Ratings: PG13
Warnings: Violence, Swearing
Genre: Angst, Romance, High School, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Also, the original characters developed in this story are that of the author's creation. They are not to be copied without written permission.

Chapter 7 - Erasing the Man From Within the Beast:

Sunday, October 16th - Evening

Akashi had arrived back at his father's Thursday night. It was past dinnertime, so he was spared having to sit across the long dining room table and speak to him over their last meal of the day. Still, that didn't excuse him from having evening tea with his father in the comfort of their cozy living room. He felt tired from travelling to Tokyo on the train and wasn't looking forwards to an evening of belittlement, but to his surprise his father was rather quiet. He didn't question Seijuro about why he had suddenly taken a field trip to Akita, and he didn't bring up anything to do with his efforts towards his school sports team. Instead, he asked his son about his classes were going, his plans for his horseracing league, and if he had done any research towards college.

Despite his father's unusual polite attitude, Seijuro was still grateful when he was allowed to escape to his room for the night. He set his bag down on the small table next to his closet door, then unzipped it. He didn't need anything from it, he just wanted to see the shogi pieces Atsushi had made him one more time. He didn't have the heart to leave the oshi and shogi figurines on the hotel table just so they would be thrown away when the housekeepers would come and clean the room, so he put them all in his bag and took them with him in his rush to leave Akita. It wasn't that he wanted them exactly, he just wasn't sure if Atsushi would return to collect them or if he would care if they got thrown away. And for some reason he just couldn't allow himself to let them be forgotten by both himself and Atsushi. It just didn't seem right since the pieces were made specifically for them.

He held the red king piece in his hand, squeezing it tightly as he gazed into his bag at the shogi pieces. With a sigh he let the piece drop back into his bag, then zipped it closed again and began to get ready for bed. Usually he would spend some time reading or looking over his schedule while in bed, but tonight he turned off the light and settled into sleep as soon as he had tucked himself into bed. Despite his intention to sleep longer than usual, his sleep had been disturbed that night and he tossed in his bed for a long time before he fell in a deep, dreamless slumber.

The next morning he had woken early, cleaned himself up, and took the train back to Kyoto. He stopped at his private flat to drop off his bag and freshen up from his lengthy train ride. Then he changed into his athletic equipment and headed to his school to work out. He spent an hour in the gym, having missed his Friday classes since he was on the train back from Tokyo this morning, then met his teammates for a late practice. It felt good to stretch his legs and hear the squeak of sneakers on the polished gym floor. Afterwards, he spent the evening with Reo, talking to him about how practice had been going in his absence. Reo treated Akashi out to sushi as they talked about the team, and on the rare chance he had built up enough courage, asked Akashi how things had gone in Akita. Akashi grew defensive and coldly changed the subject, and Reo was smart enough to not push him about it.

Saturday had rained. Akashi was surprised since he hadn't seen much rain in Kyoto since he arrived. Granted it got colder in the winter months, he still had seen few days were it actually rained. He had to dig in his closet for his rain jacket, then wore it over his athletic outfit before meeting his team at the school to train. They did a five kilometer run along the path in the public parkway before they returned to the school ground, using their indoor gym to resume practice as they normally would on the weekend. Reversing the order of their workout, they played a practice game before running drills, using ladders and cones to strengthen their footwork and dribbling skills. Akashi ordered them to pair up to stretch out and then ordered his tired teammates to hit the gym, wanting to push them for another hour for strength training. Dividing them up into pairs, he supervised the time for them to work out, wanting them to build their muscles in the weight room.

It had stopped raining by the time they had all showered and gotten changed. Akashi was grateful for the clouds to have passed, taking his time to walk home. Reo had wanted to accompany him, but he lied and said that he would be headed out grocery shopping on his way back to avoid his teammate and friend. He knew that he would once more ask him about how things in Akita had gone, and he didn't have the heart to form an answer. To form an answer would be to understand how things had gone and make a decision based on the feelings and logical way to interpret it all – which Akashi hadn't had the time or emotional capacity to do. And he didn't want to rush doing it just to give Reo an answer.

