It all started with their cellphones.
Kuroko was late. He had woken up fifteen minutes late, to be exact. The blue haired boy rolled out of his bed to rush his shower, brush his teeth and grab his school uniform. Even though he skipped breakfast, he was still late. Kuroko ran out the door and made his way to the train station, hoping he wouldn't miss his train.
Akashi was late too. But he had many servants to aid him so he didn't have to worry about anything. The redhead walked calmly towards the train station, he looked up at the sky and began daydreaming, after all, walking to the train station was the only time he was truly alone. The redhead couldn't figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Even before he was born, he was to become his father's heir. As stupid as it sounds, Akashi had no say in this.
When he got to the train station, he took a deep breath and thought to himself,
It's going to be a wonderful day.
At that moment, a blue haired boy bumped into Akashi while rushing towards a train which was about to depart.
Their school bags fell on the ground and the blue haired boy quickly dropped to the pavement to pick up his stuff while saying, "Sorry" over and over again.
"It's alright." The redhead said as he picked up his stuff as well.
When Kuroko looked up, his eyes met Akashi's mismatched eyes. The blue haired boy seemed to be in a trance for a second as they held each other's gaze.
Kuroko snapped out of it when he heard the doors to his train slowly hissing shut. The blue haired boy apologized again and then ran off.
Akashi watched with an amused expression as he saw the train to the Seirin district depart.
Hm, Seirin high school...Interesting. Akashi thought as he made his way to Rakuzan high.
When the blue haired boy got to school, he took a deep breath and slumped down into his chair. Kuroko reached for his cellphone and then stared at it in surprise. It definitely wasn't his cellphone. The blue haired boy unlocked the cellphone (there was no password) and looked for a name somewhere on the phone. At the top corner it said, "Akashi Seijuro".
Akashi...Seijuro? Kuroko thought, his brain trying to remember how this person's phone was in his bag.
"Ah, shit..." The blue haired boy mumbled.
"What is it Kurokocchi?" Kise asked as he approached his friend.
Kuroko slumped down in his chair and mumbled, "Our phones got switched..."
"You switched phones? With who?"
"Some guy named Akashi Seijuro. I bumped into him on the way here and our stuff was scattered on the ground. I didn't want to miss the train so I quickly shoved my stuff in my bag and I guess our cellphones got switched." Kuroko explained.
The blond laughed, "It kind of sounds like a love story. But the fact that it's Akashi, I doubt there will be any love."
"You know him?" The blue haired boy asked.
Kise nodded and then shook his head, "I don't know him personally. But his family name is a strong one. They're the rich family that owns most of the land and companies in our area. Akashi Seijuro is their only son and heir."
"Oh, I see." Kuroko responded. He didn't really care for Akashi's background, he mainly just wanted his cellphone back.
The blue haired boy didn't want to invade Akashi's privacy but he called his own cellphone with Akashi's phone.
At Rakuzan Highschool, the redhead also noticed that his cellphone had been switched except he was looking through Kuroko's photos with an amused expression. He had to admit, the blue haired boy was cute. Instead of calling Kuroko, Akashi waited for the blue haired boy to call him. When the call came, the redhead answered and said,
"Hello?"
"Uh, hi. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, we bumped into each other this morning and I guess our cellphones got switched. Where would you like to meet to switch them back?" The blue haired boy said calmly.
Akashi smiled slightly, "How about when we see each other at the train station tomorrow morning?"
"Are you alright with me having your cellphone for the whole day...?" The blue haired boy asked in disbelief.
The redhead chuckled, "Well Tetsuya, are you alright with me having your cellphone all day?"
"I don't really mind. I mean, there's nothing really on there." The blue haired boy mumbled.
"You have quite a lot of photos though." The redhead said teasingly.
Kuroko blushed when he realized that he had some of the most embarrassing photos on his phone, but Akashi had already hung up before he could say anything.
