A/N: I already have an idea how many chapters I will have to complete this story though it might be a while lol I'm already getting anxious to post these chapters because I'm happy to post them, just like I get with my other fics I have on my list.

I haven't seen a blind!Hiroki in fanfiction from my recent searches of trying to find some good stuff to read. So I'm going to make the best of this prompt as best as I can. As always, I love talking about my fics so don't be afraid to leave me questions.

- Lucicelo :)

Chapter 2: Waking to darkness...

The moment Hiroki woke from his sleep from his alarm clock beeping in his ears he opened his eyes and woke to darkness. Slamming his hand onto the screeching torture device, it died down and the room went silent once again. He remained calm, thinking his curtains stayed closed which answered why no light entered his room. Now he wished he didn't buy those thick curtains, his mother always told him he overslept more than usual ever since he bought them.

Standing up on his feet, he stretched up his arms above his head and walked to the window across from his bed. He opened the curtains, he felt the sunshine warming his face but he saw absolutely nothing.

He gripped the curtains as they trembled from the strength of his hands. His heart quickened in speed as his knees buckled underneath him and he fell to the floor. The curtain and the pole broke away from the hooks, first hitting his cheek, then clattering on the floor. His hands clenched around the fabric, his eyes stared down at his lap trying to see something, anything.

Although Hiroki prepared himself to this point in a duration of five years, he didn't expect his sight disappearing when he slept. He made sure he never did anything reckless and hit his head which could accelerate his blindness. The last images he remembered were the faces of his parents hugging him good night and how he took off his thick glasses, applied his eye drops then fell asleep.

His parents heard the noise from the next room as they rushed to his room. Fuyumi ran to his side when she saw him kneeling in front of the window holding the curtain in his hands. Soshi followed Fuyumi and stood next to her, he thought Hiroki simply lost his balance and grabbed something to regain balance.

Fuyumi crouched next to Hiroki and placed her hand on his shoulder when she inquired. "Sweetheart?"

Hiroki turned the direction of her voice, expecting to see the face that he grew up to recognize but saw darkness instead. "M-Mom...I can't see. I can't see anymore."

Soshi sat next to Hiroki and placed his hands on top of his son's own quivering pair, Fuyumi cradled Hiroki's face in her hands as tears cascaded down his cheeks. Both of them were ready for this to happen but Hiroki always seemed to have never accepted this oncoming revelation of his condition, he always denied this when he tried never speaking of it.

"What do I do now?" He asked her while he closed his eyes and let her wipe the tears from his face. "I'm not ready...I'm not." Soshi rubbed Hiroki's hands and those hands trembled in intensity underneath his own. "Will everything still stay the same as before?"

"I know you are not ready my little butterfly but everything will be alright." Fuyumi told him as their foreheads touched. "We are with you one hundred percent, don't think for a minute that we don't love you, that we won't stop caring for you."

Hiroki nodded his head as more tears rolled down his cheeks. "I know you two love me..I never said that I didn't think so."

Fuyumi kissed his cheek and wiped the lipstick that stained his skin. "I'm sorry I got my lipstick on you." She took out her handkerchief and licked it before rubbing that same spot again.

"It's alright mom." Hiroki quirked his lips up while he let her fuss after him, her attention gave him something to focus on other than the darkness.

She made sure that all of the lipstick left his cheek and embraced him in her arms. His cheek pressed against her shoulder as he closed his eyes, he breathed in her rose scented perfume. He held onto his father's hands, not wanting to let him go just yet.

Hiroki opened his eyes, the black abyss he stared into didn't seem so depressing to him. He read that once a person lost one of the five senses the rest heightened to make up for the loss. He didn't know exactly when it happened but this excited him even though he had to accept losing his eyes in the meantime.

He wondered which one of his senses strengthened at the moment, he strained his ears for any wayward noise and he heard normally. Sniffling his nose, he smelled his father's cologne but from a close distance. Hiroki would test out his taste sense if he wanted lunch or dinner. As he felt his parents, it was no different than before.

"Your mother will hire a tutor and an escort to help you on your last few months of school Hiroki." Soshi told him and Hiroki moved his head to indicate he listened. "We can inform your teachers about this and have you stay out of classes before you adjust to everything. Take as much time as you need son."

"Thanks...I don't think I can go back to school tomorrow without repeating myself on what is wrong with me this soon. I'm sure the teachers can explain everything..well if they can anyway."

Soshi nodded his head as he said. "I'll give the principal the details tomorrow when I wake up in the morning."

"Okay."

Fuyumi asked him. "How long do you think you will want to stay home sweetheart?"

