He was sitting in class and was staring at the board in a daze.

He was still trying to process what had happened the previous night.

His parents finally came home after five years, that much he understood. But he was so confused. Why did his mom look so tired and why did his father look so old? His mother still acted the same way as when he was a child, but his father was the one who changed.

What happened to him? Why was his father just so angry?

It was such a trip, all of his childhood memories of his father were ones where he was smiling brightly. Even when he had messed up some paperwork, the only thing he did was fondly rub Kurokos hair and laugh before telling him that it was fine. It was a complete change for his father to look so upset.

For some reason, his father was annoyed that he was going to school. Like he wasn't supposed to go at all? It was like him going to school was a pet peeve of his father for some reason that he didn't understand. In fact, his father was always annoyed when he interacted with him.

And then there was what his father told him about his hair.

Why did his father tell him to dye his hair? What was wrong with his hair?

Was that why his mom's hair was black?

Why did his father feel like that about their hair color? If he remembered correctly, his father absolutely loved his mother's hair, he still remembers overhearing his father compliment and comment on his mother's hair. And his mother's hair was beautiful, it was always silky and shiny, she took excellent care of it. Even overseas, he knew that his mother continued to take care of it, she never exposed it to any sort of heat, and always wore protective hairstyles, leaving it healthy and beautiful. And while Kuroko didn't get the same compliments, his father would tell him that his hair was unique and special to their family.

It just didn't make sense. What had made his father hate their hair color so much?

Just what happened to his father?

The feeling of his phone vibrating caught his attention.

He blatantly took out his phone, since his teachers never seemed to notice him doing anything, and was even more confused.

He frowned in confusion when he read the messages. There was one from his mother, and one from his father.

Opening up the one from his mother first, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Say no." He scrunched up his face in confusion.

What? Say no to what?

He opened up the text from his father.

"Do you have any change?"

Huh?

What type of question was that?

He had plenty of change, the owner paid him in bills, so he always had change with him and in the house. In fact, almost all of his change was hidden away in his bedroom, under Nigou's dog bed, and in his closet. And since he had been fighting for almost five years, and was never one to be spending his money left and right.

He had a lot of money hidden in his room. A lot more than he cared to keep track of, but enough where he knew that if anyone found it, they were going to have a lot of questions. And probably think that he was some sort of drug dealer, which he honestly thought would be more offending than someone thinking that he can't fight.

Although the situation was weird, he followed his mother's orders and told his father that he didn't have any change with him. He didn't get a response. He thought it was weird, but he quickly moved past it.

Maybe he just needed to buy something from a stand that didn't accept card.

"I'm home," he announced his presence as he entered his home. He smiled when he saw his mother come out of the kitchen, but his smile quickly fell off when he realized that his mother looked horrified that he was there.

Her mouth was hanging open and her face lost a few shades of color. She ran towards him, apologies falling out of her mouth faster than he could understand," Tetsu, I'm so sorry! I-I tried to stop him! But he wouldn't listen! I am so sorry! He just got back, you can still get him if you go now!"

"What?" Kuroko put his hands onto his mother's shoulders and tried to calm her down," Slow down, what are you talking about?"

She burst into tears," He took him! I'm so sorry! He thought he could get some money out of him because I said that he was cute! An-And-!"

"Mom," His voice was firm as he looked into her eyes, her blue eyes filled with sorrow and fear," Calm down, what are you talking about?" His mother took a few deep, calming breaths, and opened her mouth to answer him, but promptly slammed it shut when she heard a third voice.

"Oi, Tetsuya," His father walked into the hallway with a wad of cash in his hands, he was counting it as he walked to them," I thought dogs were worth more money, why didn't you get a purebred instead of some puny mutt?" He felt his face turn white.

No…

He didn't…

"Anyways," He pushed his way past them again, this time it was his mother who had to grab him to keep him from falling over," I'm going out for a little bit, thanks for the cash. Hurry up and get rid of the dog bed, you don't need it anymore." As if he didn't just shock his son, his father just slipped on his shoes and left.

There's no way…He didn't…

No no no no no no no!

He slipped past his tearful mother and wrenched his door open.

It was empty.

Running into the room, he tried looking for Nigou, trying to find him in the usual hiding places.