Sunday was supposed to be his rest day, but Akashi woke early and laced up his sneakers. He ran as the sun rose, chasing it as it rose higher and higher in the sky. He stopped to admire the glowing orange orb in the sky as he pressed his hands against the back of his head, his chest rising and broadening in his stance. He gazed around himself, but he had blocked out the sound of the outside world with his earbuds, listening to music Kise Ryota had put on his iPod back when they were in their final year of Teiko. He felt good listening to the upbeat pop beats and the futuristic synthesized sounds, paying no attention to the lyrics at all. He didn't want to understand the song or the feelings of the singers; rather he wanted to lose himself in heavy beats and chaotic melodies. He wanted to shut his mind down and let the screaming in his subconscious take over.

On his way back from his run he stopped by the local market and purchased a small assortment of vegetables and fresh fish fillets. He didn't want to go grocery shopping, so he quickly raced through the store, buying just what he would need to make himself enough meals until tomorrow so he wouldn't have to spend too long in the store. Then he headed home and cooked himself a large lunch. The afternoon he spent relaxing with his feet in a large bucket of water and espom salt, using the magnesium and sulfate released in the warm wash to alleviate the soreness from his feet and relax his muscles. As he treated himself to this self-care, he did his homework, forcing himself to keep up with his schoolwork, and then even pushing himself to get ahead.

By the early evening his brain had refused to focus on schoolwork any longer, so he cleaned up the footbath and prepared himself some leftovers from lunch for dinner. Afterwards, he decided to go out to his new favorite cafe and have a cup of tea as a pick-me-up. It was a short walk in the growing darkness, but it was a nice thrill to be walking alone on the chilly streets. He was glad when he had arrived at the cafe to find it relatively empty, and he took his order to sit at a table for two beside the far wall to indicate he valued his privacy but was also open to a conversation.

The steam rising in swirls above the little white teacup sent shivers of anticipation down Akashi's small frame. He blew lightly over the top of the cup, watching in admiration as his breath caused small semi-circles to disrupt the peaceful surface of the strawberry tea. He put his lips delicately to the cup and sipped on the sweet flavor. The warm fluid raced down his throat and warmed his body to his very core. It was a sweetness that reminded him of the good memories he had, of the positives in life.

He put the teacup back to the saucer on the table before him. The table surface was scuffed from the use of many patrons and Akashi chuckled at the irony in it. For a moment he was envious of the table; it had been used and bore the marks and scars to prove it. He had no scars. He had no memory to look back on and feel pain from. There was not an instant in his life where he could feel the pain that he wanted, the pain that he had caused or fought for.

He closed his eyes, opening them as soon as the image of Atsushi choking the dark-haired boy flashed across his mind. He sipped his tea, glad that the heated liquid scorched his lips, and put the cup back down with a shaky hand. Atsushi was dangerous now, yet he still held all the charm of passion, lust, and the new discovery of desire. It was difficult, Akashi knew, to walk the line between danger and abuse when looking for a partner. Yet despite the odds, he knew that he would be trapped in a loveless, impassionate, unsatisfying relationship if he were to simply give up and go on with the next person that would court him.

He sighed and weighed the risk of going back to Akita. He could state that he "simply had more business," play the shy card and explore more. Or he could leave things to rest as they were. He had already initiated the chance by going there once, and he tried at the what was presented to him. It failed. As his mother had once said to him: 'things that were meant to be will be.' What if they hadn't? he asked himself. He frowned and mentally kicked himself as he answered his own thought: if they hadn't become, then they simply must not have meant to be.

Akashi shook his head and looked around. He felt daring. It was quiet in the cafe, but not from being antisocial. There were several inhabitants, each sipping at their drinks and indulging in their newspapers, cakes, and digital devices. Like a hawk looking for prey, Akashi gazed around with eyes heavily lidded with lust. But it was only when he realized that he was measuring each person against Atsushi that he stopped looking for company and reverted to sipping his tea and checking his own phone.

There was a new message from his shooting guard, Reo, and asides from that his newsfeed was full of things that he had already seen and were bored of. One thing Akashi enjoyed about his new device was all the notifications from multiple applications being dumped into one massive feed for him to check on a homepage. It annoyed him now that it was void of all new entertainment when he was desperate for any form of distraction.

