"Master, I don't think we should be doing this..."
"Shut your mouth and hurry up! And stop calling me master!"
"But—"
"I order you to put it in!"
A sigh was heard through the room, followed by a small "understood".
Akashi Seijuro was the young master of a rich household and his butler, Kuroko Tetsuya, has been his best friend since they were kids.
The redhead watched as the blue haired boy put five large spoonfuls of cinnamon in the soup which would be presented to Akashi's father.
"There, I put it in. You happy now?" Kuroko asked.
"Yes." The redhead said with a smile and then he kissed his butler on the cheek, "Very happy."
Kuroko's family lived to serve the Akashi residence so the blue haired boy and Akashi had been friends since the day they were born. It was only when Kuroko turned ten years old that they started realizing the difference between their statuses. When the blue haired boy turned thirteen, he started calling Akashi "master" and he followed the redhead's orders.
Akashi hated being called master and he hated the fact that it seemed like his best friend was disappearing, but he was glad that Kuroko was his personal butler. The blue haired boy followed Akashi everywhere and told him how to do things correctly and to behave himself. But Kuroko was at Akashi's mercy whenever the redhead ordered him to do something.
They had both turned sixteen and the blue haired boy was slowly becoming more distant. Instead of being best friends, they were slowly becoming master and butler. Akashi didn't want that. He missed his best friend.
"Master, it is time to wake up." The blue haired boy said with no emotion as he drew the curtains back to let in the sunlight.
Akashi sat up and said, "I told you to stop calling me master."
"It goes against my job to stop calling you master." Kuroko stated.
The redhead sighed and then let Kuroko dress him. Akashi watched the blue haired boy carefully and hated how emotionless his best friend had become.
"Who are you?" The redhead suddenly asked.
Kuroko stopped moving and he smiled, "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, master."
Akashi let out a small 'tch' and then walked off. The blue haired boy followed closely behind him.
The redhead went to his father's room and asked, "How was the soup?"
His father glared at him and said, "I'm pretty sure you got your butler to do everything for you. Tetsuya, I order you to not do anything that may harm me."
Kuroko bowed and said, "Understood."
"Well," Akashi said, "Tetsuya, I order you to listen to all of my orders no matter what the order is."
"...Understood..." The blue haired boy muttered.
The redhead's father grumbled and then said, "Your math tutor is waiting for you."
Akashi nodded and left the room with Kuroko following behind him.
"Tetsuya," Akashi's father said, "stay for a bit and talk with me. You can catch up with Seijuro later."
The blue haired boy looked afraid and he looked at Akashi with round glistening eyes. The redhead smiled and said, "I order you to come with me right now."
Kuroko said, "Understood." and followed Akashi out of the room.
The redhead laughed, "You owe me one, Tetsuya."
"My life belongs to you, master." The blue haired boy said.
"I don't understand why you're so afraid of my father though..." Akashi said.
Kuroko stopped following the redhead for a second and completely froze. The blue haired boy was able to hear his own screams ringing in his ears as he remembered what Akashi's father had done to him.
"Tetsuya, what's wrong? Tetsuya?" The redhead asked as he took Kuroko's hand and squeezed it tightly.
Akashi's father tying up his hands so that he can't cover himself. The leather belt coming down against Kuroko's pale skin. Each time telling him to stop loving Seijuro.
The blue haired boy gasped and he shut his eyes tightly in pain. Kuroko remembered Akashi's father standing over him with eyes like blood.
Akashi's father looking down at Kuroko's broken body. The blood dripping down the blue haired boy's split lip.
Akashi cupped the blue haired boy's face and exclaimed, "Tetsuya! Are you alright?"
Kuroko shook his head and tried to speak. The blue haired boy wanted to say, 'get away from me' but no sound came out.
Akashi covered Kuroko's eyes and hugged him.
"Breathe. Just breathe... Listen to me, Tetsuya. Take deep breaths. Good, just like that." The redhead cooed.
The blue haired boy was only able to see darkness since Akashi's hand was over his eyes, but it made Kuroko more aware of the redhead's soothing voice.
Kuroko calmed down eventually and then he suddenly felt something warm press against his lips. The blue haired boy flinched back and Akashi removed the hand covering his eyes. The redhead's arms were still wrapped around Kuroko and the blue haired boy stared at Akashi's chest.
"Master...what did you just do?" Kuroko asked.
The redhead pointed at his lips and said, "Hm, I kissed you."
"Why...?" The blue haired boy asked.
