Hello everyone!

Thank you all for being patient, I don't really have a regular update schedule but I will try to keep things as consistent as I can. I have been having issues with my wrist however so if I might not able to update regularly

To those of you who have left reviews, thank you so much! It makes me so happy to see what you all think. With this being my first chapter story feedback is always welcome.

That's all I really need to say this time around so I'll let you get to it. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Still don't own KnB, it would probably be a bad idea if I did if what I've done to Furi is any indication xD

"Who did this to you?"

That question caused Furi to inhale sharply and tilt his head so that his fringe again hid his eyes from everyone in the room. He didn't want to tell them, they'd be so upset when they found out who did this, not to mention they'd all blame themselves when they found out just why he was targeted. He knew it wasn't their fault that he was injured, but they were stubborn and considering the condition he was in he highly doubted that they would listen to him.

'Then again, I'm just as stubborn, if not more so then they are.' he thought wryly 'If I wasn't I'd never have really gotten to know everyone, let alone get into this situation and I never would've made it to the courts.'

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, feeling himself relax. He would tell them, but he would make it clear that they were not to blame themselves. As he exhaled he slowly opened his eyes, feeling firm in his resolve he raised his head to look at the others.

While Furi had been gathering his thoughts together the others had watched on, quietly talking among themselves and bracing for the worst and wondering just how bad the answer to the question was going to be. Akashi and Kiyoshi, already having their suspicions watched on quietly, hoping that they weren't right.

Hearing the soft exhale come from Furi all other conversations were quick to stop and all attention was focused back to the boy on the bed, when he looked up however they were caught off guard by the look of seriousness on his face.

"Furihata?" Kagami called, somewhat unsettled by the look on his teammates face. While he was used to seeing the young man serious at times, there was something different about this look.

"I'll tell you what happened, and who did this but first I want a promise from all of you." Furi's voice was firm and he made sure to make eye contact with everyone as he spoke.

"No matter what I tell you, you're not allowed to blame yourselves. If you do, Coach has been teaching me how to do her Boston Crab hold and I will personally put each and everyone of you in it once I heal up." he finished with a grin on his face.

At the threat all the Serin members paled, confused the others quietly asked what he meant and when it was explained they soon paled as well. Looking back at Furi, all of them nodded and mumbled that they promised not to blame themselves. Content with the promises Furi's gaze softened, he really did love this group of basketball idiots and didn't want to see them beat themselves up, which is why the promise was so important to him.

Sighing softly he once again looked around at everyone, stopping once his eyes met with Kiyoshi's. He knew everyone was going to react badly but the ones who would likely be bothered the most would be his teammates, he also knew that the eldest of them was likely to take it the hardest. With that in mind he looked towards the older boy's hands, reaching out and entwining their fingers together once he reached back. Taking a deep breath he once again met with Kiyoshi's eyes and with as firm a voice that he could muster said

"It was Hanamiya and the first string players of Kirisaki Daichi."

All sound in the room ceased with the exception of the sound of breathing, Furi wanted to look around to gauge everyone's reactions but Kiyoshi needed his focus the most right now. The look on the elder boy's face was heartbreaking, where normally one would see calm brown eyes sparkling with emotion now there was nothing, it was like looking at a blank slate. Not wanting to let him linger too long in his thoughts Furi brought their hands up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss to the back of Kiyoshi's hand, jerking him out of his daze just in time to hear a commotion by the door. Quickly turning to look he wasn't surprised to see Kagami having to be held back by Aomine, what he was surprised at however was seeing Takao blocking Kuroko's way with his hands on his shoulders, with the others standing by if needed.

"Kagami, Kuroko if you rush off now you won't know where to start looking for them." he deadpanned.

Both boys froze at the sound of Furi's voice before silently walking back towards their spot around the bed, giving Furi a sheepish look before he turned back to Kiyoshi. Looking at the older boy he was pleased to see a small smile on his face but his eyes were still dark, frowning slightly he called out to him.

"Kiyo- no...Teppei..." hearing his given name fall from Furi's lips Kiyoshi looked up at the younger boy in shock. It was rare for Furi to use their given names especially of those older then him, so hearing it from him now gave him a warm feeling taking the place of the cold that had settled in him when he heard the cause of his injuries.

"You better not be going back on your promise about blaming yourself for this." he threatened. Seeing him pale again and shake his head Furi softened.

"I know I'm in rough shape but I'm fine. I shouldn't have any lasting damage either." he murmured.

Smiling softly Kiyoshi reached out his free hand to gently cup Furi's face.

"Kouki..." his smiled widened as he felt a shiver run through Furi at the use of his given name and saw him flush slightly.

"I think I speak for all of us here when I say that even if you say you're fine we wish this had never happened to you...the fact that it was someone I know, that our team defeated in a game makes it that much worse. I am confused about something though, as I imagine the others are as well."

"Hmm? What about?"

