Chapter Text
AkaKuro Valentines Event 2016
WARNINGS: Mentions of ostracism and very mild verbal abuse.
NOTES: I hope that's okay, considering you didn't want abusive themes -- I've only restricted it to three words, though, and it only serves to accentuate the fluff that comes later on.
GIFT RECIPIENT: Akashi #14
~~
Demon. Monster. Aberrant.
He had been called many names in his mere four years of living--
--or being dead, depending on the way one viewed it--
--and for a child so young, four years of hatred was four years too long.
However, there was only one person to accept him.
Extremely ironically, that person happened to be Nijimura Shuuzou, the God of the Skies and subsequently, all heavenly, otherworldly beings.
They had first met when Seijuurou was but a child of two years, already subjected to the horrendous verbal abuse. It took one look to know that, thankfully, he hadn't been physically abused even once. After all, heavenly beings did always refrain from touching those they considered "tainted".
Shuuzou supposed it was a good thing, despite the pain in the child's eyes that convinced him it was not.
Perhaps the physical pain would have been more forgiving.
The ebony-haired ruler lifted the child up, staring at him in the eyes. He smiled so cheerfully that Seijuurou was shocked into submission -- who smiled at him, the monster, the demonic entity that everyone else so much hated?
"Akashi Seijuurou," The god greeted, "I apologise it took me so long to find you."
"Who are you?" Seijuurou blurted out, crimson and golden-amber eyes wide.
"I am Nijimura Shuuzou, God of the Skies."
'God of the Skies?'
Seijuurou's face paled even further. He promptly began thrashing, desperate to get away.
"G-- Sh-- Ni-Nijimura-sama, I am--"
"Tainted?"
He fell silent.
"Child, you are not tainted. Rather, you have been blessed with an ability much unlike anybody else's."
"Bl-essed?"
Shuuzou smiled, "It means gifted."
"Gifted--?" Seijuurou furrowed his brows, "But I'm not normal."
"Who said you had to be normal to be a splendid angel?" Shuuzou put him back down on the floor, content that he would no longer run, "In fact, you can do much more for me than many others can. Also, drop the -sama, kid."
Seijuurou's face instantly brightened up.
Shuuzou took him under his wing immediately, much to the chagrin of many others.
It was a few months later that the small redhead realised that his saviour only wanted him for his powers.
He didn't complain.
The first time he heard of his name was when Shuuzou had listed people to stay away from.
"Kuroko Tetsuya?" Seijuurou tilted his head inquisitively.
"He is the God of Death," Shuuzou explained, a strange look in his eyes. "It would not do you good to be anywhere near him."
Perhaps his small utter of "even I still can't understand him" was not for Seijuurou's ears.
'Shit.'
Seijuurou whipped his head around almost frantically without ceasing his running. Shuuzou was busy in a parallel realm, and an extremely large group of angels had decided that it was the ideal time to chase him out of the heavens.
Again.
Such a thing hadn't happened since before he'd met the ultimate ruler.
(He had also learned quite foul language before they'd had their encounter.)
Seijuurou scanned the surroundings, forcing himself to calm down. He scouted around with cool eyes.
(A horrible, unchangeable piece of proof that he was different, different, different, he always thought.)
His sight landed on the giant doorway.
"What's that door?" Seijuurou interrupted Shuuzou's tour, pointing to the somewhat ominously towering, intricately carved, snow-white sandalwood.
"Don't touch that," Shuuzou's voice rose ever-so-slightly. Seijuurou stole a glance at his face, stiffening imperceptibly at the look of concealed anger.
"..."
Shuuzou heaved a sigh. He turned to face the young boy.
"That's the gateway to Earth."
Seijuurou cocked his head to the side.
"..." Shuuzou's eye twitched, "You really are a curious brat, aren't you?"
Seijuurou's stare didn't relent.
Shaking his head exasperatedly, the onyx-haired male continued, "If you go as you are at the moment, your powers will go out of control. Here, we have our pillars restraining and levelling each individual's magic and strength. That's why only those who have gone through harsh training can leave."
It went unsaid that Seijuurou would soon reach that point, no doubt, in under a few years.
Teaching a prodigy was frightening, Shuuzou thought, mouth set into a grim line.
He breathed.
Could he do it?
...
"Where did he go?!"
'Sorry, Nijimura-san.'
