Hello! Here I am with another chapter! I'm so excited to say that this story is about a fifth of the way through. There's so much that happens in this one I mean ugh 17,000 words?! Come on! Forgive me but I couldn't split this chapter up in any way. There are also lots of time-changes in this chapter. They are separated so I think it shouldn't be too confusing. The past point of view is done in italics. Please enjoy!

Chapter 11: Darkness Cast into the Light

"I would know."

The feeling was indescribable, suffocating as it bubbled up into Kise's chest like an unstable volcano. Emotions that were buried beneath years of abandonment stirring and cracking under the prison Kise had trapped them in, pushing relentlessly to escape from their confinement. The werewolf clenched his teeth and forced the sensation back down into the pit where they belonged, making sure to lock them up even tighter than before. After the emotions settled into calm once again Kise felt himself inhale in relief; tasting the salty tinge the sea breeze carried in the air when he licked his lips. Now wasn't the time to loose himself.

"What do you mean Kise-kun?" Kuroko asked with a slight furrow of his brows as he looked at the blonde werewolf. "Is something troubling you?"

Kise turned his head towards the side while his eyes searched listlessly across the ocean for nothing in particular; perhaps he was just trying to find a way to stall so he wouldn't have to answer the bluenette. Why did Kuroko have to sound so concerned for him? It's not like they were family or anything. In fact, even though Kise has spent a lot of time with Kuroko he still knew almost next to none about the small phantom. And it wasn't as if he had run his mouth off about himself to the bluenette either. If it wasn't for Kuroko offering his help to them then Kise was sure that despite having saved his life, Kise wouldn't have tried to seek the other out for any means. Their encounter was by mere chance and the happenings after that were solely business. He had no doubt that after they eliminated the Nisshoku Clan, their little joint excursion with Kuroko would end and Kuroko would be on his merry way.

So why should he have to explain every little detail about himself that was troubling? It was his business and his problems alone. Kuroko should learn to keep his worries to himself, caring about another's wellbeing besides your own only lead to problems. Another flash of pain traveled through the werewolf at the thought, making him grimace and clutch his head in agony as a memory whipped across his vision. His action made the bluenette beside him reach out and place a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Kise's eyes glanced to the side and caught the worry swimming in the phantom's cerulean orbs. Why was it that despite Kuroko having a nonexistent ability to produce facial expressions, his eyes held more emotion than any face could show? Why was it that his eyes had to display such raw emotions? Didn't he know that insolent bastards out there liked to take advantage of that?

A rush of anger boiled hot inside Kise. "You wouldn't understand." The werewolf spat, startling Kuroko into taking a step back. Kise frowned at himself, not having intended to scare the high schooler. He hadn't meant to let his emotions get the best of him, but how could he keep from lashing out when Kuroko knew nothing about him yet still tried to help. It didn't make any sense! "You wouldn't know," Kise continued, though not as harsh, "at least, not with those eyes." Kuroko blinked in confusion, not understanding the words the werewolf was saying.

"It doesn't matter if I don't understand Kise-kun." Kuroko's soft words filled the silence. Kise stared at him in confusion, watching as Kuroko let out a breath of air and turned to face the ocean again. "Sometimes it's best to just listen and hear what others are saying, especially if that someone needs another to confide in and not have to worry about any repercussions. If something is bothering you Kise-kun then I am here to listen." Something lurched in Kise after hearing those words, a startling pain pierced his heart and a memory came to the surface fully.

"Oh, Kise-kun. You look so troubled." A smile was shown his way. "It's not good to keep all those emotions locked up, you should know. If something is troubling you then I am always here to listen."

Tears pricked at the corners of Kise's golden orbs, threatening to fall down his cheeks. The werewolf trembled as an overwhelming sadness washed over him. It was just like what she used to say to him, before everything happened. Before he screwed up and wasted all her efforts for him. Why was Kuroko able to make him feel so helpless? Just that one sentence had the ability to make the copy-cat's resolve come crashing down like a house of cards. Maybe he just wasn't that good at keeping his emotions sealed shut as he thought. Well, it was too late now. He could already feel the trapped enclosure of mixed feelings swarming up to the surface again, desperate for freedom after so many years. Kise knew he couldn't hold them back any longer but . . . it frightened him as to what he would find on the other side of the locked doors.

