I have returned from the battlefield.

What's good beautiful people? I have come to update again! Apparently the last chapter was really popular because I got more reviews than usual, and I'm really happy that you guys liked it! With that being said, time to address some reviews!

To the guest named Hillary: He probably will in the future, don't worry.

And to agirlwithgoodergrammar: Thank you so much for the reviews! I appreciate your response so much and I absolutely loved reading all three. And to answer your question, the other GoM are going to meet him at other points (WHEN specifically I'm not sure HAHA sorry) but don't worry. I won't leave the other basketball idiots out of all the fun. And going by the canon plot, I suppose yes, Bokushi did give back his Emperor Eye to Akashi, but that doesn't mean he can't play. It just means he can't see the future (although because seeing the future is literally not possible in real life I don't necessarily know how this could affect his play style because he doesn't really need the Emperor Eye to Ankle Break, predicting other people's moves is just a skill you can learn through training sooo *shrugs* but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

ANYHOW just telling you in advance, this is 1: the longest chapter I've done for this story so far, and 2: it's super fluffy and emotional (not even sorry), but yeah. I guess that's all there is to say. Now without further ado...

Please enjoy!

Chapter 12

It was early in the morning, and the birds were already chirping as the sun began to rise. It was very quiet in the Akashi mansion, not a single sound could be heard.

In his room, Bokushi turned over in bed and opened his bleary eyes. The room was still slightly dark but there was a little bit of light filtering through the curtains. There was a clock on his bedside table. Peering at it, he only saw that it was half past seven, yet for some reason, he had no desire to sleep anymore.

Today was the day. The day that Seijuro left for school again. He was to leave in the evening if Bokushi remembered correctly. And he was to return after the school year had come to a close. Bokushi decided that he would rather focus on getting ready instead of thinking about his older brother's departure. With that, he pulled himself onto his knees and looked down at his bed before gathering the energy to step off, his mind set on heading to the bathroom to wash up.

As he slid off the bed, he stepped onto the floor and registered a horse plush lying there on the bed. The horse plush. His horse plush. Who has been dubbed with the name 'Yuki'.

He was looking at it for a while as if he intended to have a staring contest with the thing. He was perhaps still registering the fact that this stuffed toy was his now. He was also perhaps still registering the fact that he was the one who wanted it. He still remembered the day before, standing face to face with Seijuro in the toy store as he gave him a lecture about feelings, of all things. Bokushi swore he had never felt more embarrassed about wanting something in his entire existence. Yet here he was, eyeing the object for an unnecessary amount of time, suddenly thinking back to the many things Miyoko had said the day before.

"Do you have a special friend you take everywhere?"

"You don't have one? Let's get you one then!"

"Everyone needs a special friend to carry around."

"Always keep it with you for extra luck!"

He frowned slightly, shaking his head.

"What nonsense," he muttered.

He finally turned on his heels and headed towards the bathroom, but in doing so he stopped and turned around to look at Yuki one more time. In that span of time, he seemed to be having a battle with himself, thinking about what to do with the stuffed toy. Then, after a few seconds, he sighed in resignation and reached for Yuki before dragging the stuffed toy off the bed and taking it with him. A low growl bubbled in his throat as he opened the bathroom door.

"I'm pathetic," he said in self-loathing and slammed the door shut.

…

After cleaning up and getting dressed, Bokushi stepped out of his room and walked to Seijuro's room before knocking on the door.

"Seijuro-nii," he called from the door.

No reply.

He twisted the door handle and peered inside the room, only to find that it was empty. He raised a brow as he shut the door to Seijuro's room, wondering where he could have gone. His curiosity took him down the hall and down the stairs, wandering around the ground floor of the house. During his search, he ran into a maid who was dusting around the living room. When she caught sight of Bokushi, she turned to him.

"Good morning, Young Master," she said, bowing her head slightly toward him.

"Good morning, Tanaka-san," said Bokushi.

She looked down at his arms and smiled. "Is that yours?"

Bokushi followed her gaze to Yuki, who he was still holding.

He almost denied it. Almost. But he suppressed the urge, realizing there was no reason for him to do so.

He nodded. "Yes. It's mine," he said. "Seijuro-nii got it for me yesterday."

"My, my, isn't he thoughtful. I think it looks lovely, young master."

"Thank you. Have you seen Seijuro-nii?"

