A/N: Konnichiwa! I'm back!~

Year-end exams were horrible. I got B for almost every subject HAHAHAHA. Oh well, at least better than nothing~~

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this fanfic even though I haven't updated it for like, a millions years asdfghjkl. Your reviews really motivated me to write! Honto nii, arigatou minna! i love you all!

I'm sorry for the cliffy in the previous chapter ;;~;;

So, to clarify, Kise didn't die.

YES

YES

YES HE DIDN'T DIE

SO DON'T GET TOO WORKED UP LOLOL

Okay back to the fanfiction! I hope you like it! UwU

Changes made as of this chapter:

-Added 'slight AU' in storyline

26 June 2015 EDIT: Added slightly more development, especially conversation between Haizaki and Akashi.

~This fanfiction is dedicated to my fabulous mama Shiwafuri Ai~

Golden Flower

(c) Kimura Yumi

Summary:

Kise, having been sold as a prostitute a few years ago, is now practically living like an alive corpse, and always gets "abused" by his boss. Will his life ever change when his childhood friend steps into his thin thread of his entire life? Or would his flame flicker out? Slight AU, contains yaoi, and prostitution.

WARNING:

If you're not a fan of yaoi, or even better, prostitution, the back button is there.

DISCLAIMER: If I had owned KnB, I would have killed Haizaki.

Chapter 10: Living and Dead

"I love you, Aominecchi..."

This were Kise's last words before the remaining warmth from his hand was replaced by an icy blade of wind. It struck Aomine hard, its impact as hard and as solid as a rock. His eyes widened in disbelief as the truth began to descend upon him like an earthquake.

Was Kise... really gone for good?

Tears trickled down his ashen tanned cheeks as he held the blonde tightly in his arms, muffling his cries by pressing his mouth into the latter's dull sunshine locks.

"I... I didn't know..."

He never realised how Kise had already put the matter behind him, and was asking him for forgiveness, instead of hating him for the rest of his life.

He was supposed to do the opposite.

"I'm sorry... Forgive me, Kise... I blamed you all the while, and yet, I failed to see sense..."

Memories of that fateful incident flashed in his mind. He recalled the moments how he watched his mother slowly die in pure agony.

Sure, crime was actually pretty common at that time, but this was his own mother.

He could still remember how the foreign contents came into contact with her mouth.

How they went down her throat in a lump.

How she had started convulsing and writing about in pain.

How she had slowly stopped moving after poison had taken over her body.

How Kise sat at a corner, crying, and did not know what was going on.

He should have known from that moment. Instead, anger, rage and vengeance blinded his senses, causing him to take it out on Kise, who did not know anything.

Nothing was ever his fault. And yet...

"Kise, don't die... Please..." Aomine sobbed, his cries barely audible with the heavy rain sound crashing upon him. "I... I haven't apologised to you yet... Don't die yet, you idiot..."

"I was wrong, I shouldn't have done this to you... Look where I caused you to be now... This... it's all my fault..." He could feel waves of bitter regret and sorrow washing over his entire self.

If Kise lived, nothing would ever stop him from reuniting with him again.

He would do his utmost best to protect him with his life at stake.

He would love him for eternity.

"So, please..." he said with a quivering voice. "Please don't die... yet..." He was then consumed by sobs and choking of tears.

Suddenly, he froze.

The tanned male leant in and pressed his head against the prostitute's chest. It was barely audible, but he could hear the slow regular beating of the latter's heart.

At that time, he instantly knew what to do. No words were spoken, just actions as he picked himself up again and dashed in the heavy rain, towards a hospital. It was brief, but he knew what it was.

There was still a ray of hope in store for him amidst the darkness.

The hospital doors burst open, causing rainwater to gush into the dry, air-conditioned building, with resulted in some shrieks of shock.

Aomine barged into the hospital, carrying a barely alive Kise in his arms. Despite the fact that they were drenched to the core, he pushed this obstacle to the back of his mind and ran to a nurse seated at a counter, who was pretty shocked by their states as well.

"Nurse, get a doctor, please! He's dying!" he yelled frantically. The nurse sat speechlessly for quite a while, then nodded in response as she began to page for doctors and nurses to handle Kise's condition.

