"Get out!" The man yelled while throwing a half empty beer bottle at his blue haired son. When the bottle hit him on the forehead with bruising force, the alcohol was spilled all over his body. The blue haired boy lay on the floor, hoping that his father would just forget about him and then leave but his father yelled, "Didn't you hear me, trash? I said get out!"
"Kuroko Tetsuya…" The blue haired boy mumbled.
"What?!" His father exclaimed while staggering back and forth.
Kuroko got up and pulled his jacket over his shoulders, "Have you forgotten the name you gave me when I was born? It's Kuroko Tetsuya."
The blue haired boy's father picked up an old chair and threw it at his son, "Get out!"
Kuroko hastily left the house and walked out to a park which was nearby. He sighed and looked up at the night sky. He barely felt pain anymore; what was the point of crying? What was the point of caring what happened to his body anymore? What was the point of living?
Kuroko's father came home drunk every day and would take out his frustrations on his son. The blue haired boy's emotions were nullified as time passed. He kept everything hidden to himself and would make sure he didn't show any vulnerable points. Kuroko's mother left a few years ago and since that day, their family became a wreck.
Kuroko breathed in the cold autumn air and sighed again. Suddenly, he heard the sound of leaves crunching underneath someone's feet. Kuroko looked up to see his only friend, Akashi Seijuro.
The redhead had met the blue haired boy on a summer night. Kuroko was sitting alone as always and he was staring up at the stars when the redhead sat down beside him and asked, "What's wrong?"
The blue haired boy was surprised to see someone who cared and someone who was able to tell that something was wrong in the first place. Kuroko had shrugged and said, "Nothing. Doesn't matter to you anyway."
Akashi shook his head and refused to believe that nothing was wrong and so, since that day, the redhead stuck to the blue haired boy to find out what was making him upset. Kuroko didn't mind having the redhead around, he was a nice person to talk to.
Akashi sat down beside the blue haired boy and said, "You're out here all alone again."
The blue haired boy glowered at Akashi and growled, "No shit Sherlock."
"It's just hard to start a conversation with you, so I say obvious things." Akashi said with a laugh.
The redhead leaned against Kuroko's shoulder and the blue haired immediately flinched away.
"Don't touch me." Kuroko said.
Akashi simply smiled gently and said, "I'm sorry."
They sat in silence for a while until Akashi said, "When are you going back home?"
The blue haired boy suddenly felt uncomfortable with his "friend". Kuroko wasn't even sure he would call him a friend, he was more like an acquaintance. As close as they were (which wasn't that close at all), the blue haired boy didn't want Akashi to know about his family problems, so he said, "Soon. I just really like staying out at night."
"You're lying…" Akashi mumbled, "You always lie when I ask you that."
"Then why do you keep asking?" Kuroko snapped at the redhead.
Akashi lightly touched the blue haired boy's arm and said, "'Cause the day you tell the truth is the day I'll know you trust me."
The blue haired boy scoffed, "I trust no one."
Akashi sighed and got up, he walked away from the blue haired boy, turned and said, "See you later, Kuroko."
"Whatever." The blue haired boy mumbled as he watched Akashi disappear into the darkness of the night.
When Kuroko returned home in the morning, he gathered his belongings to go to school before his father woke up with a hangover. The blue haired boy stared out the window with no thought at school. Everyone seemed a bit afraid of Kuroko since he always showed up with a new injury every day.
When class started, the teacher introduced a transfer student. A familiar voice said, "Hello, I'm Akashi Seijuro. I skipped two grades so I'm two years younger than you guys. I hope we have a good year together, it's nice to meet all of you."
Kuroko's eyes locked with those red ones, he glared at Akashi as he walked down to sit beside him. The redhead smiled and said, "I didn't know you went here."
The blue haired boy grunted in response and then turned to look out the window again. During lunch, the redhead pulled his chair over to sit in front of Kuroko who was silently eating his lunch. Akashi watched the blue haired boy for a moment and then said,
"I can see you a lot better now. I always saw you in the dull light of the moon."
"What's your point?" Kuroko asked.
The redhead reached out and lightly placed his hand on Kuroko's cheek. The blue haired boy was stunned, he didn't move as Akashi moved his hand up and over Kuroko's bruise on his forehead,
"My point is…" Akashi said, "What happened to your forehead?"
The blue haired boy snapped out of his daze and snatched Akashi's wrist, "None of your business."
The redhead sighed and pulled his hand away from Kuroko's grasp. They were both silent for a while and then Kuroko said, "I suggest you stay away from me…People won't like you; they'll think you're a gangster, thug or delinquent."
"Is that what you are?" The redhead asked.
"No." The blue haired boy said immediately, "No…That's not who I am. You don't understand."
Akashi grinned and said, "I choose to stay by your side. Not like the students can kill me over talking to you."
The blue haired boy didn't say anything else but Akashi was able to tell that Kuroko was hiding a genuine smile. When the day ended, the blue haired boy took his time going home. Since Akashi lived near the blue haired boy, the redhead followed Kuroko to know which way to go.
"Thanks for walking me home." Akashi said.
