Chapter 7

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There was a light. It was faint in the distance, and obscured by darkness all around, but it caught his attention. Kuroko reached out his arm, wanting to touch it, but then his arms, they were stuck in a sticky, gooey black mess and he couldn't pull them out of its grip. He tried moving his legs, but they were encased in the same disturbing mixture, as well as his entire body.

And then all of a sudden, it got hot.

It got very hot, and he felt like his entire body was on fire and strangely enough when he looked down again, he was. The darkness that had once shrouded around him started to turn bright orange, and suddenly he could see nothing but luminous flames that picked at his skin. He panicked, and started patting wildly against his own arms to chase off the fire but it did nothing but raise his anxiety as the flames only grew in intensity, spreading up to his neck like squirrels running hysterically up a tree. He could feel his skin melting and peeling away from his muscles, and he couldn't do anything about the sharp jolt of pain that shot up his spine, nesting itself comfortable. "Someone... Someone, please! Please… Help! " He cried out, desperately reaching his fingertips out to the diminishing light at the top like it was the only thing he could do. His limbs were hopelessly trapped, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he was enveloped by the vicious fires. He was in pain, and he was helpless.

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Drip.

Drip.

Shut up.

Drip.

It was the insistent rhythmic patter that awoke Kuroko, as he was slowly pulled out of his disturbed slumber and back into reality. He lifted his eyelids, squinting at the light that attacked his eyes as a dry cough formed in the back of his throat.

Did Kagami forget to close the windows again? Why was it so hard for him to remember to shut two wooden structures? The crates were going to get wet, and so was their food supply. His brother knew that, but Kagami being an inherent bobble head, he never learnt his lesson.

Kuroko blinked a couple of times, adjusting his eyes to the light as he shifted his neck around. It was getting stiff. He had expected to see Momoi or Riko snuggled up to him, because he could tell it was raining, and whenever it rained, they would curl up next to him, humming soft nursery rhymes as sleep overcame them. He breathed a deep breath. The familiar beat of rain drumming gently on the window as they fell on earth, and the emanated petrichor that came along with it, it was something he always adored about the rain. They say humans inherited their affection for the smell from their ancestors, who relied heavily on rainy weather for survival. But he liked it because it meant cuddling next to his family for warmth.

A smile slipped onto his face, as he felt a warm presence by his side. But as he looked down, his heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his throat, taking with it the remaining haziness that had clouded his thoughts when he woke up.

It wasn't Momoi or Riko.

Instead, he found a blonde headed man lying by the side of the bed, sitting on a chair that was surrounded by a very foreign place. He jolted, pushing himself up by his elbows but flinched harshly as it sent a sharp bolt of pain up his arm. He looked down and was surprised to find it in a cast, heavily wrapped by several layers of bandages, and as he twitched his nose, he found it covered in a similar situation. But before he could make any further movements, the figure by his side shot up in his seat, eyes growing wide as they focused on him.

Holy - Kuroko felt his own eyes widening, as he simultaneously froze in his position. It felt like time itself was halted, as his golden eyes met his own shocked ones. The tingling pain in his arm suddenly wasn't there anymore, and all he could do, or think about, was to stare ahead of him, stupefied beyond expression.

Because this guy, he's -

The man in front of him reached out his arms, but paused midway, unsure of his own actions. He opened his mouth to speak, but was similarly, unable to complete the action as he closed it shut right after. A long silent moment was shared between both parties, as they stared at each other in what felt like the epitome of complete shock.

Then, the blonde male apparently decided enough was enough, and reached forward to embrace the boy in a tight hug. Kuroko jumped up in shock, flinching slightly at the impact inflicted on his arm as he tried to adjust himself and respond to the sudden display of affection.

But he only opened his mouth after a few seconds, "You're –"

"Kuroko. You're Kuroko, right?"

"I-" He felt his mouth going dry, as his heart picked its pace. "Y-yeah, and – Are you –"

"Yeah." The other party breathed out in relief, "Kise."

Kuroko's mind was spinning around in a confused circle, as his mouth twitched, threatening to break out in a smile. There were so many questions he wanted, no needed to ask, but he could find the voice for none. He wasn't able to grab firmly on the entire situation at all, but as he looked toward the unfamiliar room, he couldn't stop a burning question from escaping his lips.

