Week 2 - AU + Family

- There is a fire on Kuroko's kindergarten and a gentle fireman goes to the rescue.

A Fire Is Not Always A Bad Thing

Kuroko was now in total panic. He had found it strange that, for some reason, his nose was smelling a scent that could be described as smoke, but he paid no attention to it, as he was distracted with his 4 and 5 year-old students. He was new in this new job, it was his first month in that kindergarten and he had just graduated from college – and the last thing he needed was a fire on his work place, where there were more than 50 children who were less than six years old.

He, who only showed emotions when near children, was in panic.

Apparently, the fire had started in the kindergarten canteen, because the cook forgot about something on the oven and things got a bit out of control. Kuroko always thought that people who worked with children would be (and should be) extra cautions, but apparently things weren't always like this. He silently swore to himself, while trying to calm the kids down and put them in a safe place, that he would have a long conversation with this woman, right after he made sure she would be fired.

(He knew he couldn't be the one to decide such a thing, but he was under pressure at the moment and rage was taking him).

Suddenly he heard a tiny voice coming from a little girl next to him. "…s-sensei, I'm scared… I wanna go home…"

"Everything will be alright, don't be scared, I'm here with you." Kuroko took her by the hand and squeezed a little, showing a small smile and trying to assure her everything would be alright. He then gathered all the children of his class next to him and gave orders. "You will all take someone's hand and will not let go of it, understood? Please make a line right in front of me and follow the teacher on the hall, don't be scared and don't let go of your partner, everything will be alright."

Kuroko opened the door and saw the other children and teachers running to the main entrance. When he noticed everyone getting very nervous when they found out that the main door was already barred by the fire, Kuroko had to take a deep breath and think. He was the only man on that school, he had to keep himself calm so that he could calm the others and help as well as he could.

"Kuroko-sensei! We already called the firemen, but we should find an exit quick, because the smoke is spreading fairly quickly!" Hitomi-sensei, the school's principal, was in charge of making everyone go out safely, but he too was in total panic. Kuroko could not let himself get caught up in this situation, his students were more important right now…

Think Tetsuya… Where can you take them to safety?

Suddenly, he remembered something. "Hitomi-sensei, please take the children to the canteen and make them go out through the back door, I'm sure that that one is free from the fire!"

As the children were being evacuated as fast as possible, the siren of the fire truck could already be heard from outside. "They're here already, I'm so glad… But… Where's Hanako?!"

Now there was another kind of panic on Kuroko's mind. Hanako, the little girl who he was holding on to, was no longer holding his hand. His first thought was she's with her colleagues, and Kuroko ran as fast as he could to see with his own eyes.

Nothing.

She wasn't with Kuroko's class, and couldn't be seen anywhere. "She probably went back to our classroom…!" The blue haired sensei ran with all his might to their classroom, but he met a thick wall of smoke blocking his way, as well as his respiratory system. Breathing was hard, but he was determined to go get the little girl back to safety. When he finally managed to open the door that gave way to the classroom, he was already with a fit of coughing and his lungs were burning, and he thought that the little girl might be just like him – or in worse state. He tried looking around, trying to find Hanako, but the smoke didn't let him see so well. "Hanako! Hanako, are you here?!" He was almost giving up when he heard some sobbing and coughing coming from under a table. When he approached said table and saw that the little girl was there, he almost exhaled in relief – if it wasn't for all the smoke. "Hanako, there you are! Come, let's get out of here!"

Kuroko took her in her arms and headed to the exit, but stopped on his tracks when he noticed they were trapped – the fire had already spread far enough that had reached their classroom and there was no way out, as they were on the second floor and not even the windows were an option. "What are we going to do now?! I have to save Hanako!" On that moment, Kuroko decided he would protect the little girl until help came, thus he placed them both under the same table Hanako was before and put his arms around her, trying to cover her the most he was able to.

All they could hear outside was things breaking, people running and the firemen shouting to make people go out safely. Kuroko remembers thinking that his "invisible trait", as he liked to call the thing that made him go unnoticed by people most of the time, was not very useful right now, and he hoped that, somehow, someone would come and save them – him and his precious girl – because Hanako didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve to have his life shortened by the error of some dumb cook who couldn't even do her job right. Kuroko remembers feeling very sleepy and hearing Hanako call out to him. Maybe this was what made him stay awake until someone knocked the door down and came to save them, with a hose in his hands.

That was a very strange fireman, Kuroko remembers. He had red hair, almost like the fire had spread to his head and he was the fire himself, but he had been very gentle, albeit his large size and all that red that seemed so very annoying to Kuroko at that moment. He remembers something like the fireman scolding him, saying "he was insane and that he should not do a fireman's job without thinking", and he remembers saying that he had to save Hanako, no matter what it took. The fireman smiled and called him an "idiot" before he took the both of them on his back and took them to safe land.

Yeah, a very strange fireman indeed.

