Chapter 13

Growing up, the holidays were never a big event, were never given more than just a passing glanced with few words and maybe a well cooked meal. The obligatory greetings were passed, and maybe a gift, or two, were given, but other than that, the Murasakibara household was always dark and quiet when all others were alive and festive.

However, this year, this holiday season, was a lot different for Atsushi, as not only was he ravished with kisses, hugs and maybe some alone time with Tatsuki, but also more food than he knew what to do with and was near swimming in gifts. He and Tatsuki had baked pies and cookies, pastries and candies while her mother cooked their lavish supper for the holidays, where all were jubilant and smiling wide as they enjoyed wine, or a cocktail. Music had played in the background and the snow outside had gently fallen just to make sure that their holidays were white. School had been the farthest thing from his mind, wasn't even a blip on his radar, but now that the holidays were over, and the new year had begun, going back to school meant that his showdown with Shirō Kitagawa was now the talk of the school.

From the second he had gotten on the bus, he had heard murmurs and hopes from the others, nearly all wishing him luck and telling him that they were on his side. He hadn't realized it, but the Kitagawa family had more of a hold on the town than he had thought. More than half the school had students from families that relied on the rental funds from the massive conglomerate that paid to use their farms to grow their crops, which meant, that those students wouldn't dare voice up out of fear of retaliation towards their families. He felt their hopes and dreams once again and he was only piled with more once he had reached the school.

The entire time he had walked towards his classroom, more and more students sent him their greetings and well wishes, all managing to smile, but instead of smiling back, he just nodded and kept walking. In all the times he had played against a strong opponent, he was never nervous, or apprehensive, but for some reason, the thought of going one-on-one with Shirō was making his stomach tighten. Something wasn't sitting right with him, but no amount of trying to think of what it could be brought him any closer to an answer and as he sat down in his seat next to Tatsuki, it only took her a second to see it on his face.

"You're nervous, aren't you." Tatsuki said in a hushed voice as she took in his extra fidgeting as he trapped the tongue bar between his front teeth.

"No." He said blandly and just as quietly as he pulled out his books and set them down on his desk.

"Atsu-" She said, lightly resting her hand down on his forearm to finally earn his gaze for longer than a fleeting second.

Atsushi sighed, "Okay, fine... I'm kinda... jittery about it. Street games are unpredictable and since I'm playing against Shirō, who knows what'll happen." He said as he gripped and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'd try to look at the bright side about this, but you're right; I don't think Shirō would've challenged you to a basketball game unless he had something up his sleeve, but damn if I know what." She said softly, running her hand up and down his arm in comfort.

"I know. It's just a one-on-one anyways, so the first to five and it'll be over." He said as the teacher called the class to order to begin their day.

"Just make sure it's over fast. Don't hold back and don't give him a chance to pull anything funny... Then we can move on." She said quietly as she lightly smiled at him.

"Problem is, is that if I don't hold back, I could end up hurting him. With my size, it doesn't take much for me to go overboard." He said, looking up at the front of the class to make it appear that he was listening.

"I understand, but no matter the outcome, I'm in your corner, Atsu." She said.

"And what if I lose? Our deal was I'd leave... What'll happen to us?" He said, this time looking over at her with saddened eyes that scanned her face.

"Oh, Atsu-" she breathed out as she took his hand, "You aren't worried about playing, you're worried what'll happen if you have to leave." She said, tightening her hold on his hand in an attempt to reassure him.

Atsushi nodded, "Yeah... I like it here. I don't wanna leave and I especially don't wanna leave you behind. Akita is a long way from here, Muro-Chin." He said, covering her hand with his other to trap it between them.

"I know, but that won't matter. I know these are just words, but I'll prove it to you, Atsu; We'll still be together, even with the distance." She said with a kind and gentle smile.

"I wanna believe that... I do, but I'm scared we'll drift apart." He said as he looked down at their joined hands.

"I know you are, but I know that both of us would try our hardest to stay close." She said.

Again, Atsushi nodded, "I would. Whatever it took, Muro-Chin." He actually smiled.

