Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Haikyuu, the characters or make any profit from this story. All characters and concepts belong to their respective owners. I just like writing. Please support official releases.

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Aphremis C : HAHAHA, I'm glad you're enjoying it! This was utterly too kind. I hope I'm not causing too much of a disruption when you're in public. I'm just getting started here, so hang on tight! There's so much to uncover. As for who Kotomi might end up with, well, truth is I haven't quite figured it out yet. I feel like I don't want to force an end pairing, and I want the events of the story to lead up to the end game (hehe). It's not going to be obvious as someone from Haikyuu. I love my basketball boys, so they're going to get a redemption arc, which will put them on equal standing. However…a KotomixEveryone Crack!Ending might come along, just u wait hehe. Thanks for your review!

Thanks to AphremisC, Bibahhh, minnaterek, Aomine, and KorosuPoison for the follows!

Thanks to Aphremis C, Ninjallama1998, TheCrazyFangirl48, and bibahhh for the favorite!

ENJOY!

CW: Dubious consent and just a sprinkle of violence

Chapter 10: Interruptions

"Shit! Shit! Shit! This is shit!" Oikawa kicks a box of supplies over, earning him a fist to the back of his head from an equally incensed Iwaizumi.

"Shut up! You're not helping!" He roars, but this time Oikawa doesn't back down, slamming his forehead against his best friends'.

"No, you shut up! We should have just killed them all when we ambushed them! We shouldn't have trusted any of those assholes!" Most of the others were still recovering from the surprise barrage of sleep gas, their heads spinning and their stomachs queasy, but the yelling and panic certainly wasn't helping.

"Calm down," Daichi insists, stilling holding the receiver to his ear. He had been the furthest away from the source of the gas and was the first to wake up. He was in contact with headquarters at the moment, but he could barely hear the orders from the other end with the two screaming at each other. "We'll get her back."

"Who are you calling!? We have to go to the Citadel right now! Before her stupid friends get to her, first." Oikawa grounds out, already picking up his weapon and sheathing his fallen knife. "Where are the grenades? I'll blow them up for good, this time!" Bokuto punches the ground in anger, gritting his teeth. Normally, Akaashi would be there to calm the Owl Captain, but he is too busy glaring at his own hands.

She was with me. I had her in my arms. He grits his teeth and clenches his fists tightly. Kuroo is the only one completely calm, surveying the scene and everyone's reactions.

"We can't just barge into the Citadel screaming her name and hoping she comes running to us." While he reasons, Oikawa is still charging around, arming himself to the teeth.

"Of course we can!" Oikawa insists heatedly. "We've done it a thousand times! We did it when we rescued her the first time!"

"It was the very first time a group of outsiders staged an all-out assault on them in almost half a century when we busted Kotomi out. We've been raiding them for the last 6 years, and they're starting to catch onto our tricks. This time they'll see us coming, for sure. And they'll definitely make sure we're dead long before we even get a glimpse of Little Bird."

"Besides, we still have injured here." Akaashi adds, gesturing to the recovering captured, those who were conscious and able to walk tending to their less than fortunate comrades. Oikawa bears his teeth and stomps his foot childishly, while Iwaizumi scoffs. The Gorilla Captain was an idiot and endlessly insolent, but they knew Oikawa agreed. As worried as they were about Kotomi, these people were also their family.

"Then…what do we do? I can't wait until we're ready to go get her."

"We won't. We'll wait until she's ready for us to get her." All eyes fall on Kuroo in varying levels of confusion, except for Akaashi, who seems to realize what he meant very quickly. "We know her even better than they do, now. And we know that idiot won't sit down and wait. Better yet, they probably underestimate her, because they haven't seen what she can do." A cat-like grin splits Kuroo's lips. Oikawa's eyes widen and her laughs in disbelief after a moment.

"That's right, isn't it…?" Our little bird is far more than just a hummingbird, after all."

"So we'll wait on the sidelines, then." Iwaizumi joins in, nodding firmly. "And when she's done what she needs to do, we'll be there to help her out." Bokuto jumps up, grinning wide.

"Hey, hey, hey! Well, what are we waiting for!? We have to restock our ammo and be ready for her to call for us..!"

"That won't be necessary." All eyes turn to Daichi as he hangs up with headquarters. He looks up, eyes staring straight ahead. "The help is coming to us."

Kotomi didn't think she would be sitting on her old bed, her old room, ever again. Her old books still smelled of that lavender oil that Aomine knocked over while looking for her homework to copy. Her stuffed animals were still pristine, sitting on her made bed like they were waiting for her to return home from classes or a day at the medical center. Even her desk was scattered with study notes and her colored pens that Kuroko bought for her birthday. A bag of candy that Murasakibara traded with her for a limited-edition popsicle flavor that a boy gave her during lunch sits on her desk, long expired.

