Chapter Text
Kuroko flinched.
It wasn’t difficult to spot Murasakibara anywhere, but somehow he missed hearing the giant man coming into the room. The tight grip on his arm was going to leave some bruises. Murasakibara had wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him. It grounded him a bit. Somehow comforting. His blindfold was taken off, but his chains were left on based on the rattling. Kuroko snuck glances and noticed the change in expression on his friend's face: Concern, confusion, pensive.
He must be losing it for Murasakibara of all people to look at him like this.
“Who was Kurochin talking to?” Murasakibara repeated his question.
Kuroko fidgeted in Murasakibara’s lap. There were many things he could tell him. Like the fact that some ghostly amalgamation of Kagami was just across from them— watching.
“No one, Murasakibara-kun…”
“Hm… Were you talking to Kagami just now?” Murasakibara pushed.
Brows furrowed, Kuroko kept quiet. Did his friends, his captors, think he snuck in a phone and was talking to Kagami? Would they believe him if he told him about this apparition in front of him? He didn’t want to lose the one thing that was just his though, even if it meant he appeared unstable to others.
“There’s no one here.” He pointed out steadily, “Am I not allowed to talk to myself now?”
Murasakibara frowned and pressed on, “What’s he saying to you?”
Now Kuroko was confused. Murasakibara was entertaining him. He hoped he wasn’t going to turn this against him somehow. The arms wrapped around him squeezed again, pulling him out of his thoughts.
In all honesty, he wasn’t clueless. Kuroko was more aware than ever, he’d like to imagine. Anyone would go mental in a situation like this, but in the end it was part of their game. Each of them were some part disturbed since their childhood. The Miracle’s were making sure he became like them in a way. It was touching.
“He’s saying nothing.” Kuroko was distracted and misspoke, “Ah, oops.”
The faceless Kagami was fainter than before. He lingered farther away against the wall. His arms were crossed and even without a face, Kuroko could sense the unrest. His living Kagami would probably look the same as if he was actually here and not this proxy.
“Are his eyebrows still spiky?”
Kuroko would laugh if he could see his best friend's face. Instead, he gave Murusakibara’s arms a tug.
“He was always a pain to deal with.” Murasakibara continued, “When your punishment is over, maybe we can convince Akachin to let us invite him over to play.”
Part of him still wants to punch Kagami, but Kuroko wouldn’t mind seeing him. He could do both. Violence and basketball settled many issues. Oh, but real-Kagami was okay. That was new information. It wouldn’t be shocking if his Miracle’s tormented him for any reason, or anyone else for that matter.
“That would be nice.” Kuroko responded with a whisper, unsure of the sympathy he was receiving from Murasakibara.
The faceless being in front of him nodded its head in agreement. Even ghost-Kagami seemed to be bullheaded. Which was unfortunate for Kuroko who was hoping for a saner, levelheaded Kagami.
Murasakibara asked, “Kurochin likes Kagami, right?”
“More or less.” Kuroko tried to be vague.
“And Momochin?”
Kuroko nodded.
“What about me— Us?”
The stagnant air around them grew colder. The only warmth came from the body behind him. Murasakibara asked him the one question he couldn’t make his mind up on. This froze him on the spot. He didn’t know what to feel. Maybe it was easier to let others decide for him.
He looked at the faceless Kagami in front of him for an answer. Love and hate were intertwined in his world. Like his love for basketball, he adored it, then hated it, but in the end Kuroko loved it. Was basketball another euphemism for his childhood friends? He treasured them, but loathed them.
“Don’t let him make a decision for you.” Murasakibara muttered.
It took everything in him not to snap. Murasakibara placed his fingers under Kuroko’s chin and forced him to look at his face. His captor rubbed a thumb against his cheek in a soothing, but domineering manner. Their eyes met. Kuroko could visibly see the concern written in Murasakibara’s eyes.
“I make my own decisions, thank you.” Kuroko snipped back, instantly. Shaking his head out of Murasakibara’s hold, he took his chained hands and shoved at the man’s chest. Chains echoed and rattled at the movement, the sound bouncing off the walls. Murasakibara let it happen, taking each hit like it was nothing.