Clearing the message from Reo, Akashi turned his phone on silent and placed it beside his teacup on the table. His thoughts strayed back to Atsushi, back to the feelings he had rediscovered when he was with him. Atsushi had become more confident in his size, filling up to make the most of his large frame. He grew his hair, as his brothers had when they were in high school, and he took to wearing darker clothing to match his darkened attitude. To everyone on the street that he would encounter, Atsushi would have them second-guessing his grade point average, motive, and goals in life. The strangers would probably want nothing to do with him and would more than likely cross the street so they wouldn't have to deal with him. Much more to their luck, he would probably pass them by faster than they would notice him on his skateboard. And for all those reasons, and many more, Akashi felt drawn into this new danger that he possessed. The darkness that he cloaked himself in was comforting, it was safe. Parts of it was even familiar to Akashi from their time before. Yet it was undeniably changed. Atsushi had matured in a way Akashi had hoped he would. He had taken everything the redhead boy had desired and collaborated his entire character with it, peeling back the layers of his character and reconstructing himself entirely, it seemed, with Akashi in mind.

Akashi felt his cheeks redden and he sipped his tea to keep himself from smiling. It disturbed him how powerful his emotional connection felt with Atsushi. He found himself wondering why he shouldn't turn around and head back, but he knew deep down the answer. He hated rooting for the memory, hated having to dig it back up and contrast it to this new Atsushi, but he knew that attraction didn't just form because a person wanted it to. There had to be a connection, or else the entire relationship would be formed on false deception to make only one person happy. He wouldn't be the one to put someone in an unhappy relationship, not when he had searched so hard for an equilibrium.

Quite simply, Akashi's reasoning for not turning back and reconnecting with Atsushi in the way they had once been was because of before, when Atsushi had given him pain in their relationship, just not the pain that Akashi had desired. It was the same pain his father had inflicted on him whenever he had failed to meet his expectations. It was the same pain that he felt in his attempts to socialize with others that didn't want to be dragged into his shadow. It was the pain he felt when he had a misunderstanding with his horse, Yukimaru, one snowy day at the range. Atsushi had given him the pain of rejection, and Akashi would rather be damned before feeling that pain from Atsushi again.

His eyes stung with tears and he angrily wiped a hand across them. As he did so, he caught sight of a man in the lineup making dark eyes towards him. He instinctively reached up and mussed his hair nonchalantly, before reaching forwards and taking a sip of his strawberry tea. It always pleased Akashi whenever older men had taken an interest in him, though he would never admit it. In a sick sense, he felt flattered that anyone would consider him attractive at all. He looked down at his phone, trying to decide which app he would open to make it seem like he was the least bit occupied if the man decided to approach him, when he noticed the screen for the first time: his father was attempting to call him.

He rushed to put the cup down and answer before the call was redirected to his voice mailbox. He kicked himself for sounding panicky as he answered.

"Hello?"

His father bade him no greeting, instead he got straight to the point of his call, giving Akashi news he hadn't expected to hear. Akashi felt dizzy with excitement and his lips broke into a manic grin. Things seemed to be changing for him, changing in a manner he hadn't been able to foresee. Since he had stepped foot on the train to Akita, Akashi had been suffering with the nausea and nervousness that life gave you when you wanted something desperately. It wasn't until he actually had run into Atsushi that he felt the worry lift from his being, the toxic clouds of loneliness and isolation leave his mind and body. Now that he was back in Kyoto, he was back to feeling the same nausea and nervousness. He missed his life at Teiko Middle School, missed his friends and his teammates. He missed being someone's attention, their little reason to blush and smile when he made eyes with them from across the gym.

He put the phone down without saying a word, his father would understand his enthusiasm and would probably appreciate his son not having a moment of euphoria in public. He swallowed the last of his tea and stood, pulling his coat back around his shoulder. He passed by the man in the lineup to return his cup to the barista and it didn't bother him that he was leaving the man staring after him longingly. He suddenly had another reason to smile.

Tuesday - October 18th - Morning

The light seeping into Atsushi's eyes was hitting him at the wrong angle. He tugged the bed sheets and rolled over, hoping to block out the light. Kise awoke with a start to a string of loud curse words. His eyes flew open and he leapt up, shielding his eyes from the glare of yellow that was penetrating his bedroom and reflecting back from the mirror at the foot of his bed.

Murasakibara was lying face down on the floor, picking himself up and mumbling obscenities as he stretched.

"Forgot where you were?" Kise giggled.

"Good morning to you too." came the grumpy reply. "The beds here are shit. Why did they make them so narrow?"

Kise giggled some more and turned the clock on the nightstand to check the time. It was a decent hour, class for him would be starting soon enough. It sent a thrill down his spine to have skipped out of class, to know that there would come no answer for his name in the roll call, but he found he could feel no guilt with Murasakibara by his side.

