I apologize for being late, but school decided to kick my ass and i got into ff14 instead. It's a ton of good inspiration for some of the landscapes in this fic, at least. Anyway, comments are always appreciated and thank you for the nice ones already! Not much happens here, but it's about to get real pretty soon. ~Xar

Kuroko couldn't cry. Not here, not now, since Kagami-kun was behind him and Kise-kun was in front of him, and he had a hold on his emotions that rivalled even the most stoic of men. Hearing Kise say his time-worn nickname, though, was enough to knock him into the bars, his hands barely trembling. Kise-kun couldn't reach him: his chains were too short despite him straining, so he settled for studying Kuroko's face with unnerving eyes.

"Kurokocchi. Kurokocchi…you're here. Was Akashicchi right? I swear he was just pretending. Kurokocchi can't be here, he's dead." Kise's voice fell into mumbling as his eyes slid elsewhere. The mage didn't know how to deal with this, and it seemed Kasamatsu was right; something horrible was affecting his friend and addling his mind.

His skin grew cold at the fact that Kise didn't smile anymore and that in itself was creepy. Now, with him mumbling strange words to himself and pacing up and down the cell, Kuroko could barely stand looking at him.

"Oi. What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Kagami looked disturbed, for the lack of a better word, and was staying at the far end of the room. "Should you really be so close to him?"

"Kise-kun wouldn't hurt me. You would likely be in more danger, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, evening the tones out in his voice. To be completely honest, he wasn't very sure of that statement, only having just started to feel the effects of the magic rolling off of Kise. It was slick and dark, like an oil spill, full of disgusting things and thoughts. It smelled like death and buzzing flies, and turned the air so cold the hairs on Kuroko's arms stood up. No amount of clothing could escape him from this chill.

Gingerly he reached a hand out to the bars again, trying not to breathe. "Kise-kun. I'm real. You are not making me up, nor am I dead. I apologize for the misunderstanding, but-"

"Oh REALLY?!" Kise suddenly jolted forward with an accompanying clashing of chains and the white mage froze where he stood. "Then tell me, Kurokocchi. I love Kurokocchi lots. He's always being nice to me no matter what, and he welcomed me and everything! Kurokocchi is the best, and I don't appreciate you TAKING HIS FACE."

Kise's horrid yellow eyes fixed him in place, and Kuroko couldn't move or breathe or anything. "Not a good prank. No. You know what I like to do? Mess with people. It's fun! Even if Akashicchi yelled at me and now Senpai yells at me too! Why does everyone keep yelling when all I do is have fun?"

His mouth opened up to reveal fully sharpened canines, characteristic of dark elves, but it was so unlike Kise's characteristic smile that he could only back away in disgust. "It's soooo boring, you know? All of them and their smiles and praise, and I hate it. Why bother being fake? It's more fun to…yeah, I think it is. Destroying everything, you know. Gotta do that."

Kise's pupils were so narrow Kuroko was having a hard time noticing them at all. As he talked, the feeling of the oily darkness got greater and greater until he was nearly gagging from the feeling. This was definitely it. What Midorima had talked about and most definitely…what had possessed him.

"Kise-kun!" Kuroko shouted suddenly, trying to get the attention of his friend, but it just caused him to slam himself against the bars. Kagami's hands rushed forward to drag the white mage away, but Kuroko stubbornly clung to the bars, inches away from Kise's face.

"Get away from there, Kuroko! He'll hurt you, you dumbass!" The tank was telling him, but he completely ignored his friend. He wasn't going to be a coward and leave again.

"No. He won't hurt me, Kagami-kun! I will not abandon Kise-kun!" He was clinging to the bars with everything he had, so much that Kagami couldn't even get him to budge. Kise stared at him the entire time this happened, his expression silent and surprised.

"Why do you feel the need to do this to me? You made me kill Aominecchi a thousand times over. WHY KUROKOCCHI?! I WON'T!" Kise's lips trembled before he started shouting wildly. Kuroko could only watch as his friend suddenly jerked away, throwing himself against another wall. He could only watch as he thrashed around wildly in his cave, screaming out broken phrases before falling to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Both of them were silent. Nothing could be heard but the muffled breathing and sobbing of what once was his friend on the floor. Kuroko could barely breathe-this was much worse than he thought. The darkness was coming off of him in waves, accentuated by Kise's turbulent emotions after seeing his long-dead friend.

