A/N: Ah, finally, some semblance of a plot, haha. Enjoy!

For those who are Haikyu fans as well, I just published a two-shot Kuroko no Baske/Haikyu crossover fluff piece that you might want to check out in my account! In case you need a palette cleanser from all the angst so far.

CHAPTER 6

"What do you make of this?

Under the bright light of that rare sunny day, the alley popped out like a grueling Jackson Pollock painting. There was a particularly mean splotch of dried blood on the wall at eye level, with bits of blue hair still stuck on the surface. Akashi felt sick looking at it, but when he averted his eyes to the ground beneath, he found large circle of brownish-red, the edges cut and smeared at various points to break off into several bloody footprints that overlapped and merged on the ground. Akashi didn't even need the detective to share their narrative. To Akashi, it was perfectly clear what had happened.

Akashi stepped over to where Midorima stood. They were already several meters away from the scene of the crime, well past the perimeter that the police had established. When their own investigation turned up with nothing immediately useful, Midorima suggested that they broaden their search to several more blocks beyond the scene. Akashi quickly agreed, feeling immensely grateful for any opportunity to step away from the hellscape they'd entered.

"That looks like a wad of gum wrapped in paper," Akashi commented dryly, initially unimpressed. He'd started to grow weary of this exercise, and the disappointment from not finding anything useful at the scene of the crime began to weigh on him. Nevertheless, he crouched down to get a better look, at the very least to humor his friend, and noticed something off about that specific wad of gum.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Midorima tapped his foot, growing impatient.

"Don't forget who you're talking to," Akashi replied coolly, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at corner of his lips. His mismatched eyes sparked with renewed hope as a tide of optimism began to rise inside Akashi, against his own expectations.

He took out a pair of gloves that the detective had given them, slipping them over his hands smoothly before crouching down again. He found a gap in the thick bushel of plants that housed that inconspicuous item, and pushed a hand through to retrieve it. He remained crouched down as he inspected the crumpled item on his palm, while Midorima loomed behind him. At first glance, the promising new evidence appeared to be part of one's everyday litter along the street. But as Akashi turned it over, he found what Midorima had spotted earlier, with that incredibly sharp eyesight of his - the unmistakable smear of dried blood.

He straightened, and Midorima stepped in closer, watching him unpacked the paper carefully. The feat was more challenging than he expected since the paper was stubbornly sticking to the gum's surface. "Perhaps we should leave this evidence in the hands of someone more experienced," Midorima cautioned, but Akashi ignored the disapproving look on his friend's face and continued his efforts. Finally, after much pulling and prodding, the paper began to give away with little damage. Akashi smirked, throwing a side glance at Midorima's direction. "You were saying?"

"Just hurry up," the green-haired boy grunted, clearly annoyed. Akashi basked in the other boy's displeasure for a moment before continuing his task. Now that the gum was exposed, he could clearly see that the outer part of the gum it was heavily matted with grime. The inner part, on the other hand, was still moist, and further smeared with bright red, though the red was printed like a pattern, suspiciously reminiscent of the sole of a shoe.

From that alone, Akashi already entertained several possibilities. First, it was obvious that whoever discarded this gum had been in Kuroko's immediate vicinity shortly after he'd been stabbed, given how fresh the blood was. Further analysis of the accompanying grime would've proved his hypothesis. Second, the person had stepped on the gum after his shoe had been soiled by the blood. That would explain why it left a bloody imprint on the gum's surface and not just a random smear. Third, the pattern didn't fit any known sports shoe treads. Even with such a small sample, Akashi could already tell - The person who left this was wearing leather shoes, the cheap kind that many Japanese businessmen wore.

Next, there was the paper. Akashi carefully flipped it over, and inspected its surface. The boy frowned. He immediately recognized it. It was a receipt for a betting slip - one he saw often during the big pro-sports tournaments. Betting on non-pro events like the Winter Cup was already declared illegal by the National Sports Commission. Still, that never stopped anyone before, as long as money was involved.

But what's even more disturbing was the bet written on it.

A troubling hypothesis began to take form in Akashi's mind.

"I see you've reached the same conclusion," Midorima interjected, looking grim.

Akashi straightened and carefully placed the two items into the evidence bag he carried. "It's too early to jump to conclusions," he stated, as the two of them wrapped up their search beyond the perimeter and returned to the crime scene. "I'll look into it and update you."

After handing over the evidence to the detective, the two crossed the road, and Akashi began to walk towards his car. "I can give you a ride back home," he offered, but Midorima shook his head, looking deep in thought.

