#masaomi akashi x reader

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Chapter 25

masterpost The two of you were seated at Rima's cinema room, and it truly was nice. Rich people definitely knew how to build an indoors cinema. The couch was so soft and comfortable, you could imagine falling asleep during a boring movie easily. It was perfect to snuggle up against Akashi. The servants had made popcorn, and several other snacks that had been placed before you. "I'm glad your grandmother doesn't thinks popcorn is below our stature." "What do you think rich people are? Barbarians with money?" Akashi asked, and you giggled. "Your father quite seems like one, no offense." "None taken." Akashi let out a small sigh, but honestly, the joy he felt in that moment was enough to make the small sad twinge in his heart forgettable. Perhaps with a bit more time, he might actually start laughing at the joke. Akashi started up the screen, it turnt out an amazing coincidence that Rima liked a few foreign detectives, including owning the entire DVD collection of Midsommer Murders. You had never seen the show in chronological order before, as you didn't own the collection and were reliant on the foreign detective month held by one Japanese broadcasting channel. The two of you were pretty excited. You, because you could finally see one of your favorite shows in the actual order and start from the beginning, and Akashi because he was trying out a genre that he considered interesting. You and Akashi weren't really the couple who'd watch a rom-com together, the stupid drama didn't spoke to either of your intelligence, and Akashi had never actually tried something you liked before so it seemed like a welcome change. You popped a handful op popcorn in your mouth as Akashi started the first episode.

Meanwhile, Rima had finished her investigations and found suitable stables about a 30 minute drive away from her home. Now Akashi couldn't ride on a whim, but considering they also taught horseback riding, Akashi might make a few friends with the kids taking classes. That prospect made Rima smile. Her grandson truly couldn't have enough warm, kind people around him. She was taking quite a liking to you, and she was interested in the friends Fujioka mentioned that he had made during his basketball 'career'. Which is why Rima was intending to start of the next best holiday season to throw Akashi a massive party she could invite you, the GOM and his teammates at Rakuzan too. These kids that made her grandson carry on, certainly must be special. 'I bet Shiori would have already met them if she were alive. Typical for Masaomi to not even care to get to know his son's friends.' She really had to stop roasting her son in law, but she just couldn't help it. He really was a turd.

Masaomi on the other hand, was caught in between fuming and crying when he stared at his mother-in-law's message on his phone, telling him she had found arrangements for Yukimaru. Masaomi had truly hoped threatening the horse would bring his son home, he loved that horse. He couldn't believe Rima would indulge in his son's stupidity, or that she would take you in for a few days. But honestly, what could he do about it? Throwing a public scene was going to get people gossiping, and Masaomi hated that. He hated to see his name and rumors swirling about him pop up in any article. He preferred the lifestyle of the true rich; obscured from the general public's eye whilst profitting off of them. Neither was he interested in having his bussiness partners doubt him, he didn't wanted to have them utter the accusation he couldn't manage a bussiness because he couldn't even manage his own family. Whilst the truth, it wasn't a truth he would like to admit out loud. Like there were many truths he didn't wanted to admit out loud about Shiori and how she would have thought of him raising their son the way he did. Because Masaomi knew she would be ashamed to hear he bullied their son away. He didn't knew what he found worse, her absence or the icy disapproval he felt when he looked at her photograph, as there were no secrets to the dead.

#knb #kuroko's basketball #akashi #akashi seijuro #knb x reader #basic instinct #akashi masaomi #akashi shiori #akashi seijuurou x reader #kuroko no basket

[pillow-anime-talk]

lil bird with a broken pair of wings.

request: i’m sorry if im asking too much😔 but i really love your prev post!! headcannon of akashi seijuro and akashi masomi who has a little sister! can i have a part two of her? maybe she tried to sneak out the house, without running since she couldn’t. she was alone in the public she finally found a park where there was kids at her age playing she wanted to join them and she did. she was happy for awhile but all of the sudden she isn’t feeling well. maybe her face was pale and bout to passed out? please

# tags: headcanon; family relationship; angst; drama; slice of life; sfw

includes: oc!sister ft. seijuurou akashi & masaomi akashi {knb}

part one {click}

author’s note: thank you for your warm words, bby! i hope you’ll enjoy this part too! <3

↘ It was a sunny Friday day. 

↘ It was twelve o’clock and the sky was clear, pale blue, without a single cloud, not even the tiniest one. The weather was perfect for a bike ride, a walk, a family trip to the lake or a camping in the forest.

↘ Masaomi Akashi was in his office at that moment, drinking a little black coffee without sugar and doing his paper work, while his older child, Seijuurou, still hasn’t come back from school.

↘ The younger of two siblings, a ten-year-old girl, was sitting at the same time on the sill of her huge window, watching the garden and the sky, including the bright sun, which begged to tan some skin on it and breathe fresh air.

↘ Today was really calm; the girl finished her lessons at home a long time ago, ate a tasty dinner made by her favorite housekeeper, and even completed the next part of the puzzle to take some time. Nevertheless, something was still missing. And it was, of course, the company of peers or someone who wasn’t a butler or a teacher. She missed her brother and her father, but she knew that she shouldn’t disturb them or tire them with playing.

↘ That’s why she sighed under her breath and climbed down from the long window sill, adjusting her wrinkled, flowery dress.

↘ ‘Now or never...!’

↘ The ten-year-old wasn’t a bad child; she was brought up perfectly. But breaking the rules in such beautiful weather seemed to be something... natural.

↘ Therefore, unnoticed, she left the mansion through the back entrance from the kitchen and started walking. She remembered the way to one playground that her mother had taken her years ago. The same day was the start of the school year for Seijuurou, so after the ceremony they went for ice cream and the mentioned playground.

↘ Nostalgic.

↘ The playground was full of children; older than her, younger than her, the same age as her. Mothers, grandmothers, fathers, older siblings were sitting around... Everything looked so happy and joyful. It was something Masaomi’s younger daughter was missing. So she smiled and walked over to the sandbox.

↘ “... Oh! Hi, are you new here? I’ve never seen you here before. Nice to meet you!” A black-haired girl in her age greeted cheerfully, and she nodded.

↘ They gave their names and age, and after a short while they started building a lovely sandcastle, laughing happily.

↘ They had a nice time, but the longer the girl was in the sun and the longer she used her energy to play, the faster her heart beat and the eyes grew darker.

↘ And at one point, she fell on the warm sand and her new friend squealed, calling for her mother.

↘ This scream intrigued Akashi who walking next to the playground; due to the cancellation of classes, he decided to go to the store, however, hearing the loud voice, he turned towards the noise. Seeing the familiar color of hair and pretty dress, he frowned, then gasped in fear, understanding what was happening.

↘ He shouted the name of his younger sister and hurriedly ran to her tired body, mentally asking where his father, the nannies or the cleaners was right now. Why wasn’t anyone keep an eye on his sister? Why didn’t anyone call him?

↘ A little girl was lucky to have a brother like her.

↘ She was also lucky to finally live the day like a normal child. Nevertheless, everyone knew that the house would be a safer playground for her. Therefore, from that day on, no one lost sight of her and, if necessary, checked what she was doing in her room.

↘ The gray reality has again replaced colorful plans once again.

#— 🍓 #kuroko no basket #kuroko no basket headcanons #kuroko no basket x reader #kuroko no basket x you #kuroko no basket x y/n #knb #knb headcanons #knb x reader #knb x female reader #knb x you #knb x y/n #akashi seijuurou #akashi seijuurou x reader #akashi headcanons #akashi x reader #akashi x female reader #akashi x you #masaomi akashi x reader

[thekuroiookami]

KnB (Akashi x Reader): The Queen’s Gambit - Part 5

A month and a half after the spectacular first date, the Rakuzan basketball team was still congratulating themselves on their matchmaking ability. Hayama liked to point out vocally and often that he was the one who’d initiated the whole thing, but Mibuchi insisted it was really his influence that sealed the deal. Nebuya didn’t care much either way, and was just glad the captain was no longer irritable.

It was quite the opposite, in fact. Akashi hadn’t really softened up since you started dating – the training regime was still unforgiving, the Interhigh was coming up – but he was less inclined to crack down on perceived errors and deficiencies. He would overlook it if someone collapsed and didn’t make it to the 100th push-up, or if someone wanted to leave a couple of minutes earlier on the last day of the week. Everyone was immensely glad for your presence, the rookies most of all. It didn’t hurt that you and your mother liked to bake every once in a while, and made enough to feed conquering armies. They had seen even the normally implacable Akashi flinch at the sound of Momoi’s culinary skills, so there was much to be thankful for.

Suffice it to say, the team was more invested in your relationship than both the people involved. So when you two eventually had a falling out, they scrambled to repair the rift, because they needed you more than Akashi did.

It all started when he asked you to the party. No, it was before that, when the truth came out.

It was one of those rare afternoons when both you and Akashi were simultaneously free to have lunch together. Your schedule was usually nowhere near as busy as his, but both the kendo and basketball tournaments were soon, so you often had to spend your free time on organization. Normally, if you didn’t have club practice, you’d wander over to watch Akashi and the team train, doing your homework on the bench and chatting cheerfully to whoever was taking a break (usually Hayama, until Akashi came over, eyes glinting), but recently you hadn’t even had time to do that.

That day, however, by some twist of fate, the both of you were leaning on a banister, out on the school roof, luxuriating in a moment of peace.

“It feels like it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, Seijuro.” You tipped your head back, soaking in the sunlight.

“We saw each other this morning, ____.” He sounded vaguely amused.

You gave him a sideways look. “You know what I mean. We haven’t spent even a full ten minutes in each other’s company since our last date two weeks ago.”

You’d been on two dates since the Very Interesting Sunday (as you liked to think of it), once on a relaxed outing where the both of you wandered around a museum and watched a movie afterwards, and another where you’d spent a few hours letting Akashi teach you the basics of basketball. While there was no way you actually had a hope of beating him in a game, you still managed to confuse him by being unpredictable. He had been especially intrigued to find that ankle-breaks didn’t work on you – a side effect of not having a brain wired to basketball and of kendo training, which was designed to keep you stable on uneven terrain. That had been memorable, but also ages ago.

“I apologize, I have been busy both here and at home. It’s an especially hectic time of year…”

“I don’t blame you, I know you have a lot on your plate. I should be a bit freer now though, so I could come over to yours if you’re working at home and keep you company.”

He frowned slightly. “That wouldn’t work, I have to be at the company and tutorials on weekends…Unless you wanted to spend the night?” This last suggestion was accompanied by a suggestive smirk.

You felt yourself flush a little, not out of embarrassment, but at how quickly your mind ran with the idea.

Seijuro in a towel, caging me in on a bed, looking at me with those eyes…Stop this train of thought before you maul him on the roof.

You straightened, not looking anywhere near him. He was probably enjoying himself plenty, since he had telepathy down to an art.

“I’d love to, but I wouldn’t risk it. Your fan club is hard enough on me already. If it got out that I had agreed to a sleep-over, they’d probably lock me up somewhere for three days to teach me propriety.”

Akashi wondered if he should have been worried. Maybe he needed to interfere. He was largely confident in your ability to handle most situations, but teenage girls could be a vicious species when they put their minds to it.

“Have they been…cruel to you?”

You waved a hand in dismissal. “No, nothing like that. At first, a couple of the sillier ones tried the whole tacks-in-my-shoes thing and cornered me after school, typically dramatic. It didn’t work both times. The first time because they were watching from around the corner of the lockers when I opened mine, to see my reaction I guess. When I saw what they’d done, I just walked over and emptied all the tacks onto their feet. The second time because I was on my way to club, so even if there were three of them, they weren’t brave enough to take me on with a shinai in my hand.”

He was impressed by your nonchalance and how uninspired the bullies were. “Pins in your shoes, really?”

“I know, it came straight out of a manga, I’m sure. After that, the slightly smarter ones tried to discredit me through gossip, but that didn’t go well either.”

This was more worrying. How determined were these girls? “The females of our school can be very…persistent, I see.”

You shook your head. “It wasn’t just them. There are some senior boys who don’t like you, to put it mildly. A first-year that stayed student council president and basketball captain? There’s a lot of resentment from wounded egos.”

The situation had gone into downright alarming territory. He’d known about the seniors, of course, and suspected that the other members of the team tried to keep him insulated from the effects. It hadn’t mattered till then, because there was nothing they could do to damage him. But now…

He grabbed your wrist, eyes sparking. “What. Did. They. Do?”

You raised your free to his face, and gently brushed his jaw with your thumb.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you, because I had a feeling you’d get worked up.  Honestly, I wouldn’t have even known myself, if Reina hadn’t told me.”

His eyes only narrowed further, and his grip on your arm tightened.  You sighed and continued reluctantly.

“They, and some girls, made some…interesting insinuations. About our relationship.”

“About what, exactly?”

“Something to do with my abilities in bed and how I seduced you. I’m not entirely sure.”

His face had gone completely expressionless, and his voice cold. You were a bit sorry for the gossipers, but you’d tried. It was bound to get out eventually.

“And you never heard this directly from them?”

You really didn’t want to tell him, but he’d know if you lied. “Just once, when I was leaving chemistry. Some third-year blocked the way and made a comment. That’s when I realized a smear campaign was going on. Reina and Takanashi-kun had been shielding me from the worst of it.”

His hand was going to leave bruises on your skin now. You tugged a little to see if you could get free, but to no avail.

“Seijuro, please, calm down. This starting to hurt a little.”

He let go of your wrist and chose to wall you in instead, trapping you against the balcony rail, forcing you to look at his face. It looked remarkably like the grim reaper before he delivered the news of impending doom. You bit your lip.  

“____,” he said in a soft voice, “I know you won’t tell me his name, but that won’t stop me. If you want to leave anytime soon, you’re going to have to at least tell me what he said.”

You gazed at his icily calm face for a few more seconds, and gave in. He meant everything he said, and you had already come this far. You were never fond of lying anyway. You took a deep breath.

“I don’t know his name, truthfully. He…he said that I should go down on him the way I did for you, since I was obviously so good at it.”

When you finished, you couldn’t look at Akashi’s face any more, the aura was positively bone-chilling. How had you even ended up here? Trust your one moment of time together to go awry. You silently cursed whatever slip of tongue had landed you in this conversational mire.

For his part, Akashi hadn’t felt this kind of rage since his match at Teiko against Murasakibara. Several conflicting emotions had hit him hard. Guilt, at not paying enough attention to you. Fury, at having not known about the bullying. And most of all fear, that it would all take its toll on you, and you’d give up on him.

I cannot have her leave me. If she does, it will be like that time all over again, and that is unthinkable. No, what I need to do is make sure this scum cannot ever lift his head again. And anyone else that so much blinks at her the wrong way.

“No one is allowed to speak to you that way. This will end now.” This was said with an air of finality. A world of regret awaited some people.

“Sei,” you said, frustrated that you couldn’t get through to him, “it doesn’t matter what they say. You know that. I don’t put stock in the opinions of people with nothing better to do, and everyone that matters knows the truth. It’s not worthwhile.”

It was what you had thought that day as well. When you heard the sleazy senior speak, you had raised an eyebrow at his complete lack of self-preservation. You had commented on how an obviously untrue statement could only come from someone who self-esteem issues arising from his own size. The senior had gritted his teeth as you walked off to meet Reina. And you had wondered if telling Akashi about this would be worse than not telling him. You had your answer now.

“Besides,” you continued in attempt to distract him from what were obviously plans that involved decapitation, “the fan club has given up on the drama and decided to mould me into the ideal girlfriend instead.”

This got his attention. “How so?”

“They’ve been giving me lectures on how to treat Akashi-sama. What I should wear. How I should conduct myself. What food I should put into bentos I make for you and – I quote the president here – ‘never wakame, because everyone knows Akashi-sama dislikes it.’ It was very illuminating sometimes, but almost worse than the tacks in my shoes.”

Akashi found this slightly frightening. There was a president for his fan club? And why were they so well informed?

“I hope you told them that it was pointless. I like you as you are. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you.”

Your heart swelled at this matter-of-fact statement.

Please, make it harder to love you. My body can’t take so much.

You gave him a bright smile. “I know, and so does everyone with a brain. That’s why the rumors didn’t fly. Because the great Akashi Seijuro would never be seduced into dating anyone.”

That last sentence was a misstep, because his face darkened again. You mentally berated yourself, but he didn’t look as angry as before. His eyes shuttered for a moment, and then he looked up again. Maybe he had decided to leave it alone after all.

“Well,” he said, stepping away from you after brushing his lips over your forehead, “we should get going. You have classes to attend, and I…have plans to make.”

You glanced warily at his face as you walked down the stairs. It was serene and his pleasant demeanour was back.

Oh boy, he’s even angrier than before. Apparently I made it worse. Can’t say I didn’t try, senpais. Nothing for it then, but to wait out the storm.

For their sakes, you hoped the seniors braced themselves.

The next day, you were searching for your favourite pencil, rummaging around in your desk, when Naota slid the classroom door open.

“____-san,” he called out, “the kaichou is looking for you. He said he’d meet you down the hallway.”

The whole class hushed in anticipation. Everyone knew Rakuzan’s student president and you were a couple, but no one had actually seen it in action. You noticed this, and gave an internal sigh.

A public declaration? Oh, Sei, what now? Please don’t scare everyone into hiding…

“Thanks, Takanashi-kun, I’m going.”

You stepped out of the classroom and walked down to class 2-3 where Akashi was supposed to be, but he hadn’t arrived yet. A crowd was milling around, partly since it was the end of class time, and partly because of speculative whispers. Footsteps from around the corner had you turning to the sound, expecting Akashi. Instead, the greasy senior from the unpleasant incident before ambled forward, followed by two equally unsavoury sidekicks.

From somewhere came a hissed exclamation: “It’s Sawamura-senpai! What’s he doing here?”

Your eyes narrowed as you took in the scene.

This looks very, very convenient. I don’t think I want to know what he’s up to. And just where is the conductor of this orchestra anyway?

Meanwhile, Sawamura stopped in front of you with a leering grin. His pals looked pleased with themselves. Obviously they had no idea of the shark-infested waters they were in.

“Hora, look, it’s the oiran girl. You still acting high-and-mighty ‘cause that Akashi bastard likes the way you look? That must be some fine ass you have then.”

The crowd stilled in shocked silence. You pursed your lips, pained by the whole thing.

Oiran girl? OIRAN GIRL? That’s what he came up with? Just how stupid is this guy?

“What, that smart-ass mouth of yours got nothing to say? Or is it too busy with other things?”

The sleaze’s cronies snickered on cue. Some of your classmates took a step forward, enraged. You shook your head at them and looked back at Sawamura. You took a step back and smiled slowly.

“Just one thing, senpai. That Akashi bastard? He’s right behind you.”

Sawamura and co whirled around to find that a dragon had descended from on high. The dragon was not pleased.

“Sawamura, was it? What business do you have with _____?”

This question was obviously for show, because (a) Akashi knew very well why he was there, having manipulated him to this point, and (b) Sawamura was gaping like a fish, caught in the hypnotic terror of Emperor Eye.

“I-err- “

Akashi, dressed in his jersey and carrying a basketball, strode forward. Behind him, Mibuchi and Hayama were similarly dressed, expressions hard. The third-year, who had lost all his bluster now, scrambled back to escape, but was cut short by the wall of muscle called Nebuya. The cronies tried to slink back into the crowd and disappear, but were also stopped by Naota and Taiyou, who looked positively gleeful. You leaned back against the wall to watch the fireworks happen.

Seijuro was speaking again, dribbling the ball slowly. “Did I hear that right? Did you just have the temerity to insult my girlfriend?”

Sawamura babbled some incoherent noises. The thump of the ball against the floor grew louder, harder.

“Because if you did, that would simply be unforgivable.”

The idiot decided to seal his fate. “I-it’s not like I really want that bitch, dammit!”

There was a blur of movement as Akashi moved up against Sawamura, executing a perfect cross-over. The ash-haired boy stumbled and fell on to the floor in a painful thud. There was a crunch and a yelp of pain as Akashi stepped on Sawamura’s hand, exerting excruciating pressure. You waited, face impassive.

A red head bent down slightly to survey the whimpering third-year. Akashi’s voice was low and weighted with contempt.

“No one who opposes me is allowed to look down on her. Know your place, insect.”

Sawamura’s breath came out in gasps. “Who do you think you are, you little- Do you know who my father-“

That quietly chilling voice cut him off. “Your father is not my concern. Though I wonder what he’ll say when he finds out his only son was the reason the Akashi corporation withdrew a merger worth millions?”

The senior’s face had gone completely pale. You winced a little, because this was Akashi, and he wasn’t done yet, not by a long shot.

Your terrifying, glorious, singular boyfriend pushed his foot down harder. There was a crack, followed by a howl of pain. Everyone else flinched, though they secretly thought it was well-deserved.

“Never show your face in here again. This time, you get off lightly. Next time…well, I know where you live, Reiji.”

Sawamura, whose hand had finally been released, staggered upright in fear. Just as he was about to say something, face twisted in anger, a third crony ran up.

“OYE REI! Get out of here!”

Everyone turned to look at this interruption, except Akashi. You were watching his face instead of the proceedings, so you weren’t surprised at what happened next.

Sawamura stared wide-eyed at the other third-year, who was panting.

