Kuroko's fever never really went away, and by Thursday afternoon it was worse again. He got dizzy in class and spent basketball practice sitting out by the wall as usual, this time dozing through much of the time. Pretty much the entire team gave him their jackets, and he ended up napping in a pile of them.

He was too out of it to be embarrassed and simply smiled sleepily whenever anyone asked how he was doing. Kiyoshi kept him hydrated. Coach Riko told Kagami to just take him home, but Kuroko shook his head and said that he liked being with everyone, so that idea died immediately. It sort of reminded Kuroko of the blanket fort, except much bigger and with many more inhabitants. It was probably the fever addling his brain, though. He felt warm and sheltered, anyway, and he couldn't imagine a better place to rest up.

"I think you should stay home from school tomorrow," Kagami told him when they got home and Kuroko would have walked straight into a wall if Kagami hadn't grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Kuroko nodded slowly, trying not to move his head too much. His vision was swooping and he was well aware that he would fall straight over if he tried any sudden movements.

Kagami sighed. "I'll run a bath for you. Do you think you could eat some miso soup?"

"Maybe."

"If this gets much worse, we're going to the hospital."

"I don't want to, Kagami-kun."

"I know." Kagami stepped closer and placed the back of his big, cool hand against Kuroko's forehead. Kuroko leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut. "But this is getting bad. I'm worried."

"I'm sorry. I don't want to worry you."

"I know. We'll keep an eye on your temperature, all right? And if I say we have to go to the hospital, please don't fight me."

"All right." It was the least Kuroko could do to thank Kagami for all of his kindness and care. But dread pooled in his stomach at the thought of going to a big, unfamiliar hospital to be examined by strangers. The marks on his back were still visible, though they were fading and no longer pained him much. He had shared his secret with many people, now, but they were all his friends. He still didn't want anyone else to find out. "Please do your best to keep it from coming to that."

"I will. But you have to follow my instructions."

"Yes, Kagami-kun."

The lukewarm bath was refreshing, and the soup filled him up without overwhelming his senses. Kuroko took a nap before the ten o'clock video call, covered with only a light sheet, cold compresses on his forehead and under his arms. Kagami woke him to take his temperature again when the time came, sitting on the bed with his body angled to watch Kuroko's face while he held the thermometer under his tongue.

It finally beeped, and Kuroko took the thermometer out of his mouth and handed it to Kagami. Kagami frowned harder than ever when he saw the readout. "Still 39.3. That's bad, Kuroko."

"But it's not dangerous, right?" Kuroko asked hopefully. "And it's lower than it was earlier."

"A little lower, yeah. But if it gets to 40, we have to go to emergency right away." Kagami sighed, shaking the thermometer in his hand. "Dad is not gonna be happy."

"You could...not tell him."

Kagami snorted, mouth twisting in a reluctant grin. "Yeah, right. You're not used to having a dad who cares about you. You don't understand how scary that man can be when he thinks I'm keeping something important from him."

Kuroko shuddered theatrically, but he had to smile, too. Over the past few nights, he had learned a lot about how very, very different Hiroshi-san was from his own father. It had been quite a journey of discovery. Already he had become less nervous when talking to Hiroshi-san, more confident and easy, knowing that he would be accepted with kindness no matter what he said or how he acted.

"Well, he's already coming out this weekend. He should be able to stand another day." Kagami left the room and came back in a few moments with the laptop. "Okay, make some room. No, don't sit up, just scoot down a little."

They situated themselves with Kagami sitting at the head of Kuroko's bed, balancing the laptop on his knees while Kuroko lay on his side with his head resting on Kagami's thigh. Kuroko blinked at being thus presented with a very close view of the laptop screen. It was a little dirty. Kagami ought to clean it more often.

Kagami ruffled his hair and started the chat program. "I know you're tired, but try to stay awake long enough to say hi to Dad, okay? Then you can drift off if you want to."

Kuroko breathed out a silent sigh. "Okay."

They barely got through their usual greeting before Hiroshi-san started looking around. "Where's Tetsu-chan?"

Kagami chuckled softly and bent the screen down so that Kuroko's face showed on the inset window. "Here he is."

Kuroko blinked sleepily. "Hello, Hiroshi-san."

Hiroshi-san frowned and leaned closer to the screen, as if that would help him get a better look at Kuroko. "You've gotten worse."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

Hiroshi-san narrowed his eyes. "Taiga?" he demanded.

Kagami sighed. "His fever is 39.3."

"That's bad." Hiroshi-san's eyes did not waver from Kuroko's face. "Do you have any other symptoms, Tetsu-chan?" His voice softened when he spoke to Kuroko. "Are you coughing or short of breath?"

