Tetsuya knew he wanted to be Akashi's friend almost the moment he saw him. Tetsuya had no friends at this school and it didn't seem like Akashi had any either. He always ate alone, worked alone, and spent breaks alone, but unlike Tetsuya, he didn't seem lonely. Getting the courage to ask him to help him with school was probably one of the best decisions of Tetsuya's life.

Tetsuya notices lots of little things about Akashi. Some things he likes, some he doesn't. The almost imperceptible way he raises his left eyebrow when he's amused falls into the 'like' category. The way he often acts like he's somehow above everyone else falls into 'dislike'. Tetsuya can tell he is trying though, and that makes all the difference.

There is one thing that worries Tetsuya about Akashi - his apparent memory problem. It doesn't seem to affect his school work and neither Akashi nor his mother, maids or butler ever mention it. Maybe this isn't so strange because Akashi doesn't seem to be all that close to them. But surely Akashi himself must realise something is off.

Tetsuya falls back heavily onto his mattress. I'm tired, he thinks to himself. After the day's fiasco with Akashi and Takahashi, he just wants to sleep. He can't though, of course, as he still has homework to do and dinner with his parents. He digs in his pocket for his phone. No new mails, but that doesn't surprise him at all. He opens his contact list and scrolls through the few names. He doesn't particularly feel like talking to Akashi at the moment; he's still quite angry and Akashi's probably being lectured by his parents now anyway. He stops at the name Ogiwara Shigehiro. Ogiwara is his friend from elementary school, the only one he still keeps in contact with. If it can even be called that. They haven't talked in months.

Pulling up a new message, Tetsuya writes: Hello, Ogiwara-kun. It's been a while. How have you been? Do you like your school? Are you in any clubs? I would ask if you made friends but I'm sure you've made lots. You were always so easy to get along with.

He hits send and shuts his phone. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply for a few seconds before getting up to change out of his uniform and do his homework.

Tetsuya and Akashi were curled up together on Tetsuya's couch. A movie was playing on the television and a half-empty bowl of salted popcorn was on the small living room table. Tetsuya smiled as the television showed a bad puppet of a disturbing turkey get into a car and pull a gun on the driver.

"I believe this is the worst movie I've ever seen," he declared to Akashi, pulling his eyes from the screen.

"It is rather atrocious," the redhead agreed, nuzzling closer. His eyes met Tetsuya's and he leaned in, pressing his lips against Tetsuya's own, a strange but pleasant feeling. They didn't kiss very often but he was slowly getting used to it. Akashi brought his hands to Tetsuya's jaw and deepened the kiss. After a moment, he removed one of them and instead placed it on Tetsuya's thigh. This tickled quite a bit but he didn't mind until the fingers started inching their way upward.

"My parents could be back any moment," he explained as he separated himself from Akashi slightly. It was his parent's fortnightly date night and they always gave him permission to invite a friend over so he wouldn't be alone. In other words, it had also became Tetsuya's and Akashi's 'date' night. They didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but it was special all the same.

"So, what if they come?" Akashi wrapped his arms around Tetsuya's waist and snuggled his face into the blue-haired boy's neck. "Let them see."

Tetsuya tipped back onto the soft couch cushions as Akashi's weight pressed into him. He felt hands wandering and warm lips on his throat. All nice things but he kept his eyes on the door, getting ready to leap up the second it opened. "We're still only school age students, you know," he stated politely. "We don't have to rush."

Akashi unattached his lips from Tetsuya's neck and whispered, "To do what, Tetsuya?" His soft touch changed into fingers digging slightly into Tetsuya's stomach, causing him to involuntarily squirm and almost laugh out loud. "I was just tickling you. You're not too young to be tickled, are you?" His ministrations continued and soon Tetsuya was wiggling underneath him, trying to contain his compulsory giggles, the movie (now showing the demon turkey wearing the face skin of one of the protagonists' father's) forgotten.

"Akashi-kun, please - no more," he managed to choke out, eyes streaming, as the front door opened. Akashi stopped and removed himself from Tetsuya and the couch. Tetsuya caught some of the conversation while he collected himself.

"Hello, Kuroko-san. Did you know Tetsuya is very ticklish?"

The next Monday in class Tetsuya was listening to some boys talk about a monster in a horror movie they'd recently seen. Tetsuya leaned forward, tapped Akashi on the back and whispered, "At least it wasn't that creepy turkey, ne, Akashi-kun?"

"What was that, Kuroko?" The redhead didn't take his eyes off his returned assignment. Perfect score, Tetsuya was sure. He himself got a 15/20.

"From Okage de Satsugai, that movie with the gross turkey," Tetsuya clarified, sitting back in his seat properly.

"Oh, I must have missed that one."

Ogiwara messages him back right before dinner. He wrote: Things are really good. Busy though. And that was it. Feeling disheartened, Tetsuya shuts his phone without replying. Of course he will reply, but maybe after he eats.

He doesn't say much during dinner, choosing to find shapes in his rice instead of conversing with his parents. He vaguely wonders if Akashi is also eating now, or if he has to skip dinner as punishment. That's not very likely. Is he banned from going out? Did he lose his phone privileges? How do his parents deal with things like this? Quite possibly he's not being punished at all and will act as if his suspension is a holiday from school.

"Are you okay?" his mother finally asks him, setting down her chopsticks. She's noticed his silence. His father has as well, but he prefers to let Tetsuya deal with his own problems unless he specifically asks for help. "You're rarely moody."

