A/N – This story is dedicated to IzXaRose, who suggested the plot.

Aomine looked at his watch. He still had half an hour before he was supposed to meet Kise for dinner. He could have gone back to the apartment he and Kise shared to change out of his police uniform, but he had had a long, tiring day at work , so he couldn't care less – he would go home with Kise when they were done with dinner. Besides, Kise always has a thing for the uniform, and seeing Aomine in his uniform got Kise hot and bothered most of the time.

Aomine leaned back on his chair and looked around the cozy café Kise had chosen for their meal. It had a very homey and personal setting, which was what Kise was going for.

Aomine received a text on his phone. He immediately looked at his mobile phone, thinking it was Kise telling him that he might be late. Alas, it was from the station, asking him where he put the folders for the summons issued that month. Aomine quickly typed a reply and sent his message.

Aomine blew some bubbles into his iced tea out of boredom. Since he had plenty of time, Aomine decided to check his emails to kill time.

When Aomine had replied to all the emails that needed replying, he looked at his watch again. It was now ten minutes past seven, which meant that Kise was late. Aomine frowned. It was very unlike Kise to be late. If he knew he was going to be late, he would either call or text Aomine to let him know.

Aomine called Kise on his cellphone, but Kise did not reply. So Aomine sent Kise a text.

Hi baby, I'm already there. I've got us a table, so you can come in whenever you reach, okay? See you soon. Love you.

Nevermind. Aomine exhaled loudly. He would give Kise another hour. Kise probably had something very important to do, so he wasn't available to answer his phone. No big deal.

After an hour, Aomine had long finished his iced tea, and Kise still hadn't turned up. Now Aomine was starting to get worried.

Aomine dialled Kise's number again and tried to call him. Once again, Kise did not answer. Aomine frowned. Kise was so fond of talking, especially to Aomine, that he would immediately answer Aomine's call. And what more, Kise already had a missed call from Aomine earlier on, and usually Kise wouldn't hesitate to call Aomine back as soon as he discovered that Aomine had called.

This was all very strange to Aomine.

Aomine tried calling Kise a few more times, but the result was the same – there was no reply, and his calls were directed to the voice mail.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. This time, Aomine dialled Kise's agent's number.

After three rings, the call was picked up.

"Hello, Aomine-san!" Kise's agent greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Nakano," said Aomine. "I'm just wondering… does Ryouta have any appointments or photo shoots that might have gone overtime today?"

"Kise-kun?" Nakano asked. "Hm… Not that I know of. I'm sure he was done by 5.30pm today."

"Well, he's very late for our dinner date," Aomine told Nakano. "And I can't call him."

"Oh my!" gasped Nakano. If even Nakano was concerned, perhaps it was serious. "I'll ask around the agency – there are people still working and I hope at least one person has seen Kise-kun. I'll phone you back?"

"Yes please," replied Aomine. "Thank you very much."

As soon as Aomine hung up, he paid for his drink and left the café. He had no mood to eat now that something was wrong with Kise.

Suddenly a thought entered Aomine's mind. What if Kise had been mugged and went to the station to make a police report. What if Kise was waiting for him at the station? With his heart feeling a little lighter at the prospect that Kise might be at the police station, Aomine sprinted to the station.

However, on his way there, Aomine received a call from Nakano.

"Hello?"

"Aomine-san!"

"Any news about Ryouta?"

"Yes! Well, not really… but Haruka-chan said she saw a tall man with dreadlocks force Kise-kun into the changing room. There was an argument of some sorts… but she said she didn't dare confront the man, because he looked scary."

Aomine's eyes widened. Dreadlocks? No… it couldn't be… "Is that Haruka girl still at the agency?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask her a few questions?"

"Of course. Now?"

"Yes, it's quite urgent. I think I know that man."

"Okay, hold on – I'll put her on the line." Nakano sounded worried.