"Kise-kun. I'm real," Kuroko tried to say, softly, but it only made the lump of clothing twitch, sending shivers down his chains.

"Go away. Go away go away go away go away I hate you, I hate all of you go AWAY!" Kise yelled again, his burning yellow eyes staring directly at them again. "People are so stupid. They just want things from me. They just like how pretty I am and how I'm famous, and I HATE THEM! They're so fake. And you're fake. I can't believe you'd do that to my precious Kurokocchi! Stop wearing his face, he doesn't deserve that!"

The mage was no longer sure if he was clinging to the bars to stay lose to Kise or because of the fact he would fall over without any support. He had known things fell apart when he'd left but this was…this was much more than he'd anticipated.

"Kuroko." Kagami's voice was rough behind him, giving him some small measure of strength. Right, his partner was there and could help him. Shakily, he let go of the bars and composed himself.

"Yes, Kagami-kun?"

"Kasamatsu wants to know if everything's all right. Come on." A strangely gentle tug to his arm led him out of the room when he didn't really want to. They were led straight into the dark hallway and the Kaijou guild leader's worried face.

"I heard some shouting! Are you both okay?" He asked, strangely out of breath.

"Kise-kun wouldn't hurt me," Kuroko replied, deadpan. Kasamatsu just gave him an incredulous look and turned back to the tank.

"Did he?"

Kagami shook his head as Kuroko silently fumed. Did they really think so little of him that he would lie? Kise was more than capable of hurting people, but not him. Not his friends. It annoyed him how much gentler than Aomine he was treated, but it was Kise's special way and he just knew that his friend was still wrapped up underneath all that darkness.

"Guy went crazy though. Started mumbling about something and saying we weren't real," Kagami said, purposefully not looking his partner in the eye. Kuroko knew he wouldn't be mad at him once this was over with and Kise back to normal, but right now everything was ticking him off.

"I…figured that would happen. Before we got him, he wandered around town a lot, hitting on people, causing destruction, starting fights, things like that. He was very frivolous but something seemed wrong with him," Kasamatsu said, "We've captured him several times before, but that kid's an escape artist, lemme tell you. I can't count how many times he led us around in circles."

"Kasamatsu-san, when exactly did he first show up in Kaijou?" Kuroko asked.

"I. Um, let me think. It was a few months ago. He's been in this cell for a couple of weeks now," the guild master said.

That certainly fit the timeline, but there were still a few missing months. Perhaps he'd been wandering in the wilderness before then.

"Has he been like this the whole time?" Kuroko asked, pointing at his eyes. "Surely you know dark elves' eyes don't naturally look like that."

"I know that! That's why we locked him up! Something's wrong with him and I'm hoping you can shed the light on this situation." Kasamatsu folded his arms and stared the both of them down. He seemed serious, whether he genuinely cared or wanted the troublemaker gone, Kuroko didn't know.

"Look, neither of us know what the hell is going on! I mean. Uh, sir, I trust Kuroko with his own friends, as annoying as they are. He's a white mage," Kagami said, causing Kasamatsu to jump and swear.

"Shit. You can't be! They got exterminated by the king years ago!" The guild leader said, shocked.

"I am aware that the monarchy killed my family when w-I was little. However, thanks to my mother, I escaped alive." Kuroko didn't flinch, nor once did he flicker. He had to be that way, explaining such a gruesome past to people who didn't know.

"There is a darkness inside Kise-kun. I don't know where it came from, but it inside him now. I please ask that you allow me in there once again to exorcise it from him. I need to do this for him," Kuroko said, bowing down almost parallel to the floor. Was begging beneath him? Possibly, but it really didn't matter.

Kasamatsu didn't look like he knew what to make of this. He'd trusted them enough to let them into see the elf, but it was another story all together to do something as risky as this. Still, Kuroko stayed bowed. Kise was still in there. He was still there. He was still-

"Are you sure you two know what you're doing?" He finally said, looking back between the two.

"Hey, do I hafta repeat myself? He's a white mage, and I'm here to handle anything that goes wrong," Kagami said roughly, jamming a thumb to his chest. "We got this."

He still looked unsure, but eventually, Kasamatsu sighed and nodded. "Fine, I'll believe you, if you two idiots came all this way. Just don't kill him, will you? He never actually killed anyone while he was here. I don't think he's a bad person."