They shared soft smiles and endearing glances before turning their attention to the front of the class, where the teacher was beginning their day's lessons and commanding them to turn to where they left off in their textbooks. Their studies were a welcomed distraction, helping him to push back the thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since waking up that morning to help his uncle with the farm. He had been so distracted with his thoughts that his uncle had had to get his attention back multiple times, but each time, the man wasn't angry, or harsh; He was understanding and just. It didn't take a genius to know that he wasn't there mentally, that he was functionally solely on autopilot, and knowing what he was likely to face that afternoon, his uncle wasn't about to give his nephew a hard time.

The teacher prattled on and on with their day's lesson, assigning homework and ignoring the groans of the students' displeasure at being saddled with work just coming off a break. None of their whines even phased the man and without even waiting for the students to quiet down, he moved on to their next subject. Atsushi drifted through the day, never once voicing up even if he knew the answers and only acknowledged Tatsuki when she gently patted his arm to keep him reassured, which he was grateful for.

Her touch was a comfort, a calming sensation that helped him to focus on their schoolwork instead of the shadow that seemed to be blanketing the clock. He and Tatsuki wouldn't be heading home at the end of the day, neither would a lot of the other students, but instead, heading to the gym for what was the talk of the school. Even their lunch was spent in quiet contemplation, but between the two, they were content with that. He had her comfort in silence and companionship and she was able to see him smile more and more throughout the day and once the bell rang to end the day and release the students, very few headed for the buses while the rest made their way to the gym.

Atsushi, however, was headed for the locker room, giving Tatsuki a warm kiss before disappearing through the doors with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. The soft flutters had returned in his stomach, but there wasn't much he could do about it as he set his bag down on a bench and took off his black cardigan. He slipped his tie off and unbuttoned the white shirt and once down to his white tank top, he unzipped his bag and pulled out clothes he hadn't worn in what seemed like ages.

Once dressed in his purple basketball shorts and black t-shirt, he looked at himself in the tall, full length mirror as he combed his hair a few times before tying it back to keep it out of his face. He hadn't seen himself look like this since middle school, and for some reason, it made his stomach calm a bit. He knew he could do this, knew he was the winning favorite and as he flexed his fingers into a claw, he looked at his hands and his blood warmed; The monster was waking up.

With a long release of his breathe, Atsushi headed out of the locker room, pushing the door open with a single hand where he stopped just on the other side. The gym was surprisingly full, loud from all the students talking and finding a spot where they could have the best angle to watch Shirō's downfall. He had no idea that so many students were interested in seeing the outcome, but as he shifted his gaze to the lowering hoops from the gym rafters, the unmistakable sound of a basketball hit the polished wood floor.

"Would you look at that. We're popular." Shirō said with a lopsided grin across his face, already dressed in some shorts and a t-shirt and with a basketball in hand.

The whole gym quieted down as the students turned and stared, encircling them as Tatsuki hurried over to Atsushi's side and grasped his arm. Atsushi's violet eyes narrowed as he glared at the smaller boy and his two followers and with each hollow bounce of the ball in the boy's hands, the monster stirred more and more until his throat had begun to growl.

"Something tells me they aren't on your side." Atsushi said, letting the locker room door close.

Shirō shrugged, "I don't really care and they all know why. This should be pretty interesting, don't you think?" He bounced the ball once more and slapped both his hands together to trap it between them.

"No... It'll be boring." Atsushi said.

"We'll see," he glared, "First to five points wins. Simple enough rules, so even you should understand them." Shirō smirked.

Atsushi rolled his eyes, but instead of shooting off his mouth, he just stepped into the encircled court and began to stretch his arms over his head.

"Lets get this over with so I can go home." Atsushi grumbled as he stopped in the center of the court.

Shirō's crooked smirk broadened as he stepped onto the court and bounced the ball some more, "Oh, you'll go home."

Atsushi's brows furrowed as he glared at the boy, bouncing the ball with no form and no precision. Just by watching the way he held the ball, he could tell Shirō wasn't skilled with it, but he didn't want to simply write him off just yet out of the risk of it just being for show. He was still smirking, still radiating arrogance and as he stopped in front of him, still bouncing the ball, Atsushi popped up an eyebrow and stood up straight.

"You can't possibly want to have an actual tip off." He said, curling up a corner of his upper lip in confusion.