"I have other errands to run," he replied, and turned to walk away. But after several steps, he paused, and looked back at Akashi, a surprisingly concerned look on his face. "Don't do anything reckless, Akashi." With that final warning, Midorima took his leave, and Akashi watched him in silence until the taller boy turned at a corner and disappeared from his view.

Inside his car, Akashi leaned his head against the window, feeling exceptionally worn-out. It had been no less of a Herculean task to maintain a professional demeanor in the face of such horror. He could only imagine what Kagami and the rest of Seirin suffered through, when the blood was still fresh, when Kuroko was right there in front of them… Akashi grimaced, brushing the foul image away as he refocused his attention back to the words on the betting slip receipt: Rakuzan to beat Seirin. Odds: 5/1. Amount bet: 1,000,000 yen.

The receipt didn't have a credit card number, so it must have been paid for in cash. Akashi contemplated on that fact - for someone to bet a million yen in cash on a high school game, they would have to be either very wealthy and careless with their money or they must have been very, very desperate. Given the other details they've uncovered that morning, Akashi leaned towards the latter.

Akashi's jaw tightened. The mere thought of Kuroko being hurt over something as mundane as money left a nasty taste in his mouth, and Akashi's eyes narrowed in quiet fury.

Once he found out who did this, money would be the least of that person's worries.

"You must be Kagami-kun. I am Kuroko Sousuke, Tetsuya's father."

"I-It's an honor to meet you sir!" Kagami stammered, bowing as low as he could, in an uncharacteristic show of decorum. An unwelcome heat rose to his cheeks, and he inwardly cursed himself for waking up too early that Sunday morning. But his sleep had been wracked with nightmares all night long, and when he woke, he felt no desire to stay in his dark and lonely apartment for one second longer.

There was also the fear of missing his appointed visiting time. His body felt like lead that entire Saturday, with muscles cramping all over. He could barely make it to his own bathroom, so, in a moment of weakness, he found himself wondering if could actually make it to the hospital the next day. However, this moment was short-lived as Hyuuga's strongly worded reply to his question "what if I'm late" was enough of a deterrent to any kind of tardiness. His surprisingly large cache of threats and cuss words riled up most of the dormant, primal fear inside Kagami and he manage to muster enough strength to get out his bed, thrown on warm clothes, and trudge out of his apartment just at the break of dawn.

However, Hyuuga's motivation worked too well, and now Kagami was bowing in front of his best friend's dad at 6 in the morning on a Sunday.

"Now, now, there's no need for such strict formalities," Kuroko's dad assured him. Kagami jerked back up, encouraged by the kindness in thhe man's voice. As he relaxed his postured and faced the man solidly for the first time, Kagami noticed details he'd initially missed in his earlier panic.

In Kagami's honest opinion, the man looked nothing like Kuroko save for his eyes - those distinct, blue eyes that were as till and unreadable as a pool of unknown depth reflecting a clear summer sky. It took a while to get used those eyes, and there were still days that Kagami would feel uncomfortable, being at the receiving end of such an inscrutable gaze. It fascinated and frightened him at the same time.

"Would you like to sit with me over there?" Sousuke offered politely, gesturing at an empty bench near the hospital entrance. Kagami looked over to where he was pointing, and found a vacant bench sandwiched between two large potted plants, almost obscuring it from view. The foot traffic was considerably less at that area as well, which offered some semblance of privacy. Not that there were a lot of people around at that time anyway. "We've still got a lot of time left before visiting hours begin, and I'd like to talk to you before you see Tetsuya."

"Oh, um, sure," Kagami replied, not really knowing what else to say. And he didn't have anything better to do anyway, so he followed Kuroko's father dutifully towards the bench and took up the space beside him.

Since they were so close to the door, the chilly winter morning air would come and invade their little alcove whenever someone entered or left the hospital premises. Kagami decided to keep his jacket on, and hunched his shoulders to protect the exposed parts of his neck from the biting cold. He should've worn something warmer. Sousuke, on the other hand, sat beside him, hunched forward, with elbows resting on his knees as he leaned his chin on his hands, fingers interlocked. He was as still as a statue, with eyes staring ahead but focused at nothing in particular.

Kagami fidgeted in his seat and wrung his hands nervously, not really knowing what to do or say. He had been looking forward to meeting Kuroko's parents ever since Kuroko first mentioned them, but now that they were here, Kagami was at a loss. And it didn't help that Kuroko Sousuke had a very similar presence to his son - unimposing and light, like a whisper in the crowd that you might miss if you didn't pay close attention. It made Kagami even more anxious, and he threw an uncertain glance to his side, half expecting Sousuke to have vanished without warning.