The blue haired boy shrugged, "Not like I have a choice. We live near each other."
Akashi walked onto his street, turned towards the blue haired boy and said, "See you later!"
Each day, Akashi would say the same thing; a small 'see you later' before they parted. Eventually, the blue haired boy started walking Akashi to his apartment door to waste more time before going home.
Kuroko waited outside for what seemed like an eternity and when he couldn't take the cold anymore, he finally decided to go home.
"I'm back…" The blue haired boy mumbled as he entered the house. When he got no answer back, Kuroko figured his father was out drinking himself to the grave. He put his school bag down and went to his room to lie down. The blue haired boy fell onto his bed and sighed. Kuroko's tired body caught up to him and he decided to take a quick nap.
He woke up to a stinging pain on his cheek. The blue haired boy put a hand to his cheek and noticed that he was bleeding. When Kuroko looked up, he saw his father pointing the kitchen knife at him.
"Useless trash! I thought I told you to get out! Scum like you don't deserve a house!" His father yelled as he slashed the knife back and forth, each time the blade getting closer to Kuroko.
The blue haired boy quickly stood up and bowed, "I'm sorry father, I will leave immediately."
When Kuroko tried to leave he felt his hair being pulled back. The blue haired boy gasped and fell back onto the bed. His father sat on top of him to make sure he didn't move and sneered,
"I'll have to take something from you so that you remember to never come back."
Kuroko desperately struggled to get away from his father.
"What should I take, hm?" His father asked with a devilish grin. The knife was pressed to his throat, making the blue haired boy afraid to swallow or make a sound. The clean blade slowly made its way down to his shirt and the thin cloth was sliced away easily exposing Kuroko's scarred chest. His father moved the blade back up and laughed, "I know what I'll take."
Kuroko felt a scream building in his lungs as the knife edged closer and closer, teasing him of the pain to come. Suddenly, Kuroko's cellphone rang.
They both stiffened. Kuroko stared at his bedside table where the cellphone quietly played its ringtone while his father stopped moving the knife and looked at the caller ID.
"Akashi Seijuro? Who's that?" His father demanded an answer.
The blue haired boy didn't know how to respond as he wasn't quite sure what Akashi was to him ,"Uh…" Kuroko started, "An acquaintance?"
His father shrugged, "Close enough. Pick up the phone."
The blue haired boy shook his head, "I don't want to."
Kuroko's father pressed the knife against his neck once more and yelled, "Pick up the phone!"
The blue haired boy hesitantly reached for the cellphone and slowly flipped it open, "H-hello?"
A light tone was heard on the other side; the gentle laugh calmed Kuroko down despite his situation, "Ahaha, Kuroko, did I just hear you stutter?"
"Ah…No. So, why are you calling?" The blue haired boy asked while keeping his eyes on his father who still had the knife pressed into his neck.
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I was at the park a few minutes ago and I didn't see you."
"It's not like it's a scheduled date." The blue haired boy said as calmly as possible.
I don't want him to know. He can't know… Kuroko thought.
"Well…I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you." Akashi's voice rang in the blue haired boy's ears like a beautiful symphony. Kuroko's father lightly sliced the blue haired boy's left cheek causing him to wince as he thought,
He can't know…I don't want him to leave me. He can't know. Stay silent.
"A-as if…I need your help." The blue haired boy said carefully. His eyes stung from the tears that were ready to pour out. Akashi was able to feel the redhead smiling on the other side as he said,
"You're such a stubborn one. Goodnight, Kuroko."
Please don't leave me… Kuroko thought desperately. The moment Akashi hung up, it would be over for the blue haired boy, help me. Don't let him hurt me. Save me…Save me…Please save me.
"Save me…Akashi…" Kuroko whispered as quietly as possible. He knew that his father was drunk so he tried to tell the redhead to come without being stabbed.
"What? Kuroko, I can't hear you." The voice said on the other side.
The blue haired boy whimpered slightly as he saw that his father's attention was turning back towards him, "Save me, Akashi!" Kuroko yelled and then he threw the phone at his father in an attempt to throw him off.
The blue haired boy shifted his weight and screamed as he felt the knife impale his leg. Kuroko felt his father's fingers reaching up to his face and then he felt those fingers digging into his eye. Screams filled the cold air as his eye was ripped out of its socket.
Kuroko felt like he couldn't move; his body felt too heavy. All he was able to do was keep screaming. When his left eye was gone, Kuroko's father laughed, "I've taken something away from you. That acquaintance of yours isn't coming, you know. Who would want to be around you? You're just a dirty boy living in the dark side of town. Nobody wants you."
"I want him." Akashi's voice rang through Kuroko's head as he lay there on the blood covered bed, curling up to try and ease the pain.
The redhead had brought along some police officers since he figured the situation was bad. Then Akashi realized, what he thought was bad, was actually worse. He ran towards Kuroko and cradled him in his arms.
"Oh my god…Your eye. Holy shit…We're going to take you to the hospital, okay? Just wait. Oh shit…there's so much blood. Kuroko…."
Forget the eye. Kuroko wanted to say, Just hold me tighter.
