Warning: Implied sex

Things were pretty great that year. He had managed not only to hang out with his friends on occasion but even had been able to squeeze in a few dates with Nijimura. He couldn't remember ever being so content. He hadn't even caught a cold once that year. The basketball team had even won nationals, not that that wasn't expected but it had provided a nice closing to his first year of middle school.

There was a slight downside to this, though. Nijimura would be gone most of the break providing little if any time to visit him, but this wasn't horrible. The small redhead mostly spent his free time with Midorima, who he considered his best friend. However, the taller male seemed to grow a bit awkward every time they talked of their captain.

"I think I love him," Akashi said once amidst one of their shogi games.

Midorima looked up surprised at the sudden claim. "...Is that so?" He looked down at the board and hesitated with his next move.

Akashi nodded and made a move right after. "I thought about it when I was on the phone with him last night."

"I see..." Midorima made his next move but Akashi did not. He continued to stare at the male before him until he looked back. The older quirked his brow in question.

"Are you opposed to my relationship with him?"

Midorima should have expected this question, really. Nevertheless, he still shifted awkwardly, taking a moment to take in the question. "I wouldn't say that. I'm glad you can be happy with him." And he was was. However, "It just makes me nervous." And maybe a bit jealous at times, but he wouldn't admit that part.

Akashi tilted his head slightly. "What about it does?"

"You've never been in such a relationship before."

"What about that?" Akashi finally proceeded with the game.

"Don't take it the wrong way when I say this because I do find Nijimura-san to be a decent guy. It's as simple as he has more experience with these things than you and so I don't know what he might lead you into. You're going at this blindly-I doubt you'll question much seeing that you seem to trust him."

"Have you seen something suspicious?" This question was asked genuinely, not as a spiteful remark.

Midorima sat still for a moment, moved a shogi piece, was still for another moment, then looked at Akashi. "Not exactly. However, his mood has been different the last couple weeks. Grumpier, perhaps. You should be careful."

Akashi nodded. "I've noticed that too."

Their game continued without further talk of the raven, the two friends simply enjoying themselves.

There was a couple days left of vacation when Nijimura returned and offered to spend some time with Akashi. The redhead gladly accepted, though it took some convincing of his father (he was getting better at this lying thing). He met the basketball team's captain at his house and was greeted with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I've missed you..."

"I've missed you too," the redhead smiled lightly at him but the expression wasn't returned. Nijimura had pulled away from the hug and led him to his bedroom.

No sooner had Akashi closed the door behind him had he felt himself pushed against it. In the next instant the raven's lips were on his. At first he had flinched, surprised and maybe even a bit startled. They had made out before, but it wasn't usually so sudden or aggressive. Nevertheless, the redhead was soon putting himself into it. There was only a few moments of this before he felt himself get lifted and placed, somewhat roughly, on the bed.

The shorter watched the other as he climbed above him, licking his lips somewhat impatiently. Nijimura ran his hand across his cheek and pecked his forehead affectionately before suddenly attacking his neck. Akashi shivered beneath him, leaning his head back slightly. The older grinned and tugged his shirt down a bit to leave a hickey on his collar bone before moving up to kiss his ear. Akashi gasped lightly and gripped his shirt. They had recently discovered his ears as a sensitive spot.

The scene became heated quickly between lots of sloppy kissing and caresses of their sides, chests, and faces. The larger of the two reached a hand down to the other's belt and immediately Akashi pulled back, pushing a hand on Nijimura's chest to stop him. Both stared at each other in a frozen silence before the raven suddenly got off and stood from his bed. "You never let me go any further."

Akashi sat up, surprised by the sourness in his tone. "I'm just not-" Nijimura cut him off.

"You never are!"

"..."

"Whatever. You should go. Your father will get mad if you stay too long." He didn't let the redhead respond before he left the room toward his bathroom.

Akashi sat on the bed for another few minutes in shock of the other's behavior before standing and leaving, maybe closing the door a bit harder than necessary.

Later that night, unable to get his mind to wander far from what happened at Nijimura's, Akashi sent him a text on anxious impulse.

"Do you even like me?"

The response was almost instant.

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I do." Another text was sent soon after this one. "Do you?"

Akashi stared at the message, thinking back to his conversation with Midorima earlier in the vacation. "I think I love him."

"..." He texted back a simple confirmation and that was the end of their conversation.

When they returned to school, everything seemed normal again. His relationship with Nijimura seemed no different but the guy sure was moodier. Akashi could tolerate that, though, because he would apologize-one of which had been for the time they spent with each other a couples days before the end of vacation.

"I was a little stressed and I took it out on you. I'm sorry." Akashi was alone with Nijimura in the locker room before practice on their first day back when this had happened. The raven had ran his hand gently over his cheek with these words.

Akashi lifted his hand to Nijimura's and squeezed it affectionately. "What was bothering you?"

The older dropped his hand then. "Just family."

The smaller redhead didn't press any further and they shared a brief kiss before heading out to practice.

A few weeks later, after thinking over that apology and the night it was about, Akashi gave into him. It had been a weekend and Nijimura had seemed particularly moody. They ended up kissing in his room and, like he usually did in that situation, the basketball captain tried to take it further. Even though the small redhead still hadn't felt ready, he allowed it. He wanted Nijimura to feel at some sort of peace. And he had seemed quite happy after that night. For a while, he had a better attitude.

Midorima took a nervous eye to Akashi, who had grown quieter and made less expressions than before.

A couple months passed and Nijimura was on edge worse than before (even after Akashi let him dominate his body again). But the redhead had come to learn the reason for his sourness not long after. He hardly had time to discuss it with the raven before being given position of captain. The younger redhead thought he was feeling a bit sick that week, a lot of thoughts of his mother accumulating his brain.

Midorima seemed extra talkative and friendly.

Haizaki had been removed from the team and replaced with someone else. And Akashi had almost gotten beaten up for it, but it made him smile. The albino was scared to approach him.

The end of his second year of junior high came, which had meant the end of Nijimura's third. This hurt, but not too bad because even if the raven would be going to high school, Akashi knew he'd still get to see him. However, on their last day he soon found out that the case was not so simple.

"Where will you be attending high school?" The redhead silently hoped it was nearby.

"America."

"...America?"

"My dad's really sick. We're moving there in hopes he'll get better."

Akashi could barely breathe. "I understand."

"Hardly..."

Akashi was silent.

"We leave tomorrow," the older continued after a moment. "I was thinking we could try spending some time together tonight, before I have to go."

"Okay."

Nijimura smiled and kissed his cheek. "Just come over when you can."

Akashi had been semi-honest about the situation with his father, saying the whole team was going to Nijimura's as a goodbye party before he went to America. Masaomi had told him no, but Akashi still went. There was no way he wasn't going to see him this one last time.

They had gone straight to Nijimura's bedroom, but the redhead hadn't minded. He somewhat had hoped for this, even if part of the reason was to forget the reality of the situation. After they had finished, with a sweaty and panting raven laying on of the younger in both their messes, Akashi had mumbled the three words he had spoken of with Midorima but had never bothered to say until then.

Nijimura was silent but the smaller didn't question it.

Nijimura boarded his plane and while he began to cry, wishing he had told the kid he loved him too, Akashi had gone to spend time with Midoirma, his cheek still a little sore from his father. The greenhaired teen had never experienced such an intense concern as he did that day when blood spilled onto his shogi board from Akashi's mouth.

Nijimura will still be in the story so don't worry too much about that. However, I'm running a bit dry on how I should approach the next chapter. I'd be grateful for any input. Please leave your comments/ideas/suggestions in a review or feel free to PM me.