"Gladly," was all Kuroko said, before turning his way back to Kise's cage.

"So like, how does this exorcism thing work?" Kagami asked as soon as Kuroko kneeled down at the bars and set his staff down perpendicular to them. Kuroko didn't want to tell his friend he'd never done this before and didn't actually know what he was doing. Exorcism wasn't exactly a science, or anywhere near exact for that matter, being something that only holy mage users could do.

Ironically, paladins were much better at it than white mages, but that wasn't going to stop him from helping Kise. Everyone had their trust in him. "It's hard to explain. I will ask you to try not to interfere, but keep me grounded please."

Kagami's face was picture perfect for 'confused dumb tank.' "What the hell does that even mean?"

Kuroko allowed himself to smile with his eyes. "It means 'please keep my body safe.' White mages normally have paladins to do this job for them, but Kagami-kun will do in a pinch."

"Hey! I'm much better than some shitty ass paladin, thank you very much. Shut your mouth!" Kagami raged, kicking a nearby wall and waking Kise from his self-induced slumber.

"Kuro….ko. Kurokocchi…Kurokocchi, have you seen Aominecchi? I think he's mad at me again," The dark elf said, slowly rising up into a sitting position, his creepy yellow eyes dull. Kuroko just ignored him, taking out the chalk and drawing lines around him in symbols he and his mother had wrote secret notes to each other with.

"Kurokocchi…stop ignoring me. You always do. That's what they all do, right? Say, when we find the others, should we just kill them like you are? They're too bright." Kise had started shuffling towards the front before Kagami stepped in between them.

Kuroko couldn't look. If he did, his concentration would be broken and he might not be able to go through with this. He finished writing himself into the circle, expelling tiny amounts of power into the words he wrote before scattering a few drops of the little amount of holy water he had left. His paladin had blessed some for him, but he only had a finite supply now that Kuroko's protector was gone.

"It's ready, Kagami-kun. Kise-kun." Kuroko's eyes were closed, but he felt his power tremble beneath his fingertips, ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting darkness. It was still cloying, filling the air around Kise with a deathly haze, but he was determined. He wanted HIS Kise-kun back.

"Okay. Anything I should do?"

"Just hold on tight, Kagami-kun and don't let go," Kuroko said. The mage waited only until he could feel Kagami's hand's on his shoulders before opening his eyes and releasing all his magic at once, straight towards the blonde elf.

The words beneath his fingers glowed and started crawling up Kuroko's skin as he opened his mouth in a soundless shout. The world seemed to almost vibrate and shake around him, and no longer did any of his senses work. No sound, no feelings, just the sight of light surrounding him, edges eaten by the darkness he sought to banish.

His world shattered around him and he dived forward with a purpose, briefly aware his hand shot out and touched Kise's forehead through the bars. It didn't matter, because just like that they were connected, and the elf's desires and fears cascaded over him like a waterfall.

It was scary. Exorcisms were scary since they bared the soul out in the open, but Kuroko wasn't there for existential debates. He was there for Kise-kun and saw him bright and shining in front of him and dived.

Kurokocchi! There you are. You're ignoring me again, aren't you?

Hey look. Hey look! You know that one move Aominecchi was always bragging about? Don't tell him now but I finally copied it. He's gonna be so pissed.

Kurokocchi, you really should smile more. You're cute when you do, you know? I heard you didn't even talk when you got here.

Ssu, Akashicchi is so mean. Do something about this Kurokocchi!

Why should I bother?

I shouldn't respect those weaker than me.

They just want my attention.

They should know better than

To give it to me.

Can't they see a monster disguised in sheep's clothing?

They annoy me.

I HATE THEM

"Kise-kun, it's me. Please don't hate everyone. I believe you are more than that." Exorcisms were all about emotions. The only way to a person's heart was what they thought about you, all their emotions and insecurities bundled up into one, and Kuroko was nothing if not observant.

His friend was stuck here at his deepest, wound together with golden thread and bound by ropes of shadow encroaching on his very being. It was a small room, looking like one in their previous guild, but this time, Kise looked lost.

"What if they're weaker than me then? Why should I respect people weaker than me?" Kise asked, and with every word the darkness crept towards him. Kuroko started forward, trying to pull the scraps off of him, but all it did was slice into his hands and make them bleed. He didn't care; the white mage kept desperately going, staining the carpet red.

