Palette Series: White [AkaKuro Fanfiction]

Third Part - White

This was supposed to be posted, like, 4 days ago in celebration of Kuroko's birthday and also to commemorate the Super Blue Blood Moon that appeared that night, but whoops–

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei owns it. The only thing I own is this story.

I do not own the photo either. Credits go to the lovely owner of the lovely art. Please do notify me if you them. ^^

Warning: Unedited (because I'm tired and lazy af)

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If Tetsuya's counting had been accurate, then he had been staying in the Sky Palace for about a year now. He had spent two months recuperating on Akashi's manor–on that, he was sure. Akashi had said that the manor was located on the mortal world, but it was on a different plane of existence. Logically thinking, time should flow the same in there the way it did on the mortal world. But, here in the Sky Palace, it felt as if the days were longer, and Tetsuya had had a hard time keeping track of time.

Tetsuya's stay on the manor felt undemanding enough, because Akashi's servants attended to his every need without him asking to. It was as if they knew everything he required and wanted. Honestly, he felt useless at the time, but he didn't bother voicing it out because his mind was still too caught up on that night–the night when he almost lost his life.

It didn't take Tetsuya long to bury part of it in his memories, when he arrived in the Sky Palace. Though not completely, he tried to think of that night as some sort of blessing in disguise. After all, he wouldn't be here if it weren't for that night. He wouldn't have met everyone. He wouldn't have gotten the chance to see Kagami and Ogiwara again, who were apparently serving another god–one who went by the name Aomine–now.

Ogiwara recounted the night he and Kagami fell from the cliff to Tetsuya, but not after he gave the latter a bone-crushing hug. They had been saved by Aomine, and the god had granted them another chance at life.

Kagami said they grabbed the opportunity, because they both thought it would give them the ability to save Tetsuya, to help Tetsuya escape from the village.

Even when they were about to die, they were still thinking of him. And for that, Tetsuya would eternally be grateful.

Tetsuya sighed, his arms crossed over the baluster. The balcony in the room he was currently staying in overlooked the eastern gardens of the palace. For him, it was the most beautiful one out of the four. Probably, because it was the only one with a flame tree.

Tetsuya's heart clenched at the memory. He wondered if what he saw before was just an apparition or if it were just an illusion caused by his tired mind.

Underneath the tree's shadow, Akashi stood all godly and regal. He was wearing the same kimono from when he and Tetsuya first met–the top a blood red, and the bottom of black color with a dragon curling around it and camellias scattered across the unfilled spaces. He was smiling at him, and Tetsuya couldn't help but smile back. His scarlet hair burned like flames as wind breathed through it.

Then, before Tetsuya knew it, he was running towards him, his bare feet brushing against the grass. The smell of afternoon dew invaded his nose as each gust of wind touched his face. Soon, he found himself standing in front of Akashi. He lifted his head, met Akashi's gaze, and held them. His lashes fluttered softly as he watched himself reflected in Akashi's eyes.

And the vision ended there.

Akashi had lent Tetsuya his color, his emotions, everything, and he had never asked anything of Tetsuya in return.