And here it is! It took a long while to write it, but it is, by far, the longest chapter with 9 pages! There's not really much to say. I'm just so happy that I'm finally done with it! Meanwhile, Kuroko no Basket has finally ended. I cried because Haizaki's match was next! I can't believe that! Let's hope that there'll be a third season!

Let's go to the usual agenda, thank those who reviewed! They are...
Guest(I don't know which one or if they had reviewed before, I do wish you would leave me a name), xXoAnonymousoXx, mitsuyo-chan, BlackAndWhiteRoseWolf, Sadistic Crimson Angel Akashi, Flow Love (btw, I decided to changed Shintarou back to Midorima again.) Otaku Empress, TiiRawr, skittlesbaby101, and Akiii.

Also, I would like to thank those who alerted and favorite-d my story. I am mind-blown! I never expected it!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basket belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi, not me. I did use some of the dialogue though...

Inescapable Prison

Chapter 4: The Consequence

"Akashi-kun, the food smells delicious." Kuroko commented with a smile. He was sitting on the floor in Akashi's living room, leaning back on the sofa behind him. They decided to have dinner in the living room because Akashi's dining room was much too large for them. The lights were dimmed, and the burning fireplace and candles illuminated the room, giving it a more relaxed and romantic ambiance.

"I'm glad you think so." Akashi smiled, placing a bowl of tofu soup on the coffee table in front of him. He gracefully sat down next to him, and wrapped an arm on his shoulders.

"There's only one plate." Kuroko pointed out. "Aren't you going to eat too?"

Akashi shook his head no. "I'm full, besides I want you to try my cooking." Akashi held a spoon near Kuroko's mouth. "Also, I want to know what you think of my favorite food."

"Then, don't mind if I do." Kuroko said with a hint of blush on his cheeks. He opened his mouth and drank the soup. "It tastes delicious!" He complimented, inwardly surprised. He never knew Akashi could cook this well. Akashi merely accepted the compliment with a smile and said nothing, lifting another spoonful to his mouth.

Kuroko felt a little embarrassed, yet extremely elated. They finally had time for each other after so long, not only that, but his lover was feeding him. It was a very romantic action, and he was secretly a hopeless romantic. Life for him couldn't be more perfect. He was inwardly glad that Akashi was there to distract him, his talk with Haizaki made him feel a little upset and guilty. Being pampered by his lover took the stress away. In fact, he felt really light and relaxed. He didn't really know why his lover was pampering him but he was not complaining. He felt incredibly lucky to find someone like him...Akashi...

...is truly...

...perfect...

"Are you alright, Kuroko?" Akashi glanced at him.

"It's nothing…" Kuroko whispered. His eyelids drooped and he was feeling a little drowsy. "I just feel really…really…"

Akashi watched as Kuroko slumped against him, his head on his shoulder. He stared for a while before he placed the spoon he had been holding on the table. Hmm... It affected him faster than I thought it would. He thought with mild interest. He glanced at the clock on top of the fireplace; it was already seven o'clock in the evening. He lifted his lover up and carried him bridal style all the way to his room, his steps slow, calm, and precise. He opened the door with little difficulty, leaving it open as he approached the bed. He laid down his lover on it and quietly stared at him, observing him for any signs of waking up. He smiled, bending down to place a chaste kiss on his lover's soft lips.

Akashi moved by the window, gazing at the moon with calculating eyes. He took out his phone from his pocket when he felt it vibrate, notifying him of a message. He quickly read it before putting the phone back in his pocket. He walked to the door, paused by the entrance, and grabbed the doorknob. He glanced back on the sleeping figure on his bed.

"Sleep well, Tetsuya." A wide, wicked smile adorned his face as he closed the door.

Kuroko stopped in front of the entrance of the locker room panting, he was late. It seemed that he fell asleep early, yesterday. He must have been really tired if he had suddenly fallen asleep while eating. He pushed the door open. He was sure that his teammates were already inside. He entered the room fully expecting noise; imagine his surprise when all that greeted him was silence. His eyes immediately zeroed on the regulars surrounding Kise. This piqued his curiosity.

"Good morning, everyone." Kuroko politely interrupted. The four quickly turned around rapidly turned around, obviously shocked at his sudden appearance. No matter how many times this happened, they could never seem to get used to it.

"Tetsu!" Aomine exclaimed with eyes wide. He calmed himself down before asking, "Did you hear about it?"

"Hear about what, exactly?" Kuroko blinked. He had completely no idea about what they were talking about.

"Haizaki left the team." Midorima said stiffly.

"What?" Kuroko's eyes widened. He felt a pang of guilt slowly build up inside of him.

