KuroTsuki - Remember me

-Explanations and the Guilt that follows-

Tsukishima couldn't quite make sense of what was going on. He could feel the spirits arms around him, could hear his voice clearly. Yet it all felt so out of place, it didn't feel real. Akaashi had kept his arms around him, trying his best to calm him.

"I know you're finding this hard to take in..." Akaashi drew back and sat next to Tsukishima, leaning against the tree.

"...but I need to explain myself to you, as this is my fault."

Tsukishima lifted his tear-stained face, gazing confusingly at Akaashi. 'How is this his fault...?'

Akaashi briefly looked in Tsukishima's direction before down at his lap.

"In the beginning, Gods and humans live in a natural balance. It was destroyed when man first discovered the feel of destruction, hate and the satisfaction that came with it." Akaashi attention flickered to Tsukishima, "With it came the near extinction of the Gods... so the ones that remained, the Elders, set in place a series of rules to keep the remainder alive."

Tsukishima took off his glasses, wiping the lingering tears from his eyes and gestured for Akaashi to continue with a slight nod of his head. Akaashi drew breath, "It was centuries later that the rules were first broken, by a spirit of the land. Terushima Yuji a lion by heart and form." He looked down and fiddled with his kimono, "He fell in love with a human girl, Misaki Hana, they ended up getting married. But when the Elders found out he was summoned to a gathering, Teru knew the consequences but refused to go."

What happened next sent shivers down Tsukishima's spine, Akaashi had grabbed his shoulders tightly and stared deeply into his eyes.

"They killed him for breaking the rules; for loving a human! I can't let that happen to Kuroo-san..." Akaashi head dropped and his lips quivered slightly, "...I don't want that to happen to you Tsukishima." The spirit shook his head as tears started to flow, "I can't let that happen... so please. Please forgive me."

***

"Akaashi's disappeared again bro." Bokuto rubbed his forehead and glanced at Kuroo, "He seemed agitated. I'm worried."

Kuroo folded the top half of his kimono over his waist and continued to tighten the rope around three bamboo sticks.

"He's been doing that a lot lately hasn't he." Kuroo grunted as he pushed the sticks into the mud, he was trying to assist the oak tree he had planted years before with growing. The recent winds had weakened its still thin trunk, he didn't want it to snap as it had grown so much. Bokuto rested his cheek on his hand as Kuroo gently wound the truck to the sticks.

Bokuto puffed out his cheeks, "Do you think it's because we snuck out to see Tsukki-poo."

Kuroo's movements stilled for a moment. He nodded and continued to wrap the trunk to the sticks.

-Flash back-

Kuroo ran over the roofs of the old town, his paws pattering on the metal panels. Bokuto had pestered him to join him. Kuroo of course was sceptical, anything that involved Bokuto's daily tails usually ended with trouble. It was dusk by the time Bokuto finally landed on a shop rooftop, Kuroo leaped next to him and gave him a look. 'What are you up to?'

Bokuto turned his head a full one-eighty (god did it creep Kuroo out when he did that) and faced an open window in the distance. Kuroo looked over, what's so interesting about a window?

Kuroo meowed at Bokuto and turned around, a bright flash shot up quickly before disappearing. Bokuto's hand grabbed the scruff of Kuroo's neck and lifted him back to the spot he was previously in.

"Don't look at me like that. I know it was stupid of me to shift but trust me." Bokuto stretched his hands up above his head, shifting suddenly, a chime of a bell soon followed.

'Bokuto's going to be caught one day I swear...' Kuroo thought, mentally face palming.

He was about to complain at Bokuto again when his ears perked up at the sound of a chair falling. Kuroo looked back over to the window. His world slowed as his eyes met hazel.

Tsukishima was staring at them from the very window Bokuto had gestured, his hand was braced against the wall below the window keeping his upper body up.

He was stunning in the gentle glow of the sun.

Kuroo couldn't move. Tsukishima had grown into something so perfect.

"What ya doing Kei?" A deeper voice called from with in the room. Tsukishima gasped and pushed himself back into the room, "N-nothing!" He shouted before slamming the window shut and disappearing from view.

-Present-

Bokuto watched Kuroo lean over the tree in silence, his hands stilled.

"Bro I know he means a lot to you but..." Bokuto got up and placed a hand on Kuroo's bare shoulder. Kuroo clicked his tongue, "I know... I just..." his voice broke gently.

"He came every week for a year Bo... and I just watched from a distance. How could he forgive us?"

Bokuto kneeled at Kuroo's side and pulled Kuroo in as he cried quietly. If he could Bokuto would make this right for Kuroo, it broke him to see his bro so down.

But he couldn't.