Here's chapter 10~ I hope you enjoy :33 chapter 11 will be updated tomorrow

IMPORTANT: The chapter is written from Oreshi's point of view (the original Akashi) so any Akashi I mention here, I mean him

"There is an unseen life that dreams us. It knows our true direction and destiny."

Chapter 10

Seijuurou was swaying on the edge of a dream.

He was in a state where he's neither awake nor asleep, but a little in between. The sounds his conscious mind was hearing blended in with the scenery of his dream, the soft humming of a lullaby was rather relaxing, but it felt vexing not being able to see the source of the melodic sound. His curiosity won the battle against his tired mind, and slowly his eyes flickered open.

He blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden assault of the afternoon sun, and was met by the blueness of the sky. Tilting his head a little to the right, his heart fluttered as he saw the peaceful expression on Kouki's face. Brown tresses ruffled by the wind and soft pink lips moving in sync, uttering the beautiful tone, now much louder and clearer than the one in his dream.

A soft smile played on his lips.

His head rested on the hard, yet comfortable lap, as long fingers threaded through his hair, while the brunet continued gazing at the passing clouds, absentmindedly muttering under his breath. Seijuurou was almost lulled back to sleep, but knowing he'll miss this rare moment of hearing Kouki's singing voice, he continued to lie down quietly, eyes following his every move.

Kouki looked down, and instead of a tune, a little gasp escaped his mouth, fingers halting their movement through Seijuurou's hair. Seijuurou's brows furrowed, displeased at the loss of touch.

"S-Sei, You scared me!" Kouki said, his brown eyes staring into Seijuurou's red ones. "How long have you been awake for?"

"You seemed to be in a good mood, I didn't want to disturb," Seijuurou said, then smirked, eyes darting to look at Kouki's lips. "I don't always get to hear you sing,"

Kouki averted his eyes to look at the clouds once again, cheeks aflame at the obvious teasing in Seijuurou's tone, which prompted a chuckle from Seijuurou.
"I just…feel that today will be a good day," Kouki admitted as he inhaled a deep breath in, a warm smile on his face.

Even though Seijuurou wanted nothing more but to agree with his words, sadly that couldn't be the case. Seijuurou's smile fell and was replaced by a distressed expression. He rose into a sitting position and looked at Kouki who turned to meet his gaze, a little alarmed at the sudden change of mood.

"Don't let your guard down," Seijuurou said, words heavy with worry. "Today's the last day of the second month,"

Kouki's smile was sad as he nodded his head. "…I know, if anything was to happen, it'll be today, right?"

Seijuurou took Kouki's hand in his and linked their foreheads together, he heard him let out a shaky breath. Kouki rested his other hand on his chest, a minute later he pulled away and looked into Seijuurou's eyes.

"We…we're going to make it, aren't we? We'll definitely stay together, right?" Kouki asked in a hurried manner, his brown orbs silently begging Seijuurou to agree, to give him hope even if false. Seijuurou smiled a reassuring smile and reconnected their foreheads once more.

"Yes, we will. I promise,"

Akashi's eyes blinked open, staring at the wood-beam ceiling of the guest room. He hoisted himself in a sitting position and wiped the beads of sweat descending on the side of his face, breath labored and his heart beating a faster rhythm.

Unlike most of his dreams, this one had been rather pleasant, it felt strange but still very much welcomed, that he hadn't woken up in tears. The loving voice and affectionate smiles warmed his heart up in his sleep.
And yet, like any of his other dreams, he was pulled out of his merry thoughts, and into the cold emptiness of his room, heart painfully aching with lingering nostalgia.

Thoughts swirled within his mind, chasing away the remaining of his sleepiness. Threads of realization connecting the separate dots as he came to the belated conclusion; the story his grandmother had told him matched the visions he always saw in his sleep. Not that he could deduce why he'd been seeing them all together.

He's had his speculations and theories, but none of them came close to the truth.