"Because there will always be people weaker than you, Kise, but you will need them regardless. Aren't we all a team? A family. Does Kise-kun not like me?"

"Kurokocchi. You're different. You're-"

"Weaker than you. But that's a relative term, Kise-kun. Everyone has merits and can do things you cannot. Please don't be that type of person. I won't ask you to change who you are as a person but-"Kuroko stopped.

Isn't that what he was trying to do? Change them all as a person? What if all of this was just him as a false savior, a person trying too hard to make his friends change for his own selfishness? Maybe Kuroko just had a wish that was too heavy for anyone.

Even so, I just want my friend back. This wasn't natural. This darkness made Kise say things it hurt to hear and it kept crawling up him and strangling his limbs, and no matter what he did, his hands couldn't pull it away fast enough.

The scratches were extending all the way up his arm as he held his hand out, desperately trying to peel the shadows off his friend's face. Kuroko paused when Kise's hand covered his own, slowly, gently.

"Kurokocchi. You're always precious to me. Don't cry," The elf said.

He was crying, finally, in his soul of souls-inside Kise's. "Please come back, Kise-kun. There is no need to hide from anyone's expectations of you anymore."

It seemed like those words had worked, for all of a sudden, the tendrils of darkness stopped in their tracks. Kuroko knew what types of masks his blonde friend felt the need to wear, much like his own.

"But you are not alone. You can be mean, and cry, and laugh, Kise-kun. And no one will think the less of you. Let's find Aomine-kun together. Just please come back," Kuroko said, finally.

Kise smiled. It was his real smile, the one that lit up like a thousand suns and was radiant as his own aura. "You say weird things, Kurokocchi. But I can't move."

He flicked Kise on the forehead, before hugging him gently, not even minding as the tendrils of darkness gave way to allow access. It was so much easier to move now, and he knew he could finish his job. "Kise-kun, you're dumb. Let me finish."

His arms around Kise never faltered, and the white light contained inside him burst out, filling the dark elf's soul with a wonderful blankness, driving away the last remnants of the darkness that so tortured his friend. And with that Kuroko fell, fell back into the familiar light of Kagami's arms.

The world had suddenly snapped back into place, leaving no room for the white mage to recover, and he probably would have falling onto the ground had it not been for Kagami's grip on his shoulders. Kuroko blinked a few times, staring into his partner's concerned face.

"Oi, Kuroko. You okay?" He asked simply.

"I think it worked," Kuroko said. Sparing no thoughts on himself, he struggled upwards to peer into the cage where Kise had also collapsed on his side, no one to catch him as he fell. He wasn't moving.

"Kise-kun. Kise-kun, please wake up," Kuroko prodded, hoping at least for some little response. There wasn't any, not for a long moment, before the bundle of blue and yellow groaned and opened its eyes.

"Where….what happened?" Kise blinked and shifted himself upright, the chains rattling ever so slightly behind him. Kuroko finally caught his gaze and let out a sigh of relief-Kise's eyes were back to normal. They were all dark with just a ring of amber around his pupils, crinkling in surprise when he saw Kuroko sitting there. "Kurokocchi!"

The dark elf jolted forward, only to be stopped in place by the chains binding his hands. "What the hell?" Kise growled, revealing his sharp canines, before a hand from Kuroko silenced him. He was shaking from exertion, but that didn't really matter.

"Kise-kun. How much do you remember?" Kuroko asked, stopping Kise in his struggle to get free.

"I don't know. I wasn't able to think clearly for a long time, like in a daze. And then I had a dream and Kurokocchi had returned to life in it! It was so cool and now it's all gone but…" Kise's eyes flicked down to the white mage's own, his pupils narrowing into slits like they always did when he saw something he liked. "Are you real?"

Kuroko reached out and ran his fingers through Kise's dirty hair, not minding the hand on his own back that kept him upright. "Of course I am, Kise-kun. I am not very good at jokes."

The dark elf closed his eyes, leaning into his touch, and it was hard not to notice the tears that suddenly came leaking out of the blonde's eyes. "I thought you were dead. We all did! I was so sad I couldn't find you and that…that Kurokocchi was gone forever! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for being annoying and stupid hugging you-well I'm not sorry for hugging you-but I just wanted you to come back even if you didn't care…"

Kise was straining at his bonds, obviously, desperately trying to get at his long-lost friend. "Kagami-kun, could you please get Kasamatsu-san in here to free him? Kise-kun is cured."