"Where am I?" He whispered, breaking the tranquil atmosphere as he looked around the foreign area. He was lying on a large white bed, and around him were several scattered mahogany wooden chairs. The room was a large rectangle, and on the right were two humongous stained glass windows, stretching all the way to the top where it arched downwards, ending slightly above the height of the bed. There were strange medical equipment lying around the room on different tables, and on the left was a wooden door. There was an empty bed across of his own. The room was illuminated by a gloomy, but fresh, light - the ones that only appear after a thunderstorm.

"Hm?"

Kuroko opened his mouth to repeat his question, but then there was the itch at the back of his mind, and he started panicking as it picked at it. He pushed Kise away as he sat himself up straighter, earning a strange look from the man. "Where's - where's my family?" He asked, ignoring the strain he felt on his arms as he positioned himself to get up. Somehow, the sentence hadn't sound right, but he couldn't point out the mistake. But no matter, his family was his priority.

"Woah - hey, hey!" Kise said as he extended both his arms to grab ahold of his forearms. "Don't move yet. The doctor said you need to get rest or your injuries won't heal."

What the hell even happened to his arm? "Look, thanks, but I don't care. I need to find my family." He said, getting up again but was pushed back down.

"Well I do. And I'm not letting you out of this bed until you're fully healed."

As he said that, Kuroko felt a surge of annoyance and ire flush through him. He was going to find his family. Maybe it was because of the circumstances or the fact that he was so utterly confused, but for some reason he was mad. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Kise's hands stilled on him, and he blinked a couple of times. "I'm - W-What?"

In retrospect, that had probably been a little rude, considering the fact that Kise had done nothing wrong. But the anxiety was triumphing over the guilt. "My family means a lot to me, and I'm going to find them." The boy breathed heavily as he pushed the man away, regretting only for a split second as he caught a flash of hurt dashing across his eyes, but both had disappeared after a short fraction of a second. He swung his legs down the bed as he stood up, determined, and ignoring the jolt of sharp pain that shot up his limbs.

He took a step and advanced forward, but then as he stood up there was a blinding pain in his head that he couldn't ignore. It hadn't been there before and it was so sudden it made the unwilling sixteen year old lose his footing and before he realized it, he was off his balance and on the fast lane toward the ground.

He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut and braced his face and arm for a heavy impact, but it never came. Instead of colliding with the concrete floor with multiple more injuries added onto his already damaged and bruised body, he fell onto a soft surface which had firmly grabbed onto his forearm and back.

He blinked and his head shot up quickly. He wasn't aware floors had limbs. But then without warning, as he looked up there was a face inches in front of his. Kuroko would've been concerned about the close proximity of their faces, but as he looked at eyes of the man in front, he felt coherency slipping away. It wasn't as if he had any reason to, but his yellow eyes were duller, and it was like he embodied hurt itself, and then there were the tears that were brimming around the edges of his eyes, which made him want to look anywhere else at the moment, yet at the same time, feeling compelled not to break eye contact. Because at that moment, as he stared at the very vulnerable man in front of him, Kuroko felt the anger dissipating out of him, and all that was left behind was shock and possibly even concern.

"Hey - are you cryi-"

"Don't say that."

"Don't - What?" He blinked as he shifted his foot forward, beginning to feel uncomfortable. He felt his warm breath on his face as Kise spoke, and it left a tingling sensation running through his system.

"I know I don't mean anything to you, I don't expect to - I mean how could I? You don't know me at all. And I know I have no rights to interfere, or stop you actually, from finding your family and I'm truly sorry, I didn't know you had any. If I had known, please believe me, I would've done everything I could've to protect them. And - You have all the rights in the world to go looking for them right now, but I -" He paused tentatively, dropping his head low as he broke eye contact. "You're injured, hurt, the doctor said. Over exertion might lead to collapse. So just - just stay in bed for a while, please, at least until you recover." He said almost inaudibly as he tilted his head up again to meet Kuroko's eyes. "Don't go away."

