Till the end

Chapter 60

"Tetsu, here."

I blinked and stared at the bowl being held out to me. For a moment, I didn't know where I was or what I was doing. Aomine grabbed my hands and made me hold the warm bowl of soup. His eyes were full of pity and his own pain as he looked down at me.

I knew I was a mess. My eyes felt swollen and were stinging from all the tears I had cried. My throat was raw from the screaming I had done. Worse, my heart felt like a cold lump in my chest.

Glancing around I saw Momoi sitting in the corner, her eyes red from crying as she rocked a sleeping Mitsuki. Seeing my daughters red locks made my eyes threaten to tear up again but I had nothing left. I had cried myself dry.

We were in a small hut and glancing at a crack in the window I could see that it was night time. I didn't even remember making it here. Sometime during the travelling while I had been inconsolable Midorima had drugged me.

Everyone was quiet as they unpacked and settled down for the night. I had no idea what the plan was. Were we just going to stay here forever? Or end up as nomads? Where could we possibly go? Nobody would take us in if they knew what we were and there was no way I would be making Mitsuki suffer through what I had growing up.

A dark hand covered mine and drew my attention to Aomine who was still kneeling in front of me.

"You have to eat Tetsu. You haven't had anything all day."

Again, I blinked at him as if I didn't know what he was talking about. Looking down at the bowl of food I couldn't make myself pick up the spoon. What was the point? Akashi was gone the love of my life had left me. I put the bowl down and curled up in my sleeping bag, pulling it up over my head as I closed my eyes

"Tetsu."

"Let him be."

Midorima's voice was thick with sadness as he gave the command and I heard Aomine move away. I could hear them talking quietly as they finished setting up for camp. Nearby I could feel Mitsuki and Mayuzumi. Sensing them just made the giant hole left by Akashi feel even larger and I forced myself to sleep.

*A week later*

I walked around the permitter of the small mountain hut we had called home for the last week. As usual Mayuzumi walked beside me, my silent shadow. Since we had lost Akashi he had sunk into himself, not speaking to anyone expect me. He would give the others one word replies and didn't actively seek out conversations. The only thing that got me out of bed every day was him and the small red head in my arms. I looked down at my daughter, her red locks making my heart ache each time I looked at them. She looked just like Akashi but with my eyes. she was contentedly dozing as we walked around in the sun light. Nearby Midorima and Takao were drying out some medial herbs while Murasakibara was skinning and smoking the meat that Aomine and Kagami had caught earlier that day. Â We had slowly drifted into a routine with our life in this small hut and I was starting to wonder if this was where we would stop. Midorima had been given command and he hadn't said weather or not we should move on or stay. I knew he wanted to wait for me to be properly healed before we made that next step.

"Kurokocchi."

Kise was jogging over to us while Mayuzumi stopped beside me, his eyes emotionless as he stared at the blonde.

"We found a goat!"

My eyes raised as I saw Momoi leading a small ragged animal into the small clearing. I didn't know what that was exciting news.

"It's a female goat."

I simply shrugged, not understanding why this was so important.

"We can give Mitsuki fresh milk!"