"The story you heard wasn't about our 'ancestors', those were us," His brother said. "The guardian of fortune was you, Kouki. The first life that we've lived,"

To think they were the same people.

Akashi was sure his reaction mirrored Furihata's own, eyes widening and lips parting in a gasp. He listened carefully to his brother's story. His tone slightly wavered and his nervousness was evident, as Akashi had noticed before, it was only when Furihata was involved that his brother let go of his confident exterior and laid his true feelings bare for him to see.

"You're taking too long to remember, Kouki,"

Akashi's chest tightened as he watched them hugging, warmth seeping through their connected bodies. When Furihata pulled away to stare into his eyes, Akashi tensed, feeling those chocolate eyes were staring into his very soul.
But, when the two kissed, his heart halted in his chest, he couldn't breathe.

They parted, after what seemed like an eternity, but their eyes never strayed from one another. The hand Furihata had clenching to the fabric of Akashi's shirt loosened its grip, sliding up the side of his face, to rest on his left cheek. Furihata was staring at him, eyes darting across his face, desperately searching for something, something Akashi couldn't decipher. Neither said a word.

The hand on his face fell to his side and Furihata placed his face on Akashi's shoulder, body quivering.
"Why?," Furihata started, his voice rather weak. "Why does this feel so familiar?"

Furihata's body was quivering, hot tears wetting Akashi's shirt. It wasn't the first time he'd seen the brunet crying, but this time his tears didn't stop at his brother's tightened grip on his body, his silent weeping bursting into wails.

"I don't…I still…C-can't remember," He heard Furihata say between sobs and snivels. "I don't know... who I am anymore,"

"You'll get there, you will," His brother said, holding Furihata so close, running a soothing hand along Furihata's back. It sounded as though he was trying to convince himself rather than Furihata.

Akashi stood in silence, deep within their conscious, watching the scene unfolding before him.

His brother's reaction when their grandmother first mentioned the curse, the dreams that started soon after. The genuine fear for Furihata's life, the hugs, the kisses, the tears, the longing, the regret…

It all made sense now.

Their souls were bound together by the contract to try and escape the misfortunes they once unleashed, those dreams; the tender and happy moments, the scary and regrettable moments, they were all snippets of a life they once shared.

"Yes, we will. I promise,"

A feeling he couldn't identify started swirling within the pit of his stomach.

The knock on his door and the soft, polite voice of the elderly maid roused him from his sleep. His head throbbed as he opened his eye to the complete darkness of their subconscious, which meant his brother was still in control over their body.

Akashi had no recollection of how or when he had fallen asleep, he could only imagine his mental exhaustion had finally taken a toll on him, especially with the revelations of last night.

He heard his brother telling the maid he would join the others for breakfast after a quick shower, which brought Akashi's attention to him.

Even if his tone was well composed, his voice was rather heavy and it was clear he hadn't had his rest, if the few messy strands of his hair, the darkness accumulating beneath his eyes and the lack of focus were anything to go by.
Akashi took over and could instantly feel the physical fatigue of their body and Akashi became certain he hadn't slept well last night.

But, before he could say anything further, he was stunned still, catching a glimpse of the other person sharing his futon.

Furihata was lying beside him , breathing evenly through his slightly parted mouth, seemingly in a deep sleep.

Akashi instantly narrowed his eyes in his brother's direction.

"Why is he in our bed?" He paused, "You…didn't do anything, did you?" He added, feeling strangely irritated at the prospect, his tone mirroring his feelings.
His brother smirked, which only managed to irk him further.

"No matter how appealing that seems, sadly, nothing of the sort happened,"
But as soon as he spoke those words, his smirk fell, to be replaced by a grave expression that startled Akashi somewhat.

"After what happened, I…couldn't leave him alone," He said, letting out a tired sigh.

The last thing Akashi remembered before his vision had blacked out, was the two, sitting next to each other on the bench, mostly in silence. Furihata was leaning against him as his brother spoke about their past in hope of refreshing his memory.

