Chapter Text
“My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Oh!” Furihata, nine years old at the time, had been overcome with joy at the answer. Some of his excitement had of course stemmed from the fact that he had never seen a wolf up close before.
Kuroko on his part, had been unable to resist speaking after observing the child’s chubby cheeks and rounded eyes sparkling with curiosity as he fawned over his fur. No one would believe the child anyway if he told them that he had met a talking wolf – much less a blue one that rarely anyone was able to see.
“So cool! It’s nice to meet you too Kuroko-san! I’m Furihata Kouki. You’re really cool!” Then the little boy hugged him, little arms and hands fumbling around Kuroko’s neck and pressing his round little face into the wolf’s soft fur.
Kuroko’s heart had melted a little at that. He had always had a soft spot for children. He knew it was probably a mistake to go to the boy’s house when he invited him, but there was something in the request he couldn’t ignore and he had realized what it was once he arrived at the Furihata residence.
Furihata’s mother had already seemed strange to Kuroko in that she was very affectionate to her other two children, but did not show a fraction of the same regard for Furihata. Once they were in the house, she simply picked up the children she clearly favoured and left Furihata at the door without saying a word.
“She’s always really busy.” Furihata explained when Kuroko asked about her attitude once they were safely in the boy’s room. “She’s already doing so much for me even though I’m not her kid and I’m older so I should take care of myself.”
“What about your father?” Kuroko asked, remembering the cheerful-looking man in the living room he had glimpsed as they passed.
“He’s…really busy too.” Furihata said quietly. He shrugged, as if to shake off the entire matter. “It’s okay. I have all my friends at school. We can go outside to play if my room is too small. My parents don’t mind how long I stay out.”
Kuroko stilled. The tips of his ears drooped as he padded over to Furihata to knock their foreheads together. “It’s a little too cold and dark right now. I can stay here for a little while tonight and you can show me your house and tell me about your train collection.” He nodded at the intricate layout of mini tracks and model trains that took up most of Furihata’s room.
“Okay.” Furihata’s glowing expression compelled Kuroko to visit the boy many times after that. Despite all their obvious differences, he liked spending time with Furihata. It was like having a child of his own, or a little brother.
On occasion, Kuroko liked watching Furihata go about his day on his own. Furihata would pet any cats or dogs he happened to run into walking to and from school, not seeming to mind if any of them scratched or bit him. He laughed a lot with his school friends and enjoyed playing basketball with them in their free time. On days he didn’t have anything else planned, he would rush off to the train station and spend hours looking at trains. Other times, he would run alongside the tracks in anticipation of watching the trains pass by as scheduled. Sometimes Kuroko would join him and listen to Furihata talk at length about the mechanics and technological advances of the latest models and how he wanted to ride every single train in the world.
As a present for Furihata on his birthday, Kuroko carried the boy on his back as he ran beside the fastest bullet train in Japan, easily keeping up with the high-speed vehicle. Both of them had been hidden by Kuroko’s magic to avoid causing panic if anyone noticed a child seemingly flying beside a train.
“You’re the coolest, Kuroko-san!” Furihata had laughed out afterwards. “I wish we could always be together.”
“Me too.” Kuroko said. He knew it wasn’t possible, but there was nothing either of them could do except enjoy the time they did have together. Kuroko was certain that sooner or later, Furihata would naturally lose interest in spending time with him, especially once he got a lover. It would be a celebratory farewell – one that he need not dread.
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It had been too much to ask for, Kuroko supposed; naïve and unrealistic to believe that his life could stay peaceful.
“Let the child go.” He growled.
The rogue wolf spirit giggled and nosed playfully at Furihata’s shivering back. “But this adorable little pup said he would play with me. How could I just leave him?”
Kuroko’s eyes narrowed, muscles tightening as he considered his options. He didn’t know enough about his opponent to make precise predictions about his speed and reaction time. One wrong move and Furihata would be killed. His heart twisted when he saw the tears beaded in the corners of the boy’s eyes. Kuroko forced himself to look away. All of his focus needed to be on his enemy.
“I’m the one you were looking for.”
“And I have your undivided attention now.” The other wolf pressed a claw against Furihata’s cheek, drawing blood. The boy flinched sharply and Kuroko stepped closer. “If I see you move again, I’ll widen the little one’s smile.” The tip of his claw traced a line to the corner of Furihata’s mouth as he spoke.
Using every bit of self-control he possessed, Kuroko forced himself to remain still, not even allowing himself to bare teeth.
“Old habits die hard, don’t they? I thought you were done with human pets.”
“What do you want?”
“I just find it strange how a pathetic human-loving dog like you can do as he likes, while we respectable demons have to follow the laws of some brat barely out of his diapers.”
