Hey guys! I'm back with an update! So this one's a pretty long chapter, and I've included some AoKise I know you all have been waiting for~ ;)


"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Ryouta?" his mother beamed.

Kise's whole family was gathered around him, excitement, joy, and proudness visible in all their faces. But he felt horrible, so, so horrible. They didn't know the truth at all, and before he could've said anything to them, Midorima had come knocking on their door this morning to inform his family that the wedding was arranged and the ceremony would be in three days.

But the blond could only smile at them, trying to calm them down.

"I just wanted to wait until we were sure everything was working out well," he explained. "I honestly didn't think all this would happen so quickly either." He forced a laugh, trying to subtly avoid their gazes. "I'm sorry for informing you guys last minute. If you'd like, we could push everything back a bit…"

"Oh no, you don't need to do that," his father immediately said, shaking his head.

"Father's right Ryouta. We'll support your decision no matter what," Kasamatsu added, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulder and grinning at him. "I can't believe we'll be living in the imperial palace in three days!"

"I can't either…" Kise muttered, but he didn't hear him.

"You know, I knew all the girls here were crazy about you, but I didn't expect the princesses to be too!" He laughed, slapping his back. "I'm really proud of you Ryouta, and I'm glad you finally found the one. Seriously, you were single and so uninterested in the women around you for so long, I was almost convinced you were gay at one point!"

Kise hit his brother playfully and forced a smile at him, as well as his parents.

"Yeah, I'm glad I found the one," he lied, trying not to show the guilt and frustration he was feeling right then. "And even before you, nii-san."

His whole family laughed at that, while Kasamatsu assured he'd find a girlfriend soon.

"So how did you two meet?" his mother suddenly asked.

"Oh, uh...I was taking a walk in the forest with Aomine when we found her. She was hurt so I brought her to a doctor." That wasn't a lie, except that last part. She had been taken to a doctor, just not by him.

"Aomine again?" his father asked. "You spend too much time with him. I've told you he's a bad influence."

"Dad, we've went over this...I can hang out with whoever I want. And Aomine's not a bad influence at all! He's my best friend!" Kise huffed in annoyance. He had almost risked his life to get the blond out of trouble. He still hadn't thanked him for that, or scolded him for that matter. Kise didn't know what he would've done if Shouko hadn't come, but he probably would've hated the man forever. He already blamed himself for dragging him into all this.

"I'm...I'm gonna head to my room to pack some things," he said quietly before turning his back to his family and heading to the said place without looking back. He really didn't want to be around them right then; the guilt was too much.

Kise shut the door the minute he got inside and fell back on his bed.

Maybe this wouldn't be that bad, he told himself. Just as Shouko had said, this was beneficial to both their families. And he could live in the imperial palace, where he could get essentially anything he wanted. He could live a luxurious life with both power and wealth, and it wasn't like Shouko was hideous. She was incredibly attractive, actually. He couldn't deny that.

So why did he feel so empty? All those things seemed so pointless right then. It wasn't like Kise had ever actually wanted any of those things. In the rare cases of when he thought about marriage, he just imagined a simple life with the one he loved. He didn't ask for much, just that his partner loved him back. That would make him a happy man.

The blond sighed, rolling over onto his side and curling up. Maybe some sleep could get his mind off things.

His eyes had just fluttered shut when he heard a knock on his door.

"Ryouta?" It was his brother.

"Come in nii-san," he called, still in the same position as before. He didn't even bother to open his eyes.

Kise heard the door creak open, and then the soft footsteps of his brother as he made his way to the bed. He really wasn't in the mood to talk, but his brother would find his attitude strange if he didn't. With a mental sigh, he sat up.

"Sorry, I was just about to take a nap." He tried to avoid his gaze, looking down at his lap instead.

Kasamatsu sat down beside his brother, the mattress sinking at his weight. There was a silence, a quite serious one, and Kise had no idea what was going on. He was about to ask when his brother finally spoke.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Ryouta?"

The blond raised his head at that, furrowing his brows. How did he know?

"What makes you think that?" he could only ask, laughing a little in disbelief. "What's wrong?"

