Warnings: Unbeta'd. OCCness.

Chapter 14: MidoKuro – Predestined – Part 3

Tadaima – I'm home.

Okaerinasai – Welcome back.

Predestined; fate determined by divine will. A sentiment so senseless it was almost laughable. But, nothing about the predicament Kuroko Tetsuna was in inspired amusement in any way, shape, or form.

Kuroko closed her eyes from the light of the sunset streaming through the partially closed curtains of the living room, her expression blank and bleak as she gently patted her 1-month-old.

Only a single week had passed since mother and child had moved in with Midorima Shintarou. Yet, Kuroko knew their living arrangements would have to change as soon as Tatsuya grew strong enough to endure the move. It took a toll on her pride, but she knew she needed Midorima's help, at least for the time being.

"Forgive me for being so weak Tatsuya..." Kuroko whispered, not exactly sure if the apology was meant for her son, or her late husband.

Still, the admission didn't make the atmosphere at the house any easier to bear. Midorima was overly cautious, Kuroko was excessively wary, and neither was willing to address what had happened seven nights ago.

A beep from the digital lock of the front door signalled Midorima's return.

"Tadaima."

"Okaerinasai,"

How strange… Regardless of how strained their relationship had become in the past week, Kuroko and Midorima never failed to deliver those salutations. Such simple words they were, but those words granted relief. Relief for Midorima that Kuroko hadn't packed up and left without so much as a goodbye, like she did ten years ago. Relief for Kuroko that Midorima had returned home safely, unlike her late husband did ten months ago.

"Your bath's ready," Kuroko informed Midorima as she lowered Tatsuya into his little cradle, but the moment her hands left him, Tatsuya's tiny arms jutted, spreading out in jerky, spasmodic movements. The jarring fit was accompanied by a brief, high-pitched wail.

"His arms were twitching just now," Kuroko fretted. "That's never happened before. Could something be wrong with him?"

"Let me have a look at him."

If it were possible, Kuroko held Tatsuya even closer, unsure whether or not to hand her baby to a man so unabashedly frank about his indifference towards children.

As if reading her mind, Midorima asserted in a calm, albeit slightly frustrated, tone, "Kuroko, I'd never do anything that'd even remotely harm you or Tatsuya." He offered his large, strong hands. Palm up, ready and willing to receive Tatsuya.

Kuroko's gaze wandered from her baby's face to Midorima's forest green eyes, boring into her behind his half-rimmed glasses. They were deeper than what she recalled from a decade ago; more intense; less inhibited. Back then, he reserved his emotions without exception, never letting anyone know what he truly thought. Kuroko could hardly believe it. How he had become so undisguised with his intentions.

Then again, ten years was a long, long time.

Midorima closed the gap between them and gingerly pried Tatsuya from Kuroko's arms. The infant took a sudden intake of breath and stuck out his arms again. Midorima placed his finger in Tatsuya's palm and the baby instantly closed his fist.

"He has a strong, firm grip," Midorima's lips twitched, the corners of his mouth quirking up ever so slightly.

There was a tightness in Kuroko's chest as the sinking feeling in her stomach grew. How many times had she heard it before? The endless numbers of proud fathers bragging about the strength of their new-born's grip.

"He's fine. It's just an infantile reflex new-borns have as a response to a sudden loss of support." Midorima assured Kuroko, but was otherwise engaged in a staring contest with Tatsuya.

Kuroko knew babies loved to contemplate faces, but to her, it seemed like Tatsuya had unknowingly challenged Midorima into a time-honoured ritual of seeing who will blink first. Kuroko averted her gaze as she pinned her arms against her stomach, wondering if her son would've enjoyed his father as much as he seemed to enjoy Midorima.

"You okay?" Midorima asked, breaking Kuroko's train of thought. Tatsuya still had a hold of his finger. "You're standing right in front of me, but you're a mile away. That – and it's like you're going to vanish any second."

"Oh, nothing," Kuroko lied. "It's just a bit, strange… I guess, seeing you so comfortable with a baby."

Midorima's eyes widened momentarily. "Yes, I suppose it is a bit strange," he said with a closed-lipped smile.

When Tatsuya's little baby gurgles faded and his hold on Midorima's fingers slackened, the tall doctor pulled down his glasses with his freed hand and looked over the rim.

"He's asleep," Midorima commented.

"He likes you," Kuroko emitted a little mirthless smile and admitted with a hint of reluctance. "Otherwise he wouldn't've felt safe enough to fall asleep in your arms."

"Does that bother you?" Midorima focused on Kuroko's reaction as he handed her son back to her.

If Kuroko was startled by Midorima's question, she didn't let it show. With Tatsuya in her arms, Kuroko turned away and walked into the master bedroom.

"Maybe…" Kuroko murmured. "I don't know anymore…"

Tatsuya had been restless the entire night, waking anywhere from three to five times each hour. When he finally fell into a deep slumber at four o'clock in the morning, Kuroko's mind was so awake that she failed to see the point of going to bed anymore.

She walked into the living room, shrouded in the cover of darkness. Her footsteps were soundless against the luxurious wool carpet. The silence in the air made the soft, steady breathing she heard deceptively louder.

Midorima was asleep on the sofa. He was so tall that he occupied the entire furniture. His left hand dangled off the armrest, holding his glasses. His right hand held an open book to his chest.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Baby Sign Language, Second Edition.

The sheer notion that a man like Midorima would read such a thing, coupled with the ridiculous title of the book itself, caused a surge of emotion to overwhelm Kuroko. She couldn't stop herself from smiling even as she felt the early onset of tears threatening to pool in her blue eyes.

It was painful.

It was utterly painful how easy it was to fall in love with Midorima again.