There was a brief moment of silence, before a soft feminine voice spoke through the receiver. "Hello, Aomine-san."

"Yes," Aomine replied. He had no time to beat around the bush, so he was direct with his question. "Can I ask you about the man you saw with Ryouta?"

"Yes. What about him?" Haruka asked.

"What did he look like?"

"Um… he had dreadlocks. He was about Kise-kun's height, slightly bigger in size… he had an ugly smirk and he frequently stuck out his tongue. He looked like a ferocious person."

"Okay," Aomine replied, dread slowly consuming him. The man Haruka was describing was sounding more and more like Kise's nemesis, Haizaki.

"Oh, and he called Kise-kun 'Ryouta'. Like 'Ryoou-taah'." If the situation wasn't so dire, Aomine would have laughed at the comical way Haruka attempted to say Kise's name so sarcastically.

Aomine shut his eyes in dismay. The man with whom Kise had last spoken to was without a doubt Haizaki. "Okay, thanks so much."

"You're welcome."

Then, Aomine hung up. He continued his journey to the police station. He had an investigation to open. It seemed clear that Haizaki had kidnapped Kise.

When Kise came to, he felt disoriented. He tried to move, but discovered that his hands were tied together behind his back. He was lying in the centre of a king-sized bed.

How did Kise end up like this anyway? He racked his brain for memories before he blacked out. He was at the agency, he had just finished a photo shoot and was about to leave… Then, his colleague, Sakura, said that he had a visitor waiting outside for him… Kise's eyes widened. His visitor had been Haizaki! Kise had asked Haizaki what he was doing there, and Haizaki had said that he came to congratulate Kise on his career going international. Kise didn't believe him, and they exchanged a few nasty words. Then, Haizaki shoved Kise into the changing room… and that was all Kise remembered.

Kise groaned internally. It looked like Haizaki had kidnapped him out of rage. In retrospect, Kise shouldn't have said the things he had said to provoke Haizaki, but he had just been so pissed that Haizaki had made a mockery of his modelling career…

"Oh, I see the princess is awake!" Haizaki's scathing voice broke the silence.

Kise's head whipped around to look at Haizaki. He was surprised that Haizaki stayed and waited for him to gain consciousness.

Haizaki approached the bed and climbed on top of it. "My Ryouta," he murmured, reaching out to stroke Kise's cheek gently. "So pretty…"

Kise wanted to tell Haizaki to stop, but he found that he was unable to open his mouth as Haizaki had taped it shut with duct tape. So, he shied away from Haizaki's touch.

"Let's put that pretty mouth of yours to good use, shall we?" Haizaki said as he peeled off the duct tape over Kise's lips. It was at that point Haizaki lowered his lips onto Kise's.

Kise's eyes widened. He sputtered throughout the kiss and tried bucking Haizaki off him.

When Haizaki dislodged himself from Kise's mouth, he was smirking. He reached for the camera on his side-table. "Smile, Ryouta," he said with a sneer. "I'm sure you know what expression looks best on you."

Kise glared at Haizaki.

"Ooh, the sexy, angry look – nice!" exclaimed Haizaki in glee as he began snapping away on his camera. "I'm sure Daiki would love to see these photographs."

At the mention of his boyfriend's name, Kise's breath hitched. "Leave him out of this," he growled.

"Of course," Haizaki replied. "I don't have any problems with him. But I'm sure he would like to see what you look like after I've staked my claim."

Kise's throat went dry. "Staked… your claim…?" Haizaki didn't mean what Kise thought he did, right?

Haizaki nodded. "You are such a pretty thing – I really hate the relationship you and Daiki had ever since Teiko days. The day you finally came out as a couple, I was so angry, I don't even remember what happened that day," he explained. "Because Daiki had what was rightfully mine. DAIKI HAD YOU!" he yelled.

Kise flinched. He was afraid of where Haizaki was going with this. "You hate me!" he cried. "I took your place on the basketball team! I became a Miracle and you were left in the dust!"