Exhaling softly, Seijuurou soundlessly stepped into the abyss, a single, pure ivory feather floating softly to the floor the only remnant that showed he was ever there.
The door creaked closed, the resounding boom almost deafening.
Seijuurou was falling. The familiar sensation instantly stirred his senses, and he promptly shifted into the form of a small, black Russian Blue cat. As a demon cat, his landing was next to flawless.
Unfortunately, being a six year old meant that he didn't have much power over where he arrived on Earth.
He had fallen smack-bang into the middle of a crowded alleyway.
"What the fuck?!"
"Where did that come from?"
A fight too, it seemed.
An unfamiliar scent prickled his nose.
"I don't care! You have a knife, use it!"
Seijuurou's hairs instantly raised, and he padded backwards. Turning tail, he darted smoothly behind a pair of legs.
Oh.
It was the scent of blood.
The stench intensified, and he abruptly realised that the person he'd hidden behind had gotten stabbed.
In his place.
The male crumpled to the floor instantly, blade still in his leg.
"Do not harm anyone, Seijuurou. Humans and other beings alike. I understand you're already at the stage where you're invulnerable to human attacks, but don't let them know that you're not one of their kind."
"Then why do we harm demons?"
"..."
"What are you doing, you moron?!"
"Shut the fuck up! He keeps running around--"
"--so unskilled, can't even target a single cat--"
"--fucking STOP TRYING TO KILL IT AND FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF YOU!"
That was the last coherent yell that sounded before screams began echoing in the area. Seijuurou's ears flattened against his small head in a futile attempt to block the noise out.
"Oh? What a mess we have here."
The voice was cold, quiet, smooth -- but most of all, chilling.
It was chilling in a way that struck him to his very core.
Seijuurou perked up instantly, his mismatching orbs landing on a single figure shrouded in a pure onyx cloak. It was jagged as if someone had run a knife through it, defying gravity as it stilled in the air.
The temperature seemed to drop -- however, no human noticed.
He was levitating in mid-air, but, strangely--
--rather than him being the one floating, it felt as if the world had stopped for him.
Short, frosty, light powder-blue locks fell to frame his slender, pale face with half-lidded eyes just as mystifying as the deep blue hues of the ocean. He was gazing down at the humans with an unreadable expression.
Distaste?
No.
It ran far deeper than that.
He looked at them as if they were no worth to him, things he couldn't afford to waste his time on.
However, there was also something else...
...Fondness?
Seijuurou swallowed.
The paradox was very nearly frightening.
"Again, humans are..."
The male trailed off as he lifted his arms up, left hand diagonally below the right as they curled around thin air. Before Seijuurou had the time to wonder what he was doing, a large scythe materialised in his hands. It was so large that it dwarfed him.
The blade shone menacingly, and he let his left hand fall, spinning it with his right.
The humans did not question the breeze that he'd conjured from such.
"Those close to death may see me," He said, voice as soft as a whisper, "before I take them, as one final parting gift."
It was a cruel gift.
But perhaps, not that much so, Seijuurou thought absentmindedly, if one could see someone so beautiful rip their life away before they passed.
"W-w-w-what is--"
"What the--"
"How--?!"
The male hopped down gracefully, cloak rippling slightly with the movement. He raised his scythe with both hands, eyes cold.
Unforgiving.
Seijuurou's breath hitched.
All the humans were rooted in their spots, frozen as the unknown male at least one or two heads shorter lifted his weapon.
With one fluid swing, he tore straight through all of their chests.
They died instantly, barely managing to choke a few screams out. However, their bodies did not fall -- they stayed suspended mid-air, frozen in time from the instant they'd been cut.
Blood splattered artistically across the beautiful, ethereal male's cheek and clothes. He reached into the nearest chest cavity, ripping the still-beating heart out with a single hand.
It was gruesome and messy, but Seijuurou couldn't look away.
He didn't want to look away.
The male crushed the heart. Even more scarlet sprayed across his body. When he uncurled his slender, alabaster fingers once more, a small, blue flame had sprouted. He hummed thoughtfully, blinking a few times.
"Let's resurrect this one," He said softly. The angel barely caught it, despite his enhanced hearing. The fire flared up, turning into a vivid crimson before fading.
The next flame he'd formed, however, flickered away into nothing.
Without asking, Seijuurou knew what he'd done. The small, azure blazes were likely the entire beings: bodies, minds, souls: of the heart's former owners condensed down. The male had decided to resurrect the first one -- but the second...
