Akashi was only ten years old when he had come into possession of a strange golden lamp. The redhead had been running around the town looking for things to do, people to tease, food to steal, anything to get his mind off of his boredom and his rumbling stomach.
The town was really just a small village and Akashi was a poor boy with no parents or home. He was completely alone and all he wanted was a friend. On his trip through the town, Akashi noticed a cart full of freshly baked bread. The redhead's stomach growled and his mouth salivated at the thought of having warm bread to eat. Akashi followed the cart. He didn't want to follow too obviously since there were guards around town all the time, so he usually took to jumping from one roof to the other.
When the time was right and it seemed nobody was looking, Akashi snatched two loaves of bread and ran for his life. Unfortunately, a guard had most definitely noticed and he chased the small child. The redhead sprinted through the village but the guard caught up to him and yelled at him,
"Who do you think you are? Stealing bread from an honest man who works hard is not good, you could be sent to jail, you brat!"
Akashi struggled to get out of the guard's grasp but that only made the guard squeeze his arm harder. The redhead winced and mumbled an apology while sadly returning the loaves to the guard. The guard then threw the child onto the road and walked away. Akashi sighed, he figured it was too good to be true. After a while, the redhead got up, dusted his clothes, and started walking aimlessly in hopes to actually find something worth his time.
The entire day passed and he had managed to get several coins, enough to buy clean water, and someone had been generous enough to give him a half loaf of stale bread. Akashi smiled to himself as he ate his bread. It wasn't as amazing as the bread he could've had in the morning, but it kept him full and it kept him living.
In the evening, more interesting merchants lined the streets with their exotic goods. Spices, fabrics, dyes, and coffee filled the streets and Akashi was there to see citizens bargain for the special merchandise. In a small, quiet corner of the village, the redhead noticed a young, beautiful lady with her rusty cart that had nothing worth any value. At least, that's what it looked like to Akashi. But something inexplicable drew him to the cart and to that mysterious lady.
"Hello, my name is Momoi Satsuki! Would you like to bargain for anything that I have to offer?" The lady said with a mischievous smile.
"I...don't have anything to offer." The redhead shyly mumbled as he approached the cart. Momoi simply laughed and shook her head,
"That's nonsense, everyone has something to offer. Come take a look!"
The cart was littered with all sorts of things. There were some scrolls and books, a few bottles with what seemed to be magical potions in them, interesting fabrics with strange patterns, and a dusty lamp. Akashi hummed to himself as he ran his fingers over the objects. The redhead's hand touched the lamp and he felt warmth spread through his body. Akashi grabbed the handle and picked it up. Momoi smile widened,
"Ah that lamp. I came across it recently actually. A nasty looking wizard gave it to me and told me to get rid of it. So for you, young man, I will give it to you for free."
The redhead thought about it and then decided why not. Akashi smiled as he took the lamp to his little hideout that he called home. It was near the chimneys of some of the taverns since the stones would get warm enough to keep him alive during the hard winters. The redhead curled up underneath a rag which he used as a blanket and stared at his new prized possession.
I wonder what I should do with this lamp. Akashi thought hard to himself and then he decided to simply talk to it, he never got to talk to anyone anyway.
"The stars look so beautiful tonight. They're like twinkling flashes of light that never fade away. There's not a single cloud in the sky and the breeze feels so good. The moon is only a half moon but it's still wonderfully brightening the night life. It's breathtaking."
Akashi talked about the weather and about everything he could feel, see, hear, smell, and touch. He kept talking and talking until he fell asleep.
The redhead did this every day for years. Simply talking to an inanimate object was enough to satisfy his loneliness. Akashi was now eighteen years old and he was still roaming the streets, though now he has learned to be a cunning conman. The redhead would even get hired occasionally to use his charm and distract certain ladies.
But at the end of the day, when Akashi returned to his small area between the chimneys, he talked and talked to that lamp.