“You better get out of here quick, Reiji. The principal just found what was in your bag, and he’s threatening to call the police!”

“W-what? There’s nothing in my bag!”

“There is now! Are you telling me you didn’t know you had the papers for the exams next month?”

“I never-“

“My, my,” drawled Mibuchi. “That would explain the broken-in safe the teachers were talking about.”

You were shaking your head now.

This might be overkill, Sei. Couldn’t you have left cigarettes in his bag instead?

Akashi smoothly inserted his own opinion. “I would take your friend’s advice if I were you. Leave before I decide that the teachers need to investigate you some more.”

The grey-haired boy staggered back, shaking. He caught sight of you out of the corner of his eye and pivoted toward you in rage.

“This is all your fault, you-“

Whatever he had been about to say got cut off as Akashi pulled him back with one fist, expression now one of unbridled fury. Unfortunately, this threw off the trajectory of Sawamura’s punch, which had been intended for you. You had already started moving to avoid it, but the sudden change in course caught you by surprise and so did Sawamura’s spiky ring, which cut sharply across your cheek.

“Oh dear.” You touched your stinging cheek and it came away stained red.

Akashi took one look at your surprised face and dropped Sawamura face down on to the ground. Before he hit the floor, Akashi’s kick caught him straight in the face with a resounding crack. The third-year yelled and reeled backwards, clutching his bloody nose. Once they got over their shock, Hayama and Nebuya restrained Akashi. Mibuchi looked disdainfully at the third minion, telling him to pick up Sawamura and disappear before the principal found them, which he promptly did. You decided enough was enough and moved in front of Akashi, blocking his view.

“Sei,” you said, touching his cheek, “look at me. It’s alright now. He’s gone.”

He said nothing, jaw clenched tightly and eyes glittering. At your signal, Hayama and Nebuya reluctantly moved away. Reo just watched with a slightly mournful expression. You slid your arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. The petrified audience practically applauded when Akashi finally hugged you back, arms cinching around your waist. At that point, all of Year 2 would have hugged him if it meant the tension would go away.

“Come,” he said after a while, “we need to get you to the infirmary and treat that cut.”

You nodded in agreement and picked up your bag to follow. It would probably be best to agree with everything he said for a while. Hayama gave you a toothy yet reassuring smile when you murmured your thanks to the basketball team.  Akashi locked your wrist in his hand and dragged you off at a punishing pace, not slowing down until you reached the nurse’s office.

Once in the room, he gave an imperious order to sit down on a bed and deftly started cleaning the cut. You bit down on your lip at the sudden sting of the antiseptic. His eyes met yours, and he rubbed a thumb over your skin in apology. You put your hand over his, stilling his movements.

“Seijuro, I’m fine. I really am. It’s just a small cut. So let’s just take a moment, okay?”

Perhaps it was the fact that his blood was still pounding from the rage he’d felt when Sawamura had stepped closer to you, much closer than necessary. Perhaps it was the way his heart had dropped when the blood welled over your skin, and he’d realized you were fragile. Breakable. You could easily be here one day and gone the next.

I need to keep her safe. I can’t lose her. She’s mine.

Either way, he wasn’t exactly calm, which was why he did something he wouldn’t normally do.

“___.”

“Yes?”

“I need to touch you. Everywhere. Now.”

You hardly had any time to process the declaration before you were pushed back onto the bed and your arms locked above your head. In a smooth movement, Akashi pulled off your tie with one hand and looped it around your wrists, trapping you there. You blushed and your eyes widened, startled.

“Sei, this is not- Mmph!”

Your words got cut off as he brought his mouth down in a bruising kiss. You could do nothing but feel as he trailed fingers everywhere: down your neck, up the curve of your knee, across your collarbone. It burned everywhere he touched and you felt breathless, dizzy. He tugged down the collar of your shirt to kiss your shoulder, then your neck. You tipped your head back, overwhelmed.

Then his fingers came up under your shirt, tracing your side, and you came back to reality.

“Akashi Seijuro, stop! We can’t do this here!”

He froze abruptly, surprised. He blinked twice, trying to remember what he was doing. Then he looked down at you, taking in the sight of your hair in disarray, shirt unbuttoned and skin flushed. It was unreasonably tempting, and he realized what he’d almost done.

“Ah…what did I…”

You pulled yourself up to a sitting position as he sat back. He was doing the Akashi equivalent of dazed, which meant he had an unreadable expression. You huffed in laughter.

“That was certainly unexpected. I’m flattered that you think of me that way, but maybe the infirmary isn’t the best place to do this?”

Your gentle teasing seemed to bring him back to his senses. He lowered his eyes, mouth a hard line.

“I apologize. You were hurt, and I made you uncomfortable. You did not deserve that kind of treatment from me.”

How was I any better than Sawamura just now? Caging her in like that…I’ll be lucky if she ever looks at me the same way again.

You cocked your head to the side, amused. “What exactly was ‘that kind of treatment’? The kind where you defended me from a horrible person who insulted me? The kind where you care for me and patch me up? Or the kind where you kiss me senseless and make me feel like the luckiest girl alive?”

He looked at you, surprised again. You sighed in exasperation at his denseness and continued.

“Besides, if I have any complaints, it’s that I couldn’t touch you in return. That was extremely frustrating. Some day you can tie me up again, but not now. So could you undo this knot, please?”

There was a rush of heat at your words. You held your hands out to him. He gave a reluctant smile at your general audacity and pulled the tie loose.

“You shouldn’t make statements like that, you know,” he murmured. “I might take it seriously.”

You turned slightly pink, but stayed firm. “I hope you do.”

He gave your hair warning tug as he re-braided it, but smiled nonetheless. You pulled your clothes back into place and quickly knotted the tie. Akashi pulled something out of his bag as you finished.

“I meant to give this to you earlier, but the commotion distracted me. Here.”

You took the wooden box from him, glancing at his face curiously. He merely gave an inscrutable smile. You clicked the latch open.

Your breath caught in your chest. “It’s beautiful.”

The hair ornament was intricate, a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The long silver pins were topped by a delicate dragonfly in flight, surrounded by lustrous enamelled flowers. It looked like something a princess would own.  

You looked up in wonder. “Are you really giving this to me?”

“I had it made for you, so yes. It’s yours. It was high time I gave you a present, and I’m quite fond of your hair, so a kanzashi seemed appropriate.”

No one had ever given you something this beautiful, and definitely not especially made for you. Your chest tightened with emotion.

“Then thank you very much, Sei. I’ll cherish it. I feel bad though, I don’t have anything to give you. Not something this wonderful, anyway.”

When you looked genuinely distraught, Akashi had to stifle a laugh.

Silly girl. You’ve already given me the most important thing. And I’ll cherish it too.

“Well, there is one way you could repay me for it. You made a promise, remember?”

“Of course. If it’s within my ability, I’ll do it. What can I do?”

“The Akashi manor will be hosting its annual summer party in a week. It’s a large event, with dignitaries and business magnates attending. In summary, it’s a venue for people in similar circles to meet, negotiate and build lasting partnerships. It’s part of the reason I’ve been so busy recently.”

You were thoughtful. This seemed to be heading down a dangerous direction. “I see.”

“This time, some corporations have taken an interest in sponsoring high school basketball tournaments, given the popularity of the Winter Cup. Rakuzan’s basketball team has been invited. That being the case, I’d like you to attend as well.”  

I knew it. He wants to me to attend a party with high-profile guests and meet his family. There is no way this would go down well.

“I’m honoured, but is this a good idea? I have no practice dealing with such important people, and I don’t want to risk making a mistake that makes you look bad. And most importantly, from what little I know of him, I don’t know if your father will be pleased with this idea. With me.”

That was the spanner in the works. Akashi Masaomi, from what you’d deduced using snippets of information, was a traditional, high-expectation patriarch who most likely wouldn’t take kindly to a random teenage girl fumbling her way through important business deals. You weren’t going to blame him if Seijuro never wanted you and his father to meet.

Akashi Junior seemed to have none of your doubts. “I doubt it, you conduct yourself well already. And we’d be more at risk of Hayama or Nebuya causing a feud than you. I won’t force you, but I’d much prefer having your company for the duration of the party.”

When he put it like that…”You know I could never refuse you, Seijuro. I’ll join you. Thank you for inviting me.”

You were rewarded with one those rare, genuinely happy smiles that reminded you of the sun coming out from behind clouds. “I shall look forward to it then.”

“Is there a dress code I should know about?”

“It is a formal black-tie event. The ladies can get quite creative with their dresses, but I’d like it if you didn’t wear anything too revealing. We wouldn’t want anyone to get any ideas.”

You rolled your eyes. “In a room full of rich, beautiful, older women, I doubt there’s anything I could wear that would make anyone even care I existed.”

“You underestimate your own appeal. That’s probably for the best though. You should wear the kanzashi.”

“I will. Though the idea of figuring out what to wear is already giving me a headache. Shouldn’t you be getting to practice around now? I’ve held you up long enough.”

“The same goes for you. Be careful not to over-exert yourself. Wait for me after you’re done. I will walk you home.”

He’s in overprotective mode. I should probably resign myself to this for a while.

“I’ll see you later, Sei.”

One week later, at the much-dreaded party, you stepped into the foyer of the Akashi manor. A stern looking woman in her late forties glided forward, wearing a dark kimono.

“____-san. Greetings, and welcome to the Akashi family home. Let me take your umbrella and shawl.”

“Thank you, Mitsue-san. It’s nice to see you again. I apologise for getting water all over your clean floor.” You exchanged conspiratorial smiles with the housekeeper. Though she projected an aura of strictness to keep the staff in line, she had a soft spot for Akashi. The first time you’d met her, you’d liked her instantly. And she seemed to like you as well.

“It is no trouble at all. Though I must say, this downpour is a bit unsettling. If you’ll follow me, the young master is in the ballroom.”

You took a moment to steel your nerves and followed Junko-san to where the party was underway. A peek through door revealed a truly intimidating sight: a gathering of Kyoto’s socialites, sipping champagne and chatting. Jewels sparkled under the lamplight, and light glanced off expensive watches as conversation became animated. There was an air of camaraderie, but also the tension of friendly competition. You hesitated, not really wanting to enter this arena. Mitsue gave you a reassuring nod and left. With one last deep breath, you entered.

Meanwhile, Akashi was trying to handle the boisterous personalities that were Hayama and Nebuya. Mibuchi’s gleeful enjoyment of his predicament was not helping. It had been a long day, and he didn’t need the added stress of wondering what his team would do next.

“OOOH, AKASHI, THERE’S SO MUCH FOOD.” The Thunder Beast was hopping from foot to foot in excitement.

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Kotarou.” His reply was dry.

“Say, Akashi, how long do we have to wait to meet these old guys? I’d rather be catching up on Slam Dunk right now.” Nebuya’s voice was a low rumble over the hum of conversation.

“Not much longer. My father is making the rounds and will be over with them shortly. And I’d prefer it if you didn’t call them old men, at least to their faces.”

Mibuchi took a moment to stop admiring his reflection in his phone and ask a question. “Sei-chan, did you say ____-chan was coming to the party? I admit, it would be a dull party with just these thick-headed fools. A young lady would add some much needed beauty to the atmosphere.”

Before Akashi could answer and Hayama could get offended, a happy shriek split the air. Some people almost dropped their glasses in surprise.

“AKASHICCHIIIIIIIII!” Kise bounced over, looking dapper in a black suit, hair half slicked back.  

“Kise. I was wonder when I’d run into you.” Akashi’s greeting was fondly exasperated.

“Were we talking about Yuricchi? Is she here?” Kise was visibly excited at the prospect.

Hayama was confused. “Who’s Yuri? And why are you even here, Kaijo’s ace?”

Kise gave everyone a blinding grin. “It’s a long story, but Yuricchi is what everyone in Tokyo calls Akashicchi’s girlfriend! As for me- Oh, there she is! Yuricchi, over here!”

Everyone turned to look in the direction Kise was flapping his hand at. You stepped around a waiter and everyone except Kise sucked in a breath at the sight. Akashi stopped breathing entirely for a few seconds.

I should have been more specific when I said no revealing clothes. Trust ___ to follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it.

You were dressed in a red qipao, the silk a dark ruby that revealed subtle floral patterns under the light. The dress fell to your ankles, hugging your figure till your hips. From there, the skirt was straight with thigh-high splits, showing a flash of leg when you moved. Dangerously thin heels complemented the feminine allure of the outfit. Your hair was done half up half down in a complex interplay of waves, the pin from Akashi glinting against the dark hue. Finishing it all off was your make-up, which was very light except for the smoky cat’s eye effect around your eyes. Several people were blushing by the time you reached them.

You stopped just short of the group. “Seijuro, sorry I kept you waiting, the rain made it a little difficult to get here. Mibuchi-senpai, Hayama-senpai, Nebuya-senpai, it’s nice to see you again. Kise-san, what a wonderful surprise, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you visiting Kyoto for a match?”

Hayama and Nebuya were staring at you wide-eyed. Mibuchi was smiling slyly, cheered by the aesthetic improvement. Kise just seemed as happy as ever. And Akashi, well, he was calculating the fastest way to get rid of this lot before things got out of hand.

Kise piped up again and made things worse. “I was just saying to Mibuchi-san that Akashicchi’s dad owns the company I sometimes model for. And those sponsor people wanted to meet me too, so here I am. But enough about me, you look so nice, Yuricchi! Do a twirl!”

“A twirl? Like this?” You hesitantly turned around, unsure of Kise’s intentions. When you did, Akashi’s face hardened and Hayama went completely red.

Forget letter of the law, she had no intention of listening to me at all. How difficult does she want to make this evening? Just look at that dress…

The dress was backless, cutting off near your shoulder blades and picking up again at the middle of your back. While nowhere near as daring as some other gowns on display, the contrast of blood-red silk and smooth skin was enough to wreak havoc. Akashi was almost of a mind to lock you in a room till the party ended, for public safety. He came back to the present just in time to hear you speaking to that infernal Kise again.

“Everyone looks really dashing in their suits. Hayama-senpai and Nebuya-senpai, those colours suit you well. And Mibuchi-senpai, stylish as always. I’m sure many girls at school would dearly love to see you dressed up.”

Mibuchi tossed his head proudly. “If it weren’t for me, these idiots would have turned up in their uniforms. Imagine, Eikichi didn’t even own a suit until I forced him to get one! The horror, I tell you.”

Kise had the face of a kicked puppy. “Yuricchi, how mean! I’m standing right here!”

“Ah, sorry Kise-san. Of course you look handsome. As expected from a popular model.”

Every word was sending Akashi further into a well of darkness. He hooked an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side.

“Hmm, darling, aren’t you neglecting someone? Or have you forgotten who you’re dating?”

You surveyed Akashi through your lashes. In his three-piece suit, he looked every inch the corporate heir, radiating power and confidence. The cut did wonderful things for the breadth of his shoulders, and the grey waistcoat hugging his chest was begging for you to unbutton it. It was a crime against womankind, the way he looked.

You tilted your head to whisper in his ear. “Let’s just say if you wanted to use your tie for creative purposes, I wouldn’t object. At all.”

His eyes darkened and his grip on your waist tightened. You touched your head to his shoulder and smiled, much to the envy of spectators. Since it was a happy moment all around, it was inevitably ruined in spectacular fashion.

“Seijuro.” A coldly imperious voice came from behind you. “I assume this is the basketball team?”

You turned to find the imposing figure of Akashi Masaomi looming over you, flanked by several equally important looking men. Unlike his son, Akashi Senior had dark hair, and his face was etched with the lines of his years. When he stiffened ever so slightly, you slid Seijuro a sideways glance.

There is so much palpable tension in the air. I’d love to be like Kuroko-san and disappear right now, but Sei’s grip is too strong.

“Father,” he said in a formal, correct voice, “allow me to introduce you to my basketball team.”

You missed the warmth of his hand as he moved away, making introductions, but settled for waiting in dread for the inevitable moment. Finally, Akashi Senior turned the weight of his gaze on you.

“And who is this young lady?”

“This is ___-san, Father. She’s the kendo captain in Rakuzan. ____ and I are…together now.”

You bowed deeply, moving gracefully. “Thank you for having me here today, Akashi-san. It is an honour to meet you.”

Masaomi’s eyes were narrowed when he looked at you. The younger Akashi slid a comforting hand over your back and you shifted into his touch. Behind you, the other adults were interacting with the team, though Kise and Mibuchi were monitoring the interaction out of the corner of their eyes.

Masaomi spoke again. “You must be a very different kind of girl then. So far all the other daughters of clients he’s had marriage meetings with have failed to keep my son’s interest.”

Akashi went rigid by your side, but you just inclined your head.

“That is a high compliment indeed, Akashi-san,” you said demurely, “since all these people you mentioned must surely have been very fine and accomplished young women. I am overwhelmed by Seijuro-kun’s regard.”

From somewhere behind you came a choked laugh, but everyone studiously ignored it.  

“Hmm. We shall see how you fare. Seijuro, remember that who you fraternize with reflects on us. It’s one thing to carry on with the basketball team, but another to have a girl of questionable background around you. Do not disappoint me again.”

Looking at this confrontation brewing, you decided to interrupt. “I am sure you can trust Seijuro-kun’s judgement, Akashi-san. He is your son and the Akashi heir after all. One would expect nothing less than complete decisiveness.”

“At least you are not completely without sense. Seijuro, I will see you later.” With one last warning look at you, the Akashi head strode away. You let out a sigh of relief and turned to the son.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I endeared myself to your father. I was less polite than I would have liked.”

Akashi gave a slight shake of his head and interlaced his fingers with yours. “You did remarkably well, given the circumstances. My father is not an easy man to please.”

“I can imagine. Are you sure it’s alright to be standing here like this? I don’t want to keep you from your duties.”

When he replied, it sounded world weary. “I will have to shortly, but first there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Intrigued, you took his proffered arm and let him guide to a table. A striking older woman stood in front of it, laughing at something her companion said.

“Sayaka obaa-san, good evening. I hope you are well. Are you enjoying the party?”

This is Sei’s aunt? She looks nothing like his father though.

“Ah, it’s my favourite and only nephew! You should know better than to spout platitudes by now, as if I care for those stuffy rules.”

Oh wow, I think we’ve found the Akashi equivalent of a unicorn.

“And you should know old habits die hard, obaa-san. Besides, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

She turned fully, taking you in. Her eyes widened speculatively when she saw your hair-pin.

“Sayaka obaa-san, this ___-san, my girlfriend. ____, this is Akashi Sayaka-san, my father’s sister.”

“Pleased to meet you, Akashi-san.” You bowed again and smiled at her.

“Why, Sei-kun, you never told me you had such a cute girlfriend! Good for you, you finally loosened up. And dear, call me Sayaka, please.”

I definitely like her.

“Then please call me ____, Sayaka-san. Do you work in the Akashi corporation as well?”

“Good lord no, imagine sitting in those stuffy board meetings, listening to someone drone on for hours about numbers. Positively dreadful. No dear, I work with figures of a different kind – I’m a fashion designer. But tell me first, are you a cat or a dog person?”

Unable to keep up with the abrupt change in topic, you said the first thing that came to your mind.

“Both? I like most fluffy animals.”

“Splendid! Never choose one when you can have the best of both worlds. Sei, I like this one. You should keep her.”

“I intend to, if we don’t scare her off first,” he replied dryly. You blushed a little at this.

“Sadly, I concur. Masa-kun can be overbearing. He gets it from our father, I think. Speaking of which, you should at least pretend to talk to some of those people. I’ll keep your young lady company.”

“Then if you’ll excuse me. Give my regards to uncle.” With a last brush of his thumb over your cheek, he disappeared into the crowd. You watched him go, heart twisting a little.

When you turned back, his aunt was considering you thoughtfully. She smiled suddenly and spoke again.

“My dear, I’ve been dying to ask. Wherever did you get that dress? My professional curiosity is killing me.”

“Ah, one my juniors, Shinohara-san, has an older brother who’s a stylist. He fitted the dress for me.”

Like that, you chatted easily with the older woman until it was time for dinner. She had a long and colourful history which included an elopement and several other activities which were all designed to induce a cardiac arrest in the Akashi family. It was a fascinating, if surreal, experience. At dinner, you were seated between Kise and Hayama, who collectively had enough sunshine in them to power a city, so that went peacefully as well. It was after dinner that things went awry.

You were preparing to leave after dinner, secretly relieved at the thought of being free of your shoes. Your ankles were already protesting when you spotted a low sofa next to a door and sank down on to it gratefully. Just when you were thinking to yourself that you should find Akashi and bid him good night, you heard his voice carry through the door.

“Father, I am not going through this again. I won’t leave ___, no matter what you say. It shouldn’t matter to you so long as it doesn’t affect my performance in any way.”

“But it already has, Seijuro.” The anger in Masaomi’s words made you flinch. “I just heard about your little stunt at school with Sawamura’s son. If anyone had found out, you would have jeopardised a lifelong partnership, and for what? Some girl? This one is already skewing your judgment.”

“__ had nothing to do with it. If anything, she tried to stop me. You know as well as I do that the Sawamura shares have been declining steadily for the past few years. There’s nothing to be gained by letting him defy me. And if his character is anything to go by, the son will not improve the situation. Also, in my place, would you have stood for Mother being insulted in public?”