"You had all of us promise not to blame ourselves Furihata." Midorima spoke up. "But with the exception of Serin we've all had little or no contact with them. Though Takao and I played against Kirisaki Daichi, we didn't face their first string."

"Uhhhh, I ran into Hanamiya in the bathroom during the break of their match against Serin and told him he would lose because he made Tetsu angry actually." Aomine mentioned, actually sounding somewhat sheepish.

"Dai-chan! You never told me about that!" Momoi exclaimed, glaring at him.

"It was never brought to my attention either Aomine-kun." Kuroko said softly, narrowing his eyes at his former light.

"Momoi, Kuroko it's alright." Furi spoke up again before an argument could start. "Hanamiya's twisted, he doesn't even need to interact with you in order to want to destroy you in some way. I don't know how he did it, but he found out that I knew all of you outside of basketball and that it wasn't unusual for me to get together with one or two of you at a time just to hang out."

He looked at them sadly as he felt his throat close up against the words he still had to say. They were going to be hurt and the last thing Furi wanted to do was cause them pain, but he knew they'd never let him stop here with his explanation. Taking a breath, he forced the words out.

"Besides using me to get back at Kiyoshi and Serin for the loss during the Winter Cup...it was also to get to you...just because..." tearing his hand out of Kiyoshi's he used it to cover his face as he finally choked out "just because I knew you."

Everyone in the room felt like they had been slapped, but before they could even open their mouths Furi continued suddenly, sounding angry.

"I was in the middle of sending you all a text to let you know I'd be late when they grabbed me from behind. They threw me up against the wall of an alley and smashed my phone too."

'Ugh' catching himself on his arms Furi managed to keep his face from hitting the wall. Hearing the sound of breaking plastic he quickly turned around only to come face to face with the first string players of Kirisaki Daichi, seeing Hanamiya grinning at him he looked down just in time to see what was left of his phone get kicked away. He moved away until he felt his back hit the wall when Hanamiya spoke.

"Well well, what do we have here? A little chihuahua out for a walk on it's own?" he sneered, walking closer to where Furi stood. His teammates quickly filled in any gaps, closing off any escape routes that Furi might've had. Seeing that he wasn't likely going to get out of this unscathed Furi stood up, and even while visibly shaking managed to ask in a steady voice.

"What do you want Hanamiya?"

"Oh look at this! The puppy can bark after all!" he laughed. Making a fist he was quick to bury it in Furi's stomach, causing him to cough and double over before he continued.

"Puppies shouldn't ask questions, or fight back if they don't want playmates injured in the next tournament." he said lowly before pulling his hand back and standing up straight.

"Hmm a certain copy cat would make a good target don't you think? After all, his partner will have graduated by then. Or maybe the pretty pink haired one? She's always running around looking for someone after all. Oh so many choices!" He was laughing as he turned away, so he didn't notice the fist coming at him until the last minute. As it was he managed to avoid the brunt of it though it still clipped his jaw enough to make him stumble.

All of them stood there in shock for a minute, just processing the fact that this normally timid guy was actually standing straight and glaring at Hanamiya, before two of them grabbed his arms and held him still. Even with that though his gaze never wavered.

"Don't you touch any of them." he hissed out from between clenched teeth as Hanamiya straightened himself up again and sauntered forward.

Once he standing in front of the now restrained Furi he grinned and lashed out with a hard left hook, causing Furi's head to snap to the side. Reaching out and grabbing Furi's hair he pulled his head back around to look at him, surprised when he saw that the glare was still on his face.

"You know, originally the plan was just to rough you up a little bit and send you on your way as a little message from me, but now..." he hissed, while pulling back on Furi's head until the younger boy gave a small cry "now you've gone and made me very angry, so first I'll break you then; while your little playmates are agonizing over you, I'll break them one by one. Maybe I'll start with the former Kaijo captain? Or maybe the former Teiko ace? Oh! I know, how about the ace to your own team and his shadow? Wouldn't that be wonderful! Maybe the green haired one that tapes his fingers or his little hawk-eyed partner? And of course I can't forget about the purple haired titan or his pretty boy keeper. I'll even break the former emperor!" he laughed.

"Oh, wait I know the perfect one to start with!" he grinned down at a now struggling Furi "Kiyoshi just got back earlier this month from his surgery didn't he? My it would be a shame if something happened and caused a set back." he let go of Furi's hair and stepped back.

At that Furi froze. Kiyoshi was so happy to learn that he'd be able to play at least one more tournament before he graduated after his surgery that if he lost that chance now it would likely come close to destroying him completely.

"Buy you know..." he crossed his arms, bringing one hand up and tapping a finger to his chin as if he were thinking about something.

"If you were to, oh I don't know...just give up right now, then maybe I'd see fit to leave the rest of them alone. At least for a little while."

Breathing deeply Furi looked up at Hanamiya.

"Three months." was all he said.

