Chapter Text
Akashi’s eyes scanned the page of the book he had open on the cafeteria table. He forced himself to read slowly, to absorb every syllable as though the information was somehow vital. Once the appropriate amount of time had passed, he turned the page, starting the process over again.
It was all for show, of course. Were he away from human eyes, Akashi would be free to read as quickly as he liked, fully reading each page in a fraction of a second, turning the pages so quickly it would be nothing more than a flutter to a mortal.
But here, in this high school cafeteria, Akashi had to be careful. Humans had a tendency to stare at the bizarre family of too-pale teenagers, and a wrong move would surely be noticed.
He sighed, simply for something else to do, and flipped another page. Apparently the action was startling enough that Kise looked up from his phone.
“Everything okay, Akashicchi?” he asked, his perfect brows knitting together.
Before he could even bother lifting his head, Kagami cut in. “What kind of stupid question is that?” he snorted. “He’s reading a book, same as any other day.”
“Well duh,” Kise rolled his eyes. “But today he sighed. That’s different!”
“From Akashi? He always sighs!”
“Not always!” Kise sang, stretching out the word. “But most of the time, yes.”
Akashi finally looked up, scowling at the blond. “I’m right here. I can hear you.”
“I sure hope you can,” Kagami retorted. “You’d be a pretty shitty vampire if you couldn’t.”
“Quiet!” three of them hissed at once. On instinct, Akashi’s sharp eyes flashed around the room.
It was foolish, he knew. The word had been spoken below a normal volume, and there were no humans close enough to overhear. Yet still, the reaction to the word spoken out loud was automatic.
It wasn’t a word any of them were particularly fond of hearing, even after a couple of decades.
Akashi’s gaze slid to Kuroko, further verifying that their conversation hadn’t been overheard. Kuroko shook his head, and Akashi relaxed.
If a human had somehow heard their conversation, then Kuroko would be the one to handle it. It was the most valuable benefit to his rather… particular ability.
In his human life, Kuroko possessed a nearly invisible sense of presence. Other people could stand right next to him and not have the slightest idea he was there. Now, as a vampire, Kuroko was able to nearly completely erase his existence from someone's mind.
Or, in extreme instances, Kuroko could remove very small periods of time from a person's memory. A few words spoken too loudly, or a movement that was too fast, and Kuroko would step in. It had happened a few times over the near-century they’d been traveling together, especially with the more boisterous few, like Kagami or Aomine.
Of course, Kuroko couldn’t truly erase a memory. It was more that he was able to misdirect a person's thoughts around the memory he wanted them to forget.
A low grumble sounded next to him. Kasamatsu had his head bowed, his thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose in what appeared to be exasperation. It was no surprise, given his brothers’ behavior.
“Everyday,” he muttered quietly. “Every damn day, you two do something that makes me question my sanity.”
Kise pouted immediately. “Aw, don’t be like that!” He reached across the table to touch his arm. Kasamatsu jerked away.
“Akashi Seijuurou.”
He turned his head automatically, at the sound of his name. It was a reflex, despite knowing he would find nothing of interest waiting for him.
After the initial excitement of his family joining the student body, it wasn’t all that common for his classmates to speak any of their names out loud.
Akashi locked onto a pair of impossibly wide brown eyes.
The eyes belonged to a face that Akashi didn’t recognize. That was an impressive feat, considering the school had a population of a mere three hundred and thirty-seven — or thirty-eight, it seemed — students.
“And that’s Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya,” the voice finished. Akashi shifted his gaze to the left, landing on Fukuda Sogo. He was the one who had said Akashi’s name in the first place, not the new student.
Kise shifted beside him. “Oh, the new boy!” he cooed. “So that’s what all the fuss has been about today.”
“Who cares,” Kagami grumbled.
Kuroko flicked him in the ear. “Kagami-kun is misbehaving today.”
“Am not,” Kagami growled, swatting at the offending hand. Kuroko was quicker, pulling just out of reach.
Kasamatsu closed the magazine he’d been flipping through, pushing to his feet. “That’s it, I’m out. I can’t stand another second of you three.”
“No, wait!” Kise called after him. “We’ll chill, I promise!”
