Conquered Hearts

Chapter 24 — Calm Before Storm

Read the first chapter for disclaimer and story information

A/N: You know, I was intending to write some tl;dr self-pitying in this A/N but thought better of it. I just want to apologize for the longer and longer delay of updates in this story. This story is a monster well on its way to become my nightmare. That's all I'm gonna say.

Thank you so much for all new or old readers. The response and support given to this story never cease to amaze me. I honestly can't believe my story will ever reach 500+ reviews, but you all made the impossible come true. Thank you. Thank you ever so much.

Anyway, I'm sure this A/N is getting tl;dr and boring, so I'll wrap it up here. A reader of mine asked for a warning or such if I were to make Kuroko-Kagami scene, so to that reader, this is your warning. This chapter mostly will consist of Kuroko and Kagami resolving their ... tension. Yeah, I know it's a spoiler. Sorry about that.

Happy reading. :)

Calm before storm surely is befitting to describe the current situation Touou has fallen into. This thought idly came across Aomine's mind as he watched the empty training ground from his room. Few days had passed since the last battle they had with Teikou and everything seemed to be too normal now. The air of stillness around the kingdom deceivingly persuading people to believe they had achieved a moment of peace. It only served to make Aomine restless, but even his body refused to channel out his frustration.

"You should try to relax, Dai-chan. Getting agitated won't change anything now." There was resignation in the sweet voice that greeted Aomine's ears. As if the speaker knew it would be futile telling Aomine to do anything in his current state but still needed to point that out anyway.

The exact understanding of his way of thinking made Aomine smile reluctantly. He allowed light chuckle to slip past his lips before turning around to face Momoi who was sitting beside him. The girl was smiling wryly and Aomine was glad to see she had recovered well from her shock of losing Kuroko. They still hadn't received any words from the missing man, but both Momoi and Aomine agreed he was still alive. After all, they would know—somehow—if Kuroko had passed away.

"You know I always hate this situation the most. An all-out attack is far more preferable than this unnerving calm. The waiting only makes everything worse."

"That might be true, but there are a lot of soldiers who still need to rest. I admit the underlying tension is wearing everyone down—the smile I've seen on everyone is strained at best—but it's inevitable. You were the one who said the next battle may well be our last; hence we need everything to be completely prepared. There is no room for sloppy tactics or small mistakes. No victory will be gained from recklessness, Dai-chan. You need to be patient for a while longer."

Aomine snorted rather rudely when he heard the thinly veiled order in Momoi's words. If it was from any other person, he would have snarled on their face and told them to shut their mouth, but Momoi would always hold special power over him and when she had used that tone, Aomine knew the wisest thing to do was to obey her without question. Rising his hands in both placating and surrendering manner, Aomine then dragged a wooden chair to Momoi's side before dropping his body down onto it.

"For someone who had locked herself in her room just few days ago, you sure sound strong now, Satsuki." The taunt managed to make Momoi blush fetchingly; Aomine didn't bother hiding his grin when he saw that. When the girl narrowed her eyes in annoyance, the grin just widened into unashamed smirk. Aomine reached out to gently pat Momoi's head like one would do to a little kid. His voice was gentle as he said, "It's good to have you back."

"I can't keep wallowing in my sadness. I'm too worried about you to have that kind of luxury." A brilliant smile accompanied that answer, showing clearly that Momoi didn't have any hesitation in teasing Aomine back. It was an old game between the two of them. The familiarity of it made Aomine roll his eyes fondly in respond. Glad that she managed to turn Aomine's thoughts away from his anxiety, Momoi's smile turned soft. "Half of what I said was true. I truly am worried about you."

"You always worry too much. You and Tetsu, the both of you are helpless worrywarts."

"We have a real good reason for that too. It comes in the form of a very stubborn and reckless prince who, unfortunately, is also our precious childhood friend." Momoi nodded sagely before her expression turned compassionate. "In all seriousness though, I know how worked up your mind can be in this kind of situation. The last thing I can offer to you now that Tetsu-kun is … away," the slight hitch of breath when she said that was generously ignored. "is to make sure you're not thinking too much. So, is there anything I can distract you with?"