“That’s something only our king can answer. Why don’t you ask him directly?” Kuroko’s eyes glinted. “Since I am but a lowly dog with no say in such matters.”
“Then it doesn’t matter what I do to you, does it?” And with that the other wolf bit into Furihata’s side.
Kuroko had already leapt, barely registering the boy’s scream of pain. The other wolf’s mouth was occupied and his throat was wide open for Kuroko to snap his jaws into.
Furihata cried out and wheezed when he was abruptly dropped to the ground. He watched in a daze as Kuroko viciously sank his teeth into the other wolf’s neck as deeply as they would go and whipped his head side to side. With each shake, bones cracked and flesh and fur were ripped off the wolf’s body. Blood gushed in every direction, covering the area and Kuroko and Furihata in thick dark red streaks.
Panting, Kuroko dropped the body and dashed to Furihata. He howled in distress when he saw the deep gash in the boy’s side and the pool of blood steadily spreading out from him.
“Kuroko-san.” Furihata gasped. He reached out blood soaked hands and grabbed onto Kuroko’s trembling muzzle. He pressed his face into his fur and closed his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
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Furihata couldn’t remember what happened after he spoke. One moment he was holding onto Kuroko as tightly he could, the next he was lying in a bed at a hospital and being asked questions by a woman in a white coat. Furihata mumbled out that some animal had attacked him, but he couldn’t really remember anything else. He gave the doctor his home phone number and she told him to rest while she contacted his family.
He nodded while looking out his window, but he couldn’t see any hint of Kuroko.
Furihata spent the rest of the day slipping in and out of sleep. He vaguely recalled hearing his father’s voice saying that he would come back whenever he was ready to be discharged, but he wasn’t sure if he had dreamt it.
When he woke up, it was night time and Kuroko was sitting by the window, looking outside.
“Kuroko-san!”
The wolf turned and smiled. “How are you feeling Kouki-kun?”
“Fine!” He sat up and quickly regretted it. “A little sore.” He whimpered.
“Lie down you silly pup.”
Furihata flopped onto his back, wincing when the movement and impact sent a sharp jolt of pain through him. He tried not to make a sound, not wanting to make Kuroko feel bad.
“I really am fine though.” Furihata said. “…Thank you for saving me Kuroko-san.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Kuroko said softly. He licked Furihata’s cheek and sighed, turning to face the window again. “…Go to sleep Kouki-kun. The more rest you get, the sooner you will heal.”
“Are you staying?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Goodnight Kuroko-san.”
“Goodnight Kouki-kun.” The wolf whispered, silently hunching over as tears escaped his eyes.
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A month after the incident, when Furihata was fully healed, Kuroko took him to a lake he had promised they would see together. The water was as clear as glass and warm enough to splash around in all day.
When Furihata tired, he climbed out of the water to stretch out on a large stone and dry off in the sun. Kuroko followed shortly after and shook out his drenched fur, completely soaking Furihata in the process. The boy shrieked indignantly and then laughed when he noticed how puffed out Kuroko’s fur had become in the process.
“You look like a snowball!”
“And you appear to be waterlogged pup.”
Furihata sighed and lay back again on the sun-warmed rock. “Maybe I’ll turn back into a boy once I dry off.”
“And I into a wolf by the same power.”
Blinking drowsily, Furihata smiled at the giant wolf dozing beside him. Somehow being in the sun really did smooth his fur down.
“We should come here again next week.” Furihata said.
Kuroko’s eyes opened and he sat up. “Kouki-kun?”
“Yeah?”
The wolf hesitated. “I brought you here because I needed to talk to you about something important.”
“What is it?”
“I have to go away.”
Furihata blinked then sat up quickly. “Go where?”
“…I don’t know yet. But tonight I will be leaving forever.”
“W-what? Why?”
“You were attacked because of me.” Kuroko said. “I knew this was a possibility, but I thought I could protect you from anything. My arrogance almost cost you your life.”
“But you still saved me. You don’t have to go.” Furihata swallowed hard. “Please don’t go Kuroko-san.”
Kuroko shook his head. “If I stay, this will keep happening and you may not survive next time.”
“Please don’t go.” Furihata begged. He ran to Kuroko and threw his arms around his neck. “Please.” His small form shook as he wept. A sharp ache filled Kuroko’s chest as he listened to Furihata’s pleadings.
“I’m sorry.” Kuroko swallowed hard. “All of this was my fault.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t have to go.” Furihata cried.
“I’m sorry.” Kuroko whispered.
Furihata’s tears didn’t stop until long after the sun had gone down. Kuroko brought him back to his room so they could say their final goodbyes.