Haizaki smiled bitterly. He switched off his camera. "Yes, that was true. I hated you for that," he said. "I lost to you in the Winter Cup, and it was clear you deserved the 'Generation of Miracles' title." Haizaki paused and gazed at Kise longingly.

Kise fidgeted nervously.

"And then, of course, you became such a fucking beautiful man… I wanted you. But of course, I couldn't get close to you… what with Daiki and his protectiveness over you."

"I…"

"But now there's no Daiki to stop me from doing this!" Haizaki proclaimed with a cackle.

As Haizaki leaned forward to unbutton Kise's shirt, Kise jerked away violently. "No… you can't…"

Haizaki reached into his pocket to procure a syringe filled with blue liquid. He removed the cap and plunged the needle into Kise's neck. "This should shut you up for a while."

Kise gasped. He could feel his limbs getting heavy. His vision was getting blurry. His struggling became more and more sluggish. It got to the point that Kise's trashing ceased, for he was no longer able to move.

"Wow," Haizaki muttered, staring at the syringe in wonderment. "I was told that its effects were instantaneous, but I didn't quite expect it to have this sort of effect."

"Ugh…" Kise grunted. Through his blurred vision, he was staring at Haizaki in trepidation.

Now that Kise was immobile, there was nothing in the way of Haizaki and his intentions. Haizaki spread Kise's legs apart and settled himself in between them. He extended his arms forward to unbutton Kise's shirt.

When Kise's chest was exposed, Haizaki ran his fingers over the smooth, pale skin. "Mine…" he murmured. "This is mine." He dipped his head lower till his lips was touching Kise's torso. Haizaki gave an experimental bite on Kise's nipple.

Kise gasped. "Please…" No. Stop. Don't.

"Begging already!" Haizaki laughed loudly. "Don't worry, Ryouta. I'll make you feel so good that Daiki will be a distant memory."

Aomie didn't sleep at all the previous night. After getting to the station, he managed to launch an immediate investigation pertaining Kise's disappearance.

The police went to Kise's modelling agency to have a look at the area and the possible evidence they might uncover there. That was already pretty late in the night, but Nakano didn't complain at all – she was also worried for Kise and wanted him found as soon as possible.

Upon scouring the area, Aomine found Kise's belongings in his room. It looked like he hadn't finished packing to leave yet. His cellphone was on the table, and when Aomine took a look at it, he saw his missed calls and message on the screen.

A colleague of Aomine's checked the vehicle log of the cars going in and out of the building. Because Haizaki was transporting a full grown man, he had to have used a car to get in and out of the agency building. All guests were required to surrender their ID or driver's license when they entered, so maybe Haizaki's ID had been given to the security guards when he had abducted Kise. But apparently, Haizaki used a fake ID, as there was no one by the name of Haizaki Shougo who had entered the building.

Aomine even checked the CCTV recording at the security cabin by the entrance to the parking lot. But unfortunately the resolution was very low, so the drivers' faces couldn't be captured. Therefore, Aomine had no clue what car Haizaki had been driving.

A check on the database of addresses also yielded no results. It was outdated, and Haizaki had moved far too many times without registering his residence.

They had reached a dead end. There were no further clues regarding Kise's whereabouts. Haizaki had managed to cover his tracks.

Aomine's superior had told him in a grave tone, "If Haizaki doesn't contact you within the next 48 hours for ransom money, it is not a matter of finding Kise, but a matter of where Haizaki had dumped his body."

Aomine was sure that his superior was wrong. He knew Haizaki well enough, and Haizaki wouldn't murder Kise. Haizaki had always had this weird fixation with Kise, and this kidnapping was not because Haizaki wanted money. He didn't want the money. He didn't need the money. On the contrary, Haizaki wanted possession of Kise.

So, Aomine made use of the person he knew who had the best reconnaissance skills, Momoi. The advantage of using her was that she was familiar with Haizaki and his personality.

