I don't know how to apologize for the wait ;-; It was supposed to be a week, then it kept dragging on because of all my assignments piling up on me. Anyway, I hope this will appease your rage for the time being, but if you're not angry and just hungry for more AoKuro angst, then this is for you too. I wanted to do fluff, but I had to be realistic. Someone has to die. Am I depressing you yet? :D

As always, enjoy and let me know what you think! It's because of all the positive feedback that I dragged myself out of my rut to write this. Though I am not liable for any hatred incurred while reading this.

You have been warned.

"Lock down the building!" Aomine barked out the order as soon as he heard the hurried footsteps rush into the apartment after him. "The asshole's still in here somewhere!"

Immediately, one of the uniformed officers that had been a step behind Midorima turned on his heels and ran out again. Aomine looked at the remaining policeman. "There's a fire escape somewhere on the outside of the building. Make sure no one uses it."

Nodding, the man left, leaving the pair of detectives alone, with the exception of the quivering body that Aomine had his arms wrapped protectively around. Midorima considered the frightened model in silence for a while. Sending Aomine a pointed look that the dark-haired man knew to mean that he was leaving it up to Aomine to deal with the worked up female, he, too, turned around and exited. Aomine remained in the crouch, stroking her back gently as sobs wrecked through her body. She had been strong in the face of death, and now that she was safe, he knew that it would take quite a while before she calmed down.

"You did great," he mumbled softly, comfortingly. "It's all okay now. You can breathe."

Her breaths were shaky and stuttered as she tried vainly to halt the flow of tears. Aomine cast a glance towards the door. He wanted to be downstairs in the lobby where Midorima probably was, looking out for the perpetrator, not here being as awkward as a turtle trying to be supportive. He may have spent many years of his life around women, but dealing with them when they were in such an emotionally unstable state had never been his forte. Or any other man's, he would imagine.

It took a while for him to register how silent it had suddenly become. Mari had cried herself to exhaustion, fingers clinging weakly to the sleeves of his shirt as she struggled to stay upright and not bowl him over. She could hardly do that, he thought absentmindedly. She was smaller than Kuroko.

Hands planted firmly on her shoulders, he leaned her back and looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Don't budge an inch. I'll be right back."

Mari's answering nod was hesitant, the way her bottom lip quivered as she did that a clear indication to the detective of just how much effort it took to release her grip on him. Standing, he moved quickly, grabbing the blanket off the foot of the bed and wrapping it tightly around her before he made his way out into the general area of the apartment. Critical eyes took in everything, making a mental note of the shelf that looked suspiciously empty and the two bits of metal that he identified as lock picks.

Using a piece of tissue paper, he picked them up and rolled them carefully, pocketing the evidence. He had only had enough time to call Midorima as he made his way over, so the CSU would not be called in for a bit. Also, it was supposed to be his day off, which was why he didn't have any of his equipment on him. Aomine let out an inaudible sigh as he stood in the middle of the room, rubbing the back of his neck wearily. It was going to be a long day.

xx

Midorima had skipped down most of the stairs, having deemed the elevator too slow. When he emerged in the decadently furbished lobby, it was to the sight of a group of security guards and his own police officer stopping every person that tried to walk in or out of the large revolving doors. Stopping beside the closest of the guards, he put a hand on the man's shoulder, and flashed his badge.

"Did anyone leave the premises at all?"

"No, sir. We managed to stop everyone." The guard replied. "Although I can't say that there hadn't been a couple of cars to drive out before the alert was raised."

"That's fine," the green-eyed man nodded. It wasn't likely that the murderer would be able to escape that quickly, but even if that had been the case, Midorima knew better than to take it out on the guards.

"Excuse me." The tall man turned around, an eyebrow raised in askance, and then bent his head lower. Beside him stood an elderly lady, dressed lavishly, and looking extremely displeased. "What is going on?"

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," he smiled down at her charmingly. "But there has been a crime committed in this building, and we're trying to apprehend the perpetrator."

"Oh, dear me, that's terrible!" She exclaimed, looking much too delighted at the idea. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid I can't elaborate further," Midorima bowed. "It is strictly confidential information."

"Of course, of course," she crooned, waving her hand at his words. "Do carry on with your work."

With that said, she ambled off, presumably to go spread the gossip amongst the other women who stood around, looking completely at a loss. Well, he thought, at least it gave them something to occupy their time.