“Take care of yourself. You’re stronger than you think Kouki-kun, and you have a beautiful heart.” Kuroko bumped their foreheads together. “I know you will become a wonderful man. You’ll find a family of your own and live happily with the people you love.”
Despite his red and swollen eyes and cheeks, Furihata gave him a wobbly smile. “T-take care Kuroko-san. I’ll miss you. I’ll never forget you.”
Kuroko trembled. “Thank you Kouki-kun.”
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That had been one of the worst days of Furihata’s life. For a long time, it was his memories with Kuroko and his last words of encouragement that helped Furihata endure the crippling loneliness of his home life. They also gave him the strength to make new friends and eventually move out.
But no matter how much time passed and all the new friends he made, Furihata never stopped missing Kuroko.
It was why years later, when he caught a glimpse of faintly glowing blue fur, Furihata didn’t hesitate calling out to him. “Kuroko-san!” He shouted. The wolf briefly made eye contact with him before turning and running in the opposite direction. “Wait! Kuroko-san!” Furihata ran across the street, barely avoiding an oncoming car. Ignoring the honks and shouts around him, he continued to sprint after the wolf, his eyes sometimes losing him despite his distinctive colour.
He wasn’t sure how long he ran, only that the sound of the street gradually disappeared behind him and Kuroko became clearer with each step. More than once, Furihata was tempted to give up the chase. Why wouldn’t Kuroko stop or even look at him? But he knew that if Kuroko really wanted to lose him, he could have turned completely invisible or run too quickly for him to follow.
When Furihata thought he might pass out from running so long, Kuroko finally stopped. He turned in a circle and sat down, primly sweeping his tail in a casual arc at his side. He was faintly glowing even in the afternoon light. Furihata knew that come night, his fur would shine as brightly as the moon. “It’s…really you, right?” He panted out. “Kuroko-san?”
“It’s nice to see you again, Kouki-kun. I’m sorry for making you run for so long, but after I realized you still wanted to speak with me, I figured you would prefer somewhere we could freely speak to each other.”
Furihata’s eyes welled up. He ran to the wolf and threw his arms around his neck. “I missed you so much!”
“I did too. You’ve gotten quite a bit bigger.”
Furihata laughed. “I must look pretty different now… you haven’t changed at all though.”
“I suppose not. How have you been, Kouki-kun?”
“I’m doing really well now. I have my own place so I don’t...” Furihata trailed off. “I know you brought us here so we could talk, but do you…want to see my place?”
Kuroko’s eyes crinkled at the edges a little. “It seems you’ve matured a lot more than I expected. I would love to.”
Furihata’s neighbours greeted him as usual when he passed by them in the lobby. No one commented on or even glanced at the enormous blue wolf padding soundlessly behind him.
It was a little unnerving for Furihata to lead Kuroko into his small one bedroom apartment. The place was relatively new, close to where he worked and wasn’t far from public transportation. He had been proud of it at the time: a symbol of his hard work and new independence. Now he couldn’t help but wonder if Kuroko would scoff at it as insignificant and below his expectations of him.
“It’s nice, Kouki-kun. You’ve come so far in such a short time.”
Furihata swallowed hard against the sudden swell of emotion that had risen in his throat at the words. Of course Kuroko wouldn’t disparage his life. He had always been the kindest soul in the world and a friend he cherished for that reason.
They spoke for hours after that, seated on the floor around Furihata’s small meal table with sweet snacks and tea. Furihata told Kuroko everything that had happened in the years they had not seen each other, his graduations, jobs, friends, lovers and most of all: his newfound independence from his family.
Kuroko in turn talked about some of the more notable experiences he had while traveling around the world, learning how to do magic tricks the way humans performed them and the strange quirks of his family - none of which were blood related to each other. There had recently been some new additions because of marriages. Kuroko himself had gotten married to a vampire named Kagami Taiga whom he fondly described as “a tall basketball-obsessed idiot I can’t live without.”
Furihata soaked in everything he heard, cherishing the time he had with his friend and it seemed all too soon when Kuroko rose and informed him that he had to leave.
“When can we meet again?” Furihata asked quickly, fearing he knew the answer.
“I’m sorry, Kouki-kun. It was rather foolish of me to come at all today, but I wanted to see how you were doing. You weren’t even supposed to notice me. Now that I know you are well and able to take care of yourself, it would be best if we never saw each other again.”
Furihata froze. His heart stuttered painfully. Kuroko was leaving again. This time, he would never come back. He watched the wolf quietly walk to the door. He knew Kuroko was doing this for him, because of what had happened before. He knew that he shouldn’t make things more difficult for him and quietly accept-
“No!” Furihata cried out. He ran after him, stumbling and nearly crashing to the floor. “Kuroko-san! Please don’t leave yet! Please! I’ll do anything- just…don’t leave me alone already. I can’t…” He knew he must look incredibly pathetic with his face reddened from tears and snot. He was supposed to be a grown man now – not some little brat clinging to a friend who probably had better things to do, but he didn’t want to say goodbye yet.
