Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ 1. Chapter 1

"He's only eleven. You're putting too much responsibility on his shoulders." Said Akashi's mother. "He needs some time to do what he wants to do." Akashi's father looked out the window of his office.

"No son of mine will become a failure." He said as he watched Akashi ride his horse; he looked so graceful.

"At least let the boy have fun!" She yelled out of nowhere. Akashi's father looked at her for a moment before answering.

"Fine. I'll allow him two hours of free time everyday…Is that good enough?" She nodded her head as joy filled her. She ran outside to see her beloved son. Akashi's father just stared out the window and watched as she happily hugged him. "What am I going to do with her?"

From that moment on things started to go downhill. His mother got sick and died. And when his mother died a part of his father died with her; the kind part. Akashi's father became harsher, colder, and stricter. Akashi didn't cry at his mother's funeral. He had always thought that crying was for the weak. However, that's not true.

The real story starts about three years after his loss and a week before the second Akashi makes his appearance.

Akashi sat on the couch trying to think of what to do. For once he had a day to do whatever he felt like. He was alone, but he was used to that. Even when his father was there he felt alone. Whenever he was at his house he acted differently, he always kept his emotions in. He had to, for his own good.

He sat there and watched the time tick by, the seconds felt longer than usual. "Three o'clock." Akashi said in a monotone voice. That's when he decided to go for a walk; it had seemed like a good idea at first. As Akashi walked his thoughts drifted and somehow his mother found her way into them. He still hadn't cried. A part of him hoped he never would.

He continued to walk until he walked by a park, the park that and he and his mother used to go to. The park she had watched him play basketball in. He looked around the park and his eyes landed on something that pierced him all the way to his heart. A mother and her son; they looked so happy and so carefree. He felt tears coming to his eyes, he tried to fight them but there comes a point when you can't fight them anymore and poor Akashi was at that point. He felt the tears hit his cheeks and he tried to calm himself.

Akashi ran far, far away from that park and the memories in it. _**Disgusting, I thought you were better than this. **__I know. I know. I'm trying. __**To think that you are so weak. **__Stop it! You know what I'm feeling too! __**You are worse than a child. It was so long ago. Why aren't you over it yet? **__I…I don't know._

He found himself in the park next to his school. Usually when people feel sad or scared they'll go somewhere they feel safe, and in Akashi's case it was his school, or rather, the park next to it.

Akashi sat on the park bench crying uncontrollably. He hated it… that part of him that felt sad. "Seijuro?" Questioned a soft and gentle voice. "Are you alright?"

He looked up to see Kai; a childhood friend. She sat next to him. "What happened?"

Tears still flowed down his face. He tried to collect his thoughts so he could tell her everything. The only ones who knew about his mother's death were him and his father, and of course the rest of the family. He kept the burden of his mother's death to himself. He thought it was selfish to ask anyone to help him carry the burden. After all it was his burden to bear. Kai looked at him waiting for an answer but he gave none. He couldn't think straight. He tried to think of the best way to tell her. He was at the point where nothing made sense.

Slowly, very slowly, he started to calm down. Kai," Akashi began. "I'm sorry. It's nothing you need to worry about." She looked at him with an almost annoyed expression.

"Nothing I need to worry about?" She said. "I find you here crying your eyes out and it's nothing I need to worry about?" Akashi stood up and turned towards her.

"Really, I'm fine." He said with a smile.

"How I love that smile." She whispered.

"Excuse me?" Akashi asked with a confused look. Kai began to blush.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything." She answered. "If you say it's nothing to worry about. I'll believe you." He looked at her with the kindest and warmest smile.

"Shall I walk you home?"

"Yes please."

"What time is it?" Akashi asked.

"I think it's about six."

"Thank you for walking me home Akashi." She said as they arrived at their front door.

"It was my pleasure." She hugged him before she walked into her house.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she closed the door.

As Akashi was walking home his phone started ringing.

"_Where the hell are you?" _

"F-Father?!"

"_I came home and you weren't here." _

"I went for a walk."

"_Our deal was that I would let you have a day where you were free to do whatever you wanted to do as long as you didn't leave the house." _

"Then I'm not really free to do whatever I want, am I?!"

"_Excuse me?" _

"I-I'm sorr-"

"_I don't want to hear an apology! I'm expecting you home in ten minutes." _

"Yes father."

As soon as Akashi walked through the door his father grabbed his arm and pulled him into the kitchen.

"From this moment on I'll make sure someone's is here with you. It is obvious I can't leave you alone because you'll leave the house again. I understand that you cannot be trusted to be left alone."

