Lovely Jewels

Trouble with Kidnappers?

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Kuroko walked back into his living room to see that the other five guys had not moved much. The only obvious difference was that Kise was now sitting next to Murasakibara. He quickly found that they did not notice him and he relaxed a little. Born with a very low, mostly undetectable presence had led Kuroko accustomed to being unnoticed. He found that though it was considered a curse, his low presence came quite in handy at times. He spotted Akashi still lying down on the side of the couch he had left him on and felt a sudden urge to do an act of revenge for the unnecessary touching from before. Picking a shirt from the pile he was holding he pulled his arm back and then threw the wadded up shirt at the redhead.

Akashi had seen Kuroko the minute he had entered the room and was highly amused at his light-blue head's antics. He swiftly caught the shirt before it could hit his head, not that his head was in any danger in the first place. The throw was a bit weak. He slowly turned to show Kuroko a smirk.

"WAAAAH!" cried Kise as he latched onto Murasakibara's arm.

Murasakibara arched his brow in annoyance and quickly pushed off the clingy blonde.

"Ghost!" Kise continued to yell before Aomine bumped him on the top of his head. Kise looked at the tan blue head with tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. "Mou, Aominecchi!"

Aomine ruffled the blonde's hair. "It's Kuroko, idiot, not a ghost." He gestured towards Kuroko whose expression was as blank as ever.

"Thank you Aomine-san, for noticing me," Kuroko purposely stated, knowing that his words would irk a certain redhead.

Akashi brushed off Kuroko's cold shoulder, planning to get him back for it later. He took the shirt and pulled it over, giving a face of displeasure at the sudden covering of his skin. He watched as Kuroko began to pass out the rest of the shirts to the others.

After making sure that all the guys had their upper bodies properly covered, Kuroko moved to stand next to the wall. He looked at all of them in turn, ending on Akashi. "I'm listening."

Akashi couldn't help but smile a little. You're adorable, Tetsuya, Akashi murmured in his mind, knowing that if he were to say these words out loud, Kuroko would definitely get irritated. He turned and gave Midorima a you-go-ahead-and-explain look.

Midorima sighed and pushed up his glasses. "We are Kiseki no Sedai," Midorima stated while looking at Kuroko.

"Generation of Miracles?" Kuroko said incredulously. He glanced back at the box the five used to reside in. He remembered seeing a basketball on its cover. "What does that have to do with basketball then?"

"Eh? Kuroko, we're all prodigies when it comes to basketball!" Kise cut in excitedly. He smiled at Kuroko's further confused look.

Akashi looked at Kise with disdain. He turned to face Kuroko. "We were."

Kuroko shook his head. "None of this explains why you guys were jewels." He looked at the box again, to see if he could ask anything else. "And…and why did you belong to my grandfather?"

"Tch." Aomine sat on the arm of the couch Kise and Murasakibara were sitting on. "Your grandfather just happened to find us in some old antique shop. He could never open the box like your father."

Akashi looked up to the ceiling in mild annoyance. His teammates sucked at explaining. "We are not of this time, Tetsuya. To be blunt, all of us are about around 160 years old."

Kuroko almost choked on his own saliva. Was he hearing right? These guys didn't look any older than he was! He managed to keep a straight expression, however.

"There was a time where we did dominate in basketball, but that time has long since passed," Akashi continued. He eyed Kuroko to see how he was taking this. "We are still alive because we are human hybrids. So we can't live forever, but we live much longer than humans."

"Our time is further extended because we were forced to take jewel form," Midorima flawlessly added. "I say forced because quite a few people were angered by our presences." He glared at Kise who visibly shrunk.

"It wasn't my fault Midorimacchi! Those girls flocked to me of their own accord!" Kise quickly shot out in order to defend himself. He looked at Aomine for support.

Kuroko was still in a state of disbelief. "Let me guess, you guys have some sort of super power too," he said in a joking manner.

