Triad
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke doesn't belong to me. No profit is being made from this story.
Summary: He didn't grow up with warmth and love and kisses. He grew up with kicks and bruises and pain with the label of love slapped on top.
A/N: References to past trauma and current resulting issues. This can be read as a companion piece to 'A Mess'.
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Hanamiya's earliest memories of Melody are of her standing between him and his abuser, blocking his damaged body with her bleeding one.
Akashi's earliest memories of her are of Melody pointing a gun at his attacker, eyes cold and words calm.
Melody's earliest memories of them are of two boys with terror in their eyes and of something snapping inside her.
She hasn't killed for them.
But she would. In a heartbeat.
And they would do the same for her.
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"What's your name, little boy?"
"Makoto…"
"Hey, Makoto, don't cry. We're getting out of this."
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"You're Akashi Seijurou."
"You're Winter-Sama's daughter. Your family owns a lot of businesses in the Caribbean and China."
"You speak English."
"Of course."
"We're getting out of here."
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Hanamiya knows what they say about him; he knows the reputation he has.
He knows the other teams hate him and the way he plays, even while he can see how jealous of him they are.
He can't help the way he's built his play style; it's an extension of him.
He didn't grow up with warmth and love and kisses.
He grew up with kicks and bruises and pain with the label of love slapped on top.
He grew up with ungrateful brat and total failure the way other kids grew up with sweetheart and I love you.
He grew up with the smell of alcohol permeating his room at night while he did everything he could to keep that man from raking his dirty, hungry gaze over him and-
Hanamiya thinks they can take their judgement and their jealousy and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
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Melody pretends she doesn't hear the whispers when she passes.
Her darker skin and curly hair mark her as an outsider here, and so she walks on, covering herself in feigned obliviousness like a cloak to shake the nagging voices in the back of her head that say she's being targeted, that she's being followed and that she should break into a run because they're coming for her-
The fact that it's been years since the kidnapping but she still can't shake the occasional panic makes her angry, so angry.
Her therapist says that's normal.
But she doesn't want to be angry- how can she be there for Makoto and Seijurou if she's angry- and so she keeps going and plasters a smile on her face and passes all of her classes and even volunteers herself as a witness in the trial because it's the right thing to do.
How dare she be angry, how dare she have panic attacks.
She was there, she saw what those men did to Makoto. Seijurou only heard it but she saw all of it and it was disgusting and horrifying and thinking about it for too long makes her want to vomit-
She only saw it but he felt everything.
Of course he didn't come out sane. None of them did.
She's just the best at hiding it.
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Akashi hates nights like this, the ones where he tosses and turns and voices of the past echo in his ears.
He sits up and looks at his phone, throat dry and fighting the irrational urge to call Hanamiya-san.
He's not sure the spider would appreciate it; it's almost 3 AM.
But his breaths won't slow down so his feelings win out and he sends a quick text with shaking fingers.
It's barely been 20 seconds when he gets a reply.
Hanamiya-san: Tf? It's 3:00 in the morning. 3:00AM
Hanamiya-san: Akashi? 3:02AM
Hanamiya-san: Shit. Princess? You need me to call? 3:03 AM
Me: No, don't call. I apologise for waking you. It was inconsiderate of me. 3:03AM
Hanamiya-san:… I'm fine, Princess. It was just a dream. Breathe. 3:04 AM
Akashi's breath stutters in his chest and all of a sudden he can breathe again.
Hanamiya-san sends another message and he smiles.
Hanamiya-san: That's it. You're safe. We're safe. Go get some water and try to get some rest. You need to call Snowflake? She's in London right now so you won't wake her. 3:06 AM
Akashi winces. The last thing he wants to do right now is worry Winter-san.
He can still hear Hanamiya's screams from the past echoing in his ears but they're dying down now and he thinks he might be able to try sleeping again.
Me: No, I don't need to bother Winter-san with this. Like you said, it was just a dream. I'll go back to sleep now. Thank you, Hanamiya-san. 3:09 PM
He settles back, grateful that the screams have stopped.
He knows this won't be the last time it happens.
He knows those noises will always haunt him.
But now, just for tonight, with Winter-san safe overseas and Hanamiya-san safe in Tokyo, he can rest.
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That's it for now! As always, let me know if you liked it!