Fast update this time :D had a little roll with writing. Enjoy~

Language: English is not my first language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.

Chapter 16

Raion, chieftain of the Kagami tribe and father of Taiga, stood at the entrance to the village. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest and watched with his burgundy right eye, the other was disfigured by a long scar, as his son and his three friends walked up to him. "So, you are back. Took you long enough, don't you think so?" His voice was low, much different to the roar, which normally echoed through the little collection of huts. One could formally see, how Taiga shrank two heads smaller. It wasn't a good sign, if his father spoke in that low tone. "To my tent, now!"

The chieftain spun on his heels, without looking back, whether his son followed his command and walked up to the big tent in the middle of the village, which was decorated with the symbols of the Kagami tribe. He held the entrance open for Taiga to walk in.

The redhead hung his head. That would be a long ass night for him, being interrogated by his father. A clap to his shoulder let Taiga look up. "You will manage. Good luck." Teppei smiled at him and walked off to find Junpei. Ryouta poked him in his ribs, "He was worried about you. I will catch you later, Taigacchi." The blonde waved and Kazunari stepped in front of him. "Should I come with you?", the raven peered up at the redhead. "No, it's fine. He wouldn't let you in anyway." Taiga sighed and bumped his fist at the smaller males shoulder. "See you later, Kaz." Kazunari watched as his best friend trotted past his father. He was a bit worried, but Raion gazed at him and what he saw dancing in the chieftains eye, put him at ease. The big, boisterous man had been really worried about his only son and the raven saw, that he cared a great deal in his own way.

Taiga squirmed on his seat. His father hadn't said anything, since they got inside, only pointed out a seat to him. Now he was watching the broad back, as Raion made his special herbal tea and fetched some flatbread from one of the baskets.

"Where were you for the past days? Do you even know how long you were gone?" Raion sat down and handed Taiga the bread and a wooden bowl. "I'm …", the redhead started to explain, but was cut off. "First you eat and drink, then we'll talk."

The chieftain himself didn't eat, only watched his son as he digged into his food. Had Taiga always been this big? Something had changed within his son in the past days. He had seen it first when he laid his one remaining good eye on him, as his son walked into the village with his friends earlier.

When Taiga was done, Raion didn't pry into him. He waited for his son to find his own words to explain what had happened. His late wife had always hold it to him, that he was too rash sometimes and he had painfully learned his lesson about that issue. He stroked his thumb over a jagged scar on his forearm and smiled, as he was reminded about his first encounter with the woman he had loved beyond reason.

"Dad … how did you meet mother?"

Raion looked surprised up at his son. "From where came that question now?"

Taiga squirmed around and looked anywhere but at his father. "Uhm … I … I meet someone … and … I think, that maybe … they are more … than just a friend to me." The redheads voice got quieter with every word he mustered out and a vivid blush was creeping up his cheeks.

Suddenly Raion laughed and clapped his son's shoulder. "Is that why you were away that long? Indulged yourself in the pleasure of the flesh, huh? My little Taiga is becoming a man."

"Dad! I didn't … urg." Taiga slapped his fathers hand away and averted his eyes. 'Yeah, well I did! But I can't tell him with whom.' He clutched at his hair. 'Why him? Why?'

"So? Who is the lucky lady, that caught your eye?" The tall man grinned and was really curious about the answer. Finally his son had found someone.

"Uhm … it's not …" Taiga wasn't a good liar, he knew that himself, but could he really tell his dad that he, somehow, out of nowhere, fell for a guy? 'What should I do?' He just didn't know.

Meanwhile his father observed him closely. He saw all the different kinds of embarrassment and worry on his son's face and grew a bit worried himself. This seemed to be something big, but he would have never guessed at just how big of a deal it really was, until Taiga mustered up his courage and spoke again.

He had made up his mind and would rather take the consequences, than hiding it. They always had a good father-son-relationship and maybe if he openly said for who he discovered those feelings, his old man would rethink about the issue, of him becoming the chieftain in the future. "Dad, I … the one I meet is …", Taiga watched and fiddled with his hands, almost made a knot in it, until he eventually took a deep breath and got it out. "... not a girl."

Raion, chieftain of the Kagami tribe, froze. His smile faded and hardness seeped into his eye. His voice however, remained calm, "I see, that is how it is. I don't care who it is! You will not see him again! I haven't raised you on my own, to lose the opportunity to see you carrying on my bloodline. That's all! You may leave now!" He didn't look at Taiga, who sat there shell-shocked and stared into the fire in the middle of the tent.