He held his breath as he waited, wondering what Kuroko would do, if he would finally say something cruel to make him give up on making him stay.
Furihata heard a quiet sigh. “You’re not playing fair, Kouki-kun. There’s no way I can just leave you like this.” A warm rough tongue swiped the tears from his cheeks. “Please stop crying. I cannot be away from my world longer than a day, remember?” Kuroko paced agitatedly in a couple circles and rounded back to Furihata again. “Perhaps…this time you would like to come with me?”
“Come with?” Furihata echoed. “…Can I?”
“To be honest, I thought you would have moved on with your life already…but a part of me hoped that you still cared for me. I came prepared just in case.” Kuroko admitted. “Are you really okay with visiting another world just to spend some more time together? I’ll introduce you to my family, if you’d like.” Kuroko said.
“Y-yeah!” Furihata burst out. “I would love to meet them! If…if that’s okay.”
“Of course. There are some conditions you must absolutely follow for your safety, but if they are all acceptable to you, we can go tonight.”
“What conditions?”
“There are three you must remember above anything else. First: you must not stay in my world past 3 in the morning. I will be taking you there after midnight when the barrier between our worlds becomes weaker, which is already a risky move. Though I’m quite confident you will be safe as long as you’re with me or my family, I prefer not to chance fate by having you in my world during the witching hour.”
“What’s that?”
“From 3 to 4 in the morning, the people of my world are at their most powerful and can disregard certain restrictions on the use of their abilities on people from this side. Please set a reminder alarm on your phone so that you do not forget even if you lose track of time while you’re there.”
“Okay.”
“Second: do not under any circumstances let anyone bite you, not even as a joke. A bite could lead to becoming cursed, being turned into a vampire, or if you’re particularly unlucky: death.”
“No getting bitten. Got it.” Furihata smiled a little. He wouldn’t want anyone to bite him anyway.
“Lastly, while I trust my family with my life, you should be weary of Akashi-kun.”
“Oh- the red-haired vampire with two different coloured eyes?” Furihata asked, remembering Kuroko’s descriptions and stories about him.
“Yes. Because of some unfortunate past experiences, he has no love for humans.”
“But he changed, right?”
Kuroko nodded solemnly. “Things are different now and I do not believe he will try anything... but there are some things you must remember if you’re around him. Do not look directly into his eyes, do not give him anything of yours to borrow or keep and most of all: do not make any oaths with him. Akashi-kun will always ask for something in return should you fail to keep your oath and there is no escape from payment.”
“Okay. I think I got it all. Um…should I bring a gift?”
Kuroko smiled. “Your immediate concern should be for your wellbeing. Generally, a basket of fruit with some candies would be considered a delicious offering, but there’s no need for that today.”
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Once Furihata was certain that he had memorized all of Kuroko’s instructions and declared himself ready, Kuroko placed a simple charm woven from thin soft wood and some of his fur in Furihata’s pocket and instructed him not to remove it at any time. It would hide his human scent and aura. “Get on my back.”
“E-eh? Won’t I be too heavy?”
“I’m much stronger than I look.” Kuroko said patiently, proving his point by standing with ease after Furihata tentatively sat on his back. “Hold onto me as tightly as you can. I will be running very fast and I doubt you would survive a fall.”
“O-okay.”
“We’re going now.” was Furihata’s last warning before Kuroko jumped into a sprint that nearly flung the boy off his back. Furihata threw his body down as closely as possible to Kuroko’s and held on with all his strength. He glimpsed at his surroundings which blurred by too quickly for him to make sense of. He turned his face into his friend’s shining blur fur when a particularly cold and sharp gust of wind scraped across his face.
Furihata wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Kuroko finally slowed down. He cautiously opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear the fog from his eyes – only to realize that there really was a thick fog surrounding them. It was dark, save for the stars and moon in the otherwise black sky and the luminescent glow of Kuroko’s fur. Furihata could just barely make out the outlines of gnarled leafless trees around them and as Kuroko continued to walk, the lights from some windows in the distance began to grow brighter.
It soon became clear that they were in fact approaching a brightly lit mansion. Furihata stared at it in awe, having never seen such an enormous home before. Despite the menacing tangle of gnarled trees and thorny bushes growing around it, the mansion came across as welcoming.
Kuroko pressed his paw against a window on one of the massive double doors at the front and it swung open by itself. “It recognizes the occupants of this house.” He explained.
