Day 13: Cartoons and Nostalgia

Summary: This is what happens when a disapproving Akashi sees Kuroko watching kids cartoons

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

The loud tune from the blaring television could be heard throughout their entire apartment, startling Akashi who happened to be in the kitchen putting some dishes away. The tune growing more and more annoying by the second, caused him to pause in his chores and pace towards the living room where the television was located.

The TV screen was covered in flashy images of what appeared to be an animated yellow sponge and a bunch of water animation. A cartoon. The realization made Akashi shiver in disgust. He was not one for enjoying cartoons, if anything they disgust him. He wasn't the type of man to indulge in senseless cartoons much less enjoy them, seeing the mindless cartoons dull, repetitive and borderline idiotic.

Walking closer to the plasma screen TV towards the couch a couple feet away from said screen, he couldn't help but cringe, listening to the voices sing "SpongeBob SquarePants" over and over again like an old record player. Each repetition was getting more annoying by the second and just before Akashi's patience snapped, he turned towards the chair and his annoyance swept away, replaced by confusion.

Sitting in the couch was his lover, Kuroko Tetsuya, baby blue eyes glued to the TV screen and he was sipping at a vanilla milkshake from Maji Burger. He didn't seem to notice that Akashi was even there.

"Kuroko, what are you doing?" His crimson eyes leered at his lover, his expression filled with annoyance.

Kuroko didn't even turn his head, only gazed at Akashi for a moment through his peripheral vision. He took one last sip from his milkshake before placing it on the glass coffee table in front of his feet.

"I'm watching television," he answered blatantly.

"What are you watching?" Akashi wasn't the type to immediately start barking out orders. He eased his way into lecturing the other on faults, however sometimes his patience runs thin and this is one of those occasions.

"A cartoon," another matter-of-fact response.

Akashi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "A cartoon? You shouldn't be watching such garbage, Kuroko."

Deadpanning, Kuroko moved his head towards his lover, indifferent baby blue orbs staring directly into agitated ruby red ones.

"It's not garbage, Akashi-kun. It's a cartoon I used to watch when I was little."

"I do not approve of my significant other watching such indecent and inappropriate shows," he retorted, arms crossed and eyebrows continuing to twitch.

"Use different language, Akashi-kun. Saying words like indecent and inappropriate portrays that I'm watching something around the lines of porn and this is a kids show," Kuroko stated bluntly, which admittedly pissed off the redhead. What did his use of vocabulary have to do with Kuroko watching a show not appropriate for a man of his age?

"That cartoon serves no value to you. Switch the channel," he commanded.

"But it does serve me value." Kuroko was defying Akashi's word. The redhead honestly didn't know whether to remain pissed off or to be intrigued. Still, his patience was running down to the wire yet he held his tongue, allowing his curiosity to take over just for this moment.

"And that is?" an inquisitive Akashi questioned his lover.

"Nostalgia."

Silence.

That was it? He puts himself into this petty argument with me about a stupid cartoon and he comes up with that for his rebuttal? Akashi couldn't help but sigh. As much as he admired his lover's tenacity, this conversation, no this petty argument was growing to the point of ridiculousness.

"Akashi-kun?"

Another sigh escaped the redhead's lips. "What is it, Kuroko?"

"What is your deal with cartoons? Didn't you ever watch cartoons as a child?" Kuroko's once deadpanned expression now replaced with curiosity.

He could feel the boiling agitation begin to simmer down at his question. He's told Kuroko of his childhood in the past, he thought it was a given what the answer was however it appears that he will have to correct him. Not seething with anger but more of a tense frustration, Akashi responds though is careful not to show this frustration in his tone, trying not to go back to another petty argument.

"Of course not, Kuroko. My father despised them, and even if he didn't, I didn't have the freedom to enjoy television unless it was the news."

Yes that's right. His father was the one that taught him that cartoons served no purpose other than as a colorful distraction. Cartoons in itself showed immaturity, a lack on intellect and encouraged unacceptable behavior; all lessons taught to Akashi by his father and it was one of the few things that Akashi actually agreed with.