"Of course," she pointed to the area that led to the back of the house. "Young Master went out to the stables. Would you like me to take you there?"

"No, thank you, I can find my way. If you'll excuse me."

He went down the hall and out the glass door which led to a pathway. That pathway led out to the stables, where a few horses were kept. The stables looked exactly how Bokushi remembered it, and he had to admit that this was one of the only memories of this house he knew to be nostalgic.

Entering the stables, Bokushi looked around as the horses snorted at his presence, but for now, he ignored them. At the moment, he was set on the red-headed figure in his riding gear standing in front of the last stall, murmuring words of affection to a certain white horse, laughing softly when the horse butted his head against his hand. Suddenly the creature tensed, now aware of the other presence in the room, and Seijuro turned his head in confusion, but smiled when he saw Bokushi approaching him.

"Good morning, Bokushi."

"Good morning, Seijuro-nii," Bokushi said back. "You're up early."

"So I am," said Seijuro. "It's just been a long while since I saw Yukimaru, so I thought I would check on him."

A glint of amusement flashed in his eyes when he looked down at what Bokushi was holding. "And I see you brought his doppelganger. Yuki, was it?"

"Yes…" Bokushi said quietly.

Yukimaru noticed the stuffed toy as well and blinked at it before whinnying in excitement.

Seijuro chuckled. "I think he likes it," he said. "Why don't you come over here? It's been a while since Yukimaru has seen you too."

Bokushi padded over and stood next to his older brother, looking right up at the horse, who had now become intrigued by this strange person.

Seijuro watched the horse with fascination. "Do you think he remembers you?"

"I don't know, let me get a little closer."

Seijuro reached down and lifted him off the floor, carrying Bokushi as the boy held his arm out to the white horse. At first, as Yukimaru watched him, the large creature looked wary, but when he saw the hand in front of his face, he sniffed it before nipping at it playfully, huffing in satisfaction when Bokushi began stroking his mane.

"He still recognizes my scent, that's nice," said Bokushi, his voice unusually gentle, that is until Yukimaru decided to nip at Yuki and his tone immediately transitioned to a mixture of amusement and irritation. "Oi. Don't eat him, you silly horse…"

Seijuro smiled at the sight of their interactions, suddenly reminded of the way his mother used to hold him up to pet the horses when he was little. Coming out to the stables was one of his favorite pastimes, and he always thoroughly enjoyed riding around their extensive grounds. At this thought, he suddenly perked up, Bokushi sensing the change in his demeanor and retracting his hand.

"You're thinking something. What is it?"

"Nothing special," Seijuro said nonchalantly "I just thought it would be nice if we could take Yukimaru out for a little ride."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Bokushi asked him, eyebrow arched. "If you haven't noticed, I don't have the proper attire to go horseback riding."

"It's fine as long as we go slow," said Seijuro.

"I don't even have a riding helmet."

"You won't need one if I keep the speed to a minimum. What's the matter, you don't want to spend time with your older brother?"

"Of course I do!"

Seijuro blinked at the random outburst and stared at Bokushi, his expression puzzled. Bokushi, realizing what he had just done, then cleared his throat and added: "I suppose it would be discourteous to decline your offer."

Seijuro stared for another moment, slightly stunned before nodding slowly. "Then allow me to get Yukimaru out."

That was odd, he thought to himself. He pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind as he set Bokushi down on the floor and opened the stall Yukimaru was in, using the reins to guide Yukimaru out. The horse stepped out and stood in the center of the stable.

Once Yukimaru was still, Seijuro lifted Bokushi on the horse and then mounted onto Yukimaru himself. He gave a small grin to the young boy sitting in front of him.

"Do hold on, Bokushi."

"If I fall off, you better believe you're paying for my hospital bill."

"Nonsense, I have everything under control. This will be more fun than you imagine it to be, I promise."

With that, Seijuro gently squeezed Yukimaru's sides with his legs and rocked the saddle forward, and Yukimaru took that as a cue to move.

The horse slowly began to move out of the stable and out onto the riding grounds where it was able to roam free. However, because there was the fact that Bokushi was on the horse as well, Seijuro never let Yukimaru go faster than a very light trot.

Bokushi watched the yellow sun lift itself over the horizon, the sky a combination of pink and blue. He took a deep breath and inhaled the crisp summer air, relishing in the way it filled his lungs with the scent of dewy grass. He could feel Seijuro doing the same behind him.