Akashi looked at his watch and said, "My tutor is waiting for me. We should get going."
Kuroko snapped out of his daze and nodded, "Yes, master."
The blue haired boy stood by Akashi's side as the tutor taught him mathematics. Kuroko stared at the redhead and thought about the warmth of Akashi's lips over his own. Crimson eyes met Kuroko's sapphire eyes and the blue haired boy couldn't look away. Eventually Kuroko turned away and avoided Akashi's gaze after that by keeping his eyes glued to the ground.
When the redhead's lesson was over, Kuroko walked with him to the dining room to eat lunch. Akashi sat alone at the large table and ate silently. The blue haired boy stood in the corner of the room to make sure Akashi didn't choke or something.
"Tetsuya, you should sit with me." The redhead muttered.
"Ah no... Master, I can't do tha—"
"I order you to sit with me."
Kuroko approached the large table slowly and then sat beside Akashi.
"It's lonely to sit alone..." The redhead whispered and he continued to eat.
Just knowing that the blue haired boy was sitting beside him and keeping him company was enough to make Akashi feel more comfortable and it put him in a happier mood.
"Master, you have dance lessons after this." The blue haired boy informed the redhead.
Akashi let out a small, "Ugh" and then he stood up, "I don't want to go."
"Well...you have to." Kuroko said.
"But I don't want to."
"Don't be a baby. Just go and learn and then you can go to your English tutor."
"Ugh..." Akashi said again.
The blue haired boy frowned, "Stop saying 'ugh', it's not good to do that. Think about how women would feel about you if you did that. They wouldn't want to marry you."
Akashi flashed a smile and asked, "What if I don't want to get married?"
"Don't be ridiculous. You have to get married to continue your bloodline and have descendants in your family." Kuroko explained.
The redhead abruptly stood up and then leaned forward. He quickly pecked Kuroko on the lips and then said, "I don't want to get married."
The blue haired boy froze at the kiss and then he reminded himself of his duty and he said, "You'll change your mind eventually, master."
Akashi frowned when Kuroko didn't react to the kiss in any way and then he went to his dance lessons.
While the redhead was at his lessons, the blue haired boy returned to his room to eat lunch and to rest a bit. When Kuroko got to his room, he noticed Akashi's father sitting on his bed.
The blue haired boy's eyes widened in fear and he stared straight ahead, his emotions leaving him, his eyes devoid of a soul.
"Tetsuya, I've come here to make sure you remember our deal."
"To abandon my feelings for master and to make him get married to an intelligent and beautiful woman who will bear his children and they can live happily ever after." The blue haired boy said blandly.
"Good. Just make sure you get rid of his feelings for you as well. Don't forget that I'm the one keeping you alive. Without me you would be living on the streets and starving; so keep your emotions in check and forget about Seijuro. You know what will happen otherwise."
"Understood." Kuroko said.
Akashi's father lightly pat the blue haired boy's back and then he left his room.
When the redhead's father was gone, Kuroko fell to his knees, his hands shook uncontrollably.
"Akashi-kun..." The blue haired boy whispered, loving the feeling of the redhead's name on his lips. Kuroko curled up on the ground and tried to find comfort, hot tears streaming down his face.
"Akashi-kun, Akashi-kun...I love you..."
When Kuroko went to escort Akashi to his English tutor, the redhead immediately noticed something was off.
"Tetsuya, I order you to look at me for a minute." Akashi said.
The blue haired boy hesitated and he slowly turned to meet Akashi's gaze. The redhead cupped Kuroko's face and said,
"Your eyes are red... Why were you crying?"
"Master, I don't cry." The blue haired boy muttered.
"Bullshit, you cried all the time when we were small. Then again, so did I." Akashi said as he lightly brushed his thumb under Kuroko's swollen eyes.
The blue haired boy looked away and he said, "That was when we were small, it was a long time ago, master."
"Stop calling me 'master'. You used to always call me 'Akashi-kun'... I can't even remember what it sounded like. Where did my Tetsuya go?"
"Your Tetsuya doesn't exist anymore." Kuroko muttered and then he walked off to make sure they weren't late for Akashi's private English lesson.
The day was going by quickly for Kuroko, it always went by quickly. The blue haired boy stood in the corner and watched silently. He didn't understand any of the English but then again, he didn't have to understand it since his job was to stand and watch over Akashi.
The redhead glanced up a few times to meet Kuroko's gaze but the blue haired boy stared forward and ignored Akashi. When his lesson was over, Kuroko said,
"Master, you have an hour break and your French tutor will be here."