Silently, Murasakibara pulled Kuroko forward again, chest to chest, and wrapped his arms around their younger member. Kuroko struggled in the grip, trying to pull away as best as he could. He was strong, Kuroko could take down Akashi and maybe Kise if he really tried. Murasakibara was another story.
A voice whispered in his ears, “They’re watching, Kurochin. Steady.”
Kuroko paused from Murasakibara’s words. Of course they were watching. He knew that. Murasakibara had to remind him. Breathing filled the air between the jingling chains. Untensing himself, he settled back into Murasakibara’s arms.
“They’ll look for any moment of weakness to crush you.” Me too . “Don’t make it easy.”
He caught his breath. Of course Murasakibara wasn’t only comforting him, he was warning him. Their little game was never going to end. It’s how they were, how they were created— It was their life. A realisation flickered in his mind.
They would shove him back into the game no matter how many times he would try to leave. If he voluntarily came back to them, they would create a different kind of game. It was just who they all were, who he was.
Kuroko shoved his face into Murasakibara’s chest and smiled. Wrapping his arms around Murasakibara’s back, he dug his fingers into the taller man’s side with all his strength. He was resisting the urge to laugh. He still had cards he could use.
The shadow couldn’t play alone.
This was a game he forgot he could play. Especially with his ghostly-light by his side now. Not that it could equate to the living Kagami. Kuroko could now play on an even ground with the rest of the Miracle’s. Reusing old tactics was never against the rules.
“Thank you, Murasakibara-kun.” Kuroko murmured in a disconcerted adoration.
“Kurochin may be weak,-” Murasakibara began, “-And stubborn, but you aren’t dumb. Play with us properly this time.”
Kuroko rested his chin on Murasakibara’s shoulder and looked past him at the wall again. The faceless Kagami was there again, radiating. He couldn’t do this in solus, but someone at his side might give him the needed boost to continue. The Kagami apparition’s body language confirmed his decision.
Relaxing his hold on the giant, he leaned back again and cupped Murasakibara’s face with his smaller hands. The unusual pair stared each other down, reading each other's thoughts. It gave Murasakibara the confirmation he was looking for and Kuroko a start. With a chaste brush of lips against Murasakibara’s nose, Kuroko pulled back.
He hoped the camera’s were watching.
“Kurochin better be careful or we’ll eat you.” Murasakibara warned.
“We’ll— I’ll win this.” Kuroko corrected himself while balling his fist up in Murasakibara’s shirt.
“Until then…” Murasakibara mumbled, releasing a hand from embracing Kuroko and started rummaging in his pockets, “You don’t look like you’ve been sleeping well. Here, take this.”
His hand came back out in front of Kuroko revealing a familiar candy. Kuroko studied the candy and then gave Murasakibara a scrutinizing glare. Did he think he was this stupid? He was well aware by now what that candy meant and he wasn’t tired.
“Sugar keeps me awake… No thank you, Murasakibara-kun.”
Wordlessly, Murasakibara took his other free hand and squeezed Kuroko’s cheeks to force his jaw open. Dull, but a sweet flavor plopped on his tongue. His jaw was forced shut around the candy with the same pushy hand. Kuroko rolled his tongue and played with the sweet treat. They’ll never let him catch a break.
“That’s more like it.” Murasakibara lazily grinned.
“Hope… You’re happy.” Kuroko mumbled out, the candy melting in the side of his cheek. The body under him shifted, dragging the two onto the mattress on the floor. An arm wrapped around his waist. Murasakibara had laid themselves down to encourage sleep to overtake Kuroko— and much to Kuroko’s dismay, it was working.
Kuroko yawned, pressing back into the warm body behind him. Murasakibara engulfed him in size. His frame crushed Kuroko in a comforting way, much like a weighted blanket. He hated to admit it, but this was the most comfortable Kuroko had been in awhile since being trapped down here. It wasn’t too bad being embraced by one of his other halves.