"The only way to distract me is if you could pick up a sword and spar with me. Training alone can get old fast." Aomine grumbled. It wasn't that he didn't like training alone—his more than developed muscles showed he didn't like to slack off—but there was just so much challenge and excitement training alone could offer. He needed more. He knew his request was childish though, similar to the unreasonable sulkiness of a small lad, that he actually took time to think of a proper answer.

"Actually, there might be something that could distract my mind." A sidelong gaze told Aomine Momoi was listening closely. "Do you know anything about the Teikou princes?"

"The Teikou princes?" Thin pink eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. "Of course I know about them. I think most people know about them too. You have to be more specific if you don't want to get a long answer that will bore you, Dai-chan."

"I'm not asking about the known three—including King Akashi himself, of course. I want to know if there was any rumor about another prince. Another illegitimate son of the late-king who was kept as a well-hidden secret."

"Ah. You mean those rumors." The confusion on Momoi's face cleared up. Her eyes suddenly lit up at the chance of sharing some knowledge to her most often ignorant friend. "Yes, there has been rumors about that. They are old rumors though. I think they spread out when we were still little kids."

"And you still remember those rumors?"

"Of course. I never forget interesting information," Momoi's smile was proud. She slipped a wisp of her hair behind her ear in such elegant gesture that for a moment Aomine could only stare. "Although, it does make me curious. How do you know about those rumors?"

"Someone said something that piques my interest and I just want to confirm it. It is just my fortune I have you as my friend."

"Flattery is of no use for me, you should know that." The chiding only made Aomine smirk without regret. He could detect the hint of warmth in her voice and knew she noticed that too. Momoi couldn't even pretend to be crossed with him for any longer before she spoke up once again, "So, those rumors. It started as something small, as always. At first, there was just a hearsay that the royal family of Teikou had gained yet another addition. Of course, the wordings weren't as kind as that. The first rumor was accepted with laughter and playful response since everyone knew how the late king of Teikou loved women.

"That rumor went around for few months, but then it was forgotten, just like many other rumors. People didn't really believe about this mysterious fourth prince either, so it wasn't a surprise how fast the rumor could slip from people's mind. Nobody brought up the rumor again until almost a decade later. Suddenly, yet another rumor about the fourth prince started to flow around once more. Only this time the rumor had taken details. People were talking about this fourth prince as if they had really seen him; said that he had gold waved between the strands of his hair, said that his eyes were as sharp as hawk's and were the color of dazzling precious gems. People also said he was blessed with such exceptional skill that in short amount of time he had become King Akashi's most valuable general."

Momoi took a moment to let Aomine process the information before shrugging lightly, "Those rumors were outrageous, to be honest. The details are obviously lies that no one took them seriously. However, the rumors persist somehow and since then they were known as The Golden Prince rumor. Personally, I don't believe them, but even the most outrageous lie usually holds some truth within." Pausing delicately, Momoi looked up to make an eye contact with Aomine. "Do you think those rumors are true, Dai-chan?"

"You don't really need answer for that." Aomine retorted pointedly. He would never ask about the rumors if he didn't believe them to be partially true; he never was the type to chase after false leads.

"And you think Kise-san is the rumored prince? Just because the rumor revolves around a golden prince—and Kise-san coincidentally has golden blond hair—doesn't mean it's him."

"Yeah, you're right, Satsuki." Aomine said although he wasn't really agreeing or disagreeing with the lady. He didn't offer further explanation, simply leaning back against his chair and tipped his head up in thought. It all made sense. Although there was always the possibility of the rumors being mere lies, but the chance of Kise being the fourth prince was quite high. If he really had blood ties with the king, then it would explain a lot of things. At the very least, the loyalty and adherence Kagami showed to him would be far more understandable; if they both were princes, then of course Kagami had felt the need to protect Kise too. However, there was still something bothering Aomine about these rumors.

"Tell me something, Satsuki, why do you think they hid the existence of this fourth prince? The late king's habit was common secret; everyone know the only legitimate son he had is King Akashi. Still, Teikou didn't keep the existence of the second and third princes a secret despite them being born from concubines. So why bother with this fourth prince? What was so special about him?"

