Chapter Text
The room— no, the closet smelt of mold and soot. It was covered in dust and the space was easily cramped. The sorry excuse for a bed shoved into the corner, an old, tattered dresser that was starting to decay was placed right next to it, and a small cracked mirror that was placed atop the dresser. There were other minimal belongings in the cramped space, one of them being a clock, which just so happened to start blaring.
At 5:30 am, the clock came to life with an irritating sound. Kuroko moved with a groan to slam the clock in order to shut it up. As he rose out of the mat-like bed, he started to get ready. The normal things a teenager would do in order to get ready, like taking a shower and brushing your teeth. But also the not so normal things, like reapplying disinfectant and ointments along with replacing the bloody bandages that littered his body. Scars and new wounds covered Kuroko
After fixing himself up, he finally slid on his uniform, smoothing it out to make sure it hid all of the bandages underneath the clothing. Carefully securing the silver wrist band and cuff links to his jacket, he carefully made his way up the stairs and into the kitchen.
Kuroko was an inferior. Meaning what it sounds like. Inferiors were born weaker, normally had a lower IQ, and also tended to have a very weak immune system. In order to tell the difference between inferiors and superiors, they were required to wear either silver (inferior) or gold (superior) cuff links and a wrist band. Inferiors were often seen as useless, they were defects that didn’t deserve any more than the bare minimum.
He was born to superior parents. After his birth, his parents grew distant and abusive towards him. More so his father than mother. Even more distant family members like grandparents and uncles or aunts looked at him with pure disgust. Either way, ever since he turned 6, Kuroko was always put to work, in order for him to prove his worth. To show he deserved the bare minimum.
After making a light breakfast for himself and a more intricate one for his parents, Kuroko grabbed his bag and slipped out the door to start heading to school, making sure to be careful with every step.
As Kuroko was walking through the hallways, we barely managed to escape being trampled by a group of superior kids. Kuroko was born with an unusual lack of presence. Perhaps it had to do with him being an inferior, perhaps not. He never truly knew. What he did know was how lonely it was. Even though when people did look his way, it was with disgust, never being seen hurt in a different kind of way.
There were some positives to having a scarce presence. Kuroko could often get out of difficult situations easier or slip into class late, not being marked tardy. Much like the current situation he was in. Due to almost being trampled in the halls, he made it to his class later than preferred, but he managed to sneak in just in time for his attendance to be taken.
The day passed like sludge, Kuroko doubted that this day could go by any slower, god, he wanted to dare it to. Though knowing his terrible luck, he kept his thoughts only to himself. Though it seemed that just for now luck was on his side as there was finally a break between classes.
The school Kuroko attended was rather nice, despite the fact that he was an inferior, his parents had money, so they could at least send Kuroko to a nice school to keep up appearances. The school’s campus had many walkways, little gardens, and gorgeous paths that led to stunning views. Kuroko had this one spot, this one walkway, to a place that was beautiful yet secluded. People didn’t know it existed, much like how people didn’t know he existed, perhaps that’s why he loved it so dearly.
Today was different though, it seems his luck immediately ran out, as it often does. On the bench Kuroko sat on during his breaks laid another student he hadn’t seen before. He was stunning to say the least. Golden hair that shined as sun rays were illuminating him, a soft smile on his face that felt warm and comforting somehow, he seemed tall (or at least to Kuroko’s standards). You could tell he was fit, even in his uniform he looked muscular.
Kuroko realistically knew he shouldn’t, he saw the gold cuff links and wrist band, but he was too intrigued, too drawn in. He stepped closer but there was still a distance, when suddenly the man peaked his eyes open.
“WAHH!! WHO- WHAT-!? Jesus who are you! You know, when I felt a little presence I was expecting a little critter not a full on person!” The pretty boy sat up with a little groan, most likely having a kink in his neck from the awkward resting position. As the pretty boy was stretching his arms out Kuroko got to see his eyes. They were a pretty brown, like chestnut on their own, but when the sun hit them they turned into amber.
“Well? Are you ever gonna answer my question? Just who are you..? I’ve never seen you around here before, and I know the majority of the people in this school.” Mystery man’s face seemed to hold a little bit of interest, though Kuroko couldn’t really tell why.
The pretty boy’s statement seemed to snap Kuroko out of his stupor, though he definitely didn’t show it on his face. “Apologies, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. If I’m allowed to ask, who are you?” Kuroko instinctively lowered his head, so as to not meet the others’ gaze.