"Naw... Even I know when I won't win something, but just try to catch me!"

In a burst, Shirō darted to his right, bouncing the ball far too hard that echoed the howl throughout the gym. He grinned and laughed as he headed for the hoop in a full sprint, but when he got to the painted block under the net, he stopped and looked down at his hands. The ball wasn't there.

The silence of the gym was broken with the steady heartbeat of a bouncing basketball that made him look behind him to where Atsushi was still standing in the center of the court. The titan was just looking back at him with a crooked smirk of his own and in his hands, was the ball he had somehow lost. He was steadily bouncing it, each hit precise, clean and deliberate and with just a flick of his wrist, he was controlling the ball with just the tips of his fingers.

"This'll be over before I even break a sweat." Atsushi growled as he turned away from the stunned boy and walked towards the other net.

Shirō sneered at Atsushi's back as he broke out into a full sprint to catch up with the giant's incredible strides that had already carried him to the painted square beneath the net. The steady beats of the ball had never faltered as he approached the net and he only stopped when Shirō skidded to a halt in front of him with his arms out to the side.

"Please... You have no hope." Atsushi said, gripping the ball in a single hand as he simply raised his arm.

Shirō had no hope. He knew that well and true as he watched Atsushi let the ball slip into the net for his first point, but his cocky grin never faded as he shifted his gaze over to see one of his followers filming the event on his cell phone. He just needed to keep the giant moron playing just a little bit longer and victory would be his, and once his throne was clinched, there would be nothing left to stand in his way. It had been a lot of work to set up the pieces, but it had all been worth it in his eyes just to get rid of the purple haired titan.

The moment the ball fell through the net, the gym went into an uproar of cheers as a girl flipped over a number card to display the score of Atsushi's one to Shirō's zero. Nearly all were beaming at the quick score and when it bounced off the floor to be grabbed by Shirō's hands, those cheers, somehow, continued as he sprinted for the other side of the court.

With the lights overhead, all Shirō could see was a looming shadow behind him, running after him like a lioness chasing a gazelle and it made the small hairs on the back of his neck prickle with a deeply buried fear. His fight, or flight response was kicking in at sensing the giant behind him, spurring him to run faster, but it did nothing to shake his pursuer.

In a flash that made him screech to a halt, Atsushi appeared in front of him, his head held low like a predator ready to pounce and his hands ready to react. For being so big, he was amazingly fast, surprisingly so, and he now stood between Shirō and the net with no hope of getting around him. There was nothing he could do and he knew it.

"How the hell did you do that?" Shirō gawked, finding himself actually surprised at just how fast Atsushi was.

Atsushi smirked, "My normal strides are as long as you are tall. I'm lean; built to move as fast as possible and with so little reaction time that it borders on precognitive. I've spent years training, practicing and playing against people who can actually play, so you to me?... This is laughable. Give up now before I embarrass you so badly that your family's gonna feel it."

Shirō gulped at Atsushi's words, holding the ball away, but knowing that if he wanted to, his giant hands could take it before he could even react. His only hope was to wait which meant that all he had to do was try and buy himself some time.

Seeing the genuinely frightened look in Shirō's eyes made Atsushi smirk all that much more with his eyes flicking over to catch momentary glances at Tatsuki whom was cheering for him just like all the others. This would be over before his heart could even speed up, before his skin could even become slicked with moisture. He would end this quickly and move on, put it all behind him, but when the gym doors opened, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stiffen and his smirk began to fade.

"Atsushi!"

That voice. He knew that voice all too well. It was the voice of a man whom was as about as infallible as space and time, so immovable that the greatest of earthquakes couldn't shatter his resolve. The anger in that voice shot a hot shiver down his spine, made his muscles twitch as he stood up straight and with his violet eyes shaking, he slowly turned his head as as his heart began to hammer.

"D-Dad?-" Atsushi breathed out, gasping as he set his eyes on the last man he wanted to see.

"What the hell are you doing?" His father barked, crossing his arms as he angrily glared at his youngest son.

Atsushi gulped, but instead of holding his father's gaze, he whipped his head around to set his eyes on the smirking boy still holding the ball.

