Chapter 10
Kuroko's consciousness came back in fragile pieces and his mind felt heavy with sluggy confusion. When the haze around his mind cleared a little, he was aware of the ripping pain lighting his nerves on fire.
Kuroko tried breathing slowly, evenly, but that didn't lessen the pain in every twitch and movement of his body. His eyes were a little blurry and he blinked until the spots in front of his eyes faded.
The barely perceptible weight on him shifted and he glanced down. Kuroko saw a head laying near his arm, warm fingers wrapped around his hand.
Midorima
He'd recognize that mop of dark forest green hair anywhere. A barrage of elation and relief flooded him and his breath hitched with grateful unshed sobs.
Kuroko tried to lift the hand that Midorima didn't have clutched against his cheek but a flare of hot scalding pain made Kuroko drop his hand. From the dark circles under his eyes, the tired, sick palour of his skin and his bond mate's haggard appearance, it must have been a while since Kuroko was injured.
Lovingly with the hand in Midorima's clutches, he lightly ran his fingers over the pale cheek. To outsiders Midorima always seems so impossibly cold and distant but Kuroko knew that his bond mate had a truly soft heart. Midorima was a gentle and compassionate soul and sometimes he just doesn't understand how to express his affections. Kuroko knew that Midorima was the most level headed but during moments like this, Kuroko is reminded of Midorima's more open and affectionate side, and he felt a wave of gratitude. Gratitude because he (and all his other bond mates) knew that this is Midorima showing them his most vulnerable side, a side that he has entrusted them with.
Kuroko kept his touches light but after a while Midorima still stirred, his eyelids fluttered and then opened. A few seconds passed before Midorima seemed to understand where he was and what happened, and then he shifted his gaze to Kuroko's face. His emerald eyes widened slightly at the edges after noticing Kuroko's awake state. He had been keeping constant vigil on Kuroko for two days and the weight on his chest shattered when he was faced with those clear blue eyes. He lurched forwards and gathered Kuroko in a painfully careful and tender embrace. Silent, Midorima buried his face in the crook of Kuroko's neck and held on. Ignoring the burning, aching pain that laced his body, Kuroko weakly rested a warm palm against the nape of Midorima's neck and stroked the strands there.
"Shhh...it's alright, Midorima." Kuroko's voice came out in a quiet raspy whisper.
Kuroko felt the arms around him tighten imperceptibly and a heart breaking whisper answered his mumbling.
"God...thank god."
Warm, chapped lips turned and pressed a kiss on Kuroko's cheek and he melted even further into Midorima' arms.
After Kuroko woke up from his long two day sleep, all his bond mates' protective instincts and tendencies have developed to outrageous lengths.
He was not able to go to the bathroom without someone trying to wait for him outside the door 'just in case he slipped'. He could not even try to get up for a walk without Murasakibara appearing out of nowhere and whisking him off his feet. Kuroko even tried to sneak out of his room a few times to grab some food at night and was scared out of his wits when he was suddenly confronted with Akashi's eyes in front of the kitchen doorway. When he was about to go crazy from the seeping boredom Kise would appear with blinding smiles, warm hugs and arms laden with music, books, movies and video games for Kuroko to entertain himself with. Aomine would come and go at random intervals but was always seen lurking around with alarming frequency; he would also sit there with Kuroko at night surfing sports channels whilst keeping up a very one-sided explicit conversation with himself. Then sometimes when Kuroko could not lift his spoon to eat properly without twinges of aching pain travelling from his broken wrist and dislocated shoulder, Midorima would walk in, reapply his bandages and relieve his pain. Kuroko pinched his nose again when he saw that the weird assorted pile of knick knacks gathered at the table next to his bed had increased in numbers. Midorima had a knack for leaving him strange Oha-asa good luck gifts when he came to check on Kuroko.
He swear he was going to kill something the next time his bond mates looked like they were going to entertain any protective ideas. Honestly, his bond mates' over-protectiveness was comforting to feel but at the same time it wears him down.
He was going to attempt another sneaky escape to the library when a disapproving voice said,
"Tetsuya, don't even think about it."
Kuroko deflated and slumped on the bed in a sulk. Kise chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Akashicchi, don't be too hard on Kurokocchi."
Moments later Akashi gave a fond, exasperated sigh and acquiesced, "Fine, we will go to the park today for a little while."
However, Akashi's next words did not carry the same fond tone, instead it was edged with a hard brittleness. "Tetsuya...we only know so much about your life. Let us in. We can't help you if you don't tell us much."