"In their defense, I don't think they were expecting to house such a giant." Kise jested. "Shall we get ready for the big day?"

"Are you normally this talkative in the morning?" Murasakibara grumbled.

Kise's breezy laughter caused Murasakibara to smile and the pair got up and dressed, just as they had in the middle school training camps. Murasakibara splashed water at Kise from inside the shower, and Kise had ate most of the breakfast by the time Murasakibara had gotten dressed.

Murasakibara's flamboyant purple hair glowed brightly against his black t-shirt, today's with a giant white skull in a spray-painted fashion across the front. Kise internally cringe at the thoughts that others would have against such a shirt, with metallic studs adorning rather cryptic imagery, but he put on a smile and forced the judgmental thoughts away. Should anyone wish to complain about his friend's attire, he would gladly complain about their face.

Murasakibara surprised him by eating a small breakfast and Kise found himself taking Akashi's old role of team-mother as they ate their food; forcing Murasakibara to take a portion decent to his size, he chided him for not taking better care of his body.

"You know what Akashicchi would have said to this?"

Murasakibara lowered his eyes. "Yeah."

"I won't let him know if you don't."

Murasakibara grinned back at him. "And I won't let him know you snore."

"I do not!"

The sun rested at a relatively high point in the sky when Kise checked his wristwatch. "Think it's too early to take a look around?"

"Where exactly are we headed?" Murasakibara called from the bathroom.

"I was thinking Rakuzan High, Akashicchi's new school. But the thing is, I doubt they'd appreciate us just walking onto their grounds during school hours."

Murasakibara came out of the bathroom with his hands busy fixing his hair in a secure ponytail. The tie was still in his mouth as he pulled his hair back. When he was satisfied, he removed the tie from between his teeth and began winding it around the bundle of hair. "So? It's better than doing nothing all day."

"Why don't we go check out Kyoto instead? I don't think it's smart to go walking around the schoolyard. What if they recognize us from other schools' basketball clubs? We can get our teams in a lot of trouble. Besides, if Akashicchi is in class and sees us, he might just leave."

"Aka-chin wouldn't just leave."

Kise raised an eyebrow. "He might. You know, we might be able to talk to him at his practice, but even then I don't think it's wise. His teammates might recognize us and think that we're up to no good, spying on their practice or something."

The blonde man could see his logic breaking down the younger one's impulsive plan. He pressed his advantage while he felt he still held the higher ground.

"Akashicchi doesn't live with his father. He never sold the family property in Tokyo for Akashicchi to move down here. If we can catch him at his apartment, wouldn't you think that would be a better, more private place to talk?"

Murasakibara pulled the chair across from Kise out and slumped at the table. "Fine. You're right. But I am only doing it because I don't want Aka-chin in trouble with his team."

Kise internally cheered for himself and smiled at his friend. "It'll work out. If you want, we can see if we can catch Akashicchi before practice start?"

"Sure. But aren't you leaving soon?"

Kise checked his watch again. "I should. I know I never told my Captain that I wouldn't be at practice today. But I don't think it's smart to leave you here alone."

"You don't trust me." Murasakibara mumbled. It wasn't a question. He was surprised by this observation but his voice had no emotion in it.

"No!" Kise cried out. "No, it's not that! It's just... Murasakicchi, I think I should be there. Akashiichi might feel like you came after him otherwise."

"But I did come after him!"

"No, no. I mean, he might feel threatened or-"

"But that's why I'm here! To explain to him that I'm not a threat to him and that what happened with Muro-chin has nothing to do with him! Or me!"

Kise couldn't hold back the laughter at his friend's childish banter. He had always known that Murasakibara was rather childish with his words, yet he was still rather adult in his conflicts; which he ended most of by surprisingly walking away. As he stubbornly held onto his reasoning, Kise laughed in delight of his simplicity of the situation: they had only chased his crush from one end of the country to the other to explain that he didn't become some raging, violent psychopath, and he did indeed still feel an extreme attraction to said crush, the extent to which he had never fully informed him of when they first dated in middle school.

Murasakibara was staring at him with confusion when he settled himself down. Wiping a tear from his eye, Kise waved a hand airily and smiled. "It's nothing, Murasakicchi, I just missed you a lot."

Murasakibara only smiled sheepishly.

