Tantalising Cacodemons
The noble Akashi Family of the Teikō Empire reigns over the crippled lands of a once prosperous modern society. Fearless and dignified, General Seijuurō Akashi will stop at nothing to achieve his goals; to purge the rampant D-Virus from destroying the world and to unite all nations under the Teikō Empire – all for the sake of one man; for the crown prince, Tetsuya Kuroko.
Chapter Twelve
Kuroko shivered, cradling his arms as the early morning air bit harshly against his skin. The cold breeze howled quietly as it travelled through the blades of grass and tree branches below, bringing forth goosebumps on his exposed limbs. In an attempt to warm himself, he began stretching his arms across his chest, his lips curving into a slight frown at the foreign feeling of wearing clothes that weren't robes – meaningly, the white shirt and navy shorts he borrowed from Akashi the night before.
Less than a minute later, a comfortingly warm body pressed up against his own, enveloping him in warmth that pulled a smile onto his face.
"What's wrong, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked, stifling a chuckle when he felt Akashi's lips pepper chaste kisses all over his nape. Akashi tightened his arms around Kuroko and lifted his head, nuzzling his face in the crook of his left shoulder.
"I should make you wear my clothes more often." He replied, humming in content.
"That doesn't explain why you're being so clingy." Kuroko said, laughing quietly as he indulged in Akashi's warmth.
"I need my daily dose of Tetsuya to start the day." Akashi whispered, his breath ghosting over the shell of his ear. Kuroko shivered involuntarily, feeling his cheeks heat up despite the cold.
"Akashi-kun, the sun has barely risen. And here I thought we could just cuddle and enjoy the sunrise on your balcony."
"Then that's what we'll do, love."
When Kuroko turned in Akashi's hold to face him, however, he was instead greeted with a sneaky peck on the lips. He looked up in surprise and felt his expression morph into a wide grin, throat bubbling with laughter as he stretched up to kiss him square on the lips once more. The wind howled again with morning frost, but Kuroko was no longer bothered by it.
"We should have breakfast." Akashi muttered softly, taking a long whiff of what he liked to describe as 'Tetsuya's intoxicating scent'. "Atsushi and the others will be here soon to pick you up for stamina training. You will need every last drop of energy to get through it, I assure you."
"…Please go easy on me."
One Hour Later
"Stop, stop!" Kise cried, pointing an accusatory finger at the two culprits standing by the door. "Isn't it too early for this kind of PDA?"
"No thanks. I gonna go bleach my eyes out and wait in the car or something." Aomine drawled, making a gagging motion as he promptly turned on his heel, uninterested in watching his best friend and boss make out on the porch.
"I wonder if Kuro-chin tastes good?" Murasakibara asked nobody in particular, tilting his head in purely innocent curiosity.
Kise paled rapidly when he heard the giant's prompt, torn between the difficult decision of continuing to (happily) watch the impromptu make-out session or tearing it apart before it got out of hand. Luckily though, Kuroko pushed against Akashi's chest and pulled away, breathing heavily as a deep, scarlet blush dusted his cheeks.
"D-don't do that in front of everyone." He mumbled, annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. "You already got your morning kiss before breakfast."
Kise almost melted on the spot, burning the image of a sweet and shy Kuroko into his memory. At the same time though, the more intelligent half of his consciousness was completely and utterly confused at Akashi's disgustingly sappy, romantic behaviour. He was much too used to the usual terrifying, demonic Akashi.
"That was my 'work-hard-darling' kiss to get me through the day, Tetsuya." Akashi responded, chuckling softly when Kuroko playfully punched his chest in reply.
"We'll see each other again at noon, Akashi-kun."
"But that's a whole five hours without my Tetsuya."
Murasakibara promptly left, ducking down into the car to ask Aomine if there was any more of his bleach left to spare.
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"So I've been told that you're participating in the next expedition, Kuroko."
"Yes, sir."
"…I see. To be frank, I didn't think this day would ever come at all."
The faint beeping of the heart monitor by the bedside resounded in the private ward, accompanying the tired, raspy voice of an aged man. Kuroko sat straight and nodded with earnestness as he tightly clasped a slightly wrinkled, aged hand between his own.
"My apologies, I shouldn't keep you here too long." Commander Shirogane said with a small smile, glancing at the wall clock hanging above the door.
Kuroko shook his head and smiled softly in reply, assuring the older man everything was just fine. They shared a peaceful moment of silence before they resumed idle chatter, with Kuroko satisfied by simply spending time with Shirogane, who had come to grow close to his heart as a father-figure over the past years.