After the shocking news, he had no doubt Furihata felt lost and confused. Back when he first told Furihata about the curse, he hadn't believed him and needed some time to accept it as fact. The matter with regaining his seemingly lost memory was further stressing.

He could understand the need to comfort Furihata in such a situation, but wasn't bringing him back to his own quarters a little...too much?

Had…Had his brother stayed beside Furihata throughout the night?

It would certainly explain the weary state his brother was in.
The thought sparked an ache in his chest.

"I should wake him up," His brother's voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and Akashi managed to stop him when he attempted to take control.

"I will do it, you need your rest," He said, quite firmly, and to his surprise his brother only stared at him then obliged without a word of protest and disappeared back into the deep part of their mind, leaving his alone with the slumbering brunet.

His gaze shifted back to Furihata, his brown tresses were tussled in every direction and the rims of his eyes were an alarming shade of red. His fingers, absentmindedly, trailed down the brunet's tear-stained cheeks.

Akashi heaved a sigh.

Unlike his brother who dived into saving Furihata, back when they had faced their very first misfortune, without a shred of hesitance, Akashi was still unsure about the matter.

When he first met Furihata, he had felt uncertain and concerned. He'd only known of the boy's existence because of the curse, and if their fate was to be intertwined as his grandmother had mentioned, then dealing with the matter was going to prove to be more challenging than what Akashi had initially thought.

Furihata appeared like the type to be naturally prone to accidents, which would be rather problematic for Akashi since he would be the one to sustain his injuries instead. He wasn't in favor, nor was he looking forward to share the boy's fate. Protecting him was more of a chore to ensure Akashi's personal safety.

It had been this way before he got to know Furihata better, and before the brunet had become somewhat of a friend, gaining Akashi's trust in the process.
It was like their roles were reversed; normally it was Akashi who was more compassionate to people, who valued new friendships rather quickly, while his brother preferred to keep a certain distance, choosing only to interact with the few people who he deemed worthy of his trust.

Furihata was a different case, though.

The minute the brunet's name was uttered by their grandmother, he had felt his brother start and stir deep within their subconscious. When questioned, he remained silent, and other times he would skillfully dodge the matter. But soon the dreams started and Akashi got to learn Furihata's worth within his brother's heart.

His finger rose to his lips.

While they were their own person, each with his set of likes and dislikes and with their own way of dealing with different affairs, the physical sensations of their body was mutual.

That's why they both felt the pain of every small misfortune they encountered.

That's why Akashi felt tired when he took over this morning, even though, technically speaking, his brother was the one who's been up all night.

That's why the ghost feeling of Furihata's dry lips pressing firmly on his own lingered on his mouth.

Every detail of kiss they shared played in his mind. The tilt of heads, swollen lips and their mingled breath. The sheer happiness and relief that surged through his veins and Furihata's fingers lightly caressing his skin, the touches similar to the ones in the dreams, softly trailing his skin in a slow rhythm.

Akashi shook his head to rid of the thoughts filtering through his mind, his cheeks taking on a scarlet hue.

It wasn't his memory to recall, nor were the dreams. Now that he knew, it almost felt he was intruding on something that shouldn't be seen, on intimate moments and memories of a past life that...he wasn't part of.

He sighed. The fingers brushing the brunet's cheek stopping and instead his hand gripped on his shoulder and shook it lightly. Furihata only stirred, and mumbled a few incoherent words, but otherwise remained asleep. He was about to nudge him once more, before his hand paused. If he was to wake Furihata up, the brunet would surely be startled, maybe even mortified to learn he'd slept in his room. Akashi had learned that Furihata disliked being surprised and he'd experienced firsthand persistent he can be in avoiding Akashi each time his brother had caused a scene.

He exhaled another breath. It was still too early in the morning and already he was losing count of how many times he'd sighed.