"I'm fine," Kuroko said again. "A little dizzy. Headaches, sometimes. And...very tired."

"Taiga?"

Kagami huffed. "He wheezes sometimes in his sleep. But no coughing or anything."

"It bothers me that it's been going on this long. When did it start?"

"Last Friday, as far as I know." Kagami combed his fingers through Kuroko's hair. "Right, Kuroko? You didn't feel sick before then, did you?"

"I...I don't know." Kuroko went very still. Already it was difficult to look back and remember the time before a week ago. It was like staring into a dark dream.

If it only truly had been a dream. If only it would fade in the light and never trouble him again. But that was too much to ask for.

"I don't...I don't think I had a fever then," he said softly. "If I did, I didn't notice."

An awkward silence fell. Then Hiroshi-san shook his head. "Still, if it was Friday, that's already almost a week. That's not good, either. Tetsu-chan might have an infection of some kind. His body is fighting it, but he might need medicine."

"Or it might just be stress," Kagami said, still loyal to that theory. "Kuroko's been through a lot this week."

"I'm fine," Kuroko felt compelled to repeat again. "I'm tired, that's all."

"Then sleep," Hiroshi-san said at once. "We'll watch over you."

It was amazing, how reassuring Kuroko found this to be. It wasn't as if there was anything to watch against, not here, safe in the heart of the Kagami home. And yet with those words, spoken heartily and without hesitation, Kuroko's eyes began to drift shut. Kagami's fingers stroked through his hair, slow and calm, the slight pressure on his scalp easing the ache Kuroko hadn't known was there. And he relaxed in the warmth and the quiet and the company and felt everything begin to slip away.

Kagami and his father continued to talk, though Kuroko did not follow the thread of the conversation. Something about Himuro, something about a lawyer, something about Hiroshi-san's plans for the weekend. A hint of anxiety crept into Kagami's voice, and Kuroko's attention drifted back toward wakefulness. He didn't open his eyes, though, nor did he move a muscle.

"I know Aniki is pretty certain of this plan," Kagami said, "But I didn't expect you to be so gung-ho on it, too. Do you really think it will work?"

"On the contrary, it's the only thing that's certain to work," Hiroshi-san said, strong and confident. "Think about it. What is the only thing that we are certain that man cares about? His position. His social rank. His public persona. He threw his son by the wayside to further himself. Of course it's valuable to him."

Hiroshi-san's voice was entirely disgusted. Kuroko didn't quite understand. Hiroshi-san was a successful businessman, too. Was he truly so disdainful of his own position?

But Hiroshi-san would never sacrifice his son to gain material success. Kuroko had only known him for a few days, but he was certain of that. It pained Hiroshi-san to be apart from his "Tiger Cub", and he went without sleep and comfort just to be able to talk to him once a week.

"So that's our best leverage against him," Hiroshi-san said. "If we can credibly threaten his position, he'll do anything to appease us."

Kagami shifted uncomfortably, though he took care not to disturb Kuroko. "Yes, but blackmail? Really?"

Kuroko's eyes opened wide. Neither of them noticed. Kagami had tilted the screen back so that his father only saw his face again, and Kuroko did not move a muscle.

Hiroshi-san's expression was resolute. "Blackmail. It sounds sordid, but it's our best weapon in this case. We have evidence against him, plenty of it. If Tetsu-chan is willing, he could give us even more. With that, we can make that horrible creature agree to anything. Including signing away custody of his son, whom he does not value anyway."

Kuroko's heartbeat grew louder and louder, pounding in his head until it was all he could hear. Blackmail. Hiroshi-san was planning to blackmail Kuroko's father to make him give Kuroko up to his own guardianship. With what? What evidence?

The pictures. The pictures Kagami had taken with his phone that first night. But... But Kagami had promised...

He had promised that Kuroko could do with those photos what he wished. They were supposed to be "just in case". They were supposed to be a last resort. Kuroko had been comforted by Kagami's promise that he could throw those photos away if he needed to. And now they were planning to use them as weapons against his father?

"Kagami-kun..." He choked on his own voice.

They went quiet immediately. Kagami's hand paused in his hair, his fingers stiff. Kuroko pushed himself upward with difficulty, his elbows almost folding underneath him, and Kagami's hand slid out of his hair and went to his arm to hold him up. Eventually, panting and exhausted, Kuroko found himself mostly upright, staring back and forth between Kagami and the laptop screen. Both father and son looked horribly guilty.

Kuroko looked at Hiroshi-san, then at Kagami. "You want...to blackmail...my father..."

Kagami grimaced. Hiroshi-san pressed his lips together. But they both nodded.

"Sorry, Tetsu-chan. We never intended to do something like this without your consent. But you've been ill, and we've been talking about it while you weren't listening..."