"I can't help but feel restless, bedridden like this most of the day." Shirogane confessed, with a quiet sigh. "With the Empire as unstable as it is now, there's so much more I should be doing. But Akashi takes care of everything so well, I fear that there's nothing for me to do anymore."
"That's not true, Commander Shirogane." Kuroko assured, "Everyone is only concerned for your health, which is why the doctor has been told to keep you confined to bed rest. Please don't tell anyone I told you though, Akashi-kun won't be very happy."
Shirogane breathed out with a stifled chuckle and leaned back on the propped pillows, a content smile slipping onto his face as blinks of sleep started to catch up with him. Kuroko stood up in understanding and rearranged the blankets, watching as Shirogane slowly drifted off to a medication-induced rest.
"I'll see you soon, Commander Shirogane."
"…Yes, take care."
Kuroko bowed before he left the room quietly, sighing in relief. He looked up to see Akashi leaning against the opposite wall casually, with his armed folded and lips curled up in clear amusement. Kuroko stared back at him impassively, walking away from the room as Akashi fell into step with him.
"What was that about me not being very happy?" He asked, lacing their fingers together.
Kuroko shot him a slightly perturbed look, but didn't stop Akashi from intertwining their hands together. "It's not very nice of you to eavesdrop, Akashi-kun."
Akashi stifled a chuckle at Kuroko's reluctance to answer, but decided not to push the irrelevant matter any further. They walked hand in hand to leave the hospital until Kuroko's phone began buzzing from the hidden pocket in his sleeves.
"Please excuse me for one moment." He said as he hurried out of the building, Akashi following behind leisurely with a nod.
"Hello, Kise-kun? Oh, I'm sorry I'm on my way right now with Akashi-kun— yes, thank you. We'll be there in a few minutes."
"Are your guests here already?" Akashi asked as he swept Kuroko's hand into his once more, waving over his chauffeur to take them to the Imperial Palace.
"Yes, let's hurry."
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Akashi personally had not been told whom Kuroko invited to the palace, but he more or less knew it had to be none other than Ogiwara's grieving parents. He certainly wasn't going to start questioning Kuroko's intentions on the matter, but he certainly wasn't going to leave the room either. And by appearances, nor were the usual group of four – though there was a burning curiosity, it was simply more of a precautionary security measure.
"Thank you for making the long trip to the Imperial palace, Mister and Missus Ogiwara. Please, have some tea to relax before we talk."
"We appreciate your generous hospitality, your highness. We shall take you upon that offer." Ogiwara's father said tersely as he warily eyed Murasakibara and Midorima who were standing by the door to right of their sofa.
Akashi watched Ogiwara's father take care of his wife, ushering her to take small sips of the steaming cup of tea as he squeezed her shoulder gently for comfort. She appeared to smile up at him in appreciation as she lowered the cup back to the table with a soft clink.
"I extended out an invitation to all families involved in recent events, however I wished to meet with the two of you personally upon Shigehiro-kun's request." Kuroko explained calmly, somewhat warily gauging their perplexed reaction.
"Shigehiro's request?" His mother repeated, her lower lip trembling at the thought of the dear child she would never see again.
"Please take this." Kuroko said, sliding forward a polished wooden box tied with a silk ribbon. "This box contains the last of Shigehiro-kun's belongings. I must apologise for going through his diary without consulting you, however other than for investigative purposes, all of his belongings have been collected as they were."
They gasped in surprise when they opened the box, and Ogiwara's mother immediately began trembling as she bit back her tears. Kuroko lowered his gaze in guilt and apology, but continued with a calm façade.
"Shigehiro-kun graced the Empire with his honour and dignity, and as righteously deserving, his name will forever be recorded in our history as an esteemed soldier who died an honourable death." Kuroko almost stopped at the increasing volume of sobs from across the table, but instantly decided against it. "However…"
"Yes?" Ogiwara's father asked, expression tight with grief and exhaustion.
"He was a loyal, hard-working friend above all else. He extended a branch of his unwavering kindness and friendship towards me, even without realising who I truly was."
Ogiwara's father smiled sadly and laughed, "That boy was always a bit dense. I apologise for anything foolish he did, your highness."
"No, please think of me not as a prince, but simply as Shigehiro-kun's friend. Rest assured, I have every intention to uphold Shigehiro-kun's will, and will see to that your family is compensated for all of his effort and contribution to the Empire."