Nurses and doctors, all dressed in white, rushed out from a corridor while wheeling a gurney alongside them at the same time. They carefully placed the unconscious blonde on the bed, before wheeling him into the operation room to extract the bullet embedded in his heart.

Aomine could do nothing but sit outside, soaked and dripping wet, while anxiously waiting for the results that could either spell a chant for the angel, or the devil.

He lowered his head, concealing his teary face from sight. He clenched his fist tightly, while fighting his tears back from dropping. Just the thought of losing his one and only love scared him to no end. He could not think of how he could ever continue living with an unanswered apology heaving itself on his shoulders for the rest of his life. More importantly, he had sworn that he would protect Kise from anything.

He could no longer live without him.

"Please, Kise, please live..."

After what seemed like eternity, the operation light finally shut off. Aomine immediately stood up, shaking off whatever droplets were left on him.

"Doctor, how is Kise!?" he demanded anxiously. The doctor gave a strained assuring smile and nodded.

"Kise Ryouta is currently out of danger. We have successfully extracted the bullet out without any major complications," he replied. A troubled frown appeared on his face as he continued, "However, there is still a slight chance that his blood pressure might be unstable, so if there are any problems that surface, please call for us immediately." He hastily scribbled something on a clipboard he was holding. "Please come with me to get his medication and sign the papers to let him stay in the hospital."

Aomine hesitated for a moment. "... Alright..." he finally huffed in resignation. "Which ward is he in?"

"He has been wheeled to ward... #08-68. You may see him after you have signed the papers."

Akashi stood helplessly, chained to a wall as he watched Haizaki continuously raping Kuroko countless times with tortured eyes. Blood continued to drip from his injured left eye.

It hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to witnessing the frail boy being violated over and over again. A scream tumbled out of Kuroko's lips as Haizaki rammed himself inside of him forcefully, tears silently trickling down his cheeks.

"STOP IT, HAIZAKI!" Akashi desperately yelled out with a strangled voice. He was then replied with a harsh whip attack across his chest, ripping his yukata open. A cry of agony escaped his throat as the whip continued slashing at different parts of his chained body, causing blood to surface.

"Shut the fuck up." Haizaki gritted his teeth as he forcefully pulled himself out of Kuroko, chaining him to a table, before walking over to the red-haired chained-up prostitute. He took hold of the latter's thigh and pinned it onto his waist. With a sadistic smirk, the white-haired male then grabbed Akashi's cheeks, pulling his face forward so that his single crimson eye could meet silver irises, along with an insane sadistic smirk.

"This is what you get for defying me, Akashi." He then thrust into the ragged-clothed teen with so much brutal force that the latter began to grind his teeth. He tried pushing Haizaki away, but to no avail.

"You... didn't have to... take it all out... on Tetsuya...!" he said in between violent thrusts of his boss. He unwillingly let out a loud unnatural groan as Haizaki responded with harder pushes of his erection in and out of his insides.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain numb his face, which was accompanied with the sound of a loud slap. "You bitch," Haizaki hissed. "Both of you played a part in protecting Aomine Daiki, the number one hinderance to my success! My wealth! Everything could be perfect with this fantastic harem of mine, if only that bastard didn't exist!" He forcefully tugged at Akashi's lower back, jerking him upwards and closer to him. "And yet you aided in his escape, when you are clearly working for me!"

"Even so, Tetsuya doesn't deserve this! Look at what you've done to him, you bastard!" Blood was slowly trickling out of a tired-out Kuroko's entrance, which was swollen bright red and lined with Haizaki's release.

"He brought Aomine Daiki here," Haizaki snapped in reply. "And you, have also played a part. Akashi, how dare you, allowing that basketball bastard to touch Ryouta and steal him away from me. Right under my very nose. How audacious of you!" He then looked at Akashi in the eye with a murderous smirk as he watched a tear painfully roll down the scarlet-haired male's pallid cheek. His voice was laced with malicious intents as he spoke. "Did you not know I know you have been fooling around with Tetsuya right behind my back? Even when the rules are hung just right on the very top of your head?!" He jabbed his finger on Akashi's head, pounding his red hair with strength that was unimaginable of just a single finger. "Just how much do you plan to go against me when the situation is obviously no longer in your favour?"