Aomine was currently in her apartment, briefing her on the clues the police force had gathered.

Momoi looked at Aomine worriedly. "Dai-chan, are you alright?"

"Me? Uh, yeah…"

"You haven't slept yet, haven't you?"

"Um, no?"

Momoi gave Aomine an irritated look. "Dai-chan!"

"How can I, when that bastard has Ryouta?!"

"I'm sure Kii-chan wouldn't want you to do this to yourself too…"

"I know, I know," said Aomine as he slid down onto the sofa and buried his head in his hands.

"Are you able to go back to your apartment today?"

"Yes, why?"

"You go home first, and I'll meet you there with food. I'm making sure you sleep tonight."

Aomine rolled his eyes at Momoi. "Seriously, Satsuki?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Momoi. "Now, go!"

"Okay, okay!"

When Aomine reached the apartment he shared with Kise, he checked the mailbox for mail, out of habit. There were a few bills, a bank statement… but what caught Aomine's attention was a blue envelope. There was no stamp on it, neither was there an address. It was blank, but the envelope obviously contained something.

Aomine ripped the blue envelope open, expecting to find a letter. Instead, a few photographs fell out and dropped to the ground. Aomine bent forward to pick the photographs up.

When Aomine caught sight of the first photograph, he could swear his heart stopped. It was a photo of Kise, glaring at the person behind the camera. Kise's hands were bound behind him and he was lying on a bed.

Aomine flipped the first photograph over. The next picture made his heart drop to his stomach. In this photo, Kise was totally naked. His arms were still tied behind his back and his legs were spread out on the bed. Kise looked like he was barely conscious and his expression was glazed over. There were tear streaks on his face and saliva was dribbling out of his mouth. His skin was littered with blue, black and mostly red marks. There was blood on Kise's inner thighs and on the bedsheets.

The next few photographs were similar, and featured Kise in different angles.

Aomine felt like vomiting. How could anyone rape Kise so brutally?

And finally, behind the photographs, there was a note: You trained him well, Daiki.

That was the final straw. Aomine rushed to the common bathroom in the lobby of the apartment. He locked himself in a cubicle and emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. When he was done, a loud sob ripped through his throat. It upset Aomine to know that Kise was in pain, he was suffering, but Aomine couldn't do anything about it.

Aomine didn't know how long he remained in the bathroom. It wasn't until Momoi called him on his cellphone did he budge.

"Dai-chan! I'm downstairs!"

"Huh?" Aomine had forgotten that Momoi had promised to come with food. "Oh yeah. I'm just in the bathroom. Meet you in the lobby?"

"Okay!" Then, Momoi hung up.

Aomine stuffed the photographs into the pocket of his jacket and exited the bathroom. He made his way to the lobby and immediately caught sight of Momoi's pink hair. He approached her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Oi."

Momoi turned around immediately. "Dai-chan! That was quick!"

"Yeah… I uh, I haven't been upstairs yet."

"Dai-chan?" Momoi peered into Aomine's face. She could tell that something was wrong. Aomine had a different demeanour. "Is something the matter?"

Aomine's mouth quivered. "Let's go upstairs and talk."

"Okay."

There was silence between Aomine and Momoi as they made their way to Aomine and Kise's apartment. When they reached the apartment, Aomine quickly ushered Momoi inside and slammed the door close behind him.

"Dai-chan! What's the hurry?!"

"He raped Ryouta," said Aomine in a soft voice. Hearing himself say it made it feel even more real.

"What? How do you know that?"

Grimly, Aomine pulled the photographs he had received in the mailbox out of his pocket. He handed them to Momoi. "I found this in the mail. They were hand-delivered – there was no stamp and address on the envelope."

Momoi took the photographs from Aomine and looked through them. "Oh my god!" she gasped when she saw them.