"I'm not moody now," he counters politely, shuffling his rice around. "I'm just a little tired." It's true enough.

His mother looks concerned. "Are you ill?" She stretches her arm to place the back of her hand on his forehead. "No fever. Do you want to go to bed early?" He nods and lays his chopsticks down. "You can leave your dishes. I'll take care of them."

"Feel better, son."

Tetsuya's cousin Akira visited for a few days. His school had a fire so they were taking a couple days off. Tetsuya really liked Akira; he was the only cousin that really talked to him. They always got along well so he took him to the library with Akashi after school to hang out. It would be nice for them to meet.

It was only a half hour in, but they were getting along okay. Akashi was using Tetsuya's given name excessively as if proving he was good friends with him. Tetsuya didn't mind though; at least he was being polite.

After a while Akira went to the toilet and Akashi seemed to be zoning out. Afraid he was bored, Tetsuya started discussing a book they were reading together. It took a moment to get his attention though.

"He's such a terrible person, so manipulative and mighty-acting," Tetsuya accused of the main character in the novel. His cousin came back and sat down and Akashi gave him a rather rude look. Tetsuya lightly kicked his foot under the table.

"He's not, he had every right to do what he did," the redhead disagreed. He didn't seem to notice the kick.

Akira cut in. "Are you guys talking about 7-Kai?"

Akashi ignored him. "He obviously knew what he was doing. He's a genius, not manipulative."

Tetsuya shook his head. Of course Akashi would think that. "I just think he went about things the wrong way."

"I agree with Tetsuya-kun," his cousin mentioned. "The way he tricked that girl-"

"Excuse me," Akashi interrupted, giving him an annoyed look. "Who are you and what are you doing sitting at our table without permission?"

"Ah..." he glanced awkwardly toward Tetsuya who was discreetly glaring daggers at Akashi.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd kindly leave us alone," Akashi continued.

Akira's face turned from a look of confusion to one of anger. "Fine." He stood up. "If you didn't want me around, Tetsuya-kun should have just told me instead of getting his asshole friend to do it."

"Akira-kun, wait." Tetsuya grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Akashi-kun was just joking," he tried to clarify, even though he had no idea what had gotten into him. "Weren't you, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi's eyes widened in an almost undetectable manner. But Tetsuya noticed. He always noticed. "I didn't know you were someone Kuroko knew. My apologies."

A silence fell upon the table. The cousins were looking at Akashi, Tetsuya with concern, Akira with a mix of confusion and annoyance. Akashi was gazing intently at a spot past Tetsuya's head. He didn't take his eyes away from whatever it was he was seeing, even as Akira announced that he really should get back to his hotel and that he'd see Tetsuya later.

After he left, Tetsuya started his small interrogation. "What was with that, Akashi-kun? It wasn't even funny." Akashi gave no sign that he'd even heard him. "Hey..." He waved his hand in front of those heterochromatic eyes. "What are you doing?"

Akashi blinked, startled. "Ah, I'm sorry, Kuroko. We were just thinking..."

Out of everything Akashi had ever said, that was what stuck out the most.

"Akashi-kun...who is 'we'?"

Back in his room, Tetsuya picks up his phone where he discarded it on his bed earlier. No new messages or missed calls. Not feeling up to finishing the last bit of his homework, he lays down on his off-white sheets. His bed is hard compared to Akashi's. His family can't afford those fancy mattresses or new microfiber bedding like Akashi's can. This doesn't bother him and he isn't bitter; Akashi's family can't help being rich any more than Tetsuya's can help being poor. It's not anyone's fault.

He opens his phone and scrolls through his contact list the second time that day. He really should message Ogiwara back, even though he seems very busy. He clicks open the previous mail and thinks how to reply. Ogiwara didn't ask any questions or open a discussion. Maybe he'll just reply tomorrow instead and ask about his day. Yes, that seems best.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

What is that noise? Tetsuya thinks. Is his mother making breakfast already? He peeks his eyes open and is met with only a soft blue light. It's still dark, he thinks, but what is that light? And that buzzing noise?

As he blinks the sleep from his eyes, he realises it's his phone. Who's calling him at this time? He reaches over to grab it and makes out the blurry name. Akashi Seijurou. He clicks answer. "Hello, Akashi-kun. It's very early, you know, and waking me up is not helping me not be angry at you."

"Kuroko..." His voice sounds strange, but it's possibly just the phone. He doesn't say anything else.

"So, why did you call, Akashi-kun?" Tetsuya questions cautiously. More silence. "Do you need something?"

"It's..." Akashi clears his throat quietly. "It's my mother... Kuroko, I don't know what to do."

Tetsuya sits up, alarmed. "What happened? Are you alone? Is Suzuki-san or Tanaka-san there?" He can't imagine what's going on, but if one of the workers are there then at least Akashi is safe.

"Y-yeah..." he replies, very out-of-character like. To what question, Tetsuya doesn't know. "I wanted to get a drink and she was just lying in the sitting room. That's not strange. She's sick, you know." His voice still sounds odd.

They don't say anything else for and Tetsuya regrettably falls asleep listening to Akashi's soft breathing.

So... I'm very sorry for this chapter OTL It's trash, I know. This is kind of a mess of stuff that didn't quite fit in before. Anyway, I hope you somehow got some enjoyment out of this abomination. Thank you to everyone who's favourited/followed/reviewed/whatever. Thank you so much! It truly makes me happy.