"Quite observant, Tetsuya," Akashi said with approval. He noticed that his words managed to make an almost non-existent blush appear on Kuroko's face for a split second.

Kuroko could not believe that he was right. Although he managed to hide any emotions he was feeling, he did have a feeling that Akashi knew just how bewildered he was right now. Yet how do I fit into all of this? Kuroko let out a small gasp when Akashi appeared right in front of him.

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he cupped the right side of Kuroko's face. "You don't need to worry, we will protect you at all costs." He watched as Kuroko's brows furrowed in confusion. "I won't let anyone harm what is mine."

"I am more lost with your explanation," Kuroko sighed. He felt Akashi's inviting warmth, but quickly moved to the side to escape the redhead. "But I still have to go to school, so what will you guys be doing?"

Akashi smirked and folded his arms, resisting the urge to recapture Kuroko. "We'll go to school with you."

Kise immediately let out a whine. "Back to school? Why Akashicchi?" He pouted and then looked at Kuroko. "Wouldn't it be a bother for Kuroko?"

Murasakibara looked down at the blonde beside him before, in his mind, gently pushing him. "Aka-chin wants us to protect Kuroko wherever he goes," the giant muttered in slight boredom. He looked to Akashi for approval.

Kuroko's cellphone began to ring at that moment and he excused himself to answer it. He waited until he was in the kitchen before taking the call. "Hello?"

"Is this Kuroko Tetsuya?" a gruff voice asked.

Kuroko nodded his head while saying yes. "Is this someone I know?" He waited for a reply, but all he heard on the other line was chuckling. "I do not see how my question was funny."

The chuckling stopped. "Ah, I'm sorry Kuroko-kun, but it's been a long time since I heard your voice."

Kuroko frowned at how the man said his name in a familiar manner. "I'm not following."

"Blunt as always, aren't you?" the voice asked with humor laced in his tone. "Why don't you come out? I asked your father if we could meet up and he told me where you were staying. I'm outside."

Kuroko's eyes widened. He talked to my father? Before he could come up with a reply, the other man on the voice started talking again.

"You're alone aren't you? I'll be your company."

Kuroko's brows scrunched up. It sounded as if the man was implying that he should come alone. Internally sighing, he said, "I will be down in a few minutes."

"Good," the voice answered before ending the call.

Kuroko pulled the phone away from the side of his ear and stared at it in suspicion. He jumped, almost unnoticeably, when he heard knocking behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Akashi leaning against the doorframe with one arm stretched above his head. Akashi stared at the phone in Kuroko's hand.

"Who was that?" Akashi asked casually. He refrained from moving closer to Kuroko and instead turned sideways so that he was leaning on the frame with his back and not his arm.

"A friend," Kuroko lied, though he wasn't sure if he was actually telling a lie. Kuroko held Akashi's gaze and kept his straight face. He felt his fingers twitch a bit.

Akashi lowered his eyelids a bit as he looked towards the ceiling. He's lying to me. Instead of confronting Kuroko, however, he walked past the slightly shorter boy and opened the fridge. "We'll wait here for you if you need to go."

Kuroko hid his shock fairly well. "Ah, thank you," he said while giving Akashi a curt nod before exiting the kitchen.

Akashi watched Kuroko leave while drinking out of a water bottle. He capped the bottle after quenching his thirst and immediately placed it on the counter. He had succeeded in marking Kuroko with one of his abilities that allowed him to see a person or enemy through walls by tracking him by his aura. Every ally of Akashi's gave off a light blue glow. He heard the door shut close and he arrived back in the living room.

"Where is he going?" Midorima immediately asked. "Not that his well-being is of my concern, of course." He looked off to the side.

Akashi stared at Midorima. "His well-being is a concern." He watched as Midorima turned to glare at him. "We are going to follow him." Akashi looked at the ground, tracking Kuroko's outline.

