I know I took forever to update again. I'm sorry. This chapter was supposed to be longer too...

Anyway, please don't kill me but there probably won't be any more updates until sometime in August. I'm going to be busy next month and then gone all of July. I'm also planning on doing some major editing on this story as well. There are some continuity issues and a few things that just don't make any sense and I want to fix them before I continue on.

Anyway, Akashi and Kuroko finally reunite. I know many of you were waiting for this. I hope it turned out as good as you expected. I had a hard time deciding exactly how it should play out.

Also, let me know if something doesn't make sense. I edited this chapter many times so it's entirely possible something got missed...

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Throwing open the office door, Kise's eyes darted around till they landed on Akashi's sleeping figure. He dashed over and nearly threw the red head off the couch with his shaking to wake him.

Akashi's hand grasped Kise's wrist and was about to break it till Akashi opened his eyes and realized the hand's owner wasn't a threat…..probably. "Ryou-"

"KUROKOCCHI'S AWAKE!"

Wide eyed, Akashi scrambled off the couch. "Are you-" he started to ask.

"Yes! But Midorimacchi thinks he's scared and we need you to come calm him down and he's crying cuz I think we fr-" he didn't get the chance to finish. Akashi was already sprinting down the hallway towards the room.

Kuroko was awake. Kuroko was finally awake!

He didn't stop till he reached the door to Kuroko's room. Before he grabbed the cold metal door handle, he took a deep breath with his eyes closed to compose himself. If Kuroko was awake, he wanted nothing more than to dash into the room and hug him as tightly as he could, but that was not an option. He wanted to do a lot of things that weren't an option which is why he was taking a moment to calm himself. When he opened his eyes again, he twisted the door knob and forced open the barrier between him and Kuroko. It was oddly quiet without the beeping of the monitor. Stepping inside, his eyes immediately landed on the bed, more specifically, the figure in the bed.

Sky blue eyes still flooding with tears studied the new presence in the room before his fingers uncurled themselves from Midorima's coat sleeve and reached across his body towards Akashi. A quiet moan escaped Kuroko's throat and his hand retracted to his mouth. Eyes wide as saucers, he sunk his teeth into the side of his index finger.

Kuroko didn't know where he was. He didn't know if the bad men were nearby. He didn't know if he was allowed to talk. The room looked like a hospital and the only people he could see were Akashi and Midorima. It was probably safe. But what if it wasn't? What if he wasn't allowed to make noise? No one gave him permission yet.

Afraid that his slip up might lead to something awful happening to him or the others, Kuroko squeezed his eyes shut in expectation and held his breath. He waited for several moments to pass in near silence before opening one eye just enough to gauge whether some inaudible sort of violence towards the red head had taken place or if such violence was being prepared to be taken out on himself. There was none.

"Tetsuya?" Akashi stepped forward and reached for the hand in Kuroko's mouth. The bluenette flinched and shrank away from the sudden closeness but his features soon relaxed once his brain had time to comprehend that no one was getting hurt and the hand belonged to the red head.

No. It belonged to Akashi. It belonged to Sei. Sei was alive. Sei was alive and standing beside him. At least, that's how it seemed. It could be a trick or a dream, but Kuroko had dreamed about him and this felt different.

Akashi was pulling his hand away but Kuroko reached out to grab it. The grip was cold and weak, but determined nonetheless. A fresh wave of tears overflowed from Kuroko's reddening eyes though they were shed silently.

"Shhh… Tetsuya. It's okay. It's okay." Akashi lightly squeezed Kuroko's hand and, after an internal debate with himself on whether it was safe or not, he reached his free hand to card through Kuroko's hair. "It's okay to cry," he reassured, "I'm here."

At first, Kuroko flinched from the unexpected contact again, but he didn't pull away. If anything, he seemed to melt into the hand. Small whines escaped his throat as the sobs wracked his frail body and his hand gripped Akashi's even tighter. When nothing bad happened after the first few whines, Kuroko allowed himself to cry harder and not hold back. He lifted his head towards Akashi wanting to be closer. Too weak from years of malnourishment and months of sleeping and not being able to use his right arm to assist himself, he only managed a few inches before crashing back into the pillow. That was okay. Akashi understood the gesture and bent over pulling Kuroko into a secure embrace.

Even knowing it was Sei and knowing Sei's intentions behind the movement, Kuroko couldn't help but stiffen at first. Every touch still frightened him, but Sei would never hurt him and he knew that. He soon melted into the embrace taking in Akashi's comforting scent and feeling reassured by Akashi's strong arms.

Deciding it would be awhile before Kuroko would be calm enough for any evaluations to take place, Midorima stepped away from the bed. He wasn't needed here right now.

"I'll be outside," he whispered passing by Akashi. Akashi's eyes met his to acknowledge he heard. With one last look at his two friends, Midorima slipped out of the room soundlessly, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

Once the greenette was gone, Akashi focused the entirety of his attention back to Kuroko. Freeing one arm, he lowered the bed railing so he could adjust to a more comfortable position and sit on the bed. He had a feeling Kuroko would be glued to him for a while. How long probably depended on how long Kuroko's energy lasted. Akashi didn't mind though. He wanted to be by Kuroko as much as Kuroko wanted to be by him even if that meant being a bit uncomfortable and his shirt was getting covered in tears and snot.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he realized his shirt wasn't the only one getting wet. Adjusting his arm, his fingers brushed his cheek. He hadn't realized he'd been crying too. They were happy tears though. Akashi couldn't remember the last time he had been happy enough to cry or if there even was such a time.

Akashi tightened his arms around Kuroko's frail shaking body and let his own tears flow. The person that meant the most to him in this world was finally safe in his arms again. Tetsuya was his again. Nothing else mattered.