Hiroki hadn't thought of how many days he could stay out of school. He had never missed a day of school unless he had a doctor's appointment, a dental appointment or he was deadly sick with a cold. His teachers certainly would question his abscense, the rest of the students wouldn't really voice anything since he didn't talk to the other students.

Staying at home was so tempting to him as he imagined sleeping the days away without worrying about any responsibilities. To block out the world as the darkness cradled him in its now comforting embrace. Giving up on everything he had dreamed of becoming and to stay in a melancholic abyss, where nothing could release him from its deepest grip.

He realized that would mean actually quitting on everything he had worked hard to achieve, he wouldn't have quit unless he had a solid reason. The fact that he lost his sight wasn't an excuse, Hiroki knew he had to transform this into his new drive for living.

No matter how long it took, he had to pick himself up and make the best of it. This wasn't that particular moment, he was just so confused on where to begin.

"I...I don't know." Hiroki answered his mother as he closed his eyes. "I just don't know."

"It's okay not to know, when you are ready you can tell us." Soshi assured him as he stared into his son's now opaque brown eyes.

Hiroki felt his legs numbing from his position on the floor as he said. "I want to get up on my feet now if you don't mind."

Fuyumi let him out of her embrace while her husband helped him on his feet. Soshi released his son's hands and patted him on his shoulders.

"I need to be alone for a while." Hiroki told them as Fuyumi and Soshi knew he needed his space and left him alone.

Hiroki sat back down on his bed and started a series of breathing exercises. He twisted the bottom of his shirt as he listened to the birds chirping outside of his window and heard the gardener start up the lawn mover from far away. A tear cascaded down his cheek, he wiped it off using his sleeve and pulled his legs up to his chest.

He released his breath in a slow rate as he laid back into his back, pulling his blankets over his legs. Hiroki felt no strength to pull the blanket all the way underneath his chest when he didn't want to move at all.

Though he had awaited this moment, he expected to experience a poignant revelation on how he could move on with his life. He punched the pillow and tried thinking of his new purpose, Tachibana told him these changes would settle into his new life, that he would transform into a new person.

He remembered the children from those few meetings he attended as a child and their words of encouragement. The assurance of their voices and acceptance on their faces, they understood his plight as they told him everything he needed to know. All of the questions he had recently were answered with complete honesty and bluntness. They had no need to sugar coat their answers, the dishonesty would end in heartache and those kids knew he would find out one way or another.

Hiroki recalled Kana's words the last time he saw her on his last visit to her mother's office a few weeks ago. 'I don't know if it will make you feel better but I'll tell you what mama told me when I was sick. Everything in life has a challenge behind it, you learn to move over hurdles and become a newer version of yourself. You take everything one day at a time and focus your energy on what you find enjoyable. With loving support you can beat the odds set in front of you and you will find that nothing is impossible.'

His father's side of the family were slowly coming to terms with his blindness and he was glad he wasn't pushed aside like he was nothing. His mother's side didn't bat an eye when they found out and didn't identify him as the 'blind one' out of the group of healthy cousins running around, they treated him the same as always. Most of all, his parents accepted this oncoming aspect of their son and didn't push any of the high tech treatments to fix him. They knew he valued his fleeting moments of sight and wouldn't risk losing it all in an unsuccessful operation.

Hiroki relaxed into his bed and recalled the memories he held dear to his heart. The smiling face of his mother when they first see each other in the mornings, her hand reaching out to him as she ran her fingers through his hair. The mocking stern lectures his father gave him when he did something ridiculous or borderline insane, he even did a pose Hiroki had no choice but to laugh at. How this uncles and cousins ran toward him when they first see him walk through the door. Kana's teasing face when he mentioned anything close to liking someone and her mother joining in as they whispered to each other while looking at him with grins on their faces.

Some of the pressure left his soul as he kept thinking of the good times, the past gave him more comfort than the future at that moment. The images of these people would dissipate in time, there was no denying this inevitable fate and he couldn't stop this from occurring. But for the moment, they were all he had to soothe him and to comfort him as he lay in his bed.

These memories lulled him into a dreamless sleep.

Akihiko stood in front of Fuyumi who greeted him at the door, he held a journal in his arms that he wanted Hiroki to read for him. Hiroki always spotted errors that needed corrections and fixed them for him before giving it back to him. His backpack contained the homework Hiroki needed to complete that day.

He was surprised when Hiroki didn't show up to class, the punctual student that he was, he never missed classes without notice or a good reason. The teacher asked him if Hiroki told him why he skipped class, he told him that Hiroki had not mentioned the reason or even called him before school started.