Seijuro’s tone was biting. Akashi Senior didn’t let up on his rage, however.

“Do not bring your mother into this. Don’t think I didn’t notice that kanzashi she was wearing. Dragonflies and peonies, the Akashi family’s crest. Similar to the one Shiori had. You were all but announcing your betrothal to that girl.”

Your hands flew up to your mouth in shock. What was all this?

“And what if I did? We would be lucky to have her marry into the family. None of the girls I met before had half as much sense.”

You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this statement.

Oh, Seijuro. I never meant to come between you and your father.

“I didn’t bring you up for these past 16 years so that you could throw away the Akashi lineage when you felt like it. I’m issuing a final warning: stop your association with that girl or I cut off your club activities for good.”

Your heart plummeted.

No. NO. You can’t make him pick, that’s too cruel. Basketball is the only thing he wants for himself. The only link to his mother. Please. Don’t do this. Don’t make me pick.

From the other side of the door, silence reigned. “Now, Seijuro. I don’t have time.”

You didn’t stay to hear his reply. Either one would be unbearable. You fled out the front door, brushing past a concerned Kise and Reo, wanting to be somewhere, anywhere but here.

Hayama stretched his arms above his head, working out the stiffness in his neck. Beside him, Nebuya had pulled off his bow-tie and jacket, similarly rolling out a shoulder.

“Man, it feels so good to be out of there. I couldn’t breathe with these people asking questions. No offense to him, but I wouldn’t want to be Akashi.” The blond stifled a yawn.

Nebuya made an indiscernible noise in agreement. The party was slowly winding down, guests collecting their belongings to leave.

Mibuchi and Kise walked over, faces looking strained. “Have you seen Sei-chan anywhere?” asked Reo in a clipped tone.

“Haven’t seen him since dinner. Why?”

Kise sounded subdued when he spoke. “We just saw Yuricchi leave, looking really upset. She didn’t even notice us there. Maybe she and Akashicchi had a fight?”

Hayama and Nebuya looked alarmed. If this spiralled out of control, everyone would feel the ripple effects, especially them. One look at Mibuchi’s grim face confirmed he was thinking the same thing.

Nebuya’s deep voice broke into the oppressive atmosphere. “We should find the captain and tell him what happened. He might not know about it. Anyone at the party could have upset ___-san.”

“We were going to, but Sei-chan is nowhere to be seen. I’m a little worried because it’s still raining heavily and ___-chan might not be careful.”

Just then, the subject of conversation came into view, speaking to his aunt. His face was as composed as ever, but subtle strain showed in the set of his shoulders and jaw. The group drew a breath of relief.

“Akashi! Do you have a second? It’s important.” Hayama’s voice carried clearly across the hall.

He glanced their way, taking in their worried faces, and excused himself. Sayaka waved him away, looking amused. Akashi approached them, senses on alert.

“Is something wrong?”

Everyone glanced at each other. “It’s about Yuricchi.” Kise started hesitantly.

“Have you seen her around? I’ve been looking for her. There’s something I needed to say.”

“Well, whatever it is, you better say it quick. ___-chan just ran out the front door a few minutes ago, looking very upset.” Reo’s eyes were narrowed.

“Akashicchi, I think…she was in tears. She looked very sad. Did you guys fight?” Kise looked as upset as the person he was talking about.

“No…I didn’t…where did she go?” Akashi was starting to feel the dread build in his chest as he catalogued all the possibilities. What could have happened?

“Probably to the gardens? She didn’t seem to be paying attention to where she was.”

“Then we need to spread out and find ___ before something happens. Kise, Nebuya, search the east side. Reo and Kotarou can look for her in the opposite direction. I’ll take the back gardens. Mitsue-san, get everyone some umbrellas please.”

The housekeeper materialized as per Akashi’s orders and soon everyone was searching the grounds. In the end, it was Akashi himself who found you, barefoot with eyes gazing blankly into the distance. The rain, which was now torrential, had plastered your hair and dress to your skin. Your eyes flickered to him when he approached, but you didn’t move.

“Sei.”

His voice was gentle when he spoke. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, ___. Let’s get you out of the rain before you get sick.”

You offered no resistance as he wrapped his jacket around you and lifted you off the ground in his arms. That lifeless demeanour scared him more than anything.

Please, say something. Yell at me, curse me. Anything but this interminable silence. I won’t know what’s wrong until you tell me.

When he got back to the house, Kise and the rest were pacing anxiously in the living room.

“Yuricchi, are you alright? We were worried sick!”

Your eyes turned down in guilt. “I apologise, Kise-san. You went to so much trouble because of me.”

“As long as you’re fine, it’s alright.” Hayama smiled kindly.

Mitsue-san floated in with towels, her normally steely expression tinged with worry. Akashi took one and started drying your hair with careful strokes. The gentleness of the action finally broke your control and you curled up with a broken sob. Everyone in the room froze, unsure.

“Could we have a moment alone?” The boys were glad to obey the thinly-veiled order and leave Akashi to deal with the terror of a crying girl. They didn’t go too far, however, opting to huddle outside the door in case he messed things up.

Oblivious to their concerns, Akashi kneeled in front of you, pushing a lock of wet hair out of your face.

“What’s wrong, love? Tell me so I can fix it.”

Your heart twisted painfully at the endearment. Deciding that you’d have to face it sooner or later, you spoke tiredly.

“Sei, I don’t think I can do this. Loving you…loving you is too hard.”

Akashi lurched back like he’d been struck. Outside the door, Nebuya muffled Kise’s screech of horror and Mibuchi had to restrain Hayama from jumping into the room.

You continued, your heart breaking little by little. “I’ve never hated myself so much before. I thought if it was for you, I could do anything. But there are some things I can’t do, no matter how much I want to.”

“I didn’t think you were the type to give up so easily, ____. I’m disappointed.”

It’s happening, the inevitable. No one can bear the pressure of the Akashi family. I will be alone again. She will leave. Though I’ll put up a good fight before she does.

The secret audience nearly groaned at Akashi’s words. Kise and Reo facepalmed.

“Geez, Akashi, even I know better than to say that to a crying girl.” Hayama shook his head.

“Ssh.” Nebuya’s expression was grim.

You cast your eyes down, feeling hollow. “I know, you have every right. A better person than me would have tried harder. Perhaps…someone else may be more suited to you after all.”

“If you think you can escape me that easily, you are mistaken. I told you, didn’t I? That once you said yes, there was no going back.”

I don’t care what the cost is. You are not leaving me. There is no alternative to this. If I have to lock you up, I will.

You curled in on yourself a little further. “That’s just it. A less selfish person would have been able to let you go, but I can’t. Even when it means you have to choose between me and the thing you love most.”

“What…did you say?”

The eavesdroppers were as taken aback as Akashi was. They exchanged confused looks.

You sighed. “I overheard what your father said. About the problems the Sawamura incident created. And about him issuing the ultimatum. Me or basketball.”

Kise was scandalized. “That’s horrible, making Akashicchi choose. How could he?”

Mibuchi was more concerned with other things. “Sei-chan, hurry up and reassure her. An upset lady is simply not beautiful.”

Meanwhile, Akashi was processing this abrupt turn in the conversation. The painful constriction in his chest had eased at your words.

So it’s not what I feared, then. She doesn’t want to leave. And she still loves me.

You spoke again, unaware of his thoughts. “I can’t live with myself at thought of being the cause of a rift between you and your father. And it hurts even more when I think I could have walked in and said that I’d leave, so you could continue playing. But I didn’t. I just couldn’t.”

He tipped your chin up, forcing you to look into his eyes. “Answer one question. It’s not my family or the pressure that’s making you say this, is it?”

“What? No! Your father doesn’t like me, but that is only to be expected. I can handle that. As for everything else, if you’re with me, I can manage. But I never thought I’d get in the way of your passion. That’s…I don’t know what to do about that.”

Akashi’s eyes glinted. A victorious smile curled his lips. “Then I’ll tell you what I said to my father.”

Kise speculated on the answer. “Probably something like, ‘I show no mercy to those who oppose me, not even my own parents’.” Hayama snickered at the thought. Mibuchi hissed at them both and strained to hear the rest.

“…that I am an Akashi, and we achieve success in everything we do. That I have been working for this family’s assets longer than some adults, and I am almost an adult myself. That he need not be apprehensive, because by the Interhigh, I would make victory a reality.”

What he didn’t mention was that he had also pointed out that Shiori would not have wanted this, and Masaomi had drawn back, shocked.

Your eyes were wide and hopeful in your face. “So you can still play? Because I love watching you play.”

“Yes. And you’re not going anywhere soon. I hope you’re prepared.” With that he leaned in and kissed you, taking away your breath for the hundredth time that day.

When he drew back, you rubbed your face, a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I should have had more faith in you. I worried you for nothing.”

“You should have. I can’t complain though; I’ve never had anyone get so upset on my behalf. Kise and the rest, you can stop hovering behind the door now.”

The people in question waltzed in without a shred of remorse.

“Yuricchi, I’m so glad you’re smiling again. It’s great that you guys made up. I have good news for you!”

“What is it, Kise-san?” You wondered how there could be anything left to say at this time of day.

Nebuya decided to speak, for unknown reasons. “The rains haven’t stopped. At all. There’s a flood warning issued, so we’re all stuck here for tonight.”

Mitsue-san suddenly appeared. “Young master, I’m afraid Nebuya-san is right. The roads are impassable, and it seems like no one will be able to leave till morning.”

Akashi briefly shut his eyes in frustration. Then: “Everyone, you might want to call home and tell them about the situation. Have you prepared rooms for everyone, Mitsue-san?”

“Indeed, young master. If you would all follow me.”

The housekeeper led them all to the second floor, stopping in front of a row of lavishly appointed rooms. “Unfortunately the current number of guests is too much for the household to accommodate without some adjustments. So I will have to trouble you all to share rooms in pairs. My apologies for the inconvenience.”

“That’s alright, Mitsue-san,” said Reo cheerfully. “Kise-kun, you’re with me.”

Hayama had an expression of betrayed horror. “BUT WHY?”

“We all know Eikichi is like a bear in his sleep. Actually, he’s like a bear awake as well. Either way, he’s your problem. Come, Kise-kun.” The bear growled a little.

Kise looked vaguely uncomfortable with this, but said nothing. Hayama sighed.

Akashi gave them a marginally suspicious look and turned to the housekeeper. “And what about ___?”

“Ah. That. I’m afraid young master, that ___-san is going to have to share with you.”

One could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. You looked down at your toes, wondering how you got yourself into these things.

Kise was biting his cheek hard to keep from laughing, and the others were slowly backing away.

Akashi finally spoke, the words heavy. “I see.”

“My apologies again. The alternative was to put ___-san in with“ -there was a meaningful glance here at the other boys – “someone else.”

He gave them all a suspicious look. “That certainly would not do. Hayama, was that disappointment on your face?”

“Only in the sense that I have to share with this guy and you get ___-san for a roommate.”

“Anyway, I need a shower after all that. My clothes are drenched. Yuricchi, Akashicchi, good night!”

As Kise turned to leave, you caught his sleeve, stopping him. He looked at you in question.

“Thank you,” you said softly,” for going through so much trouble for me. All of you.”  

All the boys smiled, features softening. “You can pay us back with cookies, ___-san.” Hayama’s grin was infectious in its brightness.

“I will.”

They trooped off, bickering amongst themselves and leaving you alone with Akashi. He held his arm out, ever the gentleman.

“Shall we?”

As you walked away, smiling a little to yourself, someone approached the housekeeper.

“So,” said Sayaka-san, “I can think we can congratulate ourselves on a job well done. Did you make the preparations I requested?”

Mitsue-san bowed slightly. “It has been done as you asked, Sayaka-sama.”

“Then we can just kick back and watch the fireworks. Those boys did a good job of keeping their poker faces. Now the rest is up to Sei-kun.”

You looked around Akashi’s room in interest. It had the expensive décor you would associate with a mansion, but not many personal belongings. There were a couple of framed photos over the mantelpiece, and some books on the bedside table. One particular photo caught your eye.

“Is that everyone from the Teiko basketball club? It looks recent.”

Akashi walked over to inspect it. “Ah yes, we took that on Kuroko’s birthday in January. Momoi arranged a friendly game as a birthday gift.”

You smiled, tilting your head at the photo. “She looks happy. You all do.”

He smiled slightly as well. “You should take a bath first, you were in the rain for a while. The bath is through that way. You should find towels and something to wear on the dresser.”

“Thank you, I’ll try to be quick.” You shrugged off his jacket and returned it to him. “I’m sorry I got your clothes wet.”

“Don’t worry about it. Now go, unless you want to watch me change? I wouldn’t mind.”

You had to hide a smile behind your hand. “Don’t tempt me, Seijuro. Here, would you keep this safe for me?” You pulled the kanzashi out of your hair and held it out to him.

Both of you stared at it for a moment, recalling the evening’s events. You looked back at Akashi, who had a closed expression, and sighed.

“I do wish you had told me about the significance of this, but I’m not dwelling on it. So neither should you.”

His voice was soft. “I did not wish to burden you with expectations. At the same time, I couldn’t let you go without it either, because it is a symbol of our protection.”

“I understand. This is the reason I wasn’t bothered today, wasn’t it? I’m not blaming you…it’s just that if I’d known your mother had one like it, I would have treasured it more.”

You pressed a kiss to his jaw and moved towards the bath. Then, abruptly, you returned. He raised an eyebrow at you. You turned your back to him.

“Could you unhook the neck of my dress for me? It’s difficult for me to do myself.”

His eyes turned predatory, but he did as you asked. Fingers deftly undid the clasp, sliding the dress partway down your shoulders. His touch moved lower down your back in a feather-light caress. You shivered at the sensation.

“Now, temptress,” he whispered in your ear, “hurry to your bath before you get more than you bargained for.”

Sensing the danger, you left as fast as you could. Akashi sighed and loosened his tie. Making his way to the wardrobe, he tried not to imagine peeling that dress off your body or joining you in the bath. This was going to be a long night.

Twenty minutes later, you were drying your hair in front of the mirror and trying not think about what would happen next. Like everything else in the bathroom, the mirror was huge, reflecting your towel clad body about halfway down. If it weren’t for the fact that Akashi was waiting, you could have soaked in the gigantic tub forever. You sighed.

This is not going to be awkward at all. Nope. Just sleeping really close to the guy I’m insanely attracted to. That will be completely fine.

It got worse when you shook out the clothes that had been set out for you. You eyed the fabric sceptically.

What on earth on was Mitsue-san thinking, giving me this to wear? If my other dress wasn’t soaked through, I’d have worn that instead. This seems like a prank someone would play…Ohhh.

There was no choice but to wear it. You poked your head around the bathroom door, reluctant to step out.

“Seijuro, I should…” You trailed off, stunned into silence.

Akashi’s shirtless back was turned to you, muscles flexing as he towelled his hair. His pine and citrus scent hit you and your mouth suddenly went dry.

Have I died and gone to heaven? That must be it. I probably caught pneumonia and I’m hallucinating now.

You were startled by his voice. “Is something wrong, ___?”

Dazed, you blinked at him. “Err, no? That is- you know what, this is too distracting. Just put a shirt on.”

“Pfft. Alright.” When you looked back again, he was in a t-shirt, smirking. “So why are you hiding behind the door?”

“Because – and I say this respectfully – I think Sayaka-san decided to make our lives more interesting by swapping out my clothes.”

“It can’t be that bad. There’s limits to what even obaa-san can do on short notice.”

“Suit yourself.” You stepped out from behind the door, sweeping your hair over one shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Akashi’s eyes widened. “How did she…”

“I don’t even want to know. I’m just glad Mitsue-san washed your jersey before she gave it to me.”

Without the breadth of his shoulders, Akashi’s jersey came to mid-thigh on you. He swallowed hard as one sleeve threatened to slip down your arm. He didn’t dare look down to see how your legs looked.

I swear there is some deity out to get me. My aunt is a danger to humanity. No wonder Father nearly disowned her. Now think of shogi openings. Violin scores. The Winter Cup. Anything but how that jersey will look on the floor.

He let out a long exhale. “Some people are determined to test the limits of my patience.”

“It’s a good thing you’re absolute, then. Should we hunt for something less…sportsy?”

Though if you were being honest, you liked the way he was looking at you. You almost wanted to thank Sayaka-san for her thoughtfulness.

“That’s probably for the best. There should be-“

“Akashicchi! Is this your room? Yuricchi, you- Whoa.” The explosion that was Kise stopped short, causing Mibuchi, Hayama and Nebuya to barrel into him. Your face heated up as they took in your appearance.

Akashi swiftly moved in front of you, blocking their view. “If you don’t want to be buried where you stand,” came the voice of hell, “you will shut that door behind you now.”

Kise emitted a squeak and slammed the door shut. You buried your face in Akashi’s shoulder, caught between laughter and tears.

“I am never going to live that down.”

“You won’t have to.” His words were a silken promise. “They’ll all join obaa-san in the afterlife shortly.”

“Shall I go get something else to wear while you ask them why they burst in? I can still hear them outside the door.”

“Check the third drawer from the top. And I’m only going to talk to them because there will be no peace otherwise.”

While you searched for something suitably loose and comfortable, Akashi subjected the others to his flat stare.

“Mind explaining your lack of manners, Kise?”

“It’s too early to go to bed, and we’re all here, so I thought we should spend some time together. Let’s play a board-game!”

Akashi glanced back as you returned, dressed less provocatively. You shrugged at the unsaid question. “I don’t really mind.”

And that’s how it turned into a strange slumber party, with Kise regretting his choice of board-game very shortly.

“How unfair! Is there a single game you haven’t won, Akashicchi?”

A slight smile was his only reponse. You on the other hand, were incredulous.

“It’s Monopoly, Kise-san. You can hardly expect to beat Sei at something he’s had lifelong experience in. I doubt there’s a single strategic game we could play and win. Unless we all ganged up on him or something.”

Everyone looked at Akashi, considering the idea. He narrowed his eyes back. Mibuchi shook his head.

“It wouldn’t be worth the consequences.”

There was a collective nod in agreement. Your eyes lit up with mischief.

“That said, I do have one idea…” You leaned over to whisper into Kise’s ear. He brightened and nodded in excitement. Akashi had to restrain himself from pulling you into his lap and throwing Kise across the room. His eyes narrowed some more when the whole group put on an expression of angelic innocence.

“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”

“Who said we were planning anything?” No one was looking directly at Akashi any more.

Hayama cleared his throat. “So, does anyone know any spooky stories?”

Half an hour later, the boys had run the gamut from downright silly to nightmare inducing tales of horror. Nebuya in particular had a gift for turning mundane incidents into psychotic episodes. Akashi noticed you stifling a yawn and decided to put an end to the festivities. He was still suspicious of you and Kise, which is why he didn’t notice when Hayama and Mibuchi slid behind him.

Your sleepy expression was suddenly replaced by an intent look. “Now, senpai.”

Crimson eyes widened as Akashi’s arms were grabbed and pulled back, pinning him. Kise approached, golden eyes gleaming.

“Ne, Akashicchi, I bet you’ve never been tickled before, have you?”

“Ryouta, don’t you dare-“

“Too late.” You trailed your fingers up his sides, finding the spots that made him flinch. Kise was equally wicked, and possibly more brutal than you.

Akashi’s shoulders shook with the effort of restraint, but eventually he caved into helpless laughter. Hayama and Mibuchi sat back in amazement at the sound, and Kise had an expression of wonder. You just grinned.

“Sei-chan, you really should do that more often.” Mibuchi tutted.

“So he can have more fans than he already does? I don’t think so.” Kise pouted a little at the idea.

Akashi flushed a little and straightened. He turned to look at you. “You will regret your actions very soon.” The words were a vow.

“Hmm, I’d like to see you try. Besides, they were in on it as well.”

The others cringed as you threw them under the bus. Suddenly, there were comments on late it was, and the need to catch up on sleep, it had been a long day. The room was suddenly quiet as everyone left.  

Akashi shut the door and turned around with a hunting aura. You backed up as he prowled forward, eerily reminded of a lion waiting to pounce.

“Now, Seijuro, it’s been a long day…”

“I did warn you, ___, that you would you repent shortly.”

You dodged left, Akashi saw it coming, tripped you up and caught you around the waist, all in one movement. Your breath left you in a huff as you dropped on the bed. You blinked as he caged you in with his hard frame.

“So precisely what part of this am I supposed to regret?”

“This.” He dipped his head towards yours slowly. Your eyes were half shut, warm in his embrace.

Then you choked as his fingers found the most sensitive spot near your ribcage. Somehow his tickling was the worst you’d experienced, as he had an uncanny knack for finding all your weak points. You struggled a bit, but there was no getting out of his hold.

“Stop, stop! I yield,” you gasped in between bouts of breathless giggles. “I’m sorry for everything! Now please let me go.”

Akashi was tempted to continue for a while, your laughter was intoxicating and it felt good to have someone he could be himself around. But he relented, moving away so you could sit up. You pushed your hair back out of your face and surveyed him.

“You’re evil. And somehow that makes me happier.”

His face, while composed, gave off an air of amusement. “I aim to please. Now, we really should attempt to catch up on some sleep. I’ll take the couch.”

