Something heavy and warm is pressed against my back as I sink ever deeper into my bed. It's a nice warmth, especially since my blanket seems to be tangled around my legs, neglecting everything above my knees. It's all right since the warmth against my back branches out across my torso and curls around me tightly. A groan resounds behind me, low enough to hum against my skin. "Daiki?" My voice is still tainted with sleep, begging to be lulled back into a stupor.
A resonating noise of sleep sounds behind me, confirming my guess. I'm not entirely sure how things ended up this way, but I don't really care. I'm tired and lazy. That is, until my phone rings. The caller is someone I really shouldn't ignore. "Hello?" I groan, hoping my sleepy voice doesn't scream of me being slightly stupefied.
"Alex." The voice greets warmly. A little too warmly, actually. "Come meet me today. I'm in Tokyo for a while since my parents have business here."
"What time is it?" On weekends, I'm not entirely human before noon.
"It's eleven thirty. I'll drop by in an hour and a half. You should probably wear something a little nicer than your usual."
"So no sweats? Or band tees?" All I hear is a low series of chuckles.
"I'll see you at one." The call ends with a clean click.
"Was that Akashi?" Daiki murmurs, his arms pulling me closer to his warmth. A happy noise rumbles up my throat.
"Yeah." I reply, feeling him tense behind me. "It's nothing to worry about. I can handle Sei." A yawn spills from my open mouth as I wriggle free, feeling cold as soon as I stand. I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep for a while longer. That can't be helped, I suppose. I'm in the shower as soon as I find my towel.
The water is frigid as I hop about quickly, trying to adjust the temperature quickly. It warms to something just short of scalding, so I get to work quickly, so the hot water doesn't run out before I'm done. My soap is especially fragrant today. It's a new type after all, I guess, since I ran out and Daiki went out to get more. All I can smell is orange blossom, something sickeningly sweet compared to what I usually use. It doesn't even smell remotely similar to the real thing.
I towel off quickly, and kicking Daiki out of the bedroom, attempt searching for Seijuurou's version of "nice" but not "formal". Let me tell you, I don't go shopping for clothes often, and I don't own very many "nice" sets of clothes, and I'm starting to wish I had. It takes me fifteen minutes to settle on something that even Sei can't call casual, but can't call formal. Yes, this is my definition of nice clothing. Awkwardly between formal and casual.
My hair dries slowly, so I'm forced to blow-dry it if I want even the slightest hope of brushing it and making it look somewhat presentable. I finish my preparations for meeting Sei with five minutes to spare, and a growling stomach for all my efforts. I get out of the bedroom in time to get ambushed by Daiki. His arms wrap around me from behind as I enter the kitchen, his chin atop my head. "Be careful today." He murmurs, twisting some of my hair.
"I will." I say with a relaxed smile. "You know as well as I do that Sei isn't prone to injuring his former teammates." Daiki snorts with disbelief but doesn't say anything. I can practically see the way he's rolling his eyes and the twitch that is probably playing at one corner of his lips. I'm halfway to the door when it opens, Sei walking in like he owns my apartment.
"Good, you're ready." He says. He doesn't voice any objections to my attire, just a half-smile that vanishes quickly. I only barely caught it myself. "We'll be going then. I'll assume you didn't eat yet." I raise an eyebrow, but give a sort of half-nod.
"I'll see you later, Daiki." I chirp, waving slightly as I'm urged out the door. "Don't set anything on fire."
"Yeah, yeah." He replies with a roll of his eyes and a curve of a smile. "Take care." The door closes quickly, and the silence of the hallway surrounds us. Sei looks more normal than usual. More like he was when I first met him. It reminds me of what happened after the Fallout.
The windows are higher than I thought here in the gym. The boys are practicing down below, and because Seijuurou and Tetsuya can't help me practice when they practice with the others, I'm left to watch until I'm told to leave. I'm not in my gym clothes yet, but I'll be changing pretty soon, and then I'll go to an empty gym, probably the third one.
It's so much fun to watch the others practice, but it also fills me with a dreadful sense of longing. I'm not sure where Nijimura went, but I haven't seen him in quite a while. Sei says I can start to practice with the first string in a while, when everything is grounded more fully and things calm down. I'm the one who will upset the balance once more, so it's best to wait out the current chaos.
My phone buzzes. It's surprising for two reasons. One, it's likely my family, who never bother to call me, and two, I haven't heard from them in six weeks. I'm a little too eager to open my phone, my face lighting up when I see it's a text, only to fall when it's from my unhappy brother. Foolishly, I think I'll be met with something I can help. Predictably, I'm not. Surprisingly, this is actually not about what problems my absence is causing.
My face pales as I read things I hadn't thought I'd see, and only grows paler and more confused as the message delves into emotional chaos. I'm confused, and I'm getting angrier and angrier. I did nothing to deserve this. I'm here for school, not to start fights. My screen is getting blurry as tears fill my eyes.