"I'm so sick of this life. There's no point in me living anymore. I'm eighteen and I see no future for myself. Why should I keep doing this? Why should I keep fighting for my life if there wasn't one to begin with?" The redhead rambled on, feeling hopeless.
"I'm talking to you as if you're going to do something about my life. You're a damn lamp! Why am I talking to a lamp?!" Akashi yelled and he threw the lamp onto the streets below. The redhead sat down with his head in his hands and sighed. There was absolutely nothing to live for, yet he wanted to keep living.
He got up and climbed down to retrieve the lamp which he cared for so preciously. Akashi stared at his own reflection in the lamp, his young face looked tired and nothing like an eighteen year old. His hair was sticking out in many places though he tried to keep it under control. His face was covered in dust and dirt from roaming the streets, yet he always managed to clean up to look "good enough" to con people. The redhead lightly rubbed the mud and grime off of the lamp and suddenly the lamp shook.
It shook violently as if it were trying to run away from the redhead, and in shock, Akashi dropped it onto the ground. The lid of the lamp popped off with a small noise. Gold sand flew out of the lamp and into the air around Akashi, completely surrounding him in warmth.
The redhead yelped and tried to brush the sand off of himself, but it stuck to him like glue. It felt like a sincere hug and eventually Akashi embraced the warmth which he was always lacking. When the gold sand subsided, a small blue haired boy stood in its place, his arms wrapped tightly around Akashi.
The boy pulled away and smiled sweetly. He then said words which tore Akashi apart, "I've always been here for you, Seijuro."
"Who…? Who are you?" The redhead asked, though he was completely enamored by the beautiful boy in front of him, he also wanted some answers to help him understand what in the world was going on.
"My name's Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm here to grant you 3 wishes. You rubbed the lamp, woke me up, and bam, 3 wishes!"
Akashi stood still, a little stunned, he had heard of the existence of mythical creatures before but never believed in them since no one had ever seen one. He always just thought the stories were...well, simply stories.
"You're...a genie." The redhead said carefully and watched as the genie in front of him nodded with enthusiasm.
Akashi looked at the boy up and down, trying to take in everything. Kuroko was wearing light green pants embroidered with gold and a blue robe which covered his shoulders and torso. His blue hair looked soft to the touch and almost seemed like it was covered in glitter. He also wore a small hairpin that made him look like a little girl and around his neck was a necklace with a bell which almost looked like a collar.
"So...how does this work?" Akashi asked, not entirely sure how to make conversation with the boy in front of him.
Kuroko smiled sweetly, "You have 3 wishes which are used when you start the statement with 'I wish', it can't be 'I want' or 'I need', it has to be 'I wish'. I can't make someone fall in love with you, I can't kill anyone, I can't bring anyone back from the dead, oh and I can't give you three more wishes."
The redhead felt a sudden burst of happiness fill him as he realized that he had so much hope now. He can rebuild his entire life with this power. Akashi looked to be in deep thought so the blue haired boy decided to speak up again,
"You can think about it if you'd like. Afterall, you only get three. Another thing though, do not lose my lamp. I follow the orders of whoever holds that lamp. I'm bound to that lamp so I can't stray from it."
The redhead nodded and held the lamp close to his chest. The atmosphere suddenly felt quite awkward since there was nothing to really talk about. Akashi had never had someone to converse with so he wasn't sure how to make conversation.
"Uh, how old are you? I'm eighteen." The redhead said, trying to make small talk.
Kuroko thought for a minute and then said, "Hmm, well I was 28 when I was human. But now I should be turning around 300, 400, 500, 800? I stopped counting after 200 to be honest, it just took too long."
"You were human?"
The blue haired boy's eyes flickered with an emotion Akashi couldn't fully describe. It seemed to resemble sadness or bitterness, "That's a story for another time…"
"Ah, I'm sorry," Akashi said, "I didn't mean to intrude."