But the older man was still there. From that angle and their close proximity, Kagami noticed things he didn't see before - the worry lines that creased the man's forehead, dark rings of fatigue circling his eyes that were already heavy-lidded and weary, and a familiar red puffiness surrounded them. Kagami's father looked so tired, and so so sad.

Finally, after what felt like hours of awkward silence, Sousuke spoke.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun."

Kagami stared, jaw slackening. He didn't expect that. "Um, for what? Er, sir?" Kagami quickly corrected, remembering his manners.

"Your coach, Riko-san, informed me that you were one of the first at the scene," He started, voice low and soft, barely a whisper. "And the doctor also told us that if you hadn't applied pressure on the wound the way you did, my son wouldn't be alive." Sousuke turned his head, and Kagami found himself back under the man's inscrutable gaze. But this time they beheld a strange glow, one filled with relief, fear, and an overwhelming gratitude. "You saved Tetsuya's life."

Upon hearing that statement, Kagami recoiled from the man, as if burned.

"That's not true!" Kagami snapped, nearly shouting. Enough, he thought, glaring at Sousuke with rage and disbelief. He'd had enough of hearing that. It was a lie. Kagami was no hero. Why can't they understand that? It wasn't heroic for someone to put out a fire they started. It wasn't heroic to correct one's own mistake. Kagami "saving" Kuroko's life wasn't heroic at all. It was Kagami's desperate effort to correct the worst mistake of his life. If only he'd paid more attention that night. If only he kept Kuroko by his side. If only. If only. If only.

The sound of someone clearing his throat brought Kagami back to his senses and he slowly took in the startled look on Sousuke's face. Realizing too late what he had done, Kagami let out a small gasp of shock before hands quickly clamped over his mouth, a vain attempt to prevent him from saying anything that would make things worse.

Then Sousuke's expression shifted, and he looked over at Kagami with a soft look of sympathy in those sad blue eyes.

"I am truly sorry that you feel that way, Kagami-kun," Sousuke replied, and he reached out to place a hand on Kagami's shoulder, his touch light, not pressing, not insisting, just making itself known. Kagami relaxed into almost instantly, the anger and hurt from his previous outburst immediately evaporating. "But you didn't do anything wrong." His voice was soft but with a tone of conviction that added an unmistakable second meaning to his words: You didn't do anything wrong, and I'll never believe otherwise.

How annoying, the small, petty part of Kagami thought. He wanted to look away in shame for his failure, he wanted to apologize over and over to this man, to the father of his best friend, for failing to protect Kuroko, to save him as he had always saved Kagami in the court and in life. He wanted to do all those things, but this guy was having none of it. That inconsiderate stubbornness of his was just too familiar, too infuriating.

"You are exactly as Tetsuya had described," Sousuke continued. "Truly the kindest, most generous person he knew. No wonder Tetsuya calls you his 'light'."

"Wha- bu- he- tha-" a flurry of incomprehensible sounds stuttered out of Kagami's mouth while the unwelcome heat rose back to his cheeks and extending to the rest of his face. Sousuke, on the other hand, just blinked at him serenely, even looking genuinely surprised at Kagami's distress, as if he'd been talking about something as mundane and obvious as the weather. This guy, Kagami inwardly groaned, both hands going up to claw at his own face in frustration. There it was, that same ridiculous honesty that proclaimed the most embarrassing things freely, without considering how the other person might feel or react… it was like Kuroko was seated right beside him again.

The thought made his heart clench.

"We don't blame any of you for what happened, Kagami-kun," Sousuke reiterated firmly, his expression saying that this was final, and no counter-argument would be tolerated. "So stop beating yourself up over what-ifs and theoretical scenarios. Though there is a person clearly responsible for this, we should think of it apart from being a conscious act. Only one party knew what was going to happen, Kagami-kun. For us who were left in the dark, this was akin to an earthquake or hurricane or some other natural disaster that was out of our control. And we do as we always do in the wake of such calamities - we try to mitigate the damage in the aftermath and move on. You could not have stopped it. You must not take that burden on yourself."

For such a modest looking man, Sousuke spoke with surprising authority, and regardless of Kagami's own doubts, when Kuroko Sousuke spoke that way, Kagami quickly lost the will to protest.

"I could easily fall into the same train of thought, you know," the man continued, finally releasing Kagami from his gaze and letting his hand drop from Kagami's shoulder as he stared back out into space. "My wife initially wanted to come back to Tokyo earlier than planned and pick up Tetsuya after the game. She wanted to surprise him with a celebratory dinner. But I told her to let him celebrate with his team."