"It's nice, isn't it?" said Seijuro, voice quiet as if not to disturb the nature. "Just to go out like this and take a look at the sky."

"Mm," was all Bokushi could reply. He too was entranced by the atmosphere. "I admit this was something I missed doing."

"As do I. Morning rides are truly the best."

They were silent for a few minutes, just wandering around the vast grounds, both of them getting lost in the scenery. It was a comfortable silence, no one felt the need to speak and break it, so they quietly appreciated each other's company.

Their journey led them to an area at the far end of the grounds where it was just a bench that looked out over the field. They eventually stopped there and dismounted, the two of them walking over and sitting down, Yukimaru on standby.

Seijuro sighed in contentment as he leaned back and relaxed.

"I can't remember the last time I sat here next to someone," he said. "It's strange having company around now."

"Am I supposed to feel complimented?" Bokushi deadpanned, watching Yukimaru poke his head into some bushes.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Seijuro clarified. "I just mean to say that it's nice having the company around. I'm glad."

"There you go again saying something disgustingly affectionate," Bokushi muttered. "Have you no shame in your words?"

"Unfortunately I do not," Seijuro laughed. "You'll have to bear with it I'm afraid. Especially during horse rides. Perhaps you should prepare yourself for when I return from school."

"Of course, I couldn't possibly forget that you're going back today," said Bokushi. "School ends in a month, doesn't it?"

"It does," said Seijuro. "I should be back at the end of July."

"I see." Bokushi's stomach must have been malfunctioning or something, because he suddenly felt this weird sensation that he didn't entirely understand.

A month is a long time.

"But I'm sure you'll keep occupied while I'm gone," said Seijuro.

"Mhmm," Bokushi responded. Am I really?

"You should visit Midorima's house sometime, too," Seijuro continued. "I'm sure Miyoko would love to see you again."

"Okay." She wants to see you, too.

"You should make sure you keep Yukimaru company as well."

"I know." He'd probably want your company more than mine.

"You also still wanted to finish the library collection, right? I bet by the time I'm back you would have already… Bokushi?"

Bokushi had gone quiet and found himself staring at the ground.

"Bokushi, are you alright?" Seijuro asked.

Bokushi didn't hear him, he was caught up in all the thoughts that swam through his mind.

Why am I thinking this?

Why can't I stop?

What's gotten into me?

Why am I feeling this way?

Bokushi pursed his lips.

"You should pick a special friend that means something to you too."

"You have always been protecting me. But now, it's about time that I started protecting you too."

'A friend that means something to me, huh?'

That meaning is…

"Bokushi… Bokushi… Hey, Bokushi."

Bokushi looked up with a start.

"Hm?"

"You spaced out," said Seijuro. "Is something wrong?"

"No," said Bokushi. "I was just daydreaming a little. I'm okay."

Seijuro didn't speak, instead watching his brother continue to stare at nothing.

Bokushi was not okay, obviosuly. He was uncharacteristically stiff, his mouth pulled into a firm line and his eyes out of focus. But he couldn't even begin to explain what was going on to Seijuro when he couldnt even understand it himself.

Seijuro sighed and put a hand on Bokushi's shoulder.

"You know, you don't have to lie to me. I know that something is bothering you."

Bokushi huffed as he rested his chin on top of Yuki. "What makes you think something is bothering me?"

"Because that's the exact face that I make when something is bothering me," Akashi replied.

When Seijuro switched back after the Winter Cup, he was no longer as good at hiding his emotions as he was before he switched back. At first, it was only Mibuchi who could tell when something was wrong, but now even Hayama or Nebuya could easily read his emotions as well, which was undoubtedly a scary thought in itself. Akashi had never felt more exposed.

Still, he gave Bokushi a small encouraging smile. "It's alright, you can tell me."

Bokushi suddenly felt like he was heating up under Seijuro's scrutinizing gaze. It took everything he had to maintain eye contact.

There was no way. No way that Seijuro was going to find out what he was thinking.

But he was still waiting with that smile on his face, and Bokushi felt his heart rate increase. Little by little, he hesitantly opened his mouth to speak.

"I…"

Yukimaru suddenly neighed out of nowhere making the two of them turn to the massive beast. He was kicking his hooves into the ground, his tail swishing impatiently as he snorted in their general direction.

Seijuro shook his head in amusement. "Alright Yukimaru, don't be so dramatic, we were just leaving."