"Well, it looks like it. " Kise said, his face crunched up in confusion. "All they told me was that I could use Haizaki's locker from now on." He shrugged. "I saw him heading towards the incinerator with his shoes."

Murasakibara watched everyone's interactions in silence, his mouth stuffed with chips. He looked like he was bored with the conversation, inwardly though, he was also curious about what was happening, so he remained silent and continued to munch on his chips.

"…I see." Kuroko said after a few moments of silence, a look of concentration on his face. He turned around and ran out the door screaming, "I'll be back!" He needed to find out what caused this. He hoped that Haizaki would still be there.

"Eh? Wait—Tetsu! Practice already started!" Aomine yelled after him, but Kuroko was already gone. He scratched the back of his head. "Huh…"

"What was that about?" Kise asked, totally confused at his mentor's actions.

Aomine rolled his eyes. How the hell would he know! "Shut up Kise! You're annoying!"

"Mou~ Why are you always so mean to me~?" Kise whined, crocodile tears fell from his eyes.

Murasakibara decided that this was a good time to speak. "It's because Ki-chin is annoying." He said matter-of-factly.

"Hey!" Kise yelled indignantly before pouting. "I am not!"

"Yes, you are." Murasakibara replied childishly.

"No, I'm not!" Kise said with a glare.

"Yes, you are." Murasakibara mockingly stuck out a tongue, making Kise retort even more continued to squabble, screaming 'yes' and 'no', while Aomine just laughed at their exchange., completely amused with the entertainment.

Midorima, on the other hand, stayed silent and ignored the chaos around him. He stared at the door, contemplating. He told everyone he didn't know why Haizaki quit, and it was true to some extent. He really didn't know anything, but he had an inkling that Akashi had something to do with it. He shivered as he recalled their Akashi's words.

"We have no more use for him."

Akashi must have done or said something to Haizaki. To make a stubborn and prideful person like him submit to someone's orders took a lot of effort, and there was no guarantee that he would even follow it. Even Nijimura had to beat him up just so he would behave. He wished that he knew what was going on with their red-haired captain.

"Haizaki-kun!"

Haizaki turned around at the sound of his name and asked who was there. "Oh, Tetsuya…" was his response when he saw him.

"I heard that you left the basketball team. Is that true?" Kuroko asked, staring straight at Haizaki's eyes.

Haizaki faced the stare head on. "Yeah, it's true." He replied nonchalantly. "Why did you even come here? It's not like we're friends or anything." Haizaki stared at him with amused eyes, but Kuroko could detect some bitterness in his tone, and he felt guilty about it.

"That's not the problem." Kuroko replied stiffly. "It's obvious that you have impressive talent, so why—"

"I'm tired of playing basketball."

What? Kuroko froze with eyes wide with shock. He never expected Haizaki to say that especially with a cold, uncaring voice.

"All you do is get tired, swell, and smell bad." Haizaki drawled. "Why the hell do I want to continue doing that?"

Kuroko stared, unable to respond as Haizaki continued. "Besides, I'm not really needed and you guys already have someone to replace me."

"Is it really what you think, Haizaki-kun?" Kuroko's lips pressed into a thin line. He doubted that Haizaki was telling the truth.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Haizaki sneered. "You honestly thought that I cared about basketball?"

"Yes, I do."

Haizaki's mocking smile dropped, a frown replacing it. He stared at him, Kuroko said those words with conviction, like he didn't even believe him. There was a sudden pause, and Kuroko thought that Haizaki was finally seeing reason and will drop the facade, but then, Haizaki let out a laugh. He laughed like he heard the funniest and most hysterical joke in the world. Kuroko wavered, could it be that he was wrong?

Haizaki stopped all laughter and stared at Kuroko with cold, mocking eyes. "Well, you're wrong."

He turned around and tossed his basketball in the incinerator. "You don't think that I'm really a good guy or something like that, right? There aren't only good guys in the world."

Haizaki's eyes darkened as he watched his shoes slowly burned, and in a quiet, chilling voice, he told the teal-haired ten, "True bad guys and those who scare you…" Images of cold eyes flashed in his mind. "…also exist."

Kuroko's eyes widened…

"Hey, Tetsuya…There's something I want to ask you about."

"What is it?" Kuroko straightened up; it was rare for him to hear such serious tone from Haizaki.

"Have you…" Haizaki trailed off, looking at his side. He didn't really know how to ask.

"Yes?" Kuroko raised a brow.

"Akashi, do you—" A short pause. "—Do you think that there's something…wrong with him?"

Kuroko furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" He didn't like where Haizaki was going.