It was not his intention to bring Furihata any discomfort, so he got up, opened the door and asked one of the maids to wake Furihata up and make sure he had his clothes to change into, before leaving for another one of the many guestrooms in the mansion to get himself ready for the day.

A delicious aroma wafted down the hallway leading to the dining room. This time, it didn't smell of the usual miso soup and rice that were the normal menu for breakfast. Instead, it smelled like fried eggs, bacon and a faint scent of pancakes. There was no doubt in Akashi's mind that Kagami had stepped in to prepare their meal, most probably for Kuroko's sake as Kagami's food was his first source of comfort.

He was told by the staff that his grandmother won't be joining them today as her presence was needed in one of the tea houses she managed, which meant they had free choice of clothing for the day. Kimonos were beautiful and certainly to his taste, but wearing something without the need for assistance was immensely preferable.

"A-Akashi!"

Akashi's feet stopped just as Furihata's voice reached his ears. He, still doubting his hearing, slowly turned around, only to be met by the brunet stopping his jog just a few paces from where he stood. His hands were on his knees, panting for air.

Akashi stilled in mild surprise, his eyes widening but only by a fraction. He didn't think Furihata would come to find him so soon, even expecting him to distance himself for a while until he got his thoughts sorted out. It seemed this wasn't the case, for when Furihata finally met his gaze, he didn't avert his eyes. His face had regained its usual color and the slight redness to his eyes was the only indication of the fatigue he must have felt.

"I'm sorry! About all the trouble I caused, last night." Furihata said with a bow. Akashi just stared at him in puzzlement, unsure of what he was referring to.

"It was y-your room I stayed in..." Furihata explained, tilting his head to the side, his cheeks a little flushed.

"Oh," Akashi let out, the sound leaving his mouth before he had the chance to ponder for a better response.

The more Furihata fidgeted as he waited for Akashi to say something, the more Akashi became more self-conscious about the matter. His own cheeks turned rosy remembering the close proximity they were in when he woke up this morning. His brother seemed to enjoy putting him in such situations.

"You do know it wasn't me you were with yesterday, right?" Akashi questioned, a desire to see if Furihata really understood their condition.

For a second, it looked as though Furihata didn't know what he was talking about, but then his eyes lit up in realization and the blush that adorned his cheeks deepened in color as the back of his hand flew to cover his mouth. Akashi internally cringed at the reaction, his eyes narrowing.

"Y-yes! Um, he explained everything about this to me. I just...wanted to apologize to you,"

While Akashi was glad Furihata knew about his other self now and that his reaction was different from that of other people, he had really wanted to be the one to tell him directly. Furihata regarded him as a friend he trusted and he wanted to show Furihata the sentiment was mutual. Sadly, his brother had beaten him to it, and the manner in which Furihata found out didn't convey any of the feelings Akashi had. It wouldn't have hurt if his brother had waited for Akashi to speak to him before he spoke to Furihata about the past, but once again his brother acted without regard of his personal feelings. It was a bad habit of his.

Akashi subtly swallowed the lump that managed to form in his throat then flashed a soft smile in Furihata's direction.

"I wasn't troubled at all, Furihata, don't worry,"

"That's good then,"

Furihata smiled in relief, a small one but a smile nonetheless, but made no move to leave for the hall with Akashi. He stood there, fingers fondling with one another, stealing glances at Akashi every other second, mouth opening multiple times but no words leaving his lips, like he was contemplating on whether or not he should speak.

Akashi said nothing, giving him the space to gather his thoughts, but eyed him with curiosity, wondering what it was that had Furihata tongue tied.

Furihata, finally, took a deep breath then looked up at Akashi once more and blurted what he wanted to ask in a hurry before he lost his will again. He bit his lips afterwards, averting Akashi's line of gaze.

"Is he…there? I mean, C-Can I talk to him please?"

Akashi blinked a few times, unsure if he heard correctly. Was Furihata truly asking to speak with his brother?