Having nothing to do, they indulged in a cup of tea, as both had deemed it too early to leave the hotel yet. Murasakibara was oddly reminded of his chess games against Akashi in his hotel in Akita, not two days ago. He smiled at the memories and began to tell Kise of them, who was a patient listener and a good audience.

"What about you? How have you been?"

Kise grinned. "I've been good. I've been a mini-me of yourself down at Kaijo."

The pair laughed and Murasakibara wrapped his long fingers around the warm mug of tea. "What did you do that was so mischievous?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Forgot my homework. Failed a test."

"That's not like me at all!" Murasakibara exclaimed in mock shock.

Kise giggled and smiled, acting innocent. "I'm sure it's nothing compared to the mayhem you cause at Yosen on a day to day basis."

Murasakibara smirked and winked. "Believe it."

"Tell me, what crazy things did you do there so far? Top three. Go."

Murasakibara leaned back and bit his lip, thinking of all the times he had gotten into trouble. "Well, I did put firecrackers in all the toilets one day."

"All? All the toilets? Even the ladies?"

"Yep. Even the ladies."

Kise burst into a fit of giggles that had him holding his stomach and crying. It took him several attempts to talk before he was able to form complete sentences again.

"H-H-How?!"

Murasakibara blushed and shrugged. "Just...walked in, put 'em in."

"Why?!" Kise managed to ask around his laughter.

"Yeah, well, it was for the full effect, eh?" Murasakibara shrugged again, "Can't have all the men go into the ladies just because I could only access a few bowls."

Kise waved his hands in front of his face trying to calm himself down. His chuckles slowed down and finally ceased, but looking back at Murasakibara's face had him lose all composure once more.

Murasakibara blushed and waited silently for his friend to once more regain himself.

"Did they-Oh boy, that was good! Did they find out who did it?"

"Nope."

Kise chuckled. "I bet they didn't even know where to start!"

"Well, they did have their guess, with my record of course. But they had no evidence, so..." Murasakibara flipped his hand over in the air with his middle finger held high, conveying the message he hadn't wanted to express aloud.

Kise smirked. "I should do that."

"Do it at Hallowe'en."

"That's a good idea. How did you managed to synchronize them all at the same time?"

"I didn't. I had them going off at random times all day. But mostly it was one after the other, so it appeared to be all at the same time. But if you do it, make sure you get the slow burn, long lasting, loud ones. They are the best!"

After a moment of silence, the blonde couldn't help but ask.

"But, why Halloween?"

"Because you have less of a cover than me. It's less obvious to be you and not the worst day in school to be playing a prank."

"That's true." Kise smiled at Murasakibara's logic, amazed by the way his friend could think when he wanted to. Dangerous despite his childish air, Atsushi was rather mature, cautious, and knowledgeable.

It reminded Kise of his basketball rival's attitude, the small forward that held his position before he had overstepped him to become part of the generation of miracles: Haizaki Shogo. Rumor had been that Haizaki was quite violent and Akashi had thrown him from the team for it. But Kise had always felt that his rival was quite charming and skilled, even at his position on the team, and he took Haizaki's resignation for his word. The same lingering qualities that Haizaki displayed: carelessness, recklessness, danger, they all seemed to be qualities that Murasakibara was able to emulate in a positive way. While Murasakibara was the poster child for teen angst, Haizaki was everything that Kise thought American media would deem as the 'cool villain.' Overall, in comparison to homely Murasakibara, Haizaki was downright shady.

Kise's eyes widened with sudden realization as he recalled meeting Haizaki recently, by complete accident, and he gasped his name aloud. "Haizaki."

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed. "What about Zaki-chin?"

"He's exactly like you." Kise whispered through numb lips.

"We're nothing alike, Kise-chin." Murasakibara stated, his eyes narrowing as he took offense to the comparison.

"No, I don't mean...not like that. I mean, you're both dangerous."

Murasakibara blushed before sitting up straighter. Even though he didn't like the association with something bad – and Haizaki was someone he considered bad – he felt confident in the ability to take care of himself and his friends, if ever things got rough. He didn't like the idea of being a bully, of being a monster as he had once been called for his size, but he did feel powerful. It was in that sense that he thrived in the police officer's advice: to become something that could use the power for good and take care of people, kind of like his super-idol Thor. He could begin to see Mine-chin's ideology with becoming a police officer in the future: to protect those he loves and to give back to everyone what was once given to him. Bitterly, he found he was now sipping from the same metaphorical cup of protection that Kyoshi Teppei drank from. He casually tossed the thought from his mind.

