Kagami burst through the door into Maji Burger and halted in his tracks. Koganei ran into his back and bounced off with a yelp. Kagami barely noticed. Kuroko was here, all right. So was Dad. They were sitting on one side of a booth, Kuroko leaning on Dad's shoulder, looking horribly sick. On the other side of the booth was Kuroko's father.

Dad looked up at the noisy entrance. He didn't even blink when he saw who it was. "Ah, Taiga. I thought you might be on your way."

"You didn't text me." Kagami stepped closer to the booth, his eyes fixed on Kuroko's father. The guy had been in the middle of saying something when Kagami arrived, but now he was silent as he watched the entire Seirin basketball team file into the restaurant behind Kagami.

"Did you wait for me to?" Dad asked, half-smiling.

Kagami shook his head.

Coach Riko moved up beside him, giving Kagami's arm a slap as she went. "Kagami was too distracted to play, and once he told everyone why he was so worried, no one else could play either. So we decided to just go ahead and come check out the situation for ourselves."

She frowned at Kuroko's father, watching him with dark and narrowed eyes. Kagami didn't doubt that she had already figured out who he was. Kagami looked back over his shoulder to the rest of the team. "Everybody, that's my dad sitting with Kuroko. The other guy is Kuroko's father."

The tension in the air instantly ratcheted up about fifty notches. Kagami saw fists clench and faces darken. Several of his teammates shifted from foot to foot, only barely restraining themselves from instant action. They all knew what this man had done, now, and they all hated him with every atom of their beings.

"Taiga," Dad said calmly, "why don't you come sit next to Tetsu-chan? He would appreciate your presence right now."

Kagami didn't hesitate. He took the only route available. He stepped on the bench seat next to Kuroko's father, then over the table to the space between Kuroko and the wall. Dad and Kuroko shifted to make room for him, and Kagami jammed himself down into the seat, sandwiching Kuroko between himself and his dad. The bench on their side of the booth was now very full.

He was instantly aware of just how hot Kuroko's body was, pressed along Kagami's side like a small, shivering space heater. His fever must have risen. A lot.

Dad looked to the rest of the team, instantly picking out two members at the front of the press. "Ah, Captain Hyuuga? Kiyoshi-kun? I recognize you from Taiga's descriptions of you. Please come join us at the booth, if you don't mind. One on either side of Kuroko-san, if you can manage it."

They could. Hyuuga stepped over Kuroko-san on the bench seat to sit next to the wall. Kuroko-san stared at him, mute and seething. Kiyoshi slid in next to the man, offering him a benign smile. But his eyes were lit up as if a fire raged behind them. Kagami had never seen that look on his calm senpai's face before, not even when he faced the bastard who had purposely injured him on the court.

Kuroko-san, now trapped between two large, immovable basketball players, glared across the table at Kagami's dad. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you..."

"Ah, Kuroko-san, please forgive me." Dad smiled, too. It was sharp as a sword, though his teeth were hidden. "You started to say something about going to the authorities and having me arrested for interfering with your son. I thought it would be in your best interest if we finished our discussion, first. I'm sure these boys will be glad to help us out." He looked between Hyuuga and Kiyoshi in turn. "Am I right about that? You don't mind lending me your strength for this?"

Hyuuga's jaw clenched. "We don't mind at all."

Kiyoshi continued to smile. He tilted his head in gentle confirmation.

Dad then looked to Coach Riko. "Ah, Aida-san, perhaps the rest of the team can ask the other patrons in this part of the restaurant to find somewhere else to sit? We don't mean to be rude, but we're rather a large party, of course, and we would all like to sit together."

Coach nodded sharply. "Of course." She waved her hand at the rest of the team. "As he says."

The team spread out, apologizing and bowing to the few Maji customers who hadn't already set out for greener pastures. Mitobe helped a mother and a tiny girl move their food to another area. The others went on their own. Then the Seirin members took over the tables, effectively blocking off this section of the restaurant and turning it into something like a private room, simply because they were there.

Dad and Kuroko-san would be able to have their conversation in peace now.

"Now, Kuroko-san," Dad said pleasantly. "Would you like me to explain your options again?"

Kuroko-san's face was red with anger. He grimaced in distaste and began to stand up. "I don't have to listen to this..."