"Excuse me, Midorima-san?" This time, the voice was masculine, and Midorima's memory of the man who appeared before him was still fresh.

"Kou-san," Emerald eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Midorima had not assumed that he was a high-ranking member of the agency when they had met the other day. He hadn't dressed as well then as he did now. "What's up with the commotion?"

"There was a burglary just minutes ago," he wasn't sure what made him lie, but a detective that didn't listen to his gut would end up dead on the streets before they could snap their fingers. "We're trying to see if we can catch the person who did it before they manage to escape."

Kou whistled low. "Man that sucks. Is the person who got attacked okay?"

"Yes, they're doing fine. Slightly shocked, but in pretty good condition." Midorima schooled his features so that they were blank, blinking his eyes slowly to appear nonchalant as he scrutinized Kou's reactions closely. Looking around at the growing crowd, the latter turned concerned eyes towards him.

"Is this going to take a long time? I have a meeting to attend."

"Didn't you just enter?" Green eyes considered him questioningly.

"I just came back to take some things. I was supposed to head right out."

"I sincerely apologize," Midorima said with a shake of his head. "Until we're absolutely sure he's not within the building, we cannot release anyone."

"Ehh," Kou scrunched up his nose. "Guess I'll have to call in and let my boss know."

"I would advise it," Midorima agreed. "Find a corner to settle down in, it might be a bit of a wait."

"Yeah, sure," came the mumbled reply, phone already in his hand as he shuffled off to find a spot with the slightest bit of privacy. Green eyes watched him go, lips unconsciously pursed in thought.

"Detective." The said man perked up at the call, catching sight of the police officer that had been tasked to watch the emergency fire escape striding towards him.

"Towa," he acknowledged. "Why aren't you outside?"

"I got a couple of people keeping guard there." Towa explained, coming to a halt beside Midorima and watched the crowd with mild interest. "I called in back up, by the way."

"Good, thanks," The other man returned. Thoughtfully, he pushed up his spectacles higher on the bridge of his nose. "Keep an eye on them. Especially that man in the corner. I'll be upstairs with Aomine if you need anything."

Making sure that Towa knew exactly which man he was referring to, Midorima walked to the back of the lobby and pressed the button for the lift.

xx

"Feeling better?" Aomine's tone was slightly teasing, but his smile was gentle.

Nodding, Mari said, voice raspy, "I'm sorry about that outburst."

"Don't be sorry. You were right to be frightened. I'd be worried if you weren't freaking out." His words garnered him a small smile. "You up for some explaining?"

Silently, she stared off into the distance, as though she was organizing the thoughts in her head before she answered him. Finally, she nodded.

"How come you're back in Tokyo? Weren't you supposed to be with your parents?"

"I was with them, but they just decided the other day that they want to take a vacation overseas and wanted me to go with them, so I had to come back and get my passport."

"Did you tell anyone you were coming back?"

"I told my brother," she squinted as she tried to recall mentioning it to anyone else. "I think it was just him, because I was supposed to go stay with him until I went back."

"You came here from your brother's place?"

"No, I came straight from the train station. This is two stops from my brother's house."

"I see," Aomine said slowly. If the killer had managed to catch her in her apartment just when she was around, it was very likely that he had known she was returning from the countryside. Aomine could assume that he knew where her parents lived. Pointing that out would be a mistake, though. Instead, he asked, "What happened when he came in?"

"I was looking for my passport in my wardrobe," she began, gesturing towards the walk-in wardrobe that was the size of his apartment. "When I heard the sound of someone kicking my handbag, I didn't even think, I just ran out and locked my door."

"Those are some pretty good reflexes you have there." He said, smiling briefly. "What happened after that?"

"I…" she paused for a while before continuing. "I called you right after that I think. I only remember crawling into the back of my wardrobe and praying hard that he wouldn't get in."

"What about when he left?"

"He stopped tinkering with the lock when he heard me mention Saki-san's name. It was probably five minutes later when I heard sounds outside."

"He took some things?" Aomine jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the empty shelf beside the door.

Mari nodded. "Those were nothing important, though. Just random souvenirs I picked up."

"Would you be able to recognize all of them?"

"I suppose so. I've looked at them for years."

"Alright." Aomine stood and whipped out his phone. He stopped before hitting the call button, a thought occurring to him. "Where do you intend to stay now?"