The question unexpectedly made Momoi tense. The lady squeezed her hands together in upset gesture. The reaction was enough to make Aomine turn sharply towards Momoi again and when he saw the grief in her beautiful eyes, he knew he wouldn't like the answer. Anything that could pull that reaction from Momoi couldn't be good.

Taking a breath as if to steel herself, Momoi finally said, "There was another rumor—one that was less known except by few selected people—that the fourth prince was born by a woman who had refused the king. It was said the woman's beauty could be compared to none other for she was utterly enchanting and the king, unbidden, fell for her charm. But the woman was of strong mind and she refused to give up her pride to the king, even after it was taken forcefully from her. I've heard that the woman didn't leave the Teikou prison until the time of her death. Not even when she gave birth to her child."

"The fourth prince was born in a prison," Aomine breathed out the realization. "and the son of a woman who had rejected him is a disgrace for the king. He couldn't let people know about him."

"Indeed. That's why the fourth prince was kept out of the people's eyes. If he was real, that is."

"Oh, he is real, Satsuki. He is as real as the both of us." Unable to keep still, Aomine stood up from his seat and walked back towards the window. He reached up a hand to touch the glass, feeling the warmth it had absorbed from the sun against his skin. For a moment, he had to resist the urge to rest his head on the glass. A mixture of feelings swirled inside his chest, making it quite hard to breathe. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness fell upon him like a calming veil. A wry smirk curved his lips once he managed to distance himself from the vortex inside of him. "Looks like I never had the chance to win since the beginning." He mumbled to himself.

Kise was born in a prison. His world most likely only consisted of the small, damp cell with the howling of the winds and skittering rats as companions. That, and the warmth from his mother, Aomine supposed. It would be impossible for him to see the outer world and to be honest, Aomine had expected Momoi's story would end up with the fourth prince being killed before he could step out of the prison. Apparently Akashi had prevented that. Aomine had no doubt it was also the young king who had released Kise from the prison—to give the man his much deserved freedom. No wonder Kise was so loyal to the king. No wonder he wasted no thought to return to his side.

Akashi was Kise's savior. He gave the blond a completely new life. Compared to that kind of bond between them, what Kise had with Aomine was a kingdom built upon sand. Sooner or later, what they had between them was fated to fall.

"You are overthinking again, Dai-chan." Momoi's voice came a moment before her warm hand touched Aomine's tense shoulder. Her long fingers rubbed comforting circles until she could feel the tension eased up. Only when Aomine finally turned around to face her again did Momoi drop her hand. "I thought our conversation was meant to distract your thoughts."

"Worry not, you have managed to fulfill your intention." Aomine's thought was distracted indeed. Too bad it now focused on more bitter thoughts. However, he knew he shouldn't worry Momoi further, so he smirked and tilted his head. "Your information always managed to surprise me, Satsuki. You and Tetsu, I will never know from where you both gather all the knowledge you have."

"We have our ways." Momoi answered with an impish smile. "Although, Tetsu-kun is far more knowledgeable than I. His curiosity knows no bounds. If there's anyone you should be amazed of, it's him."

"I will make sure to ask something useful from him once he returns then."

"You really should." The respond was accompanied with quivering smile. Momoi closed her eyes for a moment, not willing to let Aomine see the tears that had started burning her eyes once more. There was no need to pretend between them, but still she loathed to show him such weakness. She was stronger than this. She could do better. "Do you think Tetsu-kun is alright?"

"Yes, he is alright." Gently, Aomine lifted Momoi's chin up. It was a silent request for her to look at him and she did just so. Navy blue eyes were soft as they gazed at watery pink irises. Fingers calloused from years of sword practice brushed trails of tears away from milky white cheeks. "Tetsu will be alright, Satsuki. He is not as weak as he seems. You don't have to worry."

There was only certainty in Aomine's eyes and as she looked at him, Momoi knew she could trust his words. She offered up a wan smile before nodding. "I can't wait to meet him again."