His plea fell on deaf ears, as Akashi heard Kasamatsu continue out the door. He couldn’t be bothered to watch, as his focus was still on the new boy.
There was nothing remarkable about him. Wide brown eyes. Flyaway brown hair. Thin features. Painfully average, even by human standards.
He seemed to have little trouble making friends, however. His lunch table was practically overflowing with students. All in an attempt to soak up some of the attention, surely. Humans were predictable like that.
The boy had turned away upon first meeting Akashi’s eyes, almost seeming to shrink into his seat. That didn’t seem to deter him from sending glances towards their table every few seconds, though.
Fukuda appeared to have taken it upon himself to explain the oddities of his family to the newcomer. The others took notice.
“Talking shit already,” Kagami grumbled under his breath.
Kuroko was watching the table too. “He looks afraid,” he noted. “Perhaps he takes the rumors more seriously than the others?”
“He’s not suspicious, is he?” Kagami asked, narrowing his eyes towards the boy. “Oi, Akashi. Can you see him doing anything? Like freaking out or something?”
Akashi repressed another sigh. It was his job, he supposed. If Kuroko was their backup, then Akashi was the lookout.
He closed his eyes, although that wasn’t necessary for him to see. It was merely a habit of his at this point, to help channel his focus.
An image of the boy drifted behind his eyelids. It fractured, breaking apart, splintering down a tunnel inside his mind, looking to glimpses of the future…
He saw nothing. Absolutely nothing.
His eyes flashed open, the vision shattering. He looked to the new boy with narrowed eyes.
“What’d you see?” Kagami asked. Akashi ignored him, staring at the boy. His brown eyes shifted, briefly meetings Akashi’s before cringing away again.
“Akashicchi? Did you see something?”
“No,” Akashi answered, not turning away from the boy. “I didn’t see anything.”
There was a pause.
“You didn’t see… like he’s not gonna do anything?” Kise asked hesitantly.
Akashi’s eyes narrowed into slits. “No.”
“So he is gonna start some shit,” Kagami growled.
“No.”
Kagami jerked around to face him, his lips curled over his teeth. “What the hell, Akashi? Quit being a cryptic asshole and tell us what’s going on!”
“I told you clearly,” Akashi said, his tone dangerously calm. Kagami instantly backed down with a grumble. “You’re not listening. I didn’t see.”
The words hung heavy in the air. Akashi sat tensely, his muscles rigid with discomfort. The feeling of weakness washing over him was strange, to say the least. He couldn’t recall his second sight ever failing him before. And in front of his family…
Of course it was Kuroko to break the silence. “I’m sure things will be fine,” he said, in that deadpan way of his. “It’s normal for our abilities to waiver when it comes to humans. And this is someone new. Perhaps he’s just more difficult than the others.” He threw a glance towards the boy. “In any case, he seems harmless. Let’s just calm down, please.”
Akashi relaxed slightly. There was some truth to Kuroko’s words. It was more difficult at times to see the future of humans. And even when he did, the visions weren’t quite as clear as the ones involving his own kind.
Still, for him to see nothing at all… was new.
“You’re right,” he agreed. He very pointendly turned his back to the boys table. “One new human is hardly anything for us to concern ourselves with.” He looked to Kise. “Shouldn’t you go after Kasamatsu?”
Kise ducked his head. “Crap. Yeah, I probably should.” He swept his hair back from his forehead. “I’m gonna catch hell for it later, anyway.”
“Gross.” Kagami wrinkled his nose.
Kise laughed. He stood up, grabbing his tray of uneaten food. He strode gracefully towards the door, giving a wave over his shoulder. “See you guys later!”
A few minutes later, and the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch hour. As the four of them rose and began gathering their books with measured slowness, Akashi couldn’t help but cast another scowl across the room. The new boy appeared to be studying his schedule.
It didn’t matter, Akashi reminded himself again. It was no fault on his part that he was unable to see him. It was just a fluke, on the boys part. Certainly not Akashi’s.
Akashi headed out the door, separating from his family and heading towards his sixth period biology class. A few other students were already trickling in.
He sat at his table near the back of the room, letting his books spread across the desk. Masuda-sensei was kind enough, or wary enough, to not assign anyone to share the space with him.