"What did you do?" Atsushi asked, unable to stop his voice from shaking.

Shirō began to lowly laugh, "What I had to do. I knew I couldn't win against you, so I took out an insurance policy. I contacted your father and told him you've been playing." His grin widened into a malicious smile.

Atsushi's brows furrowed, but even if he wanted to say something, anything to put his anger into words, he couldn't. His voice had just switched off, due to his breath catching in his throat as he looked back at the man standing by the doors and under the eyes of every single soul inside the gym. All he could do was scan the crowd, seeing their blank faces as they stayed silent and watched what would unfold. There was no emotion to read, no anger, no fear, no nothing, accept one whom was so furious, so angry that her vibrant gray eyes had glassed over with tears as she headed straight for him.

Atsushi had been so frozen under the gaze of his father, that when a hard slap broke the tense silence, he startled and blinked to see that Tatsuki had slapped Shirō across the cheek hard enough to leave behind a reddening handprint.

"How could you?... Why did you turn into such a horrible, miserable person?" She asked, her voice cracking with her overflow of conflicting emotions.

"I did no such thing." Shirō said lowly.

"I see the women out here don't know their place, but unfortunately, I have no power to teach her a lesson. I can only rule my household and if your little harlot ever did that under my roof, she'd learn real quick." Atsushi's father hissed, still fuming and glaring at the three standing in the court under everyone's gaze.

That got Atsushi's voice working again.

"There's nothing for her to learn. Muro-Chin is more than capable of making her own decisions." He said, his mouth set into a hard line as he stared at his father.

"Muro-Chin?... Ah, I see. She's your bitch. The email mentioned as such." His father said plainly.

"Email?... What email?" Atsushi asked, turning his head once more to look at Shirō.

"I sent it, saying that there was something he should know regarding his son. I sent him a video of you playing basketball." Shirō said, not even phased by the hard slap to his cheek.

"What?... When?" Atsushi asked, his brows furrowed hard as his heartbeats began to ache.

"You practiced."

He had. Over the break, he had practiced while Tatsuki and he spent time with each other. He hadn't played in months, hadn't even handled a basketball, but after Shirō had challenged him and he accepted that challenge, he had returned to the court to polish up his skills so he could dominate and end things quickly. They had been enjoyable days playing and laughing and spending time with Tatsuki, sometimes with her trying to be his opponent, but he usually won with the occasional surprise from her. He didn't know they were being watched, being videoed and he never even suspected that someone was sending it to the one man that could truly ruin everything.

Finally forcing himself to take in a breath, Atsushi looked back at his father whose angry glare hadn't eased. Every part of the man was tense and blistering with anger, and he found, that with every passing moment he looked at him, his own fear was returning.

"You're coming with me and you will play for Yōsen. They lost the Winter Cup because of you." His father hissed through clenched teeth.

"N-No... I won't." Atsushi said with a gulp that moved his Adam's apple.

"Excuse me?" His father said.

"You heard me; I'm not coming with you. I'm staying where I belong." Atsushi said, drawing in a breath to pick himself up as he rolled his shoulders back.

"You belong where I tell you to belong." His father said.

"I belong here!... With Muro-Chin and Uncle Hiroshi and that stupid dog who doesn't know its own name! I belong here!" Atsushi said, his voice no longer shaking as he stood up against the man.

"Doing what? Working a pointless farm with pointless animals with absolutely no direction?" His father snapped.

"I have a direction!" Atsushi quickly defended.

"Well that's a first... And what, exactly, is this direction you claim to have?" His father dared.

"I-I-" he gulped, "I like baking... I like baking with Muro-Chin and seeing everyone smile at what I made. I like brightening up someone's day with a cupcake, hearing them hum at getting to taste a pie I made with my hands with ingredients I gathered from Uncle Hiroshi's farm. I don't like shattering people's hopes and dreams with basketball... I like giving them hope with treats that brighten their days." Atsushi said, whose eyes had become heavy with gloss that sparkled beneath the lights of the gym.

"Baking?... That's a woman's work. Why the fuck is my son baking?" His father hissed.

"Because I chose to. It was my decision. I wanted to and you know what?... It felt amazing to make my own decision." Atsushi said with a barely there sniffle.