Aomine smiled but didn't say anything. It would be false promise to say they would all be reunited again, and he couldn't do that to Momoi. He didn't have the power to glance at the future. The only thing he could do now was to do all that he could to survive this war and to hope he had made the right choice in letting Kagami go. The red head might be frustrating Aomine more often than not, but even he could see the respect he regarded Kuroko with. Hopefully that respect would be enough reason for Kagami to make sure no harm would befall on Kuroko now.

xXXx

If there was one thing Kuroko was looking forward during his time as a guest (and in his mind, there was still quotation marks on that word) in Shuutoku, it was the possibility of visiting the central study. The Shuutoku kingdom was known throughout the land not only for their archery, but also for their scholars. Compared to other kingdoms, the knowledge that could be found in Shuutoku was considerably more substantial. It was said that the kingdom held more books and scrolls than any other kingdoms combined.

For Kuroko, knowledge was a temptation. One that he never could resist. Naturally, once he had settled down in Shuutoku as comfortably as he could, he had pushed his luck by asking whether he could be allowed to visit the studies. It was just his luck that Kise seemed to trust him a lot.

The day was clear when Kuroko followed Kagami—who had been given the task of watching Kuroko—towards the central study. The sun's brilliant shine would be more than adequate to light up the study. It wasn't a smile that curved Kuroko's lips, not really, but even with his usual stoicism, it wasn't hard to figure he was happy.

"Why are you so obsessed with books, Kuroko?" Kagami broke the silence between them. He gazed sidelong at Kuroko, brows furrowed in genuine confusion although he couldn't deny the warmth in his chest when he saw the sheer happiness glinting in Kuroko's eyes. That man might have little to none expression, but once you had known him better enough, it was easy to figure out what he truly felt.

"Books are special, Kagami-kun. Each one of the books you might have read was made by hand. Every aspect of it a proof of the writer's dedication. Of course, some books are simple, merely bound together by knitted strings, but I still think the time and effort poured into making them should be appreciated. However, it's not only books I'm interested in. It's knowledge—information—that I'm searching for."

"But you must have loads of information in your head already. How can you still thirst for more? How can you even accept all those information?"

"Not all of us has your brain capacity, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said flatly. "There is also no limit in knowledge. No matter how many books or scrolls I've read, there will always be something new I haven't learned."

"I still think you've lost your sanity," Kagami grunted before stopping in front of a large wooden door. "but nevertheless I hope you will have a good day here."

With that and a little flourish, Kagami pushed open the wooden door. As he did that, he watched Kuroko's reaction closely. Behind the wooden door was Shuutoku's central study. It was the largest study in the kingdom with thousands of scrolls and books archived inside. The study usually was opened for all people—even the commoners—but since the beginning of the war, it was mostly used just by the palace's people. Thus, the quiet and almost stillness that greeted them when they stepped inside was understandable.

Rows of shelves surrounded the study. Cloisters replaced the wall straight across the door so that the room felt more open. The cloister windows were glazed, but the sun's light was still able to trickle into the room, making it possible to read quite comfortably. Carrels were set up in the cloisters and although they were mostly empty right now, Kagami knew from past experience usually they would be completely booked with scholars.

They stepped further into the study and yet the silence hadn't been broken. Kuroko was looking around the room with fascination clear on his face, but he hadn't spoken even a single word. It was as if he wanted to respect the air of stillness residing in the room; as if he was stepping into something sacred and didn't want to break it. Sadly, while Kuroko might be alright with all the quietness, but Kagami could never take silence well. So after few minutes of letting Kuroko absorbed everything in, he finally snapped and said quite loudly, "Oi, you come here for books, don't you? So go and get one. I'm not looking forward to staying in this place for too long."

Ever so slowly Kuroko lifted his brows. The look he gave to Kagami afterwards could only be described as amused. "I understand. Please wait in one of the carrels then, Kagami-kun. I'm afraid it may take a while for me to choose the books I want to read."

"How many books are you planning to read today?"

"I'm planning to take no less than three books, to be honest. Is there any limitation to how many books we can read here?"

"Not officially, no. But you are not allowed to take more than two books. That's the limitation of my patience and you'd better not forget it."

The corner of Kuroko's lips twitched, but he simply nodded before walking away. He didn't know how long Kagami could actually stay still in a study like this, so it'd be better for him to get on with his business.