His recollection of Mine-chin's dreams of policing made him feel better about his burning desire to protect his friends and family. He could recall Aomine's words to him one day at lunch, spoken in low tones so others wouldn't hear after their annual career fair: "If I could give one kid what was given to me, just one opportunity in a safe, clean space, surrounded by people that they could trust and learn and grow with, I would give anything to pass that opportunity on." While he couldn't understand Mine-chin's words then, he could understand exactly what he meant now. And he felt that was the big difference between himself and Haizaki; he would fight to protect those he loved, Haizaki was simply fight for himself.

"What are you trying to say, Kise-chin?" he pressed him, not entirely sure how this sudden comparison meant anything in the moment.

"Himuro."

"Muro-chin? I'm confused. What's he got to do with Zaki-chin?"

"It's why he likes you. You're dangerous. Just like Haizaki."

No more was needed to be said. Realization was dawning in Murasakibara's violet orbs. He sat back against his chair and let his eyes roam to his mug of tea.

"I see now."

"Did you never know why he liked you?"

"I figured it was to be flashy. If he were to go out with me, 'the Miracle basketball star of Yosen,' he would get recognized. And he knows Kuro-chin's new friend. I figured it was a way of getting back at Kaga-chin for getting so close to Kuro-chin."

"That makes sense. But even with Kagamicchi, it's the same profile: dangerous, rowdy, the kind of guy not afraid to throw a few punches."

"The kind of guy that Aka-chin likes."

"Exactly. Kagamicchi definitely caught Akashicchi's eye at the inter-high."

Murasakibara frowned. "What if Kaga-chin-"

"Not a chance." Kise cut off Murasakibara, not letting him even begin to question it. "Kagamicchi is not interested in men, especially short dangerous ones. I can assure you that."

Murasakibara nodded, glad for the reassurance.

"I saw Haizaki the other day." Kise began to inform Murasakibara, using the information as a distraction. "He didn't notice me, we never interacted. But I knew it was him; I could feel it. He was wearing a hat and this baggy jacket and walking around Shizuoka district. I was there to meet an old friend from work."

"Oh?" Murasakibara raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything more, simply prompting Kise to keep explaining, since he wasn't sure how any of this tied together with Akashi or Himuro.

"He seemed scared, it reminded me of when he would see Nijimura-sempai coming around the corner. It's not usual for a tough guy like Haizaki to be scared. It made me feel...odd? Apparently, from what I saw, Haizaki was trying to keep his profile on the down-low. I would have asked him if he was okay but I didn't need him or any of the people he might have started a fight with to attack me. I assumed he was hiding from someone he had started a fight with."

Murasakibara nodded, his lips pressing into a firm line. He didn't like the mention of Nijimura, his previous worry coming back to him that he was the man Akashi was secretly involved with. Nijimura was Akashi's confide and – even if he wasn't in the country - Akashi would probably discuss Himuro with him, including the incident with the bird. Things could get messed up fast, especially since Himuro knew Nijimura. He recalled Himuro mentioning meeting Murasakibara's former captain as a means to introduce himself to the giant during their first day of practice, though at the time he hadn't really cared for this information.

"Let's walk." Murasakibara got up and headed to his bedside. "Get your coat Kise-chin, I want to burn off some energy." The hotel room suddenly felt too small and shrinking, and he was afraid he would break something or run out of oxygen to breath if he didn't get out there soon enough.

Kise stood and headed to the closet by the room's entrance. He too felt that the hotel room suddenly felt too stuffy for their conversation to linger here. He wrapped his coat around himself and tied a scarf around his neck for good measure. He didn't know if it was going to be cold in Kyoto today, but it had been getting colder as the weeks passed.

"Kise-chin, did you see my skateboard?" Murasakibara called from further inside the bedroom.

Kise produced the board from where he had tucked it, at the back of the hotel closet next to the front door, on the floor with all four dirty wheels facing down.

"Kise-chin, have you seen my skateboard?" Murasakibara came down the short hallway, worry in his eyes. At the sight of his beloved board he pulled Kise close and hugged him. "Thank you!" The words were vibrated against Kise's skull as he was pulled against Murasakibara's chest. "Thank you! I thought I left it on the train!"

Kise smiled against the giant's chest. "I picked it up for you."

