This follows Kuroko throughout the first few chapters. This is pretty much his perspective. I'm not very good with romance, so the Akakuro in this chapter is pretty friendship-centric. Okay, not really. But still.

I can never get Kuroko's personality right. So I just made him sorta wary of Akashi. (He doesn't know that Akashi has a coughsupermajorcrushonhimcoughcough.) Kuroko is also sassy. Very sassy. Beware the sassiness in this chapter, courtesy of you-know-who. That's right. Voldemort.

One last thing: This is kind of a filler chapter, so it's not really a main part of the story. You can skip it if you want…but only if you don't want the slight yaoi.

(And if you skip it, you'll have to skip the next chappie, 'cause it's a continuation of this.)

One thing about Akashi is that you never say no to him.

Kuroko Tetsuya could be described as 'defiant' under certain circumstances. But he would rather not get on Akashi's bad side, though he was fully aware that Akashi would never actually snap at him, unlike the other unlucky souls who had suffered beneath the hands of Akashi Seijuro.

(Honestly, Kuroko pitied them, though he seldom did anything about it.)

Kuroko wasn't scared of Akashi. No. He just didn't like getting himself involved in disputes that could be prevented with him keeping his mouth closed.

So when Akashi invited him out to dinner on a seemingly random day, he didn't argue. Instead, he tried to call Kagami so the redhead would tell Riko he wouldn't make it.

Strangely enough, Kagami did not pick up. Kuroko suspected it had something to do with Akashi and his freaky eye-powers, if that was even possible.

At this point, he knew it was best not to question anything Akashi does.

~o~

"Right on time, Tetsuya," Akashi greeted him smoothly, a placid smile on his face. Kuroko did not let that fool him.

"Do you need something, Akashi-kun?" he asked bluntly, not bothering beating around the bush. Never had Akashi invited him to dinner before; it must've been something important.

Akashi looked genuinely surprised. "Is it bad to want to spend time with a….friend?"

Kuroko did not like the way he emphasized the word 'friend'.

"Akashi-kun." He tried to sound more stern this time, although he knew his…personality quirks wouldn't allow him to show any kind of emotion.

"Tetsuya, I would never lie to you."

Sure.

"I just wanted to spend time with you."

You say that, but…

Kuroko reluctantly slid into the seat directly in front of Akashi. The redhead smirked haughtily at him. He rolled his eyes inwardly.

"Akashi-kun, just tell me why you brought me out here, to a fancy restaurant, of all places." He gestured around him, not at all amused by the soft, romantic music playing in the background and all the couples lip-locking over the tables. He suppressed a shudder.

"Do you not like it, Tetsuya?"

Never one to tell a lie, Kuroko deadpanned, "No, I do not."

"As expected of you."

"You're not answering me, Akashi-kun."

The redhead leaned forward, smirking once again. "You're just very….intriguing, Tetsuya. Very hard to read." He tapped the side of his head. "Although my eyes see all. You cannot escape me."

"That is creepy, Akashi-kun."

"What are you going to eat, Tetsuya?" Akashi avoided the question easily.

Kuroko frowned slightly, though it was barely noticeable. Akashi, of course, caught onto this. "…I'm not particularly hungry. Besides, I don't have much money with me right now."

"Why, of course. I will pay for you," the heterochromatic weirdo said.

"I feel offended because you seem to be treating me like a girl."

Akashi just shrugged. "Tetsuya, you have to order something."

"I don't have to." If it weren't for his stoic personality, Kuroko would've glared balefully at the redhead.

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do, and that's final."

"…No, I don't." Let it be said that Kuroko never backed down. Even Akashi knew this, so he let it be. (He could eventually convince the tealnette, but it would take too much time off of this precious 'date'.)

While the redhead waved over a nearby waiter, Kuroko discreetly slipped his hand in his front pocket, fishing out his phone.

...Should I try texting Kagami-kun again? It seems like he didn't get the last one.

(Note: He didn't get the last one because Akashi somehow deleted the message. Idk. He's just freaky like that.)

Before he could make a decision, Akashi began speaking to the waiter. "May I have a *insert fancy food that Akashi would eat because how the heck am I supposed to know* and a vanilla milkshake?"

Kuroko stared at Akashi. "I didn't know you liked vanilla milkshakes as well, Akashi-kun."

"Well then, we're learning about each other, aren't we?"

Kuroko continued staring emotionlessly at him.

"You didn't expect me to not order you something, did you?"

The tealnette pursed his lips. "….Thank you, Akashi-kun. I shall pay you back later. Although you really didn't have to." He let his irritation seep through, though only slightly.

"I was merely being a gentleman, Tetsuya," Akashi replied pleasantly.

Kuroko frowned again. Before he could open his mouth to speak again, his phone started ringing. He took it out with the intention of answering it, but before he could even blink, it was in Akashi's hands and the redhead was holding it to his ear.

Knowing full well there was no use in denying Akashi, Kuroko sat back and watched.

There was a long stretch of silence before Akashi spoke, his tone icy and unforgiving. "Taiga."

Kuroko visibly winced. He'd have to apologize to Kagami later for his permanent mental scarring.

There was incoherent mumbling on the other line.

"Who do you think it is, Taiga?" Akashi glanced at the bluenette for a split second.

There was a shorter period of silence. Kuroko had to strain to hear half of what Kagami was saying, though he caught something along the lines of 'phone'.

"Tetsuya is…busy at the moment." Akashi's gaze interlocked with Kuroko's, who remained impassive throughout the whole thing. He broke the eye contact after a while.

More silence.

"You're asking too many questions."

Kuroko busied himself with his napkin. He had long since given up.

"Now, Taiga….why did you call, exactly?"

Kuroko looked up swiftly, ready to say something, but Akashi quieted him with a finger to the lips.

The tealnette waited with bated breath.

An audible gulp, presumably from Kagami.

….

Akashi coolly gave the phone back to Kuroko, who pocketed it immediately after realizing the other redhead had hung up.

You were my last resort, Kagami-kun, and you failed me, he thought bitterly.