...Without a doubt, he had erased it from existence.
Entirely.
Another shiver ran down the redhead's spine.
A death bringer?
However, his appearance...
'He's much more angelic than every other being in the skies,' Seijuurou noted.
Who was this man, to be able to do such a thing?
No -- he knew.
Only one person would be able to wield such power.
From the stories Shuuzou had told him, Seijuurou recognised the man.
The man that was turning to him at that exact second, finished with his reaping.
"Hmm? I felt an angel watching, but..."
He began walking over, endless azure orbs clashing with saffron and red.
He kneeled down, lifting Seijuurou up gently.
Much too gently for the hands of a cold-blooded killer.
His eyes narrowed, and he cradled Seijuurou's feline body in one arm, waving his free hand over the small kitten a single time.
The boy felt his body fade back into his original form at once, shifting into a human.
Or, rather, an angel.
His broad wings unfurled. They were an inconvenient size, being much too big for his body (yet another trait because of his "uniqueness", Shuuzou had informed him) yet not fully grown -- thus, he was unable to retract them.
"Oh?"
The male's eyes softened at the sight of him, and he lowered him to the floor, kneeling to make proper eye contact.
A gesture much too considerate for someone so supposedly cruel like he'd read about in the books.
"An angel-shapeshifter hybrid...? You're the first I've ever seen. How peculiar."
Demon.
Deviant.
Fiend.
Savage.
He'd heard it too many times--
Seijuurou flinched, snapping his eyes shut -- the irrefutable proof that he was a monster.
"Your eyes really are so gorgeous. Words don't do them justice."
They flew wide open.
"W-what?"
He cursed at the very obvious stutter.
"Hmm?" The male smiled. Seijuurou got the feeling that he was being teased.
"How?" He asked, voice small, "How are they gorgeous? People have only ever..."
He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
The effect was immediate -- the taller male's expression turned so soft that it almost hurt.
"They are," He answered, voice strong, "they're both exquisite colours. The fact that they aren't the same makes them even more alluring, actually."
"A-alluring--?"
"Captivating," Tetsuya explained, lips tugging upwards, "charming."
Seijuurou turned pink.
"They're also striking proof that you are what you are. That's what you don't like, is it not?"
He nodded, slightly surprised that he'd been seen through so easily. The male ruffled his hair.
"They really are the most appealing eyes I've ever seen," He murmured, "try not to dislike them too much, will you? They're the affirmation that you're one-of-a-kind."
"But that's--"
"It's a really special, exceptional one-of-a-kind."
He reached out to cup Seijuurou's small, puffy cheek, eyes warm.
"You would do best to return to the skies without telling anyone of what just transpired."
Seijuurou's chest swelled with a little pride at understanding his sophisticated, formal language.
"Kuroko Tetsuya," He said, more timidly than he'd have liked. The said male's eyes widened imperceptibly before he chuckled.
Seijuurou's heart leapt at the sound.
(How was this man the same one as prior to their meeting?)
"So I see you're well-informed."
'Well-informed is a joke,' Seijuurou thought sourly. He realised he'd spoken aloud when Tetsuya laughed a little louder.
"Why do you say so?"
"You're beautiful," He blurted out. Both pairs of eyes widened simultaneously.
'Oh shit,' Seijuurou mentally berated himself. Tetsuya was seemingly at a lost for words for a few moments before he regained himself, laughing lightly.
"Thank you."
Pausing for a brief period, the God of Death stood up.
"We should both be on our ways, now. It wouldn't do you any favours to be caught here."
His eyes fell on Seijuurou's small form as if remembering something.
"...Did you come here to run away?"
He nodded. Tetsuya bit his lip lightly, thinking.
"Do you do this often?"
"Only when... Nijimura-san is away. This is the first time."
"Ah," Tetsuya's eyes lit up in understanding, "I see. I'll stay with you until he returns, then, I suppose."
With that, he slipped off one side of the cloak, reaching out to wrap it around the smaller boy.
"What are you doing?"
"It can render myself and anyone I deem fit invisible."
Seijuurou tilted his head, "But... How come I saw you earlier?"
Tetsuya chuckled, "I'd only thought about hiding from humans. I can hide from angels and otherworldly beings if necessary."
"Then..." Seijuurou looked down, "If... If I took it, would I be able to...?"
Tetsuya's heart ached for the child. He shook his head.