"My brother's I guess." She shrugged. "I don't have a lot of options."

Not sure if it was a good idea to tell her that she might be leading the murderer straight to her family, he merely nodded and then walked out into the living room to make the call. The sound of his partner's ringtone outside the door drew his glance and he raised his eyebrows at his screen as he ended the call before Midorima could answer. The door opened soundlessly as Midorima walked into the apartment, in the motion of pocketing his cellular device.

"Anything?" The green-haired man nodded in the direction of the bedroom. Aomine lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. There was plenty that he would tell Midorima, but not in the presence of the model.

"She needs a place to stay the night." Aomine muttered, turning away to inspect her kitchen.

"Where does she want to go?"

"Her brother's." Aomine watched in mild interest as Midorima pulled out a pair of gloves and picked up a small black bag that had been shoved behind the kitchen counter that Aomine's initial sweep of the place had missed. Carefully unzipping it, he sifted through the contents with Aomine looking over his shoulder. Inside was a mini hardware store that specialized in the sharp and shiny.

"I'll get this to CSU," Midorima's voice was low so Mari wouldn't hear. Letting her figure out just what the killer had intended for her would shake her already unstable condition. "You should convince her to stay in a hotel."

"Yeah." Aomine agreed, and followed his partner to the door. Shutting it behind him, Aomine took a deep breath and padded into the bedroom. "Mari-san."

Looking up with a start, her eyes wide and fearful for a moment, it took several seconds for Mari to relax enough to nod her head in question. Aomine felt his heart pull. He knew the right thing to do was to get her to move herself to a hotel, as she could be putting her brother and his family in danger with her presence, but experience told him that even if she somehow miraculously agreed to it, she would be frightened to be by herself. Even with policemen stationed outside her room, it was doubtful that she would be able to sleep soundly.

He made up his mind, praying that it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass. "Where does your brother live?"

xx

"Where'd you go?" Aomine made a face at the words that greeted him the moment his partner caught sight of him.

"I dropped Mari off at her brother's place."

"Is that wise?" Midorima looked concernedly at him.

"Probably not," he admitted. Pulling out his chair, he collapsed into it with a huge sigh. "But staying alone in a hotel after what just happened would be torture."

"I see." Silence fell between the two detectives, Aomine leaned back on his chair, eyes closed as he tried to fight off the encroaching headache and listened to the steady rhythm of tapping as Midorima typed away at his keyboard. Minutes later, the sound of clicking keys stopped, prompting Aomine to pry one eye open.

"What?" He grunted.

"Kou-san was there," came the quiet reply. Aomine sat up, alert. "He said he lives in the building."

"Does he?" The dark-haired man rolled himself forward and powered up his computer.

Nodding, Midorima answered, "I checked with the building super. He said that all those we held in the lobby were either residents or people who had visited before. We didn't find anyone suspicious."

"But?" Aomine pressed on when the man opposite him fell silent.

"It's probably nothing," Midorima said slowly. "But Kou-san was wearing gloves."

"That doesn't make a very good case," Aomine muttered drily.

Midorima tossed him a glare. "That's why I said it was probably nothing. Something just doesn't feel right about that man."

"Investigate him then," the dark-skinned man retorted with a yawn. He wanted to go home and sleep. His lazy day out with Kuroko and Ryouko had been epicly ruined. As the thought of the blonde blob of sunshine crossed his mind he cursed under his breath and tugged out his phone.

"Hey," he said into the mouthpiece before the other had the chance to speak. "Is Sunshine okay?"

"Here I was, thinking that Aomine-kun was calling because he missed me." Kuroko's voice was dry, but Aomine didn't detect any hint of anger. "I just dropped her off at her house."

"Okay," he huffed out a relieved sigh. "And I do miss you."

"I'm sure you do," Kuroko replied, evidently amused. "You don't need to worry about my feelings."

"But I really do," he insisted. Out of his peripherals, he could see Midorima bend his head closer to the file he was writing in. "I miss you all the time."

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Aomine heard the sound of keys jingling in the background. "Is it okay to be sweet-talking your lover over the phone while you're on the job?"

"The rule book didn't say I couldn't," he responded with a shrug the other man couldn't see. He would be a dead man if he let on just what the word 'lover' did to his insides. "Besides, the only one here right now is my partner, and he sweet-talks his boyfriend all the time."