The day was a brilliant one once they got outside, although it was indeed chilly. The winter air seemed to creep stubbornly into the early autumn months, much to Kise's annoyance. The pair walked past the train station and the taller man took the opportunity to suggest that the blonde return in time for his practice. But Kise shook his head.

"It'll be fine." he replied, punching in a message on his phone, letting his captain know he would be away.

The sun was beating down on them from overhead, but the warmth of its glow was masked by the frost, when the pair decided it was time to check out the school. It took several minutes to find their way through the labyrinth the streets of Kyoto was, even though Kise had been in the city several times before for work. The tall, glass peak of Rakuzan High reflected the sun and cast a blinding beam of light down at the pair standing just outside the tall iron fence separating the schoolyard from the city streets. The entire school was designed in modern fashion: edgy glasswork, strong metallic rods, and artistic shapes. All in all, it was an intimidating building to say the very least. The area around the buildings alone was extravagant and from their position on the streets, they could barely see the student life inside the building. The weight room was in full view of the side of the school though, with rows upon rows of machinery that helped students build and train visible through a wall of glass windows.

Murasakibara kicked a pebble and bit his lip. "He's in class."

"That's for sure."

"Should we wait?"

"Should we go?"

The pair walked around the perimeter of the building twice before deciding to head to a small cafe nearby for a late lunch. Murasakibara kept his gaze down, the residents in Kyoto stared at him with blatant disgust in their eyes and he didn't want to waste his patience on their judgments. He asked Kise to order for him and took a table at the back of the room.

"What's wrong?" Kise asked, bringing their food to the table with him.

Murasakibara took the sub-sandwich eagerly and began to tear into it with his teeth. Once he swallowed he took a sip of water. "Aka-chin doesn't belong here."

Kise noted how Murasakibara looked around the room as he spoke, animalistic in his judgments. "What do you mean?"

"He's not like this. Not some judgmental, uppity snob."

"Keep your voice down." Kise hissed.

"Excuse me, sir." A weak voice interrupted their conversation. "Are you the model Kise Ryota?"

Kise chuckled. It wasn't good for this information to be spread like wildfire when they were here skipping classes and attempting to find their former basketball captain.

"Uhh-" he stammered.

"Bugger off kid!" Murasakibara came to his defense. "He's not that prissy model."

Kise watched the boy's eyes go wide before he turned and scuttled away.

"You could have been nicer." Kise pouted.

"And have him stick around arguing with us? No. I think it's safer to be ruder. Makes them keep a distance."

Kise had to agree with the purple giant's logic. Before he could say anything though, Murasakibara had reached over and rubbed his fingers close to Kise's eyes.

"What? What are you doing?" Kise sputtered.

"Disguising you."

Murasakibara then rubbed Kise hair, tousling it into a mess.

Kise pulled out his cell phone and switched on the front-facing camera. Dark circled eyes stared back at him and his hair hung low over one eye. It was not at all a look he admired, but it would be enough to shed the peppy model glow he had going on and fit him in closer to Murasakibara's style.

"Thanks...I guess." he replied.

"Anytime." Murasakibara replied, before chomping off more of his sandwich. His own eyeliner was smudged now, and Kise could only guess it was from having to suddenly share it.

Once they finished eating, the pair headed back to Rakuzan. The afternoon classes had just switched so they killed some more time waiting to catch Akashi before practice started. The final bell had not rung when Kise pointed out that the large gym doors had been propped open.

Murasakibara tipped his board up into his hand and the pair got as close to the gate as they dared. A handsome man in a suit was pointing several things out to other boys in the gym, each in casual t-shirts and athletic shorts, several of them holding basketballs. It seemed practice here had already started.

Murasakibara stood up on his toes, stretching to see to the back of the gym. Kise chuckled.

"You're big enough, stop being so noticeable."

"I don't see Aka-chin."

"I don't either."

The pair waited for several minutes, watching a burly teen and a slender boy with long hair began leading the stretches and eventually beginning to lead the team out for the run. Akashi was seemingly confirmed absent.

"Quick!" Kise tugged at Murasakibara's arm. "We have to go before they run right by us!"

The pair jogged a short distance in the opposite direction of the school. Rakuzan's team, known for its high standards, had an unpredictable run and would often use different routes to ensure no one from the media or rival schools would be able to scope out their intense training regime. Not wanting to jeopardize their own teams, the two miracles headed back to their hotel.

"What a waste of time!" Murasakibara exclaimed once back inside their room.

"What is?"

"He isn't here."