It bothered him that Kuroko was one of those people that allowed themselves to succumb to the bright, alluring colors of cartoons and influenced by the lessons taught by his father, Akashi had to say something about it. Not only was it annoying and agitating to listen and view, it also served as a bad influence on Kuroko who as a young adult, should know better than to indulge on such distractions.

That's why Akashi intervened. And that's why this whole argument occurred in the 1st place, if only he could coax his lover into understanding that.

"So all of those things you said, it was because your father told you those things, right?" Kuroko asked, no knowing that he hit the nail right on the coffin. Normally Akashi was guilty of supposedly reading Kuroko's mind but this time it was the other way around, which in turn caught the redhead by surprise.

But still, he kept his composure, taking a deep breath in order to ease his earlier frustration. "Yes, so if you understand, then you will switch the channel so that you don't get influenced by them."

"You're wrong, Akashi-kun."

Akashi's eyes widened at the remark. Was that a challenge?

"Before you say that I'm wrong, I can tell you why I'm not. It's true that I'm not a child anymore, but that's exactly I'm not 'going to be influenced' by these cartoons," Kuroko air quoted upon repeating Akashi's earlier words but Akashi ignored it, listening intently to Kuroko's rebuttal before replying.

"I understand the meaning or lack of meaning in each of these cartoons I watch. I know better than to reenact a scene from a cartoon in real life because the perimeters of what you can and can't do in reality is breached within cartoons. They're meant to be a source of expanding children's imaginations. Watching these shows as a child did that and only that. And now as an adult, I get that feeling of nostalgia when watching these cartoons that I adored so long ago. They're a way of reconnecting to my childhood and feeling that sense of wonder that I felt way back then," Kuroko finished, taking a sip from his vanilla milkshake afterwards.

After allowing this new information to sink in, Akashi couldn't help but smile, allowing the rest of his frustration to ease away. If you urged him enough, Kuroko does tend to ramble on and on when it comes to stating his opinion, something Akashi didn't mind. However it gave him time to fully comprehend Kuroko's opinion. As this was a topic that he didn't feel was necessary to do research on, plus the topic previously disgusted him, Akashi didn't have as much information regarding the effects of cartoons with children and adults, leaving him at a disadvantage and not much room to conjure up a counterargument. In the past, the advice and words from his father was all that he needed.

Akashi sighed, until he did more research on this topic, he would have to take Kuroko's word on it.

"Alright, the amount of information I have regarding the relationship between cartoons and persons of your age group is highly limited. So until I have completed the necessary research, this argument will be put on hold. Until then," Akashi stepped closer to Kuroko until his was in front of him. He took a hand and stroked Kuroko's hair, moving his sky blue bangs out of the way as he planted a gentle kiss on his lover's forehead.

"I'll allow you to watch your cartoons. But please keep the volume down, I can hear the sounds from across the apartment."

Kuroko nodded, apparently accepting the proposal without hassle.

"Alright, Akashi-kun. You're welcome to watch an episode with me," he offered, a genuine smile spread across his face and it made Akashi's heart flutter.

"You're cute, but I'll have to decline. Just because I'm letting you watch cartoons doesn't mean my opinion about them has swayed," Akashi replied, turning around and walking back towards the kitchen, allowing Kuroko some privacy to watch his nostalgic cartoons, smiling in content as he heard the volume diminish.

No, he had no plans to watch those anytime soon. But if somehow Kuroko could persuade him of the benefits and higher than the doubts, then perhaps he will join him for a cartoon or two.

But until then, Akashi returns to the kitchen to finish putting away the dishes and Kuroko goes back to sipping on his milkshake, watching SpongeBob SquarePants re-runs as if that whole situation never happened.

Notes: So this Day is longer than yesterday's like I promised! Anyways I took this idea from a headcanon I have where Akashi isn't a fan of cartoons and thinks that don't serve any purpose, stuff like that. (Just as a little fun fact)

Again as always, Reviews, critique and so forth is encouraged and appreciated! :)