At that, twin pools of dark jade looked up from the work he had been staring at to glare a hole through Aomine's forehead. In answer, Aomine grinned widely at him.

"Aomine-kun actually read the rule book?" Kuroko sounded dubious, something that was completely understandable.

He hummed in thought. "More like, I scanned through it."

"All of it? I imagine that there must be a number of pages to go through."

"Actually, I probably flipped through the first few pages. I don't need to memorize it when I have a walking encyclopedia for a partner." The last word had barely left his lips when he had to duck out of the way of the pen that was aimed at his eye. He flipped Midorima the bird after the makeshift projectile landed somewhere with a clatter, no harm done to any innocent bystanders.

"Are you always such a jerk to your partner?" Despite the words, Kuroko sounded more humoured than admonishing.

"It's how I show my love." He returned, loving the breathy chuckle that floated through his phone, slightly distorted but still an absolute turn on. Checking the clock on the wall, Aomine asked, "Are you at home?"

"Yes. I just got back."

"Why don't you go over to Satsuki's for a movie?"

"I don't want to intrude. Momoi-san and I haven't seen each other since middle school."

"It's fine," Aomine dismissed his words nonchalantly. "You know me and Kise."

"Still…" Kuroko trailed off for a bit and Aomine heard the sounds of a bath being run. It was quiet for a while, but then Kuroko picked up from where he left off. "It would be awkward with Momoi-san and Kise-kun."

"It'll be weird for me too," the dark-haired man pointed out. "I'll be the third wheel if you're not there."

"I don't know where she lives." Was Kuroko really so reluctant to be with Momoi?

"I can pick you up." The static was starting to deafen him when he finally got an answer.

"Okay."

xx

Kuroko stared up at him, hands wet and covered in suds, dressed only in his boxer shorts. Aomine flashed him an approving grin.

"I like this kink."

"What is Aomine-kun doing here?" The suggestive leer he had on his face was duly ignored as Kuroko blinked at him, nonplussed. "I thought the movie was tonight?"

"It's still my day off." He explained, waiting for Kuroko to allow him room to pass. "So I came to pick up where we left off."

The smaller man seemed to mull over his words. "You mean go for ice cream?"

Aomine gaped at him, The pale skinned man returned the look with a curious smile. "I was joking."

Moving, he led the way into the apartment, disappearing down the hall into the bathroom without waiting for Aomine. The taller man followed suit, tugging his shirt off and dropping it callously along the way and undoing his belt in anticipation. Kuroko was bent over the edge of the bath tub, testing the temperature. Aomine bumped his knees into the back of his thighs, making him wobble slightly and wrapped tan arms around the tiny waist.

"I don't remember doing anything like this today." Kuroko said, leaning back into his chest anyway.

Aomine bent down to nip at his earlobe. His voice was husky; the feel of the small body in his arms awakening his desire and reminding him that it had been too long since they'd last been together. "Exactly."

Turning within the circle of his arms, Kuroko reached up and wrapped his arms around the dark-haired man's neck, pulling him down to give him a deep, probing kiss. It was apparent that he wasn't the only one that wanted this. "I think I missed you."

"You said you slept better without my snoring," Aomine accused as he pulled away from the kiss to pout down at Kuroko.

"I got used to it," Kuroko chuckled slightly at his childishness. "It's kind of cute."

Aomine snorted, ignoring the thumping going on in his chest. What was he, fifteen? "It's not cool to call a detective cute. It could ruin my image."

"But you are rather cute," Kuroko protested. "Like a big, furry, warm, teddy be-"

The word was lost as Aomine captured his lips in a kiss that was a far cry from cute.

xx

"Dai-kun! Tet-kun!" The pink-haired model chirped excitedly when she opened the door. "You're just in time for dinner!"

She twirled around and skipped off ahead of them, oblivious to the twin expressions of horror on her guests' faces. Kuroko leaned in slightly to whisper, "Please tell me Momoi-san's cooking has improved since middle school."

"The pots are still intact after, so I guess that's an improvement."

"What are you two standing there for? Come on!" Reluctantly, the pair walked in, Kuroko flashing Aomine a look that told him that if he died of food poisoning, the responsibility would rest solely on Aomine for insisting that he tag along.

"Kurokocchi~!" Kise appeared from behind, throwing himself at the two of them, an arm wrapping around each of their necks. "You came!"