More students were taking their seats. Akashi ignored them, as he always did. There was nothing in this class that would surprise someone with two degrees in medicine.
The door opened again, and Fukuda walked in. Followed very closely by the new boy. Furihata, he heard them call him.
Akashi repressed another sigh. Perhaps the universe was out to get him today. Because the only available seat was the one beside him. The boy was in for a long semester.
He moved his things, clearing Furihata’s half of the table.
In that moment, Furihata strode down the aisle, about to pass Akashi’s desk. Which happened to be directly in the airflow of the heating vent.
Furihata’s scent hit him like an avalanche. Or a hurricane. Or several F5 tornadoes converging on one tiny farmhouse all at once. There wasn’t a force of nature strong enough to depict the violence that Akashi felt in that moment.
He was a vampire. That fact had never been truer than in this very second. He was a bloodthirsty monster, and Furihata had the sweetest blood he’d smelled in nearly a century.
The boy shot Akashi a nervous glance, from the corner of his eye, as he passed the table. The color drained from his cheeks as he took in the murderous expression on Akashi’s face.
No surprise there. He could see his face reflected in the mirror of Furihata’s eyes.
Akashi saw his other self.
The golden-eyed version of himself glared back at him before the Furihata boy averted his gaze, cringing so hard he stumbled over the perfectly flat floor. His other self grinned in his head.
This human was so frail, so pathetically weak, that it would take no effort all to kill him.
Because this human boy was going to die. There was no question of it in Akashi’s mind. For a fraction of a second, a vision clouded over his eyes, one of his own future.
He saw nothing. Almost as though he didn’t exist.
His other self snarled, breaking the empty vision. His other self cared nothing for visions of a future that no longer mattered.
The only future he was concerned with was one that involved the boy dead, his own eyes glowing a demonic gold from draining him dry.
And that was an absolute.
Unfortunately for the rest of the room, that meant their deaths as well. Twenty-four other students and one teacher would die here, in this small classroom. They would not be allowed to live, having witnessed the bloody horror that was about to unfold.
His other self was already planning it. Out of the two of them, he was the one who was the most profecient in murder. That fact didn’t appear to offend his other self in the slightest.
For the first time in decades, Akashi actively assisted in the plans. He booked no argument when it came to the death of this human boy.
It would be the easiest thing in the world, to kill him. He would have to move quickly afterwards, however. There wouldn’t be time to empty his body, not yet. The remainder of the room would have to perish before he could taste…
The other way around then, his other self decided. It would be just as simple to kill the others first. He estimated he could snap four to five necks a second. The left side of the room was closest, so he would take them first. Around to the back, taking out the teacher. Then the right side, who would only have a few seconds to realize what was happening.
And then Furihata would die.
Akashi’s other self smiled, pleased. He’d been dormant for years, and it had been several decades since he was last in control of their body.
How easily he snapped to the surface now! Akashi’s bloodlust wavered for a moment, something closer to disappointment taking its place.
Akashi’s other self had been with him since his human days. When they were changed, his other self came with him into this new life.
He was quiet at first, as Midorima guided him through his first few years as a newborn. But as the first decade passed, he became more vocal, expressing more and more distaste for the way they were living.
Not about the vampire part. His other self had little issue about that. Instead his focus was about their feeding habits in particular. They’d spent their entire human life under the control of their father, and now they were going to let someone else decide how they should live?
Akashi found himself in agreement, to a certain extent. While the idea of going off on his own was appealing, he remained hesitant to go along with the murdering of innocent humans.
Then allow me, had been the response.
In a moment of weakness, Akashi allowed his other self to take over. He held control for three years, with Akashi only waking up long enough to check in once every couple of months. He never stuck around long, instead choosing to go back to sleep in the deepest part of their mind.
But the violence was beginning to wear on him. The death of countless innocents became all he could see, whenever he was awake to see their reflection. The sinister gold of their eyes was unsettling, even to himself.
And so he fought back, regaining control once again. He swore to himself right then that he would never succumb to such weakness again.
Furihata’s scent swirled in his brain. If this human boy died at his hands, here in this room, he’d be just as weak now as he was back then.