Kagami again, didn't look happy about having to leave his partner, but thankfully, Kuroko had him wrapped around his fingers and he went to go get the guild leader. It wouldn't take very long, but Kuroko still treasured the moments alone with Kise.

"Kurokocchi. How did you…" Kise was still crying, but it wasn't like the crocodile tears he so usually shed. Kuroko merely smiled slightly, reaching with both of his hands to softly hold the back of the dark elf's head.

"That monster did not actually kill me. I was careless and let it rip some of my clothing, but I escaped into the forest. I did not know you all thought I had died. I am sorry," Kuroko said.

"Kurokocchi…I'm so happy….I'm so glad you're here…." It was while he was mumbling these words that Kagami returned with Kasamatsu who was looking at the scene with undisguised surprise.

"I'm not even gonna ask what happened, but you got him back to normal?" The guild leader asked. Kuroko nodded in response.

"I managed to exorcise the darkness inside Kise-kun. It was not hard after Kise-kun accepted his feelings." And it was true. The aura of death had disappeared around the elf, and the basement seemed just a little bit less cold and barren. Kasamatsu merely shrugged, gathering the situation with his shrewd eyes. It apparently was enough for him, for he finally started peeling the seals off the bars of the cage, shooing Kuroko out of the way.

He clung to Kagami's arm, the exorcism leaving him drained, much like Kise. "You sure he's all back?" The tank asked in a low voice.

Kuroko just nodded. "Does Kagami-kun doubt me that much?"

"Shut up! You were all glowy and then suddenly collapsed! What am I supposed to think?"

"Kagami-kun is a mother hen." The white mage left his partner sputtering as the cell door final clanged open and Kasamatsu reached behind the blond to undo the chains there.

It took only a few more seconds and a nearly deafening screech of "SENPAI!" before Kise was suddenly hugging the guild leader to death.

"Wh-what the? WHAT? GET OFF OF ME!" Kasamatsu unsuccessfully backed up and even more unsuccessfully attempted to unattach Kise, who was doing a very good impression of an octopus. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS BACK TO NORMAL!"

"Senpai believed in me! I remember all that you said to me. That I wasn't really evil and everything and now you just let me go! I love Senpai!" Kise said, ignoring Kasamastu's visible growing discomfort.

"Kasamatsu-san, this is normal for Kise-kun. He will just be generally less destructive," Kuroko said, not missing a beat. Well, that actually was a long shot, since Kise sometimes was a walking disaster, but he was pretty good at containing himself. "And Kise-kun, let go of Kasamatsu-san before he hurts you."

Kise looked reluctant about that, but did. Not quick enough for the guild leader, as he still received a kick to his ribcage, leaving him rolling on the floor. "Senpai! Why are you so mean to me?"

"I had to deal with your sorry ass for months! I was worried about you and if you were okay and this is how you repay me?! Get your head in the game. At least apologize to the friend you left waiting for years!" Kasamatsu gave another nudge to the blonde's head, though it certainly wasn't as painful-looking this time.

It was also all it took for Kise to drastically change from a gooey clinging mess to a serious young man, shaking slightly as he stood up to greet said long-lost friend. "Right. Sorry."

Kuroko and Kise stared at each other for a few more seconds, too many words to say into the silence that hung between them. "Kise-kun-"

His voice breaking the silence was all Kise needed and suddenly Kise's arms were around him, holding him tight like he never wanted to let go, his nose buried in Kuroko's hair. "You're real. You're really real and it all wasn't a dream! I'm so happy…"

He hated hugs normally, but even Kuroko couldn't deny Kise this one joy of his, not after he'd been chained and locked up in darkness for months. Not after he knew just how much the blonde had been suffering. "Yes, Kise-kun. I'm glad you're free."

Seeing Kasamatsu had been a brief respite for Kise to gather himself, but now it seemed he'd calmed down to his real emotions. Kuroko could feel a wetness gathering on his neck, but didn't comment on it, nor moved from his spot. His fingers ran gently through the dark elf's hair like before as he allowed Kise to cling to him.