A surge of indignation closes my phone, and an increasing level of confinement pushes me out into the courtyard. I feel like I'm choking on air. A few deep breaths find me sitting near the walkway, looking over the message carefully. With a sigh, I decide it's time to call home. "Hello?" The voice is welcome to my ears, soothing and smooth.
"Dad! It's Alex. How are things?" Harsh coughing sounds through the phone. "Is everything alright?"
"Alex? I haven't heard from you in ages! Your mother's been very... upset. You might want to come home for a while." A shrieking noise sounds in the background. "Or rather, not at all if you can help it. This place isn't the way you left it. You'll be subjected to-" more shrieking "-that, for the most part. Are you having fun?"
"Yep! I'm learning how to play basketball, and I've made a lot of new friends! They're all really nice. I'm getting better at Japanese and I'm not failing math yet!"
"Tell me about your friends." My dad's voice is pleasant to listen to. Soft and undemanding, sweet and comforting. He's the gentlest person I know. Tetsuya and his parents are the only ones who come close.
"Ah! Tetsuya Kuroko, my homestay, is a lot like you! He's got light blue hair, it's true!, and he's so quiet that he practically vanishes. Daiki Aomine is loudmouthed and a little slow, but he's amazing at basketball! Then there's-" I go through the Miracles and my softball teammates. "But how are you doing, really? You sound sick."
"I'm not doing so well, it seems." My father says wearily. "I'm actually pretty sick. It's gotten worse. I've been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks. They think... they think it might be terminal." Horror paints a mask across my face.
"You can beat it! You can! I believe in you!" I say hoarsely. Coughing follows suit.
"Your siblings are getting to be quite the handful. Janine is playing soccer, and your brother's doing lacrosse."
"I-Is that so?" I reply pleasantly. "Dad, I love you." My dad laughs cheerfully.
"I love you, too, Alex. I have to go, otherwise your mother will-" I finally recognize my mother's voice in the background as the phone emits static and then projects yelling. "Alex! Is that you?" I blink in surprise.
"Mother?" Sickeningly sweet tones carry through my phone.
"You haven't called in forever, sweetie." The endearment sounds like it's being spat out like poison. "You spend so much time away from us. Come home so I can re-familiarize you." Something is off. "After all, if you have the energy to be so distracted playing another sport and making new friends, you certainly have the energy to come home and return to normal. I sent you there to learn. Your learning is done." A frown draws across my face.
"M-Mother, I can't leave now. It's the middle of the year, and I have-"
"Come home now, or I'll force you."
"You can't force me to do anything!" I say forcefully, shock running rampant. "You promised I could finish out the year! You said one more year since I couldn't leave earlier! You can't just uproot me-"
"Listen to me carefully, you brat. You owe me. I've fed you, clothed you, sent you to school. I sent you over to Japan. You haven't accomplished anything I told you to. You haven't used that Akashi boy, you haven't made any meaningful relationships, you haven't even changed in the slightest. You need to be disciplined. I've given you too much freedom!" The rant goes on, and on, and on.
"Mom, I can't- I can't use people! I don't want to! I'm not going to use my friends! These friends aren't meaningless! They're important to me and-" And what? What can I say to get her to take back what she's said? "I'm not your puppet, Mother. You can't expect me to live as something to be ordered around like a pet."
"You will." How long has my vision been blurry like this? "You're an utter failure without my guidance. I will have you home on the next flight, or you will stay in Japan, without my help, forever." Why? Why am I getting an ultimatum? What did I ever do to deserve this?
"Mo-"
"You're as useless as always. I was wrong to think you'd grow up at all. Don't come back, Alex. There's no place for you here. You're just a burden on this family." The phone call ends with a decisive click, and I'm left staring at the screen.
"Here you are, Haicchi! Akashicchi is looking for you-ssu!"
"Thanks, Ryouta... I'll be there in a minute." I don't dare to look up at Ryouta. He'll know something's wrong the minute he looks at my face.
"Hai...cchi?" I hear him walk closer.
"Please, Ryou. Go tell Sei. I'll be there in a minute." Ryou says nothing for a few minutes.
"Okay, Haicchi. Come talk to me when you're ready-ssu." He jogs off, back toward the gym and the kids I wish I could join. I'll be fine in a few minutes. I will be. At least, that's what I insist, trying my best to smile while my tears overflow once more.
"Are you trying to be difficult, Alex, or does it just come naturall-" Sei's voice drops abruptly. "Was it... It was." I try to laugh. A sob spills out instead, tragically desperate, nothing short of humiliating.
"I'm sorry. I'll be up in just a second." Try as I might, I can't force my legs to work properly. "My dad's sick. It's bad. Everyone's moved on, ignoring it. My mom's leaving me here since I won't go." My voice is quivering too much. "I owe you an apology, Seijuurou. I owe you much more than an apology. Will you listen?"