Whether he was a vampire or not, he was still a creature capable of rational thought. He wasn’t some mindless beast ruled by instincts. He could think. He could make decisions.
And Furihata didn’t have to die. Not in this room, at the very least.
His other self growled at the thought. Impossibly, he forced Furihata’s scent even more into the forefront of Akashi’s mind. He gripped the edge of the table, using every last cell in his body to hold himself still.
Akashi had just enough control left to cut the flow of air to his lungs. The relief was instant. He could think clearly again, for the most part. The burn in his throat was only eased by a margin, but it was bearable again.
Only a few seconds had passed. Furihata was still walking to the teachers desk in the back. As subtle as he could, Akashi slid to the far end of his table, putting as much distance between his chair and Furihatas as he could in the small space.
As predicted, Masuda-sensei had no choice but to send Furihata to sit with him. He tried not to pay attention to the boys stuttering words as he awkwardly introduced himself.
The chair next to him slid out noisily. Furihata sat down, very pointedly keeping his head down. Other students turned in their seats to stare, but Akashi hardly noticed. He was far too focused on the delicious, warm heat he could feel pulsing against the right side of his body.
Furihata’s heartbeat was far faster than it should be. With fear, probably. Akashi didn’t hold it against the boy. He was still planning his death, after all.
That is, his other self was. He was thinking differently now that Akashi made the decision to not kill him here.
Now he was imagining leaving after class to wait in the woods. From there he would follow Furihata back to his house, where hopefully he would be alone. If he wasn’t he’d have to wait until dark…
Automatically, Akashi made another attempt to look to the future. He saw nothing again, an empty void where the boy should have been.
With a jolt, he realized what must be going on. With Akashi sitting here beside him, making plans on how to end Furihata’s life, of course the boy didn’t have a future. The moment he received his class assignments, his future must have dropped right out of existence.
The thought made Akashi feel sick. Was there truly no hope then? Did he have no choice but to succumb to this weakness?
Was Furihata destined to die at his hands?
No.
Defiance gripped him like a flame. There was always a choice. He didn’t have to kill Furihata. He didn’t have to follow him home. There had to be another way.
If he could make it through this one hour, then surely he could make it through two. It would be easier when he was away, when he couldn’t feel the lushious heat of his body, when he couldn’t hear the boys racing heart, pumping the hot, delicious blood through his veins…
One hour. He could do this. He would do this.
His other self was brimming with anger. He kept reciting a mantra, arguing that this was in their nature, it was who they were. They’d already killed before, where was the harm in one human boy?
He forced the memory of the scent at him again, imagining how it would taste. He pictured himself with Furihata in his arms, opening his mouth and letting his teeth glide through the soft skin at his neck.
Akashi’s throat ripped into flames.
He closed his eyes, gripping the table to keep him in his seat. His fingers splintered through the wood, pulling him back for a second. As discreetly as possible, he kicked at the wood shards with his foot, scattering them across the floor.
The teacher was droning on, but Akashi didn’t hear a word. All his focus was on the boy next to him.
Akashi turned his head slightly to look at him. Furihata had his shoulders hunched up, like he was trying to take up as little space as possible. He was facing forward, his head bowed slightly.
Looking at the boy, Akashi felt an irrational sense of anger. This teenage human male had the power to bring out the worst in him with nothing more than his scent. It was absurd.
There was little Akashi hated more than someone having control over him.
Almost as though Furihata could hear his thoughts, the boy turned his head, glancing at Akashi. It was clear he didn’t expect Akashi to be looking at him. His mouth fell open slightly, and his eyes widened impossibly further.
The color also drained from his face. Akashi tracked the movement, watching the blood swirl beneath the delicate layer of his skin. He imagined piercing that skin, how soothing the hot liquid would feel against his burning throat.
Their eyes met for a fraction of a second before Furihata flinched away. Akashi wondered what his face must have looked like. He could wager a fair guess.
Most humans tended to avoid looking at them for long in the first place. They were admired from a distance for their beauty, but up close, it was almost as though they could sense the danger.
Akashi knew he looked especially dangerous today, with his nearly-black eyes. It had been almost two weeks since he last hunted. That wasn’t an unreasonably long period of time, but it was enough to make him wish he’d been better fed before encountering this.