For the rest of the day, the blue haired boy held Akashi's phone in his hands as if he was afraid it would disappear. Kuroko wanted to call Akashi again, but he was also afraid of interrupting him in class.
At the end of the day, the blue haired boy got a text from Akashi that said,
"Can't make it tomorrow morning, come to my house to trade cellphones tonight?"
Kuroko was quick to text back, "Sure. Where's your house?"
Once the redhead gave him directions, the blue haired boy began walking towards Akashi's house.
Kuroko slowly became worried when he realized he was walking towards the most isolated part of town. But the blue haired boy really wanted his cellphone back.
Akashi's house was gigantic. Kuroko stared in disbelief as he looked to the left and then the right. It was like a temple. The blue haired boy slowly approached the door and rang the doorbell. A butler opened the gate and gestured for Kuroko to enter.
Kuroko followed silently and waited in the main hall.
Looks like a castle… The blue haired boy thought and then snorted when he thought, I wonder if he looks like a prince. I didn't get to look at his face directly this morning...
The redhead ran down the steps and nimbly approached Kuroko.
"Hey, I'm Akashi Seijuro."
"Kuroko Tetsuya." The blue haired boy responded in a monotone voice. Kuroko handed the redhead his cellphone and Akashi gave the blue haired boy his cellphone.
"I'm sorry about this whole cellphone mix up." The blue haired boy said.
The redhead chuckled, "It's quite alright. It was the most eventful day that I've had in years."
Kuroko laughed slightly and then said goodbye to Akashi. Right before the blue haired boy left, their eyes met once again. Kuroko shifted under the redhead's gaze and quickly left.
When he got home, he got a text from Akashi's cellphone,
"Have fun looking through your photos."
Kuroko was confused but when he looked through his photos he saw that Akashi had taken a whole bunch. The blue haired boy laughed as he scrolled through his photos. Kuroko noticed that the redhead went to Rakuzan high school, judging by his uniform and he seemed to be a really funny person. The blue haired boy messaged Akashi,
"Haha, thanks a lot."
The next morning, Kuroko made sure not to be late. This time when he walked past Akashi, he smiled slightly. The redhead smiled back. At school, the blue haired boy would receive messages from Akashi and Kuroko would happily reply.
"Who are you texting to?" Kise asked while leaning over the blue haired boy's shoulder.
"Akashi-kun." Kuroko said before continuing to text.
"That's a dangerous playing field, Kurokocchi. I don't think that you should keep talking with him..." The blond said nervously.
The blue haired boy just shrugged and said, "He seemed really nice. Also, I'm not going to fall in love with him. We're just texting, there's nothing wrong with that."
"I know there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying, be careful." Kise said before walking off to find Aomine.
As the day went on, Kuroko found himself wanting to see the redhead again. He wanted to be engulfed by his eyes. The blue haired boy felt as if Akashi was an addiction.
Months passed and Kuroko and Akashi continued to text to each other. The blue haired boy caught a really bad cold and woke up late one day. He stumbled out of bed and got ready at the speed of light. He skipped breakfast, knowing that if he did take the time to eat, he would miss the train. Kuroko ran towards the train station with his bag.
Akashi was there too. The redhead immediately noticed that the blue haired boy wasn't feeling well so he intercepted Kuroko's path. The blue haired boy crashed into Akashi and apologized a few times before trying to get onto the train.
The redhead gripped Kuroko's shoulders and thought, He never gives up. He works way too hard...
The blue haired boy heard a ringing in his ears and then his vision blurred. The next thing he knew, he was falling. Akashi calmly scooped Kuroko into his arms and carried him to his house.
The redhead didn't mind skipping school for one day; it wouldn't do much to his perfection. Akashi quickly took the blue haired boy up to his room and gently put him down on his bed. The redhead had to admit, he admired Kuroko. The blue haired boy never ceased to amaze Akashi, but at the same time, the redhead was worried for the blue haired boy's health.