Kagami watched as Kuroko approached the nearest shelf. He almost thought Kuroko would feel at the very least intimidated by the amount of books and scrolls in the study, considering he had no prior knowledge of how they were organized, but the teal haired man looked quite happy instead. Resisting the urge to snort—because seriously, Kuroko reminded Kagami so much of Himuro at times like this—he finally walked towards one of the empty carrels and sat down.

The carrel wasn't that big. It basically was just a wooden chair fitted into the small space in the cloister so that anyone who wanted to read could get enough lighting. It certainly wasn't designed for two people and for a second Kagami considered taking the common seats in the center of the room instead. In the end, he stayed where he was though, because he figured Kuroko wouldn't need that much space and, well, if he was allowed to be honest to himself, the thought of sharing such small space with Kuroko was rather … appealing.

Face flaming up at his own absurd thought, Kagami hastily shook his head. He really shouldn't think like that. Especially not about Kuroko. True, he indeed felt something close to affection towards the other, but that shouldn't mean anything. Affection between two men was unheard of and besides they were from opposite kingdoms. No matter how Kagami looked at it, no good things would come out of his feelings towards Kuroko.

He couldn't deny the desire to kiss the other. He couldn't pretend he didn't want to protect Kuroko for as long as he could, but at least Kagami could keep his feelings to himself. Besides, he was quite sure Kuroko wouldn't feel the same.

Kagami nodded with a satisfied smile. Yes, his resolve was firm. No matter what happened later, he would just bury any feelings he had for Kuroko deep down. Besides, he didn't have the time to bother about trivial things like that right now. War was brewing in the horizon and he really should focus on it.

"Kagami-kun, I apologize for making you wait."

"Ah, it's alright. You didn't take too … long ...," Kagami's words trailed off along with his suddenly stolen breath. The resolve that once he had firmly believed in shattered once he saw Kuroko standing in front of him. There was a genuine, honest-to-God, bordering-a-grin smile on Kuroko's usually stoic face and that one difference morphed his face completely.

Faintly, Kagami noted Kuroko had somehow gained two of what must be on the thickest books categories in his hands and apparently those books were his source of happiness. He knew it would take Kuroko hours to finish those books—which meant he would be confined in this God forsaken study for hours too—but at the moment, that didn't bother him at all. He found that it was hard to think of anything else except for how charming Kuroko was with an excited flush high on his cheeks.

It was impossible to tear his eyes away from Kuroko right now and God helped him, Kagami knew he had finally slipped and fallen.

"Kagami-kun?"

The trance that had taken hold of Kagami was broken when Kuroko called out his name. Kagami rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly because he knew he was caught staring and he didn't think any excuse would work here. So instead of saying anything, he merely scooted over on the carrel to make room for Kuroko.

The uncharacteristically bold smile immediately returned to Kuroko's face as he sat down beside Kagami. The sight of that smile and the warmth from where Kuroko's shoulder brushed against his arm were enough reason for Kagami to turn his gaze away. The loud beating of his heart was disturbing. Even more so in the silent room. Kagami took a deep breath in vain attempt of calming himself before glancing sideways at the silent Kuroko.

"What are you reading?" Kagami asked because Kuroko was so absorbed in his book and he made it look so interesting.

"'The History of Shuutoku'. It's not creatively named, I must admit, but the information written here is quite amazing."

"Why would you want to read a history book? There's scarcely any pictures in it and I think history is the most boring lesson I've ever attended."

"That's because you don't value history, Kagami-kun. True, learning about the unchanged past would be unfavorable for most people, but I'd always think history is fascinating. Knowing a nation's history is similar with knowing how they are built from the scratch. When you know their history, you will know their habits, their way of thinking, and also their mistakes. History can teach you a lot of things, Kagami-kun. It can even teach you how to destroy a nation."

"So you area Touounian after all."

"Of course. It is in my blood. Am I allowed to read peacefully now or do you still have more questions?"

Kuroko's voice hadn't changed at all, but Kagami still could detect the underlining annoyance in his words. With an amused snort, he relented. "Alright, I will be quiet now. Go ahead and read your book in peace."

