I'm sorry, it takes so long now a days to update this story. But I will finish it. Don't worry. So, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it :D Thanks for reading my story. The lovely reviews keep me going. ;)

Language: English is not my first language.

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

Chapter 27

Raion looked serious at Teppei. "So, not only is my son with one of the Aomine chieftain's sons missing, but to second that, their chieftain himself is marching against us?" He sighed. "Thank you, Teppei. Now go rest, I will hold an emergency meeting with my men and inform you guys in the morning. The Aomine group can stay here tonight. No use throwing someone out, when it's pouring down like this." Teppei bowed relieved that he got away without a scolding, but stopped his attempt to leave the tent, when he saw the grieve in the chieftain's remaining eye. "He will be back. Taiga is strong." After he got a curt nod and an almost smile from Raion, he walked back to his own home.

Junpei had meanwhile fallen asleep. He smiled at his sleeping friend and put a blanket over him. "He must have been pretty exhausted after all the commotion." Curling up in his own bed, he shifted a while around until sleep eventually found him in the early morning hours. Beside what someone might think of Teppei's happy-go-lucky attitude, he cared deeply for his friends. And with one gone and the others in danger, he already decided to protect them no matter what.

"Does this fucking cave has no end? Dammit!" Taiga held the map in front of him, turned it and gritted his teeth. "I don't even know, if we still walk into the right direction."

Daiki had plopped down against the wall of the narrow tunnel and pulled his fingers through his hair. "Stop turning the map or we really will get lost." His voice was as tired as he felt.

"Save your stupid remarks for another time. This is seriously the most fucked up situation I ever was in. It even tops, me meeting you.", the redhead snarled and turned the map again, not once looking at the taller man.

It was because of that, that he missed the hurt expression on Daiki's face. He was so sorry about his behaviour and even more sorry that he indeed was his father son. Taiga had explained in detail, what had happened to him after he got back to his tribe from his unexpected journey and the bluenette had finally understood. Not only his heart was lost in this sudden whirlwind of feelings, no he had also misunderstood everything and acted on his own accord without consulting the redhead before, hurting him deeply with it.

Taiga felt the same about him or had felt. He wasn't sure where he now stood in the redhead's heart. Taiga behaved almost normally around him, but sentences like just now did fall more often and every time his hope, that he still had a chance with the redhead, died a bit more. It was a horrible feeling and he wanted to flee from it. Flee from the redhead, this cave and his own hurting heartstrings.

"I think there is another, bigger grotto further ahead. I guess we should rest there. It has to be pretty late by now." Taiga folded the map and looked prompting at Daiki.

"Yes yes, I'm walking in front.", he drawled with a sigh, stood up and grabbed the torch, which laid beside him. Since the horribly stupid incident, the redhead always made sure to stay slightly behind him and never leave him out of his sight.

Little did Taiga understand, how much the bluenette regretted the almost rape he nearly committed. He was on caution. His nerves strained to no end. His red eyes never left the broad back in front of him. He wanted to forgive him, deep down. But he hadn't let the Aomine's guy speak the words he needed. Hadn't wanted to hear them so shortly after the attack on his body and mind. And for some reason, he couldn't stop his mouth from forming cruel words and throw them at the bluenette, whenever he felt like he might give in, trust him again. He hurt himself about the same amount he hurt Daiki with it. Flinched everytime, he saw the tanned male's pained expression. His own words cut deep into his soul, leaving scars he never wanted to have or inflict.

When the space opened up in front of them and they stepped into a huge grotto, where the light of their touches couldn't reach the roof, he eventually noticed, that they had steadily moved downwards.

"Shit!" Taiga wanted to smash his torch to the ground and rip the piece of shitty paper apart.

"I guess this means trouble. How far off the path are we?" The bluenette pulled around and attempted to get the map, which was tucked behind the rim of Taiga's already dry loincloth. He didn't think ahead, what his sudden move could trigger in the redhead.

Taiga sprang back, fear and fury riding in his eyes, as he growled at the tanned man, "Stay the fuck away from me!"

Daiki let his hand fall, a pained expression ghosted over his features. He gritted his teeth and spun on his heals. His fists clenched tight. One at his side, the other almost snapping the torch in two. His hope, that he would ever be allowed to touch the redhead's sun-kissed skin again, vanished like the twinkling last flames of a bonfire. He had fucked it up and now he knew, just how badly he had destroyed the bond they once shared. His midnight-blue eyes stung, but the tears never fell. He had trained his whole life to hide his feelings and now it came in handy. His face grew uncaring, coldness seeped into his eyes, as he willed his heart to stop beating for the redhead.