When Kuroko woke up, his vision slowly focused on his surroundings and then he pushed himself into a sitting position.
"Oh, you're awake." Akashi said while shutting the book he was reading.
"What am I doing here?" The blue haired boy asked in a harsh tone.
The redhead raised an eyebrow and said, "You fainted. So I brought you to my house to rest."
"I don't need your help." Kuroko snapped back.
"Oh?" Akashi stood up and slowly moved towards the blue haired boy, "I think you do need my help."
"Well then, I never asked for it."
The redhead pushed Kuroko back down, "You got my help without having to ask for it. I don't think you realize that you're weak right now. I barely even pushed you and you're just lying there. What happens if I kiss you?"
The blue haired boy was unfazed by Akashi's words and he said, "No you won't."
"How would you know?" The redhead asked, his grip tightening on Kuroko's wrists.
"You just won't..." The blue haired boy muttered.
"So you wouldn't mind if I mark you all over and hurt you?" Akashi asked with a smirk.
Kuroko tilted his head to the side and glanced at the redhead before bravely saying, "Go ahead."
The redhead frowned, Why isn't he scared? He thought to himself before leaning down to lightly plant a kiss on Kuroko's collarbone.
The blue haired boy's breath hitched when he felt Akashi's kiss his sensitive neck, but he quickly relaxed and wanted to pull the other closer.
When Akashi pulled away he asked, "Still think I can't do anything to you?"
"You didn't hurt me." Kuroko said.
The redhead stared at the bite marks and kiss marks he had placed on the blue haired boy's neck and said, "Why aren't you scared? I'm an Akashi, I'm known as cold hearted and selfish. Why are you the only one who's different?"
"Because I know you and you wouldn't hurt me."
"You don't know me! Just because we texted for a few months doesn't mean you know me." Akashi yelled. He didn't know why he was so frustrated but he just continued to grip Kuroko's wrists tightly.
The blue haired boy winced a bit when his wrists were squeezed but he said, "It's because I texted with you for a few months that I know you. You're Akashi Seijuro."
Kuroko pushed up so that his lips met Akashi's. The redhead hesitated slightly before pushing down to respond to the kiss. He let go of the blue haired boy's wrists and caressed his face. Kuroko, now that he can move his hands, tangled his fingers into the red hair above him.
When they pulled away from each other, they just stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Akashi leaned forward and nuzzled his face into the crook of the blue haired boy's neck. He gently kissed the marks he had placed before and whispered,
"I'm sorry. I lost myself there for a second."
Kuroko held Akashi close and said, "It's alright, like I said, you didn't hurt me. I'll always be here, whether you lose control of yourself or not."
They've both known for a while now. While texting, Akashi talked about his family and how they were controlling. He also talked about how he couldn't control himself sometimes and that he scared him. It wasn't a bipolar personality, it was as if his temper was just easily snapped. Of course, Kuroko would put up with Akashi's sudden outbursts and he promised the redhead that he wouldn't abandon him. Months of texting and they already knew more about each other than everyone else.
And so, Akashi lay on top of the blue haired boy in search for comfort. Kuroko held the redhead close and after a few minutes, he said,
"Can you get off of me?"
"Yeah. Sorry." Akashi said, his face slowly turning red. The blue haired boy smiled at the redhead and said,
"You're too cute."
The redhead laughed and poked Kuroko's cheeks, "You think I'm cute? That means you're adorable."
The blue haired boy felt his face grow hot as well and he hid under the sheets. After a while, they both fell asleep.
Kuroko was violently shook awake by Akashi and the redhead said, "Tetsuya, you have to leave now. My parents are going to be here in a few minutes."
The blue haired boy groaned and then got up to leave. Akashi lightly held Kuroko's hand and asked,
"Will you be back later?"
Kuroko smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'll come back at night. Keep your window open for me."