"For...for how long...?"

Kagami winced. "Since the first night we talked. Some of it was in English, though. Since then, you've fallen asleep in the middle of most of the chats, and Dad and I would discuss it then."

Kuroko's dizziness almost overwhelmed him. He would have swayed without Kagami's hand holding him still. "The first night we talked?"

"Yeah. I know you were too out of it to realize, but I told Dad pretty much everything. I told him how Aniki had had me take pictures, and then later told me that I should keep gathering evidence, that it would help us keep you safe from your father permanently..."

"And I understood why immediately," Hiroshi-san said. "Himuro was kind enough to try to hide it from Taiga, knowing that it would trouble his spirit, but I've been around long enough to know how you control a Japanese businessman. You threaten to make him lose face."

Kagami watched Kuroko carefully. "Abuse is a horrible thing," he murmured. "Every decent person knows that. If it became known that your father is abusive... Even if he wasn't prosecuted, he would still lose his social standing. No one would want to associate with him. He would never get another promotion. No self-respecting woman would ever be with him."

"I...I understand how it would work," Kuroko said. He blinked, hard, trying to force the world to remain in focus. "You would...threaten to release those photos. The only way he could stop it would be to give you what you want from him."

"All we want from him is you, Tetsu-chan," Hiroshi-san said. "He can keep everything else—his reputation, his assets, his miserable, grasping life. We just want you, safe and home with us for as long as you want to stay."

Kagami was biting at his bottom lip. Himuro had been right to think this would trouble his spirit. "I'm sorry, Kuroko. I know I said...you could get rid of those photos...no one would ever have to see... I promised you that I wouldn't do anything with them that you didn't want done, and now we've been talking about it behind your back for all this time..."

Kuroko blinked. He shook his head, slow, solemn, ignoring the way the room swooped around him. And he reached out one shaking hand and touched it to Kagami's mouth, stopping the awkward, halting flow of words. "Kagami-kun," he said gently. "Hush now."

Kagami went still. Hiroshi-san watched them from the screen.

Kuroko let his hand fall into his lap again. He drew a deep, shaky breath. "I want to stay here. With both of you. Forever. I want this to be my home. So whatever we must do, I understand. I consent. All right, Kagami-kun? I consent. You can use the photos however you wish. Whatever else I can do... Whatever other suggestions your brother had for ways I can give you more evidence, more weapons to use against my father... I will do it. I consent. Do you want to take more photos? I'll bare my back right now."

Kagami let out a breath in relief, his face opening in a slow, reluctant smile. Hiroshi-san's face glowed with pride. "Taiga," he said urgently. "Give Tetsu-chan a hug for me. Right this second, do you hear me?"

Kagami laughed and obeyed, tugging Kuroko into his arms and holding him tight. They both turned their heads to look at Hiroshi-san on the laptop screen, who watched them with a broad grin, his eyes soft and bright. Kuroko closed his eyes and basked in the sun. It was overwhelming, but he didn't mind.

"I don't think we need more photos," Hiroshi-san said. "And that friend of yours...Midorima-kun? He brought over other physical evidence, preserved in plastic bags and delivered directly into Taiga's hands. He's a smart young man, that one."

Kuroko wondered what that "physical evidence" was, but he didn't ask. His stomach churned at the thought of finding out. The strap was probably one of the items. He didn't like the idea of it being in the same house as him. When this was over, maybe Kagami would burn it for him.

"Then what...what else...?" he asked.

Kagami drew back, holding Kuroko by the shoulders so he could look him in the face. "Just you," he said. "Just your courage. That's all we need. If you can talk, if you can tell your story one more time... We'll record it as a testimony. That, along with all the other things, will be more than enough."

Kuroko nodded. "All right," he said with barely a tremor. "I will. I will tell it as many times as I need to, if it means that I will get to stay here."

Kagami hugged him again, for himself this time.

"I know you don't think you're brave," he whispered, "but you are, Kuroko. You are the bravest person I've ever met."

Kuroko squeezed his eyes shut and clutched Kagami as hard as he could. He wouldn't cry. He was happy. There was no reason for tears.

"All right," Hiroshi-san said, his voice choked. "All right, good. I'm glad. But not tonight, Tetsu-chan. You're sick. Go to sleep. I'll be there sooner than you think. We'll be able to talk in person. You can tell your story then, one more time. Once and for all, and it will be done."

Kuroko nodded into Kagami's shoulder. Once and for all. He liked the sound of that.

There is fanart of Kuroko in Mitobe's jacket by thethoughtsthief in the cml tag linked in my profile.

I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but we're moving into the endgame now, folks. Thanks for coming on this journey with me.