The redhead angrily pushed Kuroko to a wall and pinned him there, "Stop with the 'master' already." Akashi growled.
"Let go of me." The blue haired boy said.
"No. What happened to you?"
"I grew up and realized that I'm not worthy of being your friend. I'm by your side to serve you; not befriend you." Kuroko explained.
Akashi frowned and asked, "Who told you that?"
The blue haired boy paused a little too long before saying, "I figured it out when I turned thirteen that I am just a servant."
"You're lying."
"You don't know me." Kuroko snapped at the redhead.
Akashi slowly let him go and said, "You're right. I don't know you. In fact, I don't want you as my personal butler anymore."
The blue haired boy's eyes widened slightly, "...What?"
"I said that I don't want you to be my personal butler anymore. If you stay by my side, I can't help but love you and I can't live knowing that you'll never love me back."
But Akashi-kun...I do love you! Kuroko wanted to scream. He wanted to throw himself into Akashi's arms and kiss him. But instead, all he did was nod and say,
"Understood. I'll inform your father right away to get you a replacement."
The blue haired boy walked away and went straight to his room without informing Akashi's father about the change. He just needed some time alone.
Kuroko stared at himself in the mirror and muttered, "This is who I am. I am a servant. This is how it should be... But why does it hurt so much?"
The blue haired boy couldn't stand his reflection and he punched the mirror with all his strength, causing the shards to impale his right hand. Kuroko didn't even feel the pain, he just felt numb. The blue haired boy called his friend, Kagami Taiga, who was the cook of the house and mumbled into the phone,
"Kagami-kun, can you come to my room? I have a problem. Please bring a first aid kit too."
The tall red haired cook entered the room and yelled when he saw the blue haired boy's hand. Kagami sat down with Kuroko and worked on getting the shards out. The blue haired boy flinched and hissed in pain while Kagami patched up his hand. The redhead was the only one who knew about his conflict with Akashi's father.
"Why did you punch the mirror?" Kagami asked as he gently wrapped the blue haired boy's hand.
"I felt disgusted with my own reflection and wanted to hurt myself for being such a coward." Kuroko said.
"I see." Kagami said, "You should help serve food for now. Have you informed Akashi-san yet?"
The blue haired boy shook his head and said, "I feel like if I see his face, I might strangle him."
Kagami stood up and said, "You should probably go see him now."
Kuroko sighed and agreed.
The blue haired boy knocked gently on the door to Akashi's father's office and entered when his personal butler opened the door for him.
"Tetsuya, what do you want?"
"I came here to tell you that master has relieved me from my duties and that I was assigned to become a server boy. He needs a new personal butler." Kuroko said.
His father smiled and said, "Alright. You may leave."
The blue haired boy left the room and walked down the halls, only to walk by Akashi. Kuroko bowed and mumbled a small, "Master" before continuing on his way. The redhead noticed the blue haired boy's injured hand and wanted to ask what had happened, but he ignored Kuroko completely.
The next day, Kuroko headed straight to the kitchen and talked with Kagami until it was time to serve breakfast. The blue haired boy realized that he had to serve with his right hand since it was one of the rules in the house. Kuroko winced in pain as he held the platter of food, but he kept his pain hidden when he walked out to the dining table.
The first person he noticed was Akashi's new butler, Midorima Shintaro. Kuroko felt a surge of jealousy wash over him, but he stared straight ahead. When the blue haired boy put the food down, a stinging pain ran up his hand. His pain must have shown on his face because Kuroko noticed that Akashi was staring at him. More specifically, the redhead was staring at his right hand with a concerned expression.
As breakfast ended, one of the servant boys, named Aomine Daiki, approached Kuroko with a smirk.
"You must be the young master's dog. What are you doing here? Did he throw you away?"
The blue haired boy remained silent and continued to do his work. He picked up the empty plates to clear the breakfast table.
Aomine continued to poke at Kuroko, "Hey, I'm talking to you. I bet he just ordered you around and used you. I bet he slept with you, huh?"
The tanned boy moved closer and whispered in the blue haired boy's ear, "Want to have a go with me as well?"
Kuroko turned sharply to get away from Aomine but he was pushed onto the table. The blue haired boy's back toppled the plates over and he was pinned down with Aomine hovering over him.
"Tell me, dog," The tanned boy said, "how does it feel? Being used and then tossed away like you're nothing."