As Seijuro stood up from the bench, he turned back to Bokushi, who was already beginning to make his way over to the horse. "What was it you were going to say?"

A slight pause.

"Nothing," said Bokushi.

Seijuro stared at him, not entirely convinced. "…Are you—"

"I'm sure. Let's just go."

Seijuro nodded and began to go after him, Bokushi getting on the horse first and him second. When he rocked the saddle forward, Yukimaru began to move toward the direction of the stables again.

~O~

As the morning progressed, Seijuro noticed that Bokushi was acting quite strange. During breakfast, on at least four occasions, Seijuro caught him spacing out or just generally acting distant. But no matter how many times he questioned him, he always answered the same thing, that he was perfectly fine, despite every one of Seijuro's instincts telling him that he wasn't.

Seijuro sighed for the umptillionth time as they sat at the table later that afternoon after finishing lunch.

"Bokushi, are you absolutely sure nothing is wrong?"

"I'm sure," the boy replied, his voice slightly hostile. "Why do you keep pestering me with that obnoxious question?"

"Because ever since this morning something has obviously been on your mind. What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Surely it's something."

"It isn't."

"Bokushi—"

"For the last time, I told you it's nothing!" Bokushi groaned. "I'm going upstairs."

"Bokushi, please wait."

Bokushi didn't give a second thought and stood up from his chair, walking away from the room and up the stairs, leaving Seijuro confused as to what even happened. He watched his retreating figure in exasperation.

What on earth has gotten into him?

~O~

Bokushi folded his arms as the scowl on his face deepened.

That guy doesn't know when to quit, he thought in annoyance. Always asking me whether something was the matter. Who does he think he is?

He suddenly began slowing down in the hallway.

But…there was something wrong, wasn't there? He vigorously shook his head. No. Of course not! I'm fine.

Bokushi quickened his pace, keeping his gaze on the floor and turning a corner, unaware of the other person turning the corner from the opposite direction. Before Bokushi knew what happened, he had already rammed into said person and stumbled back, landing on his backside. He winced slightly before getting over the recoil.

"That hurt," he said, rising from the floor. "What did I just…"

He trailed off when he looked up and saw who he was talking to. He originally thought he had run into one of the staff, but instead, it was his father he had run into. He immediately straightened up and took a clear step back.

"My apologies," he said quickly. "I did not see you there, father."

Masaomi looked down at the boy, showing no type of surprise at his sudden run-in.

"It is alright," he replied, voice deep and slightly monotonous. "This hallway is rather dark. Do be mindful of your surroundings next time."

"…Yes."

Bokushi expected him to leave but instead found him still standing in front of him. And he was still staring. The young boy suddenly had the urge to look away but suppressed it to show that he could handle being assessed.

"Are you not with Seijuro?"

Bokushi shook his head. "No… He's downstairs."

Masaomi looked at Bokushi's expression and saw his eyes drifting off elsewhere. He frowned. "You are distracted."

Bokushi jolted at being caught out by yet another person today. "It is nothing, father. I assure you there is no problem."

"Are you doubting me, child?" Masaomi asked, raising an eyebrow. "I do believe I know a pensive expression when I see one."

"What I'm thinking about is not that serious."

"Then I was correct in assuming that you were indeed distracted."

Bokushi closed his mouth and fell silent.

"Is Seijuro the one who gave you that?" Masaomi asked.

Bokushi looked down at the stuffed horse in his arms and suddenly drew it closer to himself as if his father intended to take it from him. He knew he wouldn't though, his father's tone of voice had traces of curiosity.

Bokushi didn't want to respond, but his father's voice indicated that he wasn't going to accept silence as an answer.

"Seijuro-nii got it for me yesterday," he clarified. That was as much of an explanation as he was ever going to give him. There was no necessity to go into specifics.

Masaomi gave a low hum to acknowledge his answer. "I assume it was a parting gift because he is returning to school. Or am I mistaken?"

"It was not exactly like that," Bokushi explained. "Miyoko, the younger sister of Midorima Shintarou, coaxed me into it."

"I would have thought you of all people would be against having a toy in your possession," said Masaomi.

Bokushi shrugged. "Miyoko insisted that I get one that has a 'special meaning' to me, as she put it."

"And this horse means something?"

Bokushi paused, unable to respond for a short moment.

"No," he said quickly.