Just as quickly as it had left, Kuroko's smile was back and he laughed, "No, no, it's just a long and sad story. I'll tell you some time. For now, you should get some rest, it's pretty late."
The redhead climbed back to his little area between the chimneys and had the most peaceful sleep of his life, knowing that he had something to hope for in the future. Akashi clutched the lamp like a baby would a bottle and let the night pass quietly.
The next morning, the redhead bolted awake and made sure he was still grabbing the lamp. The sun was already up and he could hear the people of the town bustling below on the streets. He looked around and saw no sign of Kuroko so he gently rubbed the lamp to wake the genie.
Kuroko appeared with a gust of sand and yawned, "Good morning, Akashi-kun. Did you sleep well? Are we going to cast some wishes today?"
Akashi smiled at the genie. There was something about him that filled the redhead with so much warmth and love that he couldn't even explain it. The redhead nodded, "I slept well, thank you. I'm trying to think of a good wish to get my life sorted out but there's just a lot of things that I may want now that I won't need in the future."
"Smart boy. Use your wishes wisely. Most people who used me did not end up with the best lives."
The redhead went about his day normally, though he did have Kuroko floating around him all the time. It didn't seem like other people were able to see him so the blue haired boy spent the day observing and looking at how much the world has changed.
When Akashi took a break from conning people, he walked into the nearby forest to look for some fruit he could eat. He was trying to save money so buying food was not on the to-do list. He only bought food usually during the winter when absolutely necessary.
The redhead tossed an apple at Kuroko and they sat together to eat. The genie didn't really need food for survival but he was always happy to accept whatever was given to him.
"I wish…"
Kuroko's ears pricked up at the sound of those two words and he dropped everything to stare at Akashi and listen to his next words. The redhead shook his head, "Nevermind, I thought I had something but I don't think it's good."
"I can help you start with a list," The blue haired boy laughed, "maybe you can narrow it down to three things."
"No, it's not that. I just want to wish for stuff that will better my surroundings so maybe I can do better in the future. I feel like if I just wish for personal gain, it's going to end up hitting me in the face later on." Akashi explained.
"To better your surroundings?" Kuroko asked, not entirely sure what the redhead meant by that.
"Yeah, like wanting personal materialistic things won't last me that long. But if I were to want the entire kingdom to change, then maybe I'll have more opportunities. What do people normally wish for?"
Kuroko thought about it, there were so many wishes but he could barely remember any of them, "Most people wish for the obvious: money. But I can't grant infinite amounts of anything, so they usually wish for some sort of title like wanting to become a prince, wanting to become king, wanting to become someone in power so they get the fame, fortune, and control. Actually, the reason why this town has a messed up kingdom is because of me. A young boy wished to be king and so he ruled a corrupted society and here we are now. Some of the more kind hearted people wish for health...but there's always some sort of greed in humans which makes them try to aim for immortality; which I also can't grant, by the way, I forgot to mention that yesterday. I once had someone wish for a dog because she wanted a friend. There's just a whole variety of wishes."
"I see…" The redhead muttered to himself, "Ok, Kuroko-san, I'm ready to make my first wish."
"You can just call me Tetsuya. Wish away and I shall grant."
Akashi took a deep breath, "I wish for a world that is filled with less hatred and more peace and love."
Kuroko's heart warmed at the pure wish and he explained, "That is a very vague wish and might not even affect you, are you sure that is what you want?"
When the redhead nodded, the blue haired boy gave a small wave of his hand and snapped. Nothing seemed to change, as expected, but Akashi felt a lot better knowing that the world had a better mindset. He didn't want to get rid of hatred, after all, there needed to be balance, but a little less hatred didn't hurt anyone.
After Akashi's break, he returned to the village to beg others for money. The villagers were not significantly nicer but they were definitely more generous and some even gave him encouraging words. The redhead smiled at how his wish had affected those who lived in the village. Overall, everyone seemed happier. The baker looked happy while selling bread, the knights who guarded the village didn't mug other people as much, the villagers actually worked together and talked with each other.
