Archive of Our Own

The sound of footsteps were accompanied by the silent squeaking of a wheelchair. Contrasting hair colors, a piercing red and a calm light blue, accompanied each other in a rose garden.

Kuroko Tetsuya, 26 years old with baby blue hair and eyes, sat in the wheelchair. His head was bandaged,  his left eye covered, and his left arm rested in a sling across his chest. Akashi Seijuro, 26 years old with bold red hair, smoothly pushed the wheelchair across the paved pathway.

The redhead was accustomed to pushing the bluenette everywhere they went. Akashi had no troubles on their trips. After all, everything was decided by him.

Kuroko was entirely dependent on the redhead. Although his mental health had improved significantly since his discharge, he was far from functioning normally. Confined to a bed for nearly a year, Kuroko was unable to sit up by himself, which often left him slouched over the wheelchair only to have Akashi support and readjust him.

Now, Kuroko was capable of sitting upright. He even managed to occasionally look around at his surroundings instead of staring at a fixed point. It was only until recently that Kuroko started to somewhat understand emotions and simple phrases, yet he still lacked his own will.

Over the past 2 months, Akashi became capable of sensing what Kuroko wanted. In this case, the moment the bluenette turned his head, Akashi stopped pushing the wheelchair.

“What’s the matter Tetsuya?” he whispered gently. It was just a simple gesture, yet he controlled his emotions in fear of frightening Kuroko.

There was no verbal answer from the cerulean boy. With slow movements, Kuroko managed to lift his right arm from his armrest and pointed at the direction of a lush rose bush. Pure white petals softly reflected the warm light from the sun.

“You want me to get you one?” Akashi asked despite knowing there would be no response. He flashed a small grin before letting go of the handles and then walking toward the beautiful shrubbery. “Alright, wait here.”

Bending a branch to pick a rose, the redhead skillfully plucked a luscious white rose. The alluring scent reminded him of his Kuroko. Smiling, Akashi walked back to Kuroko, who stayed seated perfectly still. He placed the white flower onto the bluenette’s lap.

“Here you go Tetsuya.”

With an impassive face, Kuroko locked his gaze onto the blooming rose, carefully tracing the flower with his right hand. From the vanilla blossom to the thorny stem, his fingers brushed the waxy outer coat of the rose and the soft flower petals. Although it was subtle, Akashi could see Kuroko’s left bandaged hand slowly slid underneath the rose as if to support the fragile thing.

All before he absent mindedly tore the rose apart.

“Tetsuya! What are you doing?” Akashi rushed toward the smaller man and slapped his hands away. But, he was too late to prevent the flower from being destroyed, and too late to prevent Kuroko from injuring his hands.

Kuroko’s baby blue eyes widened in surprise before he solemnly looked down, only to see that the once beautiful rose was now in pieces. Akashi could see the confusion hidden behind the bluenette’s passive expression. There was a long pregnant pause as neither of them had moved.

Kuroko continued to silently ponder about Akashi’s sudden burst of anger. He was so deep in concentration that he furrowed his eyebrows trying to understand. But once he thought it through, he stiffly moved his right arm and numbly gripped Akashi’s wrist.

With the redhead’s palm faced upwards, the bluenette placed the crushed pieces into Akashi’s larger hand. Crimson stained the pure white petals.  

Heterochromatic eyes slightly widened, but it returned to its blank state. An audible sigh escaped his lips. It wasn’t possible to stay angry at Kuroko for long, especially when he tried so hard to understand in his mental state.

“Don’t do that again Tetsuya. Your hands are bleeding now,” Akashi reprimanded softly as kneeled down and tenderly clasp the bluenette’s pale hand. Pulling a handkerchief from the sleeves of his yukata, Akashi proceeded to carefully wrap the fabric around Kuroko’s bleeding hands.

Once Akashi was finished bandaging Kuroko’s injured palms, he stood up and watched the bluenette. Kuroko only stared blankly at the dark red specks that grew with every hot throb his hands produced. He looked back at Akashi and tilted his head.