Masaomi stared. "I see," he said. "I presumed otherwise because you implied that because the girl said you should choose something with a special meaning, and so I automatically thought that this horse holds some type of significance to you."

Bokushi shook his head. "It doesn't mean anything," he said.

Masaomi assessed him for a few moments more before dropping the matter.

"If that is what you insist," he said. "But I will have you know that it is in poor taste to lie."

Bokushi's eyes widened and he lightly gasped. How did he know that?

Looking back up at his father, he provided no answer to his question. Instead, Masaomi brushed past him and continued in the opposite direction until he stopped in his tracks, his back to Bokushi.

"A word of advice to you, child. If there is any one thing that you must learn, it is that lying gets you nowhere. Sooner or later, the truth will surface."

With that, he continued walking and turned to another corridor, leaving Bokushi to gaze at his disappearing silhouette down the hall.

~O~

Seijuro was going up the stairs a little while later, on his way to his room to start putting his things together ahead of time so he wouldn't be rushing by the time he had to leave.

He was still thinking about Bokushi's strange behavior earlier. He didn't understand what had come over him all of a sudden. Bokushi was fine in the morning, and then ever since they came back from their morning ride, he had been strangely moody, which, he'll admit, was how Bokushi always was, but he was moodier than usual. He had stormed off some time ago, but Seijuro had no idea where he went. Before he left that day, Seijuro wanted to at least find him and talk to him.

As he was walking up, he heard footsteps behind him and turned his head to find his father coming up as well. Seijuro nodded towards him.

"Good afternoon, father."

"Good afternoon," his father said back. "You should think about getting your things together soon. You would not want to miss your train later in the evening."

"Of course, I was just on my way to do that."

"That's fine, then."

Seijuro watched his father walk past him on the stairs and continue on. It was probably a slim chance, but his father might know where Bokushi was. He didn't necessarily want to ask, though, but it was better than nobody. So, Seijuro took a deep breath.

"Actually, father, have you seen Bokushi?"

His father didn't stop walking, but he did give an answer.

"Ah, the boy," he said. "Last time I spoke with him, he was in the hallway. I assume he was headed for his bedroom."

Seijuro furrowed his eyebrows as he looked away. They spoke with each other?

"Wait, what were you…" When he turned his gaze back to look at his father, he was already gone. Seijuro blinked in surprise before finally resuming his walk up the stairs, getting up the last step and going in the direction of the east wing.

When Seijuro reached the hallway in which both his and Bokushi's rooms resided, he walked up to the latter's door and knocked softly. He waited, listening closely for a response. After a few moments, he finally heard a quiet "Come in" before twisting the handle and pushing the door open, finding Bokushi on the bed reading a book.

"Bokushi?" he called, peering into the room. "Are you busy?"

Bokushi shook his head slowly. "Not particularly," he said.

"May I come in?" Seijuro asked.

Bokushi glanced up from his book for a brief moment before going back to reading. "If you want to."

Seijuro came into the room and shut the door behind him, walking over to the bed and sitting down at the edge.

"Is that a good book?"

"It was a bit slow in the beginning," said Bokushi "But it seems to be picking up the pace now."

"I see," said Seijuro. "So, I hear you had a conversation with father this afternoon. Care to tell me what you talked about?"

For a fleeting second, Bokushi faltered but immediately regained his composure.

"Nothing important," he said in an unusually clipped voice.

Seijuro frowned. "Are you sure?" he said. "Surely whatever father was discussing with you must be important."

"It's not," said Bokushi. "The conversation had no importance."

"Bokushi…" Seijuro took the book out of his hands and shut it, placing it on the bedside table. Before Bokushi realized what happened, Seijuro was already staring into his eyes, his face taking on an expression of mild concern. "You've been acting strange all day. Is something wrong?"

Bokushi looked away. "No matter how much you prod, I'm not going to tell you."

Seijuro raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So there was something. But you don't want to tell me. Why won't you talk to me? Do you not like me?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You know that's not the reason."

"You don't trust me then."

"No, I do."

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

Bokushi was looking progressively flustered the more Seijuro continued to prod. He folded his arms, his mouth pressed into an awkward line.

"I'm going to sound like a complete idiot if I tell you what the problem is."

"Nonsense. I doubt you of all people could possibly sound like an idiot," said Seijuro. "Go on and tell me. I'm listening."

"I'm not sure how to word this," Bokushi said, scratching his head. "I can't necessarily describe this feeling myself."