"Yes, you do," Kiyoshi said, with the very same pleasantness. His enormous hand landed on Kuroko-san's shoulder and pressed down. Hyuuga's did the same.

Kuroko-san fell to the seat as if his knees had been cut from beneath him. He glared from to side at the two basketball players, then turned his ire on Dad. His hands pressed flat on the table, and he leaned forward, trying to get into Dad's space. "You are threatening me and preventing me from leaving. This is illegal. I already called my lawyer, I'll have you know. I did it when I went to get that water. He'll be here soon, and then you won't have a leg to stand on."

Dad tilted his head. "You called your lawyer, did you? What a funny coincidence. I did too. She's on her way." He leaned forward as well, not as far as the other man because he did not want to dislodge Kuroko's head from its resting place on his shoulder. "I had thought we would just have a pleasant chat with Tetsu-chan while we waited for the team to finish their practice. I wanted to make sure he understood the ins and outs of everything we were planning before we finalized it. But you know, I kinda like this better. Let's get it all out of the way now."

Kuroko-san grit his teeth. "If you're still thinking that I'm going to willingly sign away my son to the hands of a stranger..."

Dad sat back and lifted a hand to wave that away. "Now, now, I never said it would be willingly. I never said you would want to do it. I'm saying that you have to, otherwise I will ruin you in every possible way."

"There you go, threatening me again..."

It was Dad's turn to clench his teeth. His eyes were hard and bright. "It's not a threat, Kuroko-san. I'm merely informing you of the facts. You seem to think that I came here empty-handed, unprepared. You seem to think that I have nothing but words to offer against you. And that's not true at all."

He looked at Kagami. "Taiga, may I borrow your phone?"

Kagami blinked. He got where this was going now. "Sure, Dad." He pulled the phone out of his pocket and opened the camera. He hesitated, glancing at Kuroko, but the guy wasn't paying attention, his eyes shut, his face relaxed. Kagami wasn't sure if he was asleep or if he had chosen to remove himself from the conversation because he found it too distressing. In any case, he'd already given his permission for this.

It still made Kagami's stomach turn to open the photo gallery and find...those pictures. The ones he had taken that first night of the wounds that marked his friend, that testified to the pain and cruelty he had suffered. Some of the photos were blurry because his hand had been trembling. Others were far, far too clear.

Kagami left it on a photo of Kuroko's back and gave the phone to his father. Dad sat still for a moment, staring at it. This was the first time he'd seen the actual evidence, though they had talked about it many times. Kagami could see the fight in his eyes, already fierce and determined, sharpening down to a blade. Dad's resolve had been hardened before. Now it was like a diamond.

Dad looked at him. "You made the backups we talked about?"

Kagami nodded.

Dad looked across the table again and held out the phone. "Here, Kuroko-san. Please look to your heart's content."

Kuroko-san snatched the phone away and held it clenched in both hands. Kagami set his jaw and did not ask him to be gentle with the phone. He could get another one. It was more important to finish this task now, while they had the chance.

"What...what is this?" Kuroko-san punched a finger down a button, making the photos scroll. "What are these, why are you showing them to me?"

Kagami couldn't believe the gall of this. His bristled, leaning forward before he could stop himself. His fist slammed down on the table. "That's what you did to Kuroko. That's what you did to your kid. How could you forget something like that?"

"No, no, this can't be right." Kuroko-san kept punching the scroll button. "This isn't Tetsuya. It was just a few licks with the belt. I never did anything like this."

"You can see the evidence." Dad's voice held a note of sadness now. "Three weeks. You beat him—whipped him—almost every day for three weeks. There are some who would call that torture."

"I didn't. This never happened. You faked these photos. You made it all up."

"Father."

Kagami started at the soft voice. Kuroko had opened his eyes, though he didn't lift his head from Dad's shoulder. His expression was serene, but his lips trembled. "You did. You did that."

"No." Kuroko-san all but threw the phone back at Kagami. He caught it between his palms and set it carefully down on the table. Kuroko-san pointed a finger at Dad in accusation. "I would never do that to Tetsuya. How far will you go to try to steal my son from me?"

Dad's lips pressed flat. "Are you saying that someone else sneaked into your house and beat your boy until he bled? Until his back was so raw and marked that no untouched skin was visible anywhere?"