-x-

When Kuroko woke up, he was already outside of school – more like inside an ambulance, laying on a stretcher. Everything that happened before seemed like a dream at first, but when he came to his senses, he stood up in a hurry, going out of the ambulance, and called for Hanako.

"Hanako?! Where's Hanako? Is she alright?!" Kuroko wasn't feeling like himself at all: his head was hurting and every breath hurt him, probably because of all the smoke he had inhaled. He felt a bit dizzy and before he knew, he was already falling to the ground.

But all he met were two strong arms that caught him before he fell.

"Hey tiger, calm down, you're not okay, you still have to be examined on the—"

"Where's Hanako?! Is she alright?! It's a little girl with blue hair, just like me. I want to see her!" Kuroko was screaming despite himself – he was not like this at all. But Hanako was important and he needed to be sure she was okay, because…

Before he could even finish his thought, the same two strong arms that helped him before were now around him, embracing him in a warm hug. "Shh, everything's alright. She's alright, she didn't inhale too much smoke thanks to you. Now calm down, okay?" His voice was soothing was so very gentle – Kuroko didn't think such a big man could be this gentle. He closed his eyes and felt himself calm down, just feeling the warmth that spread through big hands. Right now, that red hair didn't seem the most annoying thing on earth – it was calming, even.

They just stayed in that position until a voice was heard.

"Daddy?"

Something stirred inside Kuroko and his only thought was of letting go of that gentle man and run – run until he reached Hanako, and hugged her, and maybe let two tears run down his face (not that anyone would notice, he told himself).

"Ohh, there you are my princess… I'm so glad…you're alright…"

"Daddy…you're crushing me!" Hanako was as happy as Kuroko was, he could tell from her smile. They just hugged for some time, before the gentle fireman came to them, a bit embarrassed.

"Aham… Could you two please come to the ambulance? You still have to be examined and…I don't think you want everyone looking at you…"

Suddenly Kuroko came to his senses – he was making a scene in the middle of the street, and many of the teacher and students were looking at them – some embarrassed, some fond of the scene, some others surprised. He blushed a little (Yes, this day was definitely not his day) and took Hanako by the hand. "Shall we go?"

Her smile was a total yes.

-x-

On the way to the hospital, Kuroko got to know the gentle fireman a little better – his name was Kagami Taiga and he was the fire chief of the fire department of that area, an American returnee whose dream is to save and help people, even if it may put his own life at stake. Hanako was delighted with her new friend (Kuroko asked her over and over to treat Kagami-san politely, but he laughed it off and allowed her new intimacy). Kagami had bright red hair – completely natural, he swore – and Hanako, who was just 5 years old, wanted to play with it, wanted to touch it and, if she could, take it home with her. He, too, was having fun with her, because apparently he was good with children (he said something about his brother having a daughter too). Kuroko was watching the both of them attentively, amused.

"Kagami-san, we're supposed to be heading to the hospital because we're sick, remember? You shouldn't be playing with Hanako inside an ambulance."

"Oh come on, you're not that sick you can't play with your daughter inside an ambulance. This is something new and she's loving it, right?" Hanako nodded and threw herself to Kagami's lap. "By the way…she is your daughter, right? I'm just jumping to conclusions because of the hair and…"

A small smile appeared on Kuroko's lips and he nodded, looking fondly to the girl sitting on the fireman's lap. "Yes, she's my daughter. She's the only princess who lights up my world."

Kagami's expression changed to one of worry. "Only? So, you're not married? Or did your wife… You don't have a ring, so I thought… I'm sorry, I'm asking stupid questions, I'm not even an acquaintance and I'm intruding!"

Kuroko and Hanako giggled a little and Kagami blushed profusely. "I don't mind, don't worry. No, I'm not married nor has my wife died. After all, I've never even been married to begin with."

Kagami felt stupid. "What? You've never been married? Then, how did you get this little blue thing?" Hanako looked at him with puffed cheeks but Kagami soon tickled her and she burst laughing.

"Long story short: one night stand with a friend while I was drunk and she really wanted me. Then, she decided to have Hanako, but career's calling was louder and she went to the States, while I instantly fell in love with my pretty princess and stayed with her ever since her birth." Kuroko's expression completely changed when he talked about his daughter, and Kagami was fascinated by that man, who had the deepest blue eyes Kagami had ever seen.

"Ohh, so that's why she's the only princess in your life…"

"No, she's the only princess in my life because I don't intend to give her a mother – instead, I wanted to give her another father, if possible." Kuroko deadpanned.

Oh. Ohh. "So, you're like…that, huh?"

"Yes, I'm gay, Kagami-san."

Kagami felt himself blush – blush very much. So Kuroko was gay. And he was being very open about it, no doubt about that. Maybe it was just his imagination, but…

When they reached the hospital, Kagami opened the back doors of the ambulance and let them both out.

"Well, maybe I should have your phone number, just in case there is another fire on the kindergarten or…something… Or I could give you my contact and you then decide what to do with it, it's your choice…"

Kuroko smiled, and Kagami blushed – again. "Yes, I would like that, Kagami-san."

-The End-