"No. You shouldn't consider taking such a thing up to the skies. The other angels will get worse if they see an item from the Underworld resting across your shoulders. Also," He smiled wryly, "I believe it's much too big for you as it is right now."
"Oh," The hybrid uttered quietly.
"Perhaps in the future."
The second Tetsuya had said such words, he knew they were untrue. He shook his head as if to dispel them. Seijuurou, however, had livened up instantaneously.
"Really?"
"Really," The God of Death nodded, "but you shouldn't wait."
"Why not?"
He could only shake his head.
It was only after they'd split up -- Tetsuya announcing that Shuuzou had returned, much to Seijuurou's dissatisfaction -- that the angel realised, Tetsuya had been deadly serious about not waiting for him.
After all, he'd never asked for his name.
"Yooooooo, Tetsu," A tanned man drawled. His giant, fluffy, cobalt blue-tinted tail waved about lazily.
"What is it, Aomine-kun?"
"I could smell the blood of fourteen people last night, all at once. That was you, wasn't it?"
Tetsuya hummed. "Perhaps it was."
Aomine Daiki -- most likely the strongest Ōkami. He'd become close friends with the ruler of Hell and the entire Underworld under extremely strange circumstances.
He growled. Tetsuya let amusement show on his face for a split second.
"Aomine-kun, since when did you beat around the bush?"
"Tetsu, since when did you become such a brat?" He asked mockingly, huffing. Tetsuya didn't look a mere bit offended.
"Fine! I saw you with a child."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"An angel child," Daiki stressed, brows furrowed, "I thought you said you wouldn't get involved with that bastard Shuuzou again."
"You said that. I said 'no'. He had nothing to do with what happened."
"Yeah, but then you'd get into some dumbass self-sacrificing thing just by knowing him."
"I did not do it for his sake, and I was nowhere near sacrificing myself," Tetsuya said softly, chidingly. Daiki grumbled.
"Whatever."
"Thank you for worrying."
"Shut up," The Ōkami shot back, refusing to make eye contact. He scratched his neck awkwardly. "So, what was up with the kid? He smelled weird."
"He was a hybrid," Tetsuya explained, "an angel-shapeshifter one."
Daiki jerked up, "Seriously?"
The shorter male nodded.
"Holy shit, I've never heard of that before. Is he strong? I thought he smelled strangely overpowered for a kid that size..."
"He isn't strong just because he's a hybrid. He's strong enough to already know how to make himself invulnerable," Tetsuya said thoughtfully, "a prodigy, no doubt."
"Damn," Daiki whistled, impressed. He paused for a moment.
"...Hey, you... You're not thinking of going after him, are you? I mean, I know you don't look a day over fifteen, but--"
Tetsuya gave him a withering look so dry it could kill cacti. Daiki raised his hands in a placating motion.
"Just checking."
"Seijuurou," Shuuzou greeted. He was met with a blindingly bright smile.
"Did something happen?"
He was almost afraid to ask.
Seijuurou looked as if he were about to say something, but he deflated slightly before jumping up again.
"No. Welcome back, Nijimura-san!"
The God of the Skies hummed thoughtfully.
Seijuurou found that a much more pleasant hum resided somewhere other than the heavens.
He pressed his small hand against the smooth, white wood.
It wasn't as pretty as the hue of his skin, Seijuurou thought as he sat, curling up against the so-called gateway to Earth.
The second time he saw him was three years later, on his ninth birthday. To celebrate, Shuuzou finally allowed him to go down to Earth.
Seijuurou had pointedly pretended not to notice the strange looks he received every time he requested a visit to the human realm.
(He asked many, many times over the years.)
"You know what to do," Shuuzou nodded. Seijuurou returned the gesture.
"Don't let anyone know I'm not a human."
"You got it."
Shuuzou reached out to ruffle the bed of crimson locks.
"I'll see you when you get back. Be careful, kid."
Seijuurou opted for inclining his head than waving his hand, preferring not to look like a child off on their first trip, bidding farewell to their parent.
Although it wasn't the first time his hand had rested on the familiar carvings, it was his first time opening the doors in three years.
The second Seijuurou set foot on Earth, he relished in the feel of rocky, uneven pavement beneath his bare soles.
Of course, the thought had occurred to him that he wouldn't be able to see the God of Death -- however, he had a feeling that he would.
He decided to trust that feeling.
Enjoying strolling around barefoot, the tranquility was interrupted all too soon.