“This isn’t too bad, right Kurochin?”
Kuroko resisted the urge to say, “Shut it,” and instead put his hand over the arm wrapped around his waist, squeezing it in confirmation. Their fingers interlocked.
His own skepticism and resentment was melting away with the candy. It was unfair that they could force him to sleep at their will, but Kuroko could use a dreamless night for once. Away from all drama. Being well rested was top priority. He had much to do and a game to win. This round was his.
Murasakibara's voice rumbled behind him, shaking him out of his thoughts, “Hey Kurochin, what was that catchphrase from your favorite detective novel again?”
The drugged candy was taking effect quickly, Kuroko yawned and buried his head into the pillow. His hair tickled Murasakibara’s nose as he shifted around. Tears weld in the corner of his eyes, shining like the diamond he was.
“There’s many.”
“From your Sherlock Holmes books.” Murasakibara prodded.
Oh. Murasakibara was being cheeky. He knew exactly what the quote was. Kuroko turned his head into the pillow and smiled. They all surely know how to get on his good side. He let go of Murasakibara’s hand and rolled over to face the giant. They re-clasped their hands together and with a steady face, Kuroko quoted:
“I believe the game is afoot, my dear Murasakibara-kun.”
“Kuroko…”
“You bastard, wake up.”
“They’re calling for you.”
“Time to win the game.”
“Wake up.”
Kuroko startled awake. The voice of his ghost-Kagami rang in his ears. His sleep was dreamless and steady. Something the shadow hadn’t had in a long time. The cold air surrounded him, the more conscious he grew. Thanking his personal alarm clock-human, he stretched his arms over his head. Muscles tight.
The captive sat up on his floor mattress. Alone again, Murasakibara was nowhere to be seen, neither was his friendly imagination. They abandoned him once again in the cellar-like space. It irked Kuroko. He was hoping that Murasakibara and his heart-to-heart would let him back upstairs, but apparently not.
“Good morning to you too, Kagami-kun…” Kuroko whispered, feeling more coherent than he has felt in days.
Ah, but what was it that his light said before waking him from his peaceful, serene slumber? That they were calling for him? But no one was here. Kuroko would punch faceless Kagami for waking him up for no reason if he knew where he was. Putting a fist in the air, he mimicked hitting the innocent Kagami Taiga.
That’s when he noticed he was not bound to the floor. Chains and cuffs were absent. The newest (or oldest in this case) addition to his captive attire was the return of his tracker bracelet, which seemed to have been removed in favor of the handcuffs. He was never so happy that the bracelet was back. It was lightweight and didn’t rattle. That was enough to appease him.
Another new addition was his change of clothes and his leg bandage was replaced. Kuroko ran his fingers up the side of his injured leg. Climbing over a high balcony certainly wasn’t his brightest moment in the past (whatever) amount of time they’ve entrapped him, but it was the least of his problems.
“Good morning, Kuro~ Ko~ Cchi~!”
Speaking of problems.
A loud, songful voice echoed in the room, reverberating against the walls. Kuroko covered his ears due to the volume. Whoever gave Kise a microphone would pay, Kuroko wanted to yell, but remained silent for everyone's best interest.
“Oi, you bastard, don’t scream into the microphone!” Aomine shouted next.
“You’re not helping if you yell either, dumbass!” Midorima lashed out, scolding the pair.
He continued to cover his ringing ears as the microphone played out the Miracle’s bickering. Kuroko searched for where the sound was coming from, only to discover that someone had installed speakers next to each of the cameras in his room.
“That’s overkill…” Kuroko mumbled to himself.
“Well, seeing how you are reacting, then you can hear us quite well.” Akashi stated, making his presence known.
Kuroko nodded with displeasure written on his face.
“Ah~ Kurochin, good morning. Sleep well?” Murasakibara chimed in.
He could hear the amusement in the childish man’s voice.
“I’m so jealous, Kurokocchi! Murasakibaracchi got to sleep with you! …And you got to sleep with him!”
