Authors note: I am so sorry. I can't believe it took me over a year to update this. To my old readers, please forgive me. To my new readers, please have the patience to stick around. :)

Blood and Candy

Kuroko woke up cold and stretched awkwardly in his small bunk. The fluorescent lights were dazzling, and his head hurt. He rubbed his eyes. Three hundred and sixty-two days to go, starting today with some stale bread and some watered downed coffee.

He sat at his usually spot in the cafeteria with Kagami and Midorima, discussing the prison's newest dilemma the frozen water pipes, until a guard named Hanamiya grasped Kuroko's shoulder harder than he needed to and said, "Prisoner eleven, follow me." Kuroko flinched at his touch. It was him. The guard that almost beat Haizaki to death.

The bad thing was finally happening.

Kagami nostrils flared. His corners of his mouth turned into a snarl. "Why? Where are you taking him?" Hanamiya spat at Kagami "Did I give you permission to speak, prisoner?!" Kuroko froze up. He looked from Hanamiya to Kagami, grave and dangerous. This was bad. Kagami was going to get himself locked up in SHU, or worse time added to his sentence.

Midorima cleared his throat loudly, breaking the stalemate between Kagami and Hanamiya. "Kuroko, go with him." he pleaded, softly. Kuroko nodded, thankful for Midorima for defusing the situation. He stood up and stepped forward. The cafeteria bustled with whispers, a stir among the prisoners, who watched the scene with curious eyes. Kagami just looked pained as he watched Kuroko fall into step behind Hanamiya. He could do nothing to help him.

They walked through a couple of checkpoints in silence. Hanamiya showed his ID each time. "Your attorney has been making quite the fuss lately." said Hanamiya suddenly, as they walked. Kuroko said nothing, just stared at him impassively. When dealing with prison guards, the best thing to do was not speak. Speak only when required.

"Fine piece of ass, that girl. What is her name again? Riko Aida, right?"

"Yes."

Kuroko stared ahead, and concentrated on not allowing himself to riled up by this man. "She is using every legal trick in the book to get you an early release. You'll be leaving soon, I hear."

"I hope so, sir"

"You'll be back. This I know, because you're a fuckup. I can see it in your eyes. You are nothing but trash. You'll always be trash. If I had it my way, none of you garbage would get out. I'd hang you all from the gallows." He smiled darkly at Kuroko. "You're a pretty small guy. You probably last a little longer than most, hang for a good ten minutes. You'd give the crowd a real good show." He laughed, as if it was genuinely funny.

Kuroko didn't back down. He held Hanamiya's cold gaze, but remained silent. They walked up a flight of stairs, and then they stood outside the warden's office. Kuroko never been here before but he knew where his office was. Hanamiya slide his ID card, and the miniature traffic light above the door flashed from red to green. Hanamiya opened the door and they went inside. Kuroko had only seen the warden two times in the last four years. Once when he had been showing some big wig politician around the prison. The other time was during a lockdown, he gave a speech. He told the prisoners that prison was overpopulated, and it would remain overpopulated, and they should all stop whining about it. This was the first time he saw the man up close. He was overweight ugly man, with a pudgy face. His hair was cut into a neat military style. He looked like he hadn't sleep in days. Kuroko briefly felt sorry for the him. His office was perfectly clean, besides a few books scattered on his desk.

"Kuroko, right? Please take a seat."

Kuroko sat down by the desk, appreciating the civility. Hanamiya stood behind him. The warden pulled out a file out of his desk drawer, and placed it in front of him.

"You're quite the celebrity, boy." the warden said. "The media portrayed you as a tragic hero."

Kuroko sat up straight, and said nothing.

The warden studied him with tired eyes. "Some people believe you shouldn't have been convicted at all. After all, all you did was murder a murderer."

Kuroko felt a small hurt in his chest. In his heart.

"Do you think you belong in prison?" asked the warden. There was no right answer to that question, so Kuroko said nothing. The warden narrowed his eyes then tapped Kuroko's file with his index finger. "Says here you were sentenced for fifteen years for second degree manslaughter. You served four."