"Using your Emperor's Eye?" Aomine asked, though he already knew the answer. He put both hands behind his head and let out a yawn as Akashi nodded his head. Grabbing Kise's arm, Aomine pulled him towards the window. He spotted a gray-haired man standing outside of the gates. "We'll go check it out first."

"That's fine," Akashi said with approval before looking at the Midorima. "You and Atsushi stay here and see if anyone comes up." Akashi began leaving the room after Kise and Aomine. "I'm going to go get my Tetsuya."

Kuroko stepped out of the elevator and passed the front desk. He stopped to bow at the receptionist before exiting out the front door. Kuroko spotted an unfamiliar man outside the gate. The man looked up as Kuroko approached.

"Ah, it's nice to see you again," the man said as Kuroko opened the gate.

Kuroko looked warily at him, but noticed that he looked to be around the same age as himself. "I'm sorry, but I still don't know who you are."

"I should be the one saying sorry, Kuroko-kun. I'm Shōgo Haizaki. I've been attending the same high school as you," Haizaki said as an introduction. He held out his hand for Kuroko to shake. "Your parents have been close friends with mine and though I've seen you before, I've never made the effort to get to know you."

Kuroko was immediately on guard. He never recalled his parents talking about the Haizaki family. Reaching out, he gave Haizaki a firm handshake. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you then. Is there somewhere that you plan on going to?" He managed to catch a small glint in Haizaki's eyes when the gray-head smiled.

"Actually I did have something planned for our outing," Haizaki replied. The grey-haired man's smile transformed into a creepy one. "I brought my car, it's just over there," he said while pointing to a parking lot across the street.

Kuroko noted that the buildings around the parking lot shadowed the area. His mind raced with uncertainty, but when Haizaki started walking across the street, he found himself following. He looked around himself anxiously as his foot stepped back onto the sidewalk.

"Come on, it's just over here," Haizaki called over his shoulder. He slyly glanced at one of the cars and hid a smirk.

Kuroko obediently followed and watched as Haizaki stopped in front of a black van. Haizaki took out his keys and unlocked the car before walking over to the driver's side. He smiled and pointed at the other seat. Before Kuroko could move, however, a clothed hand filled his view. His eyes widened in panic as he struggled against the sweet smelling cloth.

"Aren't you a weak one?" Kuroko heard the man behind him say in a malicious tone.

Kuroko's eyes began to tear up. His ears picked up a scream as the pressure behind him disappeared. The cloth was gone as well and Kuroko was greeted by the sight of heterochromatic eyes. His vision blurred nonetheless as his consciousness began to drift. Kuroko felt his body being lifted and heard other voices, but all else was lost as black filled the rest of his mind.

Kise and Aomine ran up to Akashi. Both were unscathed, but noticeably ticked. Aomine gave Kise a quick onceover to make sure that the blonde was truly not hurt.

"Sorry, Akashicchi, but the gray-haired one got away," Kise said with a frown. He looked down at Kuroko. "He's not injured is he?"

Akashi's eyes narrowed a bit. "No, but he's out. Let's take him back to his apartment." Akashi was already carrying Kuroko bridal style. As he turned around to walk back to the apartment complex, he instinctively pulled Kuroko closer to his chest.

Once back inside Kuroko's apartment, Akashi placed the blue-head on his bed, gently tucking him in. He brushed the bangs from Kuroko's face and then sat on the side of the bed. Tracing Kuroko's lips, he felt a sudden temptation but resisted and stood up quietly. He stood for a few moments, watching Kuroko's shallow breaths carry his chest up and down. Sighing, Akashi slowly closed the door as he left Kuroko's room.

The rest of the Kiseki no Sedai were lounged around in the living room. Akashi noted each member's presence. Murasakibara and Midorima sat on one of the two white couches at the back of the room. Kise was lying on the other couch while Aomine sat in a chair next to the window.

Midorima looked up at Akashi. "No one came near the room while you guys were gone." He leaned back into the couch. "I'm surprised though. I wouldn't expect them to act so quickly."