When darkness swept over all of Japan, Kuroko and Akashi stayed awake. The blue haired boy waited until it was safe to leave the house while Akashi waited for Kuroko. The blue haired boy hopped out his window and onto the streets. His grandmother didn't mind if Kuroko wasn't home, so the blue haired boy was free to come and go as he pleased. The blue haired boy pulled on his shoes and began to run. When he got to the train station, he became impatient, wanting to be beside Akashi as soon as possible. Both of them didn't know how to label their feelings for each other. They both denied that it was love, but the people around them were able to tell that they were hopelessly in love with each other. Everyone knew, except for them.
Kuroko easily climbed his way up to the redhead's window and then crawled into Akashi's room shivering at the cold air outside.
"Tetsuya, is that you?" A voice called out in the darkness.
"Yeah, I'm here." Kuroko mumbled as he tried his best to navigate himself to the bed.
"Where are you? I can't see you." The redhead's voice called out again.
Kuroko jumped onto the bed and nuzzled himself against Akashi, "Right here." He said before kissing the redhead innocently on the cheek. They both fell asleep in the matter of seconds, holding each other to share warmth.
They had been sneaking into each other's rooms for the past month or so. They just slept better when they were beside each other. Sure they would kiss each other too, but Kuroko and Akashi kept saying that it was like a brotherly love. They weren't fooling anyone.
The next morning, the redhead brought breakfast up to his room so that his parents wouldn't see Kuroko. Then the blue haired boy would change into his school uniform and leave through the window. They would walk to the train station together and then take trains that went in opposite directions.
In class, Akashi thought hard about the blue haired boy and wondered whether it was actually love. He turned to Aomine, who was in his class and asked,
"What does love feel like?"
The tanned boy seemed startled by the question and then asked, "Is this about Tetsu?"
Akashi gave a slight nod and then Aomine said, "I'm not really sure. I mean, it is an emotion. I guess a lot of people call it the butterflies in your stomach or your heart racing or even not being able to think properly. When you kiss, hug or sleep with Tetsu, do you ever feel like you want to be closer or you care about more than yourself?"
"Of course I care about him more than myself. But I don't understand what you mean by butterflies and heart racing. That just makes no sense." The redhead mumbled.
Aomine smiled and said, "Just think about it then. Who knows? Maybe it was fate when your cellphones got switched."
For the rest of the day, Kuroko was on Akashi's mind. The redhead stared out the window of his classroom and tried to picture the blue haired boy in front of him. Of course they had held each other and kissed many times but the redhead could only remember the kiss from the other day. Kuroko had leaned up to kiss him and Akashi had responded to the kiss. It was deeper. It was closer. It wasn't the same as all the other kisses they had exchanged before. It was more passionate, as if they were trying to tell each other something.
I love Kuroko Tetsuya and I want him to be mine. Akashi realized. He placed his hand over his chest and felt his heart beating fast.
That night when he was going to Kuroko's house, he decided to tell him.
Akashi jumped through the open window and saw the blue haired boy's small figure. The redhead slowly lay down beside Kuroko, spooning his form and nuzzling against him. Then Akashi noticed that the marks on the blue haired boy's neck which he had made were almost gone. The redhead didn't like the idea of Kuroko walking around without some sort of mark on him made by Akashi. So, Akashi leaned over and sucked on the blue haired boy's neck, leaving another mark.
"Akashi-kun, w-what are you doing?" Kuroko asked as he felt the redhead's lips, teeth and tongue over his neck.
"Marking you so people know you're mine." Akashi mumbled. The redhead wrapped his arms around Kuroko's waist and pulled him back to fit perfectly against Akashi's chest. Then the redhead whispered in his ear,
"I love you."
Kuroko shivered at the sound of the redhead's voice and felt his whole body heat up.
"Tetsuya, look at me." Akashi mumbled.