Aomine looked away from Momoi's horrified stare. He couldn't bear to see his expression when he saw those photographs mirrored on Momoi's face.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kill that mother fucker!" growled Aomine, punching the wall behind him.

"Not that!" said Momoi. "I mean, are you going to submit those photos as evidence?"

"No!" Aomine quickly said. Having other people look at Kise's naked body made him feel very uncomfortable. Somehow, Momoi was an exception.

"Okay. I respect your decision," Momoi said softly.

"I just… it's just that I feel so helpless now, you know?" Aomine said in a small voice. "I should be able to protect Ryouta – it's one of the reasons I became a policeman. But I couldn't. I've failed him…" His voice cracked and he broke down.

"Oh, Dai-chan," murmured Momoi. She walked over to Aomine and gathered him into a hug. Briefly, Momoi wondered how hilarious they would have looked like to an outsider – a tall, full-grown policeman sobbing his eyes out on a shorter, petite lady. But she quickly brushed that thought away. Aomine needed her and she would be there for him.

Kise had been drifting in and out of consciousness. He didn't know how long he had been held captive against his will. He no longer had any concept of time.

Kise tried to move his legs, but froze when a sharp pain radiated through his lower back. All in all, his entire body hurt. Haizaki had been very violent when raping Kise. Kise thought his asshole would have lost all feeling what with the number of times Haizaki had thrust his penis into him, but the pain only increased with each push Haizaki made. And Kise knew that the blood on the bedsheets had come from him. He didn't even dare look between his legs to see how much blood he had shed.

Kise was still naked. Haizaki hadn't bothered to dress him after taking off his clothes after the first assault. After all, why were clothes needed when Haizaki was going to take them off again and rape Kise again?

Death was preferable. Kise wished death would take him away from all this. His only regret was not being able to see Aomine one last time.

Kise started when he felt his hands being released from the headboard of the bed. He looked up to see Haizaki unlocking the handcuffs around his wrists that were chaining him to the bed.

"What are you doing?" Kise asked. He couldn't even recognise his own voice – it was hoarse from crying.

"Shower," Haizaki grunted. He grabbed Kise's upper arm and yanked him out of bed.

Kise winced. The grip Haizaki had on his arm hurt, but he didn't dare say anything lest he provoked Haizaki. So far, Haizaki was being uncharacteristically gentle. Kise wanted to prolong that as long as possible.

Haizaki led Kise into the bathroom, and sat him down on a stool by the shower. Haizaki took the portable shower head from its attachment on the wall. He turned on the shower and tested the water temperature. When he deemed it was alright, Haizaki sprayed the water on Kise. "Temperature alright, Ryouta?"

Kise nodded meekly.

Haizaki seemed satisfied with Kise's answer. He began lathering soap on Kise's body and began scrubbing. When Haizaki was done, he rinsed the soap off.

Then, without warning, Haizaki dropped the shower head and kissed Kise on the mouth.

"Mmph!"

"You're mine, you understand?" murmured Haizaki, stroking Kise's face tenderly. "Mine…"

Tearfully, Kise nodded. Was Haizaki going to molest him even in the bathroom?

"Good," said Haizaki, ruffling Kise's wet hair.

Haizaki squirted some shampoo onto Kise's head and kneaded Kise's hair into a lathery substance. When he was satisfied, he picked up the shower head from the ground and rinsed Kise's head.

"We're done," Haizaki announced, whisking the towel that was hanging over the sink. He wrapped the towel around Kise's frame and wiped him dry.

Haizaki then steered Kise back into the room. He didn't give Kise any clothes to put on, which sent a sense of dread through Kise's heart. That meant that Haizaki fully intended to assault and rape him again.

Haizaki sat Kise down on the bed and cuffed his right wrist to the bedframe. "Hungry?" he asked Kise.

A growl of Kise's stomach answered his question. Kise turned pink and looked away.

Haizaki smirked and left. He returned with a bowl of rice and some sort of fish.