"Father wait." Akashi interrupted. "I promise I won't leave without your permission." His father slapped him. The blow sent him to the ground. Akashi looked up at his father with a scared expression.

"Don't interrupt me again." His father said sternly. "I suppose I'll give you one more chance. If you leave the house again there will be a worse punishment for you than just having someone watch over you while I'm away. Understood?" Akashi nodded as he picked himself off of the ground. "Now go get some sleep. When you wake up I probably won't be here."

Akashi nodded and then walked up the stairs.

As he lay on his bed he couldn't help but think how nice it was to have someone care about him the way that Kai did. He slowly fell asleep that night; it was such a peaceful sleep that his dream easily took flight.


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark. Someone was waiting in the darkest corner of the room. All he could see of the stranger was one gold eye. Scared and confused, Akashi took a step backwards. The stranger stepped into the light with a big smile painted on his face. "I'm none other than Akashi Seijuro." The stranger said with an elegant bow. And sure enough…it was. Akashi was suddenly terrified. There was only one of him, right?

The second Akashi was just staring at him with those cold and horrifying eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. Everything went dark after that and all he could remember was that unforgiving stare.

He nearly jumped out of his bed, his heart still pounding. He scanned the room as he looked for that terrifying figure. He had never felt so happy to be alone. He walked downstairs so he could start his day. He had gotten everything done by eight.

Akashi wanted to go outside but he remembered what his father had said…but his father was gone for the week. _**What he doesn't know won't kill him, right? **__I suppose not, but I should ask anyway._

"Hello? Father?"

"Oh, hello. Let me guess. You want to go see your girlfriend?"

"W-what?"

"I'll tell you what. Considering I'm in a good mood I will let you do what you want until I come back. But don't get used to it. This is the only time I'll let you do this."

And just like that his father hung up. _That was strangely out of character…_

As Akashi walked to Kai's house he couldn't help but think of how happy his father had sounded on the phone. He only ever sounded like that when he was with Akashi's mother.

"Honey," Said Kai's mother. "Akashi is here for you."

Kai peeked her head around the corner; her teal eyes shimmered with curiosity. "I'll be right there!" She said as she ran upstairs. She ran into her brother on the way to get her purse.

"Ow." Kai looked up at him. "Oh, sorry Sosuke!" He looked down at her with a smile.

"What's the rush?"

"Seijuro's here, he only comes over to our house when he needs to talk about something important!" He nodded at her words.

"I see. Well, have fun."

"Thanks, big brother." She rushed downstairs. "Sorry it took me so long." She said to Akashi. He was looking at the ground when she got there. "Shall we go?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. Let's." Akashi answered.

They laid in the grass at Akashi's park. Kai could tell that he had something on his mind…but what?

"So Seijuro, what's on your mind?"

Akashi stayed silent. It seemed like he didn't hear her at all.

"Kai, can I tell you about this dream I had?"

"Of course. You can tell me anything." She said sweetly.

"Kai?" Questioned Sosuke with an angry tone to his voice. "Why were you out so late?"

Kai looked sad and tired.

"Uh, well, Seijuro needed to talk to me about a lot. And about this terrible dream he had. It kind of scared me." Sosuke looked confused. "I think he's better now though. I'm going to get some sleep."

Akashi talked to her about everything, that dream, his father, and even his mother. Kai was right. He was okay now.

As Akashi walked home he saw Midorima walking on the other side of the street. He was on the phone, almost yelling at the person on the other end of the line. Akashi stopped walking as Midorima did, somehow syncing with Midorima's movements. He did that a lot when he was observing his teammates. Midorima started to cross the road and that's when Akashi decided to start walking again. Whatever Midorima was discussing with the other person was none of his business.

"Akashi," Midorima said behind him. "Please wait a moment."

Akashi turned around with a sigh as he waited for Midorima to get off the phone.

"Why are you out this late?" Akashi asked with an accusatory tone.

"I could ask you the same thing." Midorima snapped back. Akashi rolled his eyes.

"True enough. But I needed to talk to someone about some things. That's all."

Midorima nodded in understanding. "I see." Midorima's phone started to ring again. "Great." He said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. You can go ahead and head home. This is going to take a while."

Akashi looked at him with concern.

"Are you sure?" Midorima waved Akashi away as he continued talking on his phone.

Akashi stayed up most of that night; too afraid that if he closed his eyes his nightmares would take him again. Of course, when he fell asleep he didn't have nightmares, but sweet dreams with Kai. They were filled with the joy and peace he felt with her.

Now if you think things are going to be alright you couldn't be more wrong. There is something coming that no one would have expected. Not even Akashi.


End file.

Kuroko no Basuke/黒子のバスケ, Drama, Romance