"It's a good thing that Kuroko opened the box today," stated Murasakibara between bites of his bag of chips.

Akashi couldn't agree more. He rubbed his temples in slight irritation. There would be more to explain to Kuroko later. Akashi moved to sit on the arm of the couch Kise was on. "There are five bedrooms in this apartment, including Tetsuya's room."

Kise looked at Akashi. "Does that mean-"

"We can share a room," Aomine cut in. "Kise and I." He sent a sly grin towards the now flustered blonde.

Akashi hid his dismay. He was planning on sharing a room with Kuroko. "That's fine, but we'll need to keep guard tonight." His eyes watched the setting sun through the window. "They may make a move."

Murasakibara got up. "I'll go pick my room first then." He walked past Akashi on his way to the small staircase that led to the second floor of the apartment where all the bedrooms were.

Kise shot up. "No fair Murasakicchi!"

Before he could move though, Aomine grabbed his arm. "Does it really matter, Kise? We'll be sharing a room anyway."

Kise pouted, but let Aomine lead him upstairs.

Akashi's gaze fell on Midorima. "Go ahead, I'll make sure everything is secure here."

Midorima nodded and headed upstairs after the others.

Akashi made a small and quick round surveying the first floor. He closed the shades of all the windows before turning off all the lights. Using his Emperor's Eye, he saw Kuroko's outline move side to side. Instinctively, Akashi went to the kitchen and got a water bottle from the fridge before ascending the stairs. He walked to Kuroko's room and opened the door quietly.

Kuroko looked up through half-lidded eyes to see Akashi walking towards him. "A-Akashi-san?" mumbled Kuroko. He closed his eyes again in pain from his pounding headache. Beside him, the bed sank from some weight.

"Here, drink some water," Akashi said as he carefully propped Kuroko up into a sitting position.

Kuroko took the water from Akashi. "Thank you, Akashi-san." He sipped the water and then placed it in his lap. "What ha-"

Akashi shushed Kuroko by placing his finger to the other's lips. Ah, so soft. "I will explain more tomorrow. For now, just go back to sleep." He took the water bottle from Kuroko and placed it on the bedside table. "You will need your energy come morning."

Kuroko reluctantly followed Akashi's order. He slipped back down into the bed and looked up at Akashi. Akashi began to lean down for a few seconds, but changed his mind. He straightened himself and watched Kuroko with his mismatched eyes.

"Goodnight, Tetsuya," Akashi said in a low whisper.

Kuroko closed his eyes and heard footsteps shuffling to the door.

"Goodnight, Akashi-san."

Shout out to all my AWESOME reviewers, followers, favoriters, and silent readers!

Here are some personal thanks!

hitomi65 - I'm glad you think so!

yuimomo - *blushes* That makes me really happy!

Blue-eyed Fox - Yes, *sighs dreamily* it IS something isn't it! That would make for an interesting aspect, actually... And that's why we love him!

Shadow of an Echo - You are flustering me with your compliments! Thank you so much!

devilhornsofsatan - And carry on I shall! *determined face*

alisa chronwelle - No, I thank you for reading! *Shocked expression* How do you know me so well?

Tsuki Aizawa - I adore possessive Akashi too! I hope this was quick enough!

telletha - Interesting!? Thank you!

Everlasting Snow Princess - You think this is interesting too!? *jumps up and down*

Fan de Kuroko - Merci, ma amie! Je espérais tu aimer ce chapitre aussi! Prés de la façon, je ce que ne pas connaître français...

A/N: Forgive me for any grammar mistakes!

Please R&R if you liked this chapter!

I was really overjoyed when I saw the response to my first chapter! This was just something I wrote on a whim and now with all of your support I am turning this idea into a full-fledged story!

Please continue to support me as I write this story!

And I'm very sorry, but school is coming back...and I don't know when I will be able to update again, which is why I'm bringing all of you this one! Nonetheless, I will try my hardest!