Haizaki plopped himself down on the bed next to Kise and started feeding him. Kise found it odd that Haizaki was being so… kind. Did he have some split personality or something? But Kise quickly pushed that thought to the back of his head. He should be thankful that Haizaki was not forcefully shoving the food down his oesophagus.

A warrant for Haizaki's arrest had been issued. His picture was plastered on the newspapers, and anyone who had information or who had seen him was urged to come forward.

There were a few people who had reported that they had seen a man who looked like Haizaki. But when Momoi plotted Haizaki's sightings out on the map, it had no particular pattern. Haizaki obviously knew that he was a wanted man, and was probably going out in disguises and such.

There had been a few false leads regarding Haizaki's location, leading to wild-goose chases. But Aomine never gave up hope.

After slightly more than a week, the most promising lead came to Aomine at the station. A cashier in a pharmacy had reported selling some paracetamol to a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Haizaki. She recognised him from his picture in the newspapers. Apparently Haizaki had been in a hurry, and had obviously forgotten to camouflage himself.

Aomine made his way to the pharmacy to question the cashier. She provided a record of the transaction – luck was on Aomine's side, for Haizaki paid by credit card. Through a federal police authorisation, Aomine managed to get the credit card number from the acquirer as well as the issuing bank. From there, the issuing bank merely had to check their records to provide an address associated with the credit card.

Aomine gathered a small team of three policemen, including himself. He called Momoi along as well, as he thought she could provide the gentleness required for the recovery of abducted victims. He was sure Kise would appreciate a familiar face.

The team reached a landed property. It wasn't a very big house; it was big enough for a small family, but Aomine knew Haizaki didn't live with his family. What did he need such a big place for? Even worse, what if they got the wrong address from the bank?

Nevertheless, Aomine didn't have time to spare. Every minute that Kise was held captive by that bastard was another minute he was in distress. Time was of essence!

The police team gathered as silently as possible at the front door. They held their guns up just in case Haizaki was armed. Aomine gave the signal, and together, the team broke down the door. They rushed in, pointing their guns out.

The team was met with silence. It looked like Haizaki was not home.

It was at that point Momoi peeked her head through the front door. "Dai-chan? Can I come in now?"

Aomine turned around. "Yeah. Haizaki's not here," he told her. "I need to look for Ryouta… Check the rooms!" he ordered his team.

As his team dispersed downstairs, Aomine and Momoi made their way upstairs. There were two rooms upstairs, but only one had its door closed. Aomine and Momoi exchanged a look, and Momoi twisted the doorknob to open the door.

The sight that greeted them was not a pleasant one. Kise was lying naked on a bed, unconscious. His hands were cuffed to the headboard of the bed.

"Ryouta!" Aomine cried, rushing forward towards Kise. He touched Kise's face. "Satsuki, he's burning up!"

"That must have been why Haizaki-kun went to the pharmacy to get medicine," said Momoi.

"Call an ambulance!" yelled Aomine. He retrieved a master key from his set of keys, and unlocked the handcuffs around Kise's wrists. Then, he removed his outer garment and wrapped it around Kise's naked body. Hopefully it would keep Kise warm while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Aomine lifted Kise into his arms, carrying him downstairs bridal-style. "Victim recovered!" he announced to his team. "We need to get him to the hospital," he said. "Can the two of you remain here to wait for Haizaki to get home? Apprehend him immediately."

The two other policemen in Aomine's team saluted him. "Roger that!"

A couple of minutes later, the sirens of the approaching ambulance could be heard. Kise was immediately laid onto the stretcher. Momoi had volunteered to ride with the ambulance to the hospital while Aomine went back to the station to report the case.

"I'll see you in the hospital, Dai-chan," said Momoi as she waved at Aomine while climbing into the ambulance.

"Yeah, I'll be there shortly."

When Aomine reached the hospital, as per Momoi's instructions, he immediately made his way to the 5th floor, where Kise was being treated. Momoi met him outside the lift.