Ogiwara's mother wiped away the last of her tears and blinked up at Kuroko, her frown curving into a small smile as she grasped the box of belongings tight in her trembling hands.
"Thank you, Kuroko-sama. Thank you so, so much."
From afar, Akashi watched solemnly as Kuroko's calm façade of composure began to crumble into something more vulnerable, more human.
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"Aominecchi, I think Kurokocchi and Akashicchi are going to become glued to each other one of these days."
"They already are, moron."
"Wha—! I'm not a moron!"
Midorima decided that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the two fools beside him and instead focused on the wall-sized LCD screen at the front of the room. However, sitting in the Commander's chair in front of it was Akashi – impassively signing some documents whilst cradling a sleeping Kuroko in his arms. He looked away, deciding he wanted nothing to do with them either.
"Shin-chan!" He definitely did not want anything to do with this one especially.
Just as he began praying for the mandatory expedition meeting to hurry up and just start already, the gods answered his plea by sending in the remaining members through the door all at once. When they entered the room, some paused in the doorway and others walked to their seats warily.
"Midorimacchi, shouldn't we do something about that?" Kise whispered, cautiously glancing over at Akashi who had yet to pay them any attention.
With a sigh, Midorima looked over and observed Kuroko's sleeping form carefully – his skin was slightly paler than usual, and his breathing was deep and even. He knew without a doubt that Kuroko must've been forced to take his scheduled dose of medication – a prescription that came with a torturously high amount of drowsiness enough to knock out an elephant. With nobody skilled or trustworthy enough to protect a vulnerable Kuroko while they were in the meeting, it was no wonder Akashi brought him along.
"Leave them be." He replied, half-heartedly waving Kise off.
Most members of the newly reformed expedition squad were familiar faces – Captain Hyuuga and most of the upper echelon of the Seirin division, Captain Himuro and others from Yōsen, Lieutenant Takao and others from Shūtoku, as well as the entirety of Unit One, Unit Two and their elite backup troops.
"Major Mibuchi, could you get these documents processed for me?" Akashi called out suddenly, signing off what seemed like the final document.
As Mibuchi stood to leave, Hayama leaned forward and tapped Kise's shoulder.
"I've noticed for a while, but what's the deal with… that?" He asked Kise, pointing a finger at the sleeping bundle in the redhead's embrace. He was entirely unsure if the person sitting up there was truly his boss or a lookalike imposter.
Kise laughed sympathetically and shrugged, explaining that he honestly had no idea either. They watched as Akashi slipped off his coat and draped it over Kuroko's shoulders, rising to stand as he carefully shifted Kuroko into a bridal hold to lower him back down onto the leather chair.
"Now that everyone has gathered, we shall begin the meeting." Akashi said, his gaze sharp and focused as the screen lit up behind him. "I'd like to remind you all that the content discussed in this meeting remains strictly confidential, and failure to comply with this rule will result in a non-negotiable punishment."
Some gulped uneasily at the cold, harsh tone of his words and others simply kept to themselves, having steeled their nerves the moment they signed up for the expedition. Kuroko simply slept on in the commander's chair, snuggled underneath Akashi's white coat.
Akashi began discussing the details of their expedition – their purpose, strategies and course of action. At first glance, it was simple in itself. Their main goal was to find a cure for the epidemic virus and prevent further widespread infection by defeating their enemies. The only problem was tracking them down without losing significant manpower or time. The final agenda of the meeting came down to each member being tasked to write a will that was to be issued in the event of their deaths. A grim reminder of their situation it was, but nobody uttered a single word of complaint or fear.
As Mibuchi stood and passed out folders addressed to each member of the expedition squad, a dull thud sounded from the front of the room where Kuroko was sleeping in the chair. Akashi walked over immediately, ignoring the mess of his crumpled coat as he crouched down.
Kuroko was trembling, his brows knotted together and lips pursed tight. To the curious eyes of others in the room, it only looked as if he was passing through a nightmarish stage of deep sleep. Why he sleeping in the first place though, they hadn't a clue. Akashi brushed Kuroko's hair aside and gently slipped his arms under the curled up body, lifting Kuroko into a bridal hold. He held Kuroko close to his body, dipping his forehead down to check his temperature.
"Is Tecchan alright?" Takao inquired, brows furrowed in concern. "Don't tell me his medicine isn't working…?"
Captain Himuro, Hyuuga and the others around him stared at him in confusion, looking a little miffed at their unfortunate lack of understanding.
"Don't worry, he's just running a slight fever." Akashi replied calmly, hugging Kuroko close to his body. "Speaking of which, there is one last thing I should mention."