Kagami noticed that Sousuke's back was hunched deeper than before with shoulders up and tense, as if he was retreating into himself, like a turtle trying to go back into his shell. "He had even called me to ask for permission to stay out later than usual, and I gave it to him."

Sousuke's eyes changed, losing their earlier vitality. The clear blue color became murky and unsettled, as if beset by a storm. But what truly bothered Kagami was how familiar those eyes were. He'd seen them before, back in the hospital bathroom a night ago. He'd seen them again in his own home, when he stood over his sink at 2 am in the morning, after waking up from his latest nightmare.

Guilt.

A gnawing, ever-present, all-encompassing guilt that weighed him down like an anchor at open sea, pulling him deeper and deeper into the depths, while his lungs screamed for air, and his joints groaned against the increasing pressure.

Kagami heard Sousuke's words before the other man could say it, precisely because he'd been telling himself the same thing, over and over again, since the moment his eyes fell upon the broken body of his best friend.

"So this is my fault."

Before he could think about his actions, Kagami had jumped up and grabbed Sousuke by the collar, forcing him to look Kagami in the face. "Stop it!" He growled, low and fierce, feeling the anger flare inside him once more. "Stop saying that! There's no way you could have known back then! You weren't there, you couldn't have stopped it! So snap out of it old man, because it's so obviously not your fault." Kagami found it unacceptable. It was unacceptable for Sousuke to feel the same guilt he did. It was unacceptable for this man to blame himself for a series of coincidences he couldn't possibly control. It was unacceptable for him to beat himself up for the near-murder of his only child. It was an unacceptable. Completely, undeniably, unacceptable.

Gentle hands wrapped around his, and Kagami's hold on Sousuke's collar loosened, too surprised by the look on the man's face.

He was smiling.

But it wasn't a smile of joy. There was no mirth or semblance of happiness in it. It was a smile he had seen only a few times in his life, the smile his father had worn after Kagami sprained his ankle from riding his skateboard over uneven ground despite being warned. It was the smile his father had when he patiently explained to Kagami why his mom had left both of them for good. It was the smile a parent gave to a child who had to learn an important lesson the hard way.

Kagami let Sousuke go, but Sousuke caught Kagami's hands and gave them a light squeeze. "It's unacceptable for you to blame yourself too."

The boy fell back onto his seat, feeling utterly defeated. He got me good, Kagami realized, and a rueful smile spread over his face. There was no way he'd be able to defend his own guilt now, not after all that fuss he made. That'll just be embarrassing for the two of them.

"You truly are a remarkably kind young man," Sousuke added, and this time, the smile on his face was real. "Thank you for that, Kagami-kun. My son is lucky to have you for a friend."

Kagami couldn't help but feel flustered again, and rubbed the back of his neck to distract himself. Suddenly, a loud rumble escaped from his stomach. Kagami paled.

Sousuke's smile turned into a concerned frown. "Have you eaten before coming here?"

"Oh! Um, I-" but just before he could lie, another embarrassing rumble escaped from him and Kagami instinctively wrapped his arms over his abdomen. Sousuke chuckled lightly, and rose from his seat. "Come, son. Join me for breakfast. We've still got an hour before your scheduled visit anyway."

Kagami couldn't think of a polite way to decline, so he nodded dumbly and followed Sousuke to the hospital cafeteria.

They talked about a variety of things as they ate. Kagami found out that Sousuke worked as a mechanical engineer, which apparently led to a lot of travelling all over Japan since he would be summoned to repair generators and various other machines in various powerplants that supplied electricity to the country's major cities. Kuroko's mother was a professor at a university in Tokyo, teaching a course on Literature. They also talked about Kuroko. Sousuke freely gave Kagami stories from Kuroko's childhood, and he took them greedily. They've only been friends for several months after all. Knowing Kuroko, he would never have willingly shared these stories with anyone, and the thought gave Kagami an odd sense of satisfaction. Sousuke also asked Kagami various things - about his childhood in America, how he was adjusting to life in Japan, and what his plans for the future were. He was surprisingly easy to talk to, and for Kagami, it felt like he was talking to an old friend.

But the minutes ticked away quickly, and the time for the visit had come at last.

A/N: I based Kuroko's dad on the character of Makoto Tachibana from Free! I really liked his character there - that seemingly bottomless patience and humility, and never purposely drawing attention to himself.

I'll be introducing more about Kuroko's mom in the next chapter. These two are OCs, but I'm not going to spend too much time fleshing out their respective characters. Just enough to add some substance in Kuroko's life at home.

Anyway, that's it for this chapter! Again, feel free to share your thoughts about the story so far! All reviews are welcome! (and I'm getting lonely out here *sniffs*)