Atsushi as his guards. They appear to be getting along well from what I hear."

Midorima sighed, shaking his head. "It's been more than a week since then, Akashi." He unlocked the tablet resting in his hand and opened up the calendar. "I'll reschedule your dinner appointment this evening."

ーーーーー黒子のバスケーーーーー

True to Midorima's word, Akashi soon found himself resting in the comfort of his personal adobe – a luxurious two-storey complex located twenty minutes from the main building. Removing his coat, he shed his clothes down to a cleanly pressed dress shirt and trousers. As the sun began sinking across the horizon, the distant sound of pleasant tinkling reached his ears.

"Good evening, Akashi-kun."

Kuroko stood on the other side of the front door, his blank face shadowed by the sinking sun. A small smile graced his lips when Akashi courteously motioned for him to come in.

"What happened those guards of yours?" Akashi asked despite having an inkling of an idea.

Kuroko stripped off the outermost layer of his simple tan robes and hung it on the coat rack by the door, having repeated the same action countless times on previous occasions. Noticing the rare glint of mischievousness Kuroko held, Akashi smiled and left the door unlocked. Kuroko made his way to the kitchen, where he began brewing a pot of tea – it was a practiced custom or routine they had developed over the years, so to speak. Akashi sat on a red bar stool, content with watching Kuroko's lithe figure move about.

"How have you been?" Kuroko asked inquisitively, sparing a glance at the owner of the house. "You seemed to be quite busy this past week."

Akashi rested his chin on his palm, smiling softly. "I'm doing well, Tetsuya. It's nothing a bit of rest can't fix. Although, I'm feeling much better now that you're here."

Kuroko raised a brow and padded over with a tray of teacups, the bells on his ankle ringing quietly. "Akashi-kun can be quite corny sometimes." He said with a soft chuckle as he plopped onto the bar stool next to him. "Thank you for the book you lent me last week, I sent it back with Takao-kun. It was a wonderful read."

Akashi closed his eyes and took a whiff of the aromatic black tea. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I happened upon it at a bookstore and knew you'd be interested." Kuroko's momentary hesitation at his words did not escape his attention. Before the two could say anything more however, three latecomers interrupted their conversation.

"We're finally here!" Kise said with a tired groan, "Next time we're definitely taking the car."

"That's because you insisted it would be easier searching for Tetsu on foot!" Aomine jeered, Murasakibara trailing behind him. "Tetsu, don't go disappearing off like that. Seriously."

Kuroko smiled in amusement and curtly apologised, slipping off the stool as Akashi directed them towards the dining room where a housekeeper had already prepared dinner for them.

"Shall we dine, Tetsuya?"

The two dined in silence with the only background noises being the sound of cutlery and Kise and Aomine's occasional chatter. Akashi glanced at the smaller boy to his left and lowered his fork and knife, promptly garnering attention.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko muttered inquisitively, mimicking the actions with his fork.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you." Akashi began, noticing the chatter across the table die down at his words. Kuroko noticed a strange tension fill the air, but chose not to say anything.

"Three days from now, there will be a public ceremony in the grand hall of the Imperial Palace." Akashi said without delay, making firm eye contact with Kuroko. "It's a ceremony to announce your official position as next in line to the throne, Tetsuya."

The moment those words left Akashi's mouth, Kuroko's eyes widened just a fraction as the colour in his face drained away. Watching silently from across the long table, Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara exchanged worried looks.

"Tetsuya?"

Kuroko parted his lips to speak, but quickly pressed them together again. "Why?" He whispered after a long period of silence, "After all this time, surely it has no purpose?"

Akashi held back a sigh and remained impassive – business comes first, a voice inside his head whispered. "The citizens are growing uneasy. Even in the presence of the Empire, the prolonged absence of a definite ruler will see to harsh consequences."

Kuroko remained motionless, expressionless and unresponsive. He wasn't feeling particularly enraged or resentful; it was a selfish but necessary decision in Akashi's defence – but somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to accept the decision easily. When he peered up at Akashi's stoic expression, he felt a pang of disappointment squeeze at his chest.

'Father must be feeling rather complacent in his grave.' Kuroko mused bitterly, drawing a long breath.

"It doesn't really bother me." Kuroko remarked eventually, disconcerting the others. Akashi's fixed gaze did not falter; Kise and Aomine exchanged perplexed looks and Mursakibara paused his noisy munching.

"To be frank, my empirical status has always been more of a hindrance. I've already long regressed into the position of a figurehead, so it matters not." I already answer to the Empire's every beck and call, he added as an afterthought. "My existence only has meaning when I fulfil my predestined duty."

Akashi furrowed his brows, unpleased with Kuroko's flat response. Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara appeared to be on the same wavelength; nobody was satisfied with Kuroko's compliance – it sounded too defeated, too empty.

