Kuroko finally calmed down. His dream had been so realistic and terrifying he was certain it was actually happening.
Seijurou had him lay back down after he got his breathing back to normal. He told Kuroko to rest a little longer before the sun came up and that he would make him breakfast.
Kuroko watched as the man got up and left the bedroom, leaving the door open so Tetsuya could still see him as he went to the kitchen. The alarm clock tells Kuroko that it's almost 6AM.
He listens to Seijurou bang around in the kitchen for a while before deciding he wasn't going to get any more sleep and getting up to go to the bathroom for a shower.
As Kuroko washes the sweat from his body his mind swirls. He remembers it. When he was young, the children of the town often preyed on either him or Sei. It wasn't just a dream.
He remembers seeing the boys chasing Sei into the woods. He remembers running after them but not being able to catch up to them on his short legs. He clearly remembers seeing them throw Sei into the river. He watched from the path that parallels the river as his mother's cat was struggling in the water.
He had been terrified. He didn't know what to do and had started to cry as he watched the bag disappear under the water. He ran back home as soon as he could, not wanting to be caught by the boys. He cried for the rest day.
Then the next day Sei came back. As if nothing had happened at all. Kuroko had hugged him tightly. He thought Sei had somehow escaped the bag. Kuroko never told his grandparents what happened. He was just happy Sei was back. No one ever questioned the new patch of white fur on the cat's chest.
Kuroko turns off the water and stands quietly in the shower. He watches the water swirl down the drain in a daze. Sei definitely died in his dream. He felt it. He experienced all of it. Sei had died. But then he came back.
He doesn't know how long he stood there. A knock on the door wakes him from his thoughts.
"Tetsuya? Are you alright? I brought you a towel." Sei's voice says through the door. Kuroko steps out of the shower and opens the door. He looks up at Sei with an empty expression. Sei looks down at him sadly. He reaches out to dry his dripping hair and shoulders before he wraps the towel around Kuroko carefully while the boy stares up at him.
"The food will be done shortly." Sei says as he turns to head back to the kitchen. Kuroko just nods.
Kuroko's body is slow and his mind foggy. Had he been functioning properly he might have been embarrassed that he had just shown Sei his naked body. But the thought barely even crosses his mind as he turns to walk to his bedroom to get dressed.
Sei had left out some clothes for him to change into, he notices. Once Kuroko is dressed he walks into the living room where Sei is setting down a plate of eggs and toast next to a mug of coffee. He smiles softly over at Kuroko.
"Thank you." Kuroko says as he sits down on his couch. Sei had made the eggs the way Kuroko likes. Sunny-side up.
As Kuroko eats, Sei sits down on the recliner by the window. The sun is rising behind him. He watches the boy carefully and waits patiently for him to get his morning intake of caffeine. Once Kuroko has finished his food he is finally ready to talk about the dream.
"That wasn't just a dream, was it?" Kuroko says to his empty cup.
"No. It wasn't." Sei answers honestly.
"What was it?"
"One of my memories."
Kuroko looks up at him now. "Of one of the times you died."
"Yes. That was the first time I lost my life while protecting you."
Kuroko is silent again. Sei watches him sadly.
"I'm sorry Tetsuya. I wish you didn't have to see that."
"... I was there. I remember being there. Watching you go down the river."
"I know." Seijurou says.
After another long silence Seijurou sighs and stands up. He collects Kuroko's dishes and brings them to the sink. He refills Kuroko's coffee cup and brings it back over to him. Kuroko thanks him again and watches as Sei sits back down.
"Tetsuya." Seijurou's voice is uncertain. "You shouldn't have seen that."
"What do you mean?" Kuroko's brow knits as he watches the heterochromatic eyed man.
"I mean, unless you cast a spell to relive a memory, you should not have ever seen any of my memories."
"Then why did I have that dream?"
"... I think, because I gave my eighth life to you, you are experiencing all the other times I gave my life as well."
"So then... I'm going to have another dream about you dying?"
"Yes. You're going to see all Eight of my deaths."
YOU ARE READING
Nine Lives
Fanfiction"Kuroko knew his mother practiced witchcraft. It was a fact that he never doubted. But for her to leave behind a familiar to take care of him. It was nearly inconceivable. Just as inconceivable as Kuroko being dead for two days." After an accident t...