They never touched my room after I left… Kotomi concludes as she hugs her old rabbit plush, even biting its ear like she used to when she was deep in thought. She was…supposed to be happy now, wasn't she? When Kise hugged her, when Momoi cried. Aomine ruffled her hair like usual and Murasakibara handed her a snack. Midorima went on to nag her about her health, worrying about the scars on her arms and saying he would give her an ointment for it. It was all like it used to be. So why didn't she feel glad? Or happy? Why did this all seem like a bother to her?

Her answer came in the mental image of her collapsed friends, laying strewn about the dirt like trash. The injured still bleeding, bones still broken. That's why she felt empty. As familiar as they seemed, the people who kidnapped her were strangers and nothing more. She felt nothing for them and the circumstances under which they reunited. And the moment she could, she was getting out of here. The door opens and Kotomi jumps, having been in such deep thought that she doesn't even realize someone is in her room until the cherry pink is in her peripheral vision.

"Are you hungry?" Momoi asks softly, carrying a tray of tea and cookies, just like old times. Kotomi offers a small smile and pats the spot on the bed beside her. Momoi obliges, setting the tray on her night stand.

"Where are the boys?"

"Tetsu-kun is reporting to Akashi-kun. Everyone else is too shy to come see you." Kotomi raises a brow in confusion. Her silent question is answered moments later. "They never stopped thinking about the way you left us. I think they're still processing, and they're worried about what Akashi-kun will say about who you were with." Kotomi gnaws on her bottom lip a moment.

"Will he be mad, do you think?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him mad in years…but I think he'll be happy to see you." Kotomi takes a deep breath. Akashi would be her greatest obstacle, and that's not even including his father. Should she avoid contact, or initiate it? She needed to be able to see what he was up to. Momoi watches her with worry in her eyes, suddenly wrapping her arms around her dear friend and holding her tight.

"Koto-chan…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" Kotomi blinks a few times, eyes widened in confusion. "I should have tried harder for you. I should have fought for them to go looking for you. I should have noticed lock on your door much earlier, I—"

"Satsuki-chan, that was six years ago. I'm not dead and I'm here, aren't I?" Kotomi takes her by the shoulders, holding her tightly as she sighs in feigned exasperation. "There was nothing you could have done."

"You're…not mad?" Kotomi does feel a stirring in her heart at this. She hugs Momoi tightly, nuzzling her shoulder.

"I think you should be mad at me, actually. Maybe if I had told you about my friends, let you meet them, you would have been able to help in some way. Your weird Satsuki kind of way." Momoi seems uncertain about her response.

"You're still defending them? Even though they kidnapped you?"

"You don't know them, Sa-chan. They weren't awful to me or anything."

"But they had you fight people, kill people."

"I chose to do that when I had to. It's a part of war."

"But you wouldn't have had to if they hadn't taken you away."

"If I had stayed, I would have been locked away in a room for the rest of my life." Momoi stops at this, looking down at her lap. Even she couldn't deny that that wouldn't have been the case. Kotomi hugs her plush closer, staring at her bare legs. She hadn't worn skirts in so long. She had to borrow one of Momoi's since none of her clothes from her teenaged years fit her anymore. She was much fuller on the bottom and top.

"Are you planning to run away?" Kotomi doesn't panic. There's no way Momoi could have read her that easily. She learned her Poker face from Akaashi, after all. It was an innocent question that Kotomi takes in stride with a shake of her head.

"Even though I was brought here against my will…I…I'm willing to listen and compromise. I understand that I was acting like a naïve child back then. But now I understand a little better what they went through." Momoi's eyes light up with hope, and Kotomi feels another wave of guilt.

"You really mean it?"

"I just don't want to be locked up again. Anything but that…so as long as they're willing to hear me out, I think I'll try to stay." She looks back at Momoi and is surprised to see the pink-haired beauty's eyes filled with tears.

"Koto-chan!" The pink-haired girl lunges forward to hug her again. "We'll be together forever, won't we?" Kotomi stares at the wall ahead of her, emptiness in her cornflower blue hues.

"Yes, together forever…"

Walking down the halls felt a little more nostalgic, at least. Kotomi runs her hands across the fine wallpaper of the Akashi estate, remembering how she used to do the same playing blind hide and seek to keep herself on the right paths. One of the many games played in these halls. She stops when she comes across a long hallway of family portraits of each Akashi family head, proud and dignified in portraiture as they are in life. Kotomi walks until she stands before the heir himself. His portrait was made on his 18th birthday. He was strong and handsome, his crimson red hair much like his mothers, what Kotomi could remember of her. But his dual-gaze of red and gold still sent shivers down her spine, even in painting form. Akashi had yet to greet her, and it was making her uneasy.