"However," Kuroko said suddenly, gliding a finger down the condensation on his glass of water. "Despite what I just said, it doesn't sit well with me. Akashi-kun, I'd like to raise three conditions."

Akashi raised a brow, mild curiosity overwriting his previous displeasure. "May I enquire what those conditions may be?"

Kuroko hummed, "I'm afraid I cannot disclose such sensitive information unless you agree to adhere to my conditions first."

Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara plodded over, as the atmosphere grew lighter. "Eh~ Come on, Kurokocchi! There's no harm in telling us, right?" Kise said with a grin.

"I'll give you candy, Kuro-chin." Muraskibara bribed, holding a packet of vanilla drops.

Kuroko shook his head. "Nope, no can do."

"What's the harm in agreeing, Akashi? Can't be anything bad considering it's just Tetsu—" Aomine yelped and hunched over in pain when he felt a hand jab his right side.

Akashi softened his gaze folded his arms, "I guess I have no choice then, do I? Pray tell us your conditions, Tetsuya."

Kuroko nodded earnestly, a comical seriousness slipping onto his face as he held up one finger. "To begin with, I want to go outside." He paused, raising a hand to prevent any interjections. "And by outside I mean outside the Imperial grounds."

The three standing behind Kuroko included, all four looked up at Akashi expectantly – for a fact, they knew that the blue-haired prince had never stepped foot outside Imperial Grounds. Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara reeled back in horror when a wide smile graced Akashi's lips – the devil incarnate was smiling. Genuinely smiling.

"By that, I take that you wish to venture down to the city?"

Kuroko nodded once.

"I suppose that can be arranged then."

Almost as if all his previous worries obliterated into a void, Kuroko's pale cheeks stained into a soft red as an elated expression adorned his face. The usual dull shine in his eyes sparkled in excitement; Kise threw his arms around Kuroko, unable to bear the sheer amount of adorableness permeating from him. Aomine was quick to verbalise profanities as he tried to pry the blond man away, but Kuroko only smiled and turned back to Akashi.

"What about the second and third conditions?" Akashi asked coolly, feeling pleasantly mellow at Kuroko's immediate joy.

Kuroko simply shook his head and quickly said that it was still a secret, the smile on his face unfaltering.


Following dinner, Akashi decided to simmer down on work and join the rest for a few rounds of cards. As per usual, Kise had suggested all sorts of rowdy games and they spent their time laughing, arguing and competing late into the night.

As midnight neared, drowsiness overtook Kuroko and he promptly fell asleep in his sitting position as the cards in his hands slipped onto the table.

"Whoa!" Kise gushed quietly in awe – strewn haphazardly across the surface were five cards making a straight flush. "Kurokocchi actually tied with Akashicchi!"

As the three restarted a new game, Akashi walked around to Kuroko and picked him up in a bridal hold. Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara openly stared at their leader when they noticed this action and remained silent when Akashi quickly returned with a stern expression.

"What's wrong, Aka-chin?"

Without a trace of the smiling, gentle person he was just a moment ago, Akashi gazed at them impassively and sat down.

"Daiki, I want you to accompany the Tōō representatives on their routine checkpoint patrol tomorrow morning." Akashi commanded calmly, folding his hands together. "Atsushi, I want you to do the same with Yōsen."

When the two agreed with questioning gazes, Akashi narrowed his eyes and dropped his gaze to the cards strewn across the table. His mind was already set on making Kuroko's trip to the city a priority and he had no intention of endangering him in any way. With the ceremony preparations in full swing, he had noticed a liability – a decisive factor, so to say, that he could foresee as nothing but a nuisance. Looking back up at his comrades, Akashi told them it was merely precautionary measures.

"Ryōta, come again at seven tomorrow. Tetsuya will be staying the night in my guest room." Akashi said finally, motioning for the rest to leave.

Without much protest, the three guards bid the redhead a good night and left in the dark of night. Upstairs, Akashi walked right past the guest bedrooms and quietly opened the door to the master bedroom where he slept. On the large four-poster bed in the centre of the room was a foetal positioned lump under the covers. He spared a quick glance then disappeared into the bathroom to wash up for the night.

As Akashi emerged from the bathroom in simple black robes, he lifted the bed sheet and slipped inside. With an unabashed smile concealed by only the darkness, Akashi snuggled in closer to the lump and threaded his fingers through the soft blue hair. Leaning into the touch unconsciously, Kuroko continued breathing softly as his body pressed closer to Akashi's warmth.

Kuroko was most definitely not sleeping the guest room; Although it did sound somewhat scandalous, Akashi would never allow that when there was a perfectly warm bed with plenty of space for two people. He knew he lied, but Kise didn't have to know.


Author's note;

Big thanks to my readers! Reviews make me so happy ;w; I apologise if you find the story progressing a bit slow. There is a proper plot, but it'll show itself starting the next two chapters or so. As usual, thank you everyone for your support (reviews, favs and follows)! See you next chapter!