“You get to sleep with him every night.” Kuroko thought to himself.
Kise’s ball of energy was a lot to handle this early and he wasn’t even in the same room. Kuroko did have to admit though, he slept well next to others. Regardless of who it was. It was comforting knowing that someone would be there in the morning. That he wasn’t being abandoned. Though Murasakibara technically left him, it’s not like he completely deserted him. He was trapped in the Miracles’ home and was constantly being monitored.
Ignoring Kise, Akashi took lead again, and spoke, “For your little acts of defiance, you will remain down there until further notice. For your sake and ours. We do not wish to punish you, but you have left us no choice.”
Kuroko nodded again, unconvinced if they could hear him if he spoke.
“Though this time, you won’t be in absolute isolation. Each of us will be spending some time with you… Down there that is.” Akashi recommenced. A screeching of a chair reverberated through the speakers. Akashi or someone must have stood up. The feedback from the microphone was piercing.
“Isolation can cause long term health issues… Humans are social creatures after all.” Midorima tagged in.
Kuroko turned his head to the side, avoiding making eye contact with the camera. Akashi would be irritated if he saw Kuroko rolling his eyes at them. He would like to see whatever other punishments lay in wake for him. If it got any worse, he wasn’t sure what he could do though.
In his evasion of the camera, he noticed his faceless Kagami had made his appearance. The fuzzy figure lurked in the corner of the room and waited for his attention. It took all of Kuroko’s strength to not sarcastically ask Kagami: “Are you listening to this?”
As if the faceless being was reading his mind, it nodded in agreement.
“Kurokocchi!”
“Pay attention, Tetsuya.” Akashi directed.
“Sorry, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko responded.
“Thank you.” Akashi bounced back.
So they could hear him. That was valuable information they should have told him earlier.
“Just like before, you will be monitored closely.” Their leader added on, “We are here if you need us... This isn’t meant to be a prison.”
“If you say so, Akashi-kun.”
A brief pause filled the air. Maybe they weren’t ready for a bit of sarcasm from him yet. The Miracle’s might regret putting a microphone in his room as well. They deserved it. A sharp click of the microphone turned back on.
“A couple of us will be down shortly with breakfast.”
Click.
And that was that. Kuroko could no longer hear Akashi or the rest of the Miracle’s chattering in the background. Just stagnant noise of the air coming through the vent. The room never felt more empty. Even with his ghostly hallucination looming nearby.
Kuroko took this opportunity to get up and stretch. No longer bound to the floor and his mattress, he could move with ease. It was relieving to be able to move on his own. The aggressive dog treatment was not appealing. All he was missing was a collar and a doghouse.
The walls were still the same monochrome colors since they were when they first locked him down here. Everything was so gloomy. The only lights in the room felt clinical. The stark whiteness of it all made it feel like he was being interrogated. He turned to the faceless Kagami.
“At least your light is warm.” Kuroko whispered cheekily, cocking his head to the side.
The hallucination didn’t respond, but instead lifted a finger to point at the door. Kuroko followed the direction he pointed and stared, just in time for the door to open. In came Akashi and Aomine, sauntering in with all the dominating aura two young men can have.
“Yo, Tetsu.” Aomine announced himself, a tray of food in one hand, and a concealed bag in the other.
“I hope you don’t mind some company.” Akashi hummed.
“Welcome to my humble abode…” Kuroko slightly bowed his head, sarcasm dripping in every word.
He begrudgingly gestured for the pair to come in. Akashi and Aomine moved closer to him, crowding his space. Kuroko felt itchy. The closer the two got to him, the harder it was for him to breathe. The nauseating odor coming from the breakfast they brought was not helping.
Aomine was the first to sit down on the cement ground, taking the tray of food with him and placing it beside him. Akashi followed next and sat diagonally from Aomine. The pair stared at him, waiting for him to sit. Aomine patted the floor in front of him, encouraging Kuroko to come.
It was a sight to see: The one and only Akashi sitting on the frigid, gritty floor. He belonged somewhere that lavished him in luxury. Not this basement-dungeon-prison they were currently in. An heir like him belonged in the light.