Light flooded Furihata’s vision, causing him to instinctively shut his eyes. A hand clasped his and pulled him into the house. When he opened his eyes again, a young man was standing before him, with little expression but a familiar crinkling around his eyes and a mysterious but lovely upward tilt of his lips that was barely noticeable except that Furihata had somehow always known it was there, even when he wasn’t human. “Kuroko-san.” He said softly in wonder.
It was strange to see him as a human, but he had a few recognizable features that made him familiar. Kuroko’s hair was the same colour as his fur and there were wolf ears curving out the sides of his head instead of human ones. His glacial blue eyes also hadn’t changed. The most significant difference was of course his form and that his fur had melted away into almost milk-white skin. He was about the same height as Furihata now.
“Welcome to my home, Kouki-kun.” He raised an eyebrow when he didn’t receive a response. “Is something wrong?”
“No- just… um.” Furihata said haltingly as he pointedly looked everywhere else except at Kuroko who was standing before him without a thread of clothing on.
Kuroko chuckled when he realized what the problem was. “Sorry Kouki-kun. I forgot.” Furihata heard him shuffle. “There. You can look now, and please come in.”
When he cautiously turned his eyes back to Kuroko, the man was clad in a simple white dress shirt and dark slacks. It looked oddly normal, but fitting for him.
“This place is huge…” Furihata gasped in awe, looking around as he followed Kuroko. The mansion had massive walls and incredibly high ceilings. Everywhere he glanced, there was intricately designed pieces of furniture and fixtures, chandeliers and paintings.
While Furihata marveled at the décor, Kuroko remained attentive to their surroundings – particularly on guard when they passed other guests of the house. He doubted anything would happen though. Furihata’s scent was completely masked and everyone there knew better than to cross Kuroko, if at least to avoid incurring Akashi’s wrath. They were having a party tonight, which was part of the reason Kuroko had believed it would be an ideal day for Furihata to come. The other guests would be mainly distracted by the festivities and probably fail to see him all together. Furihata would be able to meet his family whose attentions would also be primarily occupied with the party.
They passed many rooms before coming to another set of giant double doors already open to a ballroom filled with people. Kuroko pointed out his family who were gathered together near a long table with numerous crystal dishes piled high with all kinds of food. Furihata swallowed and tried to quell his quickly growing nervousness. Kuroko’s family, unsurprisingly, were all very attractive and - minus Kuroko, a pink-haired woman and a red-haired man - were also very tall. They also all had different and unusual colours of hair and were dressed in modern clothing. Furihata had admittedly been expecting everyone to be dressed in styles from centuries before. They turned to look at the approaching pair.
“Hello. This is Furihata Kouki.” Kuroko said happily. “He is my honoured guest tonight.”
“So you’re the infamous brat Kuroko keeps chattering about.” A very tall green-haired man with glasses said. Although the words weren’t particularly friendly, Furihata sensed a fond exasperation to them. “Why did you bring a human here? There are many present tonight who would like nothing more than a taste of his flesh.”
“You all will help me keep Kouki-kun safe now that you’re aware of how special he is.” Kuroko said. “And we’ve all changed.”
“I don’t know what you mean, fool.” The man snorted. “Don’t blame me if he becomes an easy snack for one of our other esteemed guests.”
“Snack?” Furihata squeaked in dismay.
“Hn. He doesn’t look that tasty.” A purple-haired man that towered over the others said flatly. He picked up a dish larger than Furihata’s torso and began to devour the mountain of meat on it. “I don’t think he has anything to worry about.”
“He kind of reminds me of Tetsu-kun when he was a pup.” A pink-haired woman said, staring intently at him with wide red eyes. Long, spiral-shaped horns curved out from the sides of her head, the tips looking wickedly sharp.
“Give him some room Satsuki, before you poke one of his eyes out.” This time it was a man with dark-blue hair that spoke. He had a similar set of horns as the woman’s and was leaning just as close as she was to stare curiously at Furihata.
“Momoi-san, Aomine-kun, you’re both too close.” Kuroko said flatly.
“Kurokocchi, this is the boy you kept talking about? He looks pretty boring to me though.” A beautiful man with shining golden hair said derisively. “I was expecting him to be…more…” He trailed off as he studied Furihata. “Well, more.”
The blond let out a pained yelp as Kuroko’s elbow jabbed into his ribs. “Why?” He cried out, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
“You’re being rude.” Kuroko said sternly.
“Nice to meet you. Tetsuya told us a lot about you.” A tall man with blood-red hair said, pushing past the group to hold out his hand. “I’m Kagami Taiga.”