His brother sighed, scratching his neck and looking down at his lap for a while, as if thinking of how to say his next words. He had been so happy and proud earlier. What made him suddenly doubt everything?

"Well, after you left, I thought about what you told us, and something just seemed...off," he explained, turning to look into his eyes. "Your attitude just didn't seem right. If there's anything troubling you, you know you can tell me."

Kise fell silent at his words, lowering his gaze. How did he get found out so quickly? He didn't think his brother would be this observant of him, though it actually made him quite relieved. He could trust him. This was the 'nii-san' he had looked up to ever since he was a child. He could surely help him solve this problem.

With a deep breath, he turned to his brother.

"I…" he began, still slightly hesitant on telling him. Once this was out, there was no taking it back. "I didn't agree to this marriage," he ended up saying with a sigh.

Kasamatsu, his eyes wide, leaned in closer, as if afraid he had heard him wrong.

"What?"

"This marriage wasn't my choice. Shouko, the princess, and her father decided this on their own." He made sure to speak slowly, one so he didn't have to repeat it for his brother again, and two so he could think and still have a chance to back out if he wanted to. But all of it came tumbling out, he didn't think he could stop it anymore. He finally had someone else to talk to about this.

"B-But why?" his brother could only sputter.

"I don't know…" Kise said quietly, looking away.

"W-Was everything you told us a lie then? About how you had been seeing her for so long, that you used Aomine as an excuse to go meet her? Everything?" Disappointment could be seen in his eyes, but there was worry and concern there too, something the blond hadn't been expecting.

He could only nod.

"But then...how did you meet her? Why does she want to marry you?"

He knew there would be more questions coming, and that he'd have to answer all of them. Maybe he could just tell his brother everything. He wouldn't get mad, he knew that, but he didn't want to trouble him. There was already enough stress on him being the heir of their clan.

"I didn't lie about that part," he could only say. "Aomine and I had been in the forest, and she had been hurt. It's just…"

Kasamatsu sighed and rested his hand on his, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Come on Ryouta, you can trust me," he said gently. "I won't tell anyone, not even our parents if you don't want me to."

Kise stared at Kasamatsu for a while in silence, feeling tears begin to form in his eyes. He tried to blink them away, and as he did so, everything came spilling out.

"I shot her, nii-san! I was being stupid and hit her with my arrow when Aomine and I were practicing!" he cried. "I-It was an accident and it only grazed her, but her guards took us away to the palace…" The blond wiped at his eyes, not wanting to bawl in front of his brother. "The emperor was furious, and Aomine was going to take my place in the punishment, and Shouko came, and…" His words were hardly making sense anymore, but he just needed to get everything out. It seemed to take some weight off his chest.

"She fell for your looks, didn't she?" his brother asked quietly, and he nodded, sniffing.

"Sometimes, I just really hate this face of mine," Kise said. "Why couldn't I be born with a different one? I thought the girls here were troublesome, and then this happens…"

Kasamatsu snorted at that.

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" he asked in disbelief, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "So many guys would kill to have your looks, and you don't want them?"

Kise sucked in a breath, wiping away the rest of his tears before chuckling softly at his brother's words.

"Just think of it this way," Kasamatsu began. "Your looks not only got you out of trouble, but essentially saved Aomine's life, right? Shouldn't you be thankful for them then?"

Kise thought about that. His brother was right. If it weren't for this face, he or Aomine, or maybe even both, would probably be dead by now. But they were alive, all because Shouko had fallen for him. If he thought about it that way, this marriage was nothing compared to what had almost happened back at the palace.

"I guess you're right…"

Kasamatsu slung an arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Look. You're not dating anyone now, are you? Nor do you like someone?" he asked, and Kise nodded. "Yeah, so maybe this girl's the one. You just don't know yet. I'll try to think of a way to get you out of this, but just think positive. Maybe the princess is the girl you've been waiting for all along. You just need to get to know her better," he said gently with a warm smile.

The blond nodded again, letting his words sink in. His brother was right. Maybe once they got to know each other, he'd grow to like her.

He took a deep breath and tried to smile. He already felt a lot better than he did before, and knew that telling his brother had been the right choice after all.