His ex-best friend and light also seemed out of place, but not at the same time. Kuroko figured there was a chance that Aomine would be lurking in seedy places one day, due to his gravure magazine addictions. He really matured over the years. The rest of his partners undoubtedly correcting his unsavory amusements.
“Thanks for the food.” Kuroko spoke monotonously.
Kuroko slid down diagonally from Aomine, just across from Akashi, but that didn’t last. He was quickly manhandled into his light’s lap. Back to a firm chest and an arm wrapped around his waist, ensnaring him in a tight hold. Being tossed around like that made him dizzy. His head was already spinning constantly. The throbbing pulse of his headache was coming back.
“Really Aomine-kun?”
“Safety precautions.” His captive responded, while taking his free hand and grabbing the tray to place it in front of Kuroko. Without resisting struggle, he accepted the tray full of various well balanced breakfast foods. A nontraditional assortment. All variants of colorful fruits littered the board, alongside some sort of muffins.
The fruits reminded him of his friends a bit. Kuroko poked at the kiwi, imagining Midorima’s face on it. Then the pile of blueberries reminded him of Aomine and his spiky hair that matched the top of the berries. Of course, there was the banana that was as vibrant and lanky as Kise— Okay, maybe he was officially losing it… Just a tiny bit.
In his daze, Kuroko shoved a blueberry in his mouth.
“Having fun there?” Akashi raised an eyebrow, a smug look appearing on his face.
Replying halfheartedly, he kept prodding at his breakfast, zoned out, “Mm… Tell Murasakibara-kun I said thank you for the breakfast.”
“I will, but… Surely you would have noticed your light groping you by now.”
“Ah.”
Kuroko looked down. The arms that were restraining him in Aomine’s lap seem to have migrated under his shirt. Calloused fingers traced his skin soothingly. One hand pinched and played with the bit of flesh on the side of his hip, while the other lurked closer to his chest. It made Kuroko’s stomach twist. He could feel his cheeks heating up.
Since he couldn’t pull away from Aomine, Kuroko in his moment of resistance, stared down Akashi instead trying to be as threatening as possible. This was not amusing. They offer him food, in return for his body. Rude.
“Akashi-kun.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to punch him and you can’t stop me.” Kuroko gritted out.
Akashi rubbed his chin, clear amusement in his voice, “Your words speak louder than your actions as usual.”
Aomine continued his assault. There was no discouraging the man when he had something he wanted. The hand on his bare chest continued to move upward, leaving no skin untouched until he reached his neck. Kuroko swallowed, feeling the grip Aomine had around his throat tighten. His light’s hand stuck out the collar of the shirt, decorating him like a necklace.
His other hand was still exploring down below, jumping from playing with his naval, to running his fingers between his clothes and soft skin. Kuroko could feel Aomine’s shallow breathing in his ears. This was becoming dangerous. He gave Akashi a panicked look. The tray of food in his lap trembled.
It wasn’t that it felt bad. It felt good and that made Kuroko really nervous. Like his encounter with both Aomine and Kise when he first arrived. The common denominator was Aomine. Putting a stop to this behavior was a must, or else he would be finding another light.
He certainly did not have the time to create a new light, best friend, and partner again, but third times the charm, right?
Speaking of his failed attempts at keeping lights, Kuroko whipped his head to the wall. Akashi and Aomine froze at the sudden change. Faceless Kagami had been watching him this whole time. He could feel the blood rushing to his face again. Even if it was just hallucination, it was still embarrassing to be watched!
“Aomine-kun!”
“Tetsu.” The gruff voice responded. Aomine let his hand down from Kuroko’s throat and settled for wrapping his arms around his waist again. He felt his light’s head rub in between his shoulder and neck. Aomine had surrendered. The beating of both of their hearts resounded like a drum that only they could hear.
Desperate. Needy. Desired. These three words kept rotating in Kuroko’s head. The desperation Aomine was showing for him was sweet. The neediness of his touches made his stomach twist, not dissimilar to when he was in the final minute of a basketball game. Being desired was something Kuroko was growing to be used too.