You looked at him in dismay. “You mean you’re not going to let me take advantage of this golden opportunity to cuddle up to you?”

He let out a controlled breath. “That would not be wise. This is difficult enough already without you in such close proximity to me.”

You bit your lip. “Are you saying all that absoluteness and willpower was a lie?”

“Do you have any sense of self-preservation at all?” His exasperation was beginning to show.

“Not when you’re involved, no.” You were unrepentantly cheerful.

He closed his eyes in concentration. When he opened them again, you were still gazing at him hopefully. He conceded defeat.

“Very well, remember that you asked for it.”

“One of us needs to not have a sense of propriety, and apparently that person is me. Just learn to enjoy it.”

“Oh, I certainly will.”

He slid under the covers, instantly making you warmer by just being there. Never one to waste time, you moved closer immediately, settling your head on his chest and entwining your legs. He hummed at the back of his throat, a contented sound.

The heat of his skin and the feeling of safety soon made you drowsy. The soothing movement of his hand over your back didn’t help.

“Sei,” you said, half asleep, “are you really sure it’s okay to say no to your father? I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“I’m sure. And if it’s not, I’ll find a way around it.”

“I hope so. I just want you to be happy.”

Soon your breathing evened out and you were fast asleep. Akashi looked down at you, chest warm with happiness.

“I know. I love you too.”

Author's rambling:

So that was cringe-inducingly cheesy. I swear, I just set out to write one party chapter and it turned into this monster. What is my life.

One picture that I used for inspiration is this one from the Last Game trailer, to give you an idea of how they were dressed. A qipao, also called a cheongsam, is a traditional Chinese dress - like this one. The boys are dense, so they didn't notice, but the dress was the color of Aka-chin's hair.

Also, before I forget, the scene where Akashi's father says all the other girls failed was inspired by the response to an ask on a scenario blog. In the original post, Akashi responds that the reader is the girl he chose and he likes her the way she is. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this post, but if I ever do, I'll link it.

Since this is a very long fic, there are lots of things I could talk about, but it would be easier if readers just commented on the things they want clarified. I will definitely answer :D

On the next episode: No angst, just fun as the entirety of the cast goes out to the beach. Possibly I will manage to keep it short and sweet. Possibly.

#akashi seijuro #akashi x reader #rakuzan #kise ryouta #kuroko no basket fanfic #cinderella moment #akashi masaomi #oc #sleepover #romance #fluff #slight angst #what is wrong with me #no control #slightly mature language #akashi in a suit

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Chapter 27

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYONE! Today, the first chapter of Basic Instinct turnt 1 year old. I mentioned before how xenophobic native English speakers dragged me for my mistakes as a non-English speaker to the point I stopped publishing fanworks and I'll admit the lack of support also wasn't motivating. Basic Instinct is the first fanfic I've completed since my very first fanfic that I actually kept to myself that I wrote when I was 11 years old. Yes, I am saying completed as I had planned this to be the final chapter. There's something poetic about releasing the ending on Basic Instinct's birthday and it just feels right to end the story at this point. Don't worry guys, you guys will still be getting an epilogue and a blooper reel where I will be releasing some short funny scenes like the off screen dance Kotaro and the reader did at the Maji Burger in chapter 5. I thank every single one of you for being here on the journey! masterpost

Today, was Akashi's birthday. Rima had planned out everything and you, Momoi, Reo, Midorima and Kuroko had filled her in with the occasional comment about what they thought might be nice too. Last week, before winter break, Reo had slipped the invitations to Nebuya and Kotaro, and Momoi did the same for Kise and Aomine as Kuroko took care of Kagami and Murasakibara. Kagami had been a bit surprised to be invited too, but after careful thought everyone agreed Kagami also should be getting an invitation. You were glowing with excitement and wore a beautiful, expensive dress that Rima had given you as an advance Christmas gift as you did feel a bit insecure as Masaomi would drop by on the party. You didn't wanted to look cheap, knowing how he felt about you. Rima had her scary side, but she had embraced you like a granddaughter and you knew she truly had your back if Masaomi were to act coldly towards you. So if anyone should be scared, it should be him. At least, that's what you kept telling yourself. You had been as thoughtful as possiblr. For one, you had written his birthday note with the markers he had bought for you on your first date. It had been hard to think of a birthday gift, because what could you give a boy who had almost everything already? You had been grateful for your friend Mari-Chan. As the two of you had chatted about the topic and how you thought of perhaps a self-made gift, she had the most brilliant idea. With the help of everyone, you had managed to collect a decent number of photos of Akashi and his friends, the few ones of the two of you and Rima had doubles made of childhood photographs with his mother. Spending your money on a few magazines of National Geographic, you had created the most beautiful collage of nature pictures to create a pretty backdrop, and then you carefully started making a collage of Akashi and his loved ones on top of your first collage. Mari had given you the money for the frame as those magazines had blown your budget, telling you how you always had her back when she needed you and this time she wanted to help you. She also said she thought you and Akashi were a cute couple in general and how much happier you looked now that the two of you had one another. Mari nearly chocked in the tight embrace you'd given her. Now, as you entered the Kaneshiro mansion with your gift, you couldn't help but think of how the dress and the pretty mansion remembered you of a fairy tale, with you being the princess. Fujioka came to place your present with the others, and the old man smiled at you. "Thank you for giving him his joy back. This birthday will be the best my young master will have ever gotten, and its all thanks to your love that he's getting what he deserves. I'd be honored of serving you as the lady of the house one day." Your face got a little red and you could feel a few tears pricking your eyes. The compliment touched you, and you gave Fujioka your warmest smile. "And I thank you, for getting him to the warm home he deserves." "Oi, y/n-chan!" Kotaro yelled, arriving with Nebuya and you let out a soft chuckle. Another servant took the gifts of their hands and they led the three of you to the dining hall. The usual table was shoved into a corner where the small pile of gifts rested atop A new, larger table was seated in the center of the room, sporting the largest birthday cake you had ever seen in real life, and plates with various different foods. Midorima and Tamamura-san seemed to try their hardest to distract Murasakibara from eating before the party started. Kuroko, Kagami and Momoi were reacting to something stupid Aomine had said, Momoi was rolling her eyes and Kuroko was saying something you couldn't hear with Midorima's scolding drowning out his voice. Reo was chatting up with Umemiya-san and you guessed it was probably recipe related. You could recognize Yuuki, chatting up with some other maids as they eyed the commotion as you did. Only Kise hadn't arrived yet.

After another half hour, all of you gathered around as Fujioka went to get Rima and Akashi. Kise still wasn't there yet! You hoped it wouldn't hurt Akashi's feelings. As the anticipation arose in the room, and you could feel the excitement jittering in your skin, the doors opened. "Surprise!" They all yelled, only to see Kise in the doorway, carrying his gift. He chuckled as he walked into the room, "Hi!" "Kise, why are you so god damn late!" Aomine grumbled annoyed and Kise pouted. "Aominecchi, I am supposed to be fashionably late." At that you and several others chuckled, and just then did the doors open again, this time with the actual birthday boy, butler and grandma. As everyone gathered some air, they once more shouted, "Surprise!" Akashi looked on with big surprised eyes and then looked at his grandmother. "I thought you deserved an actual birthday." He couldn't help but feel his eyes water, and he hugged his grandmother. You broke out into a wide smile, looking onto his happiness. Akashi walked to your group and said, "I'm happy you made it to my birthday." "He's here now. Can we finally eat?" Murasakibara asked hungrily. Akashi chuckled and said, "Of course, let us feast on this occasion!" And so all of you took your own seat. The cake only had one candle, so Akashi did not have to worry about the cake's large size. He closed his eyes and made his wish, 'I wish my bonds with these people will never change.' All of you clapped as he blew out the candle, and almost with lightning speed did Murasakibara took a slice. Everyone looked flabbergasted at his audacity not to let Akashi go first, but he shrugged it off with a happy smile, because all of you were there and that was the gift he had always wanted. Each of you then took your then filled your own plate, and just as you took your first bite of food, did another butler bring in Masaomi, awkwardly holding a gift. "Take a seat father." Akashi said, and Masaomi handed his gift to the butler. You immediately felt anxious, but then Rima smiled at you and you couldn't help but smile back. 'thank you', you mouthed, for all her support. And the party did go over smoothly. Masaomi talked mostly with Rima and the servants that evening, observing you, Akashi and his friends from the sidelines. Which came much as a relief. Before you left to go back home, Akashi embraced you as you bid your goodbye to him in the garden. "You really look stunning in that dress. It suits you perfectly." He complimented and your face flushed red. "Thank you, your grandmother has great taste." He chuckled, his eyes bright and his smile so wide that it hurt but he couldn't help how happy he was. You wrapped your arms around his neck. "Happy birthday Sei." Akashi leaned in and kissed you with such delight, the two of you felt as if you were set afire. There was no moment more perfect then this.

#knb #kuroko's basketball #akashi #knb x reader #akashi seijuro #basic instinct #akashi seijuro x reader #murasakibara atsushi #birthday party #midorima shintarou #akashi masaomi #kise ryota #kotaro hayama #aomine daiki

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Epilogue

A/N: Thank you for the ride everyone, I love every single person who liked, commented, reviewed, you are all so dear to me. Oh god, I feel like I'm getting very emotional, Basic Instinct really was my first baby on the internet after the many 'miscarriages' I wrote back when I was a teen. I feel like hugging my computer until it crashes in my arms! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I also low-key want to thank The Acid for their song. Basic Instinct had such a wonderful vibe I just needed for this story!

Ten years have passed since the day Akashi moved in with his grandmother. Thanks to her trying to help your mom, your mom had improved greatly and seeing her return to the mom you had known before her relapse was the greatest gift you had ever been given. Masaomi, on the other hand, had always remained somewhat of an eyesore. You had been as graceful as you could and Akashi had complimented you for holding out as long as you did until that one dinner party about 5 years ago. It had been the time when the two of you had began discussing marriage and planning out your future together. At that point, you had been with each other for 5 years and were certain enough your relationship was one of lasting nature. Masaomi had attended the dinner were Akashi had announced to his grandmother that the two of you were intending to look for engagement rings. Rima had been overjoyed at the news, having considered you her granddaughter already at that point. Masaomi, being the unsupportive douchebag he is, wasn't happy with the news. Whilst he had always been a little too stiff and formal with you around, he hadn't dared to act coldly in front of you. But this time, his disapproval had outweighed his fear for his mother in law on a level none had ever seen before. "Seijuro, I have tolerated this romance of yours because you had to make a scene about it but this is enough-" Masaomi hadn't been able to finish his sentence because of Rima suddenly stabbing his chicken with her knife, her eyes looking scary in a way you had previously only seen before on Akashi's other personality. The air had been tense, and neither you or Akashi dared to move or say a word. After Masaomi had been kicked out, Akashi had held you reassuringly, promising you that his father was simply an malicious idiot for not seeing how happy you made him, how wonderful of a wife you'd be. You had tried not to kiss him, considering Rima had still been present, but you still ended up giving him a warm peck. Masaomi, naturally, hadn't been invited to the wedding, neither any of the elite kids but all of your and Akashi's friends had been. It had been a vibrant wedding, and you had felt so happy it felt like it could kill you but in the most wonderful way, as if you were melting into a puddle of pure bliss. Being called Mrs Akashi had given you a lot of goosebumps over your honeymoon trip. It had finally come true, you had finally married the boy you loved so dearly. Akashi was an attentive husband and he dotted on you a lot, especially now. Now there was that sweet bundle of joy resting in your arms, your firstborn. With Akashi's bright red hair and your eyes, your daughter happily waved her little arms at you. Shiori was such a beautiful sweetheart, it kept baffling you to think this precious little angel actually was your daughter and you were allowed to love and nurture this sweet little girl. You knew there might be a time where that could change, where she could have a rebellious phase and pierce herself behind your back or whatever she wanted that you would disapprove of, but you knew you wouldn't love her any less. Akashi had been surprisingly pleased with having a daughter for a firstborn, considering the preference for a male firstborn had been installed in him at such a young age, but he loved his cute little princess, and Fujioka despite getting very old made an excellent babysitter. You felt so blessed with the family you had. "There my ladies are, how is my little strawberry?" "She's in a very playful mood, " you reported with a fond smile. Akashi wrapped his arms around you, leaning his head against your shoulder to take a peek at his daughter. "You know my favorite thing about her?" You shook your head. "It's that she got that sweet laugh of yours, it never fails to cheer me up." At that, you and your daughter laughed in unison, blessing Akashi's heart with warmth.

#knb #kuroko's basketball #akashi #akashi seijuro #knb x reader #basic instinct #epilogue #thank all of you #the acid #masaomi akashi

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Part 3

A/N: This one is kinda long for a drabble, but then again, this is a series at this point.  The same warnings per usual, in fact, we have a Masaomi scene at the end. MASTERPOST Akashi sat strained over his homework, he had already been studying over three hours. His eyes began to hurt, and he was getting rather thirsty. 'It's time to take a break, Akashi-san,' Your sweet voice was gently urging him to quit at the back of his mind, reminding him of the first lesson you taught him. *rooftop flashback* "Alright, lesson number one!," you declared, puffing out your chest, your hands resting on your hips as you made yourself seem as authorative and teacherly as possible. "Stop when your body and or mind, tells you to do so. I personally think it's related to how our instincts tell us to bail out of dangerous situation. Your body instinctively knows when you're passing your limit, and overexertion can be dangerous. Don't. Even if a teacher or your father is telling you to continue, listen to yourself before you listen to others." Akashi had pursed his lips at your preachings. "Father is preparing me, it's important and-" "If you dare say I don't understand then this lesson is finished. Tell me, is every test important? Is answering every email immediately in the future when you're the head of your company that important? Will it be the end of everything? Or just a minor setback, perhaps a tiny inconvenience, something that is solvable? You gotta learn when it's important and when you can take a break, or better yet, sit one out. May I need to remind you of the whole, you're captain and student council president as a first year thing?" He felt his heart flutter as you rolled your eyes, your exasperation at his attitude being surprisingly touching. It felt nice to know you cared so much to become this irritated on his behalf. *end flashback* Akashi sighed and stood, carefully placing his homework and pencils neatly so they wouldn't cause a mess, and he headed to grab himself a glass of water. He couldn't help but hold his hand for his eyes as he entered the hallway, it was brighter then his room and his pained eyes had to adjust for a second. They were still hurting by the time he went down the stairs, and he nearly tripped down the final few steps. "Young master?" The butler who happened to witness went up to him, minor concern lacing his voice as he saw the young master's overworked state. 'Damn it. Y/n really had a point.' "It's fine, Fujioka-san. I've just been studying too hard I suppose." "Does the young master requires my assistance?" Akashi thought for a second, because sure, it wasn't dinner time yet, but he hadn't eaten in a few hours either... "Could you perhaps make me a snack? I think eating something and a glass of water would help me replenish my strength." Fujioka bowed, and went on ahead as Akashi quietly trailed after his butler. He entered the kitchen to find Fujioka instructing the cook to make him a cheese sandwhich and he handed Akashi a glass of water as he sat down at the kitchen table. As Akashi waited, he couldn't help but reach into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He wanted to thank you for scolding him earlier that week, and you had given him your phone number this Friday before he went back home. I took a break from studying to take care of my needs, just as you instructed. You were right. Thank you. -A As the sandwhich was placed before him, his phone buzzed. His heart began to pound. Were you already responding?

 I told you so ;) -Y/N And another one immediately after. I hope you're doing okay - Y/N A smile broke out on his face, and if it weren't for the eyes of his two servants expecting him to eat, he would have promptly forgotten all about eating. He quickly choked them down, trying to think of a reponse as he thought of your sweet smile. The way your energetic bounding made your hair dance around you. How your teasing voice was one of the highlights of going to school, for him. The servants on the other hand, couldn't help but notice the surprising lack of manners in which Akashi ate, and the way his eyes were glued to his phone. I might have pushed myself a little too far, but I'm okay. How are you? -A As he drank his water, your response came in. Stubborn idiot. I'm okay, other then the fact my mom and I ate a batch of old chocolates yesterday and we're both miserable on the couch. -Y/N She's not taking it out on you, is she? -A So far, not yet. -Y/N Akashi pursed his lips, and the servants could see the slight worry marring his features. He wished he could invite you over, make sure you wouldn't live in the constant fear of upsetting your mother. Text me if she does, okay? -A I will. -Y/N And thus, the seeds of great joy, slowly began to sprout. The warmth and trust that was exchanged becoming its sunlight. That night, Fujioka went to see Masaomi, when he was finishing up his final emails. "Is there something, Fujioka-san?" "Not really. It's just, that I suspect the young master has fallen in love." Masaomi's eyes tore away from the screen, staring at his butler. "Do you know with who?" "No sir, I simply saw him texting someone several times when he requested the sandwhich earlier. The expressions of his face indicated the person means something to him." Masaomi couldn't help but think of dinner earlier, the way he caught his son staring at his food multiple times. Like a boy in love. "Keep an eye on the matter. I'd like to know who he is pursuing." "Yes master." Fujioka bowed, but deep in his heart, he hoped that the love story had a good ending. The young master was a good boy, and he deserved to be happy. Masaomi on the other hand, was back in memory lane, remembering the way he had acted as a ridiculous fool in front of Shiori when he was that age. Their parents had arranged their marriage, but even before that, he had loved her. he had always loved Shiori, ever since they were small kids. He had been running from his grief for years, always trying to outrun the pain in his chest. 'Whoever she is. I'll have her life utterly destroyed if she breaks my son's heart.' (DUN DUN DUN!)

#basic instinct #akashi seijuro #knb #knb x you #kuroko no basket #akashi seijuurou x reader #akashi #akashi masaomi

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Basic Instinct Chapter 13

A/N: various categories of warnings should be present here, because this is going from steamy to angsty. Be prepared for Masaomi being a douche willing to ruin Akashi's life once more. Masterpost

It wasn't meant to be like this. Akashi had been alone in the Student Council room, preparing for the next meeting. You had showed up with toasted bread with ham and cheese from the cafeteria and something to drink, worried he'd forget himself once more. He had made a teasing comment about the splotch of ink on your uniform, you had responded with a flirty comment. He blamed teenage hormones, because he pushed you on his desk and he couldn't help but kiss you. You giggled against him, kissing him back in a way that felt playful yet passionate, like a fire that was slowly spreading with glee. He dug his fingers into your waist, pulling you closer against him. The two of you were so lost into one another, neither of you could hear the sounds of approaching footsteps. As you moaned against his lips, the door opened and the worst possible figure stood in the doorframe, the Headmaster. Both of you froze, as the man pointed, with the hand that was free of papers which contained the budget for the upcoming Culture Festival to his right. "Akashi, L/n, my office, NOW!"

Akashi went home, dread fillng his stomach. The Headmaster had called both his father and your mother. Both, were naturally furious. He felt sick. He was scared of what was going to happen to him, to your relationship and what kind of abuse your mother would put you through once you came home. He imagined you were returning home with your knees shaking just as hard as his own were and he felt guilty for kissing you. 'This is all my fault. It's all my fault." Akashi felt like he would either faint or have a heart attack from the fear coursing through his veins. He walked into his home, and found his father already waiting for him at the door, seething with anger. "Never, did I dare dream you'd disgrace the Akashi name in such a careless manner," his father's voice was ice and it chilled Akashi to the bone. "I knew this would happen when you started dating that common whore." "She's not a whore! I was the one to kiss her father, and it was foolish. I was caught up in the rush of my feelings for her, and I am sorry." "Those feelings you have for her are like a disease! First she gets you slacking your studies and skipping class, now she has you acting indecent in public! What's next, getting her pregnant before graduation?! I've had it with this relationship of yours, Seijuro." Akashi felt ashamed, angry and afraid. He felt shame, because his father had a point. He was angry, because his father had asked too much of him to begin with. And he was afraid, because he didn't like the direction this conversation was going. "She's not right for an Akashi, a girl of our status would have known better then to respond to such promiscuity. I was foolish to agree to letting you see her. You're breaking up with her, and I will beg the Niragi family to open the conversation about Tsukiko's hand in marriage once more, if they are graceful enough to talk with me after I had to shut down our conversations so unceremonously. I will also see to it, that you're homeschooled from now on. That girl and your friends at Rakuzan are only a bad influence. I will not have them taint the Akashi name, and neither will you!" "You cannot do that father! You cannot take away my life like that! I don't want to marry Tsukiko, I don't want to quit school! You cannot expect me to do as you say because I made a singular mistake!" Akashi felt his breathing getting out of control, he was starting to hyperventilate as his father's threats circled around his head, images of saying goodbye to his team, to you, racing through his head. He didn't wanted to do that. His father merely watched on with cold eyes, as Fujioka rushed to the scene, urging him to breathe properly. The last thought he had was that felt incredibly light-headed, as he fainted. Fujioka caught his body in time, before he could crash into the ground. "Masaomi, you cannot control him like a puppet, especially not when he's simply a lovestruck teenager!" "I can! He is my son, and I am tired of your constant threats. You might be hired by the Kaneshiro family, but I do not have to tolerate your presence in MY household. My mother-in-law be damned! That relationship is tarnishing the Akashi family name, and I said I would not have that." Wether Masaomi was truly serious about not fearing the infamous Rima Kaneshiro, or he was caught up in the moment of his anger, Fujioka could not say. But he did not want to risk it. He had to come up with a plan to save Seijuro. Because if you asked Fujioka, wether he was willing to protect the Akashi name at the cost of Seijuro's happiness, his answer was a simple one: No.