But her eyes then fall on the portrait to the right of the young Akashi's, and a smile graces Kotomi's lips. Her fingers ghost over the long, crimson hair that ended far past her shoulders and cascaded down her back. He kind eyes were the color of roses, lacking the hardness of her son and husband. Her rosy red lips were curved upward in a sweet and serene smile. Kotomi remembers fondly how Akashi Shiori looked, and how warmly the young woman treated all of them. Like they were her own. The only hardship Kotomi ever knew was Shiori's death. It was also the one time she saw Akashi cry.

What would you say, Miss Shiori, if you could see all of us now? A sharp pain suddenly shoots across Kotomi's temples, like a bullet entering one side of her head and exiting like other. It comes so suddenly and so painfully that Kotomi grabs her head, having to hold the wall for support as she hunches over, gritting her teeth. What the…

"Shiori, thank you for having us."

"Kotomi, this is Shiori-san, she's my friend."

"Shiori, please…don't let them _my—" Images flash through her head, accompanied by bright lights and pops and flashes. Kotomi leans against the wall now, trying not to scream out loud as she tries to make sense of all of it.

Dark.

Wet.

Tingling.

White.

Stinging

Burning.

Fire.

Blood.

Pale.

"Kotomicchi?" Kise's voice barely registers with her as she pants, the visions finally fading away, with the pain lingering in her pores. "Are you okay!?" Strong hands steady her, and she realizes that she was kneeling on the ground, completely hunched over. "Hey!"

"I-I'm fine…" Opening her eyes and readjusting to the florescent lights of the estate once more, Kotomi's eyes flicker away from the floor and to the golden gaze of a worried Kise, who helps her stand, holding her hand securely as if afraid she would drop again. "Sorry…I just got dizzy all of a sudden…"

"Are you sure you should be out of bed?" He asks, holding her shoulders and turning her toward him. His eyes read nothing but concern for her. She smiles and places a hand over his, pulling it off her as she takes a step back. The move seems to hurt him, but he wipes it off his face with replaces it with more concern, trying to be sure that she wouldn't fall over again.

"I promise I'm okay, sorry." She repeats again. "I was just looking around. It really feels like no time has passed." Kise's expression relaxes a little, and he offers a smile. It wasn't like the sunshiny, bouncy energy that was characteristic of him in their early youth. The years had not been kind to his optimism, she supposed.

"Don't apologize. You don't have to push yourself anymore, after all."

"A walk isn't pushing myself, Ryota." His cheeks pink and he wiggles with delight that was more familiar to her.

"Hearing you say my name makes me really happy, Kotomicchi!" She rolls her eyes and starts to walk, silently hoping in vain that that would be the end of their exchange. But of course, the blonde walks beside her. She glances at his attire, a black t-shirt and camo pants tucked into black combat boots.

"Were you out?"

"Just on patrol."

"A general patrolling? That seems a little unusual."

"Akashicchi has us lead our own squads. The line of communication has less interruptions if we go along with them." Kotomi nods.

"Sounds like something he would say."

"Has he called you to come see him?"

"No, not yet. Is he working with his father?" Kise's face falls and he looks down as they walk.

"Masaomi-san died 4 years ago." Kotomi stops walking, staring ahead with widened eyes. Akashi Masaomi was by no means a warm or paternalistic figure in their lives, but he did clothe them, feed them, and educate them. It would be blasphemous of her to feel nothing upon learning of his death. But even then, it passes through her face as slight discomfort, and then it's gone. As grateful as she felt, he still arranged for her to marry his son behind her back and did nothing to stop his son's actions to restrict her freedom. She was his charge, not his child. An investment. A tool.

"I see. I'll be sure to give him my condolences once I see him. It must have been hard." Kise sighs himself, wordlessly expressing the same conflict of how to feel about the former Akashi family head.

"But Akashicchi is Akashicchi, so he never showed it on his face…"

"He's always had that infallible air to him." Kotomi laughs a little. "He always knew the answer, didn't he? It makes sense that he would become a general." Kise purses his lips while she speaks of the red-headed heir, seeming displeased by something.

"Anyway!" He stops suddenly and stands in front of Kotomi, which startles her quite a bit. He takes her hand, eyes sparkling with hope. "I was hoping we could go on a date, since you're up!"

"A…date…?" Kise looks away, bashfully rubbing the back of his head with an amicable smile. He takes her hands and laces their fingers together, squeezing reassuringly.

"Don't you remember? You said when I came back, I could try and win your heart."

"You still remember that?"

"Eh!?" Kise jumps back, dramatically grasping his chest as if she had just stabbed him in the chest. "Of course I do! It meant everything to me!" Kotomi raises a brow and giggles at this. Well…she did say she did say that… Without waiting for a verbal answer, Kise is pulling her down the hallway by her arm.