The redhead walked to his little area by the chimneys with a smile on his face that evening. He felt as if even though he was homeless and a beggar, he had actually enjoyed the day. Kuroko sat down beside Akashi and asked,
"Do you enjoy your first wish?"
The redhead nodded, "Very much so. Thank you."
"Hey…" Kuroko started, "Do you think you can set me free? You seem like a good person which is why I'm asking you but you can say no if you want because it is selfish of me to ask you to use one of your wishes on me."
"Whoa there, slow down. What do you mean set you free, Tetsuya?" Akashi asked.
The genie fiddled with his robe, "I...well...It's kind of a long story. When I was alive, I was an arrogant and selfish human. At 28 years old, I had already robbed so many people and so many kingdoms. Until this one day, I was captured by a king in a far land and he had heard of my...activities. Instead of executing me, he ordered me to go on a quest to steal something from the Gods and only then would he allow me to go free. So I travelled since my life depended on it. When I stole this lamp from the Gods, which granted every wish to whoever rubbed it, I was caught and they were furious. As punishment, the Gods banished me to the lamp and they turned me into a genie. I am forever bound to this lamp unless a human wishes me to be free. I am being punished for my mistakes but I do wish to be free and to change my ways."
Akashi listened closely, trying hard to follow the genie's story. After a brief moment the redhead nodded, "Ok, sounds like a plan. So I make one more wish and then I wish you free. Simple enough, I'd be happy to set you free."
Kuroko's eyes brightened and they sparkled like the stars. Akashi felt his cheeks heat up at the sight before him and he quickly averted his eyes.
"Will you really do that for me? Thank you so much, Seijuro!" The blue haired boy jumped in and hugged the redhead tightly. Akashi was stunned, it was the first time someone had ever held him. The redhead wrapped his arms around Kuroko and hugged him tightly, embracing the warmth.
When they both pulled away, they both stared into each other's eyes as if expecting something more. The redhead drew in a breath and let go of the blue haired boy, "I...uh, we should go to sleep. Long day ahead of us tomorrow."
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" The genie asked while leaning towards Akashi.
The redhead smiled, "We're going to the sea. I want to see the water."
"The sea?" Kuroko giggled gleefully, "I've always wanted to visit the sea!"
Akashi chuckled and ruffled the genie's hair. So soft...so cute… The redhead thought to himself before turning to wrap himself in his blanket. The blue haired boy watched as the redhead fell asleep and he leaned against Akashi instead of going into his lamp.
Kuroko admired the redhead's features. He really was a handsome boy. The blue haired boy reached out and lightly touched Akashi's cheek.
"You can never be with him." A voice called out behind him.
The genie spun around and frowned, "Didn't know you were still alive, Aomine-kun."
"Yes well...Satsuki keeps me around." Aomine walked out of the shadows, a trail of black following him "I mean, I am a creature that brings bad luck but she doesn't seem to mind that much. But enough about me, let's talk about your...predicament. We've seen this happen so many times, Tetsu. Humans who say they'll set you free but they get greedy and selfish and they only make wishes for themselves."
"Seijuro's different." Kuroko protested.
"Is he really though? I know you have a lot of hope, but I don't want to see you get hurt, Tetsu." Aomine said while gently approaching.
The blue haired boy stood up abruptly and flinched away, "Stay away from me, Aomine-kun. You only bring bad things."
The tanned man stopped in his tracks, feeling hurt by Kuroko's words. He took a breath to calm down and said, "I may bring bad luck, but I hope you know that I'm only trying to warn you. Us creatures need to look out for each other. Those who were banished by the Gods lead a hard life."
Kuroko sighed, "I'm sorry, Aomine-kun, I didn't mean to say that. I know you're trying to warn me, but sometimes it's good to have faith in others, that's something that you should learn as well. Have faith in yourself."