"Children should never be allowed to make their own decisions because this is what happens; Boys baking." His father scoffed.

"H-He's really good at it. He and Himuro made these candy-canes from scratch. They're really good." Said a girl standing with her friends a few paces away from his father.

"I'm sorry, but was anyone speaking to you?" His father said as he curled a lip with his disgust.

"Don't talk to her like that. She's just saying the candy-canes are good, and they are! He has a gift for baking!" Said a boy.

His father's brows furrowed hard, "He belongs on the court like his brothers, like I was and like all those before him. Not in a kitchen like he's barefoot and pregnant."

"Stop it!... Just stop with your chauvinistic mentality!" Atsushi snapped, his brows matching his father's.

"It's how things should be!"

"No, it's not! I've learned so much from Muro-Chin and I really like being in the kitchen! I love sweets and I love sharing them with others!" Atsushi said, his hands balling back into fists as his brows furrowed as hard as they could.

"I knew sending you to that wasteful man's house was a bad idea. Look what he did to you! He's turned you soft. What's next? Telling me you like boys too?" His father snarled.

"He'll always be a better man than you, so much so that I wish I was his son and not yours!" Atsushi howled.

The tension of the gym was broken once again when the gym doors opened, drawing everyone's attention, even his father's as the man turned around to seem whom was interrupting them. His expression never changed from the furious glare and when his wife, Atsushi's mother and Uncle Hiroshi stepped inside, Atsushi's heart ceased to exist as it evaporated into nothingness.

"I told you to stay in the car." His father said lowly and with a tensed jaw as he glared at his wife.

"Eito... Please, just let me handle this." His mother said quietly, almost fearfully as she didn't look the furious man in the eyes.

"Get your ass back in the car." His father growled.

"Try talking to her like a human being. You might be surprised by the results." Hiroshi hissed, matching the man's fiery glare with his own.

"Nobody asked you." His father said.

His mother, a small woman whom had given him his hair and eyes, shifted her gaze from the floor to her son, her eyes big and soft, and glimmering beneath the lights. He could tell she was pleading with him, begging him to stand down to make things easier for them all, but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Mom... P-Please." Atsushi choked out, trying to take in steady breaths that didn't ache.

"Atsushi... Just do what your father says. It'll be better for everyone if you just get in the car so we can go home." She said, her voice quiet and meek from her years of near servitude to the man whom was his father.

Atsushi shook his head, "No... I'm not going."

"Please, Atsushi... I've already gathered your things. They're in the car-" She was interrupted.

"Kiddo... Listen to me. If you don't wanna go, then I won't blame you, but know this," he swallowed, "Having you here, living under my roof... It's been the best thing to happen to this gruff old man in a long time. I've smiled more, enjoyed eating our meals together and working the farm together as been... nothing short of amazing. The decision's yours what you wanna do, but I just want you to know that I'll support you in whatever it is." Hiroshi said, holding Atsushi's gaze with familiar violet eyes.

Atsushi gulped, "I'm not going anywhere, Uncle Hiroshi... I'm staying here. I'm not leaving."

"Oh, yes you are. Get your ass in the car before I make you." His father said so low, so menacingly that it sent a shiver down Atsushi's spine that told him without a doubt that his father was not joking.

"No. You're just going to have to accept it. This is my home and I'm staying." Atsushi said, standing his ground and finding that the more he did, the less his chest ached.

Pursing his lips together, Eito Murasakibara dropped his arms as he started to stomp forward, making every muscle in his body go taught with anticipation as his father drew close. Atsushi didn't even know when it had happened, but he had side stepped to stand between his father and Tatsuki to protect her for some reason, forgetting that he was the target of the man's fury.

Far faster than he ever remembered, his father reached out and grabbed a tight fistful of his hair, painfully digging his fingers into his scalp as he snatched up the entirety of his ponytail. The pain in his scalp was sharp, intense as his father pulled and with far more strength than was truly needed, his father was yanking him towards the gym doors.

"Dad!... Let go!" Atsushi snapped, grabbing his father's wrist as he stumbled on his feet to keep from falling at being dragged along by his hair.

