The Invisible Empress of the Gods (Akashi X OC: Kuroko no Basuke Fanfic)

Point 27: Meant Something

"Why do you want to know what happened to me so much?" I asked irritably, shoving the gifts aside. "Why are you always so persistent in wanting to find out?" I hit the end button on my phone. I tried to ignore my thoughts about what Akashi would say to me next for hanging up on him.

That would not be good.

I might get killed.

"That's because..." Kise exchanged looks with everyone.

"Well..." Aomine scratched his head awkwardly, averting his gaze from mine.

Midorima and Murasakibara didn't say anything, so when Kuroko had finished looking at everyone and decided that no one was going to say anything, he cleared his throat, making me focus on him.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well?" I asked impatiently.

Kuroko moistened his lips before saying, "Isn't it obvious why we want to know?"

I blinked for a moment before my annoyance came back in full blast. "Well, honestly, I don't care about telling you guys," I snapped. "And how the hell did you even find where I lived? What are you guys, stalkers?" Then I thought about it and made a face. "Never mind, don't answer that last question. It's obvious Akashi told you."

Murasakibara took a bite of his candy bar, and then said this--with a mouth full of chocolate, I might add!-- "Sena-chin, are we friends?" he asked innocently.

I froze.

What?

Were we friends?

I thought about this for a long time. Yes, we were friends, but that was a long time ago. That was in the distant past. I had avoided them for the longest time, thinking that they didn't need to know, and due to that, I had built up a wall that not even they, my closest friends once upon a time, could break down. But now, were we friends? Or were we just acquaintances that happened to talk to each other every now and then?

Well, I knew something.

"No," I replied stiffly. "We are not friends."I tried not to let my voice crack.

"Then what are we?" Midorima asked, pushing his glasses up with his taped fingers. "If we are not even friends to you anymore, what are we to you now?"

"Strangers," I said immediately. "And since you are strangers to me, I never should've let you into my house. Get out now."

They all exchanged looks, and with a sad sigh from all of them, they began to head towards the exit. I glanced towards the gifts that they had brought me, and with reluctance, handed it to them. "Here," I said, trying not to let the reluctance show. "Take these with you."

Aomine frowned. "Keep it," he said harshly.

"They were gifts," Kise said, nudging Aomine in the shoulder, eyeing him purposefully. "You can keep it."

And with that, all of the people that were in my house cleared out.

I stood at the door, with all the gifts in my hands, trembling slightly. Then I turned back into my house, and placed the gifts on the kitchen counter. I headed to the couch and sat down, staring in space absentmindedly.

"Sena-san."

I turned around and screamed in shock, falling off of the couch. "Tetsuya?!" I exclaimed in shock and confusion. "What?! I thought you left?!"

Kuroko frowned. "The others said they were leaving. I never said I was."

I glared at him furiously. "Leave."

"I don't want to."

"I can call the police and have you arrested for trespassing," I threatened.

Kuroko smiled gently at me. "Sena-san, you wouldn't do that to me."

I opened my mouth, about to say something back to him, but closed it afterward. He was right.

I would never do that to him.

I would never do that to them.

I couldn't.

I sighed and leaned back into the cushioned couch. "Why are you staying then?" I asked. "You have no reason to stay."

"You didn't properly answer our question," Kuroko said. "When Murasakibara-kun asked whether we were friends or not, you looked as if you were about to cry at any moment."

I blinked in surprise. "Did I...tear up?" I asked in disbelief. I thought I had covered up my emotions as best as I could though.

Kuroko shook his head. "No, but your voice trembled and it did not sound as if you were speaking normally."

It trembled?

I need to go back to that acting class.

I sighed. "Why do you even care, Kuroko?" I asked bitterly, having a split second decision to call him Tetsuya or not. "Why would you even care about me? We're not even friends."

He doesn't know.

They shouldn't know.

After all, I don't mean anything to them.

Kuroko sighed. "Sena-san, you don't seem to understand."

What?

"Sena-san, I care because you are special. You are special to us. But especially Akashi-kun."

I stared at Kuroko for a moment, not blinking.

And then suddenly, the tears came. They came and overflowed out of my eyes, so much that even I had to bow my head and wipe them away, hoping they would stop eventually.

But they didn't.

I cried and cried and cried, and all the while, Kuroko stood there, watching it happen. I wiped tears away again and again, sniffled and sobbed.

I meant something.

I meant something to them.

I was actually one of them.

I felt arms go around me, and then another pair of arms. More and more and more, until I was completely wrapped in hugs. I sniffled and looked up, and I was even more shocked to see boys with hair colors of all the colors of the rainbow hugging me.

Purple.

Blue.

Light blue.

Green.

Yellow.

Red.

Wait.

Red?

I stopped crying for a the slightest second and looked at the one with red hair.

Akashi?!

How did he get in?

Wait, how did all of them get back in?

Oh, I didn't lock the door. Makes sense.

"Sena," Akashi whispered. "Don't cry."

I sniffled once more, and wiped my tears on my shirt.

I got it.

I'll tell them.

They deserve a right to know.

"Rakuzan High School, two o'clock, Sunday," I whispered. "At the gym."

"What?" Kise asked in confusion.

"I'll tell you then."