This is good…Kotomi thinks to herself, walking and chatting with Kise about anything she could, which at the moment happened to be about a book she had been reading back at the SDPA base. She needed to make this more than recreational. She had to learn what she could while she was out. She could see the city, get some information, and perhaps find avenues for an escape. Her mind wasn't on the 'date' at all, but it wasn't the most unpleasant thing to be with Kise.

Or so she thought.

"Kyaahh! Kise-kun, over here!"

"No, look over here!"

"Ahaha, sorry, ladies, I'm on my way to the studio. I can't stay and talk today."

"Eeehhh…" Kotomi stands by a nearby flower stand, admiring the vibrant flora, and occasionally shooting Kise an incredulous stare while he's mobbed by his fans. When they first arrived, she wasn't exactly sure why an army general would interest them so much. But it didn't take much sleuthing to figure out what they were actually flocking to Kise for. It wasn't as if his face wasn't plastered on every billboard, poster, and magazine within arm's reach, not to mention the electronic displays, cardboard cutouts, and odd trinkets and toys with his name and face.

Kise's been incredibly busy, these days. She picks up a rose and runs her fingers across its petals, sniffing at it. Her eyes travel towards a lily, and a fond smile spreads across her lips.

"I think this is better suited for the lady." Kotomi's vision is obscured by a cornflower, which she takes with some surprise. They were originally a wildflower, so they weren't commonly found in shops or stands like this one. Kotomi looks up at the newcomer.

"Oh, Himuro-san?"

"Hello again. It's nice to see you up and about, and not chained to a bed." Himuro stood a head above her, leaning against the top of the flower stand with ease. She didn't even realize when she was laying down how massive the man was. Not as tall as Murasakibara, but definitely enough to intimidate her to a certain degree. He was wearing only a t-shirt and shorts, and the glistening of his pale skin suggested he had been exercising. "What are you up to?"

"Ryota insisted on taking me on a date, but he got preoccupied by…" Kotomi gestures to the scene before them, and Himuro chuckles.

"Ah, yes. The famous model and spokesperson of the Citadel."

"I knew he did modeling when we were in school, but I didn't think he would be this popular."

"You don't think he's pretty?"

"I think he's beautiful, but even beautiful Ryota is just Ryota to me." Kotomi smiles a little, playing with the petals of the cornflower absentmindedly. Himuro watches her with interest for a moment, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few coins.

"Mr., I'd like a small bouquet of cornflowers, and violets if you have them." Kotomi jumps and moves to return the flower, but Himuro places a hand over hers, smiling handsomely.

"You're not making a bouquet for me, are you?"

"Who else would I make one for? Consider it a welcome back present. And an apology to handcuffing you to the bed." Kotomi laughs at this.

"I couldn't possibly, you're too kind." Himuro squeezes her hand again, and Kotomi finds herself blushing out of embarrassment. Perhaps her subtle flirting had worked a little too well. Of course, she had tried it on her friends before, but she figured Oikawa and Bokuto were just being dramatic. She only meant to charm her way out of her handcuff, which ended up being unnecessary anyway.

"I want to. They're the same color as your eyes."

"Mm, I get told that a lot…" She sighs in resignation and opens up her arms to receive the small bouquet. She couldn't help but look a little pleased. As forward a gesture as it was, she did enjoy the flowers. Himuro seems quite pleased by this, seeing it as an opportunity to move forward.

"Fujisaki-san, I know we don't know each other too well, but I was thinking that we should change that. We should get together sometime, and—"

"Sorry," A strong arm suddenly drapes itself across Kotomi's shoulders, pulling her flush against a broad chest. "for the wait, Kotomicchi."

"Ryota!" Himuro steps back, reflexively raising his arms in defense, especially at the look that the blonde was currently giving him.

"Kise-kun, managed to shake off your fangirls?" Kise doesn't seem in the least bit amused, glancing down at the bouquet in Kotomi's arms and then at Himuro again. His eyes are that dark, molten gold color, and his grip on her shoulder was ever so slightly too tight for her comfort. He completely ignores Himuro's question, smiling down affectionately at Kotomi.

"They really do compliment your eye color…but as for scents…" Kise reaches over and retrieves a handful of roses, holding them in front of Kotomi. "You prefer these, right…?" Kotomi's lips purse, but she doesn't say anything. Himuro tilts his head in confusion.

"Ah, but Fujisaki-san—" He shuts up with one look from Kise and doesn't get to finish as the blonde places two hands on her shoulders and begins to lead her away while paying for the roses.

"Sorry, Himuro-kun! But we have to go, I'll see you around! Tell Murasakibaracchi I said hi!"

"T-Thank you, Himuro-san!" Kotomi calls over her shoulder. "Let's talk another time!" He returns her farewell with a small wave, a new bead of sweat traveling down his temple. Kise was glaring over his shoulder, with a territorial tense of his posture. Himuro felt that he might have been in danger if he didn't stop when he did. Yet somehow, he understood why. Himuro's eyes travel to the cornflowers, and then the lilies, picking up one of the white flowers and pressing the silky softness of the petals to his lips as he breathes in its scent.