It was almost unfair, really, the way Kise looked at him as he said that, as if it was possible to appear even more like a lost puppy than he already did before. His voice carried a myriad of emotions, but Kuroko felt it was mainly dipped in hope and desperation, which for one thing, he did not manage to understand. Why was he so concerned about him? It didn't make any sense, they had interacted for a very brief period that was a little short of an hour a considerably long time ago, but his tone made it seem like they had known each other for years.

Kuroko felt every fibre in his being screaming at him to bolt out of there right then and there, screw the consequences, because no matter what it was it couldn't have been worse than what he felt would happen if he chose to stay. Looking back now, he should've listened to his instincts.

Kise's hand had travelled up to his shoulder somewhere along the way, and his other hand remained firmly grasping onto his good forearm as he continued to stare at him, as if willing him to stay just by sheer willpower which on hindsight, was actually pretty effective. Because the longer he stared back at the blonde's eyes, the more he felt his firm resolution of reuniting with his family and adrenaline start to melt away, replaced only by a warm gaze that never left his own.

"I need to find my family." Kuroko said gingerly as blonde hair tickled his noise, but even he wasn't convinced by his own statement.

"And you will. I promise you, you will. I'll do everything I can, I swear. Just stay – at least until you've recovered." Kise replied, breaking their intense stare as his gaze slowly traveled down to Kuroko's parted lips, making the heart of the latter pick up its pace for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.

He wasn't sure how or what exactly happened, perhaps it was the balmy sensation his hands felt on him, making the boy feel like melted marshmallows dipped in chocolate fondue on a rainy day indoors, or maybe it was the fact that his own injured body was beginning to feel the strain of physical movement, but at that moment, Kuroko felt comfortably tired, and all he could manage out of his muddled mind was a simple, "Okay."

But that lone word was more than enough to break the sorrowful visage of the taller man, and crack a sunny smile on his friendly features, as his eyes shot up back to his own, lighting up all the same. He was surprised by how little it took to make the man happy. "Really?"

"U-until I recover, yeah."

His grin widened, and Kuroko felt the inane urge to squint his eyes at the brightness of it. It almost made his decision worth it. Almost.

Kise placed both arms on his shoulder as he guided him back to the bed, where Kuroko acquiesced, sitting down and crossing his legs. "Is my family safe?" He questioned, eyes following the man as he walked around the bed to the other side to pour a glass of water.

At first there was silence, and the only sound that filled the atmosphere was the falling water. But then as he passed the glass to Kuroko, he said with a soft voice, "I don't know."

Kuroko gripped the cup. "What? But you said –"

"Yeah, that I'll do everything I can to find your family. And I will. But I can't make empty promises and tell you that they'll definitely be safe and all right, because I don't know that, I can't predict what has, or will happen to them... And I can't, won't, lie to you." He paused, taking a seat on the chair adjacent to the bed. "It's – uh, pretty chaotic out there, if I have to say, and I know what you're thinking. But it's not safe to go out there right now, especially with the state you're in. Right after this, I'll tell every one of my men to look for them; and I promise you I won't let them stop until they've found them. Trust me, please, trust that I will find them. But, if that's not enough of a reason to convince you to stay, then I –"

Kuroko could tell it was straining for him to even hint at the fact that he would let him leave if he insisted so, and he would've taken the chance, but his current situation was not in his favor, and he knew the best shot he had, despite his anxiety and distress, of finding his family was to bet on the offer Kise just made and wait. After all, it was what he had been doing for a long time.

"Do you think they're alive?"

He looked up. "I don't know. But I do know how much it sucks to know that the only thing you can do is to sit and play the cruel waiting game, but it is, really, all we can do as of your situation right now."

The boy sighed, considering his circumstances and weighing his options. After a minute or so, a crease formed between his brows as he slumped down on the pillow behind, resigned, as he took a sip from the glass, relishing in the relief it brought down his throat. "Yeah, okay. I trust you."

The relief the older man exulted was practically tangible, as he visibly relaxed and nodded. But then as they say, when one problem is solved, it opens the door to a thousand more.