Haizaki made a frustrated groan as he ran a hand through his hair. "I meant that there's something wrong with him!" he yelled out. "He's hiding something!"

"What are you trying to say?" Kuroko asked in a voice colder than ice. He was no stranger to rumors that circulated around his lover. People said terrible things about him, but everyone knew that they were all lies formed by envious individuals, that didn't stop the people from gossiping about him, though. He didn't think that Haizaki would believe those rumors considering that he too had been misunderstood.

Haizaki knew that he was treading in dangerous grounds, but as much as he didn't want to admit it, he actually cared for Tetsuya. He knew that Akashi and Tetsuya had something going on. It was obvious to those who knew even one of them. Their relationship wasn't any of his business, but he could feel something stirring in the air. It was a foreboding that continued to send him chills up and down his spine.

"Listen, Tetsuya." Haizaki tried to reason. "Something is not right. I don't know how to explain it, but Akashi is dangerous! He's...He's hiding something!"

"There is nothing wrong with him." Kuroko said, his lips pressed in a thin line. "You don't even know—"

"And you do?" Haizaki cut in. "You've known for just about a year. You rarely spend time together outside school. In fact, I bet that you only fuck each other whenever one of you visits the other's house!"

Kuroko flushed. He opened his mouth to deny it when Haizaki cut him off.

"Tetsuya," Haizaki started. He stared at him with the most serious look he could muster. He had to warn Tetsuya before something happens. "Don't put your guard down. He's— I don't think that you should let love blind you. I don't really know what he's like, and I'm sure that what you said before was true. That he can be nice and shit, but fuck! Don't follow him blindly! There is something seriously wrong with that guy."

"So…you don't want me to trust Akashi-kun, someone who cares for me, someone who took the time to train me when I was nothing but a burden, someone who gave his heart to me, but you want me to trust you? Your words?" Kuroko stared at Haizaki with disbelief in his eyes, He couldn't believe that Haizaki would say something like that. Akashi was the most trustworthy person he ever had the chance to meet. He gave him an opportunity. He loved him! Him! He felt anger slowly fill him up. He felt betrayed that Haizaki would say such things. He didn't want him to trust his lover, but he wanted him to trust his words?

"No." Kuroko said, his voice quivering with suppressed anger. "Why should I trust you when you don't even know him? In fact, why should I trust you when compared to him, you are nothing. You're nothing and that's why everyone left you."

Haizaki's eyes widened. Kuroko gasped. "Wait—that's not what—" he tried to explain.

"No, don't." Haizaki stopped him, his face showed no emotion. "You made yourself perfectly clear." He felt betrayed. Here he was, warning him because he was worried. It seemed that he was wrong about what Tetsuya thought about him. "I can never compete with Akashi. No one can, especially someone as worthless as me. Now then, this worthless piece of crap will now leave you to your beloved Akashi."

Haizaki turned around to leave, he was too hurt to stay. Kuroko was about to stop him when Haizaki froze in his step, not even facing him, he spoke, "Oh yeah, since you obviously think that my warning isn't even worth hearing much less heeded, don't come crying to me when you realize that I'm right." Haizaki left.

Kuroko never felt so ashamed back then. He knew that Haizaki had abandonment issues and was insecure about his relationships. This was why he built a wall between himself and others. The only one who had managed to overcome that wall was probably Nijimura and himself. At least, that was what he used to think. Recent events show that he didn't know Haizaki as much as he thought he did, but that didn't mean that he didn't know a part of him.

"Don't you dare feel sorry for me." Haizaki turned to face Kuroko, a mocking smile on his face. "Who knows?" he shrugged. "Maybe the one who stay will suffer a worse destiny than mine." He dropped his smile, "Goodbye, Tetsuya."

It took a while for Kuroko to comprehend Haizaki's last words. When he did, he closed his eyes. It seemed that Haizaki had made his choice and there was nothing more he could do to persuade him. He stared up at Haizaki, looking him in the eyes, and nodded. "Goodbye, Haizaki-kun."

Kuroko turned away and left as fast as he could. He accepted that Haizaki had quit the team, but that didn't mean that he accepted his reason. He knew Haizaki enough to know that basketball was important to him, especially if you included a certain black-haired upperclassman who beat people into submission, literally He needed to get away for a while, he needed to think. He didn't feel like going to practice or attend class. Kuroko quickened his pace into a run.