Akihiko worried about Hiroki at times, he witnessed Hiroki's mood crash down whenever he rubbed his bespectacled glasses with the sleeve of his sweater. At times in their classes, Hiroki had to ask him to tell him what the teacher wrote on the board when they sat in the front row. So many little things surfaced in the past year alone that Akihiko found it suspicious.

He asked her politely. "Where is Hiroki?"

Fuyumi answered him as she interlaced her fingers behind her back. "Hiro-chan isn't feeling well Aki-chan, he can't receive visitors at the moment."

"What's wrong with him?" Akihiko looked over her shoulder, thinking he'd see Hiroki walk to the door when hearing him speak but he saw no one. "He never misses class without a good reason Mama Fuyumi."

"I know but he really doesn't feel well Aki-chan, I don't know if he'll want to see you. He is dealing with so much pain right now " She explained to him as she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Hiroki walking slowly toward her with sunglasses covering his eyes. A blanket covered his body and he stopped in his tracks before walking completely around the corner. He knew Akihiko would make an appearance when he didn't show up at school, he readied what words he said to his friend.

He hoped Akihiko understood why he kept his problems a secret from him.

Fuyumi used a soft tone when she said. "My little butterfly..."

Hiroki simply said in a defeated voice. "Follow me Akihiko." He turned away and walked back to his room, already knowing the layout of his home so he had no chance of hitting a wall.

Akihiko took off his shoes and noticed Fuyumi staring at the direction Hiroki appeared with sadness. She excused herself and went down the hall in the opposite direction, confusion filled Akihiko's mind as he went to Hiroki's room. He saw Soshi coming out of Hiroki's room who briefly looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face as he turned away from him and left.

When he entered he saw Hiroki's room void of his books but a new bookcase filled with new ones he had not seen before took their place. No titles were on the spines of the books but he made out a few little bumps in different areas. He saw Hiroki sitting on his bed his legs pulled to his chest, Akihiko sat right next to him and placed his backpack on the floor.

Akihiko stared at Hiroki who simply stared at the wall, his eyes hidden behind those sunglasses which peaked his questions. "Is everything alright Hiroki?"

Hiroki shook his head as he held his legs tighter. "No."

"Why didn't you go to class? You don't look sick at all." He placed his hand on Hiroki's forehead, Hiroki flinched at his touch as he moved a few inches away from him.

"Because I didn't want to and I'd have to explain what is wrong with me." Hiroki explained as he reached beside his bed and grasped the white cane which leaned against his wall.

Akihiko moved to the side and saw the white cane Hiroki held in his hand. A realization occured to him as his eyes went to Hiroki's dark sunglasses which hid his eyes completely. Hiroki's movements slowed down and then he saw the bruise on Hiroki's cheek from when the curtain rod hit him in the face.

"You got into an accident Hiroki? When did this happen?" Akihiko asked as he readied to take off Hiroki's sunglasses only to have his hands slapped away with such force that they throbbed in pain. "Hiroki what was that for?!"

Hiroki exclaimed. "Don't touch me!"

"Okay okay..don't get mad at me." Akihiko told Hiroki as he kept his hands on his lap. "Tell me the truth Hiroki, did you get into an accident?"

"No."

"Then what is it? No one wears sunglasses indoors you know, it makes them look like a douche unless they are blind or something."

Hiroki gripped onto his cane even tighter. "It is that."

Akihiko arched a brow. "It is what?"

"I'm blind." Hiroki confessed to him as the surrounding atmosphere thickened, Hiroki felt himself suffocating while he sat beside Akihiko.

Akihiko stared at Hiroki, waiting for him to take off his sunglasses and laugh at his own successful joke. They would laugh together and everything went back to normal in their lives. Minutes passed, Hiroki didn't deny what he had told him. In fact, Hiroki remained solemn the whole time and gripped his legs tighter to his chest.

Hiroki tried to grab his cup from his night stand to drink some water but he couldn't grab it before it fell to the floor. He cursed underneath his breath as he got off the bed and attempted to grab the cup only to make it roll away from him in the process.

"Fuck.."

Akihiko was silent during this whole scene and tried to comprehend everything without reacting too harshly. He frowned while he tried to remember where he missed something so important, Hiroki never showed any huge signs that made him think otherwise.

"...When did this happen?"

"Yesterday. I woke up and I couldn't see simple as that." Hiroki said as he sat back up on the bed, already given up on getting the cup. "I started losing my sight even faster around the time I met you which was why I had those thick glasses..."