Aomine looked at Akashi and then turned to leave, "If he betrays your trust, I will be haunting him for the rest of his life, I hope you know that."
Kuroko watched until Aomine was out of sight and muttered to himself, "I know, but Seijuro's not like that."
When morning came, Kuroko was practically shaking with anticipation. The blue haired boy waited patiently for the other to wake up and watched those golden eyes flutter open, still hazy with sleep.
Akashi yelped when he saw Kuroko's face less than an inch away from him, "Tetsuya! Ah- you're awake?"
The genie tilted his head to the side, "Actually, I don't sleep."
"Oh, that's...good to know," Akashi said slowly before smiling to himself. How long has he been watching me? Is he really that excited to see the sea?
The redhead got up and stretched before packing a bag for their day trip. Unfortunately, getting to the sea was a whole other issue. It was difficult for Akashi to leave the town as the gates were constantly crowded with royal guards. Leaving wasn't the problem, it was getting back in.
When Akashi got to the sea, he sat on the beach with his toes sifting through the warm sand and watched as Kuroko stood out in the cold water in silence. The blue haired boy didn't move, he simply let the waves wash over his feet and stared out into the vast water. Hours passed and the sun began to set, the temperature dropping quickly and the waves becoming more harsh as the wind blew.
The redhead silently approached the genie and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. Akashi glanced over at Kuroko and noticed tears streaming down his cheeks.
"One day, I'm going out there." Kuroko muttered, "I'm going out there and I'm never coming back."
"Tetsuya... I want to make a wish." Akashi whispered, "I wish for us to continue to spend time together like this, together."
The blue haired boy turned to face him, tears still filling his eyes. He chuckled lightly, "That's a really stupid wish, Akashi-kun. Consider it done."
"Let's head back, Tetsuya."
Kuroko nodded, wiping away the tears and turning back to the shore. The walk back was silent, neither of them knew what to say but in a way, the silence was comforting. Akashi constantly stole glances as Kuroko walked beside him. The genie didn't even have to walk but the redhead assumed it was a choice Kuroko made to feel more human. The air had become colder after the sun had set causing Akashi to shiver slightly.
As they walked, the redhead felt his own hand brush lightly against the other's. Although it wasn't on purpose the first time, Akashi built up the confidence to deliberately brush his fingers against Kuroko's hand as they walked. The redhead noticed the genie was smiling and that was enough for Akashi to grasp Kuroko's smaller hand in his own.
Warmth traveled through their bodies all from a single touch and the blue haired boy felt a dull sensation at the back of his head. As they approached the town gates, they noticed the heavy metal gate was down and the guards were alert as ever for intruders.
Akashi let go of Kuroko's hand and tensed up, knowing that it was likely that they were not getting back into town tonight. Despite the guards not actually being able to see Kuroko, the genie hid behind the redhead.
"I am a citizen of this town, please let me enter." Akashi stated.
"Do you have proof of citizenship?" One of the guards questioned. The redhead bit his lip, they never asked for citizenship before.
"Ah, I just spent the day at the sea. I must have forgotten my citizenship, but please my mother is in town and she needs me."
The guards laughed, "That's not going to work. We know who you are, beggar. It's past curfew, you have no family. You will not be permitted entrance to town."
Another guard approached the redhead and grabbed him by the arm, "I've heard of you, beggar. You're the one who cons people and steals. We have orders to take you in or maybe you'd like an immediate execution for your crimes."
Wow, I knew this wouldn't be good but I didn't expect to be taken in… Akashi attempted to yank his arm away but the guards held tight. The redhead began to panic as he struggled to get away, but the more he struggled, the more guards appeared to hold him down.
Kuroko didn't know what to do, he couldn't physically touch anyone else and he definitely couldn't interfere with human activity unless through a wish. The blue haired boy called out to Akashi, "Make a wish!"
Akashi feared that this was the end for him. The guards approached with a gag and the redhead could only scream, "I wish for you to be free!"