Were? Kuroko felt his stomach turn in fear. He wondered how much more time he was going to serve. Was he was going to add more time to sentence? The warden noticed his inner turmoil.

"Relax. Your first parole hearing will still be held around this time next year. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. I try to speak often to all the future parole inmates. As you know, I am the head of parole committee. Without my approval, you'll never leave this place." Kuroko nodded.

"You're twenty-five? You look much, much younger."

Kuroko had a babyface. He was use to people underestimating him, disregarding him.

"I hear you are a model inmate. Most of the guards barely notice you at all." the warden continued.

"I learned my lesson."

"Did you!?" The warden snapped. "Forgive me if I don't take your word. Everyone here claims they learned their lesson, and yet my prison is overpacked." Kuroko nodded slowly, and concentrated on appearing remorseful.

"That man you shot, he was on trial for murdering your wife?"

"Fiancee. We were going to get married in the spring."

"How did you meet her?"

Kuroko considering telling him to mind his own business. What did he want from him? Why was he making him relive this pain, to speak of it? "I met her in junior high. She was my best buddy's best friend." he paused. "I gave her a free ice-cream." Kuroko voice was blunt, giving as little details as possible.

The warden cleared his throat before he spoke. "He would have walked. " he said.

Kuroko could feel, somewhere deep inside him, rage and pain building. He breathed deeply through his nose, out his mouth, forcing the tension out of him.

"You knew the jury wouldn't convict him. The evidence was too circumstantial. There was no DNA linking him to the scene, nothing." the warden said.

Kuroko gritted his teeth.

"That is why you took a .25 caliber gun and shot him. My question though is how?"

Kuroko looked at the warden blankly, his anger still budding beneath his emotionless expression.

"How did you sneak pass the courthouse guards? How did you get through three metal detectors without triggering the alarms? Was it an inside job?"

"No."

The warden leaned forward and glared down at Kuroko. "Don't lie to me, boy. "

"I'm not lying, sir. I did it alone. I did it because I knew I could." Kuroko said without regret, without remorse.

The warden studied Kuroko with grave eyes, not really believing him. "You can leave." he said.

Hanamiya walked Kuroko back to his cell, not saying anything. Kuroko noticed they were taking the long way back, so he asked him why.

Hanamiya smiled that smile again. He stopped walking once they stood in front of the employee restrooms. "You heard about the frozen pipes, right? All the restrooms in your cellblock are out of order. Go use restroom or else you'll be shitting in a cup tonight."

Kuroko looked at the man with skepticism. He stood perfectly still, weary of this unusual kindness. He wondered if he felt sympathy for him after hearing his story.

"Go. I'll wait for you here." Hanamiya ordered.

Kuroko obeyed, cautiously walking into the restroom. The guard restroom was clean, and well lit. It was refreshing change from the usually disgusting urinals and the broken bathroom stalls without the doors. Kuroko looked around the bathroom, a force of habit. You can't defend yourself when you're taking a piss. Inmates were often shanked in restrooms. He pulled down his orange jumpsuit pants and pissed, relaxing, feeling relief.

There was a loud grunt from the stall to his left although he heard no one come in. Kuroko began to panic. Suddenly two of the bathroom stalls swung open, and three inmates stepped out. He quickly pulled his pants up, and turned to flee. A huge, tan man that resembled a gorilla blocked the door. Kuroko tried to duck pass him, but another man with blond hair and a snaggletooth in the corner of his mouth grabbed his shoulder. Kuroko socked him in the jaw. The man cried out pain, clutching his mouth. His mouth bleed profusely, so did Kuroko's knuckles.

The third man watched the scene with annoyance. "Nebuya, just grab him already!" The man with the long, dark hair ordered.

Nebuya grabbed Kuroko from behind before he could escape. Kuroko struggled in his iron grip, thrashing wildly. The smaller blonde seemed to recover from his pain. His face turned a deep, angry red. "You little shit!" he spat.

He punched Kuroko repetitively, with all of his strength. Kuroko felt himself go limp, and then he was falling. His head hit the bathroom floor with a definite thud. He blacked out for a few seconds after that. He laid defenseless, in no position to defend himself, sprawled out on the floor.