“It hurts doesn’t it Tetsuya,” Akashi asked sympathetically. “I’m sorry for shouting at you so suddenly.”

Kuroko had returned to staring at his bandaged palms before showing them to the larger man. With Kuroko’s arms reaching out toward his direction, Akashi could only question what the bluenette wanted. Heterochromatic eyes glared into calm light blue ones. Akashi’s eyes soon widen with realization: Kuroko wanted a hug.

He walked forward to hug the smaller man, and while he embraced the bluenette, his fingers ran through silky cerulean hair. Kuroko seemed to like the sensation and pulled in closer towards Akashi’s chest.

The familiar sensation sent Akashi spiraling through distant memories.

Filled with thousands of migrants all over the world, Kyoto’s airport was bustling with human interaction. Standing in the middle of the crowd, two figures with contrasting hair colors waited.

“Tetsuya wear this and make sure you keep warm,” Akashi ordered as he wrapped a crimson scarf around Kuroko’s slender neck and face.

“Don’t you think this is a bit much, Akashi-kun?” Kuroko pouted as he pulled the scarf down. Before they had left, Akashi had made Kuroko dress into warmer clothes because he thought that the petite man would get cold. This resulted in Kuroko wearing at least 3 layers of clothing.

“I am only concerned about your wellbeing Tetsuya,” the redhead smirked. Brushing aside light blue bangs, Akashi fondly kissed Kuroko’s forehead before staring into his sky blue eyes. He sighed loudly and whispered, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

Kuroko smiled lightly, before shaking his head. “This week is very important for your work isn’t it, Akashi-kun?”

“I can skip it,” He replied casually, but Kuroko frowned at the idea.

“You shouldn’t do that Akashi-kun,” the bluenette scolded. “My surgery in America will only last for a few days, so it’s not worth it for you to come with me.”

“You’re worth more than my job, Tetsuya,” Akashi whispered as he pulled the bluenette into an embrace. Over the years after high school, Akashi, now 26, continued to grow while Kuroko stayed at the same height. The redhead was pleased to see the height difference.

“Akashi-kun is mean,” Kuroko visibly sulked.

Surprisingly, Akashi found it amusing. “How so Tetsuya?”

“You’re flaunting your height again.”

“Am I?” the redhead asked innocently before kissing the space between Kuroko’s eyebrows. He paused slightly and sighed loudly before tightening his hold. “I don’t like the idea of you going to America alone.”

“But Akashi-kun, I won’t be-”

“Oi Tetsu, are you done flirting?” A dark skinned man approached him. As he walked through the populated walkway, he earned shocked stares from the crowd. After all, having a muscular build and navy hair were uncommon in Japan.

Kuroko slipped out of Akashi’s embrace to greet his former light, “Good morning Aomine-kun.”

“Hey Tetsu, Akashi,” Aomine greeted.

“Good morning Daiki,” the redhead greeted. “If I remember correctly, you’re also going to America to live with Taiga, correct?”

“Pretty much,” the ganguro shrugged.

“Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun will be with me in America, so you don’t have to worry about me being alone,” Kuroko explained. “Plus, Kise-kun will be piloting my flight to and back from America.”

“Great. Now we have to worry about the trip ther-OW!” Aomine yelped in pain as he clutched his side. Kuroko had jabbed his ribs and not very lightly to add.

“That’s not very nice to say Aomine-kun,” Kuroko chided.

Grimacing in pain, he yelled, “Goddammit Tetsu, why the hell did you-”

The rest of his cursing was interrupted by a woman talking in the intercom. “Flight number XXX-XXX has arrived. Flight destination: America. Boarding Time is at 9:35am and the departure is scheduled to leave at…”

“That’s your flight isn’t it Tetsuya,” Akashi turned toward the smaller man who nodded in confirmation. He pulled the cerulean boy for one last embrace.

“Even though it’ll only be for a few days, I’ll miss you Tetsuya,” he softly whispered.