"Why?" The question had left his lips before he could stop it. Part of him regretted it, the other awaited the answer.

Furihata raised his head abruptly, his features contoured in surprise. Akashi felt a slight twinge of guilt when the surprise was replaced by a troubled expression, even more when Furihata shifted his foot uncomfortably under Akashi's careful eyes.

"I wanted to ask him a few things…to talk to him a little more," He said, his voice no louder than a whisper, and Akashi doubted he would have heard him hadn't they been standing so close. Furihata then shook his head and raised his hands before his face in a dismissive gesture. "But I-It's okay! It was a stupid request after all, sorry for asking something so weird!" He ducked his head and attempted to walk past Akashi, but Akashi turned and caught his wrist by reflex.

"Wait Furihata!"

But as soon as his mind registered what he held in his hand, he quickly let go. The touch sending jolts of electricity throughout his veins. His heart sped up as he stared at his hand, it felt considerably warmer, uncomfortably so. This never happened before.

"W-What?"

Furihata's voice snapped his attention away from strange sensation as Akashi realized he must have been staring for quite some time without saying anything. He felt the need to say something, anything to rid of the awkward silence that settled between them, but his throat felt dry.

What was it that he wanted to say? Won't you tell me instead? Allow me to be of help as well? Rely on me? Even though those were his sincere thoughts, it was useless to voice them. It was plain to see that whatever Furihata wanted to talk about with his brother, it involved something about their shared past. One he had no place in.

"…No, it's nothing," He said, a soft, but unnatural smile playing at his lips. Furihata nodded at him once and was about to resume walking before Akashi spoke again. "He's sleeping," He paused to make sure Furihata's attention was back to their conversation. "Once he wakes up, I'll let you talk, would that be okay?"

Furihata blinked a few times before a wide grateful smile bloomed on his face.

"Yes! That'll be great, thank you, Akashi!"

His smile shouldn't have caused his heart to ache.

By the time everyone was seated around the low table, all tension was forgotten at the sight and smell of food. Just as Akashi suspected, Kagami prepared pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Not that Akashi minded in the least.

Furihata seemed to be in better spirits as well, savoring every bite of his food, the sight promoting Akashi to eat his own share with delight.

Across from him, Kagami and Kuroko were seated next to each other. The sheer contrast between the size of their meals was comical. Kagami's pancake mountain was almost enough to feed an entire basketball team, while Kuroko had a normal sized plate with only one pancake covered entirely in syrup. Akashi remembered this as something normal.

The only difference this time, is that Kagami was eating at an average pace, going nowhere as near the speed he normally ate at and was stifling his yawns between bites, while Kuroko had asked for seconds and was eating generally more than he normally does. The reason to it was clear, they were both tired. Kagami's eyes were red and he had dark circles beneath his eyes, while the only apparent difference from Kuroko's usual state is that he was eating more sugar, something he only does when fatigued.

At times Kagami would stop eating all together, spoon still hanging in mouth, to give Akashi a long stare when he thought Akashi wasn't looking, then he'd avert his eyes to look at Furihata too, brows knitted together in what seemed like a frown. The brunet though remained oblivious to his gazes.

Aside from this, the breakfast was uneventful, but it managed to put Akashi's swirling thoughts at ease, even if only for a while.

"Kuroko-kun, you're dressed in a kimono?" Furihata exclaimed, the minute they all stood to leave after they were done eating breakfast. Akashi followed his line of sight, and surely enough Kuroko was wearing his traditional robes. He shouldn't have missed this, but his mind was apparently more occupied than he thought it was.

Kuroko glanced back at Kagami who, in turn, looked in their direction then nodded at Kuroko. Akashi raised his eyebrow in suspicion. Kuroko looked at them again, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

"I'll be performing a tea ceremony at my grandmother's tea house, today. Would you like to come?" Kuroko explained.

Akashi watched as curiosity shone in Furihata's eyes at the prospect.