"It would seem so," Kuroko responded, prying away the arm before he fell unconscious from the strangling hold. It had happened before. "How is Kise-kun?"

"I'm fine!" Honestly, Aomine thought, already feeling exhausted. The two of them were injecting caffeine every hour, he was sure. There was no other reason they would be so energetic all the time. God forbid they have a kid. Shuddering at the thought, Aomine almost didn't register Momoi calling him from the kitchen. Approaching cautiously, he peeped around the corner.

"What?"

"C'mere," the model beckoned him closer. Dread crawled up his spine as he spotted the spoon with something that looked painfully black swimming about it. He inched forward, resigned to his fate. He'd lost count of the number of times he had been her guinea pig. She held out the spoon. "Try it."

Sipping from it, he toyed with the soup, trying to get a feel of the taste with the little amount that he had taken. He blinked at her in surprise. "It's not bad."

"Really?" She exclaimed delightedly, clasping her hands together. "I'm so glad!"

"Where'd you learn how to cook?" He plucked the spoon out of compliant fingers and dipped it into the pot, taking a bigger sip.

"Ryou-kun has been teaching me," Momoi replied with a blush.

"Oh?" He smirked at her. "Is he spending that much time here?"

"It's none of your business." She returned hotly, the blush creeping higher.

"I bet he's practically moved in, huh?" he continued, gleefully determined to extort every bit of embarrassment out of her. "Does he have his things in your shower?"

"Stop it," she snapped at him, smacking him lightly on the arm, face a bright cherry tomato red. Aomine laughed, ruffling her hair as she huffed at him disgruntledly.

Outside in the living room, Kise and Kuroko watched the childhood friends interact over the bar counter that divided the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.

"They look really good together, huh?" Kise's voice was wistful. Kuroko nodded wordlessly. They made a striking pair, with their shocking hair colours and with how attractive they were individually.

"Kise-kun looks really good with Momoi-san, too." At his quiet words, Kise turned to him in surprise, before smiling happily.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course."

"Kurokocchi and Aominecchi look good together, too." Kise said, sounding like he was confessing to something. "You smile more when you're with him."

Pale blue eyes widened slightly. "That's not true."

"It is," Kise declared. He looked down at his hands, not wanting to meet Kuroko's probing glance. His words were whispered, forcing Kuroko to bend forward to catch them. "When we were together you didn't smile as much as you do now."

"That…" After their break-up they had remained friends, and neither had ever mentioned that part of their relationship since. Kuroko had known Kise for years, and knew how to read him. Yet, he had never noticed that the blonde man was so observant of his expressions. Unable to continue, he didn't try, knowing that no words would be appropriate.

"I wish," Kise began with a small sigh. "That I had been able to make you happy."

His words settled around them, filling up the cracks in the silence that was occasionally broken by whiffs of the conversation going on in the kitchen. Finally, Kuroko spoke. "You made me happy."

Kise looked up, topaz eyes filling up his face. Kuroko laid a gentle hand on top of Kise's larger ones. "But I think what we have right now makes us both happier."

Bright yellow eyes stared at the pale hand placed over his own for a moment before a huge grin lit up his face. "Yeah, I think so too."

xx

"Hey Satsuki," Aomine called over his shoulder as he stood in front of a display shelf. "When'd you start collecting these?"

"Oh, those," Momoi padded over from where she had been shuffling through a pile of DVDs for the movie they were watching that night. Kise and Kuroko were in the kitchen doing the dishes. "Kou-kun used to buy them for me when he went overseas."

Aomine's look was sharp when he turned around. "Do you still collect them?"

"No, but Kou-san still sends me one or two occasionally."

"I see," he muttered. Picking one up, he turned it over, scrutinizing it. "He said he hadn't run into you, though."

"Yeah, we haven't met in a really long time." Momoi reached for one of the mini cameras. "He usually leaves them with my manager."

"He's avoiding you?"

"I don't think so. It's just that I'm hardly ever at the agency since I need to move around for shoots, so we don't have the chance to see each other."

"I see," he repeated and placed the object back in its spot. When he looked at her again, he didn't look the least bit perturbed. "So, what movie are we watching?"

"Momoicchi," Kise appeared beside them, expression forlorn. "I forgot to buy the drinks earlier."

"Oh! I forgot about them too!" she frowned. "Dai-kun, can you go get some from the convenience store downstairs?"