Daiki unpacked his blanket and rolled himself without further words, into the farthest corner possible. He was tired and would rather freeze to death, than have to fear being rejected again when his unconscious body seeked the warmth of the other in his sleep. 'No. Don't think about it. It's over. He doesn't want me anymore.'

Taiga watched the bluenette and felt horrible after what just had happened. It wasn't his intention to react so violently. He was only caught of guard by the abrupt movement of Daiki and the words found the way out his mouth, before he could even think straight.

He sat down where he stood and also rolled himself in his blanket, too tired to even try and make a fire. Without eating, he drifted off to sleep, but his dreams somehow weren't fearsome. No recollection of what had taken place. Instead, they were warm and full of midnight-blue eyes who looked lovingly at him, soft lips on his own and whispered promises.

Daiki on the other hand, couldn't find sleep. He was cold inside as outside and without a fire, his teeth began to rattle after a while. 'I should be lying here with Taiga cuddled against me after hot sex.' He closed his eyes and willed the thought away. Nothing would come of it anyway.

Sometime over the next hours, he had drifted off and soft snoring, interrupted by rattling teeth filled the space around him. Taiga laid awake since a while, debating with himself, if he should go over there or not. He had woken up from the coldness, which seemed to seep out of the ground and directly into his bones. The torch was long out and he stared into the darkness, trying without success to seek out the bluenette's silhouette.

'Oh fuck this! I'm cold, he's cold. What am I even doing here?' Taiga clucked his tongue, took his belongings and marched over to the sleeping man. Blanket unceremoniously throw down right next to the bluenette, he laid down and pulled at the taller man's covers. Eventually he got an arm around Daiki and rolled him, under cursing and huffing, over until his blue-haired head came to rest on Taiga's chest. Then he tugged the blanket around them and eventually, warm began to spread everywhere their skin touched. Taiga sighed relieved and closed his eyes. That was what he had wanted all along. Only his stupidity and well some leftover fear had held him back from doing so in the first place. He got comfortable and was actually glad, that he hadn't woken the taller man. He had noticed how exhausted Daiki was and their talk could wait till tomorrow. The teeth rattling died out and Taiga found back to sleep, clutching the bluenette close to his body.

"Uff, we were in luck to find this hideout." The old woman shook raindroplets out of her long hair and placed her basket on the ground.

"You knew that this was here." Seijuurou glanced through the rain, but couldn't see much. The downpour was simply too heavy, which was the reason that anyway nothing was to be seen.

His great grandmother chuckled, "You're too impatient. We aren't so far away anymore. You will soon see her again, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about it. But do you think they will simply accept your suggestion and that's it then?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Well, it could get a bit complicated, but why not? You're also a Kagami, even if you are from a side line of the tribe, your mother was chieftainess until she got taken from us. You have all the qualities to lead a clan and since the Akashi's died out, you have all the right to challenge Taiga for the chieftain position of the main tribe." She smiled lightly at him and patted his shoulder.

"How much longer?", Seijurou asked and looked towards the sky. "One and a half day, more or less a few hours. Sleep, you'll need all your energy." She got herself comfortable and closed her eyes.

The rustling of his great grandmother was only a background noise for Seijuurou. His mind already far away, thinking about his task and the girl he had met. If everything worked out to his favour, he wouldn't only be chieftain, but also reunite two clans to straighten his power. In his mind he was born to be a leader. Obtaining that, was one of the biggest challenges he had set for his life.

"I don't know about you, but I won't do it. It's insane in this weather. I don't know what the chieftain is thinking, but he go to hell. I have a family at home." All men around nodded. Everyone was thinking the same. No one wanted to lose their lives in a fight without reason. And even if there was bad blood between the tribes, it wasn't enough to do something rash.

Hiruna was beside herself with anger. "He did what?" Her seething eyes were trained on the young woman, who had found her as soon as she came back from collecting food. Stammering, she explained again and twitched fiercely, as Hiruna clapped her shoulder. "It isn't your fault. Go home and be careful. It's dangerous in this weather."

'I will kill him!', she roared inside her head and soon found what she needed. Packing her belongings was fast done, convincing Midori, her best friend and Shintarou's mother, was another thing. "Midori please, be my stand-in if anything happens! But I really need to go and slap some sense back into my man. I don't even know what's going on in his head anymore."

The tall green-haired woman sighed heavily. "Why am I not surprised? You and Masahiro were always like that." She hugged Hiruna, "Be careful my dear.", and watched with worried eyes, as the small chieftainess, with the big heart, nodded and was gone before she could be held back again.

TBC