"Thank you, Kagami-kun."

xXXx

The time passed without any words exchanged between them. At first, the silence wasn't noticed by Kuroko. He always had the habit of being completely absorbed in anything he read—be it something as heavy as strategy books or something light like fairy tales books—that he became unaware of his surroundings. He only came to once he noticed the sun's light had dimmed too much to read comfortably. With a sigh, he finally closed his book. He hadn't managed to read even half of it and unfortunately the books weren't allowed to be brought outside. He would have to return to the study again tomorrow. Hopefully Kagami wouldn't mind.

That thought prompted him to steal a look at Kagami. The redhead had been completely silent after his last inquiry and to be honest, Kuroko hadn't expected that at all. From their short time together, Kuroko had noticed how much Kagami hated silence. Usually it wouldn't take him more than few minutes to break it—or he would turn antsy because of the prolonged silence—yet for the past few hours, the silence between them was kept perfectly intact. It was quite a miracle.

Fully turning his attention at the redhead on his side, Kuroko finally found out the reason. Lips curled up into a resigned smile, he could only chuckle when he found out Kagami had fallen asleep.

"You're really hopeless, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said in what should be despairing tone, but there was too much fondness in his voice that it couldn't be anything other than affectionate.

He set the books aside for now in order to watch Kagami closer. This was the first time he saw Kagami's sleeping face and he didn't want to miss his chance. Keen blue eyes watched how the lines on Kagami's face relaxed in his unconscious state. Gone was the sharp scowl and scary look, replaced by a sense of innocence usually buried beneath. Still, Kagami didn't look defenseless even as he sleep. His form was relaxed, true, but there was still an air of awareness around him. As if he would wake up and be alert at moment notice.

Kuroko had heard it was not a wise move to sneak up on sleeping knights. They were trained to have swift response to danger that even their subconscious would identify anyone coming close while they were asleep as a threat. Many assassins had tried to murder a sleeping knight, but few had succeeded because they hadn't anticipated the countermeasure born from instinct. It was also said the only people allowed to get close to sleeping knights were those they believed would do no harm.

Curious about what would happen, Kuroko slowly crept closer towards Kagami. His careful eyes glued onto the other, watching the smallest reaction he might show. When he was close enough to touch Kagami's shoulder and still didn't wake the other up, Kuroko's movement became bolder. Cautiously he leaned both hands on Kagami's shoulder and moved so that he would be able to take a closer look at the other. Kuroko waited until he was sure Kagami's breath was still deep and constant—signs that he was still asleep—before tracing the lines of Kagami's face with his fingers.

Once he was satisfied with that, Kuroko retracted his fingers. Small smile played on his face as he leaned forward to brush his lips against Kagami's forehead. He let the kiss linger for a while since he knew this might very well be the last chance he got to act on his feelings. Kuroko closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of regret before slowly pulling away. With a trembling sigh he opened his eyes and suddenly his breath was caught in his throat.

A pair of amber eyes returned his astonished look calmly.

Kuroko's blood ran cold. His body frozen with apprehension that he was unable to scramble away from the not-sleeping-Kagami. Blood rushed to Kuroko's cheeks for being caught red handed and for the first time since he could remember, Kuroko's brain seemed to stop working.

There was no excuse Kuroko could give for his action. No logical reason could explain what he had just done. No matter how oblivious Kagami was, Kuroko knew he wouldn't mistake a kiss like that. Biting his lips in order to stop them from trembling, Kuroko slowly withdrew from Kagami's warmth.

However, he found that he couldn't move far. A soft gasp escaped from him when two big hands suddenly caught his wrists and pulled him not so gently. The sudden force made him fall half sprawled atop of Kagami. He looked up with wide, anxious eyes when Kagami grasped his chin. Kuroko could only watch as Kagami leaned closer towards him until finally the distance between them was too short for him to keep his eyes open. Darkness swallowed up his world when he squeezed his eyes shut and then the next thing Kuroko felt was something warm and moist against his lips.

Kuroko let out another gasp when something licked the seam of his lips. A tongue slipped into his mouth immediately and he could only shut his eyes tighter as air was stolen from him.