"Ryota, you can stop pushing me, now." Kotomi sighs as the blonde finally stops, allowing her to take a few steps of her own. They were now in the shopping district, which was quite large and expansive, with much more diversity in selection than Kotomi remembered. Kise finally lets her go, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Kotomi puts the flowers in one bundle under her arm, smelling them occasionally. The flowers grown in the greenhouse never seemed to become as vibrant or smell as strongly as the ones in the Citadel.

"Sorry, I was anxious. I wasn't expecting those girls to see me." Kotomi raises an eyebrow and smiles teasingly.

"You weren't expecting them to recognize your face, which is plastered all over the city?" Kise whines and waves his arms in distress.

"I didn't agree to that, my manager had it done! I promise, Kotomicchi, Kurokocchi always calls me a narcissist but it's honestly a nuisance to me too!" Kotomi giggles at this, hiding her face behind her bouquet, a sight which flusters Kise even more. His cheeks flush and he bites his bottom lip, reaching out cup her face.

"Oh! Is that Kotomi-chan?" The dark-haired woman turns her head away from Kise's hand when she hears her name being called, and she smiles at the tall brunette, the bespectacled man with green eyes, and the handsome grey eyed male who was furiously writing in a book.

"Kiyoshi-senpai!" She runs towards them, leaving behind a bewildered and irritated Kise. Hyuga raises a brow at her approaching.

"Kotomicch-!"

"Ryota-kun, is that you?" The blonde flinches as he vaguely recognizes the voice calling his name. Kotomi approaches the three men, while Hyuga regards her with some skepticism.

"Yo, brat. Why are they letting a traitor run around the city free like this?"

"I'm with Ryota, that doesn't count as being free."

"Well, considering what I saw back there at the camp, you should still be in custody. I've never seen anyone take this idiot," He jabs a thumb at Kiyoshi. "down as quickly as you did."

"Hyuga, you say that, but you were really worried about her when Kuroko-kun carried her out of the fog." Hyuga shakes his head violently to protest the accusation from the third man.

"T-That's because Riko and Teppei looked really worried!"

"Well of course I was!" Kiyoshi nods, covering the entire surface of Kotomi's head with his bare hand and ruffling her hair so much that lifting his hand left cowlicks abound atop her head. Kotomi pouts and tries to smooth everything down again. "Kotomi-chan is like a little sister to me, after all!"

"Sister or not, something doesn't sit right with me." Hyuga's gaze is piercing, and Kotomi finds herself under scrutiny. "We all saw how strongly you felt about not coming back here, and yet here you are, roaming around like you never left. What exactly are you playing at?" Kotomi stands unwavering under his gaze, eyes widened to a comfortable degree, so that he could see every inch of the cornflower blue irises reflecting the image of Hyuga to himself. Then, Kotomi closes her eyes and laughs lightly.

"Hyuga-san, was it? You have every right to be suspicious of me. I don't have anything that will convince you of my motivations, nor my intentions, but what I can tell you is that no matter what people tell me, I know where my home is. I've always known, and no matter where I am in the world, I can always find my way back." This time, Hyuga squirms under her indomitable gaze, feeling as though the air was heavier, and that she was looking right through his soul. "We all lose our way, every now and then." There's a long pause between them, but Kiyoshi suddenly steps in between, a hand on each shoulder.

"Now, now, let's try to be nice to each other. Hyuga, Kotomi-chan is still adjusting, and people process things differently. Try not to bully her right away." Hyuga huffs and crosses his arms before looking away again with his nose in the air. Kiyoshi pets Kotomi's head again, a fond smile on his lips.

"Kotomi is right. She knows what she wants to do and what she needs to do. And she knows that Riko and I will always be behind her, no matter what." Kotomi's eyes widen slightly while Kiyoshi's knowing smile grows. Her lips turn upwards, and she throws her arms around him tightly, letting him envelope her in a warm and powerful bear hug. Even if he was just a year older, she imagined that this would be what a father was like. Her head turns when the third boy suddenly gasps and starts to write in his notebook again.

"The bee hind can be found behind the bee! Got it!"

"Izuki, shut up." Kotomi laughs a little. Kiyoshi had told her about his childhood friends before. The man had a penchant for seeing the best in people, even when they didn't deserve it by her standards, so it was a relief to see that these people seemed genuinely decent.

"Ahaha, I think I should be going now. I've been keeping Ryota…waiting." She looks for her blonde friend, spotting him in the same spot she left him. "…oh my." Kotomi turns her head, sentence dying in her mouth as she witnesses the scene before her. A drop-dead gorgeous woman with dark hair and teal eyes smiles coquettishly at Kise, whose back is to the four of them. She couldn't see his face, but Kotomi could clearly see the tenseness in his shoulders. Whoever she was, she wasn't welcome, especially when her hands reach up to brush against his upper arms.