Not that it would have mattered in the end. Thirsty or not, Akashi would have responded to this siren call all the same.
He was tempted to take a breath, but he resisted. The taste of Furihata’s scent was still on the back of his tongue, the memory of it fresh in his mind. Nothing good would come from inhaling any more of it.
But god, he wanted to. More than anything over the course of his existence, he wanted that scent. He thought of Furihata home alone, where he could take his time, savoring the flavor…
One hour. Just one hour.
Akashi’s other self had resigned to letting things play out. He was quite certain Akashi would fail in his quest to leave the boy alive, so he wasn’t going to fret. He was a little upset, however, that he hadn’t stumbled upon someone who smelled as good as Furiahta when he had been in control.. If he had known that such a scent existed, he would have combed the earth for it decades ago.
Yet here you are, letting it go to waste, his other self thought.
Akashi didn’t want to kill. And he wouldn’t let his one human make him do it. He was stronger than that.
His other self laughed at the weak conviction.
Akashi eyed the clock. Class was almost over, and the human boy was still alive. He focused on that, on the evidence that he was strong enough.
Furihata would live. Akashi was not going to follow him home.
After this class, Akashi would never see this boy again.
He’d come to realize that over that last hour. If he fully intended to leave the boy alive, then Akashi would not be able to continue at this school. Maybe even this city.
He had to leave.
Akashi didn’t know if his family would come with him. He certainly didn’t expect them to. This was their favorite city, the weather allowing them to almost be normal. It would be a shame to ask them to leave so soon.
He would go alone then. In two years the boy would be gone anyway, off to college, and Akashi could return.
He could do this.
Akashi watched the final seconds of the clock tick down. He was on his feet a fraction of a second before the bell rang, rushing to the door a little too quickly, but all he could think about was putting as much distance between himself and that mouthwatering fragrance as he could.
As soon as he was outside, Akashi sucked in a greedy breath, letting the cool air wash away the remaining taste of Furihata’s scent. He did that over and over again as he made his way to the parking lot.
He went straight to his car. There wasn’t a chance he was going to make it through another class. He was far too dangerous to be around humans right now.
Instead he let his head fall back, his eyes closed. He turned the radio on for some noise, and tried very hard not to think.
He didn’t let himself imagine following Furihata home from the shadows of the forest. He didn’t let himself picture Furihata’s house, where he knew the chief lived, with no close neighbors.
He didn’t let himself think about how good Furihata would taste, even better than he smelled…
Akashi clenched his jaw. He forced the vivid image from his mind. He should be thinking about leaving, not about how delectable the blood moving under Furihata’s skin had looked —
Leaving. He needed to decide where he would go, and more importantly, how he was going to tell the others.
A sudden wave of sadness washed over him. He hated the thought of disappointing his family. It felt strangely like he would be abandoning them, even though that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Akashi drew in another breath of fresh air. Perhaps he didn’t need to leave. He’d made it through most of the day before encountering Furihata. If he could find a way to avoid that one class, maybe he could stay. It would be simple enough to memorize the boys schedule, to learn how to avoid him. He’d have to be mindful of the wind patterns, but other than that, it shouldn’t be too hard.
The idea made him hopeful. He was Akashi Seijuurou, and was stronger than this.
With renewed confidence, Akashi left his car. The school day was winding to a close, and Akashi needed to make his move now before it was too late.
Akashi made his way through the campus. He opened the door to the main office, striding up to the desk. The woman behind the counter gave a start.
“Hello, dear,” she greeted. “What can I do for you?”
“Good afternoon, Takada-san.” Akashi tried his best to appear friendly. “I was hoping you could look into a problem for me.”
She gave a wry smile. Akashi was used to people, especially women, responding to him this way. They were meant to be attractive to their intended prey. While it could occasionally cause some awkward exchanges, it did prove useful in some instances.
“You see, it seems my biology course is largely based on material I’ve already studied,” he tried to sound disheartened. “I was wondering if perhaps I could switch to a different class?”
Akashi heard the office door open behind him, but he ignored it. He was trying to appear persuasive, but he could tell he wasn’t doing the best job. Takada-san looked closer to uneasy than flustered. Yes, she found his looks appealing, but Akashi himself was never good at putting humans at ease. Whether it was due to his unsettling cat-like eyes, or the simple fact that he was born a leader in his human life, he wasn’t sure.