Furihata gulped when he noticed the fangs in the man’s mouth when he grinned widely at him. Taking a quick breath to calm himself, he reached out and took Kagami’s hand to firmly shake it. This was Kuroko’s husband after all and he wanted to make a good impression with him especially. Kagami’s grip strength was daunting, but his cheerful demeanor helped subdue Furihata’s unease. Noticing his look, Kagami laughed a little. “Don’t worry, I just ate. Besides, there’s only one person in the world I want to drink from.” He glanced at Kuroko as he said this.
“Stop being so embarrassing, Taiga-kun.” Kuroko said, pale skin noticeably flushed. Kagami rubbed the back of his head bashfully, but did not seem sorry in the least.
Kuroko formerly introduced his family after that. A man with hair that was red like the sky at sunset stared intently at Furihata throughout the entire exchange. Furihata knew who he was even before Kuroko introduced him. “And this is Akashi Seijuurou.”
Akashi glided forward and held his hand out to Furihata. Furihata stared at the outstretched hand, which wasn’t at the correct angle for a handshake. “Now that we have been formerly introduced, won’t you accompany me for a dance?”
“Akashi-kun…” Kuroko said, looking at him with unease.
“I only wish to get to know him better.”
“S-sure.” Furihata said nervously. “I’ve never done any ballroom dancing before though.”
“It’s fine. I’ll lead.”
Hyper-aware of Akashi’s disgust with humans, Furihata didn’t want to be anywhere near him, but he didn’t want to worsen Akashi’s prejudice by appearing rude. He clasped the man’s hand and sucked in a sharp breath, nearly recoiling.
“My apologies, I should have warned you.” Akashi said. “My body temperature is quite low as I haven’t fed recently.”
“N-no. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so…” Furihata trailed off, simultaneously terrified by Akashi’s implied hunger and incredibly embarrassed by his reaction to the temperature of his hand.
Seemingly unoffended, the vampire chuckled and tugged him onto the dance floor. Despite Furihata’s initial nervousness and stiff movements, Akashi led him through the steps with ease. Soon, Furihata found himself relaxing and having fun, completely forgetting about why he had been nervous to begin with.
“You’re quite far from home.” Akashi said. “Did you not feel even a little concern about coming here?”
“A little bit. But Kuroko-san wouldn’t have brought me if it was that dangerous.” Furihata said.
“You seem awfully confident about someone you barely know.”
Furihata shook his head. “We spent a lot of time together when I was little. He was always there for me and he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”
His breath hitched in surprise when Akashi’s fingertips slid along his side where a long ugly scar crossed. How had he known? “Is this not a product of Tetsuya failing to protect you?”
“It wasn’t Kuroko-san’s fault. And he saved me from the wolf that attacked me.” Furihata said.
“That wolf spirit would never have attacked you at all had you not had Tetsuya’s scent on you. But Tetsuya already explained that to you, didn’t he?”
“Of course he did. That was why he left after he made sure I was okay.” Furihata said stiffly.
“And you’re not frightened of the possibility that something similar will happen again? Did Tetsuya promise you something in return if you came here with him? Perhaps you felt compelled by fear, the possible consequences for refusing his request? Or are you looking for an opportunity for revenge? We’re all monsters. Isn’t that what you really think of Tetsuya? A monster you resent-”
“No!” Furihata stopped, pulling free from Akashi abruptly and nearly bumping into the couple behind him. A hush fell over the room as everyone around them stopped to look at them. “I don’t think that at all! Kuroko-san saved my life and he’s the kindest soul in the world. You should know that!”
Akashi stared at him, mouth slightly open in surprise.
Furihata gasped. “S-s…I’m sorry.” He said quickly, voice cracking as he spoke. He wondered if Akashi would kill him right then and there. “I think I’ve danced enough… Excuse me. I’m going to go find Kuroko-san.”
His heart jumped into his throat when cold fingers slid around his wrist and gently held him still. “Wait.”
“W-what is it?”
“Stay.”
“I don’t want to.” Furihata said, surprising Akashi again.
He vaguely heard someone gasp behind him and murmur, “this lowly nobody dares defy Akashi?” Furihata shivered, but he stood his ground. He wanted to go back to talking with Kuroko.
Akashi’s face slowly drew into a smile. He waved to the musicians who began to play a different song, this one much slower and romantic. The curious bystanders around them took that as a cue to continue dancing. “Won’t you give me another chance?” He bowed and kissed Furihata’s hand who flinched back at the touch. “I apologize for my rudeness. I will certainly do my best to make up for upsetting you.”
Furihata’s mouth moved for a few moments without sound as his face turned pink. Too stunned to refuse again, Furihata nodded and allowed Akashi to lead him about the dance floor again. He blanched when he found himself back on the dance floor instead of returning to Kuroko’s side. Akashi nearly laughed, finding the man’s sullen expression adorable. “You’re still upset. What can I do to appease you?”