It hurt. It hurt so much he wished he would die now. Curse his long-lasting stamina!

"Though, I must say, I'm honestly surprised that you're still alive even after losing so much blood. As expected of the captain of the Generation of Miracles. However..."

That's wrong! Akashi wanted to scream and thrust his fist in Haizaki's face. The pain that was wrecking his entire body and crushing his soul into bits was much more than overwhelming. That era was but a distant past of six years ago! Now it has nothing to do with... this!

He grinned maniacally as he drew more blood from Akashi with brute force. "You may have been thinking about my pride and my ego, six years ago. But no one will forget what an arrogant win-faced captain you were. Now I have turned the tables. Soon, the world will be resting right in the middle of my very palm!"

"Haizaki," the red-haired male choked as he clawed at the ground. "I'm warning you. You will not get away scot-free! Daiki's not that easy to be caught and forced into submission under your hand. Wild and ruthless, he still has history of being Teiko's ace. Have you forgotten?"

"Oh, really, now? When we're not talking about the past of basketball we all shared in a country, but when we're in a money-dominated era?"

Haizaki just smiled. Mysteriously, but menacingly.

"No matter what you do, Akashi, I will hunt him down."

The phone buzzed with a repetitive ringtone, vibrating violently in Aomine's pocket. Sighing, he pulled it out and jammed the "call" button forcefully.

"... What do you want, Satsuki?"

"Dai-chan! Thank goodness! I finally got through! I couldn't get good reception due to the heavy rain, but now, yeah!" A pause. "Remember to show up tomorrow! You know we're gonna need you!"

"... Satsuki, I..." The sapphire-eyed male held his breath. ".. I'm not going to Hokkaido..." he muttered.

"Wha - Why!? You can't miss this match, Coach will literally explode! You are our school's ace! You can't just disappear like that - "

"I can!" he roared, before realising that he had forgotten for a moment who he was talking to. He let out a long sigh. "I - I just can't, Satsuki... Just... leave me alone!"

"..."

Aomine then hung up as he stood before the door labelled "#08-68". He gently pushed the door open, trying his best not to disrupt the peace that filled the silence. Immediately, he spotted the familiar face of Kise, sleeping at the very far end of the room. Walking towards it, he noticed Kise's fingers moving, as if it was clawing for something to hold onto.

"... Aominecchi..." he could hear him mutter. The said ace went forward and took his pale hand with his tanned ones, gently caressing it.

"I'm here, Kise... I'm here..."

Eyelids flickered open to reveal hazy amber orbs. Kise stared at Aomine, his eyes moist with flooding crystals.

"... I'm alive...?"

"Yeah..." No words were spoken as they continued to stare deeply into each other's eyes. Their hands interlocked with each other as their lips slowly met.

It was a period of sweet sorrow.

The basketball player then wrapped his arms around the bedridden prostitute, inhaling his vanilla scent deeply. He could feel tears brimming his eyes once more, only this time, they were tears of happiness and relief.

"Thank goodness..." he breathed, squeezing the blonde tightly. "I... I couldn't bear to think how I could live without you..."

"... Aominecchi..."

"Hm?"

"Akashicchi... and Kurokocchi..." Kise clung onto Aomine's shirt tightly. "Are they... okay...?"

The tanned male gritted his teeth. He could not bear to lie to Kise. Yet, for his own sake...

He did not want Kise to return there. Ever again... Even if he had to be selfish and keep him all to himself!

"... Yes, they're fine..."

However, deep down, he knew that it was, and will never be true.

End of Chapter 10

End note: I wasn't sure how to end this, but I figured that I would reveal more in the next chapter! What do you think will happen next? :D

I'll try my best to put up the 11th chapter ASAP, so hang in there! Again, thank you to all those wonderful people who have been with this fanfiction since the release of Chapter 1! You guys were the source of my motivation!

Please R&R to tell me what you think! :3

Thank you, and I'll see you in the next chapter! *heart