Before Kuroko could answer, Aomine leaned forward and kissed the blue haired boy's neck. The tanned boy sucked at Kuroko's neck to leave a mark. The blue haired boy bit his lip and tried to say 'stop' but he was afraid that making noise would draw the attention of the other people within the house.
Kuroko cringed at Aomine's touch and he thought to himself, It feels disgusting... I don't want this. I don't want this. Please...
The blue haired boy had had enough. All he wanted was to be happy with his friend, he just wanted to live a normal life. He yelled, "Stop!"
Kuroko pushed Aomine away and ran off. When he left the dining room, he cursed his luck because the blue haired boy bumped into Akashi.
Kuroko's shirt was unbuttoned and he was flushed and panting. The hickey was dark and visible on his neck as he quickly got up and apologized for bumping into Akashi.
"I'm so sorry, master. I...I wasn't paying attention." The blue haired boy said.
When Akashi noticed the mark, he grabbed Kuroko's wrist before his left and whispered in his ear, "Come to my room tonight. That's an order."
The blue haired boy hesitated before mumbling, "Understood."
For the whole day, Aomine tormented Kuroko; whether it was sexual harassment or physical abuse.
By the end of the day, Kuroko had bruises on his body and several hickeys on his neck and chest. His left cheek was slightly swollen when Aomine had hit him and the blue haired boy felt exhausted.
When Kagami came into the room to check on the blue haired boy, he yelled at his appearance.
"Kuroko...! What happened to you?"
"I hate my life..." The blue haired boy mumbled, "I hate it so much. I wish I can just die. Kagami-kun... I don't want to live."
The redhead's eyes widened and he embraced Kuroko tightly, "Don't say that. I can understand that it's hard for you right now, but you have to stay strong. Who did this to you?" Kagami asked.
The blue haired boy sobbed into Kagami's shirt and said, "Aomine Daiki."
"That bastard! He's going to get it tomorrow. For now, you need to relax. Go to sleep."
Kuroko shook his head, "I was ordered to go to Akashi's room tonight..."
Kagami helped the blue haired boy up and then smiled, "I'll walk you there okay."
"I don't think I can pretend..."
"Then don't; that's all there is to it." The redhead said as they walked down the halls.
When they got to Akashi's door, Kuroko looked like he wanted to run away, "I don't want him to see me like this. It's humiliating."
"It's fine, Kuroko. Don't worry about it. You're here because he ordered you, now knock on the door."
"I don't know if I can." The blue haired boy muttered.
Kagami sighed and knocked for the blue haired boy and then said, "Easy."
Akashi opened the door and saw Kuroko staring at the ground. Kagami spoke and said,
"Young master, Kuroko isn't feeling well today so please don't be hard on him."
Akashi smiled gently and said, "Alright Taiga. Tetsuya, come in."
The blue haired boy slowly moved into Akashi's room and looked around. Kuroko noticed Midorima wasn't there and he relaxed a bit, feeling comfortable that he wouldn't be seen by someone other than Akashi.
The redhead sighed and then approached Kuroko.
"Look at me." Akashi said.
The blue haired boy shook his head.
"Tetsuya," The redhead said in a warning tone, "I order you to look at me."
Even though it was an order, Kuroko shook his head again and refused to meet Akashi's gaze.
The redhead sighed and then wrapped his arms around Kuroko's fragile body.
Akashi cuddled the blue haired boy and said, "It's okay, Tetsuya. It's alright... Please, look at me. I want to see your face. I'm sorry... I'm sorry about yesterday. I love you. I can't stop loving you no matter where you are."
The blue haired boy seemed stunned over the words coming from Akashi's mouth. The redhead held him tighter and continued to talk,
"I love you. Ever since we were children, I've loved you and it horrified me to see you change so much. I don't know what happened but I do know that you're still the same as you were before. Please...look at me."
Kuroko muttered, "If you look at me... You'll feel disgusted."
"That's nonsense. It doesn't matter how you look because you're still the same."
The blue haired boy slowly met Akashi's gaze. The redhead was speechless with how broken Kuroko looked and the blue haired boy almost thought he would be rejected.
Akashi took a deep breath and let out a small laugh, "I leave you for one day and you get like this? What am I going to do with you, Tetsuya?"
Kuroko chuckled and said, "I don't know. But please, take the pain away."
"Well then you gotta tell me who did this to you."
The blue haired boy nuzzled his face into the crook of Akashi's neck and mumbled, "Aomine Daiki."