"It's okay," said Seijuro. "Just do your best to convey your thoughts."

Bokushi nodded slowly and took a deep breath before starting.

"Every time I think about you leaving back to Kyoto, I suddenly get a strange feeling," Bokushi began. "It was this aching feeling and a mixture of adrenaline and nausea for some reason. I have no idea what is causing this. And the more I thought of you being away, the stronger the feeling got. I thought ignoring it might make it stop, but it didn't really do anything. Father must have noticed as well, which is why he interrogated me in the hallway, but I did not tell him anything either. I do not know why I am feeling this way."

When he finished speaking, there was a heavy silence in the room. Suddenly after a few seconds, Bokushi heard his older brother snort.

He looked up at Seijuro, wondering what happened. He couldn't see his face properly in the dimly lit room, but he could see that his shoulders were shaking, and before Bokushi could say anything, he started to laugh. Not one of those composed chuckles he usually heard from him on occasion, but an actual, unrestrained, genuine laugh. It rang throughout the room, and it stunned Bokushi severely. He stared at Seijuro, expression puzzled.

"Seijuro-nii, I don't recall ever saying anything funny," he said, looking somewhat offended.

Seijuro tried to the best of his abilities to quiet himself. "Ah—no," he said, breathless from laughing. "I'm just a little surprised. This was the problem you had all day? I thought it was something I had to be concerned over."

"So you know what might be happening to me?"

"Bokushi. What you just described is the emotion of missing somebody. You're not ill or anything. This feeling is completely normal."

"Missing somebody…?" Bokushi had never even thought of this possibility. Considering the fact that he had abandoned such emotions for the sake of victory, anything to do with the feeling of 'missing' somebody was completely alien to him. Until this day, he had no idea what that felt like.

"I didn't think of it like that…" he said, trailing off.

Seijuro reached a hand up and placed his hand on Bokushi's head, stroking his hair in a soothing manner.

"I'm sorry," said Seijuro. "A month is probably a long time for you. But it'll pass by before you know it. And I'm glad you told me how you feel."

"You are?" said Bokushi.

"Of course. I'm glad knowing that you'll miss my presence in the house. In fact, I'd be more upset if you didn't. You don't have to be ashamed. Everybody misses at least one person."

Bokushi thought for a moment before looking back up at him. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you miss me when you leave for Kyoto?"

Seijuro smiled. "Of course," he said. "You are important to me as well. And looking back at the one week you spent in my dorm, every other day seems boring in comparison."

"I am a delight, aren't I?"

"We're supposed to be having a moment, Bokushi. Don't ruin it."

"In any case," said Bokushi. "Promise that you won't dare forget about me when you're in school. I won't forgive you if you do."

"Don't worry, I won't. I promise," said Seijuro. "At the end of the day when I'm done with classes and basketball practice, you can call me and we can talk all you want."

Bokushi puffed up with satisfaction. "As I should be."

~O~

Some minutes later, Kuroko was sitting in his room with Nigou on his lap when his phone vibrated. He picked it up and opened it to find a text message from Akashi. He opened the message and read it.

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

From: Akashi Seijuro

Subject: Please help

Bokushi is an absolute angel.

He shook his head in amusement and typed a reply.

To: Akashi-kun

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject: Is that so?

What has made you come to this conclusion, Akashi-kun?

Another vibration.

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

From: Akashi Seijuro

Subject: He said he's going to miss me

Now my heart is fluttering and I don't know what to do.

Nigou began to curiously paw at his phone as he peered over at the message, almost as if he was trying to read it. Kuroko smiled and patted his head.

To: Akashi-kun

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject: Please

Get a hold of yourself, Akashi-kun.

...

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

From: Akashi Seijuro

Subject: I can't

That's it. I can't go back to school now. I have to stay here.

...

To: Akashi-kun

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject: No

Akashi-kun, please…

...

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

From: Akashi Seijuro

Subject: Actually

I don't think anyone would mind if I miss a few more days.

...

To: Akashi-kun

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

[No subject]

Akashi-kun.

~O~

The evening rolled around and Seijuro had his things packed up and was ready to head out. His bag was waiting by the door, and the staff, Bokushi, and his father were downstairs to see him off.

"Young Master, are you sure you don't need the driver to take you to the station?"

"I appreciate the offer, but you don't need to trouble yourselves. I've called a taxi."

"It's raining quite a bit outside. Do you have your umbrella with you, Young Master?"