The redhead couldn't proceed the cold, harsh words his father just said. He had changed too suddenly from joy to anger. It hit him completely unprepared. The only thing that circled in his head was, that he really wasn't allowed to see the tanned, tall male of the Aomine clan ever again and it broke his heart.

He didn't knew how long it took him, to finally stand up and walk out of the tent to get to his own. His father remained silent and didn't called him back; he hadn't even looked at him once, after he said those dreadful words.

Taiga felt cold inside. It was as had someone put out the light in his heart and soul. He did his everyday deeds, like always. He searched for firewood and helped cooking the meals, because he was good with it. But he had no fun. It didn't felt like always. Some huge part of his soul was missing; though he was still smiling like always, but it didn't reached his eyes anymore. They were dead. Blood shot, because he couldn't sleep well. Every night he would dream about the tall male and curl up into a ball of despair and hurt, trying to hold back his tears over his first love, that hadn't even really begun. Though he still wouldn't admit, that he really had feelings of love for the impudent bluenette. And now, after the fall out with his father, he anyway needed to bury those feelings deep inside him and never let them rise again. But that was simpler said than done.

His friends also noticed, how Taiga had changed after the talk with his father. Worry clouded their eyes, every time they watched him show that non-smile. They didn't ask though, knowing that it would hurt their friend even more, to talk about what had happened and what had been said. They knew Taiga well enough to know, that the redhead was a bad liar and also his fathers reaction was so obvious, that they got it on their own, that the redhead had confessed. Raion didn't look at his son anymore. It didn't go as far as ignoring him, but he punished him with resentment and only barked out commands into his direction, whenever the red-haired male was near. Everyone in the tribe felt uncomfortable about it, since they were used to barked out laughters when father and son bantered around with each other.

"It can't go on like that?" Teppei said, matter of factly, as he sat with his friends around the fire in his tent and watched how the flames licked up at the dry logs of wood.

"Teppei is right. This whole thing got out of hand and really most of us don't even know what happened anyway. Could you please tell us some details? Otherwise we can't help a thing." Riko crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the floor. She was too upset to sit down and watched the boys with angry eyes.

"Well, it isn't that easy to talk about. But I guess, with everyone present it's fine." Kazunari looked at Riko and Junpei. As they nodded, he confirmed one last time that Ryouta and Teppei approved and began to explain what occurred when they found Taiga.

He ended with a sigh and waited on their reactions. Junpei sat flabbergasted and only stared at him, but Riko recovered faster, somehow not really surprised. "So, that is what happened. Well, I guess that makes sense, now that I think back." She put her index finger to her chin and tapped on it, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

"Wha … what do you mean 'makes sense'? He is in love with another male of our rival clan! Where is 'sense' in that?", Junpei ranted and clutched at his hair.

"If you count how many girls came on to him and he didn't show a reaction to them, each and every single time it happened, I think that is enough to make it clear that he bats for the other team. And really, could you get over the issue about his partner being male! It is a problem, if it comes to continuing the blood line, but that is all there is to it. The bigger problem is indeed the fact, that he is from the Aomine clan."

"Riko, it's honorable that you have no problem with them both being male, but you got it wrong. The real issue is that his partner is male. Knowing Raion, he doesn't want his line to die out." Teppei looked with sad eyes into his circle of friends. They all were silent, until Junpei slammed his fist to the ground, "That's stupid! What bloodline? What about Taiga's happiness then? I never thought that his father was that heartless." Annoyance was oozing off of him in heavy waves, but soon subsided when Riko laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"So, what are we going to do? Is there even anything we can do to help?" Ryouta asked and swept his blond bangs back. "How about we go and talk to the Aomine clan? Maybe they have an idea?", the blonde mused out and a confident smile rose on his face.

"Don't be stupid!" Annoyed glances were shot in his direction. "Do you think we can march in there and just ask?" Riko swatted the back of his head. "Eh~ but they are also involved in this. I thought it would be a good idea to get more people who aren't against their relationshipssu~.", Ryouta wailed and caressed the back of his head.

"Actually, the idea is not that bad. From what I got from the other two guys we meet there, they were not against it. The little one seemed extremely pleased about the situation somehow." Kazunari spoke his thoughts aloud and raised one eyebrow. "Maybe we should really try that, but how do we contact them? If we stay too long away, Raion might catch on that we plan something."

"Hm... how about we ask my father when he goes training the younger kids for hunting? He sometimes goes that far away and he is also not pleased with this situation.", Riko suggested.

"If he is willed to help us out, that might actually work. It will be dangerous, but he needs to find the light-blue haired one. I think talking goes best with him." The others nodded to Teppei's idea and as soon as their little group broke up for the night, Riko got to her father and told him their plan.

TBC