Akihiko processed what Hiroki told him as he stared at his best friend in shock. How could he have missed this? There were many opportunities as they grew older where Hiroki could have told him, the times they shared deep secrets in their sleepovers, when they went on school trips together, so many possibilities.

His best friend had lied to him all of this time and didn't think of his feelings at all.

He stood up from the bed. "Why didn't you tell me anything? You can't just spring this on me when it has already happened and at the last minute! I thought we were friends!"

Hiroki yelled back. "Because I knew you would react this way! If I told you when we were first becoming friends you wouldn't have hung out with me anymore, you would've treated me differently! I can tell you want to run away right now and never talk to me again!"

"Don't put words in my mouth, you don't know how I would've reacted when I was a kid!"

"Yeah right I have known you for years Akihiko and I have seen you push aside people you thought were unworthy of your presence How am I so sure you won't do the same to me after you leave me." Hiroki took off his sunglasses and pointed to his eyes. "Look at my eyes Akihiko, I am never going to see again. Unless a miracle happens I won't have the slightest chance of regaining anything."

Akihiko stared into the once brown colored eyes obscured with a white opaque layer. He grew nervous and shivered at the sight, it was as if Hiroki transformed into a ghost of his former self. He backed away toward the door and he ran away. His rapid footsteps echoed throughout the house, Hiroki placed his face into his pillow and he screamed his misery into it.

Not once did Akihiko stop on his run out of the manor, when he heard Hiroki's scream that urged him to leave faster.

His anger blinded him as he slammed the door shut behind him, his legs ached from the strain of his run but his body acted on impulse. Without stopping, he made inside of his home and when he ran up the stairs he unknowingly pushed Haruhiko to the side.

The older Usami sibling glared at him as he resumed his walk down the stairs, ignoring the anger that Akihiko exuded when he ran past him. Anything that happened to his brother really didn't matter to him at all.

Soshi stood in front of Hiroki as he sat in the living room reading one of his books. He had learned braile so he enjoyed the book his parents handed him when he asked for reading material. They had long since ordered the books Hiroki listed and had them stored in a box in Soshi's study until Hiroki wanted them. Which they filled his bookcase and even overflowed with a stack next to it.

Hiroki's eyes flickered in random directions, in vain hope of seeing light through his eyes but to no avail. A month had passed since Hiroki had lost his sight, he heard the rumors and gossip on his impairment, some on how Akihiko Usami abandoned him after seeing no use of him. At first he didn't trust the rumors until he thought about the reason Akihiko stopped talking to him, then it stung him deeply in the heart.

When he heard his mother whispering to him that Akihiko passed their home, restored hope gathered in his heart until days of no visits from Akihiko crushed his hopes.

His friend had abandoned him when he needed him the most. The voice of doubt inside of his head proved him wrong, Akihiko wasn't coming back and he lost his friend.

Fuyumi hired a tutor who specialized in blind teens to help Hiroki pass his last moments in middle school. He even had an escort take him to every single class and helped him throughout the day who wrote down his notes and translated them into braile so he read them later. Hiroki paid close attention to his teachers so when he read his notes they made sense.

The other students didn't treat him any differently which brought Hiroki immense relief but they chose to ignore him any chance they had instead. Which was no different than before he returned without sight, he isolated himself from them on purpose.

Hiroki liked this alternative than the other one where they chose their words with careful consideration thinking any wrong word would affect him negatively. Thought he would've reacted with words instead of breaking into a fit of tears than anything else.

Soshi cleared his throat which gained Hiroki's attention. "Will you accompany me somewhere Hiroki?"

Hiroki agreed and stood up, he had nothing to do and bored after so many hours grazing his fingers over the little bumps. Though he had his books translated to braille he found no enjoyment in them but smelling the pages brought comfort.

"Are we going outside?"

"No, I am taking you somewhere in the house." Soshi explained as they walked through the manor and Hiroki smelled the lunch the help prepared for them. "I have a surprise for you and I'm sure you will like it."

Hiroki wrapped his arms around his father's arm so he didn't have to focus on the direction he needed to go. "Can you tell me what it is?"

His father hinted at his surprise. "Imagine one of the few things you have wanted but never got after so many birthdays."

"I have no idea, I have forgotten all of the presents I've ever wanted."

Soshi ruffled his son's hair in amusement. "You'll figure it out."

They walked all the way to the other side of the house as Soshi opened the door in front of him. As they entered inside, Soshi pressed the light switch on the wall right next to the door. The room filled with light from the window and from the light fixtures, the musty smell still stayed despite the room having no boxes and old decorations stacked on top of one another.

"Why are in this room father?" Hiroki smelled the musty air the room permeated and knew it was the room they used for decorations since the storage room was in repair. "I know we don't have anything to celebrate anytime soon."