#kuroko's basketball #knb #akashi #akashi seijuro #akashi masaomi #basic instinct #akashi x reader #toxic parents #rakuzan team #kuroko no basuke

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Basic Instinct Chapter 23

Masterpost Rima dialed Masaomi's number, and was absolutely infuriated when she got his voicemail. She hung up and called again, intending to call him until he would answer the bloody phone. By the third time, Masaomi picked up. "Okaa-san, I am sorry, but I am in the middle of some important bussiness." "Does that important business involve tracking down your son who has been missing over 24 hours?" She could hear Masaomi pause for a moment on the other line of the phone. "I take it he's with you, then." Masaomi's voice was strained with emotion, he sounded like he had a lot to say but was trying to refrain himself. Good, Rima was glad to hear it actually seemed to distress him that Akashi had run off. "Yes, the servants on my payroll brought him to me, considering your actions." "My actions? Has Seijuro told you what he has done?" Masaomi sounded a bit more offended and angry then he probably would have liked. "You mean, has he told me he got swept up in the moment and thinking it was private, he decided to kiss the girl he loves? Do not tell me you have never done this, I still remember you being all over my Shiori when the two of you should have been preparing for my brother's birthday party!" Rima hissed, angry at the hypocrisy. "You don't understand the situation, that girl is trouble and she isn't right for Seijuro! She is shameful, pathetic and she instigates Seijuro to show ill behavior constantly!" "I perfectly understand the situation, you are biased against the girl Seijuro fell in love with because she is a commoner with low self esteem due to her unstable upbringing, instead of the daughter of one of your bussiness partners. What are you thinking, trying to arrange a marriage between him and the Niragi girl?! I have seen her at parties and she is nothing more but a spoilt brat who thinks the world revolves around her." "Tsukiko is a wonderful, intelligent young lady and a far better match for Seijuro then that girl." Rima could hear the disdain in his voice, and it made her blood boil. "Wonderful? She is a nasty piece of work. Have you ever even met y/n?" "She is not worth my time, and if you'd see her you'd understand." That, made Rima chuckle. "Funny you'd say such a thing, considering she and Seijuro are both staying with me for the time being, and I happen to find her quite lovely. You should have seen them at the breakfast table, I've never seen Seijuro that happy before." She could hear Masaomi choked on his breath in surprise, a rare occurence. "You took her in?" "Yes, Seijuro was concerned about her, and felt so guilty for getting her in trouble with her mother, I had my servants bring her over so her mother could cool off a few days. Seijuro will be staying permanently with me though, it is what he wishes and I do not want to turn down his request. You have been controlling every facet of his life, and it has made him so horribly unhappy to the point of growing mentally unstable and you still won't stop! You've been merciless and cruel, and Shiori would be ashamed of you if she were still around." That wounded Masaomi, and Rima knew it. Just as she knew, that it was the truth, which made her words sting even more. Masaomi was silent for a long time, before he replied with; "Tamamura-san will be returning from her vacation shortly. I will send over some of Seijuro's belongings with her to you. I will give you two months, to see if you can arrange something for Yukimaru, or else I will have to sell him off. I will contact you in the future, okaa-san. I do have to return to my bussiness now." Then he hung up, not giving Rima any time to say something but she figured he was too much of a coward to apologize or admit to his wrong doings. At least he didn't put up a fight to keep Seijuro, but she figured Masaomi didn't wanted to draw too much attention and make a scene. Sometimes, trying to keep up appearances did have its advantages. Now, all that was left was to inform Seijuro of her conversation with his father, and to contact the nearest horse ranch if they had a stable for her grandson's horse.

In the meantime, Masaomi was hunched over at his desk, and far away from where anyone could see, he allowed himself to cry and be hurt by his mother in law's words, and the fact his son no longer wanted to live with him. He had truly gone about this the wrong way. He should have listened to Fujioka's warning, but he didn't take the butler seriously, for he was just a butler. Perhaps, Masaomi really did misjudged the people below him too much.

#knb #kuroko's basketball #akashi seijuro #akashi #knb x reader #basic instinct #akashi x reader #akashi seijuurou x reader #masaomi akashi

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Basic Instinct Chapter 10

A/N: Just a little bit of fluff of Akashi being lovedrunk after the date. Masterpost

Akashi arrived home, still on cloud nine. The date had gone over so well, he could hardly believe it. The two of you were dating, truly, dating. He felt as if he could float. His father wasn't anywhere in sight. Good, he did not want his father to disturb his happy bubble. He went up to the staircase, wanting to go up to his room when he saw Fujioka standing above. "Welcome home, young master." "Fujioka-san!" Akashi greeted, with a warm smile upon his face. "I take it your confession went well. Congratulations," the butler smiled back at him, and Akashi once again felt grateful for the older man. It felt so nice to have someone be happy for him once he came home. "It did. Our first date went spectacularly well, it's a shame it couldn't last longer," Akashi sighed, missing you already. "Young love is such a sweet thing. I remember the first time your father took your mother out for a date. When he and his driver dropped her off at home, she spent the first half hour just sighing at the door, as if she couldn't part her mind off of the event." Fujioka smiled at the memory, and Akashi's own bright smile softened upon the mention of his mother. 'I wonder if y/n is still staring at her door, or out of her bedroom window into the direction I left.' "I am truly happy for you, young master. Now may I suggest a bath and relax after a day of racing emotions?" Akashi nodded, wordlessly drifting his way to the bathroom.

When he woke up that Sunday, he realized he had overslept. With a yawn, he came out of his bed and reached for his phone.

Good morning, I hope you slept well - A

As he send out the text to you, he couldn't keep himself from letting out a dreamy sigh. Yesterday truly had been amazing. He felt happy, knowing he could share his precious first time ever doing things with you as he explored things his father had kept from him growing up. With you at his side, he felt alive. Akashi felt himself practically bouncing off the staircase to go to the kitchen, in order to ask for breakfast. As he asked his cook for two simple pancakes, he started thinking about tomorrow, when he could see you again. He wondered how he should drop the news you were dating. Should he just tell everyone, or subtly hint at it with subtle displays of affection? He kind of wanted to boast to everyone you were his girlfriend now, though. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world, to have you as his own. After carelessly shrugging down his pancakes, he decided to go for a ride with Yukimaru, wanting to tell his best friend all about his succesful date. His tall, white coated friend had his eyes light up at the sight of Akashi and he smiled. "Hey Yukimaru, everything went well with y/n, just as I hoped. So you'll get to meet her soon enough." Akashi cooed with pride, stroking the horse's long nose. Yukimaru whinied softly, almost sounding genuinely enthousiastic. "Yeah? You're going to have to try really hard if you want her for yourself." Akashi teased and Yukimaru grunted. Akashi was grinning as he mounted the horse, and they galloped through the field behind his house, enjoying the scent of the green grass, the trees. He truly couldn't wait to ride with you.

As he went back to the kitchen for lunch, he looked at his phone, noticing a message from you.

I did, thank you! I had a wonderful time yesterday x o x o -Y/N

Akashi smiled at the message, and with a grin he typed back,

Me 2. So, my beautiful lady, what are you up to? - A

It was as Akashi was half-way digging into his lunch that he felt his phone vibrate, and impatiently he immediately checked.

Busy with my volunteering job. I'm wrapping up small gift sets for this elementary school in a very poor district. Things like pencils, cute animal themed erasers, that sort of stuff. - Y/n

Akashi smiled at your answer, his heart melting into a small puddle inside of his chest. 'She has such a lovely, big heart. I doubt I'll ever get over how wonderfully sweet she is.'

I love how you try to do so much for children in need. Your heart is such a pure thing, I am grateful it is mine to love. - A

With his lunch abandoned, all he could do was stare at his phone, awaiting your answer. Thankfully, he did not have to wait for long.

Stop it! I'm practically swooning right now, and I am supposed to be working! I'll see you tomorrow at school, my sweetest prince x o x o - Y/n

And as Akashi texted you back, promising to see you tomorrow, a warm smile passed over his face. This was real. The two of you, were really real. You were his, and he was yours. Talking to you over text, flirting so casually, this was his reality now. Perhaps he was losing his mind all over again, but Akashi couldn't stop himself from screaming out of joy. If the servants and his father cared or disapproved, they wouldn't let him now. Everyone just allowed Akashi to stay in his bubble. Whatever Fujioka had done to convince his father, it had worked tremendously. Akashi felt free to explore the sensations he felt, and whilst it scared him a little, he would not trade it for anything in the whole wide world.

#knb akashi #knb #knb x reader #kuroko's basketball #akashi seijuro #akashi #akashi seijuurou x reader #akashi x reader #yukimaru #shiori akashi #relationship #horse #volunteer #volunteer work #love drunk #akashi masaomi

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Basic Instinct Chapter 14

A/N: Well, you know what you're in for at this point. Fujioka is pulling his hero cape on, be prepared.

Fujioka had decided to summon the other servants who had been hired under the Kaneshiro name, Umemiya the assistant chef and chambermaid Yuuki. He needed them for his plan. Now was the time to rescue Seijuro and unleash a war. But then again, didn't Masaomi already unleash the war by taking away Seijuro's life in the first place? Fujioka waited nearby the stables. he knew Masaomi was suspicious of him the most right now, so it would be best to converse his plan away from the man's ears. He could see the two walking towards him. Yuuki was a relatively young maid, being in her mid-thirties. Rima had hired her to take care of Shiori and to file in reports on her health when she started getting sick. Rima wanted her own people to report to her, not Masaomi's servants. Yuuki had stuck around out of pity towards young Seijuro. Assistant-chef Umemiya had been hired in the aftermath of Shiori's death. When replacing her in the kitchen, Masaomi had forgotten to hire an assistant for their new chef. Lady Rima had again stepped in. They technically also had Tamamura Anna, the head of the cleaning ladies. She had been assigned to cleaning Shiori's room when she was just a little girl, and was older then any of the servants in the Akashi household. To Fujioka, she seemed ancient and to never be effected by her old age. It was almost something magical, which is why, when she went on one of her rare vacation trips last month, some of the younger servants were gossiping that,"'the old crone is undoubtedly going to kill some young kids to steal their youth. As how else does she do it?"' Fujioka had to inform her after he had taken care of everything. The old bat was even more loyal to the Kaneshiro clan then he was Umemiya smiled hesitantly at him. "Hey, we got your message." "It has to do with young Seijuro-sama, isn't it?!" Yuuki stressed, looking like an agitated bird. Panic at the unfolding events had definitely struck her. "Yes. It is obvious, it cannot continue on like this. We need to interfere. Now." Fuijioka answered, and Umemiya ran a hand through his long, luscious black hair. "Well, what are you planning?" "Calling on Rima-sama won't be enough. We need to move him to his grandmother's, tonight." "Rim-" Umemiya quickly clamped his hand for Yuuki's hand, before she could squeak the name. Though it was clear he was also shaken by the suggestion. Moving Seijuro to his grandmother would certainly not go by without any drama. He did not want to be caught in Masaomi's and Rima's crossfire, that's for sure. "How are you going about that without getting someone killed?" Umemiya asked. "That depends on how well my plan is executed. Masaomi doesn't trusts me at the moment, so Yuuki, you need to deliver the message for Seijuro to pack a small bag for himself, only necesseties. Umemiya, in the meantime, grab whatever belongings you have in the kitchen and prepare a car. I suggest the lotus, it's at the back. Barely anyone goes there, Masaomi has used that car only twice in the decade he's owned it. In the meantime, I will gather my own necesseties, and I suggest you do the same after delivering the message Yuuki. Masaomi will not abandon his strict night routine for anything, he didn't even after Shiori's passing. Once he's off to bed, we're gone." Umemiya slowly nodded and Yuuki gulped but nodded furiously. "It's time to save the young master," said Umemiya as a grin broke out on his face.

Yuuki left as she was told, hurrying up the stairs. She could hear the painful cries coming from Seijuro's room, and her heart broke. 'that poor boy. How can his father treat him so terribly?' She entered the room, and she saw him sprawled on the bed, both his pupils and sclera bright red, his cheeks pink from the tears. "Don't cry Seijuro-sama," she rushed to his bed. "Fujioka-san has a plan. We're taking you to your grandmother's." Seijuro looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Grandma Rima?" "Yes. Pack a small bag, necesseties only. We will help you live the life you want, so please don't cry. Your father won't win, I promise." Seijuro didn't knew wether he wanted to laugh or cry more but he did as he was asked. Desperate he was, not the be parted from his friends. But he was even more desperate, not the be parted from you.

#knb #kuroko's basketball #akashi #akashi seijuro #basic instinct #knb x reader #akashi masaomi #fujioka to the rescue #running away #akashi x reader #akashi seijuurou x reader

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Part 6

A/N: We’re getting to the climax of Masaomi’s toxicity, so paired with my previous warnings, do grab yourself a tissue. Because Masaomi’s an overcontrolling dick who plans to ruin his son’s happiness. Thankfully, we do have someone to rescue Akashi! Masterpost

Akashi was staring at his father as he got home, his father looking rather pissed off beneath his calm composure. Akashi had learnt to spot this years ago. "I am sorry for being late father. My team had a celebratory dinner." "A celebratory dinner? For what? A practise match?! Don't make me out for a fool. That girl was involved, wasn't she?" 'That girl?' Akashi's eyes widened upon realizing his father had been keeping tabs on him. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he still felt hurt at the violation. "She merely wanted to repay me for a meal I purchased for her." Akashi's immediate response was to defend you. He couldn't lie to his father, but he didn't wanted to get you in trouble and be forbidden to see you either. "Perhaps if you had some sense not to date a common girl, you'd have a girlfriend who's thinking properly of the priorities you have." "She's not my girlfriend." Akashi replied. "I haven't made my confession yet, I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity." Saying the words out loud felt so good. Keeping his crush all bottled up and to himself felt surprisingly lonely. Every time he saw you, he felt happy enough to shout it from the rooftops, yet, he had to keep it a secret. It had been more difficult then he imagined it to be. Not as difficult, as hearing his father's next words though. "Good. You can forget about confessing your feelings. I've been having meetings with the Niragi family as of recently, their youngest daughter, Tsukiko would make for a wonderful future match. " Akashi physically recoiled and felt like he was being bathed in acid. Finding out his father had been spying on him was a horrible revelation enough, but that his father had been having meetings about an arranged marriage, and hadn't even informed him about it, made Akashi fight against a powerful vomiting urge with everything he had. That was his future, and his father hadn't even cared enough to consider his feelings. "You can't make me." Akashi spat out before running to his room, tears flooding his eyes. His heart felt like it was shattering into tiny little pieces. There was no one who could break you, like your parents can. 

Fujioka, had watched the scene completely apalled. He had known of Masaomi's meetings with the Niragi family as their butler, but the cruelty Masaomi had delivered the news convinced him even more of his own resolve. And thus, the older man followed Masaomi to his office. Masaomi looked at the old butler, having known him since he was a teenager, he knew the butler well enough that there was something very much bothering the man. "Fujioka-san, what is the matter?" "You will not seperate Seijuro from his first love. The boy deserves this happiness, his workload is almost comparable to your own, and he is still a boy. Allow him to have the love he choose, at least give him that." Fujioka pleaded, though his composure was stern and defiant. Radiating strength, compassion and care. Masaomi was less impressed with it, however. "I will do as I please. The Akashi family has a legacy, something I am certain you will not understand. This girl is an embarrasment to our family name, unlike Niragi Tsukiko. It would be better for Seijuro to forget her as soon as possible." "Like you forgot Shiori-Sama as soon as possible?" Fujioka knew it was a low blow, but at this point, Masaomi had severely angered him. "How dare you speak to your Master in such a tone!" Masaomi bellowed, clearly hurt by the comment. "Master? I don't see one. My family does have a legacy and it's been serving the Kaneshiro clan for nearly three centuries now. They're a good family, and you were the one lucky to have married one of their own. Money doesn't buys the good will the Kaneshiro family has garnered over the centuries of their philanthrophic efforts. We serve the Kaneshiro family because of their heart, not their wallet. Shiori-Sama was a true lady of the people, and I served her with pride. Seijuro inherited my service as a son of the Kaneshiro clan, and he is my only master in this household." It felt good to finally say these words out loud. Fujioka had been serving Masaomi as an act of kindness to Seijuro and Shiori, but that had only given the man the believe he had power over him in the way he did with the majority of their servants. But those who swore servitude to the Kaneshiro's, were only there for Seijuro's sake. Masaomi was his master in name alone, not by actual contract. It was definitely time for the older Akashi to remember that, and the subsequent fact that even if Fujioka defied him now, Masaomi was not in the position to fire him. Masaomi looked him deep in his eyes, trying to recover his calm. Because, it was true Fuijoka was hired by the Kaneshiro family, and the only one other then Seijuro who had the power to legally fire the butler, was the one person he did not want to get involved in the matter. Masaomi was a sensible man, and certainly he feared his mother in law. Especially considering Seijuro's sadistic, violent tendencies was something he got from her. Age hadn't made her any less dangerous, on the contrary, it only added to her element of surprise. Kaneshiro Rima was a terrifying little lady, who'd skin him alive if she laid her eyes upon a sad Seijuro. Suddenly, the deal with the Niragi family became a little less attractive as an idea. Either way, Fuijioka would sabotage his vision and in the worst case scenario he'd end up dead or worse. Masaomi sighed. "I suppose I have nothing to say to that. But if my family is ruined by that girl, then the Kaneshiro family should better be prepared to fix everything." Fujioka nodded as a response, and excused himself. Triumph was jittering through his veins.

Akashi was  trying his best not to cry into his pillow, but the warmth of his bed was so comforting and he felt so god damn miserable. He didn't wanted to be paired up with Tsukiko, who never had anything interesting to say, no passion in her eyes. She wasn't you. You were passionate and knew how to keep him interested. You were also really pretty, and had the loveliest smile he had ever seen. You were warm and vibrant. You were everything he needed. You, and only you. As he heard the door of his room open, he wanted to yell, until he saw it was Fuijoka, and not his father. "Is there something wrong, Fujioka-san?" "Not anymore young master. I just talked with your father, he won't stop you from dating the girl." Akashi sat upright at his bed, his ruby eyes blinking at the old butler. "You did what, Fujioka-san? But how?!" "I did nothing, but remind him of the things you deserve, and what is your right." The butler smiled gently at the boy, who's face was sporting an overjoyed expression. Akashi looked at his butler with the utmost gratitude, happiness spreading through his chest. He could still see you. He could be with you. Not Tsukiko. The old butler sat down at the chair next to his bed, and asked Akashi the question he had secretly been dying to hear, "This girl, what is she like?" And as Akashi launched into a long description of you, how lovely you were, how much you liberated him and made him happy, Fujioka couldn't help but notice something. 'Masaomi can disapprove of it, but Seijuro looks so much like his father gushing over Shiori right now. Young love is such a wonderful thing.' So the old butler continued to smile warmly, hoping deep down he'd still be there to see Seijuro and you have a firstborn of your own. Fate looked on with warmth in her eyes, knowing both their wishes would come true.  Nothing was more powerful then a dream, and one born out of love was the most powerful of all.

#knb #knb akashi #akashi seijuro #akashi x reader #knb x you #basic instinct #kuroko's basketball #akashi masaomi #toxic parents #super butler #young love #shiori #arranged marriage #kuroko no basket #angst #drama #scary grandma

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Part 5

Basic Instinct Part 5

A/N: Finally, part 5! We’re getting closer to the reader and Akashi finally becoming a couple and Akashi is granted another nugget of the reader’s personal philosophy, but there are schemers lurking in the dark. Other then my usual warnings, there are mentions of bystanders who do nothing, in case that’s painful for anyone.  Masterpost

Akashi grinned as he saw you approach the team. Rakuzan had just won a practise match against Seiho, and you were practically jumping on the team. "You guys did amazing!" This, was of course a fact, but Akashi couldn't help but feel a little flustered at your bright, excited demeanor. "Thank you L/n-san, we appreciate your enthusiasm." Reo replied with a smile gracing his features. "Are you guys hungry?" You asked, considering the practise match took place just after classes, with Seiho's team having a free day off of school. Apparantly, the school was excused for a few days because of a fire accident during chemistry class which Akashi had used to his advantage, how he knew, you had no clue. This guy really was absolute. Eikichi belted out a big, "YEAH!" as Kotaro nodded quickly. "Good, because I'm treating you all to the Maji Burger. It's about damn time I repay you Seijuro," you said confidently, although your confidence slightly faltered upon seeing Nebuya's enthusiasm. Akashi noticed, of course. 'Her mother definitely doesn't makes enough to cover for his appetite, and of course she's a volunteer who's too sweet to work for money.' "I'm covering for Nebuya." He turned his head to his teammate and added, "You shouldn't take advantage of someone's kindness like that." Eikichi rubbbed the back of his head with a guilty expression on his face. You smiled, totally melting at his generosity, and the fact he just saved you from going completely broke.