"Kise, do you know what's happening out there?" Kuroko asked as he looked at him. "There's fire, everywhere, and there are… people, or not, I don't – they're things out there and killing others." He paused, feeling an annoying pain at the back of his head that was annoying enough to convince the stubborn boy not to dig deeper into the subject, as he took in the solemn expression on Kise's face. "You know what's happening, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." The blonde whispered as he met his eyes, "And it's not very pleasant."

There was a hesitant tone in his voice that Kuroko met up with a determined stare, which Kise acknowledged by exhaling resignedly. "There are… People, specifically the people I live with, trying to take over the area. There's going to be a lot of changes around here now that they've probably already succeeded. A lot of humans are going to get hurt," He paused, but quickly added as he noticed the concern look in Kuroko's eyes, "but more will be saved, really. I can't say much, but all I can tell you is that these people aren't evil. They just have their own ways of doing things. Just – stay close to me, please, I don't want you to get hurt."

Kuroko wasn't convinced, and there were at least a dozen more questioned he wanted to ask, the more probing one being the fact that he had referred to their species as a third party which was a little unusual, but as he looked at Kise's now somber expression, he decided drop the subject - at least for now.

So he nodded briefly, settling with what little information was given to him because it was better than earlier when he knew of nothing at all, no matter how meager the knowledge was, and tucked it into the back pocket of his mind to flip over later.

The atmosphere around them was still, and neither party spoke for a solid minute. It wasn't as if it was awkward, to say the least, but after both parties had cooled down, all that was left was lingering memories of nine years ago that surfaced to, he was sure, both their minds, and he didn't know how to approach the subject. But thankfully, the blonde did.

"So, you're alive."

"And breathing."

He snorted and a small smile slipped across his features. "I'm glad."

"Me too, actually. I'm glad you're still here."

There was a beaded pause as they looked at each other in contented silence, as if both parties were finding difficulty in believing that they were actually here together again after nine years and talking to each other and just being here.

"I've been worried."

"Really? About me? Why?" Kise blinked in bemusement.

"Why? I saw you get shot in the chest with your guts practically spilling out on the floor, and then talk about being a martyr for your own cause, before being dragged away by three hooded men and for the finale, you all disappeared into thin air." He paused, raising a brow as he took another gulp of water, "So yeah, me? Worried? Not all all."

Kise stared in silence at him for a few seconds, before cracking out a contagious laugh that swept across his features. "You grew into a little ball of sass there, didn't you?"

"That's not a question, is it?" Kuroko smiled, taking in the flicker of realization that zapped across Kise's face as he finished his line. It was a little reference that only the both of them would get. It felt comfortable, and his insides churned around in warmth.

"But really, are you all right, though? Last I saw you, you were bleeding to death." Kuroko asked, his light tone turning pensive.

The blonde clucked his tongue and drove his mouth into a thin line, waving his hand around. "More or less, I guess. Alive and kicking, all thanks to you."

"Me?" But he didn't do anything. "All I did was stand there."

"With me. That was all I needed, really. Guess I didn't realize it till it was too late."

"What happened? On that day, I mean." Kuroko asked, the question that had been eating away at him for a solid nine years.

Kise sighed again as he rubbed his temples. If he hadn't been so close, he wouldn't have noticed the prominent dark circles that were painted beneath the blonde's eyes, nor the fact that he looked ten years older than he probably was, with the slouched over posture he carried himself in.

"It's a long story, really." He made a wry expression as Kuroko looked at him expectantly, before chuckling and ruffling his own hair tiredly. The motion made the boy look away, feeling uncomfortable and confused as to why he felt heat rushing up to his cheeks. Come to think of it, if he looked past his tired, overworked posture and features, Kise hadn't actually changed that much. Save for the fact that his hair had grown longer, and the aura he gave off wasn't anything like the one before and the air that he carried made him feel powerful. He could tell Kise had grown so much, both physically and mentally, over the course of nine years and if he dared say, Kise had become attractive. Not that he wasn't before, but his change had been so sudden, it had slapped the boy across the face, as if almost mockingly, and tickled his senses more so than he ever felt before.

