He looked at the bag of newly acquired souls of once colorful humans. He spun it in the air with a wave of his hand to examine the souls one more time before smiling to himself; the newbie bakus sure know how to do their jobs properly, without so much a hint of sympathy to those who're supposed to be the owners to the souls; just like how he intended them to be.
A scowl was then made apparent on his face as he remembered his supposed to be best bakus that now seemed to be considering a revolt. Not that he'd let them. The Superior shook his head as he brought the bag down to his hand. He can feel his mouth begin to water. His bakus might be enjoying their nightly meals of nightmares and uneasiness, but once the work is done, it's time to indulge himself into the devouring those sweet tortured souls to his heart's content.
He's the demon that devours all.
With a wicked grin, he took a plump yellow soul and brought it up his face.
"Such a fine happy soul this is,"
He started as he pretended to give a sympathetic look to the soul in front of him.
"Too bad it's so weak-willed that only a small nightmare made it broke down,"
He finished with a sickeningly sweet tone. Obviously fake.
He brought it up close even more before licking his lips and baring his sharp, crooked teeth.
"Thank you for the meal,"
The ground grumbled and the surroundings shook; it's as if the whole Monochrome World was experiencing a spasm of sorts. The three infiltrating bakus kept their footing but their eyes showed just a little bit of panic. What ifs are swimming through their thoughts.
What if he found out?
What if we failed?
What if...
"What if he found out?"
Akashi questioned quietly with a frown on his face as he frantically searched around for any sign of them being found out. He then heard Aomine snort besides him. The red head gave the tanned baku a glare, but Aomine shrugged it off and he challenged Akashi's glare with a frown.
"I can't believe you're scared by that."
Aomine's words were taunting but it made Akashi's clouded thoughts clear up. He was not scared; far from it. His worrying heart made the best of him and made him react to that simple shaking of the ground. He exhaled a breath as he closed his eyes and he calmed his heart.
"We should hurry,"
Midorima plainly said. Akashi nodded as he walked alongside Midorima, a frown on his face. Aomine's already walking a few steps ahead of them.
Akashi clenched his fists. He shouldn't lose control, shouldn't panic in this state; he has a promise to fulfill and a person to protect. He looked up ahead, lips pursed and eyes in a pointed glare.
They're almost there.
The three bakus can see a huge crater in front of them, flaming with a purplish black fire. The three of them drew in closer, almost at the edge, but not enough for the flames to reach them.
They observed for a few moments.
If they listen enough, the soft crackling of the fire is actually the screams of the damned. If they looked in closely, the flames were not really burning fire but desperate hands and fingers that are trying to get out of the pit. If only they were much closer, they would clearly smell a rancid odor that's worse than burning flesh; it stinks of the false dreams the souls once held desperately onto.
Aomine was visibly showing his disgust, Midorima was staring head on but his knuckles are turning white with how he tightly they are clenched, and Akashi remained his calm this time, confidently walking just a little bit closer to the edge.
"This is it. You both know the sacrifice of this,"
Akashi turned around to face the other two, boring holes into them both with his stare but Midorima and Aomine stood firm and unmoving.
"This is your last chance to back out,"
Aomine was first to burst into laughter. It was not forced, not sorrowful; instead his laugh sounded how it would on a regular day.
"You expect me to back out after all the shit that I saw before standing here? You underestimate my sincere want to end all of this, Akashi."
Aomine dramatically extended both his arms at his side to prove his point; his haughty smirk playing on his lips. Akashi nodded briefly before directing his look at the bespectacled baku, waiting for his answer.
Midorima huffed an unimpressed 'hmph' as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He stared at Akashi head on, not once backing down as he let his knuckles relax at his side.
"Let's just get this over with, in fact"
A small smile crept up Akashi's lips as he once again faced the burning flame of the pit.
"Shall we then?"
He was in the middle of devouring the second plump soul after savoring the previous one when he felt a stinging sharp pain in his stomach. He accidentally dropped his next meal as he took a look at his aching stomach.
There's a gaping hole in its place.
He growled as he spat out thick black blood. The hole was getting larger, eating him inside out. He knows who did this to him, who had the guts to disobey him. He scowled and glared at the hole,
"After... I let you... have a... second chance... you imbecile... traitor... I swear...I'll—"
He was crumbling. The souls that kept him together, he knows that they are being freed and damn that gluttonous daidarabotchi who would let anyone in if they have the right amount of sugar cane. He started to feel numb; no pain, no suffering but his face showed bitterness of the betrayal.
But then he realized and he smiled. A smile that reached from ear to ear but it's not a pleasant one. It's a far more sinister smile than when he last had a good soul to gulp down.
"You'll... cease to... exist anyway... ugh... Akashi... bastard...!"
Kuroko was in his bed; comfy covers over him, soft pillow to cushion his head and a nice bed that supported his entire weight. But even after all of that, his eyes were open and alert, his brain functioning perfectly and replaying the recent happenings continuously. He felt happy but then he can't understand this feeling of emptiness inside him and how that emptiness seems to be the dominant one.
He turned to face the window which was now closed. It shows a perfect display of a full moon and somehow Kuroko's entranced to it; somehow, this full moon indicates something important. The blue head sat up and stared at the moon.
He knows he was alone, he's aware that there is nobody but him, and then he felt a light tap of a warm hand on his shoulder. Kuroko jumped at the contact and he stared at the intruder.
'How did he get here? The door is closed and so is the window—'
"I can't believe you're the one who he replaced me with,"
The figure said with a scowl. Kuroko knitted his eyebrows together at the brash comment the intruder said,
"What are you talking about? Who are you? What are you doing here?"