The lamp that once held the genie shattered and the invisible shackles keeping Kuroko tied down burst out into a faint light, relieving him of the weight he felt for years. The guards took the redhead away leaving Kuroko alone hidden behind the trees.
When the light faded, the blue haired boy no longer felt the magic coursing through his veins. At the same time, his memories returned to him like a strong gust of wind knocking him to his knees. Kuroko gasped, "Seijuro, you idiot! You could have wished yourself out."
The blue haired boy got up and looked to the town, there was no way he could sneak in but he knew someone who could help. Kuroko walked around the edge of town and found a familiar rusty cart with a certain pink haired witch.
"Momoi-san."
The woman looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, "Tetsu-kun? Is that really you?"
Kuroko nodded and laughed softly, "Momoi-san, I need your help. Please. It's Seijuro, I just- I need to help him."
"Tetsu-kun, I'm not one to meddle in human affairs." Momoi pursed her lips and let out a deep sigh, "Alright, just this once but only because it's you and you've suffered for so long. What do you need?"
"I just need enough power or influence to get him out of prison. That's all I need."
The witch smiled, "Simple, it shall be done. Consider yourself a nobleman of the neighbouring kingdom and go save him."
Akashi hung from his chained wrists in a dark underground prison. The guards were relentless in taking turns having their fun with the redhead. They took turns beating and whipping the boy merely for their own entertainment and left him to bleed. Akashi's shirt was torn, revealing a body covered with scars that were accumulated throughout his youth.
Ah, I hope Tetsuya is safe, I just want him to be happy. The redhead thought to himself, Although ideally I wish I could have been happy with him.
Akashi winced, his vision blurred slightly. I must've taken a blow to the head at some point, I can't see straight.
When Akashi's sight returned to normal, his memories flooded his head. The redhead winced in pain but calmed himself by taking deep breaths as he recalled his past lives. A fire burned in his chest with the desire to reconnect with Kuroko, he just didn't know how to get out of this mess.
The redhead didn't know how much time passed but eventually a guard came for him, "You've been requested at court by a nobleman."
Not having the strength to walk, Akashi was dragged by his chains down the dark, damp hallways of the dungeon. The redhead's eyes squinted as they adjusted to the light of the court. Akashi was chained to the center of the court as noblemen surrounded him.
Kuroko stood confidently at the side of the court and gave Akashi a small smile. The judge's voice bellowed through the large room,
"State your reason for pardon of this prisoner."
"Yes sir. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, I am a nobleman of the neighboring kingdom. This man is my apprentice and it seems he has gotten mixed up with some trouble. He is not a beggar nor a man of crime, allow me to take him back to his homeland."
"Lies!" A guard yelled, "That boy is a beggar! He's always in town conning other people and stealing food."
Kuroko frowned, "I will pay for any damages and offenses that he has committed, however, this does not change the fact that he is a citizen of the neighboring kingdom. I have papers of his citizenship. I believe our kingdoms are at a state of peace; keeping prisoners of our kingdom is not greatly tolerated."
The judge silenced the crowd and faced the blue haired boy, "May I see those papers, if he truly is a citizen of the neighboring kingdom then we shall apologize for this ordeal."
Kuroko handed the papers to the judge and politely waited as he read them. The judge questioned Akashi briefly to verify the information on the papers and then ordered for his release.
The guards begrudgingly released Akashi of his chains and watched him walk free with the blue haired boy. Kuroko lightly grabbed the redhead's hand and they ran as far as they could away from the kingdom.
"Tetsuya, you're amazing. I don't know how you did it but you will never cease to amaze me."
Kuroko lightly planted a kiss on Akashi's forehead as he observed the redhead's wounds. "I had a little help. But let's forget about that, Seijuro."
The redhead smiled and nodded. They traveled into a distant forest not far from the sea, scarred their backs with the 52nd tally marks, and built a lodge together. They lived peacefully until Akashi passed away, followed by Kuroko a couple of months later.