After you all ate, Akashi insisted on walking you home. He had noticed a few things about you that dinner, something only a group setting and a public situation like this would showcase. Like how your confidence bordered on fearlessness when you were joking around with Kotaro. You didn't seem to care at all at what someone thought of you. It wasn't just at school where you were in a familiar enviroment with everyone knowing you. Your playful confidence and jokes were a constant, and with his teammates bringing more liveliness to the party, it added fuel to your lovely fire. He wondered how you did that, not being afraid to make a total fool out of yourself. "Dinner was quite fun." He said. "Yeah! Everyone was so nice, and I had quite a good laugh." You replied, your smile bright. "Well, you certainly were the heart and soul of our party. I cannot believe you got Kotaro to dance with you in the queue." "Well, there's nothing wrong with a little victory dance." You chirped. "I'm not saying there is. Just curious how you can muster that confidence." Akashi confessed. "Eh?" You asked him, not believing he of all people was asking you about confidence. You blinked a couple of times, before honestly replying, "Well, it's to do with my life's philosophy." "Your belief in great sorrow and great joy?" "Yeah. It was around the time where I adopted my philosophy, when I had this certain thought. It's true what they say in all those guilt-tripping charity commercials, most people would rather close their eyes to what injustice is in front of them. With your life, with what happened at Teiko, isn't that exactly what people did? I learnt that too, painfully well, with my own mother. You admitted to me you investigated me, yet the neighbor who told you about my mom's actions never did something about it, and there are more. It's what people do," you took a deep breath before continuing. "So then I thought to myself, if people don't want to see what's going on when my life sucks, they shouldn't suddenly open their eyes once I'm happy and feeling alive. Let the blind remain blind. The people who keep their eyes open no matter what are the only people who matter." "And thus you stopped caring for superficial people, including their opinions." Akashi concluded, and you nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable at being vulnerable. "It's difficult to find happiness if you care about everyone else's before your own. That same thought should go for trying to please others by behaving accordingly when following your heart is a harmless thing to do." 'A harmless thing to do...' Akashi thought about it. "Have I ever told you that you are wise for your age before?" "No, you haven't. But thank you." You smiled at the compliment, your eyes casted down as you were to one to feel slightly flustered this time. Akashi smiled at your reponse, and longed to grab your hand. "I'm happy we're friends," was what he said instead. "Me too." You replied softly, and you bit your lip as you noticed you were already at your street. Akashi wished he didn't had to watch you leave, but he swallowed back how he felt, and wished you goodnight. Your big e/c eyes were staring back at his own, "Goodnight, Seijuro." You said, before you slipped into your home. Which has made him feel like he was dying because of mutiple reasons.

1. You were leaving. 2. You wished him goodnight for the first time ever. 3. Your voice sounded so very sweet when you did. 4. You called him by his first name again.

'This girl has such a gigantic power over me, and she doesn't even has a clue.'

Who did have a clue, was his father, who was getting very impatient at the fact his son wasn't home yet. 'She gets him to skip classes, both at school AND home, and he spends the free time he does have on dates with her. He should get a better grip on himself.' The man was silently seething in anger, because this wasn't how he had raised his son. Fujioka, on the other hand, was watching on with a pit of dread forming in his stomach. He feared for the young master's return. Not because he was worried for the young master's safety, but for whatever punishment would await him when he'd get home. The boy already had such a workload, and whomever the girl he was seeing was, she seemed to try and save whatever was left of the young master's childhood. The boy should be a boy. Fujioka-san knew, that whilst his master didn't like your influence, Shiori-Sama would have approved of it. He couldn't help but look forward to the future, when a kind mistress would be the lady of the house once more. So when Akashi finally arrived home, he preprared himself. 'I'll defend the young master and his blossoming love from Masaomi-Sama. It's what Shiori-Sama would have wanted, and I was her servant first.'

#akashi masaomi #akashi #knb #akashi seijuro #akashi x reader #philosophy #basic instinct #basketball #seiho #rakuzan #dinner #restuarant #nebuya eikichi #mibuchi reo #kotaro hayama #goodnight #teiko middle school #shiori #confidence #being a clown #kuroko no basket

[tetsunabouquet]

Basic Instinct Part 4

A/N: So if I’m not doing my homework, I am catching up on my writing schedule. FINALLY, part 4 is here and we get to the parents having no boundaries part, so be warned. Overprotective daddy mode has been activated, as well as roast mode. Masaomi just seems like that kind of douche.  Masterpost Akashi Masaomi had always believed himself to be above these kind of actions, but here he was, trailing in the shadows after his son. His son, who was according to his butler's reports going to meet the person he was texting. He spied, as he saw his son's face light up at the sight of a h/c haired girl. "Akashi-san!" You chirped, your face as bright and happy as his son's. You looked happy to see his son in a genuine way, he'd give you that, but your attire alone revealed your commoner status, which Akashi senior wasn't very happy with. Ah well, he could better suck it, as Fate would say.  Because Akashi Seijuro's heart was pounding so loudly he feared it would break through his ribcage. He thought you looked so beautiful, you had chosen the correct colours that suited you and brought out your eyes. He loved the way their colour were standing out more vividly in your sweet face. "I'm so happy you want to help me shopping. I really have no clue what kind of sheet music my cousin would like for his birthday." You said, looking at him like he was your savior. "It's no problem. It was a good idea to think of gifting him sheet music. It's definitely a gift a musician could appreciate." Akashi said, trying to subtly hint at the fact he'd also appreciate such a gift from you if you ever were in the need or position to gift him something. Just the idea made his blush- when he was alone at least, he tried not thinking about these things too much in front of you, scared he'd betray himself. He wanted to confess to you, but not yet. Not when you were reaching out for help with your cousin. You trusted him to give advice and his honest opinion, he did not wish to get distracted with his own feelings whilst doing so. "So, how's your day been so far?" You asked as you headed into the direction of the music store. "Hmm, well it was pretty quiet. My father left for business earlier." You sighed. "It sucks when your only parent is constantly with their minds at work, doesn't it?" "Yeah," he breathed. He loved how you understood, even though he wished a happier life for you. It almost made him feel guilty, the way he felt so relieved whenever you echoed how he felt. You rubbed his shoulder with sympathy before you slid into the store, Akashi behind you. Masaomi was staring at a distance, his eyes locked on the shop. 'I could buy that entire place. There are far better shops with more valuable instruments. If Seijuro needs anything, he could just ask me instead of degrading himself to a lowly commoner and shopping so ordinarily.' It must be you. He wondered if his boy was trying to impress this commoner girl. 'Shiori had status. This girl is not nearly as worthy of my Seijuro, or have his fancy of her compared to our love.' After about a half hour, thanks to Akashi, you had found some Mozart you figured your cousin would enjoy. You smiled as you purchased the gift, happy he had came along to help. "You're really a life saver, Akashi-san!" "Please, do call me Seijuro. We're friends." He insisted, who was secretly dying to get on first name basis with you. You giggled joyfully and replied, "okay, if that's what you wish Seijuro-san!" His heart skipped a beat with the way your name rolled off of your tongue. "Yes, and I can call you Y/n-san, right?" You nodded, and a bright smile broke out on his face. "Great. Can I treat you to lunch?" He asked, courteously but warm. "Actually, I had something in mind!" You chirped, and started rummaging through your bag. "Perhaps it's better if we find a place to sit..." you muttered. Akashi was instantly curious, and guided you to the nearest benches located at the nearby square. 'Did she actually brought something to eat for us? Did she make it herself? Do I get to taste her self-made food for the first time?' Thoughts were racing, and he tried to contain his excitement at the idea of getting to taste his crush's home-made food. As you sat down, you pulled out a small plastic sack, and looked at him with expecting, hopeful eyes. "I know we've only been friends as of recent, but when I though of asking your help I realized I did forget your birthday the other week." That took an unexpected turn. "You're gifting me something for my birthday?" He asked breathlessly. "Well, its just a bunch of muffins I baked. I don't really know that much about what you like yet, and I figured anything I could buy is something you could buy a dozen off, so I just settled for birthday muffins." You babbled slightly, the look on your face growing more nervous per second. There was no reason to be nervous, however, considering Akashi felt besides himself with joy at the thought you baked him muffins as a belated birthday present. You sheepishly pulled them out. They were the type that were multi-coloured through the means of cheap food coloring. All of them were an orange-red, with dark green symbols that as Akashi tried to decipher, he realized must be kanji. "The kanji is a bit unreadable, what does it say?" He asked, curiously. You almost seemed to shrink on your seat, mumbling, "It didn't turn out as well as I hoped. I tried imitating the kanji for Shogi pieces. You like Shogi, don't you?" 'Shogi themed muffins?' You might as well have stolen and broke his heart simultaneously. They weren't perfect like how his cook would have made them, but they were baked with so much consideration and care. It reminded him of his mother, the only person who'd put such loving thought in his meals. At that moment, Fate did not know who to pity more. The girl about to burst into tears because she was so terrified of being a failure after years of abuse, or the boy about to burst into tears because he hadn't known such consideration since the death of his only emotionally healthy parent. With both of their eyes shining with tears, Akashi thanked you. "I've seldomly received baked goods from the people close to me. I'll treasure this experience." You let out a small puff of breath out of relief, and smiled with so much kindness it made him blush, ever so slightly. How were you actually real? Because as far as Akashi is concerned, this feels more like a good dream he had forbidden himself to dream a long time ago. Akashi ate your muffins, each bite filling him with so much warmth, he couldn't fathom how he had ever thought so highly of his cook. This, was a way more satisfying meal. Because it was made from the heart. Your heart. It was his turn to feel sheepish once he realized he ate them all without offering you one. "Now you've got nothing to eat. I apologize." "It's okay, they were meant for you." You said, your smile only ever seeming to get sweeter and brighter for some unexplainable reason. 'Kami-Sama truly gave her a smile like the sun. It just gets brighter and warmer the more I look at it.' "Still, I owe you lunch. Let me get you something." Akashi insisted. You giggled in return, your smile still as bright and charming. "I'd like to refuse as you already bought a meal for me once, but I don't think you'll accept no for an answer." "No, I won't." Akashi returned the smile with full confidence, and offered you his arm. You kept giggling as you hooked yours on his, both of you clearly giddy. Exactly as Fate intended, foreseeing the joy that awaited you. Masaomi on the other hand, was retreating. He had seen enough. As much as he found the idea of his son dating a commoner a blasphemy to the Akashi family name, he too, could see the similarity with the muffins and Shiori's old cooking. That happy, proud look you had in your eyes as he enjoyed those muffins, was exactly the look Shiori would have when watching her family eat her food. 'A discount version of my Shiori...Hmmph'. (Masaomi, don't roast reader-chan too badly, you toxic, classist douche)

#basic instinct #akashi masaomi #akashi seijirou #akashi x you #knb x reader #knb #kuroko's basketball #hurt/comfort #baking #shopping #sheet music #knb x you #shiori akashi #birthday #muffins #shogi

[pillow-anime-talk]

lil bird with a broken wing.

request: hello there, may i request a headcanon of akashi seijurou and his father too (if that’s ok) and seijuro has a little sister maybe like 6 or 10 years old, she really look like their mother. but, she has a weak body since she was born so she always stays in her room also homeschooled, but she’s a prof artist in top one of famous artist? she’s always alone, since she was homeschooled and can’t play outside, she was upset about it? sorry if it’s too specific

# tags: headcanon; family relation; slice of life; angst; drama; sfw

includes: oc!sister ft. seijuurou akashi & masaomi akashi {knb}

part two {click}

author’s note: hmm... maybe it’s a bit sad and angsty, but i hope you’ll like this headcanon!

↘ When Mrs. Akashi was alive, everything seemed more colorful and joyful, full of love and care at home. Even though Seijuurou’s little sister was already in weak condition and needed help with simple activities, she still smiled and joked with their lovely mother, all the housekeepers and teachers who worked in the huge, beautiful property. But when the woman died and took the motherly love surrounding the house with her, everything lost its color and only the canvases in the second-floor room still seemed bright and loud. Unlike the rest of the household, including the head of the family and his two children.

↘ The ten-year-old girl who before was surrounded by warm feelings and attention, now she spent her days alone; sometimes studying, sometimes painting and sometimes watching fairy tales, as befits a young child.

↘ She talked and played with her brother from time to time, doing puzzles or crosswords, but only from time to time as I said, because the teenager was very busy with school, with his basketball team and with meeting their father’s expectations.

↘ Sometimes the housekeeper would bring her dinner and ask her how she was feeling, and sometimes, very rarely, Masaomi himself also visited her to praise her drawings and paintings of which she painted more and more everyday.

↘ But it was still not what the little soul in the girl’s body wanted.

↘ As a child, she wanted to go outside, play in the sandbox, go to the playground or even the garden, meet people of her age who would praise her new hairstyle, pretty dress or favorites shoes. But unfortunately in her case it was forbidden due to her poor condition and really weak body.

↘ That’s why the little girl drew what she wanted; from having friends, through a joint dinner with the closest family and all housekeepers or butlers, to reuniting with her beloved mother, from whom she inherited both beauty and a calm, very kind character.

↘ Each images was, in a sense, her perfect picture of the life of a growing up child.

↘ But the fact that someone saw only paintings in them who could be sold or shown to other people was a different, much more painful story.

#— 🍓 #kuroko no basket headcanons #kuroko no basket x reader #kuroko no basket x you #kuroko no basket x y/n #knb headcanons #knb headcanon #knb x reader #knb x female reader #knb x you #knb x y/n #akashi seijuurou #akashi seijuurou headcanons #akashi seijuurou x reader #akashi seijuurou x you #akashi headcanons #akashi x reader #seijuurou headcanons #seijuurou x reader #masaomi akashi #masaomi akashi x reader

[thekuroiookami]

KnB (Akashi x Reader): The Queen’s Gambit - Part 6

When Akashi announced his plans, it was in a fashion keeping with his character: suddenly and absolutely.

“We’re going to Tokyo this weekend.”

You looked up from the oven you were monitoring.  “Who’s we?”

He raised an imperious eyebrow.  “Why are you acting obtuse? I mean the both of us, of course. I booked the tickets for Friday.”

Your eyes narrowed and your grip on the whisk tightened. “I see. I’m so glad you consulted me about it.”

Akashi eyed the implement you were clenching with wariness. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

“Hmm. Let’s see. You want me to be pleased that you just rode rough-shod over my life with no regard for my feelings whatsoever? And without so much as a word? Tell me, Sei, exactly what should I be pleased about?”

He realized this was not just heading into dangerous territory, it had already gotten there and fallen into the alligator swamp.

“Of course I would never disrupt any plans you had, ____. I checked with your parents, and Kojima-san. They said you had no plans this weekend. And since our exams are done with, I thought we could both use a break. Together.”

Not for the first time, you wished your mother wasn’t quite so willing to encourage your relationship. Your father was likely to go along with anything your mother said, so he probably hadn’t been much help either.

You let out a breath. “I appreciate the thought, I really do. But did it ever occur to you that I might have things I wanted to be doing or that I might not want to go to Tokyo? You might be right a lot of the time, but that doesn’t mean you should assume things.”

He was looking at you with that cat-like expression which meant he was annoyed. You held his gaze, standing your ground. Eventually he looked away, sighing a little.

“I apologize. That was presumptuous of me. I will not do so again.”

That…was surprisingly quick. And now he looks depressed? Well, the Akashi version of it, anyway. I should probably cheer him up now.

“So what’s the occasion?” You pulled the tray out of the oven, checking that the cake was baked through.

“Pardon me?”

“For our trip to Tokyo. Is there a special reason?” You smiled at his confusion as you divided the cake up into squares and set it out to cool.

Akashi looked at you for a moment, assessing. You felt him watching and looked up, smile brightening.

“I need to know what to pack. Or expect.” You looked at him expectantly.

“There’s no particular reason. Kuroko and Momoi are having one of their get-togethers, and they invited all the Teiko members. I thought you would enjoy spending time in Tokyo, as I remember you saying you wanted to visit.”

You tapped your cheek thoughtfully. “I did, and it would be nice to see Momoi-san and Kise-san again. Did she have anything specific in mind?”

He tried to tamp down on his annoyance at the mention of Kise. “I believe she wants everyone to meet at the beach. Something about the summer being a golden opportunity to bond. That’s only one day of activity though, so you don’t have to worry. We should be free to spend time together the next day. Why did you mention Ryouta specifically?”

You were vaguely amused. “Because he’s the one I’ve seen the most of? And it’s impossible not to be happy in his presence, he’s got so much energy. Like a puppy. Why, Seijuro, are you jealous?”

Akashi didn’t know whether to be envious or sorry for Kise. He decided to pity him, since being compared to a ball of fluff was not high on his list of priorities. “No, merely curious.”

You looked unconvinced, but decided not to pursue it. “Here, you can try the cake now.”

He took the plate and fork from you in an elegant movement. “Thank you.”

A shuffle alerted you to the presence of the housekeeper. “Mitsue-san, you’re back. Would you like some cake?”

She eyed the pastry regretfully. “I could not impose on you, ___-san.”

Akashi smiled at her. “You should, it’s excellent. ____’s desserts are popular and disappear instantly when she brings them to school. She’s a terrible influence on the basketball team.”

You were slightly embarrassed. “I’m sure I’m no match for the chef here, and you can blame Mama for Rakuzan’s weight gain. She bakes more than I do, and better. But I’d like it if you gave me your opinion, Mitsue-san.”

She inclined her head. “Then, I will not refuse.”

Just as you handed her the plate, sharp footsteps sounded. Akashi Masaomi strode into the room, looking as irritable as always.

“Junko, where is my-“ He stopped as everyone else froze and took in the scene. “What is going on here?”

You could see the housekeeper regretting her life choices, and spoke first. “Akashi-san, good afternoon. I just finished making a red velvet cake. Would you like to have some?”

Akashi Senior gave you a disdainful look. “I have no need for such a thing.”

You resigned yourself to eternally being at odds with this man. The other Akashi in the room decided to intervene.

“You’ll have to forgive my father, ___. His delicate health prevents him from indulging in desserts, even ones as delicious as yours.” He gave a mournful shake of his head.

Your face was the picture of innocent remorse. “Oh no, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Akashi-san.”

Masamomi gritted his teeth. “You two are playing a very dangerous game. Very well. Bring it here.”

Mitsue glided over with a slice of cake, bowing as she handed it to him. He ran a critical eye over it and took a bite. His eyes narrowed. You waited in terror, hands twisting in your apron.

He took another bite, and looked at you consideringly. You blinked at him, apprehensive.

Masaomi growled, sounding very unhappy. “It is acceptable, I suppose.”

You had to bite your cheek to keep from laughing out loud. “Thank you, Akashi-san.”

Your boyfriend also looked slightly amused. And since he was pure evil, he continued with the torment. “If that is the case, I’m sure there would no point in keeping it all here. ___, you should just bring the rest to school.”

His father, who had been in the process of leaving, swivelled around, scowling. “I have no objection to this dish being served here. It is perfectly edible.” With that, he walked away.

You watched him go in amazement. “Sei, no offense, but I think your father might be a tsundere. Just a little.”

“I have no idea what you mean. But if I did, I might agree with you.”

You laughed a little. “Thanks for letting me use your kitchen, then. Would you like a bento as thanks? It shouldn’t be too difficult to make one.”

His eyes brightened. While he never mentioned it, Akashi had no real fondness for sweets, and taste-tested your cakes more out of politeness than anything else. That, and he liked to watch you at work in the kitchen, marvelling at the happy domesticity of the process. On the other hand, he rarely got to try simpler traditional cooking.

“I would appreciate it if you did.” He tried to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.

You were well aware that Akashi didn’t care much for cake. “Was it tofu soup that you liked? And no ginger or seaweed, if I remember correctly. I really should have taken notes when that girl lectured me. Is there anything else?”

“No. I shall look forward to it, then. It’s been a while since I’ve had tofu soup.” He was lost in thought.

You considered him, feeling a twinge of sadness.

Sometimes I wonder which one of us is really the lucky one.

“I’ll bring it with me on Friday then. When are we leaving?”

“Around twelve. I shall pick you up.”

“No need, I’ll meet you at the station. Now, can we go see Yukimaru? I made her a promise.”

“As you wish.”

At the arranged time, you arrived at the right platform in time to hear the end of Akashi’s conversation on the phone.

“…I understand. No, I won’t have trouble finding it. There’s no need to send Kuroko.”

He snapped his phone shut and held his hand out for your bag. You shook your head at him and handed over your not-at-all-heavy carry all.

“Was that Momoi-san just now?”

“Yes. She was telling me the location she wanted to meet at. Shall we go?”

An hour and a half into the journey, you pulled a flask out from your bag. Akashi watched, intrigued, as you set it down on the folding table.

“Here.” You held out a mug and spoon. “As promised, tofu soup. It’s about time for lunch anyway.”

He took the mug, silent, as you poured the soup from the flask. His face was shuttered as you spoke again.

“Careful, it’s still hot. I wasn’t entirely sure what you liked so I went with the usual recipe. I hope it’s okay.”

He took a slow sip, his expression still inscrutable. You were starting to get worried.

“Sei? Is everything alright?”

Your breath left your lungs he pulled you into a sudden hug. Your face was buried in his shoulder and you couldn’t see anything. The feeling of foreboding increased.