"Where's Ryouta?" Aomine asked as soon as he exited the lift.

"They're doing some minor surgery on him," replied Momoi. "They didn't say for what, so you should ask the doctor when he comes out of the operating theatre."

"Okay."

Momoi returned to where she was sitting outside the operating theatre, while Aomine purchased a drink from a nearby vending machine. He didn't realise it before, with the adrenaline rushing through his system with finding Kise and rescuing him, but Aomine was very thirsty.

"Are you okay, Dai-chan?" Momoi looked at Aomine in concern.

Aomine smiled. "I think so," he said, taking a big gulp of his drink. "There's a mix of emotions within me right now – relief, happiness, worry, frustration… I don't really know what I'm feeling."

Momoi laughed. "That's okay. I'm sure the happiness will overwhelm the rest when you see Kii-chan."

A short moment later, a doctor came out of the operating theatre. He glanced at the pink-haired woman and the blue-haired man waiting outside the theatre. "I assume the two of you are here for Kise-san?"

Aomine immediately stood up. "Yes, we are. How did the operation go?"

The doctor laughed. "Don't need to get so anxious. It was only a minor surgery."

Momoi placed her hand on top of Aomine's to give him reassurance.

The doctor coughed to clear his throat. "But Kise-san had a torn anal passage, which we stitched up during the surgery. There was evidence that he might have been raped multiple times."

Aomine swallowed. "Yes, I knew that," he said gravely. "What about the high fever?"

"That was caused by an infection that his weakened immune system could not fight off. I've put him on intravenous antibiotics, and he should be alright in two days."

"Oh, thank god!" Momoi squealed.

"Can we… can we see him now?" Aomine asked the doctor.

"We've just finished surgery on Kise-san, so the nurses are preparing to bring him to his ward. You are welcome to follow if you wish."

"Okay, thank you very much!" Momoi said, bowing at the doctor.

As soon as the doctor walked away, Aomine slumped back down onto his seat. He buried his face into his hands and cried tears of joy. He was so overwhelmed with happiness that he'd finally found Kise.

Midorima was the first to stop by Kise's ward. He was a doctor specialising in cardiology and was working in that particular hospital. So he was located nearest to Aomine and Kise. He dropped by on his way home. Midorima brought Kise's lucky item, a stuffed whale, placing it on top of the side table.

Then, Akashi and Kuroko visited. Kuroko said that he would have come earlier, but he was waiting for Akashi to get off work. They brought Kise's favourite brand of chocolates, and spoke to an unconscious Kise, asking him to wake up soon. Kuroko even added that he missed Kise's joyful and sunny demeanour.

The last of the Generation of Miracles to arrive was Murasakibara. He had few words, but had brought the tastiest pastries from his bakery for Kise.

Aomine was thankful that his friends could find time to see Kise and wish him well. It was a form of encouragement for Aomine as well.

On top of that, Kise's fever seemed to be going down – the antibiotics were obviously working. Aomine was glad for that.

It was slightly after midnight when Kise finally woke up. Kise gave a sigh when he came out of oblivion.

Aomine was snoozing lightly by Kise's bed, and when he heard Kise's sigh, he immediately woke up and shot up from his chair. He leaned forward and peered at Kise. "Ryouta?"

"Hm?" Kise's eyed fluttered open. He tiredly turned his head towards the direction of Aomine's voice. "Daikicchi? I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Aomine chuckled softly and brought Kise's hand up to his lips. "No, baby. I'm very real," he replied. "Haizaki no longer can hurt you."

Kise smiled at Aomine through half-lidded eyes. He squeezed Aomine's finger. "What happened? Why am I in the hospital?"

"Oh? You can tell you're in the hospital?"

"Yeah," Kise replied, wrinkling his nose. "It smells of antiseptic. No other place has this much antiseptic."