"Sure," he agreed readily enough. It would be a good opportunity to call Midorima.

"I'll go with Aominecchi," Kise piped up, ignoring the immediate shake that Aomine directed at him. "It was my fault after all."

Unable and unwilling to expand the energy needed to protest, Aomine shrugged wordlessly and headed for the door, checking his pockets for his phone and wallet. Kise was a step behind him, and they walked in silence for a bit before the blonde model spoke up.

"Can I ask you something?" Kise asked, coming abreast with the tan man.

"Shoot," he replied.

"Has Momoicchi ever had any…. stalkers?" Aomine stopped suddenly, directing the other man a narrow look.

"Not any that she's told me about." He answered slowly. "Why?"

"She's been getting these letters in the mail recently that she throws away without opening." Aomine watched detachedly as the air in front of Kise condensed with his words. "When I ask her about it she refuses to say anything, just tells me to not worry."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

Kise shrugged, looking guilty. "I believed her when she said I shouldn't worry."

"What changed your mind then?" Aomine asked, slipping his rapidly numbing hands into his coat pockets.

"I grabbed her mail before she got to it the other day and took it out," he fished around in his coat pocket and procured a small envelope. "She looked so relieved when she saw that it was missing from the pile."

Aomine accepted the plain piece of folded paper and flipped up the flap. A shiver ran down his spine that was not caused by the cold. Inside were multiple pictures, about ten approximately, of the pink-haired model in various places at different times. They looked eerily familiar.

"How long has she been getting these?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. I only started noticing about three weeks back."

"How often do they come?"

"So far, once a week."

"Shit," Aomine murmured under his breath. He nailed Kise with a sharp glare. "I need you to keep an eye on her. Never let her out of your sight."

"Of course," he replied immediately, tone defensive. "That's why I'm staying over nearly every night."

At the admission Aomine relaxed a bit. In retrospect, it was probably what Kise had been trying to talk to him about on the few occasions they had crossed paths. "We should hurry up and get those drinks. I'm freezing my ass off."

xx

Aomine felt like his spine was going to fall out of his back, he was so exhausted. Trudging up the stairs to his floor slowly, he rubbed his eyes wearily, letting his mask drop for the first time that night. After the movie had ended, the bloody blonde had suggested a board game which Momoi had jumped at, forcing Kuroko and him to stay for another two hours. He'd walked Kuroko to his apartment where they had stood, propped up by the wall beside the door, lips locked until neither could feel their fingers anymore.

He had rather delightedly caught the disappointment that flashed across Kuroko's face when he had turned down the offer to spend the night, simply because he had to be at the station early in the morning, and he was absolutely drained. It took more willpower than he had ever thought he was capable of to turn himself around and walk away from those huge, bright blue eyes and parted lips, reddened from their kiss. But he did it. He is now a stronger man.

Pulling out his keys, he nudged them into the lock, focused only on the image of his bed that beckoned. Toeing his door open, he shuffled forward, stopping abruptly when he heard a rustle and felt a slight point poke at the tip of his shoe. Dark eyes glanced down, using the meager lighting from the common walkway outside to squint at the small, flat object on his floor. Even with his brain addled as it was, he recognized it for what it was, and bent down guardedly to pick it up.

Long fingers moved quickly, flipping it over and undoing the flap that held it shut as soon as he noticed – with no surprise – that it was unmarked. The pictures that spilled out into his waiting hand froze his entire body, muscles contracting and he momentarily forgot how to breathe. Mari's face was clearly seen in the first one, and the second, and third, and fourth. All of them obviously within a day, as she was wearing the same clothes. Beside her stood Aomine, smiling at something she mentioned. In the next few, Aomine was still in the frame, assisting her out of the car, out of her apartment complex, and following her into her brother's.

He rotated the pictures and nearly dropped the pile. He tried to still the shaking of his hands as he looked through the remaining five pictures, the subject a man of average height with skin so pale it was nearly white and a shock of sky blue hair that contrasted spectacularly with his skin tone. Those, too, were taken in one day, and Aomine recognized the clothes as the same that Kuroko had on that day during their outing with Ryouko. Aomine was not present in any of the pictures, and neither was Ryouko, but it was little consolation to him. He knew what it meant, knew what message was being sent across.

Instinctively, he flipped the last photo of Kuroko smiling down at Ryouko over, cursing angrily as he read the words written on the back of it.

Do you know where they are?