Gamerella (Kenhina Cinderella AU)

Chapter one

A long time ago in a land full of green rolling hills, thick lushes forests with crystal rivers, fields of flowers and high mountains. With a busy town full of shops and stalls that sold everything from red silk shoes to fresh raspberries. And standing above the town was a beautiful white castle with blue and orange flags. Something straight out of a story book everybody reads as a child. And sitting at the top of one of those lush hills was a white pebble drive that led up to a beautiful manor, a large garden full of exotic flowers of every color.

The sound of laughter echoed from under a large apple tree, where a young boy with chocolate hair to the chin was running away from his father. His father was handsome with rough blonde hair and a thin beard, but he had dark bags under his eyes that he tried to hide from his son. "I'm going to get you!"

"No!" The boy squealed, turning towards the porch where his mother sat sipping some tea with a book. Her long brown tresses pulled into an elegant bun, golden eyes glanced at her husband and son- heart warmed at the sight of her two favorite boys. "Mama! Mama help me!" The boy ducked behind her purple dress and dug his head into the silk ribbon. He loved his mother silk dresses since they were soft on his skin, but this time it wasn't his saving grace. "I'm sorry my little kitten. But i cant help you this time." Kenma gasped as his father came behind him and scooped him up from under his elbows, "I've got you!" Kenma squealed as he fell onto the grass and his father tickled his stomach. His soft laughter grew louder the more his stomachs was attacked, "Ah! Stop! Please!"

"I'll save you Kenma!" A voice called. A young boy with jet black hair that was stuck up like a chicken, with a stick in hand he ran up the hill. Kuroo was his next door neighbor- although technically he lived like a mile away- and was Kenma's best friend. Being the only kid nearby they were super close, and when Kenma's parents would leave for work he'd stay over at Kuroo's. "Kuroo help!" The boy tackled Kenma's father giving enough time for the smaller boy to escape. He took off to his favorite apple tree with Kuroo close behind, behind was a secret ladder that led up to a small platform. The tree wasn't big enough for a whole treehouse so Kenma's father built a platform with a small rail right in the center so they were surrounded by the shaded branches and the sweet apples.

They climbed to the top and pulled up the ladder just in time. The older man leaned on the tree to catch his breath. "He cant get us up here!" Kuroo laughed, jumping up onto one of the branches and grabbed two apples. "Read anything interesting? What about that story your Mama was going to read you?"

"It was amazing. There was a prince in a seaside castle and a beautiful girl who worked as a maid. They were so made for each other, and there was a dragon!" Kenma loved fairy tales as much as he loved apple pie- he had a whole bookshelf full of them that his parents would bring back from their travels. His rambling was cut off when they heard violent couching from below, "Takami!" His mother's voice yelled as she came running into the yard. "Papa?" The two boys looked over the side of the rail, Kenma's father was on his hands and knee's coughing violently. "Papa! Are you alright?" Kenma scrambled down the ladder to his fathers side. Hearing his son's footsteps his father covered his mouth so the boy didn't see the small dribbled of blood going down his chin. "I'm alright son, just a bit out of breath and with all the pollen in the air just made my throat itch." He managed to cough out.

But while Kenma may be young, he was anything but stupid. He'd read a enough books to know his father was sick and was trying to hide it from him to protect him. So Kenma didn't say anything as he helped his father up and into the chair his mother was previously sitting on. "Papa, would you like my apple? Or some water?"

"Water would be lovely." Kenma ran off to the kitchen to ask for a glass. Kuroo pretended to follow but hid behind one of the bushes, "It's getting worse dear, please you need to see the doctor again."

"You know they wont be able to do anything else. We've already been three times. We can only hope it will pass." Speaking in hushed tones watching the back door for their sone to return. Kuroo was no fool either, his aunt had recently gotten sick so he knew the signs. "Kuroo. We know your there." He jumped at the voices, peering around the bush. "Are you going to tell him?"

"I think he's starting to figure it out. Kuroo can i ask you a favor?"

"Of course sir." Kuroo walked up to the man who took his hand. Kuroo felt how the man's hands shaked but didn't comment on it. "I need you to be there for Kenma if I don't make it."

"I promise."