Aomine laughed heartily and kissed Kise's forehead. "I missed your sense of humour…" he said. "Well, when I made it to Haizaki's place you were unconscious and sporting a very high fever. So Satsuki called an ambulance."

"Mm…"

"In the hospital, they performed a minor surgery on you to stitch up the torn anal passage. And the doctor said that your high fever is caused by an infection, so that's why you have a needle pumping antibiotics into your body."

Kise glanced at the needle in his right hand. "Well, that explains the IV…"

"How are you feeling?"

"My whole body feels sore," said Kise. "And there's a funny sensation in my ass. But otherwise, I think I'm alright."

"I'm so glad you're okay," Aomine told Kise. "Can I hug you?"

Kise pouted. "What a silly question. Of course, Daikicchi."

Aomine stood up and gently lifted Kise's upper body from the bed. He wrapped his arms around Kise's torso. Aomine buried his face into Kise's hair and sniffed. The scent of sunflowers was faint, but Aomine was glad it was still there.

"What about Shougo?" asked Kise when Aomine let him go. As he remained awake, he could feel some strength returning to his body, so Kise moved to a sitting position.

"He wasn't at home when we rescued you, so I had my colleagues stay there to arrest him when he got home. He has been charged with kidnapping and rape."

Kise remained silent. He averted his eyes from Aomine. So Aomine knew that Haizaki had raped him. In retrospect, the first clue that Aomine knew about the rape was probably when he told Kise about the minor surgery to repair his anal passage. But Aomine had sounded so indifferent then, his expression had been so blank… Kise couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"Ryouta," said Aomine softly as he took Kise's hand in his. "It's okay. I don't care."

Kise's lower lip trembled. He looked at Aomine with tearful eyes. "I tried to fight back, Daikicchi. I really did…" he said in a small voice.

"Shh, shh…" Aomine brushed the tears that had escaped Kise's eyes with his fingers. "I know… I know you didn't want it," he murmured. "And I also know Haizaki – he's a violent person, he desires control over people." Aomine paused to look at Kise, whose tears were still seeping out of his eyes.

Kise gave a watery sob.

"It's okay," Aomine repeated. "What matters now is for you to get better."

Kise nodded, sniffling. His tears had not ceased. "Okay," he whimpered. "Can I just cry it out?"

Aomine's expression softened. "Of course, baby." He moved closer to Kise and allowed Kise to bury his face into his chest.

5 years later…

Aomine was digging through his drawers, looking for a receipt so that he could apply for his annual tax return. He had looked all over at home, and couldn't find it, so it had to be in his office at the station, because he had made sure not to throw it out.

Aomine grabbed a stack of papers from his drawer and slammed it on his desk. A few photographs fell out of the stack and landed on the floor.

Aomine's eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of the photographs before they landed face-down on the ground. He had forgotten about those photos. Didn't he burn them already?

Aomine bent over and picked the photographs up. They were still in the order they were in the envelope Haizaki had sent him. Even Haizaki's note was still at the back of the photographs.

Aomine looked at the photos of Kise with a solemn expression. Once upon a time, Aomine was furious at Haizaki for raping Kise so brutally, but now all he could feel was pity for the man. Haizaki had been obsessed with Kise for a long time, and his feelings just weren't reciprocated. He had gone through some rather extreme measures… but that didn't mean he hadn't broken the law.

Since that was all behind him and Kise, Aomine should really get rid of these photographs. They no longer had a place in his life, and he was sure Kise didn't want to remember any of it. It took a while for Kise to get over the abduction – in the aftermath of it, he had nightmares constantly, and Aomine had to wake up to comfort his lover. Aomine didn't mind, of course, but it broke his heart to see Kise so distressed. It had been half a year before Aomine even dared to make love to Kise.

Aomine walked out of his office and made his way to the basement. There was an incinerator in the corner. Aomine threw the photographs into the incinerator and watched as the flames engulfed them. The past was now behind him.