"You're still a crybaby after all these years, huh?" Kasamatsu teased with a chuckle, ruffling his mass of golden locks and standing up. "Go wash your face and then take your nap. I won't bother you any longer."

Kise sniffed and wiped at his face again as he watched his brother make his way to the door.

"Wait," he suddenly called.

"I won't tell mother and father, if that's what you're going to ask."

The blond shook his head.

"I wanted to say thank you. I feel a lot better now, thanks to you." He gave a genuine smile. Never had he been so glad to have Kasamatsu as a brother, and he wondered why he hadn't felt this before. Of course he had grown up seeing him as his role model, but it was this moment that really stood out for him and showed him what an amazing person he was.

"No problem," he said. "I'm your brother after all. Of course I'd help you when you need it."

Kasamatsu smiled and left the room, leaving Kise feeling much less burdened and stressed than before.

The blond made himself comfortable on his bed before relaxing and giving a sigh. A nap honestly sounded perfect right then and he closed his eyes, trying to forget about everything. His dreams could be a temporary escape from reality, something he really needed.

His last thought before his consciousness gave away was recalling that Aomine had promised to come visit him today.


Kise was glad he hadn't gotten his hopes up when his brother said he'd try to find a way to fix the problem he was in. There was no way around it, he knew that right from the beginning. The emperor's orders were absolute and the marriage was definitely happening.

It was in a day, actually, and people from the palace were to be here any minute to help him move his things. They figured everything would run smoother if he moved out first, his family following a couple days after the wedding. Kise didn't argue. Well, he couldn't argue, and simply allowed them to do what they wanted. He had to move there at some point, and the time didn't seem to matter as much anymore.

For the whole morning, Kise was holed up in his room, as he had been for the majority of the past couple days. They hadn't been any better than before, but they weren't worse either. Acting happy and excited in front of his parents, however, just didn't work for him. He couldn't do it. Thank god his brother was there to help him lie his way through any suspicions they were having.

The blond sighed as he looked around his room, most of his things still in place as "there were much better things in the palace for him to use". Would he ever be able to come back here? Would he ever be able to spend his days like before, talking to his brother, or going out shooting with Aomine?

Would he even be able to see Aomine once he left?

Speaking of the man, he hasn't visited at all the past couple days, which was a huge disappointment to Kise. Of course he had his brother to talk to now, but his best friend was different. He didn't quite know how to describe this 'different', but it just was.

He wondered what the blue haired man was doing right then. Maybe some more training? More work from his father? Scolding Tetsu for being too polite?

Just what was so important that was occupying his time? He had promised to come over.

Kise groaned in frustration as he leaned back against the door, trying not to let his negative thoughts take over. Kasamatsu had told him to stay positive, and it had succeeded in making him feel better.

Positive. Think positive.

Who knows. Maybe once we start talking, I won't be able to stop. Maybe I'll actually fall in love for the first time. I might just be a couple steps away from seeing the love of my li—

The blond suddenly found himself falling backwards, and he stumbled to catch himself before he fell. It was only when a strong hand gripped his arm to keep him steady that he realized the door behind him had been opened.

He spun around to see who had come looking for him at this hour, and almost did a double take when he saw who it was.

"Aominecchi?" he exclaimed, eyes widening. "Oi! Where have you been all this time? You said that you'd—

"So you're getting married?" the man asked, and the blond suddenly noticed the pain in the man's eyes. "You're leaving today?" His voice sounded...weak. Like he was forcing his words out.

"Yeah...I am…" he said quietly, then smiled. "But you know, it might not be as bad as we thought. I've been thinking and...maybe she's the one, you know? I haven't been interested in any girls but maybe she'll be different. Don't you think that's—

"Kise," he interrupted, the power in his voice startling the blond a bit. "Do you want to go?"

He sighed, looking at his friend apologetically.

"Aomine," he said quietly. "You know I don't have a choice. I have to go…"

There was a long silence between the two, their gazes locked and they themselves unmoving. Kise took this time to clearly examine his best friend's expression. He saw pain, sadness, and a million other emotions in there that made his heart wrench.