Haizaki watched Kuroko run away. He stared at the disappearing form, an unreadable expression on his face. He said that they were not friends, he said that he didn't care, he said such cruel words, but deep inside he knew that his act fooled no one. He felt terrified, not for himself, but rather for the person who treated him with respect. He wished that he could do something, but…He closed his eyes as shivers ran up and down his spine. He just couldn't forget those cold, unfeeling eyes. Its chilling gaze paralyzed him and he could feel it piercing through his very soul, filling him with unimaginable fear.

His hands balled into fists, shaking with frustration. He felt helpless and pathetic! Damn that guy!

"So it's true huh...Haizaki really quit." Aomine mused. "Then, we can't do anything about it anymore."

"Eh? Aominecchi, isn't that a bit cold?" Kise asked as he arched a brow.

"I don't think so." Aomine shrugged. "We can't do anything about it, even if we run after him." He ran ahead to finish his lap, leaving behind Kise, Murasakibara, and Midorima.

"Really?" Kise asked. He and Haizaki were not particularly close, in fact, they quite dislike each other, but even he thought that shrugging him off was a little bit cruel.

"Haizaki is really prideful." Midorima explained. "Going after him would have the opposite effect."

"Besides, Ki-chin…" Murasakibara interjected. "Quitting the club was his own choice."

Nijimura, who was secretly listening to the conversation, decided that he had enough of the gossiping. He stalked towards the trio, making them quiet down. "Since you're new here, Kise, let's get something straight." He said with a mockingly flat tone. "We're not here to get along with each other. We may all be teammates but we're also rivals. We have other things to do than to worry about other people's problems." He glared at them. "Instead of talking, run!" he yelled. Although he wasn't their captain anymore, it didn't mean that he would let them slack off.

Kise pouted before complying with the order. They were all so mean to him! He was followed by Murasakibara. What they were talking about didn't really matter to the purple-haired teen. If Haizaki wanted to quit, then it was a good thing. It meant that he was weak, and they didn't need weak people in the team.

"And you?" Nijimura asked with an arched brow, referring to Midorima who continued to stand idly.

"I already finished my laps." Midorima simply replied.

Nijimura stared at him for a moment before nodding. He went back on the bench to grab his water bottle. These brats were pissing him off! Honestly, there were more important things to worry about than a person who quit. He drank from the bottle. Besides… he thought to himself. The only one who should really worry is me…God knows what the fuck that brat was thinking! Damn him! He has the nerve to quit while the next tournament is near. I'll definitely beat him up! He furiously thought as he growled to himself.

Midorima watched as his former captain repeatedly kick the bench while other people stared at him. Oh, how the mighty has fallen. He shook his head.

"Midorima," Akashi called out. "Have you seen Kuroko?"

Midorima turned around and blinked. Now that he mentioned it, Kuroko was still missing. Seeing that his captain's patience was running thin, he quickly replied, "He left earlier when he heard that Haizaki quit."

Midorima's was taken aback at the dark look that settled on Akashi's face. The rapid change of the atmosphere chilled him to the bone making him shudder. He could see Akashi's eyes narrow and turn his gaze into something more calculating.

"I see…" Akashi replied before leaving.

Midorima shivered as image of their last conversation filled his mind. It was hard to pretend that he knew nothing, but there's nothing he could do. He knew danger when he saw it, and Akashi's definitely one of them. Midorima closed his eyes and sighed. At this rate, he'd die early from stress.

Kuroko stared at his phone, a wistful smile on his face as he replied. He was sitting on a swing in an empty playground. He'd been here for hours already and it was already dark. He wondered if the others searched for him, he did say that he would be back, but Haizaki made him feel dejected. Haizaki vaguely implied that Akashi was the cause. He just didn't know what to think anymore.

He pushed himself off the ground, slowly swinging himself back and forth. His phone vibrated in his hand, notifying him of a reply. He opened the message, but almost dropped his phone when a pair of arms wrapped itself around him. He gasped, and was about to struggle when he heard a familiar chuckle. He looked up to find Akashi with a playful smile on his face.

"Did I surprise you?" Akashi teased making Kuroko glare at him.

"It's not funny, Akashi-kun." Kuroko huffed before leaning against his lover, his warmth was comforting. Akashi hummed, nuzzling Kuroko's hair, making Kuroko lean more to him. Akashi leaned in and kissed Kuroko on his cheek when he caught a glimpse of his message. He frowned as he read a part of it.

'—rry! It'll be fine. I'll be there if you need me! :D'

His eyes narrowed as he asked who that message was from. "Hmm…this?" Kuroko blinked, gesturing at his phone, completely oblivious to his lover's ire. "It's from my childhood friend."

"Really now…" Kuroko winced as Akashi tightened his hold.