"Christ, Hayama! He's bleeding." The man with long dark hair and gentle eyes said.

"He hit me, Big Sis!" The blonde whined. "He hits pretty damn hard for a small guy."

Gorilla man laughed loudly, his voice deep and boisterous. " Moron. What do you think will hurt more a chipped tooth or gouged out eyes?" Hayama paled at his words, completely terrified.

Mibuchi sighed loudly and jabbed Kuroko in his side with his foot. "Hey I know you're awake."

Kuroko raised his head from the floor, and looked into Mibuchi's soft blueish-green eyes.

"Don't take this personally, OK. Because this isn't personal. I honestly had no idea who you were until a few days ago. You're a goddamn spook. I mean you're so unnoticeable. We're in the same cellblock. We work in shop together, at the same time, but I never noticed you." said Mibuchi.

Kuroko sluggishly tried to stand up, but Nebuya put his giant foot on his back, pining him down.

Mibuchi continued. "Unfortunately for you, Sei-chan noticed you."

"Sei-chan?" Kuroko asked, then he recalled the man with mismatched eyes. The man who always watched him from afar, never approaching.

"Don't call him that." Mibuchi said with a soft smile. "You'll call him Akashi. Whatever Akashi wants, Akashi gets, got it? When he says jump, you ask 'How high?', 'How far?', and 'Where the fuck should I land?'." he paused. "Listen. After the guards do the nightly headcount, you're going to sneak out, and meet him in the library tonight, understand?"

Kuroko shook his head. "I...I can't. "

Mibuchi laughed. His laughter was warm and sincere. " I told him that too, but Akashi has high expectations of you. He thinks you can do it, easily."

Kuroko tried to reason with him. "What about the guards?"

"The guards are the least of your worries, shadow boy." Mibuchi said, then he gestured to the door. Nebuya removed his foot from Kuroko's back and walked out of the restroom with Hayama in tow. Mibuchi walked over to the sink, and turned the faucet.

"Clean yourself, up." Mibuchi ordered. Kuroko slowly pulled himself up from the ground. Blood slowly oozed from the side of head, down his face.

"Guard Hanamiya is going to escort you back to your cell, and you're not going to say a word about this to anyone."

Kuroko felt numb. He nodded slowly.

"Be in the library tonight or you'll regret it." Mibuchi said as he waked out the bathroom, not in a threatening way but as if he was stating a simple fact. Kuroko limped to the sink and splashed water on his face, washing the blood away. The cold water stung his wounds.

What now?

He took some paper towels out of the holder and pressed it against his head. As he tossed the blooded and crumpled towels into the trash, the bathroom door opened. Kuroko looked over his shoulder and recognized the man instantly. It was the colossal inmate from the day before, the giant with the lazy eyes.

The two men stared at each another for a moment, and then the tall man's gaze drifted to the sink, where the bloody tissues laid scattered. He approached Kuroko, towering over the smaller man. Kuroko's heart beat uncomfortably hard. He just kept staring at him with his big, curious violet eyes, remaining silent. He reached out his massive clenched fist, as if involuntarily to Kuroko. Kuroko clenched his eyes shut, feeling trapped. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes to see the giant fist had opened, revealing a handful of small, colorful candies. Kuroko looked at candies then the gentle giant in complete disbelief. Tears swelled up in his eyes, the events of the day finally catching up to him. He'd once thought he would never cry again, but here he was, in tears.

"Thank you." Kuroko mumbled, wiping away his tears.

The giant just smiled.

Authors Note: Welp, I hoped you all enjoyed it. I made this chapter extra long to make up for my super sluggish update.

I changed a lot in this chapter. Originally I had Kuroko's crime in full detail, and I had a fight scene between Aomine and Kise. I decided to use that material later. I still don't know what the main pairing should be. I very fond of Kagami/Kuroko, but there so very little Akashi/Kuroko. I love that pairing too. I guess I just write, and see who the readers prefer as I go along.

The next chapters are going to be a little weird, characters out of character and whatnot. None of GOM really know who Akashi is, so none of them are going to respect or fear him. It goes downhill from here. He is going to gain control, one way or another, and it's not gonna be pretty.