Wasn't Aomine supposed to be comforting him? Wasn't he supposed to be trying to help him get through this?

But the blond wasn't angry at this, not at all. He would've been upset, even, if his best friend had let him go without any regrets, any sadness.

"What if I don't want you to go?" he finally said, his voice cracking. "Kise."

His eyes widened, too shocked at his words to find a response right away. Instead, he continued to stare up into his deep blue orbs. He noticed his heart thumping loudly in his chest, speeding up with each second that passed. He felt strange.

"A-Aominecchi…?" His name came out a soft whisper.

Everything after that happened so fast. The blond felt Aomine's arm slide around his waist and his other hand grip the back of his head, his hold firm as he pulled him forward. Kise never broke their gaze during this; it was like he was being sucked in by his alluring eyes.

And then, the blond didn't know how it happened, they were suddenly kissing. He felt the man's warm lips pressing against his, his face as close as ever. It was unlike anything Kise had ever felt. There was a strange tingling on his lips and he felt his heart pounding against his chest, beating crazily fast. His cheeks were flushed by now and eyes fluttered shut.

Kise melted into the kiss, leaning onto Aomine and resting his hands on his firm chest. He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt so...right. It was all that he expected a kiss to be like. He could feel the electricity between them, the burning of his skin wherever the man's hands brushed over.

And it was right then that he realized there was no way Shouko could be the one. The one he had been waiting for all along, for so many years, turned out to be the man closest to him. It was the man kissing him right now. Why hadn't he realized his before?

He allowed himself to get lost in this trance for a couple more seconds, slowly beginning to move his lips against his, when he was suddenly struck with reality. This couldn't happen. He couldn't do this.

Kise didn't even know if he could see Aomine again. Doing something like this before he left, it would just make him more attached to the man. He didn't want that. He didn't want to think about him every day while living with his wife at the palace. That just couldn't happen.

Tears sprung into his eyes as those thoughts crossed his mind. Life was so unfair. Why did this have to happen right now? Why not earlier, when everything was normal? Why did this have to start right when they needed to end it?

Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his cheeks and he had pulled away from him, wiping at his tears.

"Stop!" he cried, turning his back to him. "Go...leave…"

"Kise, I…"

"Go away!" he screamed. "I don't want to see you right now!"

Kise tried to wipe his tears away, but they just kept coming. He hated crying like this; it made him feel weak, but he just couldn't control it.

What was Aomine thinking anyway, just kissing him like that right before he was going to leave? Was it some sort of parting gift? Did he not think that Kise would miss him, would like him back and not want to leave?

He hadn't even noticed the man leave until he managed to control the sobs wracking his body, feeling a sudden emptiness in his room. And after that came regret. Maybe it was for the best, but he didn't want him to leave. He didn't want to idle in his room alone, waiting to be taken away, like he had the other days.

Kise ran a hand through his hair, soon fisting it in frustration. Taking a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself, he brought his fingers to his lips, recalling the kiss, and his thoughts flickered to the wedding happening tomorrow. He had no idea how the ceremonies went in the palace. Would he have to kiss her?

Suddenly, he was thankful for the kiss he and Aomine had shared moments earlier. That had been his first, and he was glad he hadn't lost it to Shouko and gave it to him instead.

No. He couldn't think about this right now. What Kise needed to do was forget everything that had just happened. Or how would he be able to live through a life married to Shouko? Before, he had no one to compare her to and perhaps could convince himself to like her. But now there was Aomine. Where she should be in his mind would be filled with thoughts of him, wondering what he was doing, wishing he would visit...How could she ever measure up to him? She couldn't replace him. There was no way.

No! Stop thinking about him!

He shook his head, scolding himself silently.

Quickly wiping away the rest of his tears, the blond swung open the doors of his room and stepped outside, wanting some fresh air. He honestly had no idea when he was going to be brought to the palace and decided he should properly spend the time he had left.

He headed to the garden, somewhere he hadn't been in a while. Back when he was a kid, he always came running here when he was sad or frustrated with something, the flowers and fruit trees giving off a comforting atmosphere for him to calm down in.