Takada-san clicked on her keyboard for a moment, her fingers stuttering over the keys a little. Her mouth turned down in the corners. “I’m sorry, Akashi-kun, but it looks like every class is full. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in your biology class.”
Akashi batted his eyes, attempting to mimic the way Kise somehow always managed to get his way. “Are you sure you can’t let me in? I wouldn’t cause any trouble.”
Takada-san lowered her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, but my hands are tied.”
Just then, the office door opened again, bringing a breeze with it. A girl came to counter and dropped a slip of paper in the basket before leaving again. But Akashi barely noticed, every cell in his body focused on the scent that blew into the room.
Akashi’s hand twitched. It would be so easy to reach over and slam Takada-san’s head into the counter. She wouldn’t even feel it, and the Furihata boy would have no time to run.
No class full of dead children. There was only one human standing in the way of Akashi and his greatest need. A fair trade.
His other self roared to the surface once again.
Akashi struggled to turn his head, glaring over his shoulder at the human boy who was practically cowering into the wall. He met Akashi’s eyes for a second before flinching away, lowering his gaze to the floor.
He drew in another breath, feeling Furihata’s scent rip through him.
It went against every instinct in his possession to stop breathing. The relief was instant, but Furihata’s scent was still in his head. He felt almost dizzy with it.
He needed to get out here. Now.
Akashi turned back to the woman.. “Nevermind then,” he said, the facade of politeness gone from his tone. Takada-san’s eyes widened. “Thank you for your help.”
He turned on his heel and made for the door, taking every ounce of control to not rip it from its hinges. Furihata’s body heat flared against him as he passed. The appealing sound of his quickened heartbeat and the memory of his scent fresh in Akashi’s mind was almost too much to bear. He kept his jaw clamped tight until he was back outside.
Any hope of remaining in Akita vanished from his mind as he gulped down the untainted air. If he stayed at this school a second longer than absolutely necessary, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist again.
He was barely resisting now.
You could still follow him home, his other self reminded him.
Akashi forced the thought from his mind. He walked quickly through the parking lot, perhaps too quickly, but he couldn’t quite care, at the moment. As he came into view of the car, he saw the others were already gathered there, waiting for him.
He barely had the backdoor open before he was telling Kasamatsu to get them out of here, now.
“What’s going on?” Kasamatsu asked. Akashi’s tone had him on high alert. “Are we—”
“Just go,” he urged. “Now. I’ll explain on the way.”
As bizarre as he knew he was acting, the other’s trusted his judgement. Kasamatsu pulled out, dodging another car, and tore down the freeway. Akashi rolled the window down, hoping the wind would somehow chase away that intoxicating scent.
It wasn’t working.
“What the hell is up with you, Akashi?” That would be Kagami. Kuroko was watching silently from his side. “If you saw something you should have—”
“I didn’t,” Akashi interrupted. “There is no danger.”
Except for me, he thought to himself. I’ve never been more dangerous than I am right now.
“Then what gives?”
All eyes were on him. Half of them looked annoyed. The other half looked concerned. Akashi wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Because I’m leaving,” he finally said. It was the simplest answer he could give.
Kagami growled. “No shit, we’re all leaving.”
Akashi couldn’t fight back a snarl of his own this time. His control was hanging on by a thread, and Kagami’s sarcastic attitude was the last thing he was prepared to deal with. “I’m not referring to leaving the school, as you seem to foolishly assume.” The car fell dead silent. “I’m leaving the city.” He paused, the lingeringly memory of Furihata’s scent sent his throat burning. “Possibly the country.”
“What?!” Kise cried in alarm. “You can’t leave, Akashicchi!”
The others looked tense again. “I thought you said there wasn’t any danger?” Kasamatsu asked, his voice hard, but still calm. He met Akashi’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
“There’s not, I assure you.” Akashi glanced out the window. “Do you mind if we stop here and I take the car? I’d like to stop and see Midorima before I go.”
A beat of silence passed before the car slowed. Akashi was already opening the door before they came to a stop.