Kise closed his eyes and let out a long sigh before turning around to face Kuroko completely. "I wasn't born a werewolf." It took all of Kise's self-control not to falter in his words or flee into the city. The werewolf felt a few shudders travel through his spine at the uncontrollable fear wafting over him. "I was human in my early childhood. You could say I wasn't the most behaved kid out in the world but it was through chance that I was able to meet someone who truly cared for me." Kise's cut stones of gold wavered in memory, their color becoming dulled as their owner's thoughts became clouded. "Too bad I took it for granted."

A pair of worn sneakers trampled across the ground, their impact on the concrete disrupting the water beneath and causing the liquid to splatter. The footsteps were hurried; though no one would have taken much notice considering the sky was an ugly gray and was drowning the ground with its onslaught of rain. Anyone would have run to get home. Spending too much time in the cold water would leave even the strongest immune system fighting a raging battle against a cold. But that didn't stop them from flying down the slippery slopes of several streets, their determination to run despite the coldness outweighing the possibility of becoming ill. If anyone were to watch they would have thought them to be mad for being outside in that kind of storm.

But if one were to look closely they would be able to tell that the person had been out in the freezing rain for far too long. Their clothes clung to them like a second skin, completely drenched and no longer useful to try and contain any form of body heat. Their hair stuck to their face, the long tresses falling in front of their eyes as they zig-zagged though the stormy night. Despite the rather young appearance of the person that identified them to be no older than thirteen, the child's fiery yet terrified gaze was startling for someone so young and would leave anyone that had looked inside questioning what the child had gone through to look like that. If one were to wait for a few seconds after seeing the boy they would soon have the answer to their question. What made the boy run was not because of the weather, or the intent to get home, no—it was because of the formidable man that was chasing him which had the child fleeing.

Kise could feel the cold air burning his lungs as he gasped for breath. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to force in oxygen to his desperate lungs the air would catch in his throat or he would choke on it when it passed through his respiratory system, the oxygen making his lungs sting on contact. It was becoming too difficult for him to keep on his feet. The ground was slick with water and his body was starting to shake from the endeavor at fleeing for his life yet again. It made him wonder if stealing from the man's store was worth it. All the fright and effort it was just to escape from the man was proving to be too much, even for him. Kise knew that he couldn't go on much longer. If he didn't find somewhere to hide fast then he was sure he was going die.

The teen's foot caught on something and the boy quickly found himself sliding across the concrete, the hard surface cutting into his flesh on impact. The object which he had stolen tumbled out of his ratty jacket, rolling along the ground for a few yards before coming to a stop. The child clenched his teeth in pain but made no sound, rubbing his hands on his elbows which had taken the brunt of the fall before patting himself down. When his palms brushed over his pocket the child fretted when he found that his stolen good was no longer in his safekeeping. Kise whipped his head around to look for where it could have landed, feeling terrified at the thought of the man slowly closing the gap between them. When his golden eyes came into contact with the object several feet away he didn't waste any time to scurry over and retrieve it.

The fruit had rolled to a stop next to a set of stairs. Kise felt relieved that the fruit had survived the fall, even though the red skin was now discolored from the bruises it received when it hit the ground. Kise snatched the apple off the wet concrete, stuffing it back in his pocket as he stood up. When he got to his feet, the boy's eyes traveled up the building that stood before him, the light casting a yellow glow on his pale features. At the top read "Kohaku's Library." The teen looked around to make sure the man hadn't shown up yet before climbing the stairs and entering the quaint little building. When he stepped through the door a little chime at the top from a bell rang through the room, alerting the shopkeeper of his presence. But when he looked at the desk he found no one there, the large room being completely deserted save for the several hundred books lining the walls and shelves.

Kise closed the door and quickly went to one of the bookshelves in the middle of the room, slipping behind it so he could peer out into the street without being detected. It was only a few seconds after that that the man who had been chasing him ran into view, his steps coming to a stop as he yelled something out in the rain. Whatever he said went unheard when the sky clapped with thunder, the sound deafening as a new assault of rain pelted the earth in a renewed vigor. Kise watched as the man screamed something else before turning on his heels and taking off in the direction he had come. A soft sigh escaped the child's lips without his consent. If only he hadn't been so careless then maybe he could have left the store without the owner knowing of his theft. Kise mentally scolded himself for his tactless actions.