The blue haired boy hesitantly turned his head and then felt Akashi's lips over his. Kuroko responded to the kiss and let out a small noise.
"Wait, Akashi-kun, stop..."
"Why?"
"I love you, just... Not in that way." The blue haired boy mumbled, his face bright red, "I'm sorry."
The redhead stared into Kuroko's eyes, in search for any kind of intimate love, but there was none. Akashi sighed and said, "No, I'm sorry. I threw myself onto you."
Kuroko felt bad. He really did. He could tell that the redhead was disappointed and sad, but he didn't know how to describe his own feelings. He definitely loved Akashi, but he wasn't sure it was the same. Eventually Kuroko fell asleep and the redhead lightly brushed his blue hair with his fingertips.
They continued on like they always had, only Akashi felt rejected and lonely whenever he slept beside the blue haired boy. He wanted to be closer, but he was always stuck on one half of the bed. It became awkward for him. Kuroko, on the other hand, didn't feel awkward at all. He was perfectly fine with everything. He laughed the same way, he kissed Akashi the same way he always had, he didn't consider the redhead's feelings.
Then, one night, when Kuroko snuck over to the redhead's house, Akashi leaned over him,
"Tetsuya, if you stay near me so much I'll want to push you down and do something to you."
The blue haired boy blinked and said, "You won't hurt me."
"Yes, I definitely won't. But please, consider my feelings." Akashi mumbled, his face turning slightly red. It hurt pretty bad to be rejected and then to have Kuroko act as though nothing happened.
The blue haired boy's eyes widened when he noticed how he had been teasing Akashi unintentionally.
"I...I'm so sorry." Kuroko muttered as he sat up and put on his coat and shoes, "I should leave. I'm so sorry Akashi-kun. I didn't realize..."
Before the blue haired boy could climb out the window, Akashi pulled him back and desperately let out a weak "stay".
Kuroko's heart started racing. There was something about Akashi's voice that made the blue haired boy break. Kuroko denied it was love as he nodded and leaned back against the redhead. The redhead fell asleep in no time, but Kuroko stayed up. When he was sure Akashi was sleeping, he turned around to stare at his friend's face. Kuroko traced the redhead's cheek with his fingertips and then thought to himself,
Do I love you the same way you love me?
The blue haired boy wanted to figure out quickly. He wanted to stop hurting Akashi. Kuroko leaned in slowly and lightly kissed the redhead. Warmth surged through his body and when he pulled away, his face was completely red.
No, no, no! This can't be love... If we were to love each other, Akashi-kun will definitely hate me. Either that, or he'll hate my face.
Kuroko eventually fell asleep in the redhead's arms and at around 3 in the morning, Akashi woke up. The redhead felt too much movement beside him and it had shaken him from his slumber.
The redhead looked at Kuroko and noticed that the blue haired boy was having a nightmare. Kuroko held tightly onto Akashi's shirt as he whimpered,
"Seijuro."
Over and over again.
The redhead blushed at the sound of his given name and then felt a rush of memories come back to him. Akashi shook Kuroko awake and when the blue haired boy's eyes snapped open, Kuroko hugged the redhead and started crying.
The redhead knew that Kuroko didn't have his memories yet so he took careful steps on trying to get it back.
The blue haired boy pressed himself against Akashi's chest and cried.
"It's okay." The redhead muttered, "Whatever nightmare you had, it's gone now."
Kuroko eventually fell asleep again and in his head, he heard a small voice whispering, Remember me...
Years passed and Akashi still couldn't get Kuroko's memories back. The blue haired boy just couldn't remember Akashi. Everything the redhead tried didn't work. They were still friends and didn't see each other often because of university. It saddened the redhead, not being able to spend his life with his loved one but he knew one day, he would get Kuroko to remember. When Akashi finally got the blue haired boy to remember, Kuroko developed (which Akashi believed it was) an identity disorder. The blue haired boy was constantly confused as to who he was and what he was doing at his current place. His past lives merged with his own.