"Wait till I get you home... I'm going to have to reteach you how a son should act; How a son should speak to his father." His father said in a hard tone, shoving the doors open as Atsushi's mother worked to keep her fuming brother at bay.

"You degenerate prick! Let him go! He doesn't wanna go with you!" Hiroshi snapped, trying to push his sister aside, but with his desire not to hurt her, he wasn't pushing back.

"Don't speak to me about how best to raise my children! You know nothing about rearing children, you cock-sucking fag!" His father yelled back over his shoulder.

Atsushi's eyes snapped open and his breath caught as he planted his feet in the hallway of the school and used all his strength to halt his father's retreat. He stood up and pulled at his father's wrist with both hands, turning his head to give his hair the best route to slip from his father's grasp and once he threw his father's hands from his hair, he stood up straight and looked back at his uncle whose eyes were heavy with moisture.

"U-Uncle Hiroshi?" Atsushi said in a near whisper, his eyes stinging.

Hiroshi nodded, "He's not wrong, Kiddo. We hate each other for a lot of reasons... That being one of them; I'm gay." He lightly sniffled.

"W-Why didn't you tell me?" Atsushi asked softly, holding his uncle's gaze.

"Not everyone accepts it and I... I was scared how you'd react." Hiroshi admitted.

"I don't care. You're my uncle and I love you no matter what. I wish you were my dad." Atsushi said as his eyes, just like everyone elses began to shine.

"You're my nephew, Kiddo... It'll work for me. I love you too." Hiroshi said with the first tear falling from his eye.

"Uncle-"

Atsushi tried to go back, tried to get to his uncle with Tatsuki, whom was crying uncontrollably next to him and despite her support of her husband, his mother whose true emotions were beginning to show with tears and hiccups. He wanted to go to them, to wrap them all up in his arms and never let go, to destroy Shirō on the court and then go home where they would all enjoy the most amazing of meals. He wanted to keep waking up at ungodly hours to care for his uncle's small farm, to watch little Mauibo grow into a big, strong cow that would eventually go to the Himuro dairy farm to sire the next generation. He wanted to keep going to this school, with the other students and he most definitely wanted to keep spending all his time with a girl whom had truly stolen his heart; He wanted to stay with Tatsuki.

However, after only a single step, a single stride back towards those he truly wanted to be with, his ponytail was snatched up once more with an infallible grip that yanked him back hard enough that he nearly tripped and fell. He yelped as he stumbled to stay on his feet, cringing from the pain in his scalp as his father resumed dragging him towards the exit and where he assumed the car was parked. He screamed for his father to let him go, to free him and forget about him, but as his father stormed through the front doors of the school towards a large rental car, he knew he was running out of time.

"I hope you like strict rules and strong punishments because that's going to be your world for the foreseeable future. You'll learn that defying me was the wrong decision and the only reason I will loosen the noose around your neck is when you play and win for Yōsen. That is the final rule!" His father snarled, stopping at the car as he opened the back door and threw Atsushi inside.

Despite being 6'10, a full inch taller than his father, his father was stronger since he was fully developed and had two decades more than him of strength on top of it. He was literally tossed into the backseat, nearly smashing the top of his head against the window of the opposite door and he sucked his ankles inside just in time to avoid having them smashed by the slamming door. It was cramped in the back, barely giving him enough room to flip over and crawl to the door, but when he grabbed the handle to open it, nothing happened. He tried unlocking it with a hard push of the button, but again, nothing happened. The locks had been set to childproof and he had no idea how to get the door open.

However, his struggling ceased when he looked up at the school's doors to see his mother, his uncle, Tatsuki and a horde of students filing out. His mother was cry, as was Tatsuki, but his uncle was fuming and screaming at his father and successfully getting his attention. While they screamed, Tatsuki broke free and ran for the car and watching her, his chest pinged with an ache he never wished to feel again.

"Muro-Chin! Open the door!" Atsushi called out to her through the window, slapping his open palm against the glass as she reached the car and tried pulling open the door.

However, the door didn't open.

"Muro-Chin!... Let me out! I don't wanna go!" Atsushi yelled, hoping with all his hopes that she could hear him.

"Atsu!... I can't! It won't open!" She yelled back, yanking hard again with an attempt at opening the door.