Without faltering, Akashi revealed the truth about Kuroko's health and general constitution – the expedition members stared at him incredulously and gaped in horror as if he had just mauled somebody in front of their eyes.
"If we lose him to the enemy, we effectively lose any and all hope of eradicating the virus. In any event, the crown prince's life will be prioritised above all else."
Akashi decided to quell their worries and questions by passing the responsibility to a very perturbed Midorima. Seeing as his bespectacled aide was more than capable of explaining the findings of the official virus inquest, Akashi briskly walked out of the room without another glance back.
"Come to my house immediately after this." He muttered quietly as he walked past the front row where his closest aides were seated. "Oh and Daiki, bring her with you."
Aomine snapped his head around so fast it was a miracle it didn't just snap in half all together. Grimacing, he exaggerated a gulp and nodded albeit hesitantly.
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"Thank you, your data never fails us. I shall take your word for this, Momoi."
A bright-eyed, pink-haired woman shook her head, responding with a smile. She picked up her teacup and took a tentative sip as Akashi gathered the loose documents on the coffee table and stood up alongside Kise, Aomine and Murasakibara.
"Wait, is everyone leaving right now?" Momoi asked, confused.
"Don't worry, Momocchi." Kise assured, "I'm only going to bring the car around so I'll be right back."
"Oi Satsuki, don't do anything weird to Tetsu while we're gone." Aomine said in all seriousness, earning himself a hard kick to the shin.
She stood to see them at the door, silently panicking at the prospect of being alone with the crown prince. Kise reassured her of his speedy return, but Momoi couldn't help the overly dramatic, exaggerated 'what-if' scenarios playing through her mind.
"We'll be back within the hour." Akashi said calmly, a mysterious smile stretching across his lips.
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Extra
Satsuki Momoi caught herself staring at the serene, sleeping face for the third time in five minutes. Quietly reprimanding herself, she tore her gaze away and reached into her pink duffle bag lying limp at the foot of the four-poster bed. Pulling out a worn notepad and a black gel pen, she began jotting down notes on measurement sizes and other details.
Since the moment Akashi left her to look after Prince Kuroko half an hour ago, she had studied the sleeping figure before her much harder than her job actually required. As a seamstress, she really only needed to take a few measurements to tailor a new uniform. However, the fair-skinned male sleeping on Akashi's guest bed appeared more like a porcelain doll and less like the crown prince of an empire.
Then again, everyone was a little different when they slumbered.
Momoi retreated to the kitchen and nursed a cup of peppermint tea until her nerves calmed down. Minutes later, she heard movement from the second floor. Suspecting that the slumbering prince had finally woken up, she brewed a fresh cup of tea and carried it on a tray up the stairs. When she knocked on the door, she received no reply.
"Uh… Prince Kuroko?" She called out meekly, unsure how to address him. "I brought some tea for you."
Receiving no response, she excused herself and opened the door, only to be greeted by an empty bed and an even emptier room. With a puzzled expression, she pushed the door wider and walked in, calling out the prince's name once more for good measure.
"P-Prince Kuroko?" She tried, "Uh, your highness?"
"Yes?"
With a high-pitched shriek at the unexpected response from behind, Momoi involuntarily jumped in her skin and tripped over her own foot. She gasped, not only because she was going to fall, but also because the tray holding the hot, steaming cup of tea slipped from her grasp. Unprepared for the impact, she stared wide-eyed when a larger body enveloped hers, pulling her away just as the teacup clattered to the floor.
"Please forgive me for pulling you like that, I feared you might've burned yourself." The same, soft voice said. The words sounded completely empty, monotonous and void of emotion; the sound of a dull voice accompanied with no sense of presence unnerved her to no end.
"N-no, I'm sorry. That was my fault." Momoi replied, turning to face her saviour. "Thank you—" Dear lord he's beautiful, she suddenly thought the instant she met those deep, azure orbs.
"No, I was the one who approached you from behind. I'm just glad your beautiful hands are uninjured."
Thus is the story of how Momoi the seamstress fell in love with a prince at first sight. Despite the eventual revelation of Akashi and Kuroko's relationship, that certainly didn't stop her advances. In hindsight, it may possibly have spurred her on even further.
Author's note;
Apologies if this chapter felt like a filler, in a way it was really just an excuse for more AkaKuro fluff and also to introduce Momoi. The next chapter will be out tomorrow, possibly earlier. Stay tuned!
Next chapter: Akashi's expedition squad finally departs on its first and final mission. Yay.