She didn't want to. Kuroko tried to think of Tatsuya, to remember all the happy years they'd spent together. Instead, the memories of Teikou and herself with Midorima rushed back to her with a vengeance.

"Tetsuna," Midorima blurted out as he suddenly encased Kuroko in a bone-crushing embrace.

Kuroko opened her eyes wide in shock, when did he even wake up from his sleep?

She tried to push him away, her eyes shone with the wetness of her anguish.

"No, don't," Kuroko sobbed urgently as Midorima reached for her once more. She grappled with him, her fingers tangling with his. And suddenly his mouth was on hers, and he pushed her against the wall, anchoring her with his own body.

Midorima caught the nape of Kuroko's neck in his hands, and his thumb traced lazy patterns on her heated skin. The lush force of his lips stunned every inch of her anatomy into overdrive. Bewildered and shaking, she urged herself to close her lips, but her heart thumped wildly in her chest and she lost all tension of her limbs as she ultimately responded to his warm, coaxing mouth.

Midorima wanted things from Kuroko he knew she was uncertain of giving. Her mind… Her body… Her heart and soul… He wanted them all.

He wanted her.

Sensing her hesitation, Midorima drew back and possessed her mouth with small, untiring kisses, the thick rims of his glasses pressing gently against her face. His long fingers stroked the delicate structure of her feminine jaw, tilting her chin, he told her, "I love you."

Kuroko gasped. The moment he gained the opening, Midorima sealed his mouth over Kuroko's. He could taste her, a luscious and enthralling essence of vanilla that affected him like some sort of erotic drug. His tongue pushed past her lips, experiencing her in soft, loving strokes… sliding deeper through her weakened resistance.

After the lingering kiss, Midorima withdrew until their lips were barely brushing against each other. Their heavy inhales and shaky exhales filled the room. He licked his lips and brushed a half-open kiss against her mouth... her cheeks… her temples… her nose… her eyes, kissing away her tears, meeting her with soft outbreaths of desire.

Kuroko writhed, the scorching pulses of pleasure streaking down her body.

Straining against him, Kuroko searched for Midorima's eyes. He had them firmly set on her, saturated with yearning. His lips descended upon hers again and he dug his fingers into her soft, soft hair. This time, the kiss was so endearingly gentle that goose bumps shimmered across Kuroko's skin.

Kuroko reached for Midorima and brushed the side of his head. Midorima leant into her hand, hearing her pulse throbbing hard beneath the smooth skin of her wrist. Midorima deepened his hold on her mouth. He ate at her, tasted and savoured every drop of her. Kuroko felt a soothing rawness, if that made any sense.

When Midorima lifted his hard body from her softness, Kuroko was amazed that her enervated self didn't slump into a heap on the floor. They were breathing equally hard, their chests rising and falling in sync. Even though his body had left hers, leaving her own body cold and protesting against the loss of contact, Kuroko still felt as if she was trussed against Midorima, her mind retaining the sensation of being held in the security of his embrace.

But, it wasn't long before Midorima's warmth was back on Kuroko's skin. He kissed her collarbone and parted her nightgown. She shivered and held onto Midorima in an act of pure instinct. She felt his breath on the aching peaks of her swollen, sensitized flesh. His hands traced the skin of her throat, all the way down to cradle her sweetly curved mounds as he parted his lips, and whisked a rosy peak with his tongue. His tongue languidly flick her most delicate points again and again, until a soft moan was lured from her quivering lips.

"Shintarou…"

"Shhh… It's just me Tetsuna, you don't have to fear me. You don't have to be afraid of this…" Opening his mouth, Midorima captured Kuroko's heated bud between his lips… drew on it with a gentle tug… stroked it with his clever tongue… pulling it over and over… licking, suckling, rasping hungrily at it until he felt the flavour of her milk tease his taste buds.

Kuroko closed her eyes, willing herself not to shed the tears that were welling up again. No matter how much she denied it, denied the truth. The fact remained that she wanted to be with Midorima. She wanted Midorima to want to be with her and Tatsuya. She wanted a life for the three them.

Midorima straightened; his long fingers cupped Kuroko's face, his thumbs caressing the soft lines of her beautiful, sad visage.

"Tetsuna, look at me."

"I can't…" Kuroko choked.

"Tetsuna, I love you." Midorima forced Kuroko to focus on him. "I know this is hard... I will wait until you're ready to let me into your life, into both yours and Tatsuya's. But, I need to know that the time for that will come, eventually, no matter how long I have to wait. I need to know that we have a chance."

Chance…

Fate…

What point was there when they were predestined from the start?

Kuroko laughed. She laughed through the tears, laughed through the hurt, laughed through the happiness.

"What am I supposed to say to that?"

Midorima smiled a grin that couldn't be contained.

"Say yes."

5 years later

Midorima held Kuroko close as they walked along a quiet beach, trailing behind five year-old Tatsuya, and his little 2 year-old sister, Miku.

"Are you fine with just this?" Midorima asked his wife when they stopped to enjoy the sunset.

They came to the secluded beach on that very day, year after year.

"Yes, Tatsuya's ashes were scattered into the sea. Every time we come here, I feel like we're letting him know that we're okay. That he doesn't have to worry about us anymore, wherever he is now," Kuroko smiled into the breeze, feeling it comforting her. As if Himuro Tatsuya himself were there to tell her everything was going to be alright.

Midorima's arm tightened around Kuroko's waist, holding her even closer to him.

He planted a kiss on her head, breathing in the scent of her hair, "He knows, Tetsuna."

"I know…"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Huh… Never again will I write this pairing.

The headache for this series was unbelievable.

Sigh…

Bye guys.