"I'm sorry Kurokocchi. It was really mean of me to abandon you like that and act like you weren't cool-which you are! I really did think of you as a friend even if you…." Kise mumbled into Kuroko's skin. He didn't say anything-couldn't really, just let Kise cry and cling and reassure him that he wasn't going to leave him alone like everyone else did.

He knew the other two were standing there awkwardly but Kuroko didn't really care. This was what they had come here for and Kagami had seen him in far weaker positions. "Kise-kun, I appreciate your feelings but…you're really heavy…"

Apparently, that was Kagami's cue. "Alright, blondie. Off my partner."

A large hand came down and nearly dragged off Kise with a little bit more force than necessary, leaving the tank with a rather annoyed dark elf in his hands. "Hey! I was just saying hi to my Kurokocchi. I thought he was dead, give me a break!"

"I'll break your bones if you don't listen to him!" Kagami growled back, and if it hadn't been for Kasamatsu's intervention, they probably would've started a fight that Kuroko was too tired to stop.

They would all get along amazingly.

Kagami had to curse whatever luck gods Midorima worshiped, because when he thought he was gonna meet another member of the Kiseki team, he didn't know the guy was going to be MORE annoying than the green rabbit himself.

Kise would not shut up, not stop smiling, and not stop touching Kuroko the entire time they were together. Sure, maybe he could give the guy a break, seeing how he thought the white mage had been dead for the past some years or whatever, but that would be playing nice and that was something Kagami Taiga did not do well.

So instead he just sulked the whole time, when Kasamatsu gave them a room to recover their strength from the exorcism, when they all had to share it-all three of them!-and when Kise insisted that he and Kuroko sleep on the same bed.

Honestly, he didn't know why he was so pissed at Kise getting all up in their personal space, though if his brother had been here to say anything about it, he would've laughed at 'his little Taiga being jealous.' No, he was definitely not thinking about that.

Thankfully the two were exhausted, and they dropped off to sleep incredibly quickly, Kagami not even having the heart to untangle Kise from sprawling all over the little mage. He got a little bit of sleep too, before Mr. Sunshine decided it was a wonderful time to wake everyone up by dropping a plate on the floor.

"The fuck?! Are you fucking deaf!" Kagami yelled, shaking Kise back and forth like it would somehow knock some screws into place inside his empty skull.

"I was just trying to get breakfast for us and Kurokocchi! No need to be so mean…." Kise cried, alerting Kuroko finally to their presence.

"Well next time why don't you try to fucking not wake me up next time!" Kagami continued to yell, and Kise's face suddenly dropped into a terrifying blankness. The tank paused.

"Sorry, didn't realize that Kagami needed his beauty sleep," Kise's voice was slick on his tongue, and the amber rings in his nearly black eyes just added to the unnerving effect. "Now let me go."

Kagami did, not sure what to make of the elf's sudden change of personality. "Whatever," he grumbled, trying to save face, only to have Kise scamper away from him and accost Kuroko with breakfast. What seriously was with these people?

At least sitting down and eating allowed Kagami to observe his new companion better. He'd never actually seen that many dark elves up close, only hearing others speak of them as a strange faction of elves who stuck to caves and dark forest to live in. Kise had the characteristic black eyes-where they got their name- and large pointy ears, but what really fascinated him was the spots that ran up his neck to his face.

Kagami knew the freckles were also a dark elf thing, but he thought they'd look tacky. Not so in Kise's case, as they were dark enough to match his slightly tanned skin perfectly. The amber eyes slid over to him, Kise giving him a flirtatious wink as the elf caught him staring.

"Sorry, but I'm taken," were the words that came out of his mouth and Kagami immediately spat out what he'd been drinking. Thankfully not out onto Kuroko, which would've earned him a few more bruises, but STILL.

"What the actual fuck?! I wasn't-You don't-What?" Kagami managed to finally force out.

"I was unaware you were in a relationship, Kise-kun," Kuroko said, nonchalantly sipping at his juice like nothing had ever happened.

"Well, not in so many words…and it's been ages since we talked, but we sort of had a thing going on!" Kise said, and this time even Kagami could tell that the blonde's smile was fake. "But now that Kurokocchi is here I feel loads better! I'm sure we'll be able to find Aominecchi now."

His eyebrows raised of his own volition. Aominecchi? As in that Aomine bastard he heard about as part of the Kiseki? Surely they had close relationships with each other, but not that close. Then again Kise does like to cling to Kuroko way too much.