He slapped the window, "I don't wanna go, Muro-Chin! I wanna stay with you!"

"I can't get it open, Atsu! He's coming! Please get out!" Tatsuki cried, trying with clear desperation to get the door open.

Looking passed her, he saw his father grab his mother's arm and begin to drag her towards the car while his uncle screamed at him. His face was fuming, so angry that he swore it was made of fire itself and he knew then, that he only had seconds to say what he truly wanted to say.

"I love you, Tatsuki! I always will! No matter the distance, no matter how long we're apart, I'll always love you! We made a promise that I intend to keep!" Atsushi yelled through the window, firmly planting his hand on the glass where she put hers over his.

"I love you too, Atsu! A promise is a promise! We'll see each other again!" She cried, her tears pouring from her eyes in droves.

The first of his tears leaped free of his violet eyes as he stared at her, wanting to wrap her up in his arms, but trapped inside the car, his whole body began to shake with so many emotions that he couldn't pinpoint what they were. He was angry, sad, terrified and everything in between and all he wanted was to kiss her and tell her it would be alright. In a single instant, in a single minute, everything he had come to love and enjoy was being taken away and all because of a boy whom couldn't stop his desire for more power. Everything was happening so fast, so incredibly fast that all he could manage to do was drop his forehead to the glass and stare at her as he started to cry.

"Tatsuki... Get him back." Atsushi cried, hiccuping as Tatsuki dropped her forehead to the glass as well.

She nodded, "I will, Atsu... I'll do everything I can. I'll stop him." She sniffled hard.

Atsushi nodded in return as his mother and father began to get into the car, his mother sobbing into her hands while his father swore under his breath. There was so many tears, so many hiccuped breaths that that was all he could hear and when the driver's door slammed shut, and the car started, Atsushi lifted his head from the window and stared at her.

In all his years of playing basketball, being one of the most powerful on the court, he had never felt so weak, so powerless that all he could do was look into her eyes. He had known true happiness for a single moment, known what it was like to smile so genuinely, so honestly that he felt like he could fly. Tatsuki Himuro was his world, his sole reason he had discovered what he truly enjoyed and she had taught him without a second thought. She had taught him how to care for a farm, helped him birth a newborn calf and she had been his first to enjoy the idea of being intimate. Everything they had ever done together flashed through his head, from the time he was sick to their horseback ride. He remembered their first cupcake, their first kiss, their first time together and as his father started to drive away, Atsushi's crying eyes never left hers.

As his father drove away from the life he truly wanted, all Atsushi Murasakibara could do was cry for the second time as everything he ever truly loved was torn away.

As she stood there in the chilled evening, watching the dark colored SUV drive away with far too much speed, Tatsuki's eyes poured tears as Hiroshi came up to her and wrapped his arms around her in comfort. They both cried, quietly sobbed as they watched the car go and only when it was fully out of sight was when they tried to even bother to speak.

"I-I... I don't know what to do. I love him so much, but I don't know how to keep my promise." Tatsuki said, sniffling hard as she began to dry her eyes.

"You know exactly what do you, Tatty. That little shit did this on purpose and he needs to be stopped." Hiroshi said, his low voice cracking with his emotions.

Tatsuki nodded, "This is his fault... Shirō did this. He's gone too far this time and it's up to me to stop him. Are you gonna be okay with the farm?" She asked, stepping away from Hiroshi's comfort to look him in the eye.

Hiroshi nodded, "Yeah... I'll make it. I always do." He said, resting his hands down on Tatsuki's shoulders.

"Don't give in to him while I'm gone." Tatsuki said, her sobs quickly beginning to calm as she looked passed the broken man to glare at Shirō whom was grinning with his ill gotten victory.

Hiroshi nodded, "I won't. Your father won't let me."

"Good... Because I'm going to law school to follow in my father's footsteps and I'm going stop Shirō."

Her mind was made up. There was no changing it now. What Shirō had done was unforgivable, was so painful that it would be a wound that would sting for years to come. She knew it would, but what made the sting lessen, what made it hurt less, was knowing she was going to keep her promise with the boy she loved. No matter the distance, no matter how long they were apart, Atsushi and Tatsuki would find a way.