That’s love.
Kuroko startled from his position on Aomine, turning his head back to the hallucination observing them. Kagami was calling those three words love. That notion of love did not seem right to Kuroko either. Was desperation, neediness, and desire enough to keep someone from leaving?
“You’ll spill your breakfast if you’re not careful.” Akashi conveyed, lifting the tray from Kuroko’s lap.
“Ah, sorry Akashi-kun, but-” Kuroko mumbled, snapping back to reality, “ Aomine-kun…”
He felt fingers pinch his side.
“Tetsu.” Aomine changed the topic suddenly, “Do you remember when we used to catch crayfish together?”
Kuroko cocked his head to the side, his palpitating heart rate slowing. Apparently this was just another day for them. He, in fact, was not used to such physical contact. Deciding to distract himself he thought of the old days.
It was true they used to catch crayfish together, and even cicadas, alongside Momoi during their Teiko days. Not so much later with Momoi as she did not enjoy hunting for either. (Neither did Kuroko, but he would take one for the team for Momoi.) He did find it grotesquely interesting to an extent.
“I got my hands on a blue one!” Aomine expressed enthusiastically, “They’re pretty rare to find!”
Akashi moved over next to the light and shadow pair, and leaned against Aomine’s shoulder. The tray of lukewarm fruit was casted aside on the ground nearby. Kuroko felt overwhelmingly warm, but he didn’t want to move. Not that he could.
“It’s vibrant, like sapphires.” Akashi voiced, “For something part of the arthropoda phylum, it is a beauty of its kind.”
Kuroko raised an eyebrow and chuckled out, “I didn’t know you were interested in crayfish catching, Akashi-kun.”
“Not particularly, but when it’s one of your partners’ interests, you learn to take note of it.”
Kuroko nodded.
“Haha, this bastard even let me set up my own aquarium room in this house.” Aomine grinned, tossing an arm around Akashi.
“Bastard? Dai-”
Saving Aomine from digging his own grave, Kuroko cut in, “Ah, you all let Aomine-kun keep pets and he’s managed to keep them alive?”
Akashi sighed, “It kept him occupied… Having something that required his control— attention, that is.”
“I have all sorts of species! Once your… you know…” Aomine gestured with one hand, “Not running away, I’ll show you.”
“I would like that, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko hummed, entertaining the casual conversation.
“You should tell him more about the blue crayfish in the meantime.” Akashi pushed.
Aomine furrowed his brows, figuring out what else he could tell about his beloved catch. Kuroko sensed the focus in his light’s head as he pondered. It was endearing listening to him ramble on his passions. It reminded him of all of their shared passion for basketball. It gave him that warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart.
Kuroko glanced at the faceless Kagami ahead of them. Trying to find another answer to that feeling that’s been flitting over his body. The apparition neither confirmed nor denied anything this time, but continued to face them, his arms crossed.
“The crayfish is being kept in a forty gallon fresh water tank.” Aomine began his ramblings, “Planning to expand it soon and get it a partner, but they’re aggressive to anyone in its space.”
Kuroko could picture it. A dark room illuminated blue by the rows of tanks Aomine has built. All sorts of sea life swimming around. The smell of wet sand and tank water permeating the air. Then one lone, colossal size tank to house his dear blue crayfish. Crawling around the sandy floor, in the shadows of the decor. It was trapped, away from its natural habitat. Enclosed to no one, but spectators.
Like you.
Like him.
“Did you name it?”
Akashi snickered beside them, listening suspiciously, but remaining quiet.
“No name yet, but Kise came up with a few ideas.”
“Mm, like what?” Kuroko asked, giving Akashi the side eye.
Aomine hesitated, “Uh, it was something stupid like—”
Suddenly feedback from the microphone thrummed to life and a stiff voice called out, “Akashi! Can you come here? Now.”
Kuroko felt Aomine’s arms squeeze around him tighter, locking him into place.