"Wait, so like…you're with someone? Else? That isn't Kuroko?" He had to force that last bit out.

"I am not with Kise-kun. He is merely overaffectionate." Kuroko was still sipping nonchalantly.

"So mean! I love Kurokocchi! Not in the same way as Aominecchi, but I've got more than enough to go around." Kise set down his plate, having finished with his breakfast, before turning the full intensity of his gaze straight on the tank. His smile fell into more of a smirk. "That still begs the question, why exactly were you staring?"

Kagami could feel his face turning as red as his hair and it wasn't a pleasant feeling, especially with those baleful blue eyes judging him. "I-I wasn't-staring-look I've-I've never seen a dark elf up close before! You look funny! And why do you even have that dumb hair ornament?"

He pointed a large finger at the little pendant that was weaved into Kise's hair, and it seemed to successfully distract the dark elf. "This? Midorimacchi made it for me! Don't tell me Kurokocchi didn't give you the whole story."

"Hey, I only know that Kuroko has one! It's not like I pry into his goddamn business. Besides, rabbit man was definitely not someone for friendly conversation!" Kagami argued.

"Kagami-kun. Be quiet. Also, Midorima-kun made one for every member of the Kiseki group. It is a symbol of who we are so we keep them on our beings at all times," Kuroko said, and the tiny fondness in his voice really did make Kagami shut up. So it actually meant something?

"Kise-kun," The white mage continued. "I visited Midorima-kun before you and he is doing fine. He seemed to have escaped whatever it is that possessed you."

"He did? That's good. I'd hate to see how much more of a stick he'd have shoved up his ass if he was possessed. It was terrible, Kurokocchi! It makes you live out all your worst fears…" The tremor in Kise's voice was audible.

"It's okay. It's all gone now. And he gave us information to work with on finding out what exactly this is," Kuroko said, finally setting down his empty glass delicately. "I have a feeling this is connected to Teiko's dissolution and the recent attacks made against me."

"What? People have been attacking you? Who are they, I'll kill them!" Kise nearly shot up in his seat.

"Get in line, asshole. They attacked Seirin guild and nearly destroyed it 'cause Kuroko was there," Kagami said, shoving his hand down on the elf's head much like he did with his partner. Kise did not appreciate the gesture.

"Why would they do that? Kurokocchi has never hurt anyone in his life! It's the king again, isn't it? He's trying to exterminate anyone who gets in his way." Kise shook free of Kagami's grip, and with his canines showing, he was the elegant picture of rage.

"Weren't you the guy who was possessed in a cage?"

"I don't care about Kagami, but anyone who would-"

The two of them stopped as a hard force slammed into the sides of their heads, knocking them sideways. They looked up, only to see Kuroko holding his staff, with a look of vague disapproval on his face.

"I would like Kagami-kun and Kise-kun to stop arguing like children," was all he said before he sat back down. Kise just mumbled an apology but Kagami took the initiative and swiped at his little partner, who dodge the off-balance blow with ease.

"You little shit!"

"The next step is to discover the source of this darkness that destroyed our guild. I have been picking up traces it in the monsters we have fought, so it is not a problem isolated to the Kiseki group," Kuroko said, completely ignoring him. He got him back with a slight kick to the thigh, only earning the tank a glare in response.

"Easier said than done, Kurokocchi. Maybe if we had Momoicchi's help, but…" Kise said, drooping in his seat.

"All the more reason to find Aomine-kun next." And with that said, Kise's entire face lit up like he was just given candy. Ugh, can he get nastier? I don't ever want to meet this Aomine if he's gonna be like this to him. And by this he meant now suddenly deeming it safe to cling to Kuroko seeing how he was done with his meal.

It went on like that for a few more minutes, just mindless sidetalk and banter and physical contact before it died down. Kuroko's words were true, but it didn't make anything easier to find. That and there was the concern of their guild-mates wanting them back for training, since they were only here for Kise.

Kise himself said, while he liked Kaijou and Kasamatsu had offered him a place in the guild-"senpai really does love me!"-he was essentially gonna drop everything and search for Aomine. At this point, Kagami decided to just follow whatever Kuroko was going to do. It was clear he didn't know about anything going on, but maybe he wanted to see Kuroko smile now, not just get back at the nation that killed everyone he'd known.