The unimpressed and tired looks on the stranger made Kuroko's blood boil a little,
"I'm not here to play twenty questions. I just want to see the person who he chooses over me and I am very disappointed,"
His face seems to have a permanent scowl, but Kuroko can't deny that despite the scowl, his gray hair and equally gray eyes were very appealing.
"Who's 'he'?"
Kuroko asked and the white haired guy rolled his eyes,
"Akashi, of course,"
Kuroko sucked in a breath and his eyes widen. The stranger only breathed out a sigh,
"He might have not told me directly, but I saw into his eyes that a new one has brought the light in them,"
The stranger frowned and he glared at the floor, boring holes into it.
"Yes I am jealous but it's been a few decades. I'm just happy he found someone while I was gone,"
He looked at Kuroko, a frown making its way to his face,
"I ask of you... no... I demand of you to treasure his love seriously and never let him go,"
And then his features relaxed as his eyes closed, Kuroko still have yet to say something; to tell the stranger to explain everything; who he was, what he is to Akashi, how have they known each other, where did Akashi went?
"... Is what I want to say but,"
He slowly opened his eyes and the glanced at the window.
"It's his last night tonight,"
He simply said. Kuroko gave him a questioning look but the stranger just shrugged,
"He freed me and the others and he protected you. He has obtained his goals and now he'll leave,"
The both of them never broke eye contact. Kuroko felt this rush of emotions despite the emptiness; the fear, worry, that disgusting feeling of being left alone.
"He has something you would need and..."
He moved in closer placing both of his hands to rest on either side of Kuroko's tense shoulders,
"Knowing him, he'd wait for you to fall asleep before giving it back to you and he'll never return,"
The stranger flashed him a small smile and for a moment Kuroko was shocked,
"Go to him and don't hesitate,"
That was the final call before Kuroko ran out of his bedroom, wore his shoes without minding the lack of socks and then he dashed out of the house.
He does not know exactly where to find Akashi, heck, he doesn't even know if he's in the city or not. But his feet continued along, seemingly knowing every turn and every corner that it needs to go through. Kuroko can feel the burn of this sudden strenuous running; his muscles are aching, his breath in ragged intervals and his heart felt like it would be out of his ribcage in another minute, but he kept running and running. Never stopping and always looking ahead.
A little wish in his head and with hope in his heart kept him busy, not noticing that the city is now a little far off and that he's approaching a rather wide clearing.
'Akashi...'
He breathes out
'Akashi...'
His muscles ache
'Akashi...'
His heart beats
'Akashi!'
His soul screams
Kuroko's weak legs gave up and he stumbled upon the clearing. He made himself stand up through sheer willpower and desperate breaths. He looked up ahead and his eyes cannot believe what he saw.
The lone tree somewhere in the meadow; the scenario in his dreams, the place where their every interaction happened, is now right before his eyes.
Under the tree, resting, with his eyes closed as he sat on the overgrown roots of the tree, was Akashi. Kuroko's breath was caught in his throat. The baku looked beautiful. The shining moonlight rays were just at the right angle, making Akashi distinct and define than the background. Kuroko's shaky legs slowly made their way to the baku, careful as to not wake him up.
As he was a foot away, Kuroko noticed that Akashi looked, tired, exhausted even. Akashi stirred in his sleep and Kuroko took a step back. The baku opened his eyes and let it adjust to the dark night, he immediately caught sight of Kuroko and he scrambled up his feet, his face showing disbelief as he stared at the human before him,
"How?"
"S-someone informed me and my legs just lead me here,"
Was Kuroko's lame explanation but then a fond smile crept up Akashi's face. The red head approached Kuroko slowly and then he grabbed both of the teen's hands, bringing the knuckles up his lips and kissing them. Kuroko blushed but he did not deny the contact.
Akashi's smile was peaceful. He needed to thank Chihiro for this, he thought.
Without a moment's delay, his hands let go of Kuroko's and let them be where they're most comfortably at, one hand caressing Kuroko's cheek and the other snaking around the smaller one's waist. Kuroko did not resist the pull of Akashi's hand on the waist for the two of them to press each other's bodies against each other.
Akashi was not cold like usual, instead his touch was warm and his body even warmer, it gave comfort to the other boy as he leaned in more into the touch. Akashi made small circles at Kuroko's side all the while stroking at his cheek,
"I ought to give you something back,"
Kuroko raised his head to meet Akashi's eyes. Just as he was about to question what it could possibly be, his mouth was sealed with Akashi's lips. Out of all the body parts that Kuroko's feeling, Akashi's lips have got to be the warmest and coziest of them all.
The human quickly gave in to the kiss and pressed his lips back. He then felt the other's tongue coaxing his lips open and Kuroko made no resistance as he opened his lips a little, letting that soft and warm muscle enter his cavern. Kuroko entwined his own tongue with Akashi's though he let the other dominate as he really does not know what to do.
Akashi now has both of his hands at Kuroko's waist, encircling around the smaller boy and bringing their bodies even closer than before.
Kuroko felt that rush of emotions; that vivid feeling of happiness, love and all of the good things in life.
Kuroko felt alive in the kiss.
A/N
If you guys want a happy ending, stop here
If not...
Well...
Meh... :v
Anyways I'm really sorry for only updating this now; Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology are eating me inside out :'v and I'm a little mellow now on this ship but I swear I'll finish all of my fics! I'm still an AkaKuro-nian all the way!
Thank you for reading :)
Expect the last chapter soon :)