The lack of oxygen made him dizzy. Just when he thought he was going to faint, Kagami broke the kiss. Panting to fill his lungs with fresh air, Kuroko looked up dazedly at the other. There was prominent flush high on his cheeks, trail of saliva still could be seen on the corner of his lips and Kuroko knew he looked as disorganized as he felt. But Kagami only smiled and wiped the saliva away before kissing him once again. This kiss was nothing like the aggressive one they had just shared. This kiss was gentle, Kagami merely teasing Kuroko with nibbles and nips until finally Kuroko relaxed into the kiss and clumsily returned the favor. He didn't say anything when he felt Kagami smile into their kiss.

This time, it was Kuroko who pulled away from the kiss. Licking his wet lips, Kuroko softly whispered, "What was that, Kagami-kun?"

The grin Kagami gave in respond to that was decidedly roguish.

"That is how you kiss someone, Kuroko. You're done reading. We're getting out of here."

xXXx

"… Well, I think I can safely say none of us know Kagami could kiss like that."

"Stop talking, Takao. You're making it worse."

"Hahaha, Shin-chan, your face is so red! Why are you embarrassed? We kiss each other all the time!"

"T-that's different! Besides, Kagami should know better than doing something inappropriate like that in public place! What's more, he's kissing a Touounian! Akashi won't be pleased when he hear about this!"

"But Akashi won't know about it, Shin-chan. Not unless one of us tells him." Takao tilted his head. The toothy grin he gave to Midorima too sharp to be reassuring. "Surely you're not intending to disturb their current happiness, are you?"

The scowl on Midorima's face deepened. He know the hints of threat in Takao's voice; knew his lover wanted him to keep what they had just watched between themselves, but Midorima's responsibility as Akashi's regent told him he shouldn't keep secrets from his own king. "How can you be sure this isn't a trap set by that Touounian? There's always a chance Prince Kagami is simply used for that Kuroko's advantage."

"Do you honestly believe what we had seen could have been planned, Shin-chan?" Takao didn't even bother to hide his incredulity. He heaved a big sigh when Midorima only glared stubbornly in return. Sometimes, Midorima was too smart to figure out anything related to feelings. Good thing he had Takao to teach him all about that. "You see for yourself the reaction Kuroko gave when Kagami kissed him. He was genuinely flabbergasted. Kagami's kiss really took him by surprise and it showed clearly on his body language. I'm sure not even the best pretender would be able to fake that reaction."

"… Fine, you may have a point there. But still, the fact they both come from two opposite kingdoms won't change. Whatever brewing between them right now won't end up well. Especially not in the current situation. Don't you think it'll be more merciful if they were separated before everything become too intense?"

"Mm, I don't know. For me, even if it's just for one day, I'd rather have the chance to love you instead of nothing at all, Shin-chan. Even if the next day you will be torn away from me, but at least I've had the chance. It will be more painful if I never got to hold you before my death."

Midorima immediately looked away as he heard those sincere words. He never could take the full force of Takao's feelings for him. Silence fell between them but for a moment. Takao seemed lost in thought before finally he grinned back as if nothing was amiss.

"So just let them have their moment of bliss for now. Nee, Shin-chan?"

"Oh, alright! But I have the right to say 'I've told you so' when it ends up badly."

"You're really stubborn!" the laughter that accompanied the words took any sting away. Takao chuckled for a little longer before nodding lightly. "Alright, I'll give you that. Besides, I think Kagami and Kuroko will be fine no matter what happen. After all, not everyone is blessed with the chance to meet their fated ones before they die."

To be Continued …

Additional A/N: Okay, a quick one! About the central study part in the story, it was my take for a library in Shuutoku. My research about medieval libraries came out with information that most of the libraries at that time belonged to churches. I didn't want to add in any religion in this story and so in lieu of a library, I use central study. I also had taken some liberties for the interior of the studies. Usually, the cloisters were for the scholars' relaxing room and the books in the study usually were nailed onto the desk for safety sake. Of course, I did my research via the internet, so I'm not even sure if it was legit. /sobs

There, explanation done. I apologize to any Historical lover who may be reading this story.