"What?" Hanamiya frowned.

"I surrender to you completely right now, and you don't bother any of us for three months." he was firm in his demands, not cowering before the older by. Getting to be friends with everyone was bound to rub off one way or another after all.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You're really serious aren't you?" Hanamiya laughed. "Very well, we won't touch your little playmates for 3 months, but you know, we need some form of entertainment" his grin turned sinister as he snapped his fingers, the members not holding Furi moving he closer at the signal.

At that Furi smirked.

"Bring it on."

"After that they went to town on me, though I blacked out at one point because I don't remember them dislocating my shoulder. Anyway, when I came to I was up against the alley wall and used it to get back to my feet. I don't really remember much of the walk to the courts either so I can't tell you how far away I was when I was grabbed, all that was really going through my mind at that point was I had to get to you all because you were probably worried about where I was." he let out a chuckle then. "I did think to myself that you were all likely going to freak out when you saw me once I was close to the courts though."

Everyone was staring wide-eyed in shock at the boy in the bed and there were more then a few tears being shed from the story. Furi was probably the most gentle out of all them, being the undeniable caretaker especially when any of them were ill or injured; but he was also one of the smallest. The fact that he would go so far, to let himself be beaten so much without fighting back, just to buy them 3 months of peace caught all of them off guard. As timid as he was known to be, no one in that room would ever doubt his bravery, determination, or his feelings when it came to them again.

The spell was broken when Kiyoshi moved, standing up from his chair he gently sat beside Furi on the bed bringing his hands up to frame the smaller boy's face. Gently tilting Furi's face up Kiyoshi softly brought their lips together pouring his love and gratitude into the kiss. Sighing softly Furi closed his eyes and relaxed into it, letting his good arm come up so that he could grip the front of Kiyoshi's shirt.

Breaking the kiss after a few moments, Kiyoshi pulled back just far enough so that he could rest their foreheads together waiting patiently for Furi to open his eyes. Once he saw the now slightly hazy brown eyes open he smiled gently before speaking up.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you" he said softly.

"Yeah, we'll make good use out of these three months." Kagami grinned.

"Say, how'd you like a couple teeth from them in repayment?" asked Aomine.

Pulling away slightly from Kiyoshi so he could see everyone Furi shook his head.

"Nope, you're going to wait till I've recovered before you go after them."

"Awww, how come Kou-chan?" pouted Takao.

"Why do you think I'd ask you all to wait?" Furi grinned at them. It was a surprisingly scary look, narrowed eyes glittering with purpose and a grin that was kind of sinister, it sent shivers down everyone's spine. Kasamatsu was the one to recover first.

"Heh, so it's going to be like that huh?" he asked Furi with a smirk of his own.

Everyone else was still looking confused when Akashi spoke up, sounding quite pleased at this turn of events.

"I believe that Kouki would like us to wait so that he can join us. After all he was the one that was injured, I imagine that he would like a chance to pay them back a bit himself."

Furi nodded. Pulling back from Kiyoshi completely he readjusted himself with Momoi's help so that he was lying back against his pillows comfortably before once again looking to everyone.

"I'm really not a huge fan of violence, but I don't want to be seen as the weak link to all the time, especially since I'm sure there are others out there holding a grudge against at least some of you. I'm also tired of everyone assuming that I'm an easy target all the time just because I'm known to be timid, I'm not afraid of standing up to protect those important to me and I will fight if I need to. I think it's about time that people learned that."

The others just nodded in agreement, still somewhat in awe of this boy who had come to mean so much to them in just a couple months. Thinking of how he was unsure of where he stood with them earlier they would use this time to assure him of where he stood, and they would also take this opportunity to let people know that he was off limits and that there would be consequences to any who tried to harm him.

The next little while was going over in detail how the next 6 weeks would go, and talking about more lighthearted topics until an nurse stopped by to inform them that visiting hours were over and they all needed to leave for the evening so that Furi could get some rest. Some were about to complain about having to leave until they all noticed Furi yawning, looking as if he were half asleep already. At that sight it was agreed that they would leave and head back to Kagami's for the night since they still had a couple days before classes started up again, they gave their farewells and told Furi that they would be back the next day before seeing themselves out. The last to leave was Akashi who remained by the bed, gently running his hands through Furi's hair as the others left.

Once the last one had left he stopped his ministrations and, as Kiyoshi had done earlier, gently tilted the sleepy boy's head back and proceeded to give him a long, slow kiss. When he pulled back he saw hazy eyes staring at him, smiling softly he gently brushed his hair back.

"Get some rest, we'll all be here when you wake up in the morning." he murmured softly before heading to the door.

Giving a sleepy smile Furi nodded and settled back more comfortably against his pillows.

'As much as it sucks being hurt, maybe the next month or so won't be so bad after all' he thought, feeling better about where he stood with everyone he let the lure of sleep take him, content that he'd see everyone again when his eyes opened.