Akashi kept his eyes forward, too ashamed to meet any of their curious stares. He was supposed to be their leader, and here he was, giving in to such weakness…
He sat in the driver's seat, not bothering with the seatbelt. Kasamatsu leaned towards the window.
“Let us know when you get where you’re going. I know it’s serious if it’s you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Just keep us in the loop, okay?”
Akashi nodded. He hit the gas, speeding down the highway. He kept his mind very carefully focused on the task at hand.
No matter what, he was absolutely not going to turn back around.
He found Midorima’s car easily enough in the hospital parking lot. That would be convenient when he left, as he planned on trading vehicles.
Akashi sent Midorima a quick text, letting him know he was here. He took care to compose his expression as he entered the hospital.
He strode up to the front desk, giving the woman behind the counter a close-lipped smile. “Excuse me, do you know if Midorima is available by any chance?”
“Good to see you, Akashi-kun,” she greeted with easy familiarity. “I’ll send a page to his office. Would you like to wait for him there?”
“That’ll be fine, thank you.”
She sent a quick message over the phone. “Alright, you’re all set,” she smiled. “Do you know the way?”
Akashi nodded politely, and she sent him off with a wave. He navigated the halls expertly, weaving between patients and staff alike. They gave him a wide berth, shooting glances over their shoulders as he passed.
He soon reached Midorima’s office. He rapped his knuckles against the door twice before twisting the handle open.
Midorima sat at his desk, a look of expectation on his face. He appeared calm, but Akashi could see the mild look of concern written there.
“Akashi,” he greeted, cutting right to the point. “Is everything alright?”
“No.” He paused as Midorima’s brows rose in alarm. He realized how his answered must have sounded. “I mean, no one is hurt. We’re all fine. I just—”
Akashi swallowed hard, feeling the shame rise up once again. He hated having to admit to any kind of failure.
“There was a new student today. He sat beside me in one of my classes.” Midorima’s alarm shifted into confusion. “His scent… it was like nothing I’ve ever smelled before.” Akashi’s throat burned at the memory. “He smelled good. So good, I almost…”
“How close was it, Akashi?” Midorima’s voice was hard.
Akashi’s throat felt dry. “Close. Very close.” He took a breath. “I had to stop breathing. I— I was going to kill the entire room, to have him.”
Midorima leaned back in his chair. He pushed his glasses up his nose, a gesture Akashi was keen to roll his eyes at, were this a normal situation.
Finally, Midorima sighed. “What are you going to do?”
“Leave,” Akashi answered immediately. “I can’t stay here. It’s been over two hours and all I can think about is running back. I have to get away.”
Midorima nodded. ‘I think that’s the wisest course.” There was a long pause. “Will you come back?”
Akashi swallowed back the wave of shame again. “I’m not sure.”
“We’ll come with you, if you want.” Midorima’s voice was softer now. “You know that. All you have to do is ask.”
Akashi shook his head. “I understand, but I won’t do that to the others. This is my problem, not theirs.”
Midorima nodded slowly. He stood, and walked around the desk. He clapped a hand firmly on Akashi’s shoulder. “Don’t let your pride keep us away for too long.” Akashi lowered his gaze to the floor. “Come back, or we’ll come to you.”
“Okay,” was all he could say. He met Midorima’s eyes. “Thank you. I— I apologize for all of this.”
Midorima scoffed. “There’s no need for apologies. You did well to hold yourself back. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”
The phone rang, breaking the silence. Midorima moved back towards the desk.
“May I take your car?” Akashi asked. “Yours is faster.”
“Of course. Here,” Midorima tossed him the keys. Akashi caught them with ease, tossing back his own set in exchange.
Akashi turned for the door. “I’ll text you, when I stop. I don’t know where I’m going yet.”
Midoima nodded absently, his hand over the phone. With a final wave, Akashi left the office, working to keep a human pace as he left the hospital.
He slid into the driver's seat, revving the engine. There was still a very large part of him that wanted to turn back, to follow that intoxicating scent to its source…
Instead he punched the gas, turning onto the highway, away from the city. With every mile he put behind him, Furihata’s life expectancy increased.
Akashi ran, like the weakling he was, and disappeared into the horizon.