"Kuroko, get dressed, we'll be leaving shortly."

Kuroko was reading a classic novel, Nigou sleeping soundly on his lap when he heard his lover, Akashi Seijuro speak to him. Glancing up from his novel, he noticed said lover was dressed rather formally, adorning a black suit and tie and his fiery crimson hair was slicked back, giving him a very professional and handsome appearance.

"Huh? Where are we going?" he asked, a questioning look on his face.

"There's someone that I would like you to meet," he simply replied and quickly exited the room without a chance for Kuroko to ask further questions. This sparked Kuroko's curiosity? Who was it that Akashi wanted him to meet? Kuroko was at a loss for words.

He bookmarked his page in the novel and gently placed Nigou off of his lap and onto a nearby doggy bed. It didn't take Kuroko that long afterwards to get dressed, deciding to match Akashi in attire with wearing a black suit but with a sky blue necktie, one that matched his hair and eyes.

He quickly made his way outside where Akashi was waiting in front of his personal limousine. Like the perfect gentleman that he was, he opened the door, allowing Kuroko to enter the limo with ease before letting himself in. Entering said limousine, the first thing that caught Kuroko's attention was the bouquet of flowers laying in the middle seat of the limo. Upon further inspection, the phantom discovered that they were a bouquet of white lilies.

"Akashi-kun? Why do you have a bouquet of flowers in here?" he questioned, pretty confident that they weren't a gift for him, seeing that for starters they weren't celebrating anything as far as he knew, plus Kuroko himself wasn't a huge fan of flowers anyway.

"They're a gift," Akashi replied simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. By this point, the duo were both sitting in the limousine and said limo had begun driving. The rest of the car ride was pretty silent, with the occasional question here and there. Kuroko had asked Akashi questions regarding where they were going and who he was meeting and all he got was that 'it was a surprise.' Kuroko couldn't help his curiosity from blooming, but his patience died with it. He really wanted to know exactly who was so important to meet that Akashi had to buy a bouquet of flowers for them as well as have the two of them wear suits for the occasion.

It was during these curious and impatient thoughts where Kuroko noticed that the limousine had begun to slow down and gradually stop, parking next to a nearby curb. Kuroko looked out of the window, confused as to why the limousine stopped at this location.

He starting right into the fields of gravestones, marked rows upon rows as far as Kuroko's eyes could perceive. The depressing slabs of stone contrasted with the cloudless, sunny midafternoon day.

"Akashi-kun, why are we at a cemetery?" He asked the redhead next to him. This wasn't even a cemetery that he's been to before, much less had deceased people that he knew buried here. And what about this person that he was supposed to meet? Meeting at a cemetery is too odd and doesn't make any sense.

However unsurprisingly, Akashi remained silent. Instead opening his door and walking outside over to Kuroko's door to open the door for him, a gentlemanly act and performed as if he's been opening doors for him for years.

Kuroko gets out of the car, still confused and perplexed about this entire situation. That was when he noticed that Akashi was carrying the bouquet of while lilies that where laying in the limousine earlier. A gift perhaps? Kuroko wasn't sure and as much as he wanted to ask, he was pretty confident that his lover would persist in using the silent treatment on him.

"Follow me," the redhead ordered as he proceeded to walk into the cemetery, lilies in hand. A perplexed Kuroko willingly obliged, if it meant that he would get some answers about why they were here in the 1st place.

The duo traveled past countless tombstones, each embedded the details of a stranger's name, birth and death. It felt rather eerie to Kuroko and he began to feel a sense of dread at walking past these depressing gravestones. It makes him think how one day, this will be his final resting place, never to awaken or rise from the earth. The only people to notice his absence being the ones that visit him at his grave.

That just gave him a thought. Perhaps Akashi was taking him to see someone's grave? But why now? Today wasn't anything special as far as he could understand. He didn't know anyone that recently passed or that Akashi was fond of that passed away since he started dating Akashi so Kuroko had honestly no idea who or what to expect.

"Kuroko."

Akashi's call snapped Kuroko back into reality. The phantom gazed towards Akashi, noticing him standing in front of a gravestone near the back of the cemetery. There was a tall maple tree a couple of feet away from the gravestone but close enough for the stone to be partially enveloped by the tree's shadow.

Kuroko raced over to where Akashi was standing, careful not to bump into any of the gravestones along his way and stopped next to his lover. Akashi smile softly, tightening his clutch on the white lilies in his hands.

"Akashi-kun…" he muttered but Akashi only turned towards the tombstone, gazing at the tombstone fondly and tenderly.