"Oi."
Hearing a gruff, low voice, Seijuurou decided to keep walking.
"Oi, brat. Did you hear me?"
He didn't stop.
"Oi! Redhead brat that knows Tetsu!"
He froze instantly, whipping around and paying no heed to the exasperated mutter of "finally".
"Who are you?"
"Your worst nightmare. Nah, I'm Tetsu's friend. The name's Aomine Daiki."
"Akashi Seijuurou."
"Akashi, huh," Daiki tested his name, huffing with relief, "now I'll finally have a name to match the smell and face."
"Kuroko-san talked about me?"
Daiki almost felt bad for the look of pure, unadulterated excitement that rested on the hybrid's face.
"Y-Yeah," He said, slightly taken aback. His navy-tinted, pale grey ears flicked lightly.
"Do you know where I could see him?" Seijuurou attempted to keep emotion out of his voice, failing magnificently. Daiki shifted to the side, eyes pointedly looking the other way.
"I mean, there's no way to know where he is. He could be in Canada right now."
"Oh," Seijuurou mumbled. He looked up, disguising the deviant glint in his eyes. "I guess you can't smell out your master, then. Maybe you got lucky with finding me. There's no way you'd be able to recognise me after three years, right."
The reaction was instantaneous, and exactly what he wanted. Daiki reared up, growling.
"Excuse you, you little shit? I'll have you know that I can sniff him out from across the country--"
He paled.
"Fuck."
Seijuurou looked up much too triumphantly for the Ōkami's liking.
"Get off me, you little--"
"If you'd just--"
"shit--"
"--tell me--"
"Fuck, I swore--"
"--where Kuroko-san--"
"--not to--"
"What is this?"
The two sprung apart at the cool interjection, only to be met with an amused looking Kuroko Tetsuya.
"Kuroko-san!"
"Tetsu!"
They chorused, before twisting around to glare at each other heatedly.
"Look, you little dickbag--"
Before Tetsuya was able to scold Daiki for the horrible insult -- which was horrible because of the nine year old recipient and also the lack of creativity, not the fact that it was rude -- he was met with a heavy headbutt to the gut. With a small "oof", he promptly fell to the floor, Seijuurou following suit with his arms wrapped around the god's waist.
"Thank you for retaining your love for fluffy things and having a soft floor," Tetsuya said blandly. The Ōkami's face flared up at the comment.
"Hey!"
The light sky-blue haired male sat up, resting Seijuurou in his lap as he did so. He gazed down at him fondly.
"Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Kuroko-san!"
"-san?" Tetsuya raised a brow.
'Well, it is the first time he's called my name.'
Seijuurou nodded. "I wasn't able to visit earlier."
"And if I recall, you shouldn't have been able to visit at all," Tetsuya said, glancing intently in the Ōkami's direction -- who looked away almost sulkily. His ears were somewhat flattened, tail swishing around with purpose.
"He followed me home and refused to leave," Daiki grumbled. Tetsuya stifled a laugh.
"You couldn't outrun him?"
"Have you seen him fly?" Daiki asked incredulously, jabbing a finger harshly towards the redhead, "He's so fucking fast, you'd think he could fly at Mach speed!"
"Actually, I can," Seijuurou offered, "if that makes you feel any better."
"This is so bullshit," Daiki groaned, hand scraping through his own locks precariously, "you've gotta be kidding me. A nine year old angel can fly as fast, if not faster, than my running speed."
"Well, Ōkami don't have wings," Tetsuya added, sounding a bit too amused with the entire ordeal, "if it's any comfort, though, I believe you'd be able to outrun him."
"You two are both the worst."
Tetsuya and Seijuurou shared a chuckle.
"Well, considering I'm sure this won't be the last time I see you, I guess I'll try to compromise." Tetsuya rested a hand on the hybrid's head. "What's your name?"
"Akashi," He piped up immediately, "Akashi Seijuurou."
"Akashi-kun, huh. It suits you." Tetsuya nodded. The ghost of a smile brushed against his lips as he listened to the shapeshifter chatter, unperturbed by Daiki's rude yet somewhat doting comments.
Their day ended much too quickly for the trio's liking, and when Seijuurou returned to the heavens, Shuuzou's gaze on him was much too knowing.
Guess what?
I've decided to make this a chaptered fic.
I hope you enjoy(ed), Akashi #14 and all my readers!