In Between Shadows Re-Written Version

[5] Center of Attention

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One Day.

Just one day was all Akashi would have needed to make the tealette stick to him like glue. For the others it was a miracle since they knew that Kuroko was as stubborn as a small speck of dust going back on your cupboard.

"Tetsuya are you okay?" Akashi asked, his eyes a mix of amber and gold looked at him with a tinge of concern in them and all Kuroko could do was nod. He was speechless, albeit with the beauty that the redhead possessed. Akashi, on the other hand tended to the tealette without reserve. He wanted to get to be the only one who is beside Kuroko, and nobody was going to take him away from him. Not again. Not ever.

"Akashi-kun? What if I suddenly disappeared from your sights again... Let's say after thirty days would you still be able to find me?" Kuroko asked and Akashi's eyes widened at the question he wasn't going to let Tetsuya; His Tetsuya get away from him ever again.

"Try me Tetsuya..." Akashi said with a smirk on his face but inside his heart was racing so fast like he had run a marathon. He didn't know what he'd do if he tealette were to suddenly disappear from his sight. Kuroko's lips upturned, a little but it was there.

"Big Brother Tetsuya!!!!" Surprise, was the expression of Kuroko as someone had clung onto him. The weight was as light as a feather and Kuroko sighed as the smell of familiar vanilla and cinnamon attacked his nose. He looked at the person who had him on a vice-like grip and saw the playful smile of his one and only sister Setsuya. Behind her was Kagami, who seemed to also be having a hard time controlling Shiro but didn't show it. Luckily for him he had another person holding his Arcana Pen.

"Setsuya, Kagami. Hello..." Kuroko answered to his sister and greeted the other apocalypse as well and Setsuya deadpanned as she thought about how formal her brother is. Even to her.

"Tetsuya! Don't be so formal to me! You know I hate that!" Setsuya pouted as she crossed her arms. Kuroko just chuckled and he smiled at her fondly. Caressing her thick, gradient white-blue locks, Kuroko knew that Setsuya did everything to get here.

"How's school been for you Setsuya?" Kuroko asked and Setsuya just nodded slightly.

"It's been well, I guess. Akashi-san and the other GoM had treated me well. Especially when it comes to upping my weaknesses into strengths but... They really can be weird sometimes." Setsuya said not minding the glare she was receiving from the captain of the Miracles. She looked over to see that he was downright furious at her. How could she blatantly lie to her brother like that? No. She wasn't the sweet little angel that Kuroko sees. No. She was the devil incarnate. Much like Akashi but she was more into mischief.

"Setsuya. Are you lying to me?" Kuroko said and that's when beads of sweat trailed down her forehead. She knew she couldn't hide it from the tealette seeing as she was never known to be a good liar.

"Yes... But seriously Big Brother why'd you pick them of all people? I don't really get your reasons" Setsuya said and all Kuroko could do was sigh. He knew that she won't get along with the others and he didn't expect her to.

"You don't need to know Setsuya you will just see it... In the meantime, why don't we go out on a small shopping spree? Can we Akashi-kun?" Kuroko said as he looked over his azure eyes asking or rather pleading for the redhead to allow them and all Akashi could do was to sigh in exasperation. Not like he can stop himself from not allowing his Tetsuya to have fun while he was here. It's been years that he hasn't come down and he wanted his Tetsuya to make the most out of it.

A small snicker broke him out of his reverie, and he looked to see Setsuya giving him a teasing smile.

"You look like a love-struck teenager Akashi-san. You shouldn't make it too obvious you know that... After all,..." Setsuya said as she stepped forward her blue eyes trained on his red-gold ones and she leaned up and whispered. A glare suddenly replacing her snickering face.

"It's your fault that Tet-nii-chan has to suffer here" she said, and Akashi was instantly bothered by that statement. What did she mean by that?

"What do you mean by that?!" Akashi said and Setsuya just laughed at his dumbfounded.

"You'll get what I mean in a few days... Before that treasure him well... I didn't give him to you for you to hurt." Setsuya said and Akashi took that as a sign of approval? He guessed.

"Tetsuya... Let's go." Akashi said jogging to the teallete's side and grabbing the smaller one's hand intertwining their fingers. Kuroko sported a small blush, a bit unnoticeable but it was there, and Akashi just chuckled making both the Kuroko siblings look at him.

"You actually laughed!" Setsuya said almost mockingly to the captain and Akashi put his face back to being null and void. Kuroko just smiled and squeezed the redhead's hand earning a slight dust of pink onto Akashi's cheeks. They walked and talked and shopped through Central and when they got back, they all had smiles on their faces. But Setsuya and Kuroko knew it wasn't permanent.

~~~

Two Days.

Two days after Kuroko has been taken into the institution and now currently being introduced to the class were Akashi was in was a bit surprising for the others especially the GoM. They didn't know that the tealette would continue studying inside the institution especially now that he was branded as the "Host for Kuro Apocalypse" but that didn't stop Kuroko from going back to school. He wanted to learn more things and maybe just maybe he'll be able to control Kuro albeit if he were to continue controlling it.

"Alright so everyone this is Kuroko Tetsuya, as you all know him he was a former student in this academy, but due to 'circumstances' he had to leave for a few years but now his back and please let's all welcome him home" Their teacher Mr. Imayoshi said and all they could do was nod. They were scared pretty much because not only was Kuroko Tetsuya, one of the strongest Ateliers alive in this world, he was also the host of the most dangerous labyrinth in the world which was a surprise for them since they had expected him to go in a rampage, destroying every part of the city and maniacally laughing while watching the flames erupt in the city, but it turns out that he wasn't as evil as they thought he was.

There was something drawing them to him.

Maybe it was the way his blue locks would unknowingly glitter against the sun or sway softly with wind almost as graceful as the wind itself,

Or the blue eyes, the color of the sky ever so lightly flickering with emotion when there was something that had interested him,

Or maybe it was how he carried himself, the gracefulness and precision that he had with his stature almost like an alluring piece of art which graced their eyes every second the day they spent with him.

And by the time the day had ended, Kuroko Tetsuya had become the center of attention for everyone.

This made a certain Akashi Seijuro a bit irritated by the fact that HIS tealette was being ogled by other people. Tetsuya was HIS and HIS ALONE.