Furihata’s eyes widened and his face burned with embarrassment at the transparency of his feelings. “I-it’s fine.” He mumbled, looking staunchly at Akashi’s shirt. “You already apologized.”
“And yet?”
“Are you really trying to make me feel better? Or is this a trick?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Kuroko-san told me that you don’t trust humans. You even pretended to be nice to one of his friends to make him trust you and then were so cruel to him that it also destroyed his friendship with Kuroko-san.”
“And you believe my aims to be the same now?”
“Why else would you be willing to spend more time with a human when you hate us so much?”
“And if your suspicions were correct, what would you do?”
“You can try whatever you want, but it won’t change how I feel about Kuroko-san.” Furihata glared at the vampire.
“Oh? Was that a challenge?” Akashi murmured, curling his fingers so the sharp tips of his claws gently scraped Furihata’s hand.
“I-I’m not scared of you!” Furihata retorted in a knee-jerk reaction to the touch.
Akashi’s eyes widened and he stilled in surprise at the sudden outburst. A moment later he laughed. “No? But you should be.” His voice fell into a deep rumble. “Tetsuya wouldn’t be able to protect you from me even if he tried and yet he still brought you here. You’re always in danger because of him. Wouldn’t it have been better if you had never met?”
This time Furihata resolutely dug his feet into the floor to stop the momentum of Akashi’s gliding dance steps. “Please stop. Kuroko-san helped me through the most difficult times in my life, even after he left. I was so happy he came back to see me. It’s a little scary to be here and I know I might get into trouble again but... I couldn’t say goodbye to Kuroko-san again. He’s my best friend.” He blinked away the tears that had gathered in his eyes, turning his face away in embarrassment. “Is that enough for you? Please excuse me.” Furihata tried to pull away, but Akashi’s grip around his waist was too tight. “Wha-”
“Forgive me. I got carried away with teasing you and offended you again. I really do wish to make amends for my behaviour.”
“You don’t need to do anything.” Furihata said. “I know you don’t like humans. I won’t bother you. I just want to spend time with Kuroko-san.”
Akashi sighed. “Would it really be impossible for you to believe I have no ill intentions towards you?”
“You’re the one who believes I have “ill intentions”.” Furihata grumbled. “Please let go of me.”
Akashi raised an eyebrow. “I suppose there’s no other way to convince you. Listen well Kouki, as I have never considered another human worthy of this. I swear upon my honour, my own blood and life that I have no ill intentions toward you. Should this be proven a falsehood, I shall gouge out my own eyes as penance.”
“Wha-? You don’t need to- why?” Furihata babbled, frightened by the intensity of Akashi’s words. He knew that it wasn’t just empty talk – if Akashi swore to something, he was inextricably bound to his word.
“It was necessary. And as I have no intention of breaking my word, there is nothing for me to fear.”
“You didn’t need to go so far…”
“On the contrary, I needed to obtain your trust and could think of no better way.”
“I guess not…” Furihata considered telling Akashi that he had also been presumptive in calling him by his first name already, but decided to let it go. He wasn’t here to pick fights – not when it was Akashi that might decide if Kuroko could continue his friendship with him.
“Then let us resume our dance.” A yelp escaped Furihata’s lips when Akashi swept him closer and unceremoniously dipped him. Akashi easily raised him back to his feet before spinning them in a graceful half circle. He continued to lead his partner through movements that had to have required a great amount of strength on his part, but with each effortless lift, Furihata felt more at ease and even began to laugh at the novelty of feeling weightless.
Akashi ceased the lifts and settled into a slower, grounded step with Furihata as the song ended. He hummed approvingly at Furihata’s smile.
“That was- just amazing!” Furihata laughed.
“Think of it as an apology for my rather…crude way of testing your feelings towards Tetsuya. I’m quite fond of him. We all are. He is infinitely kind and has been hurt many times because of that particular trait.”
Furihata nodded. “I…get it.”
“I thought you would. It seems I was in the wrong this time however.” Akashi said. His fingertips brushed along the curve of Furihata’s face. “Tetsuya spoke very highly of you and often talked about you after coming back from the other side.” Akashi said. “Since the opportunity arose, I wanted to see you for myself and to be honest, you’ve far exceeded my expectations.”
“I haven’t done anything. And that isn’t saying much because you weren’t expecting anything.”
“You give yourself far too little credit. Tetsuya was right. You have a beautiful heart.”
Furihata flushed at the compliment and unable to help himself, he looked up. His eyes met Akashi’s and he realized too late why Kuroko had warned him about making eye contact with him. Akashi’s eyes were beautiful, one of them the colour of fresh blood while the other shimmered gold. He couldn’t tear his gaze away and his body felt hot and pliant even when Akashi leaned in close; his mouth glided along Furihata’s cheek, jaw and down the curve of his throat.