Kuroko tightened his hold and smiled brightly, “I’ll miss you too Akashi-kun. That’s why, I’m going to bring this.”

From his pocket, Kuroko took out a neatly folded paper. On the back, the numbers 11/15 were written in neat cursive. Photograph, now opened, revealed a picture of the autumn festival they had went to months ago. They were celebrating their 8th anniversary together.

Akashi, who was on the left side of the photo, wore a red yukata with a black haori hanging off his shoulders while Kuroko, who was on the right side, wore a dark blue yukata and a black haori. Standing in a blossoming rose garden, they held hands and smiled while everyone else took their picture.

“I remember this. It’s so nostalgic isn’t it, Tetsuya,” Akashi stated as he fondly stared at the photo.

“Yes, it is,” Kuroko replied as he smiled at the memory. There was a serene calm between the two until a certain person got too uncomfortable.

“Eh hem, Tetsu let’s go, or else I’ll leave you,” Aomine threatened with a scowl plastered onto his face.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming,” Kuroko reassured the larger man.

He turned to bid Akashi goodbye. “I’ll see you in a few days Akashi-kun. Please do not cause any trouble at work.”

“I’m hurt that you don’t trust me to behave by myself,” Akashi teased. “Well, you best be off now. Have a safe trip Tetsuya.”

“I will Akashi-kun,” Kuroko replied. He stood on the tip of his toes and pecked Akashi’s cheek.

“Are you two done yet? You’re only going to be separated for a few days!” The tanned man huffed in irritation. He turned to walk in the opposite direction while he shouted, “If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to leave you behind.”

“I’m going Aomine-kun,” the cerulean man replied. He turned to follow Aomine to their flight but gave one last look behind his shoulder before continuing on his way. “Goodbye Akashi-kun.”

The redhead smirked as he replied back to the fleeting figure in the distance. “Goodbye Tetsuya.”

It was only 9:12am, yet Akashi was already sitting in the dining table reading the weekly newspapers and drinking a cup of coffee. A week had passed since Kuroko went to America, yet Akashi knew most of what happened. Kuroko constantly updated him through texts about new things he learned, some funny incidents he witnessed between his two lights, and his successful surgery.

Taking a quick glance at the clock, Akashi decided to get ready to pick up the bluenette, who was scheduled to return at 10:30am. Driving to the airport would take approximately less an hour, but Akashi needed to factor in other inconveniences on the road.

He was washing his empty coffee mug when the phone started to ring violently. Akashi gracefully went to answer the phone, only to hear incoherent sobs.

Akashi could hear the woman attempting to quiet her sobs, but her crying continued to distort any word spoken into the phone. A few moments passed before Akashi impatiently started, “...Hello?”

The woman calmed herself enough for the redhead to audibly hear some words, “Akashi-kun… It’s me, Momoi… Tetsu-kun has… he’s been….”

Unable to continue her words, Momoi started to cry again, leaving Akashi to only guess what she tried to say. Needless to say, whatever happened to Kuroko was bad, which was already something to be worried about, but Akashi’s prediction had made it worse.

It felt like someone was holding tightly to his throat, making it hard to breathe or swallow. This was the only time Akashi wanted to be wrong. He wished to be wrong, yet the pit in his stomach told him otherwise.

Over the phone, he could hear another person with Momoi, who was trying to pacify the female down. Seconds later, a male voice continued the conversation.

“Akashi-kun? It’s Ogiwara Shigehiro,” Ogiwara introduced himself. He paused slightly before he continued on with the phone call. “Please go to channel XX. You need to see this.”

Akashi mentally questioned the man before complying to his statements. With one push of a button, the redhead was instantly flooded with fiery images of crushed metal.