"Uh oh, looks like one of his old flames found him." Kotomi turns to Izuki with her mouth open in a little 'o' of disbelief.

"Kise had a girlfriend?" Izuki laughs a little and rubs the back of his head.

"I wouldn't say a girlfriend…but…I don't think it's my place to put a label on it."

"Kise-kun has a bit of a reputation;" Kiyoshi says cautiously. "the tabloids say that he has a new girl over at his apartment every weekend."

"So he's a womanizer." Kotomi and Hyuga say in unison, glancing at each other with some incredulity.

"I think he might be preoccupied a while," Kiyoshi sighs and looks up at the sky before lowering his gaze to Kotomi. "Why don't we do some window shopping in the…area…?" When he can't find the young woman, he's surprised to see her approaching the quarrelling couple. She steps in front of Kise, gently placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"Sorry, he doesn't quite like you touching him so casually. Could you please step away?" The girl steps back on command out of pure shock, her eyes narrowing.

"Who do you think you are, speaking for him?"

"Kotomicchi…" Kise sounds both relieved and surprised. Kotomi smiles and offers the young woman a rose. The woman is taken aback, taking the rose in her bewilderment.

"I'm just a family friend. I'm back from a trip and Ryota was just showing me around before he has to go back on patrol, right?" She glances at the blonde for support.

"Yeah…Yeah! That's right." Kise smiles apologetically, waving. "I'm only free for another hour or two, and I still have to walk her back home." The woman doesn't seem convinced, but Kotomi takes his hand and pulls him away, with little resistance on his part. As she's walking past Kiyoshi, she stops and gestures to him. Kiyoshi blinks and leans down. With a mischievous smile, Kotomi presses a kiss to his cheek, feeling Kise's grip around her hand tighten considerably, but she pulls away with a giggle.

"Thanks, Kiyoshi-senpai, I'll see you around." Kiyoshi holds his cheek and smiles, picking up on what she was getting at.

"Be careful out there, you two." Kotomi bows slightly to Hyuga and Izuki, who are staring worriedly at Kise, whose eyes are obscured by a shadow from his fringe. When they walk away, Hyuga glances at Kiyoshi, who is still holding his cheek with a stupid smile on his face. Izuki notices it too, raising a brow.

"Teppei, I'm telling Riko."

"Eh!? Why!?"

As they head down a quieter street, one that Kotomi recognized a little more as a line of family-owned shops and restaurants.

"I don't think she'll follow us here." Kotomi looks back, expecting him to jump on her and call her a genius, or hug her and ask her to marry him. But when all she hears is silence, she raises a brow and looks behind her just in time to see hands fly out to trap her in between either of Kise's arms, her back against the wall. "Uwah! R-Ryota…?"

"What is he to you?"

"W-Who are you…?"

"Kiyoshi Teppei…who is he to you?" His voice is rough and lacking in its melodic lilt, and he has yet to meet her eyes. Her hands reach up to push him away, but its met with one of his which grasps her hand, curling his fingers around her palm.

"Ryota, you're too close."

"Please, Kotomicchi, answer my question." Kotomi's brow furrows in irritation and she tenses, which makes him move closer to her.

"First you step back." Her voice is lower now, containing a note of warning. He grits his teeth, opening his mouth to make another demand, and Kotomi clenches her fist in preparation to give him a good strike to get her own demand across. "Don't think you can intimidate me."

"I'm not, I—" Kise is struggling to find his words. A looming shadow darkens Kotomi's vision suddenly.

"I don't know much about women," a slightly tanned hand falls on Kise's shoulder, removing him from Kotomi, much to her relief. "But I don't think it's good to crowd someone like that, Kise." Kagami doesn't seem too pleased about the situation he happened upon, glancing at Kotomi.

"Kagami-san…" Kise doesn't seem all too pleased about his sudden appearance, but he doesn't seem quite angry, either. He does, however, back away from Kotomi.

"Kagamicchi." Kagami looks to Kotomi, shoving the greasy paper bag under his arm and stepping between the two of them.

"You okay?" Kagami's eyes fall on Kotomi as he asks this, though it's a mere glance. Otherwise, he was watching Kise completely.

"She's fine, we were just about to discuss something important." Kotomi shoots Kise a glare, but he doesn't make eye contact with her, staring Kagami down.

"I wasn't askin' you, Kise." Flinching in offense, Kise's perfectly shaped brows drop into a glare, but Kotomi can't help a fond smile.

How surprisingly pleasant, for someone so hard to approach… Kotomi notes in her head, offering a silent nod. Kagami seems convinced by her lack of injury and her wordless confirmation, but he does posture himself in a way that suggests he was ready to step in again.