It really hadn't changed at all over the years. The flowers were blooming as well as ever and that same sweet scent from before was in the air.

Kise made his way to the couple of rocks off to the side, breathing in the fresh air as he sat down. Time had went by so quickly, now that he thought about it. It seemed like just yesterday that he had met Aomine in the woods. Why were they being separated so soon?

The blond looked around, taking in the scene before him one last time. Would the gardens in the palace be this beautiful? Would they give off the same comforting atmosphere this one did?

"Ryouta?"

He spun around at the sound of his brother's voice. Was it already time?

"They're here," he said quietly. The dark haired man held a bleak look in his eyes as he looked up. "Are you ready to go?"

Kise took a deep breath and nodded, trying to clear his mind of all his worries and trying to think positive. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Maybe Shouko was a kind person he could get along with.

"Yeah I'm fine. Let's head to the main house so I can see everyone before I leave." He forced a smile, standing up and heading towards the said place. His brother followed in silence. Both of them seemed to be preparing for their facades of excitement.

Kise saw the familiar faces of the guards that had stopped by earlier the minute he opened the door, and they all bowed once they saw him. Their actions felt so unfamiliar to him, and he quickly reminded them that he wasn't officially married yet and that they should treat him like a normal person.

They soon began loading his things into a wagon they had brought along while Kise said his farewells. He went to Moriyama and Kobori, who had been assigned as his bodyguards since he was very young, first. There honestly wasn't anything they had needed to protect him against, so he simply saw them as good friends. These two hadn't been allowed to move to the palace with Kise's family, and were to be assigned to different people once they were gone. It honestly wasn't fair at all, he didn't understand why the emperor couldn't take any conditions from him when he was the one being dragged into this.

But then again, he was the emperor. He didn't think he'd care about anyone's feelings other than his. And perhaps his daughter's.

"I'll miss you guys," he said, pulling each of them into a hug. "Visit often, okay? I'm sure you can come whenever you want."

Kobori chuckled and patted Kise's back.

"Sure, we will. But we'll let you spend some time with your wife first. I'm sure she'll be the only one on your mind once you get there," he said.

Kise forced a laugh, trying to act embarrassed and telling him to stop.

"I need some time to make an impression on the girls too," Moriyama added with a grin. "With you officially taken, I'll finally have a chance with them."

The blond actually laughed at that, doing the man a favour by telling him that one of the girls had been taking notice of him for a while. The man beamed at this and immediately asked for more details, but he only gave him a vague answer, along with the name of the girl.

Kise then went to his parents, who were smiling at him proudly. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat when he saw their expressions and forced a smile, hugging them.

"I'll see you guys at the wedding then," he said quietly. They nodded and told him to take care, to which he replied with another one of his fake smiles. He seemed to be getting used to it now.

"Come Ryouta, they're waiting," his brother reminded him, and the blond nodded, following his brother outside.

Once they were a safe distance away from both their parents and the guards, Kasamatsu spoke.

"Hey, are you actually okay with going?" he asked in concern. "We can always come up with some sort of excuse if you want...I'm sure it'll work out."

Kise shook his head.

"I'll be fine," he assured. "And the wedding's bound to happen. Might as well get along with Shouko a little before it." He shrugged. "Just as you said, maybe I'll like her."

His brother nodded, though his eyes still showed deep concern.

"Kise-san," a guard suddenly said from behind him, and he turned around to see Midorima. "Are you ready?"

He took one last look back at his house and then nodded.

"Yeah."

They took him to the chariot, his stuff already packed in the wagon behind it. He hugged his brother tightly before stepping into the vehicle, turning around to wave at him.

"Hey, where's Aomine-san?" Kasamatsu suddenly asked, furrowing his brows. It was definitely strange, as he knew the two were best friends since they were kids.

"Oh, Aominecchi?" Kise looked away and shrugged. "Don't know. He's been really busy lately."

"But wasn't he just here a while a—

"Well, I'll be heading off then, nii-san!" the blond exclaimed, smiling at him. The chariot began to move and he waved at his brother as he left, his smile disappearing and mood falling with each clop of the horses' hooves.


Thanks for reading guys and I'd love it if you reviewed! :)