“Today at 8:57 am, a malfunction in the engine of a passenger plane caused a deadly crash into the Tokyo Bay. Only a few people were seriously harmed in the crash, but there were no casualties. The flight crew claimed that the pilot had noticed something was wrong with the engine and took immediate action to lessen the impact of the crash and also the death rate. Unfortunately, the pilot and a small number of individuals were in critical condition and were sent to the hospital. The Flight number is XXX-XXX, and the list of individuals that have been sent to Tokyo Hospital shall be shown in the next few seconds…”

There were only 15 names out of the 250 people that were listed, but that did not stop Akashi from frantically searching his lover’s name. All of time stopped when the name Kuroko Tetsuya was shown.

At that point, nothing was more important to him than getting to the hospital.

“Kuroko Tetsuya, which room is he in?” Akashi demanded impatiently. He was gulping in breaths of air as he waited for the nurse to answer him.

“He’s in Room 111. I’ll show you to his-” the clerk wasn’t able to finish her sentence once she noticed that the redhead had left.

His lungs burned and so did his legs, but he ignored the pain as he continued to run to Kuroko’s room. At the end of the hallway, he saw the numbers 111 and ran as fast as he could to the door. He stopped in front of the door, hesitant and fearful to see what had become of his beloved, but Akashi pressed on and opened the door.

Strands of teal hair escaped the white bandages that covered his head. His body faced the window while it was supported by the elevated bed. A blanket covered almost all of his upper torso but stopped before his shoulders. His left arm was in a sling while his right arm rested on his lap. He held a piece of paper in his hand.

“Tetsuya…” Akashi breathed with relief. The heavy pressure that surrounded him instantly vanished. But once Kuroko’s azure eyes slowly turned toward his direction, he realized that his despair had yet to be over.

Nothing could be seen in the bluenette’s eyes. There were no flashes of emotion or hints of any will. Even Akashi’s reflection was absorbed into the emptiness.

“...Tetsuya?” His voice was calm, yet it held a hint of hope. But it shattered in moments.

No response.

His silence fueled Akashi’s growing despair, and soon, everything started to become blurry. He lowered his face to hide his glassy eyes.

“Tetsuya… do you recognize me?”

Once again there was silence. But Akashi’s face immediately perked up once he heard the faint rustling of sheets.

His right hand hovered just a few inches away from the blank blue eyes which traveled down toward the photograph.

It was only then that Akashi realized that the nearly half of it was burnt off. The edges were charred, and nearly half of the left side no longer existed.

Akashi left the room and slightly staggered with each step he took. Through the closing gap of the door, he was able to see Midorima disinfect Kuroko’s arm before inserting another IV. The hallway was nearly empty with the exception of a few running staff members. Akashi stopped once he saw someone familiar. The dark haired man sat on one of the hospital seats. He crouched over and held his balled his hands into fists.

“Yukio,” Akashi greeted the man.

Kasamatsu’s head shot up in surprise, “Akashi? Why are you here for?”

“...I came to visit Tetsuya,” the redhead replied. Kasamatsu gave a small nod before staring straight ahead through the glass room. Akashi turned his head and glanced in the same direction. Behind the glass, a blond man lied on the bed. His arms were connected to several IV tubes, and a gas mask was strapped onto his face. Nearly every inch of his body was wrapped in bandages and casts, making it painful to even glance at the blond. The two men shared a heavy silence as they continued to stare at the bedridden patient.

“...You met with Midorima earlier right?” Kasamatsu asked as he looked at Akashi in the corner of his eye.

“I did,” He replied.

“I see…” There was a slight pause before he continued. “Midorima said that Kise’s in a coma, and that it’s more likely that... he won’t wake up again.”

“...I see,” The redhead answered simply. He turned his head away from Kasamatsu, who had started to tear. “You have my sympathy.”  

“...I heard from Midorima that Kuroko was also in the flight,” Kasamatsu whispered. “How was he?”

“...” Akashi didn’t respond for a few moments, but once he did, he spoke in a calm voice.

