7 - We've already come this far
Akashi closed his front door behind him and leaned to it, staring at his feet with empty eyes.
It was clear he didn't live in this place. He took only two steps into the house to decide it. When he closed his eyes and thought of his home, his faint image of the welcoming place didn't have a distant relation with this cold and desolate apartment.
He recalled spending time in his house - cooking in the kitchen, lying on the couch or browsing through the bookshelves. They even looked like this apartment but - they weren't.
This place didn't feel right.
It also looked unlived-in.
With a sigh, Akashi straightened and left the apartment building.
Where did he live? Where was home?
If he walked around without aim, would his feet carry him there? What his mind forgot, would his body remember?
He gulped. Did he have a medical condition? He heard of powers that affected its owner's health - did his affected his memory?
Nothing showed on his obligatory check-up but -
Why did this happen? How could he forget where he lived? What happened?
His ears were ringing. He clasped his eyes shut and gripped his head.
It was fine; he ate his breakfast at home and then left for a walk. But when he returned, it wasn't the right place.
He needed to calm down. This might a villain's revenge or a scared hero's attack; just because it never happened before didn't mean it couldn't.
Akashi gulped breaths and wiped his face. He was okay. Every memory block had a weak point, he could solve it.
He wandered without an aim, hoping a sight and noise would trigger his memory but everything was familiar, like the way to his home.
He must have lived at that empty, cold apartment for some time.
Now, he only needed to find another street that familiar.
He would roam the whole city by foot if he had to.
Only when his legs ached, did he stop at a bench. He launched his map app to mark his progress, then cursed his idiocy.
His breath hitched - no, no, nothing was wrong with his brain functions. He was surprised after all. It is normal to react like -
He opened his contacts list, hoping any name would sound familiar. Did he have a home number?
No, he didn't. And he knew all the names, of course.
Even the Emergency Milkshake Line. He remembered saving it, as well as laughing like a madman when it called. His finger hovered over the delete option - he also recalled deleting this contact a few times.
If they were on milkshakes - he looked at his tattoo. 'Listen to your heart and drink a vanilla milkshake.'
As much as directions went, this one was clear.
With a tiny light rekindling in his chest, Akashi walked to the nearest cafe.
The fluffy white drink wasn't as bad as he imagined. So sugary that it hurt his throat, yes, and Akashi felt like complaining - but also like there was someone to answer him. A precious companion not afraid of Akashi, joy and disbelief that there could be such a person out there and confidence that this person would never give up on him.
Akashi clutched his chest. It ached - was there really a person like that? - but it also hammered in excitement.
Was this person - home?
He looked at his tattoo again. How did he listen to his heart? How did he find the way to home?
He gulped the rest of his drink and ordered another one, on-the-go. With a sip, he focused on his vague image of the cozy house. He walked, without knowing where he was going while trying to remember anything, even the tiniest scrap.
Like yipping of a puppy.
Cleaning a broken plate, amused.
A bookshelf with his family heirloom sitting proud at the center.
When he finished his drink, he bought another one, feeling like he was supposed to receive it from his special faceless someone.
That person had to exist.
Please.
He was nauseous and his hands were shaking from a sugar high when a street felt right.
When he found the correct door, Akashi touched it with a trembling hand. He had already come this far. With a deep breath, he ringed the doorbell and his heart skipped a beat when a dog barked inside.
Someone opened the door - was this the one? Who? Who was this person? - he fell to the ground in bewilderment with an energetic ball of fur licking his face.
Akashi's eyes were on the blue-haired man though. His eyes widened and then shone with the most beautiful smile Akashi had ever seen.
"Welcome home, Seijuro," he said, extending a hand to help him up.
Was he the one? That comrade - that cherished person?
Akashi took his hand and entered the house, the dog following behind with a happy yip.
Yes, this was his home.
But, the person - he still didn't remember -
"I am Kuroko Tetsuya," he said, as if reading his thoughts. He caressed Akashi's cheek as Akashi was falling to his sky-deep eyes.
Yes, this person was the one. He knew it in his heart.
"I am home."
The End
Author's Note: Thank you everyone! Thank you for reading this story and thank you to all the people who commented, left kudos, liked, reviewed, bookmarked and favorited this story. I am glad this fandom is still alive and we get to make another AkaKuro week.
This story was quite experimental and build-on-the-road for me and I can still find some holes and unexplained stuff but I hope you still enjoyed it. Sorry for all the people that cried - it was never my intention :)
Thank you again, everyone. It is time for me to crawl back to my corner of monthly publishing schedule. Hope to see you again.