"Is it really ok if we come?" Furihata asked, looking rather eager.

"…Of course," Kuroko said, but Akashi didn't miss the slight hesitation in his voice.

A smile bloomed on Furihata's face and Akashi couldn't help but think his excitement was cute. This smile of his managed to warm his heart up, an entire different sensation from the ache he felt when Furihata smiled this morning.

Surely, Akashi was glad seeing such pure joy on his friend's face and with what they were facing he didn't wish to see any other expression but happiness. He had seen Furihata smile before, on multiple occasions, but his heart had never skipped a beat at the sight of the brunet smiling nor did it ache when someone other than Akashi was the cause of his smile. Those sensations were something new that never happened before.

After getting ready, Kuroko disappeared into one of the cars waiting for them outside the gate, dragging Furihata along with him, leaving no room for him to object. Akashi chuckled at the sight and proceeded to enter the other provided vehicle alongside Kagami.

The ride from the secluded area where the estate was located to the heart of Kyoto wasn't a short one, so Akashi took the time to go over the procedure of the ceremony in his mind. The last time he's seen Kuroko perform one was well before he had to leave for Tokyo, and he couldn't help the excitement he felt. Kuroko's ceremonies were always so beautiful after all.

Next to him, Kagami was trying to busy himself with his phone, he was strangely on edge and kept glancing at him then turn his gaze back to his phone whenever their eyes met. Kagami's feelings always showed up on his face even if he avoided talking about them, most of the time it was a welcomed change than the most people Akashi had known in his life, but right now he felt slightly irritated that Kagami wasn't saying what's on his mind.

"Kuroko told you, didn't he?" It wasn't necessary a question, but the sudden tenseness in Kagami's form was answer enough.

Kagami's eyes widened, genuinely surprised, Akashi thought it was almost endearing how Kagami thought he succeeded at hiding the fact. Finally, Kagami sighed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and nodded. Akashi fought the urge to sigh. It was only expected of Kuroko to finally tell Kagami about the curse at some point, their lack of sleep and focus this morning and Kagami's attitude made it quite clear he was finally filled in on the manner.

"I don't mind you knowing, Kagami-san," A pause. "But, I would appreciate it to voice your opinion freely when around me,"

And it was the truth. Akashi wasn't used to Kagami being weary around him (perhaps a tad bit weary around his brother) He valued Kagami's bluntness, Kagami always told what he truly thought with no restrain.

"No…It's just, Is it really true?" Akashi was about to answer him when Kagami continued. "No wait! You and Kuroko won't lie about something like this! It's just…so messed up! Are you guys going to be ok?"

Akashi couldn't help but smile at the genuine concern in Kagami's voice.

"We're fine. We've encountered two of the misfortunes, one which you have helped overcome," Akashi answered and watched at Kagami visibly relaxed some more at his words.

"But Kuroko did say little accidents happen, too. Are you sure it's okay to leave that guy alone? Shouldn't you be together?"

"It is best, yes. But both Furihata and I are alert, it shouldn't be a problem being apart for the ride," Akashi said, It will give us both some time to rid of the awkward atmosphere.

He could already sense Kagami was about to pester him for other details, ever the doting (motherly) figure, so he opted to change the subject. It wasn't in his intentions to worry someone else with the matter.

"But, Kagami-san, it is I who must ask you that question," Akashi allowed a small smirk to appear at Kagami's confused expression. "It's rare to see you without Kuroko, are you sure it's all right to leave him alone?" Akashi continued, using Kagami's own phrasing against him. It was somewhat of a low move, he'd admit, but seeing the blush spreading on Kagami's face was always amusing.

"O-of course it's okay! We're not always together you know!" Kagami, flustered, said and turned to face the other way, but it was clear he was blushing up to his ear.

"Oh, but I happen to think it's the case. Ever since you were assigned to protect him last year, you're never apart," Akashi commented, unable to suppress the light chuckle that left his lips.