“Tetsuya was awake when I came to see him. The cuts and burns weren’t severe enough to be life threatening. Though, he had broke his arm, and his legs were also badly hurt. Shintarou told me that it would take a few months for his legs and arm to be completely healed. He also told me that large pieces of metal had pierced Tetsuya’s left eye, so it’s very unlikely for his vision to recover, ” The redhead explained. He avoided Kasamatsu’s gaze and looked at Kise. “Apparently, when the plane had crashed into the bay, Tetsuya had hit his head against the metallic walls and had severely damaged his brain. Shintarou says that he had lost several motor skills as well as his memory.”

“Does he remember you?” the dark haired man asked.

Akashi shook his head in response, “No, he can’t remember me anymore.”

“I see,” Kasamatsu confirmed. “You truly have my sympathy.”

Akashi heard a soft snore coming from the bluenette, and he gently released the pale man from his embrace. He readjusted Kuroko’s limp body into a more comfortable position, causing Kuroko to silently coo in his sleep and smile.

His heart felt warm, and he stared at Kuroko for a few more moments to absorb the image. Akashi soon grabbed the handlebars of the wheelchair and made his way home.

“Akashi, Kuroko is here to visit you,” Midorima announced through the door before he opened it. He stepped inside the room and held the door open while Takaou helped support Kuroko, who recently started to walk again.

“Aw, look Akashi, Kuroko’s walking~!” Takao squealed.

Cerulean eyes stared blankly at the beaming man. Kuroko clung to Takao’s arm as he tried to balance himself. His left eye was still covered, but his arm cast was finally taken off. He clutched a white bouquet of roses in his left hand.

“It’s nothing new. He has been for the past week, Takao,” Midorima scowled.

“But Shin-chan, don’t you think it’s cute when Kuroko wobbles with every step? It looks like he’s a baby deer!” He spoke enthusiastically.

Midorima only sighed, not wanting to deal with Takao’s strange personality. He turned to see Akashi taking in the entire scene.

“Tetsuya.”

Kuroko’s ears perked up the moment he heard his name being called from a familiar person. Once his eyes laid onto Akashi’s figure, the bluenette quickly teetered over to the redhead and climbed onto the bed to hug him. Akashi wrapped his hands around Kuroko’s slim frame and ran his fingers through his hair.

Midorima remained indifferent toward the two’s intimate display while Takao was grinned at the cute gestures.

“Shin-chan, why don’t you do that to me?” Takao teasingly whined.

Midorima’s eye twitched in irritation, “It’s because you’re an idiot.”

“That’s a mean thing to say to your boyfriend, Shin-chan!.”

“Shintarou.”

The two men stopped bickering and turned their attention toward the bedridden redhead.

“When will the operation take place?” Akashi asked. Kuroko had fallen asleep on top of him, but it didn’t bother Akashi since the bluenette wasn’t heavy.

“Tomorrow at 9am,” Midorima quickly responded. “Are you sure you want to go through with it?”

“If I don’t, then my death would be guaranteed,” the shorter man reasoned.

“That is true,” Midorima paused slightly. “But, the mortality rate is nearly 97%.”

“I am fully aware of that fact, Shintarou,” Akashi stated. “That is why I need to ask you and the rest of Kiseki no Sedai a favor. I want you to tell the rest of the members, that if I do die in the process, take care of Tetsuya.”

Both Takao’s and Midorima’s eyes widened in shock, but the doctor managed to respond.

“Alright. We will.”

“...Akashi Seijuro was a remarkable person, and we will never forget him as our lives go on.”

It was strangely silent, even for a funeral session. There were less than twenty people who came to give their respect.

Aomine hung his head low, and his hand gripped Kagami’s hand tightly. Kagami didn’t mention that his wrist slightly throbbed from Aomine’s tight hold.

Midorima stood tall and didn’t show any hint of sadness. Only Takao was able to clearly see that he was far from being fine.

Murasakibara ate nothing while the funeral was in progress, and he also did not eat in the morning. Himuro stood beside him and held his arm in a comforting gesture.

Momoi’s cries were slightly muffled by Ogiwara’s chest. He held her in a tight embrace and hung his head low.