"Of course."

"Do you have your ticket?"

"Yes, it's in my bag."

Bokushi watched as Seijuro ensured the staff that he had everything, and then again to Masaomi with an exasperated "Yes father, I'm sure I double-checked my room." Once he had reassured everyone, he made his way over to Bokushi.

"Are you alright? You seem rather subdued."

"I'm alright," said Bokushi. This time, he was being genuine.

"Good," said Seijuro. "I do hope you can look after the house while I'm gone. You'll do that for me, won't you?"

Bokushi nodded. "Yes, Seijuro-nii. I'll make sure to keep an eye on the house."

Seijuro turned to the butler. "Please do assist me in making sure he's okay," he said to the elderly man. "And keep me updated on how he's doing. He still has a few things to do so he can properly settle in. I believe sometime tomorrow you'll have to take him shopping for more clothes. Although fair warning, he is quite picky."

The butler bowed. "As you wish, Young Master. Anything you need to be done for him, I will make it so."

"I give you my thanks, Abe-san."

"Young Master, your taxi is here," a maid said, tearing her eyes away from the window she was staring out of.

Seijuro nodded. "Of course. I'll be off now. I'll contact you when I've arrived at the train station, father."

Masaomi nodded. "You are also to call when you have arrived at your dorm, Seijuro."

"Yes, father."

Seijuro walked over and ruffled Bokushi's hair. "Be good now," he teased. "I'll see you when I return."

Bokushi didn't necessarily appreciate his hair being messed up, but his eyes still softened at the action. "I hope you won't forget your promise," he said.

Seijuro smiled. "Don't worry, I won't forget. Take care."

Bokushi nodded. "Yes. You take care as well."

And just like that, the butler opened the door for Seijuro and he was stepping into the rainy outside, his umbrella opening to shelter him from the heavy showers.

As Bokushi watched him from the front of the house, that aching feeling came back again even worse than before that made him want to claw at his chest to make it stop. He felt like there was still something he should do, before Seijuro got into the taxi, before he drove off to the train station. Seijuro's voice suddenly echoed in the back of his mind.

"Be a little more honest with your feelings."

And he knew exactly what to do.

Seijuro had already put his bags in the back seat and was about to step into the car when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Seijuro-nii!"

Seijuro turned around and saw Bokushi coming down the steps and running towards him.

"Bokushi?" he said in surprise. "What's the—"

He immediately stopped talking when Bokushi rushed at him and wrapped his arms around his older brother in a hug. Seijuro's eyes could not have gone wider. Bokushi just tightened his grip, his face pressed to Seijuro's stomach.

"I'll miss you, Seijuro-nii," he said quietly.

Seijuro was frozen in place. There was no way that this was Bokushi. The same person who had been emotionally inept since he was created, who couldn't identify his own feelings, who had no idea how to be affectionate, there was no way he was actually being straightforward with his words and actions right now. Soon, Seijuro found himself kneeling down in the driveway and hugging him back, pulling him close to his person, his eyes falling shut.

"I'll miss you, too."

Words could not describe how embarrassed Bokushi felt admitting that out loud to Seijuro of all people. Despite the fact that the rain was gradually soaking the both of them at the moment, he didn't feel it at all. The longer he was in contact with Seijuro, the warmer he felt. To hell with being absolute. If solitude and unhappiness were all it brought him then he'd sooner hand his title over to someone else.

As he stood there in the rain enveloped in Seijuro's arms, deep down, he felt like he could stay there forever. However, he wasn't ready to admit that to Seijuro just yet. For now, he was perfectly content with just staying like this. But eventually, Seijuro slowly pulled away and patted his head.

"Just don't miss me too much, okay?"

Bokushi nodded. "I know."

"I'll call when I've gotten into my dorm."

"Okay. Send the others my regards."

"Of course. I'll tell our teammates that you said hi. Goodbye, Bokushi."

"Goodbye, Seijuro-nii."

With that, Seijuro finally stepped into the taxi and shut the door. The driver then switched gears and began to drive off. As they inched away from the driveway, Seijuro smiled at Bokushi through the window and gave one last wave, Bokushi offering his own little wave in return.

The taxi finally pulled away and drove past the gates, turning the corner before disappearing down the street. As Bokushi continued to stand there even when the car was long gone, a small smile slipped onto his face.

I'll see you in a month.

Read and review please!