"Hey." He's addressing Kotomi again, seeming a little more relaxed. "You trained with Alex, didn't you?" Kotomi blinks a few times as the puzzle pieces lock into place. Changing the subject was a good move on his part.

"Alex…oh, Garcia-sensei! You and Himuro-san are her kids?" Kagami blushes at this and rubs the back of his head.

"Is she still going on about that…? We're already adults." And yet, he seemed a positive kind of embarrassed, which made Kotomi smile. He really did remind her of a younger Aomine, when he would deny that he enjoyed attention from Shiori-san.

"She talks very fondly of you guys." Kagami huffs and puts a hand on his hip.

"And she never stopped talking about you. She said she's never met anyone who could execute a takedown so well. I didn't believe her until I saw you take down Kiyoshi-senpai."

"I had many advantages; he always utterly destroyed me one-on-one. I used his technique, which he taught me." From behind Kagami, Kotomi sees Kise's eyes widen at hearing this. But Kotomi shrugs in response.

"Warzones aren't always that pristine, though." Kagami gives her a feral grin, similar to Bokuto or Iwaizumi, when they were really into a battle. "Spar with me sometime."

"No way." This time, Kise steps in between Kagami and Kotomi, placing a hand on her shoulder protectively. "She doesn't need to fight, anymore." Kotomi grabs his hand and pries it off her with a defiant glare.

"Everyone needs to fight, Ryota."

"Not you."

"Are we still doing this? You heard Kagami-san. I can fight, right?"

"I don't care. I let anything like what happened six years ago happen again." Kotomi quiets at this as Kise's voice rises in frustration, emotion welling up in his eyes. "I almost lost you." Kotomi bites her tongue to fight the words that bubble up in her chest.

"And now she's back." Kagami insists on her behalf. She wished she didn't need it, but it seemed as though everything that came out of Kotomi's mouth was automatically invalid in the eyes of anyone here. "Why don't you let her decide what she wants to do with herself?" Kise scowls at this, fists clenching.

"Kagamicchi, I like you, but you should stay out of this."

"There are a lot of things I should do." While the two are clashing, Kotomi seriously considers running away just to spite the blonde, but she refrains. At the very least, this exchange settles her previous question on how much has changed since she left. And the answer was nothing at all. Kotomi suddenly takes Kise's hand, holding it to herself. He turns to look at her with surprise, cheeks darkening slightly.

"K-Kotomicchi…?"

"Ryota, can we talk about this at home? I'll hear what you have to say, but I need you to hear me, too." He searches her expression for a long moment, before his expression becomes apologetic.

"Yeah…" Kotomi looks to Kagami, offering a smile before walking ahead, Kise coming up to hold her hand in silent apology. Kagami seems conflicted, either by the uneasy apology between the two friends or Kise's obviously overprotective attitude towards her. He was beginning to understand why she ran away in the first place. With a glance backwards, Kagami couldn't possibly miss the message Kise sends with only the half-lidded glare.

She's mine.

As they're walking the path back to the estate, Kotomi walks behind Kise with her arms crossed. Her eyes are trained on the tenseness of his back, wondering if she should say and what she should say in response to his behavior today. After a long moment, Kise stops and turns around, his expression disappointed.

"I…I'm sorry. I wanted to take you out today, so we could forget about all the bad stuff that's happened. But…seems like everyone wanted to get in our way, today." Kotomi sighs, shoulders slumping.

"No, I think you got in our way, today." Kise flinches, seeming very much like a kicked puppy despite the fact that he was 22 years old. "I think we need to talk about it. So, let me go first. I gave Kiyoshi-senpai a kiss, so that that girl wouldn't get suspicious. There's nothing between us. He's like a big brother to me, and that's it." Kise seems to relax at this, though he looks ashamed, probably because of his behavior.

"What about Himuro?"

"He's undoubtedly flirting with me, but I'm not interested in him in that way."

"Kagamicchi?"

"He just feels bad for me because of how ridiculous you're being with me, which should tell you a lot about how you're behaving." Kise pouts further, but Kotomi holds fast to her words. "So, your turn. What are you thinking about, Ryota?" Kise puffs up his chest a moment, tensing, and then releasing it all with a heavy exhale. He slumps a bit and then walks over to a nearby tree, sitting down at the base. Kotomi stands in front of him, staring expectantly. He brings a knee up to his chest, resting his elbow on it and hiding his face behind his forearm. It was such a vulnerable pose and expression, that Kotomi felt a tug on her heartstrings. It was like he was 13 again.

"I…I like you."

"I know-"

"No, you don't." The tips of his ears turning pink was the only indication of his blush. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be so friendly with other guys." Kotomi feels her cheeks warm now. She's always known, but she's realizing that he's about to tell her directly, for real. Which meant she had to address it, for real. No more jokes, no more whining.