Even without telling Akashi, the redhead held onto Kuroko tightly and cried for his friend.
"I'm so sorry I didn't notice, Kuroko… I'm so sorry. Please…forgive me."
The blue haired boy couldn't help but give a weak smile as he brushed the tears from Akashi's face, "It's alright. I'm fine." He whispered.
The paramedics took Kuroko to the hospital to get his eye and leg treated and during that time, Akashi would always visit as soon as his schedule was clear and would leave as late as possible. Each day, before Akashi left, he would turn around, smile and say, "See you later." To make sure Kuroko knew he wasn't going to abandon him. The redhead talked for hours with Kuroko about anything to keep the blue haired boy company.
When the blue haired boy was healed enough, he walked around with an eye patch and refused to move into Akashi's apartment.
"I don't need your hospitality." Kuroko pouted while the redhead dragged him towards his apartment.
"Enough with your stubbornness! Just come with me." Akashi exclaimed as he pushed the blue haired boy through the front door.
"My home is your home. It's just me in this apartment since my parents didn't want to deal with me." The redhead said.
Kuroko looked around the apartment and then Akashi guided him into a bedroom, "This is your room. I hope you like it."
As the redhead gave him a short tour of the apartment, Kuroko gave a small smile and whispered, "Thank you."
"No problem." Akashi answered with a smiled, "You should take a shower since you were stuck in that hospital for a few days. I'll make some dinner."
The blue haired boy nodded and headed towards the bathroom. "See you later." Akashi mumbled.
While Kuroko was in the shower, he knew that the redhead also had something going on in his life that made him lonely. The blue haired boy didn't want to pry, but he wanted to know more about Akashi.
Kuroko and Akashi ate dinner together silently and then the blue haired boy asked, "Why do you always say 'see you later'? It's not like I'll disappear into thin air."
"Some people do." The redhead muttered.
"What do you mean?"
Akashi put his chopsticks down and pushed the chair back, "It's nothing."
The blue haired boy quickly got up as well and exclaimed, "It's not nothing. It's never nothing."
"You never tell me about yourself, why should I tell you about myself?" Akashi asked.
"I was afraid that if I told you, you would leave me." Kuroko mumbled.
"Why would I leave you?"
The blue haired boy put his dishes in the sink and said, "Everyone does when they find out. My father had problems even before my mother left and the moment my mother noticed those problems, she packed her bags and left without me. Some people who knew about my abusive father didn't do anything and even called me a pain because I can't do anything myself. People leave me because they're afraid of butting into my problem, even though sometimes butting in helps. Like what you did."
Akashi sighed and gently grabbed the blue haired boy's hand and said, "I guess we're the same when it comes to feelings. I haven't felt the pain that you've felt but my father did pack his bags on me."
The redhead pulled Kuroko towards the couch to sit and then continued, "My father was a business man and he often went on business trips. Before those business trips, he would always pat my head and say, 'see you later' to reassure me that he was coming back no matter what. Then one day, he just didn't come back and years later I heard that he was off with some other woman. I say 'see you later' to reassure myself that I'll see you again…"
Kuroko took a deep breath and held the redhead's hand tightly, "I won't leave you."
"Those are just words and you know that." The redhead spat out.
The blue haired boy turned Akashi's chin towards him and pulled him close, "You want some sort of proof?"
When the redhead gave slight nod, Kuroko pushed his lips onto Akashi's. The kiss felt electric as they pressed their lips lightly together. Their memories returned quickly and they both pulled away.
Akashi was gasping at the sudden flow of memories and Kuroko was pinching the bridge of his nose due to the oncoming headache. After a few minutes, they both laughed and tackled each other to the ground in an attempt to hug.
"Well now, we know for sure we won't leave each other." Kuroko muttered while cuddling the redhead.
"What is with this horrible life though? I mean, you got your eye gouged out…" Akashi said, clearly horrified by the turn of events.
The blue haired boy chuckled and said, "Just enjoy life now. Forget about what happened."
Akashi hummed in approval and they both quickly moved to the bed to sleep.
In the morning, they went out to get their thirteenth tattoo and some food. Akashi still said 'see you later' despite the fact that he regained his memories. Years passed and they were still as happy as ever, until Akashi got sick.
The redhead sat on the hospital bed and stared out the window with no thought. When Kuroko entered the room, he turned and smiled, "Tetsuya…Come here."
Akashi's skin was more pale than usual but his eyes still glistened with the same light. The blue haired boy sat beside Akashi and let the redhead caress his face.
"Seijuro…I…" Kuroko started but was quickly interrupted,
"No. You will not prevent this death. Fate is just telling me that it's time and you know that."
The blue haired boy sobbed and whined, "I know…But it still hurts so much."
Akashi pulled the blue haired boy into his embrace and whispered, "I know it hurts, Tetsuya. But I'll see you later, right?"
Kuroko smiled through his tears and lightly kissed the redhead. The blue haired boy nodded and said,
"See you later."
When Akashi passed away, the blue haired boy felt as if he had lost his other eye. Kuroko waited day in and day out for death. After three years, it was finally given to him.