"Don't be ridiculous. So I hit him with a belt a few times. So what? I was disciplining a wayward brat. It's nothing to get worked up about."

"You tortured him."

"I did not. It wasn't that bad. I'll admit I'm not a perfect father. I've made mistakes. I regret them. I've already apologized to Tetsuya. But I won't apologize to you."

Kagami felt Kuroko tremble and looked at him concern. He'd shut his eyes again, turning his head to hide his face against Dad's shoulder. Dad's arm tightened around him, holding him close.

"You abused him." Dad's voice had become low and hard and intense. This was the tone that Kagami had long ago learned not to mess with. When Dad talked like this, the only option was instant obedience. "We have photographs. We have physical evidence—blood-stained bandages from his room, the ugly strap you used on him. If I took those in for DNA testing, what would I find? More than that, we have Tetsu-chan's word. We have all the evidence we could ever need to put you away for life."

Kuroko-san said nothing. His chest heaved. His jaw worked as if he was chewing on something tough. But he seemed to have lost his objections at long last.

Dad leaned forward again, just a little. Somehow, even with that small movement, he managed to loom like skyscraper. "So I will ask again, Kuroko-san. Will you sign over custody of your son to me and let him be protected and cared for as he deserves for the rest of his life? Or will you force me to use that evidence against you, to ruin you financially, socially, and personally? Because I will. I most certainly will. Do. Not. Test. Me."

Kuroko-san's eyes flicked to the phone. The light of desperation in his eyes made Kagami snatch it up at once and hold it close to him.

"Don't even think about destroying the evidence," Dad said. "As I said, we have backups. One of them is in Akita with a third party. Right, Taiga?"

Kagami nodded.

Kuroko-san drew a shaky breath. "I admit the photos look bad. But it was just a mistake. I've already apologized. It won't happen again."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you," Dad said quietly. "I told you, I've heard Tetsu-chan's story. I know this has been going on for years. I'm sure I already know the pattern. You have a bad day. He does something, probably something very small, that irritates you. You lose your temper and lash out. Then you regret it. You ask forgiveness. You say it will never happen again. But it does. Over. And over. And over."

Kagami felt sick. His eyes slid over to Kuroko again. Somehow he hadn't quite put that together, despite hearing the story from Kuroko's own lips, despite being the one to pass it on to his father. How terrifying must it have been for Kuroko to live with the threat of cruel, unpredictable violence always looming over him? He must have never felt safe in his home, never been able to fully relax.

No wonder he had gotten so good at hiding.

Kuroko-san's eyes were fixed on Kagami's father, unable to look away. Kagami had a feeling that the entire Seirin team was in the same situation. Dad nodded solemnly.

"So I say now that this is enough, Kuroko-san. Enough. You have problems, and they need to be dealt with. But it is not Tetsu-chan's responsibility to mend you. He is a child, and he deserves a family who will love him and protect him and never, ever hurt him. You have proven that you are incapable of providing that for him. So let us do it instead. I and my son, Taiga, will give Tetsu-chan what you could not. If you truly love him, as you say you do, then you owe him that chance. Let him go. We'll take it from here."

Kuroko-san was clearly shaken. He blinked hard, then looked away. Then he looked back, and his expression was a snarl once again. "And why should it be you? Who are you to me? I never met you before an hour ago. For all I know, you're a worse devil than I ever was. Why should I trust you?"

"Because I do." Kuroko's voice, small and clear. He turned his head sluggishly against Dad's shoulder to look his father in the eyes. He was trembling and sick and at the end of his endurance, but his eyes were steady and his voice was clear. The strength and courage in that small gesture took Kagami's breath away.

"I trust Kagami-kun and Hiroshi-san. Please, Father. If you love me, let me go with them."

Kuroko-san stared at him, then at Dad. He licked his lips. His eyes flicked to the phone Kagami held clenched in white-knuckled fingers.

He wavered. It was visible. He was physically wavering where he sat. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi sat beside him, stone-faced pillars that were half support, half prison.

A decision was imminent. Kagami held his breath.

Kuroko-san nodded. Then he bowed his head and wept, for his weakness, for his shame, for his loss. They let him.

There is yet more art in the CML tag. This one is from the end of the last chapter.