However, the other kid was baffled, confused how this student didn’t know who he was. With his mouth agape, he managed to voice out an answer. “Ah, ahem, I’m Kise Ryouta. Sorry, took me aback a bit, I’m a little famous at the school!” Kise had a bit of an embarrassed look in a way while answering the question.
As Kise started to gather his thoughts, he took a closer look at the smaller male. Cerulean hair that looked a tad unkempt, blue eyes that were dull and void of emotion at first glance, a tattered uniform, and what caught his attention the most was the bandages that covered even the visible parts of his skin. Kise was intrigued, for some reason he didn’t want the other to leave. He extended a small invitation, “Hm well, if you were coming here either way, why don’t you just join me?” Kise patted the open spot of the bench next to him, hoping he could keep Kuroko here.
Kuroko knew he shouldn’t, he knew talking to a superior so comfortably would have a bad result, but he just couldn’t help himself. Kuroko took hesitant steps towards the bench, he sat down, unsure of his decision but he was stuck here now.
“Sooo…” Kise didn’t know what to do, nor did he know what to say. For the first time in a while he was speechless. He wanted to connect to the smaller boy but didn’t know how to start. Kuroko’s eyes looked so dull, so void of emotion. Kise was used to people flocking to him, of people initiating conversation. Even when they didn’t, they were never this quiet.
Kuroko tilted his head up, meeting Kise’s gaze head on for the first time since them meeting. “Yes? Is there something you wish to say, or ask?”
Kuroko’s voice was so monotone it was almost unsettling, you could tell that Kuroko put up walls to shield and protect himself. But it just made Kise want to lower them, it made Kise want to help him. “Ah! Sorry sorry! I’m rarely left speechless, you know! You’re a strange one, you just really caught my attention you know!” Kise tried to up the bubbly and charm factor, to hopefully catch Kuroko’s attention.
Instead this seemed to perplex Kuroko, on his normally still face his nose scrunched up a bit in confusion. “You know, you don’t need to be so energetic if you don’t wish to be. There’s not much use in wasting your energy on me.” Using that same flat voice.
Kise’s smile lessened, instead of being unnecessarily bright, it became more casual, more friendly. “You know Kurokocchi, I don’t really get scolded by strangers” Kise chuckled softly before deciding to take his hand and brush Kuroko’s hair out of his face. But as he did so, both of the young men felt a prickling sensation on their wrists.
Kuroko jolted up from his seat. The hairs on his neck were standing and he felt his blood go cold. He turned on his heels and ran, only hearing a few muffled “Waits!” behind him. But they only got farther and farther. Kuroko ran, ran faster than he ever had before. Kuroko barely registered blocking off his side of the bond while running. His legs were cramping up as he made it to his next class. Kuroko was thankful the break was almost over, making it unlikely that Kise would follow him. Kuroko slumped into his seat, catching his breath, and recovered. His awful stamina never helped him, not even in this situation, but it was pure adrenaline keeping him going.
As Kuroko’s adrenaline wore off he recalled what just happened, he started thinking about what would happen and how terrible this situation was. Being bonded to a superior. It wasn’t good news, superiors that were bonded to inferiors treated them terribly, and if they somehow didn’t, they were shunned. The outcome for inferiors were tragic, he’s heard horror stories of the abuse of the shame, the pure hurt people went through. It was so bad for others, that they would rather die than being stuck with their bond mate.
But despite that, Kuroko couldn’t help how captivated he was looking at Kise. The hair and eyes that shined like crystals under the sun, his smiles, the bright and cheery one and the soft and warm one, and how kind he was… But Kuroko knew that wouldn’t last when Kise found out he was an inferior, based off of his behavior, he hadn’t seen Kuroko’s band.
Kuroko gently unclipped his cuff links and pulled the wrist band down. Lo and behold, the name ‘Kise Ryouta’ was written on his inner wrist in bold yet beautiful writing. While Kuroko blocked off his side of the bond, he could still feel the warmth from Kise. It felt like Kise was trying to reach out to him, like he was desperate to have him there. Kuroko had never felt such comfort, his own parents never loved him this much, and he had just met Kise…
But Kuroko couldn’t risk it, he couldn’t risk any potential pain, he wouldn’t, he’d continue to run, he was too scared.
Sitting at his desk, as the class was starting, and students were filling the room with chatter, Kuroko sat there, hunched over and clutching his wrist as silent tears rolled down his face. The pure resentment and bitterness he felt towards this situation was agonizing. The pure sunshine that Kise was and emitted, yet Kuroko had to hide and shy away from its light. Not wanting to taint the stunning warmth with his dull presence.