"Shut up!" He grumbled and ruffled Akashi's hair a bit too roughly. "If I take my eyes off him for a second, he always manages to get himself in trouble!"

Akashi chuckled once more, unable to thoroughly disagree with him. "I apologize for teasing you too much," He said in between chuckles.

Kagami grunted again, but adjusted his back against the car seat and settled the hand playing with Akashi's hair by his side, the rosy hue still apparent on his face. He let out a breath as his eyes stared straight ahead, with a hint of reminiscing in his red orbs and soon a fond, soft smile crossed his lips.

"Has it already been a year?"

A soft smile of Akashi's own played on his lips. "Yes, I believe it has,"

Akashi recalled the memories from when Kagami had first arrived to their household, a fierce looking bodyguard who was assigned to protect the heir to the Kuroko-Akashi family's tea house. A series of events followed his arrival, and with time Akashi came to notice Kagami was nearly as stubborn as Kuroko, but even more caring by nature, quite contradicting to his intimidating and overwhelming aura.

It was maybe because of this, that he managed to seize a place in their lives and one in Kuroko's heart.

"It's already over, Kagami-san. You don't need to worry about that matter anymore and focus on your new job as head of the security team," Akashi reassured, but Kagami only sighed.

"I just can't help it sometimes, I don't want him to get hurt again," He said, eyes darkening for a brief moment.

"If my memory's served me right, you're the one who got shot last time, Kagami-san,"

Kagami blinked at him a few times, then to his surprise, Kagami through his head back laughing,
It made Akashi feel he was missing something . Kagami shook his head slightly after his laugh had died down, his hand brushing his fingers above the clothed wound on his chest, absentmindedly.

"I don't mind if I'm the one getting hurt out of the two of us," He said with a smile.

"If one of us is bound to get hurt, I'd always rather it was me,"

Kagami's face was peaceful and held no signs of regret. What he said reminded Akashi of something his brother told Furihata a long time ago.

His stomach sank as the thought that the "relationship" between his brother and Furihata matched the one between Kagami and Kuroko, crossed his mind.

His wandering thoughts came to a halt as the car stopped, having reached their destination. They got off the car to find Kuroko and Furihata waiting for them, the two seemed to be getting along well. Not that Akashi hadn't expected this as they shared many similar interests.

Kagami and Kuroko disappeared inside the building to prepare for the show, while Akashi and Furihata walked together to the outdoor venue where the ceremony would be held. A wooden shelter was built along with the stage where Kuroko would perform. Some of the guests were already sitting on the tatami mats placed before the stage.

Akashi and Furihata took their place at the back of the crowd, as to not inconvenience the invited guests to the ceremony. Furihata's excitement from that morning only seemed to double, as he turned around to take everything in. From the greenery surrounding them to the stripped pattern on the mats. Furihata's enthusiasm was rather contagious, and Akashi found himself anticipating the event even more now.

Abruptly, the chatter amongst the crowd stopped. Akashi's eyes trailed to the stage and immediately he understood the reason for their silence. Kuroko was walking on the stage, clad in a black Kimono, a contrast to his pale skin, which made him stand out, unlike his usual lack of presence.

The crowd was entranced by Kuroko's elegant movements, trained hands moving with precision. He finished mixing the green tea powder with hot water in the cup to prepare the thick tea and had one the Maiko to pass it for the first guest to taste.

"Wow," Furihata let out, almost breathlessly, his eyes still fixed on Kuroko. "He's amazing!"

"Yes," Akashi agreed and you couldn't miss the proud smile on his face.

"Akashi, can you do this too? The ceremony I mean,"

Akashi placed a thoughtful finger on his lips. His grandmother owned a number of tea houses, making tea was something that's been drilled into their brains ever since childhood, so he could say he was able to perform a tea ceremony, but not one his grandmother would approve of.