“A-Akashi-san.” Furihata gripped the other man’s shirt tightly.
“Hm?” Akashi’s breath fanned cold on Furihata’s skin and he shivered.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re incredibly lovely, Kouki. Your blood will undoubtedly be a delicacy. Won’t you let me have a taste?”
“But…”
“Push me away then. Tell me you don’t want it or that I should go. I’ll do exactly as you ask.”
Furihata swallowed hard. “I don’t…want you to go away. But please don’t bite me.”
Akashi chucked. “Alright. Then will you allow me to express my affection for you in another way?”
“How?” Furihata asked, mouth falling open slightly. Akashi was leaning in scarcely a moment later. As his heart raced and lips tingled in anticipation, Furihata tilted his head up and closed his eyes.
“Yo, Akashi. Tetsu says Nijimura is here.” The tall, horned, blue-haired man was suddenly standing beside them. “What’s with that look? You’re the one who told us to let you know right away!”
Akashi sighed loudly as he straightened. “You’re terrible at reading the mood Daiki. Very well. Tell him I will see him in a few minutes.” He looked at Furihata apologetically. “I’m sorry, but I have to leave now. Will you be here again tomorrow?”
“I’ll come again.” Furihata said. Akashi smiled sharply. His fingers gently curled into Furihata’s back and pulled him closer. “Humans tend to have fickle hearts. Won’t you lend me something of yours to keep until you return?”
Remembering Kuroko’s warnings, Furihata shook his head. “I’m sorry- I can’t.”
“Tetsuya has been quite thorough.” Akashi murmured thoughtfully. “Then… promise me you’ll return.”
“I promise.”
“That’s not quite enough, Kouki. Please swear on your heart that you will return tomorrow.”
“On my-? But that’s-”
“Certainly the wording seems daunting, but, it’s not a difficult oath to keep is it?” Akashi smiled. “You want to come back here tomorrow regardless, don’t you?”
Furihata’s breath caught. It wouldn’t hurt to make a promise about something he planned to do anyway, right? As long as he came back, it would be fine. “I swear.” He said softly before he could stop himself, mesmerized by the colour of Akashi’s eyes. “On my heart, I will be back tomorrow.”
“Good. I will see you then.” Akashi pressed a kiss to Furihata’s palm before disappearing into the crowd.
When Akashi was gone, a hand curled around Furihata’s arm pulled him towards the entrance of the ballroom. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here.” It was Kuroko, a troubled expression creasing his usually smooth features.
“Huh- what, why?” Furihata asked, wondering if he had embarrassed him somehow.
“I did not expect Akashi to become so interested in you.” Kuroko said. “But he didn’t bite you and you’re not going to be here at 3, so it should be alright. This will be the last time we see each other.”
“Wha- but I-”
“I’m sorry Kouki-kun. It wouldn’t be safe for me to bring you back here.” Kuroko said softly.
“Why? Did I embarrass you? I-”
“No, not at all. All my friends think highly of you, as do I. The problem is Akashi.”
“Why?”
“You should do your best to be forgotten by him. He’s not someone you want to become involved with.”
“But…I swore on my heart I would come again tomorrow.”
Kuroko’s face slackened slightly in shock and he stopped in his tracks to turn to him. “You made an oath on your heart?”
Furihata nodded, much to Kuroko’s dismay. “I’m sorry…I know you told me not to, but it was just for me to come back tomorrow, that’s all. I didn’t think it would be a problem. I didn’t lend him anything either so I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
The boy looked so ashamed that Kuroko sighed and shook his head. “Don’t feel bad, Kouki-kun. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just concerned for your well-being. And I am partly to blame as well. I shouldn’t have let Akashi-kun take you with him. It is very difficult to refuse him.” Kuroko reached out and ruffled Furihata’s hair. “As the oath has been already made, I have no choice but to bring you back.”
Furihata gently slid his hands around Kuroko’s neck in a tentative hug. “Thank you, Kuroko-san. I’m happy we can spend some more time together regardless. And…I wouldn’t mind seeing Akashi-san again.”
Kuroko sighed and patted his head. “I’m glad he was kind to you. However, you must be very careful when you’re with him.” He pulled back and gave Furihata a stern stare. “Please promise me you will not make any more oaths to Akashi ever again, no matter how small or inconsequential the terms seem. Nothing on earth can stop Akashi from collecting on a broken oath.”
“I-I won’t. I promise.” Furihata said, wondering if he had made a terrible mistake. His palm burned pleasantly where Akashi’s lips had been and he sighed at his own stupidity. He still wanted to see Akashi again.