Akashi frowned and said, "I see, it was him."
The redhead slowly carried the blue haired boy to the bed and gently put him down.
"Did he touch you?" Akashi asked.
"A little..." Kuroko whispered.
Akashi's eyes flickered with anger, a fire burning inside him, "Did he kiss you?"
"No." The blue haired boy spoke softly as he tugged Akashi closer to him. Akashi carefully leaned down and lightly planted a kiss over Kuroko's bruises,
"Is this ok?"
Kuroko sighed, "Yes. Please erase everywhere he touched."
Akashi bit the marks and sucked at it in jealousy and anger. The blue haired boy let out a quiet gasp,
"Akashi-kun..."
The redhead froze at the sound of his name and then cupped Kuroko's face, "Yes, Tetsuya?"
"Please... More."
Akashi smiled and lightly kissed the blue haired boy. Kuroko kissed back desperately and pulled the redhead as close as possible. For a while, Akashi kissed the blue haired boy's bruises and brushed his tears away. Then Kuroko curled up in Akashi's arms and fell asleep.
The redhead pressed his lips against Kuroko's forehead and heard the butler whisper "I love you" over and over again in his sleep.
The next morning, Akashi woke up when he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in." He mumbled as he tightened his hold around Kuroko's waist.
Midorima walked into the room and noticed the blue haired boy cuddling against Akashi's chest.
"Master... This isn't a good idea." The green haired boy said.
"I think it's a splendid idea." The redhead said quietly as he kissed Kuroko's forehead.
The blue haired boy mumbled something in his sleep and he snuggled closer to Akashi. The redhead smiled and said,
"Can you inform my father that I've decided to spend the rest of my life with Tetsuya?"
Midorima sighed and said, "Alright."
When the green haired boy left, Akashi got dressed and brushed Kuroko's hair as he slept. A few moments later, they heard an enraged scream echo through the house.
Ah... Shintaro must have told him. Akashi thought to himself as he waited for his father to storm into his room.
When the redhead's father barged into Akashi's room, Kuroko flinched awake and quickly sat up to see what was going on,
Akashi pulled the blue haired boy back into his embrace and whispered, "Don't say anything. That's an order, Tetsuya."
Kuroko held onto the redhead's shirt tightly, his hands trembling in fear and he mumbled, "Understood."
The redhead kept the blue haired boy wrapped under the blanket and Akashi faced his father.
"What do you think you're doing, son?"
"I'm living my life happily like how mother used to tell me." Akashi said.
"Your mother didn't know shit!" His father yelled, "She didn't know how to work the family business."
"She knew how to keep the family together."
Akashi's father went silent for a minute and then he asked, "So you're going to spend your life with him? You think he'll make you happy?"
Kuroko wrapped his arms around Akashi's waist and hugged him tightly from under the covers.
The redhead rubbed Kuroko's hair and said, "Yes, he will make me happy. He has always made me happy."
Their memories were triggered and both of them gained more confidence. Akashi grinned and said,
"In fact, Tetsuya quits his job and I quit being your heir."
His father seemed stunned and he said, "You won't be able to live out there. You'll die."
"I think we'll be alright." Akashi said as he held Kuroko's hand and started making his way to the front door of the mansion.
His father followed them and said, "You can't leave! You'll have no money to support you."
"Don't worry, I think I can handle it." The redhead muttered.
"You'll lose your only family." His father said.
Akashi turned around and looked at his father from head to toe and said, "You were never my family to begin with."
Kuroko and Akashi walked out of the house and they ran off together.
The redhead accessed the bank account with their money and they bought an apartment to stay in. Then they went to get their tattoo.
"Hey, ducky?" Kuroko asked.
"What is it, Tetsuya?"
"Do you love me?" The blue haired boy asked.
Akashi looked at Kuroko in disbelief and said, "Why would you ask me this?"
When Akashi tried to touch the blue haired boy, he flinched away, completely distanced from the world.
"I love you. I love you more than anything, Tetsuya." The redhead said seriously.
Kuroko seemed to have a blank expression but then he said, "I'm sorry. I just... Sorry."
Akashi smiled gently and held the blue haired boy close, "Don't make me feel uneasy like that." The redhead said.
Kuroko pulled Akashi close and mumbled, "Understood."
They lived many years together and they were happy as always. But Akashi felt as if Kuroko would suddenly distance himself from time to time and the redhead didn't understand why.
Akashi passed away first and Kuroko passed away shortly after.