"Yes…" Kuroko warily replied. "Is there something wrong, Akashi-kun?" Akashi said nothing and Kuroko was beginning to worry that he said something wrong. "Akashi-kun?"

Akashi sighed, "It's nothing, Kuroko. I'm just a little tired." He loosened his hold. He nuzzled his lover's neck before placing butterfly kisses, making Kuroko squirm around his hold.

"S-Stop that, Akashi-kun." Kuroko stammered as his face turned red from embarrassment.

"Why?" Akashi teased, sucking on a sweet spot on Kuroko's neck. "Clearly, you're enjoying it." He slowly slid his hands down to Kuroko's waistband, slipping under it to cup the teal-haired teen's arousal which he proceeded to rub, eliciting a gasp from him.

"Because…" Kuroko moaned out before biting his lip. "We—we're outside and…not to mention, we're in a playground…" he trailed off as he tried to hold off his moans. Akashi softly chuckled at this as he continued to do his ministrations.

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko complained, struggling against Akashi's hold, he was in no mood to do this. "Stop it!" he snapped. He pushed hard against Akashi, freeing him from his grasp as he stood up from the swing.

Akashi's eyes widened as he landed on the ground, surprised at the force his lover exerted. There was silence as the couple stared at each other with shock. Akashi snapped out of the stupor first, pushing himself off the ground, followed by Kuroko who tried to help him out.

"I'm sorry." Kuroko hurriedly apologized, grabbing Akashi's hand to help him up. Akashi offered him a small smile.

"No, it's fine." Akashi replied shortly. "It seems that I went too far."

"It's not that Akashi-kun!" Kuroko tried to explain, but Akashi raised a hand signaling him to stop. Kuroko bit his lip, slightly bowed his head, and looked at his shoes. He fidgeted, he obviously hurt Akashi's feelings, but he was just in no mood for it. Just remembering his conversation with Haizaki was making him feel guilty since it made him doubt his lover. He raised his gaze to look at his Akashi, who was brushing the dirt off his uniform, when he noticed a small, red stain on Akashi's blazer. "Akashi-kun, what's that?" he pointed to his collar.

Akashi looked up at Kuroko's question before glancing down to where the finger was pointed. He briefly glared at the spot before shrugging it off. "It's nothing, Kuroko. I bumped into someone who was bleeding and a drop must have accidentally gotten on my clothes."

"Is he okay?"

"It's nothing to worry about." He reassured his lover with a smile. Kuroko didn't need to worry over someone who wasn't worth his time.

Kuroko nodded in agreement, but inside, he was having doubts. Akashi would never be so clumsy as to bump into someone. He really had to talk to him, the sooner the better. He opened his mouth to say something when Akashi interrupted him.

"You pushed me." Akashi stated, bringing back the issue at hand. "You never do that even when you're not in the mood." He observed his lover for a while, waiting for a response. Kuroko was silent. Akashi raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Akashi-kun…" Kuroko nervously trailed off, he tried to grasp the words out. How was he going to confront his lover about his talk with Haizaki? And that a part of him believed that it was true? He opened his mouth to speak again.

"Stop right there, Tetsuya." Akashi ordered after a few seconds of observance. "It's clear that you have something you want to discuss with me." he said. It was rare for him to see his lover nervous and out of words. If it was something ordinary, his lover would just bluntly say what he wanted. Clearly, what Kuroko wanted to ask was about something serious. He will give him time to sort out his thoughts. "Why don't we go home and talk in private." He suggested, offering up a hand. Whatever it was Kuroko wanted to ask, he would be prepared for it.

Kuroko nodded, inwardly relief. He took the offered hand and the two walked silently back to Akashi's house. Kuroko knew that he had angered his lover; he had to get things straight quickly.

The consequence that no one foresaw...

My reaction when I wrote this was, "WHAT THE HELL KURO-CHIN! AKASHI-SAMA WANTED SEX AND YOU DENIED HIM! WTF?!" Yup! I'm getting frustrated xDDDDD

So, things are heating up a bit and surprises, not really, will probably happen in the next chapter. Also, Akashi is finally showing signs of his dark side around Kuro-chin. You know what I'm talking about!...right? xD

P.S
I don't really know when will I be able to update again. I go to school, 7 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday, so I don't really have much free time to write. I'm surprise that I got this out! The good news is I have the Holy week and the whole month of May as a vacation, so I might be able to write something, not sure. I already typed out a few scenes of the next chapter. Let' s just see.

Everyone, please review and tell me what you think! But, don't be too brutal about my mistakes. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. Even so, it's welcomed. Also, you can give me suggestions about what you want to happen! That way I'd get even more ideas!