What reason could they have for even setting foot in there?

Soshi guided him inside as he set his eyes on the pristine mahogany piano that he bought recently. When he spotted it in the instrument store in Tokyo he knew it suited Hiroki to a tee and he got the seat customized for the utmost comfortable level. He even had it tuned so Hiroki played it without worrying about the instrument being out of tune.

Fuyumi had the idea of placing a plaque with an inscription of encouraging words on the piano itself which they kept from Hiroki. Hiroki's habit of getting to know everything would one day reveal that plaque to him. In his most darkest moments, they were certain he'd gain some encouragement through their words.

"I know we don't have holidays to celebrate Hiroki but your gift is in this room if you can believe it." Soshi explained. "We just have to keep the window open for a while so it can air out the smell or you can buy air freshners when we go to the store later today."

"I'm confused...what is it exactly?"

Soshi smiled as he told him. "I got you a grand piano Hiroki."

Soshi motioned him forward with a push of his hand and Hiroki carefully walked to the piano. He reached out and touched the capo bar, his fingers glided over the wood. Hiroki ran his fingers over the keys of the piano, he accidentally hit a key and he jumped slightly at the unexpected noise. His father chuckled, he lead him to the plush seat and had him sit down. He placed his hands on Hiroki's shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

"Go on play it." Soshi encouraged him as he saw Hiroki reach his hands out and placed them on the keys. "I have debated with myself for years if I should buy this piano for you ever since I saw your first performance when you were nine Hiroki. I want you to fill this house with your wonderful interpretations of the pieces you play, your mother would sing along while you play and I know she would enjoy doing this with you."

Hiroki said. "Father...I'm happy for this gift, trust me I am over the moon that you took your time to buy such an amazing piano for me..but.."

Soshi stared down at his son as he inquired. "But?"

"I think I will fail you father..what hope do I have to even make a successful man out of myself like this." He played a few random notes on his piano. "I might ruin the pieces I play.."

"I have faith in you Hiroki," He sat right next to him as Hiroki placed his head on his shoulder. "You have a natural gift son, I noticed this when you picked up the piano at an early age and your piano instructor told me the same thing. I know you will go very far if you strive hard enough which is why I recommend you to enter a music based high school."

Hiroki turned to his father in surprise. "Seriously? You always told me to apply to the high school you went to when you were my age. Why the change?"

He took the exams to the joining high school of his middle school so he had a backup to the other schools he applied. Hiroki remembered the five other schools he picked and none of them had a high focus in music.

Soshi said. "In the proper environment your skills will improve in the level you are right now. At my high school they don't place attention to the musical department but focuses on academics, the high school I found they focus on both. We can call in an appointment for you to audition for a spot in the spring."

"You found me a school? Do they accommodate to ...you know.." Hiroki spoke with hope in his voice which Soshi found promising.

"I spoke to one of the head musical teachers and she explained that they made sure all of their students had equal chances to learn. Though mastering the instrument you set your heart to is a goal there, you need to know the regular lessons taught at other high schools." Soshi explained as he wrapped an arm around Hiroki's body.

Hiroki quirked his lips up into a smile. "I'm sure mother will be excited at the news." Soshi stayed quiet and let Hiroki continue. "That I'm entering the school in the spring.. after I pass the audition."

"So you want to go?"

"Yes father. When can the appointment be set?"

Soshi nodded his head. "I can give the call first thing tomorrow but first you need to get used to practicing the piano son. It's been a while since you have actually touched a piano let alone played a whole piece in months."

"I'll start right now." Hiroki said as his father stood up. "Do you have a particular piece I should play father?"

"Try Keegan's Waltz and then Ode to Joy." Soshi answered as he saw Hiroki nodding his head and positioning his fingers in the right places to begin the piece. "I'll tell your mother the news, expect her running in here and listing ideas for your auditioning piece."

Hiroki smiled as he finally felt the excitement run through his body. "Okay." Soshi took a step away when Hiroki said. "Thank you."

He stared at his son with the most loving expression he mustered when he told him. "You're welcome Hiroki."

Soshi heard Hiroki playing Keegan's Waltz as he walked furthur away from him. He missed a few notes but Hiroki kept on playing and Soshi heard him getting better with each note he hit. Hiroki didn't slam the keys callously but treated them with utmost care. Soshi smiled all the way to his study and left the door open as he talked on the phone.

The instances where Hiroki paused to think of another song, he caressed the keys to his piano. Warmness filled every inch of his body as he let more of his emotions flow through his fingers when he started playing again.

TBC