"I like you so much. The way you look, the way you sound, the way you smell. I like how you play with your hair when you're thinking or distracted. I like how you hop when you're nervous. You're beautiful, the prettiest thing I've ever seen. Not just physically. Everything about you is so perfect to me." Kotomi's entire face was red, now. She's never heard such words spoken to her so seriously, nor in such volume.

"Ryota …" Kise stands slowly, walking towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were that melting gold color again, but it was more like liquid sunshine than precious metal, and he was still bright pink from embarrassment.

"Don't think less of me for being with those girls. They were nothing compared to you. I never wanted anything serious than what I want with you. They just see me for my looks. They just want me or my status, or my looks. But you know me. I'm selfish and cold, and I don't care about anyone who isn't us, not really. But you still smiled for me, indulged me, and loved me like family. But that's not enough, anymore. When I thought you died, no woman could fill the hole that it left in my chest." His voice cracks at this, and he hides his face in her shoulder, hugging her tightly. Kotomi wraps her arms around him out of instinct, unable to stop herself from stroking his back comfortingly. Her hands were shaking, because she had no idea he felt so strongly. And it scared her.

"I…I don't know what to—"

"I didn't know what to do with myself. I seriously considered…I considered trying to follow you." Kotomi's blood runs cold at this, her eyes widening. "No matter what I had been through when we were at war, when I was killing people, torturing people, bombing people, nothing compared to the way I felt when I saw you laying there in your puddle of blood. And when those bastards carried you away, I- I was so sure I'd never see you again." Kotomi swallows hard. Kise slowly pulls away to look her in the eyes. She was surprised to see unshed tears adding shine to his otherwise bleak eyes.

"I…I'm not worth following like that." Kotomi's voice is choked up, but she doesn't feel the sting of tears, to her confusion. But Kise doesn't seem to notice.

"The only reason I didn't was because I was afraid that you'd be mad at me, and because I was scared. I'm not as reckless as you, I'm afraid of dying." Kotomi laughs a little, and Kise laughs with her, and cups her cheek. He holds her like she was so fragile that tightening his grip would break her. "But I wanted to. For a long time. That's why when Kurokocchi brought you back, I realized that I had to tell you. Because I almost lost the chance, once, and I wasn't about to pass it up again."

"What about when Seijuro announced that I was supposed to marry him?" Kise lets out a dry, humorless laugh.

"Momoicchi had to stop me from coming to your room and running away from this place with you." Kotomi rolls her eyes at this.

"Sounds like something you would do. Though, I don't think we would have gotten very far." Kise offers her a handsome smile, leaning in to rest his forehead against his, closing his eyes.

"I don't want to regret anything like I did before, so…Fujisaki Kotomi…please be mine…let me love you and you protect you. I'd do anything for you…" His hand travels to the back of her neck, tilting her head up and leaning in, his lips parting. As he's embracing her, Kotomi feels a coldness settle over the warmth of her chest, freezing it all over.

She felt frozen. What was she supposed to do? Push him away? Kiss him? Her head was starting to spin from the confusion of it all. She's been confessed to before, by classmates and even men who were too old to be confessing to her, but she's never felt the conflict like this before. His touch felt good, and her knee jerk reaction was to kiss him. It wasn't as if she had anyone like this in her life already, but it still didn't feel right. Kise's hand slips down under her jaw, holding her gently by the neck. There's another flash before her eyes, flooding her with fear and anger and horror.

She couldn't breathe. The hand at her throat was squeezing, squeezing, squeezing. No matter how much she tried to scream, no air would come into her lungs. Her cheeks burned with the heat of tears streaking her tears. She glanced up at her attacker, but their face in the dim moonlight obscured her vision.

All she could see was a dark shadow, the shadow of death.

And then she fell.

Author's Note: OOhh, okay, so this is our first glimpse at Kotomi's past! It's been insinuated it wasn't exactly a walk in the park, but we know for sure now that someone in her life tried to strangle her. But why? And who? What role does Akashi Shiori have to play in her past? Also…we have our first confession! I do miss sunny and happy Kise, but I'm basing him off Manga!Kise, who can be quite cold and selfish around those he doesn't view as worthy. I also have a huge headcanon that he's a jealous little bean. So I look forward into playing into that. I imagine all of the GOM are going to have a jealous/possessive streak toward Kotomi, one that is not as lighthearted as that of Oikawa and the others. Not to mention, they're not aware of it, but they have two more potential rivals in the form of Himuro and Kagami, who seem to have taken some kind of an interest in Kotomi! I had a hard time really getting into the confusion and inner turmoil Kotomi would feel toward this. I really hope that it came through. Be prepared for some lightheartedness next chapter, thanks to our one and only Shutoku duo! Until next time!

Love,

Silky 3