Kuroko looked down at the nervous twisting of his fingers and exhaled. The suddenness of the request thrown him completely off-balance, but it was not the question that rocked him to the core. It was the way that Kise's back straightened and his eyes clouded with a combination of remembered suffering and rage. It was the slight hint of desperation in Akashi's casual but gentle tones. It was the slightly sick look that overcame Murasakibara's face. It was the white knuckled fists Aomine had pressed against his knees and Midorima's agitated touches on the frames of his glasses.
Their sense of combined aching pain made him want to curl up and soothe it all away. Unbidden, the thought of any of them suffering like he did surfaced and Kuroko flinched violently at the tearing pain that the thought brought to his heart. If they were hurt...Kuroko would want to know desperately to protect them and to avenge them.
He let out a silent, shaky breath, kept his eyes glued on his nervous hands and started talking.
"My father was enraged when I got back." Kuroko's voice trailed off in neutral tones. If he allowed himself to feel any emotions he would break down, and he could not afford to break down yet.
"H-He...was drunk and he grabbed me and slammed me against the table. For some reason, he suspected. My father suspected that I-I...", Kuroko's voice thickened minisculely with tears.
"That...I was bonded. He ordered me to go to see the Supreme council to check my bonding status." Kuroko could not stop the small hitch in his breath when he talked about the supreme council. An arm snaked around his shoulders and pulled him against a warm side.
Aomine's gruff voice drifted down where his chin was comfortably resting on Kuroko's head. "Tetsu...what division are you supposed to go to?"
Kuroko closed his eyes at the pain he knew would befall him soon, and tucked his head under Aomine's chin in an attempt to lessen the rigid angry tension in Aomine's limbs.
"The Human segregation division."
At his words, he felt the bond tremble and he looked up and saw the alarmed faces of his mates.
Kise had already started to pace around in agitation, but Kuroko noticed that there was not even a hint of cheerfulness or expressiveness in his stance. There was nothing but the coiled wild danger of a predator. When he looked around Kuroko noticed that Kise was not the only one...all his bond mates had similar auras of danger and razor sharp determination around their restless bodies.
There was a long silence where everybody tried to absorb the magnitude of what Kuroko said before they all stood up at once.
"Ryouta, can your sources gather more information about that division?"
Kise's chestnut eyes flashed with the glimmer of a hunting predator on the scent of a prey.
"Of course Akashicchi...Actually I can do better. In five hours I will have information about all the members and their connections for you."
"Good." There was a proud and triumphant look in Akashi's eyes.
"Shintaro-"
Midorima answered before Akashi could get a word in edgewise.
"I will send out my non-profit helpers to gather support from underground rebellion communities."
"Oh and don't forget to use my name together with yours. With both our powers we can grant them better immunity against any repercussions."
Midorima silently nodded before leaving.
"Daiki and Atsushi, both of you will approach the Supreme council with me to tell them that the Generation of miracles are not willing to do business with them any more until further notice."
The repercussions of that very dangerous action is widespread but they were ready to put a stop to the corruption of this unfair society.
"Be very careful Daiki, Atsushi. Wait for me near the government building, I need to arrange some things first."
Akashi turned around and addressed Kise, "Ryouta, text Shintaro and tell him that afterwards everyone will be at Momoi Satsuki's house. Go there with Tetsuya now and ask Satsuki to help you gather intel."
As they left Kuroko couldn't help racing towards them for a bruising hug. Murasakibara anticipated his collision so he was lifted up in a big bear hug. Dangling from Murasakibara's arms Kuroko shyly leaned forwards and gave his cheek a peck.
"I love you Kuro-chin. So you have to stay safe." After cupping a large palm against Kuroko's cheek and giving it a nuzzle, he put Kuroko back on the ground and lumbered over to crush Kise in a similar bear hug.
Still reeling from that unexpected confession, Kuroko was promptly enveloped by two pairs of arms. Akashi rested their foreheads together, their breaths mingling in the space left between them, then suddenly Kuroko's lips were crushed against Akashi's plush ones. His squeak of surprise turned into a mewling moan when he felt Akashi's tongue caress his unabashedly and before he knew it Kuroko was left dazed with a small nip on his lips. A hand on his face made him turn around, and his lips was taken again with fierceness and unrestrained wildness. Kuroko was breathless and blushing a vivid red when Aomine's lips left his and he was heatedly stared at with dark obsidian-blue eyes.
"See ya soon Tetsu. We also love you damn much so don't get into any more trouble ok?"
He nodded automatically and when he was released from the two pair of arms his knees were wobbling from their bold kisses. But before they left, he managed to find his voice and in a bashful whisper said,
"I love you too. I l-love...everyone of you..."
Hi guys, oh my gosh! So sorry for such a big delay!
PS there are more chapters ready but I will need to edit them for grammatical and spelling errors so bear with me guys :-)
I was happy reading your reviews. They were so motivating. Thanks again everybody. ;-)
Enjoy this chapter (Hugs)