When Akashi went over to Kuroko's house, he heard the blue haired boy crying in his room.
The redhead leaned against Kuroko's bedroom door and heard him mumble,
"I can't kill myself or the connection will be broken. I have to stay strong for Seijuro."
Akashi walked into the room and said, "Tetsuya...I'm right here."
The blue haired boy spun around and then shook his head in disbelief, "You died... I saw you die! You were right beside me and someone shot you. You can't be real."
Akashi slowly approached the blue haired boy but Kuroko backed away and screamed, "I sang to you and watched you die in my arms! You're not alive!"
The redhead held Kuroko in place and then said, "If I'm not alive, how could you touch me right now? You can feel me, hear me, smell me, see me, taste me. Am I still not real to you?"
The blue haired boy sobbed and continued to try to get away from the redhead, "You're not real. You died. You died. You died!"
"Snap out of it, Tetsuya! Fight it. Fight for your mind. Fight for me." Akashi said as he embraced the blue haired boy tightly.
Kuroko's eyes widened as he realized where he was and who he was. The blue haired boy's body went limp in the redhead's arms and then, he entered a coma.
Akashi felt tears streaming down his face as he helplessly tried to wake the blue haired boy from his slumber.
"No... Please, don't leave me." The redhead whispered as he kissed Kuroko's lips.
Kuroko stayed in the coma for seven years. The doctors were ready to pull the plug but the redhead used more than enough money to keep the blue haired boy alive. Akashi believed. He believed the blue haired boy would wake up.
Akashi held Kuroko's hand and said, "Tetsuya, I need you. I need you beside me every day. Please, wake up..." every single day before leaving to go to work, then he would come back to sleep on the couch in the hospital room.
Akashi sat beside the blue haired boy the next morning and repeated what he said the day before. The redhead turned to leave when Kuroko slowly opened his eyes. The blue haired boy saw Akashi's back and tried to reach for his lover. He was too weak to call out his name so Kuroko helplessly reached out with his hand.
The heart rate monitor sped up as Kuroko's heart sped up from desperately wanting Akashi to turn around.
The redhead heard the beeping which had sped up and turned around to see the blue haired boy reaching out towards him. Akashi gasped and grabbed Kuroko's hand before embracing him gently.
"You're awake..." The redhead whispered.
The blue haired boy smiled and tried to say anything, "Ducky... I'm sorry for worrying you."
Akashi couldn't help but cry when he saw Kuroko's beautiful eyes and he heard that voice. The redhead laughed as his vision blurred from his tears and said, "It's alright. You're here now."
"Seijuro... I don't know what happened. It was as if I didn't even know who you were." The blue haired boy mumbled as he wrapped his arms around Akashi's neck.
The redhead shushed Kuroko and said, "We'll talk about it later. I need to call the doctor and tell him you're awake."
"No. Don't leave."
"I'm not leaving. I won't even let go of your hand." The redhead said.
The doctor checked Kuroko to make sure his systems were functioning and to make sure he was stable enough to leave. After another week in the hospital, Kuroko was free to leave.
The blue haired boy made a healthy recovery, though walking was difficult at first, and he left to get his tattoo with Akashi.
"Only 66 left..." Kuroko whispered.
"Yeah. Only 66 left..." The redhead said while tightly holding his hand.
Then Kuroko turned and asked, "What happens after 100?"
Akashi smiled sadly and whispered, "Nothing... We cease to exist."
The blue haired boy shook his head and smiled, "101. What happens after 101?"
"Tetsuya...there's no-"
"102." Kuroko interrupted, "Believe Seijuro. Believe that there's more to our love than 100 lives. What happens after 102?"
The redhead lightly kissed the blue haired boy's forehead and mumbled, "103."
They continued to count up one number every day, to believe there was more than 100 lifetimes.
The day they both passed away, they had gotten to the number 10,230.