Elegantly, Sei sits down beside me. "The... the only reason I wanted to come here was to learn Japanese, to see things another way. I... am really happy here. I'm really, really happy. I couldn't ask for more than to stay here with all of you. You're all my friends. You all mean the world to me. I've never been this happy.
"The reason I was... sent here was because of my mother. She's a businesswoman. I'm not sure what her company does anymore. She sent me here because I was... I was supposed to use you. I was supposed to befriend you and get your father and his company involved with my mother's. Knowing that, I came here, to Teiko, and I did what I could to get information on you, and as hard as I tried, as hard as I tried to use you, to get myself to use you..." A strangled pause chokes my words.
"I really couldn't do it. I couldn't use one of my friends. I couldn't... I wouldn't use you. Not you, not Tetsuya, not anyone else. I'm so, so sorry Seijuurou. I'm so sorry. I can't do it. Not to you or anyone. So I get to stay here, useless. I'm as useless as always..." I can't help laughing. Laughing and laughing as tears drip and land on my folded hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sei."
"That's enough, Alex." Warmth is all around me, unannounced. "I understand."
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Seijuurou. I've really done something unforgivable this time."
"You haven't done it. You've told me the truth." Seijuurou is quiet and calm. "Promise me something." In my need to please, I nod my head.
"Of course."
"You won't be manipulated by that person again. You aren't a puppet, Alex, so don't act like one. Do you understand? Promise me you won't talk to her again." A noise of unease clambers past my lips. "Promise me."
"I promise." I murmur. "I'm not needed there anyway. There's no longer a place for me in that house."
Sei is calm as I go with him, quiet and calm and collected. "Sei... you don't look much like your mother." My voice is quiet as I broach the subject. I know I shouldn't be saying anything, but the statement came out before I'd thought much of it.
"She's my stepmom." Sei says flatly. "Dyes her hair red since it looks better."
"Sorry." I murmur. "I shouldn't have said anything." Sei shakes his head as we step outside.
"You were bound to find out sooner or later. My actual mother died when I was still in elementary school." I nod my head.
"I'm sorry for your loss." The redheaded captain says nothing in return, only sighing and glancing at me once before staring straight ahead.
"My stepmother... she thinks of you like her own child. I don't really understand why. She likes you a lot." I nod slightly. "If you're wondering what my father thinks, I can't answer that for you." I offer the redhead a smile.
"Thanks for sharing, Seijuurou." I can't hide the smile in my voice. "It's... refreshing." He chuckles beside me, placing a hand on my head and roughly ruffling my hair. "Wa- Sei, don't do that!" There's no actual punch to my words, just laughter making it hard to understand.
The redhead doesn't stop ruffling my hair until I manage to bat his hand away. "Geez, Sei!" Laughter is still bubbling past my lips. "This is unusual, for you especially." Sei offers me a strange smile, one that's a mixture of brotherly and something else.
"Oh? Is it a crime now to touch your hair?" Sei challenges, narrowing his eyes slightly. Almost off-putting, but I'm too used to Sei to think he's intimidating anymore. Scary? Sometimes, but not malevolent at all.
"Maybe~!" I chirp, dodging his hand again. "You never know!" He chuckles. I'm used to Seijuurou this way. He's definitely different when it comes to basketball, when it comes to school and teams and all of that, but it seems like he can finally be human when we find ourselves in each other's company. I don't mind this sort of thing; rather, I wish it happened more often. Sei will look after those he cares about. When the loyalty goes both ways, the whole world opens up.
"Have you considered coming to Rakuzan?" I blink in surprise at the sudden question.
"To be honest, I haven't given it all that much thought. It's a good school. The athletic programs are fantastic. It's far though, and..." and Daiki doesn't go there. "I've adjusted to Touou. I'm happy there. I think it would be a bad idea to transfer there in the middle of the year. Besides, you already have a team that you can use. Touou might not desperately need me, but I'm a regular. I like my teammates."
A sigh escapes Sei. "I see. I'll admit that it might not be so beneficial academically for you to transfer, but I wouldn't mind having you on my team again." I guess that's Sei's version of a compliment this time around. It still makes my insides glow with pride. "My team has come together, but we don't have anyone who plays like you do. That aside, it's... unseemly for someone in our position to play against each other. And for us to not play at all, well that's not fair, is it?
"My father thought it best that you transfer to Rakuzan. Of course, since you're legally a ward and not a child of the Akashi family, he won't force you, but there's no one here to keep a close eye on you." Sei glances at me with amusement. "Not that you'd really need it." I roll my eyes.
"I'll... think about it. I will. But don't expect the answer he's looking for. Satsuki can keep an eye on me if he's really that concerned. I'm happy here." Sei gives me a calculating, but somewhat approving look.
"So I see."