He had to be there! He couldn't lose him! He just couldn't! Nigou kept him company all of those lonely nights and cold mornings. Always waking him up by licking his nose with his warm tongue. Making him laugh after crawling into his blankets and licking his neck that he had carefully hidden under the blankets.

He left Nigou in there, he had to be there!

"Tetsuya," A pair of hands pulled him into the hallway and pushed a wad of bills into his hands," Tetsuya, you can still get him back, but you need to go now!" He looked between his mother and the abandoned dog bed. He repeated it a few times before turning to his mother and quietly saying.

"Mom, did he…?"

"Yes, I'm sorry but go! You can still get him!"

He barely had the time to remember to put on his shoes before he took off running out of his house.

He didn't get far before he was reunited. He turned the corner to promptly run into someone and knocked them over.

"Oi, watch where you're going!" He fell hard onto his knees, scraping his knees and hands at the impact. He nearly got a face full of cement, but he managed to avoid that.

"I'm sorry!" He scrambled to his feet and was just about to run off when a hand grabbed the back of his collar and clotheslined him.

"Tetsu! Wait, I have your dog!" Landing onto his back, all of the air was knocked out of his lungs and the only thing he could do was stare up breathlessly at Aomine.

And Nigou.

Nigou yipped happily and wagged his tail excitedly at the sight of his owner and squirmed his way out of his arms onto the ground.

Kuroko latched onto Nigou and hugged him tightly to his chest as he sat back up. He let out a wet chuckle when he felt Nigou licking his ear. He felt someone kneeling next to him and looked up to see Aomine kneeling next to him through his tears.

He had to restrain a chuckle at the way Aomine got flustered," Tetsu?! W-why are you crying?! W-whats wrong?!" He shook his head and stuffed his face back into Nigous fur. He felt Aomine wrap a hesitant arm around his shoulder and bring him into a side hug. Even though his friend was awkward about it, he greatly appreciated the act.

He had a lot of things that made him upset enough to cry. The reality that his wish for his parents to return and live with him quickly bit him in the ass. Instead of having a happy home to return to, he was returning to a home where his mother was almost deathly silent when his father was around. And a father who hated his inherited hair color and who was desperate enough to sell Nigou just for some cash. The thought of Nigou, the dog who had been his only companion for the past year, being sold off for a pitiful amount of money made his heart ache even more.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes until Kuroko composed himself.

"Um," He looked up to Aomine, who was looking away while looking highly uncomfortable," I got your dog from this old man who was selling him. You don't have to pay me back. But if there is anything else I can do to help, don't be scared to ask, I'll try my best to help." Aomine looked so uncomfortable, it made Kuroko chuckle. Aomine looked down at the sound, and once he saw that Kuroko had a tiny smile, he mirrored it.

Kuroko put his face back into Nigous fur, savoring the moment, burning into his memory the feeling of his fur and the feeling of his dog's warm body.

It was clear that he couldn't trust his father.

He had no idea what had happened to his father those past five years, but something was wrong if he had sold Nigou for some pocket change. His father was an engineer, and should not have been scrambling for pocket change.

And as much as he hated the thought.

He knew what he had to do.

"Actually…"

Groaning, he hit his head against the wall to his bedroom, making sure that he was doing it as quietly as possible.

He had been planning to go out for a match that night, but his father had gotten home late. And was staying up late.

Very late.

The fights continued until about three AM, and if he left at the moment, he would barely make it for the last match. All he wanted to do was let out some of his frustration, along with the other emotions he's been holding in due to the weirdness of the past couple of days.

But he couldn't since his father was sitting in the kitchen, making noise as he tapped something repeatedly and tried to clear his nose. Or at least, that was what it sounded like.

Nevertheless, he wasn't able to sneak out since he had to go past the kitchen in order to get to the front door.

Glancing over at his doorway, his heart ached at the sight of the missing dog bed. He already missed Nigou and it's only been a few hours. It was difficult giving him up, but he knew that he needed to give Nigou to Aomine to keep him safe from his father. If he had no problem selling his sons dog (Actually that was giving him too much credit, he was sure that his father thought it was some random dog just like he used to think that his toys were random toys), he didn't want to find out what lows his dad would sink to.

Well, at least he doesn't have to worry about Nigou barking when he was sneaking back inside.

That was a morbid thought.

Turning back to the wall, he sighed heavily as he started to thud his head against the wall again.

How did his life go to shit so fast?