“Erm, is something wrong? You should just tell me if it doesn’t taste good.”

“It’s fine.” His voice was low. “I’m a little too happy right now, so bear with me. I can’t look at you properly.”

I wonder what I did to deserve this. I keep trying to cherish her, but she’s one that spoils me instead. Sometimes it scares me that someone could show me that much love.

You didn’t fully understand it, but you relaxed into the hug and wrapped your arms around him. You stayed like that until he drew back and dropped a light kiss on your forehead. You gave him one of your gentle smiles and held out chopsticks.

“Come on, let’s finish the bento before everything goes cold.”

The next day, you reflected that the weather gods had decided to bless you with sunshine and moderately warm sunshine. Akashi pulled his sunglasses back as Momoi did an excited hop.

“Akashi-kun, you’re here! I’m so glad you made it. Yuri-san, you too! It’s been too long!”

You smiled at Momoi as she drew you into a hug. “It’s lovely to see you again, Momoi-san. Is everyone here already?”

“Goodness, call me Satsuki. And no, so far only Tetsu-kun and Midorin are here. You’re early.”

“What, did you forget about me after you dragged me out here at some godforsaken hour? Really.” An irritated, deep voice sounded from behind her.

Momoi didn’t bother turning around. “And Dai-chan’s here as well, though just barely.”

Aomine narrowed his eyes at her, but chose to speak to Akashi instead. “Yo, Akashi. Midorima has finally gone over the bend. Come see.”

You exchanged a look with Akashi and followed Aomine as he ambled towards a shaded hut-like structure. As you got closer, you could hear the sound of hysterical laughter.

“Shin-chan, you’ve really done it now! Where did you get that thing?! And more importantly, where was it all this time?”

“Quiet, Takao. What does it matter where I stored it? Oha-Asa said today is especially unlucky for Cancers. I’d rather this than drown, nanodayo.”

Everyone stopped short as they took in the sight. Aomine snickered behind his hand. You were especially astonished, having never been immunized to Midorima’s eccentricities. A boy with dark hair and sharp eyes was clutching his stomach, almost in tears from laughing.

Momoi nudged Aomine sharply, unable to tear her eyes away from the monstrosity. “What on earth is that?”

Akashi answered instead. “I believe…it is a flamingo.”

It was, if you could get over how garishly pink it was. The inflatable tube was taller than you, and had a strangely dead-eyed expression on its pointed face. You gave Akashi a meaningful look and a whole telepathic conversation ensued.

Seijuro, I thought you said you played shogi with Midorima-san? Is this the same person?

Midorima has his…unique qualities.

The green-haired person in question had enough self-awareness to blush as everyone stood there, incredulous. It was strangely complementary to the flamingo.

“S-stop staring, nanodayo. Akashi, you’ve arrived, I see.”

Akashi’s face had the expression of someone who’d seen this one too many times and mentally given up. “Midorima. That is an unusual lucky item, even for you.”

“Today’s horoscope said a pink bird and we are at the beach, so this was most appropriate.”

Takao perked up at the sight of new people. “Long time no see, Rakuzan’s captain! And there’s a new girl too! We haven’t been introduced, have we?”

Akashi slid in before you could take Takao’s outstretched hand. “Kazunari. This is my girlfriend, ___.”

The point guard’s eyes widened, then sharpened as he assessed you. “I see. It’s nice to meet you, ___-san. I’m Takao Kazunari, Shin-chan’s team mate and best friend.” Midorima scoffed at this.

You wondered how Midorima’s cold stillness went together with the cheerful exuberance that was Takao, but decided you liked the latter anyway. You greeted him politely, and turned around when Momoi gave a happy cry.

“Mukkun! Finally!”

“Momo-chin, it’s hot and I’m tired. I want to lie down.” The ridiculously tall boy yawned.

A young man with black hair over one eye and a sly smile shook his head. “That won’t do, Atsushi. We just got here.”

“Himuro-san, thank you for getting him here. I owe you one.” Momoi and the boy looked eerily sinister when they smiled conspiratorially.

“Not at all. I get to meet Taiga while I’m here. Has he arrived yet?”

“Oh, it’s Himuro-san. Hello again. Kagami-kun should be here soon.” Eight people jumped sideways as a soft voice appeared from nowhere.

Aomine clutched at his chest. “The hell, Tetsu, you have to stop doing that. Where were you?”

Kuroko frowned slightly. “It’s not my fault you’re not observant, Aomine-kun. I’ve been here for a whole minute now. I was at the store to buy sunscreen.”

You heard the sound of sand crunching and turned to look. “Oh, Kise-san is here.”

“Ohhhh, so many people! Hello, everyone! No, wait, Kagamicchi is missing. Midorimacchi, what in the world is that thing?”

Midorima huffed and pushed his glasses up his nose. “I refuse to answer.”

Akashi pulled you in as Kise bounced over. “Yuricchi, how have you been? Is Akashicchi being mean to you?”

You gave Akashi an amused glance. “No he’s been wonderful. Mibuchi-senpai sends his regards, by the way.”

Kise’s expression turned flat and he abruptly found something else to do. You watched him go and pondered aloud.

“I wonder what could have traumatized someone like Kise-san?”

Akashi sounded almost gleeful. “Mibuchi, I imagine. Actually, I can’t imagine.”

Momoi started issuing orders to everyone. Somehow, under her dictatorship, parasols were propped up, blankets laid out and a barbeque set out. Coolers of drinks materialized and there was even a first aid box with generous supplies of sunscreen. You were impressed.

“Sei, I think we found someone even more commanding than you.”

Akashi was saved from having to respond when the Kagami arrived with people in tow, looking harassed.

“Sorry I’m late. Took me a while to pick up the things you asked for. Here, Momoi-san.” He held out several grocery bags, presumably containing the food for the barbeque.

She took the bags and peered around his giant frame. “Who did you bring with you, Kagamin?”

“Hello, beloved kouhais! It’s nice to sea you all at the beach.” Izuki’s declaration drew the attention of all the other people at the gathering. Several groans could be heard.

Riko cuffed him over the head. “Restrain yourself, Izuki! You’ll scare them off and it hasn’t been two minutes since we got here.”

Izuki, rubbing his head, noticed you watching with fascination. “Whale whale whale, what do we have here? A new face?”

You were frozen, overwhelmed by the cognitive ability required to keep up with the conversation. Riko took pity on you and intervened.

“Izuki, stop torturing the poor girl.” She turned to you. “It’s alright, Izuki’s presence is like radiation. You get over the nausea eventually. Usually death follows. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Aida Riko, Seirin’s coach.”

You broke out of your stupor and smiled at her. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Aida-san. Your work as a coach is impressive. It’s nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself, drawing speculative looks from the seniors.

A few minutes later, everyone was gathered around Momoi, who was outlining her schedule.

“So you all have about two hours to whatever you want. Go swimming, build sand-castles, all those things. We can have lunch after that, and move on to the main event.”

“What’s that?” Kise’s eyes were wide in hope.

Momoi’s smile was sly. “That’s a secret. Off with you all. Don’t forget to wear lots of sunscreen. And if you must abandon your t-shirts, please leave them somewhere around here so I can find them again.” A meaningful look was directed at Dai-chan and Mukkun, who both staunchly ignored her.

Takao spoke up, mischief in his eyes. “We should probably keep an eye out of suspicious people, just in case. After all, some men might not be able to resist the sight of such beautiful ladies in swimsuits.” He waved a hand at the females. You, Riko and Momoi blinked at this nonsense.

Several people held their breath as Momoi brought a hand up to the zip of her hoodie. Akashi’s voice cut through the air.

“Takao has a point. It would better not to tempt fate. Perhaps you should keep your outer clothing on.” You and Momoi rolled your eyes, not fooled by this show of protection. The people holding their breath deflated.

“Akashi-kun,” said Riko, “you worry too much. Besides, what use are all these muscle-bound morons if you can’t scare off a pervert? I’m pretty sure you lot will attract more attention than we do.”

It turned out she was right. After the majority of them pulled off their shirts, no one on the beach would have noticed if an elephant had tap-danced in front of them.

Kise and Himuro were immediately swarmed by a flock of teenage girls, and had to be rescued by Izuki, who had them retreating like the tide with a single pun. Takao was equally popular, his friendly personality and good cheer attracting admirers in droves. Kagami, who made the mistake of standing next to him, nearly became comatose after two particularly inquisitive girls poked his abs to find out if they really were as hard as they looked.

Aomine, meanwhile, seemed to oblivious to all the longing glances being thrown his way. He was too busy burying a disgruntled Kuroko under a mountain of sand. Murasakibara decided this was activity he didn’t care for and dozed in a hammock, occasionally peering blearily out of one eye to ask for snacks. You nodded to Akashi as he settled down to play a game of shogi with Midorima.

“Sei, I’ll be around here with Momoi-san and Aida-san. Enjoy your game.”

He smiled and returned to the board, moving a piece and making Midorima scowl. You cast one last glance at the electric pink flamingo before Momoi dragged you off.

“Where are we going, Satsuki-san?”

“I thought we girls should spend some time together. The boys always get to play sports when they meet. This is a golden opportunity for us to do that.”

She stopped in front of a volleyball net. Riko was already there, talking to a tall blonde woman wearing glasses. Garcia brightened when she saw you and Momoi approach.

“Oh my, another cute girl! Wherever did you find her, Satsuki?”

During the introduction, only Riko’s grip on her t-shirt and your reflexes kept you from being kissed to within an inch of your life. Alexandra pouted a bit, but then cheered up when Momoi asked her to join in.

“Beach volleyball, huh?” Riko was thoughtful. “I haven’t played in a while. This should be interesting.”

It was a bit difficult to work out, but in the end, Garcia and Momoi ended up on one side, with you and Riko on the other.

Riko grumbled a bit under her breath. “I feel like the average bust size is much higher on that side.”

You were bemused. “I agree, Aida-san. Though we should probably count ourselves lucky that we don’t have the extra weight.”

Garcia gave you a shark-like smile that showed she’d heard you. “If you think I’ll go easy on you, you’re wrong, little girl.”

Your eyes sharpened and you shifted into a receiving stance. “I would expect nothing less, Garcia-san.”

Around forty minutes later, Akashi was walking by with Kuroko and Himuro when he heard a familiar shout.

“Go for it, Momoicchi! You can do it!” A crowd was gathered where Kise was cheerleading.

Kuroko and Akashi exchanged glances. Himuro was already moving towards Kise, weaving through the throng of people. Takao looked in their direction, his eyes wide.

“Guys, you have to see this.”

In the sweltering heat of the midday sun, there was a zone of chilling concentration on the volleyball court. The teams had been swapped around after one round of play, with you and Alexandra facing off against a vengeful Riko and a strangely competitive Momoi. You and Riko watched each other warily, constantly calculating the possibilities. Momoi stepped a foot back, preparing to serve.

As the ball sailed over the net, you used its momentum to send it upwards, setting it in a high arc for Garcia’s spike. Momoi was ready for it, however, sending a spray of sand upwards as she slid forward on her knees. Riko, who had been waiting for this moment, sprinted, pushed a foot off against the net pole, and used the added height to spike the ball viciously.

The boys collectively flinched as the ball rocketed down. Surely that would kill someone if they tried to receive it. You had no such qualms, taking the brunt of the blow on your forearms in a move that ended with you rolling upright. Garcia somehow managed to tap the ball close enough to the net that Riko couldn’t catch it. You and the blonde smirked in victory. Himuro’s one eye was huge.

“Was it this dramatic from the beginning?” His voice came out as an awed whisper.

Kise stage-whispered back. “I’m not really sure, since I came in about halfway through. But before they changed teams, it was pretty intense already. Yuricchi has a future as a libero if she ever gets bored of Akashicchi. And Garcia-san’s spikes are just scary.”

Akashi slid his narrowed gaze in Kise’s direction, but said nothing. Takao had recovered enough to grin wickedly.

“It certainly is impressive. They’ve been at it for a while now. About the length of a basketball match.”

Kuroko shifted Nigou in his arms and spoke softly. “I don’t think everyone else is watching for their technical skill, Takao-kun.”

Akashi concurred. This was his worst nightmare come true. During the course of the game, you and Riko had abandoned your loose kaftans for crop tops and shorts. Alex had flung her shirt into the wind the moment the game began. Momoi was still wearing her summer hoodie, but it was gaping open, like several individuals with glazed expressions. It was everything he had said not to do at the start of the day – draw attention and take off clothes.

None of the girls were paying attention, being in the middle of a very tense rally. Despite the WNBA player’s athletic advantage, Riko and Momoi were only a point behind. If you wanted to win this match, you needed to be two points ahead. Alex noticed the bewildered boys and smirked.

“Hello boys. Want to join in?”

Everyone that was not Akashi and Kuroko shook their heads emphatically. There was a low whistle from behind them. Aomine and Kagami strolled in, dripping water everywhere and carrying surf-boards.

Aomine looked positively delighted. “Whoa, never knew girls could look so hot playing volleyball. This is a sight for sore eyes.”

Himuro cringed and Kagami face-palmed. “That’s my older sister-figure you’re talking about, Ahomine. Have some sense. Also, Akashi is standing right there.”

Aomine realized this belatedly as an elbow rammed sharply into his gut. Kuroko sighed and returned to watching the game. Nigou suddenly wriggled and barked, wanting to get free to chase an interesting crab that had scuttled by.

At the unexpected sound of a puppy, your eyes briefly slid sideways. Momoi took advantage of the distraction and slammed the ball over the net, scoring the last point. Alex groaned and you huffed in frustration.

“Apologies, Alex-san. That was my fault.” You straightened, brushing sand off your clothes.

She waved it away. “Nah, it’s fine. It was a good game. They beat us fair and square.”

The boys blinked as the intense atmosphere abruptly vanished. One moment everyone looked like they wanted to reach across the net and strangle each other, and they were chatting happily in the next. You laughed at something at Momoi said, while Riko handed Alex a towel. It was baffling.

“I will never understand women.” Takao’s words of wisdom echoed with everyone present. Even Kise nodded his head.

The crowd of spectators had been ready to leave when Alex hammered the last nail into Akashi’s coffin. Overheated and sweaty, she tipped a bottle of water over her head, soaking her face and neck. There was a sudden stampede as the flock of admirers rushed her and the other girls in the process.

To Alex: “Pretty lady, could I have your autograph please? And your number, if you don’t mind.”

To Momoi: “You should put some sunscreen on. Here, let me help you.”

To you and Riko: “Which school are you guys from? Say it’s somewhere near mine.”

The blonde just looked amused. Momoi smiled politely and started backing up. You had to stifle a laugh when Riko looked panicked for the first time that day.

Akashi decided enough was enough and stepped in front of you, radiating danger. The spectators reconsidered their decisions when Kagami loomed over them, with Aomine sporting a slightly manic grin. They turned tail and fled.

Akashi turned around, fully intending to tell you what he thought of the whole thing and how you were never going to leave his sight again, but you weren’t there. He blinked.

Your voice came from a few feet away, sounding delighted. “Kuroko-san, he’s adorable! What’s his name?”

“Nigou.” Kuroko smiled as he looked down the puppy, who was rolling in happiness at the rub you were giving him.

You tilted your head, puzzled. “Nigou? He looks kind of familiar…” You looked up at another pair of sad blue eyes and made the connection. “Ah.”

Kuroko abruptly held out the puppy to you. “Good luck, ___-san.”

When you finished picking up Nigou, Kuroko had disappeared. “What just-“

“___.” Akashi’s voice promised divine retribution for days to come. You steeled yourself and turned around with an innocent expression.

“Sei. I was just coming to find you. Isn’t Nigou just amazing?”

Damn you, Kuroko-san. You could have warned me.

He didn’t even spare a glance for the dog. “You’re coming with me, now.”

You were suddenly bundled into his shirt and pulled along, Akashi holding on to your wrist like a vice. You sighed a little at situation.

And him shirtless is better than me in a swimsuit how? Look at all those women staring at Sei. He’s attracting far more attention than I ever did.

He finally released you upon reaching the temporary shelter. But whatever lecture he was about to give was cut off when Midorima and Izuki ran over, looking extremely worried.

“Akashi,” Midorima bit out, “you must come, it’s a disaster.”

You silently thanked whatever natural calamity it was that spared you the dragon’s wrath. Though if Izuki was worried, it might have been worse than you expected.

“What is it?” Akashi was not pleased by his interruption. “Did Kuroko get into a fight again?”

“No it’s worse. Momoi and Aida-san are attempting to cook the food. The others can barely restrain them. It would be better if you handled the situation.”

Akashi’s face blanched and he went stiff. You were surprised.

“Are they really that bad at cooking? I can’t imagine…”

Izuki’s face was one of utter despair. “It’s so bad, I can’t joke about it. They could potentially kill all of us.”

Wow, that sounds extreme. I should probably do something about this then.

“Then let’s go. I’ll see if I can get them to take a break from the cooking.”

Izuki was one thing, but you never thought Midorima was capable of making a face like that. Of transcendent gratitude. All of you hurried over to where the culinary murder was in progress.

The air was thick with smoke and spices. You waved a hand in front of you, trying to clear the smog. Akashi looked apprehensive, peering into the dense cloud to check for signs of life. Midorima and Izuki kept a safe distance from the war zone.

“Yuri-chan! You’re just in time, the barbeque is ready!” Momoi was happily waving a spatula. To the left, Kagami tried to pry away an enthusiastic Riko from adding protein powder to the grilled beef.

Ready for what? Burial?

“Satsuki-san, what…are you doing? Is that a whole leek on there?”

“Yep, there are mushrooms too! Would you like to try one?”

It’s almost charcoal. At least we won’t have to fear running out of fuel for the grill.

“Maybe in a second. Listen, I think Aomine-san was looking for you. He said something about the captain and practice on Monday.”

Satsuki’s pink eyes were wide. “He did? Oh my, Dai-chan, you’re finally growing a brain!”

You choked on a waft of suspicious smelling soup. “Yes, so I think you should go look for him. He’s by the court. It could be important. Why don’t you take a break and let me worry about this for a while?”

She was clearly torn between her priorities, but relinquished the spatula when you smiled at her encouragingly. As she ran off, you turned the heat on the grill down and prepared to wrangle with the next problem.

“Ah Aida-san, I was just looking for you. I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you take a look at someone for me? I knocked over Izuki-san by accident, and I’m afraid he might have a bruise. Could you check on him?”

As Riko bent over the soup, frowning, you jerked your head at Kagami. He stood there, confused, until Kuroko reappeared and nodded at you. You returned your attention to Riko.

She didn’t look too concerned about her classmate. “Izuki will be fine, I’m sure you didn’t do any lasting damage.”

“He’s- ah, senpai, you dropped something.” A swift kick to the table toppled the protein shaker.

As Riko dived to pick it up, you turned around frantically. Akashi nodded at you from his position near a pole. There was a scuffle from somewhere as Izuki was grabbed and pinned down.

Izuki: “What are you guys doing? Let me go!”

Kuroko: “Hold still, Izuki-senpai. It’s for the greater good.”

When Riko came back up, you smiled politely at her.

“As I was saying, I think he might hurt himself more than I thought. He’s in a lot of pain.”

On cue, there was a thump and a howl from Izuki. Riko’s eye twitched in annoyance.

“Really, that idiot. I bet he’s doing it for the drama. I’ll go smack some sense into him. Here, take over for moment.” She picked up the first aid kit and jogged off. You slumped in relief.

Kagami returned with Himuro, rubbing his sore knuckles. Akashi also came over, giving you an apologetic look. Midorima appeared with Kuroko in tow.

You gave them all a look. “Never. Again. That took ten years off my life. Now, is there anyone here capable of not murdering innocents with food?”

That’s how, by the time Momoi and Riko returned, you had converted the barbeque of terror into something edible. Enough of the vegetables had charred that Kagami had to go out with Murasakibara and buy bucketloads of yakisoba, but it was a good lunch in the end. After eating, everyone sprawled out on blankets, lazing in the sun. You sat with your eyes closed, Akashi’s head resting in your lap as he paged through a book. You hummed as you trailed your fingers through his hair.

“Sei?”

“Hmm?” He tilted his head back to look at you.

“Are you growing out your hair? It seems longer than before.”

“I haven’t decided yet. Should I? Do you have a preference?”

You considered it for a moment. “No, not really. Your hair was longer at the start of first year, wasn’t it? I can’t seem to picture it, so I’d say I like you the way you are now.”

He smiled. “Then I’ll leave it as it is.”

When you looked up again, Aomine, Takao, and Izuki were regarding you with matching expressions of digust. Kise shook his head sadly.

“Urgh, lovebirds.”

“Akashicchi, my condolences.”

Akashi didn’t move, but his gaze slid sideways. The four froze as one eye gleamed. “Did you say something, Ryouta?”

Your face had turned pink. Alex noticed and took pity on you. “Speaking of lovebirds, why isn’t Taiga’s girlfriend here today?”

Across the stretch of beach, everyone turned in unison to look at a frozen Kagami. Then:

“WHAAAAAAT?”

Aomine’s face was one of horrified betrayal. “Bakagami, you…you have a girl? There’s actually a woman on this earth willing to put up with you?!”

Takao was equally astounded. “Shin-chan, the sky must be falling! Did I hear that right?”

Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose and went back to his book. “It must have been an especially lucky day for Leos, nanodayo.”

Izuki clutched his chest. “I can’t believe it! My own kouhai! How could you keep it from us on porpoise?” Riko recovered enough to jab his bandaged abdomen. He shut up.

Kuroko and Momoi both looked like their pets had died. “Kagami-kun, I’m hurt. I really have no presence in your life.”

“That’s not- it’s not like that, baka! We haven’t been together that long, and WHY AM I EVEN EXPLAINING THIS WHEN IT’S ALL THAT ALEX’S FAULT?”

She merely snickered and settled down deeper into her chair. Himuro smiled one of his cryptic smiles, having already known about it. Murasakibara didn’t have an opinion, seeing as he was in his default switched off state.

Kise, who’d been unusually quiet, suddenly spoke up. “I finally figured it out! It’s Yuzurucchi, isn’t it?”

Riko was curious. “Yuzuru? Who’s that?”

“That girl Kagamicchi met at the ice rink! She’s a - mmpfh!” Kagami clamped a hand over Kise’s mouth, his face as red as his hair.

“E-enough already! Didn’t Momoi-san say something about the main event? Let’s get to it already!”

The cohort regarded Kagami suspiciously, but decided to pursue it later. Momoi clapped her hands.

“That’s right! Thanks for bringing it up, Kagamin. Though we haven’t forgotten about your secret, I assure you. Moving on. It wouldn’t be a real gathering if there wasn’t basketball! You boys can now be as aggressive as you want and take out your frustrations on each other!”

Every male in the vicinity suddenly became intent. Murasakibara stopped being indifferent and opened an eye. Even Akashi, who normally had no outward reaction to anything, sat up. Every female in the vicinity rolled her eyes at the sudden surge of testosterone. Aomine’s and Kagami’s grins were particularly demented.

Midorima, ever muted in his enthusiasm, had to ask questions. “And where exactly do you plan to do this? I don’t particularly feel up to jumping on sand, nanodayo.”

“Tsk, Midorin, ye of little faith. There’s a court down the street, just a minute away. You don’t think I picked this beach by accident, do you?”

Kuroko was thoughtful. “I see. I remember passing by it on my way here. Thank you, Momoi-san.”

In a flash, everything was packed up. Kise bounced on the balls of his feet, full of energy.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

You sighed a little, already missing the peaceful interlude. It would be war for a while. Akashi noticed, and laced his fingers with yours.

“It’s only this evening, I promise. We’ll be free to do whatever you like tomorrow.” He squeezed your hand.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just enjoying the feeling of lazing on a blanket. And don’t worry about me, I’ve been having fun today. You should do the same now.”

You stopped when you reached the court. It had a strangely cheerful atmosphere, despite every inch of it being covered in graffiti. Akashi set his bag down to change his shoes, occasionally talking to Midorima. You wandered over to Riko, who had a whistle ready.

“Has Satsuki-san decided on teams?” You glanced at Momoi, who was threatening to hit Aomine with her clipboard.

Riko nodded. “She’ll announce them soon.” There was a wicked grin from the teenage coach. “I think they’ll be pleased.”

It seemed like Momoi was going to get her satisfaction out of this till the end. As the boys lined up, anticipation thrumming in their veins, she held up a finger.

“Ok, so here’s what we’re going to do. It will be the usual rules, 10 minute quarters, halftime after the second quarter. The white team is Dai-chan, Izuki-san, Mukkun, Tetsu-kun and Midorin. Naturally, the black team is Kagamin, Takao-kun, Himuro-san, Ki-chan and Akashi-kun.”

Takao rubbed the back of his neck. “Something about it seems unbalanced. Aren’t there too many point guards in the black?”

Alex piped up. “It is the best she could do, given the circumstances. The possibilities are (a) one of you decides to change occupations and not be a point-guard anymore or (b) you suck it up and learn to overcome any problems. Alternatively, there is a third route where you just play volleyball instead.”

Himuro frowned. “That would never work. Atsushi would just lift a hand and stand next to the net.” Mukkun just shrugged at this.

Nigou barked in support. You scooped up the puppy and settled on a bench to watch. Alex launched the ball into the air, Kagami and Murasakibara leapt for it, and the game began.

Fifty minutes later, it was very clear to you, Momoi and Riko that this game was never going to end. Even Alex’s normal cheer was in short supply. You all gave a collective sigh.

“Aida-san,” you started, “they don’t even need a referee anymore.”

Riko’s face was grim. “They should have been running out of stamina by now, especially Kuroko. Maybe I added too much powder?”

Alex blew a lock of hair out of her face. “Let’s just get out of here. I doubt they’ll even notice we’re gone.”

Momoi pursed her lips in anxiety. “But I’m not sure they’ll find the house without me. If I thought they could manage anything alone, I wouldn’t have had to split them up myself!”

The blonde woman disagreed. “We don’t need to go far. And if you’re that worried, we can leave directions with Takao and Kuroko. They’re sensible kids.”

You were doubtful too. “I would have agreed with Satsuki-san, since Sei won’t take it too well if I wander off. However, it seems like this won’t be ending any time soon. So maybe Garcia-san is right?”

Riko made the decision for everyone. “Fine. Let’s go. I could use a walk about now.”

Alex whooped and flung her arms around Riko’s and Momoi’s shoulders. “Good, there’s a place on the next street we absolutely have to visit.”

Later that evening, Akashi and Kuroko walked down the hallway of the rented house they were camping in for the night and came across an extraordinary sight. Izuki, Takao and Aomine were pressed up against a door, listening intently. Midorima and Kagami were also present, looking vastly uncomfortable. Himuro leaned against the wall, looking vaguely amused and acting as a prop for a sleepy Murasakibara. Kise was nowhere to be seen.

Kuroko’s voice made them all jump. “Is there a ghost in that room, Aomine-kun?”

Takao and Izuki flailed at him, indicating he should keep his voice down. The latter whispered an explanation.

“It’s the girls. They’re having a real, honest-to-goodness, girl talk. You know that thing where they all sit around in pyjamas and talk about the guys they like.”

Takao helpfully supplied the word. “A pyjama party.”

“Yes, yes, that. It’s our chance to observe the female species as they are, in the wild. This will be a learning experience indeed! Kagami, pay attention, now that you have a girlfriend.”

Kagami face-palmed. Midorima rolled his eyes and went back to his phone. Aomine shushed everyone and strained to hear the conversation. The door creaked slightly ajar and everyone froze for a moment. When nothing happened, they breathed a sigh of relief and continued.

Takao’s eyes widened. “Akashi-kun, they’re talking about you!”

Akashi raised an eyebrow and made no attempt to listen. Though he was slightly curious now.

Momoi’s voice floated out. “…so, Yuri-chan, how long have you liked Akashi-kun?”

Your reply was a tad sardonic. “As long I’ve been going out with him?”

The pink-haired girl sounded impatient. “You know what I mean. I bet you didn’t just wake up one day and start liking him like that. You’d never actually talked before this year, right?”

“You are impressively well-informed as always, Satsuki-san.” You paused for a moment. The tension heightened outside the door. “It was…at the Winter Cup.”

Even Riko was surprised. “That’s like…over 6 months ago. And Rakuzan lost at the Winter Cup. Did something specific happen?”

You were clearly uncomfortable with this topic. “It’s hard to explain. I can’t put it into words. There was something that made me rethink my opinion of Seijuro.”

Akashi made a mental note to investigate this further. Aomine made a dismissive noise. “Maybe she realized he was human after all.” Several pairs of eyes glared daggers at him.

Inside, you continued, trying to distract them from this topic. “I can’t speak about this further, but I can tell you about how we met instead.”

Momoi was surprised. “I thought you met by coincidence when the student council needed a substitute? Was that wrong?”

“It is correct, but it’s not the full story. It’s true that the treasurer fell sick and I substituted, but no one knows that my meeting Sei wasn’t a coincidence. I made it happen.”

There was a thunderous silence. No one breathed for fear breaking the stillness. Akashi’s every sense was on hyper-alert. When Kuroko risked a glance at him, the red-head’s eyes gleamed in the dark.

Alex was intrigued. “What do you mean? Surely you could have talked to him anytime. Why deliberately arrange circumstances?”

You let out a long exhale. “It’s not easy to approach Seijuro, for two reasons. One, his schedule is notoriously hectic, so you can’t talk to him unless he wants it to happen. And if you don’t know him already, this would never happen. Secondly, he has a rabid fan-base that only Kise-san can top. Those girls have built up some sort of religious devotion for him because he’s cold and aloof. It didn’t help that he appeared god-like. Anyway, they monitor their ideal image of him so closely that they know when something is out of place. They tend to stop interlopers before they even get within five feet of him.”

Momoi’s voice was glum. “I remember. In middle school, they called him Akashi-sama.”

“They still do that. So the only way to have a normal conversation with him is to create an excuse for him to care. One way is basketball. But I have my own club to deal with, so that was out. The other was the student council.”

Riko spoke, following the progression of this thought. “So when you saw an opportunity, you took it.”

“Yes. One of the club’s rookies, Komachi, is in the same class as the disciplinary officer, Shinohara-kun. I overheard them talking and during the course of the conversation, I suggested that I could temporarily fill in for Takanashi-kun. He was happy to take me up on it.”

“And then?” Momoi was really into this story. For that matter, Takao nearly fell over from the anticipation.

“Well I could have stopped there, but I didn’t. Shinohara-kun actually told me to pick up the files from him. I told him not to go to the trouble and leave them in the student council room where I could easily find them.”

Your voice was quiet now, but still slightly mischevious. “Guess what the easiest thing to find in the student council room is?”

Alex was blank, so Riko answered for her. “The president’s desk.”

“Exactly. It’s the largest desk, right opposite the door. I admit it was a gamble on my part, but anyway. So En left the files there and I picked a moment when Sei was there to walk in. And the rest is history.”

Momoi was amazed. “You must have really liked him to go so far.”

You shook your head. “Actually at the time, I had no romantic interest in Sei. I simply wanted to get a grasp of his character. See if my judgement was right. But I didn’t really anticipate the effect he has on me. All my good sense disappears around him. Somehow I ended up…what is the word…messing with him? Then three days into it, I realized I was knee-deep in this and there was no getting out of it. I may have underestimated the danger I was in.”

Alex applauded. Izuki and Takao nearly joined her, but were pulled back at the last moment by Kagami.

“You have guts, young lady. I approve.” She grinned lazily. “And it only took you three days?”

“Ah, no. Like I said, I had no intention of intruding into his life that deeply. I just wanted to confirm my impressions from the Winter Cup. But when I realized he was lot more unpredictable than I thought, I asked Naota to let me keep the treasurer post for a couple more days. He and I are close because he dates my friend, Reina. So he may have extended his flu a bit.”

“Does Akashi-kun know about any of this?”

You hesitated. “I don’t think so. I haven’t made any attempt to keep it a secret, so he might. On the other hand, I haven’t really tried to talk to him about it either. I suppose that reflects on my character.”

Momoi saw your melancholy expression and put a hand on your shoulder. “Well, I for one think that Akashi-kun is lucky to have you. You obviously care for him. Don’t you?”

“Very much.” Your voice was soft, full of longing.

The audience outside was mostly just stunned, unsure what to do. This had taken a turn no one wanted to deal with. They all turned warily to look the subject of this tale.

“Akashi-kun, are you okay?” Kuroko put a hand on his elbow.

Akashi’s face was completely still, like the surface a pond before ripples hit. It was not encouraging.

Everyone else looked away, uneasy about stumbling into this emotional mire. As usual, Kise saved the day be reappearing.

“Oh, Kurokocchi! What are you all doing here?” Much frantic hand-waving ensued as they tried to shush him. Izuki muffled him, silencing Kise for the second time that day. Takao explained the situation.

Kise was confused. “Why don’t you just go in and talk to them?”

Even the normally pleasant Himuro turned incredulous. “You’re the only one with so many older sisters, Kise. We can’t just go in when ladies are present and ask them to spill their secrets.”

The golden haired boy shrugged. “Well, I have to go in and give this to them anyway.” And before anyone could think to stop him, he knocked and walked in. “Momocchi, I’m back! Here’s the stuff you wanted.”

The expected death of Kise following feminine screeches never came. Even Kuroko was surprised.

“I thought they would get angry at Kise-kun.” Someone nodded in agreement.

Kise had left the door open wider than before. Momoi’s voice came through clearly.

“Thanks, Ki-chan. You’re so reliable. Though even I’m not sure why you had nail polish with you.”

Aomine, Murasaskibara and Takao snickered.

“My stylist left her kit with me,” he said defensively. “I was doing the last session for a shoot today.”

Alex didn’t seem fazed. “It’s good for us. What were you modelling anyway?”

“A line of sports-wear. I think it’s coming out in October.”

That brought up a previous thought. “Speaking of clothes, you girls really should have taken my advice and bought stuff from that store. It would have done you a world of good.”

There was silence as you, Riko and Momoi turned speechless. Outside, the eavesdroppers were at the peak of their curiosity. Riko finally spoke.

“Alex-san,” she said slowly, “I don’t think any of us have a burning need for lingerie.”

Several imaginations exploded at the idea. Izuki buried his face in the wall, Takao fell over and Kagami turned a bright red. Even Himuro looked vaguely uncomfortable.

Aomine smirked. “Finally, this is getting good.”

Inside, Alex scoffed. “Please. Everyone needs a lacy babydoll in their life. Especially you, Satsuki-chan.”

There was a thud as Izuki hit his head on the wall a little too forcefully. Aomine frowned.

Momoi was hesitant. “I don’t know, Alex-san, some of those things were…barely there.”

You recalled a particularly risqué outfit. “There were some that looked like they were held up by sheer willpower.”

Even Akashi and Kuroko were frozen, caught in the horrific trainwreck that was this conversation.

Midorima was scandalized. “This is not an appropriate topic of conversation, nanodayo!”

Alex was adamant. “You should enjoy your youth while it lasts. Seduce your boys. That’s what I told Taiga’s girl.”

Kagami hacked out a cough. Takao patted him on the back.

Riko was curious about this mysterious figure. “And what did she say to that?”

The blonde laughed. “That Taiga would die of blood loss if she tried to hold his hand, much less bring up skimpy clothing.”

Everyone that was not Kagami nodded in agreement. He just wanted the floor to open up and swallow him.

Momoi piped in cheerfully. “Though if anyone needs lingerie, it must be Yuri-chan! What do you think Akashi-kun likes?”

You answered truthfully. “I have no idea. I haven’t really asked him.”

Akashi rubbed his temples in frustration. Whoever had created this mess, he was going to be dead come morning.

Kise made a despondent noise. “Yuricchi, don’t talk about these things like I’m not here. Have some mercy!”

Alex eyed him thoughtfully. “I wonder why it is that men don’t have the equivalent of sexy lingerie?”

Riko thought about it too. “It’s all boxers, briefs or boxer-briefs, isn’t it?”

Kise choked. “I’m scarred for life now. Please, stop!”

He was widely ignored. You speculated on the topic. “Maybe it’s because women are less visual? We don’t need it, I suppose.”

Momoi struck the final nail in the coffin. “And really, if you got to that point, ultimately isn’t it about what they’re not wearing?”

The assembly outside unanimously voted to leave right now. But before they could make themselves scarce, Nigou bounded out of the room, yipping joyfully. You and Riko came out the door, looking for the puppy.

“Nigou, where did you- Oh.”

Nine pairs of wide, panicked eyes looked for an escape route. Riko cracked her knuckles.

“How long have you all been here?”

Kise stumbled outside, tears in his eyes. “Kurokocchi, I heard something I can never unhear. Why me?”

“There, there Kise-kun. You can’t do anything about your bad judgement now.”

Your face was completely impassive. “I wonder what we should do with such offenders, Riko-san.”

Momoi joined you outside, face hard. Alex looked like she was having fun. Takao took a step back.

“Really, Dai-chan, you too? How low will you sink?” Aomine looked around frantically.

Alex held up a hand. “I think my volleyball is still around here somewhere.”

With the exception of Murasakibara, Kise and Akashi, everyone scrambled to safety. Kise plummeted face-forward as Kuroko’s shoulder disappeared. Himuro had to drag away the yawning giant, admonishing him the whole way.

Alex was feeling triumphant. “I think the lingerie chat had the intended effect.”

Riko’s face was still annoyed. “Good thing Kise-kun told us they were outside, or we would have never known.”

Momoi saw you give Akashi a worried look as he strode off, face still unreadable. She patted your shoulder and smiled gently.

“It will be alright.”

You were still apprehensive. “I hope so.”

Later that night, you sat up restlessly in your bed, unable to fall asleep. Akashi’s cold expression, the way he had walked off without even sparing a glance. It haunted your thoughts, so that even the physical exhaustion of the day couldn’t bring you to sleep. You gave up and slid out of the bed, heading to the kitchen.

Once there, you sat on a low countertop, sipping water and pondering your life choices. It wasn’t as if you had actually committed a crime, but you didn’t feel good about keeping something from Akashi. You sighed. It was all so confusing.

A low voice broke you out of your thoughts. “Are you having trouble falling asleep?”

The cause of your turmoil stepped towards you, a mug in his hand. Your eyes widened.

“Sei?”

Before you could slide off the counter, he caged you in, trapping you with his arms. You leaned back a little, but the cupboard near your head didn’t give you much room. Akashi’s face was so close. The height of the counter put you at the same height. You blinked at him uneasily.

“If it’s about before, I’m sorry. I swear never had any ulterior motives when I met you. I wasn’t trying to- Sei, what are you doing?”

His mouth was at your neck, breath ghosting over your skin. You shuddered as his tongue flicked over your pulse.

“Something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. Please, do continue.”

You took a shaky breath, thoughts in disarray. “I thought you were angry at me.”

He moved higher, twining his fingers into your hair and forcing you to tilt your head back.

“For what?”

“For not telling you the truth. Or something. I know you don’t like being manipulated, though I technically didn’t do that.” Your brain was short-circuiting from all the sensation. How was he still so calm?

“Hmm, that. That hardly matters.” His left hand was rubbing slow circles over your thigh.

“I-it doesn’t?” Your breath was coming in shallow pants now.

“No. Because,” his lips were at your ear now, “I already knew about it.”

You tried to think through the haze. “How long have you known?”

“Since before our first date. Takanashi let it slip. Though I had my suspicions before that.” His hand on your leg slid higher.

“You see,” he continued, fingers trailing fire over your collarbone, “normally one would ask the secretary about accounts, not me. And Shinohara never leaves files on my desk. No one does.”

“Ah. As expected from Akashi Seijuro. Nothing ever escapes you.”

“Indeed. Now, since you were feeling guilty about it, and for that little stunt earlier, some punishment is in order, don’t you think?”

“If- if you say so.” You stifled a moan as he nipped your neck.

“Then until you say what I want to hear, I’ll keep going.” He finally, finally kissed you.

You wondered if you were ever going to get used to this deluge of sensations he always seemed to inspire. Your lips parted on a sigh. His tongue flicked up, sending a spark down your spine. Moving back, he pulled open the first button on your dress. You just watched him helplessly.

“Tell me.” His voice was low and rich. “Are there any other secrets I should know about?”

It came tumbling out of you. “Sometimes I worry that you will lose interest in me and leave.”

He stilled for a moment. Then in a sudden movement, he pushed down the sleeves of your dress. You reeled back from the force of his kiss. It was brutal, stripping your already over-taxed senses.

“I told you, didn’t I? That there was no going back. I keep my word, and I never let go of what is mine. What are you, ____?”

Your voice came out as a breathless gasp. “I’m yours.”

“Say that again. I couldn’t hear you.” There was a burst of pain and dizzying pleasure as he bit down on your neck.

Your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. You clutched his shoulders for support. “I belong to you, Seijuro. Always.”

His tongue lapped over the bruise, soothing your skin. “Now, tell me what you want, ____.”

“You. For you to touch me. Please.” You punctuated the request with a kiss, slipping a hand into his shirt.

He smirked. “I should do it, since you asked so nicely…” His hand dipped lower, tantalizingly close.

Then he abruptly stepped away, leaving you bereft of his warmth. “…but it wouldn’t be a punishment if I did. So no.” You gaped at him, dismayed.

“Time to go to bed. You’ve been awake long enough.” He held a hand out, waiting.

You stared at him for two more seconds, unable to comprehend the magnitude of his evil. Then you shook your head and slid off the counter.

Akashi watched you shake out your dress, eyes glittering. He has having a hard time not laughing at your exasperation.

Though this punishment took its toll on me as well. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you next time, my love.

“I think I hate you, Sei.”

“That’s not what you were saying earlier.” He sounded very pleased with himself.

“Well, I changed my mind.” You gave him a sideways look. “You’re a demon.”

With that you turned to return to your room. Akashi tightened his grip on your hand, halting you.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“To my bed, as you ordered?”

He pulled you closer. “I never said anything about that. You’ve caused enough trouble already. You’re staying where I can see you.”

You blinked once, then smiled. “As you command, Akashi-sama.”

#its the beach #kuroko no basket #akashi x reader #getting frisky #crack #pyjama party #i wrote a suicidal number of characters #where is this going #sun and sea #generation of miracles #himuro tatsuya #izuki shun #aida riko #momoi satsuki #oc #takao kazunari