"Maybe he's at home?"

"Could we go check?"

"Probably. I don't have his address though."

"Eh? Kise-chin, how did you intend to go to his house in the first place then?"

The blonde chuckled darkly. "I planned to just follow him."

"That's not creepy at all." Murasakibara muttered under his breath.

"Did you have a better id-"

An emergency alarm began ringing, the sharp sound resonating from Kise's pocket. He blushed and pulled out his cell phone, mumbling a quick, "It's home calling." Murasakibara narrowed his black-rimmed eyes.

"Hello?" the blonde answered as he turned away from Murasakibara. "Oh."

Murasakibara circled him to read his eyes.

Kise turned away; he didn't want the giant to see his shocked eyes. "We'll be home soon. No, it was just – yes. Exactly. I'm sure he knows."

Murasakibara walked around Kise and sternly glared at him. Watching Kise's face, Murasakibara found it impossible to be angry. Instead, he folded his arms and tapped his foot, attempting to be patient about the phone call.

Kise put a hand over the mouthpiece. "Your brother is at my house." he whispered.

Murasakibara felt his stomach drop and his eyes go wide. Kise could only mean his eldest brother, but that meant Fuji was at Kise's house? Why? Did he find the note and come all the way to stop Atsushi from trying to speak to Akashi?

He turned and made his way over to the sofa to sit down. His legs stuck out as he moodily slumped down in the couch, his head resting on the backrest. His long legs were bent, resembling a curled up spider, since the couch was too low for him to fit decently on. He pulled up his headphones, reached into his pocket to switch on his music, and allowed his mind to become numb as the drums of Slipknot's Heretic Anthem began to play.

He had gone three quarters of the way through the song when Kise tapped him on the knee. He opened his eyes and pulled off the headphones, clicking off the music.

"So your brother's at my house, but he didn't say that you ran off."

Relief coloured Murasakibara's face. "Oh." he mumbled, unsure of how to convey his emotions.

"He said that he knew you came to visit me and that he was sure we'd be back from our trip by now. When asked about this trip, he said he wasn't sure what the whole thing was about, so my mom said he could stay and wait for us."

Murasakibara's eyes drifted to the floor as Kise spoke. He shook his hair into his face to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "I guess we'll be heading back then?"

Kise's eyes widened as Murasakibara's deep voice crack. The beast of a man couldn't seem to hold the emotions flooding through him. Kise came to sit close beside him and rubbed his hand in what he hoped to be soothing circles on Murasakibara's back.

"Hey," he began in a soft voice. "Don't be so down. I said I'd help you find Akashicchi. I will help you find Akashicchi." he affirmed.

Murasakibara's tears wouldn't be forced back this time. Silence enveloped the pair, save for the audible tears hitting the floor between Murasakibara's feet. He didn't hiccough or sob, just let the tears fall. Kise put his head on Murasakibara's shoulder and felt the younger man wrap his hand around his own fingers. It was a small gesture for Murasakibara to hold Kise's hand, but the blonde took it to mean a sincere thanks.

The pair stayed that way for what seemed like eternity. Kise looked to the clock and found that more than an hour had passed away. Gently, he patted Murasakibara's large shoulder blade until the man moved. He sighed heavily before slowly turning his face to Kise. The man's eyes were red and swollen. Kise hadn't realized he had been crying this entire time. With his eyes red-rimmed inside the black coal, he looked like a man possessed.

"Come on. We should be leaving soon. Do you want to clean up a bit?"

Murasakibara nodded, his teeth closing in on his trembling lower lip. His fingers wrapped tighter around Kise's hand.

"We'll find him, Murasakicchi. Don't you worry." Kise resisted reaching out and tucking the soft lavender locks behind his friend's ear. "We just need to go talk to your brother. But we'll come right back, I promise you."

Murasakibara's eyes looked hollow, the light in them was masked with worry. The question was clear in his eyes: what would he do if Fuji made him go home to Akita without talking to Akashi?

"If I have to, I'll come back on my own to make things right." Kise promised his friend.

"You will?" Murasakibara asked, surprise in his voice.

"Yes. I will." Kise replied firmly, "And I'll keep coming back until things are made right."

With that, Murasakibara stood. Without much enthusiasm he grabbed the strap of his backpack and headed to the bathroom. Kise turned towards his own bag and sighed. It was going to be a late night if they were going to take the six hour train trip back to Tokyo in a few hours time.