Being around his family so much, he never had much time to adventure and explore the glorious world of attraction. He had assumed it would come as naturally as puberty itself, but after a few years, he realized it might not have been that simple after all. But Kuroko didn't have the luxury of an extroverted personality (or siblings he could talk to that wouldn't blush or feed him annoying sexual references, that was in no way of any help of making him understand, every time he asked), and other than his family, there were hardly any kids his age around the neighborhood that interested him enough.

Hence, to Kuroko, talking to Kise felt like he was being thrown in an unfamiliar region with little to no protection. In a way, Kise was just as much exciting to the teenager as he was intimidating.

The blonde man craned his neck, sighing. "One that you obviously have time for and want to hear. Okay, well -" He began, sitting up straighter in his seat but was swiftly cut off by a bold knock at the door.

Kise tensed, as he shot Kuroko a wary look, which the boy frowned at, as one, he didn't understand the cause for caution and two, he was annoyed by the disturbance.

"Who is it?"

"It's Midorima." The voice outside said without curtail, clearing his throat as he continued. "Pardon the intrusion."

Kise visibly deflated as he stood up and walked towards the wooden door, unhinging the locks as he pulled it open, extending both arms out as he smiled widely.

"Midorima-cchi! You're alive!"

"What? What are you - Of course I'm alive."

"Which I'm thankful for! You went to the battlefield for the first time today; of course I'd be worried. Look you even injured your head."

"It wasn't like I was in any battle, not technically, anyway. And I was in the first aid area at the - you know what, never mind." The other man sighed, waving his hand dismissively as he pushed his glasses up and turned to his left, raising his eyebrow as he laid his eyes on the boy sitting cross-legged on the infirmary bed.

Kuroko froze as he once again, realized the identity of this man, and the incidents that had slipped off his mind due to circumstances came flooding back like a dam that had been broken. His lips started quivering in rage as he slid off the bed, unconsciously releasing his grip on the glass which shattered on the cold tiles in the process, earning a look of concern from Kise as he stepped over the shattered shards and started walking closer to Midorima.

"Kuroko? Are you-"

"What did you do to Hyuuga, you bastard?"

Kise's eyes widened as he quickly stepped forward, crossing himself into the path of the two as he grabbed Kuroko by the shoulders who, if a moment later, would have lunged forward at the green haired man. By then, he had already been trembling and there was a stinging sensation at the back of his head, blurring his vision as his right arm went numb.

But all that Kuroko could think of was that the last time he saw Hyuuga, the man was knocked off his feet and sent flying into a pile of broken porcelain, both bloodied and bruised. How could he have forgotten about Hyuuga, who had risked his own goddamned life to save him and here he was, talking with a strange man he met briefly nine years ago, without so much as pausing to think about his well-being. He was astonished by his own memory, and how, despite his former protests to run valiantly off in search of his family, he had not been referring to that particular brother. How did he forget? He felt guilt rising up his chest, almost as much as the anger that had surfaced as he glared at the face behind Kise.

He remembered. That man and his friend had injured the both of them, and his friend had performed an incredulous show of strength and speed that couldn't possibly have been human, which made the hairs on his skin stand. What the hell were these people? What had he gotten himself into?

He had been too wrapped up in his overall situation that he hadn't even bothered to question how he ended up here. How did he end up here? What had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was someone shaking him violently by the shoulders and several cries of his name, before everything was black.

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A/N :

SORRY! SLOW UPDATE! I procrastinated and ended up completing a whole hxh arc instead, damn. Was this chapter draggy? Or did it have just enough? Let me know! It's difficult to gauge by myself where I need to improve on, so I'd appreciate your opinions!

Thanks for sticking with the story for so long, cookie for you if you've made it this far!
The story starts out a little slow in the romance part, but it'll escalate soon. Your patience will pay out, hopefully.

Shout out to RealitySlap! THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSISTENT REVIEWS THEY MAKE ME SMILE! I APPRECIATE YOU AND U ARE AMAZEBALLS *hugs*

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! SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU DON'T LIKE MINOR SPOILERS !

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Btw, just a little teaser, in case you've been wondering, Akashi has actually already been involved in the story since the start. You just have to look closer and think a little deeper to realize it.

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Remember to leave a review if you've liked, or enjoyed the story! Constructive criticisms and opinions are gladly welcomed! HAVE A GREAT DAY !

-xelia