"Good afternoon, mother. I came here to wish you a happy birthday," he began, taking a step towards the tombstone and kneeling down, taking a hand and gently caressing the cold stone, as if it was Kuroko's cheek he was stroking. He gently laid the white lilies in front of the grave, watching as the white petals billowed against the gentle breeze.

Meanwhile Kuroko just stood there, the realization of Akashi's words sinking in. Everything began to make sense to him. Why they dressed nicely today, why Akashi had bought those white lilies, why Akashi said that Kuroko was going to meet someone today. And that person that he was going to meet is his own-

"Kuroko, I would like you to meet Akashi Shiori, my mother," Akashi introduced, standing up and gazing back at Kuroko, a sweet smile adorning his face.

Kuroko remained in stunned silence. Akashi had told him about his mother before. How she was a kind, loving woman who gave Akashi the freedom to live like a child. She was the one that introduced him to and taught him how to play basketball. She was the light in the darkness that was Akashi's childhood. She was the one who passed away from a terminal illness back when Akashi was only in Year 5 of elementary school.

This is Akashi Shiori. Akashi's beloved mother. Her grave is standing right in front of Kuroko and he can't believe his eyes.

He wanted to cry. He has never met his mother before, much less her grave. She represents a fragile part of Akashi's childhood and Akashi was willingly allowing Kuroko to meet her, on her birthday no less. Akashi was basically allowing Kuroko to physically see a part of his life filled with so much love and tenderness, but also filled with sorrow and grief due to her passing. It meant so much to him that Akashi wanted the two of them to meet and Kuroko was going to take full advantage of this amazing opportunity.

With that, Kuroko smiled softly, taking a step closer so that he was next to Akashi. He peered down at her tombstone, her name carved into the stone as well as her date of birth and death. To a random stranger, this was just some grave but to Kuroko, it was the final resting place of the mother of his significant other.

"It's nice to meet you, Akashi-san. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya," he replied, greeting her with the traditional bow.

Kuroko had returned to a standing position when Akashi held Kuroko's hand and intertwined their fingers. "Kuroko's the one that I've told you about remember? He's the one that I'm in love with, mother. And I hope that you give us our blessing as we continue through this path of life together."

Kuroko squeezed Akashi's hand. The couple continued to talk with Akashi Shiori's grave for an unprecedented amount of time afterwards, engaging in small talk from their classes at university to conversations about Nigou or about the couple themselves and how they were doing. Kuroko didn't care how long they stayed, because he knew just how much this meant to Akashi. It seemed like he wanted to bring Kuroko over here for a long time now and it made him very happy and joyful that he was able to make that a reality.

The couple now stayed in a comfortable silence, their fingers still remained interlocked and a little sweaty but neither of them minded. They were still content, allowing the gentle breeze to toss their hair and gently sway the white lilies laying in front of Shiroi's tombstone.

"She would've loved you."

Kuroko blinked, looking towards his lover at the sudden comment. Kuroko blinked a second time when he saw Akashi's expression. His smile, less soft and more of a sad smile and his crimson eyes were beginning to water, the threat of tears emerging growing imminent with each passing second.

"Akashi-kun?"

"My mother. She was such a kind woman. So sweet, angelic, and genuinely caring. She loved to read, she loved animals, and she was just a gentle spirit. In fact," Akashi turned towards Kuroko, one tear beginning to stream down his cheeks, but the smile remained strong and crimson eyes holding love and happiness.

"The fact is…it's that whenever I look at you, I see a part of my mother in you."

Now Kuroko really wanted to cry. He had absolutely no idea that Akashi felt this way about him. He was able to give him this treasure of being reminded of his dearly beloved mother without even realizing it. He gave Akashi this precious gift and Kuroko couldn't even describe the amount of happiness that he was feeling.

Kuroko embraced his lover, burrowing his nose into Akashi's shoulder and wrapping his arms around Akashi's back. Akashi in turn wrapped his arms around Kuroko's waist and Kuroko could've swore that he could hear Akashi sniffle, probably allowing the tears to flow instead of holding them back.

"My mother would've loved you very much. And I know that you would've loved her too," Akashi sniffled, his voice choked up due to the streaming tears.

"I already love her, Akashi-kun," he whispered into his lover's ear, holding his lover while he cried in front of his mother's grave. He was so grateful for this opportunity to meet Akashi's beloved mother. And now that he knows just how much that he himself reminds Akashi of his late mother, he couldn't be happier. He vowed to continue to give Akashi this happiness, this affection and gentleness that brings Akashi to this comfortable nostalgia.

He smiled, stroking Akashi's back lovingly and tenderly, like a mother soothing he own child.

"And I love you too, Akashi-kun."

Notes: Reviews, comments and so forth are encouraged and welcomed! :)