Kise tried to wipe away all of the tears that fell from his face. Kasamatsu bent down to help calm the blond in the wheelchair.

Memories flashed through their mind. All of the good times, the bad ones, the fun, and the sad, they remembered them all.

Kuroko stared at the man in the coffin. Nothing came to mind when his eyes gazed upon the peaceful sleeping figure. He didn’t have the happy bursts of the past, or the sad moments that flashed through his mind. He was empty.

A tear streaked down Kuroko’s passive face, causing him to be very confused. He tried wiping them away, but the attempt was useless. His tears couldn’t stop falling. His chest felt so hollow, it hurt so much.

Questions swarmed his muddled mind. Why was that man sleeping in such a cramped place? Why was it filled with white roses? It hurts so much. But why? Why was he crying? Was it because of the pain? No. That’s not it. He didn’t know him. Then why did it hurt him so much to see him like that?

Deep inside his chest, the hollowness continue to pain him. He felt so empty, like a blank sheet of paper.

Something was missing. He had lost something very important. And the most frustrating thing was that he had no clue what he had lost.

He cried silently, unable to stop the tears, and still ignorant of the cause.

The windows fogged up from the recent snow that fell during the night, yet Kuroko continued to stare through it. He heard the door creak and turned to see Kagami, who held a thick leather book in his hand, and Aomine, who held a tray of food.

“Kuroko, look what I found,” Kagami walked over to the bed where Kuroko lied and placed the object onto the bluenette’s lap. Aomine went and set the food tray onto the nearby drawer. “It’s an album. Aomine found it when he was looking for something in the attic. Do you want to look through it?”

Sky blue eyes lifelessly peered at the book before raising his hand onto the cover. Kagami and Aomine smiled, which went unnoticed by the smaller man. Over the past month, after Akashi’s funeral, Kuroko had regressed once again and fell into depression. He had rarely moved out of bed without being told to do so.

Kuroko opened the cover of the book and started to slowly flip through the pages. Photographs littered each page and happy moments decorated the sheets. Some pictures dated back to their middle school years, others to their high school and university life. Kagami and Aomine glanced at each photograph fondly, mentally reminiscing the old days.

It was only Kuroko’s sudden stop that had snapped them out of their memories. The bluenette froze in his place and stared at the album intensely.

In the middle of the pages, was a photograph of two men dressed, both dressed in yukatas. The red haired man and the bluenette held their hands together and smiled happily.

His eyes were wide, and in a split second, Kuroko took off running with the photograph in his hands. Aomine and Kagami followed close behind, confused by the paler man’s abrupt actions.

“Kuroko!”

“Tetsu!”

Kuroko kept running, unable to hear Kagami and Aomine’s calls. He didn’t stop until he arrived in front of a drawer. The bluenette then proceeded to violently throw everything that was on top of the dresser. Aomine and Kagami were so astonished that it took moments for them to register the sight in front of their eyes. But once the shock wore off, they immediately grabbed Kuroko away from the cabinet.

The cerulean boy struggled against the arms that restrained him. He wanted to continue searching the drawer. However, in the confusion, several things were knocked over. The most apparent one was the glass vase that had shattered when Aomine dragged the smaller man away.

A piece of paper fell from the table top and gracefully floated onto the floor. Half of it was burnt.

Seeing the gliding paper, Kuroko smacked Aomine in his struggle, causing the ganguro to let go out of surprise.

The moment cyan eyes placed their eyes on the burnt photograph, a sharp pain stabbed his chest and head.

He remembered. EVERYTHING. From the past in his Teiko days, to the present, he remembered. And once he did, the pain did not stop. In fact, it only worsened.

Tears fell freely from his eyes as he fell to the floor and clasp both pictures into his chest. And the thoughts that surfaced continue to fuel his anguish.

Akashi Seijuro.

He was the man that loved him. The one who took care of him.

The man whom he had forgotten. The man whom he had lost.

And Kuroko broke down, knowing that the person he wanted to see would never come back.