"Yes, but the tea I make tends to be…untraditional," He was readying himself to elaborate more, but Furihata chuckled before he could.

"You always add weird herbs or spices to the tea don't you?" Furihata asked, teasingly, in a knowing tone. Akashi frowned a bit, but couldn't retort as what Furihata had said was the truth.

"I happen to believe the taste of the tea green alone-"

"Is too bland," Furihata finished the sentence for him, still giggling. It caught Akashi by surprise.

"You've always been this way. The tea master would always get mad at you for it,"

As soon as Furihata uttered these words, they both stilled. Furihata's hand covered his mouth, his eyes widened and he looked genuinely shocked by his own words. Akashi wanted to say something, to ask him what he was talking about, to know how Furihata came to know these facts about him when he'd never spoken of them.

But, they were interrupted by the arrival of the cup containing the tea, passed on from the guest sitting next to Furihata. Furihata took the cup hurriedly and drank from it to avoid any conversation.

The awkward atmosphere was back.

As Akashi took a sib of the tea, he couldn't help but think if those things Furihata spoke of, were but a past memory with his brother. Then, it would be he had meant him when he talked about it while chuckling.

The rest of the ceremony was spent in silence, Kuroko was preparing a cup of thin tea for each guest individually, but even the fine taste of Kuroko's tea couldn't ease the tenseness that has settled between them.

Soon, the ceremony came to an end and Kuroko and Kagami disappeared again for a change of clothes, while Furihata and Akashi were forced to wait for them together, shifting uncomfortably, one more visible than the other.

The men that worked on putting the shelter up where now taking it down. Akashi was watching them closely, not out of interest but for lack of something else to do in such a situation.

Two men were taking one of the wooden beams closer to them, when the ladder beneath one of the men's feet buckled forward under the weight, causing the man to lose his balance and fall on the ground. The other man couldn't support the beam on his own and his hands weren't able to hold on to it.

Akashi moved solely on instinct, almost jumping on Furihata and moving him out of the way. Furihata let out a yelp as the two of them tumbled to the ground and out of harm's way. Or that's what Akashi had thought.

It appeared he was a second too late for the minute he tried to stand up, a jolt of pain shot through his left shoulder, he winced at the pain as he struggled to his feet and quickly checked his wrist and sighed. The number of the petals was still the same, this accident hadn't been one of the misfortunes, nevertheless it was caused by the curse.

The commotion around them soon died down, after making sure the worker that fell off the ladder was ok and that the both of them were all right, he saw one of the men helping Furihata up, but the brunet's eyes were glued on him the entire time.

"Are you ok?" Furihata asked him frantically. Akashi lowered the hand holding his shoulder and smiled through the pain.

"Yes, I'm fine," He assured. "Sorry I pushed you too hard,"

"No, it's okay," Furihata eyed him, skeptically. "Are you sure you're all right? You were holding your shoulder before," He asked once more and reached for his shoulder with his hand.

Akashi pushed his shoulder slightly back and away from Furihata's reach. Furihata glared at him and tried to get a hold of his shoulder again, acting on his reflexes again, he held Furihata's hand to try and stop him.

"Honestly Furihata, I-"

The familiar jolt of electricity rushed through Akashi's body, his eyes widened and he immediately let go of Furihata's hand. Furihata took a step back, startled by Akashi's action.

This was what Akashi had been avoiding. Just like this morning, it seemed even the slightest touch between the two of them elicited all sorts of reactions from his body. He wasn't the one who had feelings for Furihata, he wasn't his brother, yet his body was reacting the same way.

Furihata looked at him apologetically, but Akashi didn't know how to explain to him it wasn't his fault, yet at the same time it was. All those conflicting feeling, this uncomfortable awkwardness, he just wanted it to go away.

He clutched his injured shoulder and averted his eyes form Furihata.

"I'm fine,"

Too much pain this chapter T_T and sadly the pain continues in the next part *sorry*

I hope you enjoyed it ~