Besides, Teiko had rebelled against their king. What better way to defy the crown than to help the would-be kingslayers out? I can't wait to fight them all. Maybe I've gotten even more powerful.

His useless train of thought, however did bring him back to something that had been simmering at the back of his mind forever, since Kuroko had mentioned it in the cell.

"So, you said a bunch of stuff when you were doing that spell about a paladin. Do white mages normally have one of those? Cause it sounded like you used to," Kagami said.

The room froze.

More accurately, both of his companions froze, and he could almost feel the temperature go down a few notches. Kuroko's hands clenched as a tremor seemed to go through him and Kagami wanted to hit himself on the head. How fucking insensitive could he be.

Just as he was about to answer, however, Kuroko's soft voice spoke out. "You are right, Kagami-kun. All white mages normally have a paladin partner, though Aomine-kun substituted a lot of times in the guild. However…"

The tank had gotten used to the little micro-gestures his partner had, knowing how much the boy hated being visibly upset. But he bit his lip, strangled his hands, covered his eyes, and it was all Kagami could do to not reach out and startle him further.

"Oh fuck, he died, didn't he? I'm sorry…"

This time the jolt ran through both Kise and Kuroko, and he didn't miss the concerned look in Kise's eyes. Had he said something wrong?

"No," Kuroko said, his voice deadly quiet. "But he might as well be dead."

Nothing more was said about the matter after that.

It was only later on in the day that Kagami apologized to Kuroko in his own way. They were resting to recover (at least the two mages were) before they moved on, but his partner had been unusually quiet like last time. Every time Kuroko got hurt it seemed to be his fault and damned if he wasn't gonna do something about it this time.

"Hey, Kuroko, come here. I want to tell you something," He said gruffly, waving the white mage over to where he was sitting. Kuroko trotted over on command, though confusion was evident in his eyes.

Kagami took a deep breath and dug something out from under his undershirt, something that was normally hidden underneath all his armor. He pulled out a chain with a ring it, dangling around his neck. "I have a brother. Older brother, not by blood, but he's still family. He and my teacher raised me ever since I was a little kid. He was annoying sometimes, but I sort of always looked up to him, ya know?"

He turned the ring over in his hands, feeling the cold metal beneath his fingertips. "We escaped to Lunat, somewhere on the outskirts because of the war that destroyed our home. It was pretty nice for awhile. We trained, travelled a ton. However, a couple years back, a huge storm hit where we were staying and I nearly drowned. When I came to, I couldn't find my brother or my teacher at all. I'm sure he's out there somewhere but…"

Kuroko's small fingers covered his own, startling him out of his own nostalgia and making him realize that tears were even clogging his throat. How embarrassing…"And the ring is our promise to always be brothers no matter where we are."

"That's very sweet, Kagami-kun. I'm happy he had someone to rely on. But why are you telling me this?" Kuroko asked.

"Because you shared something about yourself. You've been doing it with every one of these goddamn idiots you meet, so I figured it's only fair to do the same." Kagami hurriedly stuffed the ring away. "Sorry. That's a lame reason."

However, the little shadow just leaned down in front of him so they were inches away before smiling slightly. "It's okay, I like learning new things about Kagami-kun."

"You-do?"

"Of course. He doesn't talk about himself at all. I was curious."

Kuroko was entirely too close and entirely too heartwarming, and oh god his eyes were tracing the lines of his face from his hair and cheekbones down to his-

"Yeah, whatever." Kagami jerked away suddenly, his face just being a jackass and betraying him, while Kuroko stood unharmed.

"It's okay, Kagami-kun, we'll find him," Kuroko said. "I did not realize you were searching for someone too."

"It's not like I'm searching! I gave up after awhile, honestly. Tatsuya's hard to find when he wants to be."

"But still, we're all searching for someone. Me, Kagami-kun, Kise-kun. And maybe it's not just someone, but our goals are common." Kuroko reached out with his fist gently, clearly wanting his partner to reciprocate. "We are all attempting to pick up our lives that the kingdom has destroyed. There is no shame in wanting to believe Kagami-kun."

How long has it been since he ever relied on someone else? Far too long, Tatsuya would tell him, with that maddening grin. "You promise we'll find him?"

Their fist bumps and Kagami got shivers down his spine from how much more that simple gesture meant to him.

"I never make jokes, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, "And I always keep my promises."

He really could believe in that.