Turning around, the blonde boy sank to the floor, the wood beneath him having accumulated a puddle from his dripping clothes. Kise paid it no mind though and quickly pulled out his apple, admiring the now dulled fruit in his hands. It had been a good while since he had tasted something as fresh as a fruit. Kise wondered what it would be like when he finally got to sink his teeth into the crunchy flesh of the apple, the juice filling his mouth and cascading down his chin when he took a bite. The fruit would give a delicious snap sound when he broke a portion off, the taste would be like nothing he had experienced before. Kise licked his lips in anticipation, bringing the slightly dented fruit up to his mouth. But just before his teeth could finally pierce the apple a voice broke the silence above him.

"And who might you be, young man?"

A startled shriek left Kise as he jumped a few inches from the floor, his grip slipping on his prize. Kise sat frozen as the fruit rolled and came to a gentle stop next to a pair of black clad feet. Kise blinked in surprise, slowly raising his gaze up the form of the person. She was wearing an old fashioned kimono, the cloth falling to lightly brush across the ground. It was a bright crimson in color with the bottoms of the dress and sleeves coated in a pale blue, the solid blue eventually forming flowers as it rose from the end. Light blue petals drifted off from the flowers and flew across her kimono, giving the impression that wind was blowing through it every time she moved. Her obi was a startling black that hugged her form and contrasted greatly in comparison to the other bright colors present on the dress.

When Kise's eyes reached the woman's face he felt his breath catch in his throat. The woman was beautiful—well, the kind of beautiful that said she was noticeably pretty before age had caught up with her. She was obviously in her older years of life now, the skin around her face wrinkled slightly with age that told she had laughed most of her life. Her kind expression was framed by long bangs, the locks a deep ebony in color though beginning to streak with gray. Her hair was pulled into a bun held by chopsticks, the wood a captivating blue in her black mane. Despite her old age the women's eyes held a spark of youth, the intensity making Kise feel as if the woman in front of him was actually much younger than she appeared. She studied him in return, her eyes calculative as she pulled a cigarette out from between her lips, the nicotine escaping her mouth causing a flurry of smoke to fill the air lightly.

Kise could only watch as the woman stooped down to pick up the forgotten apple, her movements more fluid than what Kise would have thought an old lady would be capable. Blue eyes studied the red fruit in her hand, twisting it in her fingers as she took note of all the bruising forming on the dented skin. Kise felt a little wary as he stared at the old lady, a feeling of warning blazing in his chest. What was she going to do with his apple? He had worked hard and almost got caught trying to snatch that apple from the market. Not only that but it was the first form of food he would be able to eat after going hungry for several days. That apple could very mean life or death for him right now. He didn't think he could go another minute without giving his stomach something to eat, it's been too long and the hunger was only growing worse. Kise was prepared to snatch the apple away and take off again but before he could do so the woman spoke.

"This is a pathetic looking apple. So much so that I would even go so far as to not call it a fruit anymore. What with all its bruises and broken skin I would hardly deem it decent to eat anymore."

Kise felt a burning rage erupt in his chest. Just who was she to call his meal lowly?! It wasn't as if he got to eat gourmet meals whenever he liked. Hell, just finding something that would fill him up was hard enough to come across not to mention if the food was actually edible anymore. It wasn't his fault for not being able to provide himself with anything decent anymore. The old lady didn't know anything yet she thought she could judge him for his food? Kise stood up abruptly, bristling and feeling like he was about to explode from anger. But before he could say one word, the woman began speaking again.

"This apple is not appropriate to be consumed by one such as yourself. You are a growing, young man. And young men need to be fed properly." Kise blinked in confusion at the other's words, thinking that she spoke weirdly. The thought made his anger dissipate, the emotion replaced by puzzlement as he watched the old lady turn around and begin walking towards a staircase he hadn't noticed before. She stopped at the edge of the stairs, turning her head to glance at him over her shoulder. Their eyes met and she brought the cigarette up to her lips, saying, "Come. I will prepare you something that is worthy to be eaten—especially by someone who looks as hungry as you."

Kise could only stand there, not trusting the woman for her words but also unwilling to head back out onto the cold streets again. The woman sighed as she watched him internally struggle. "If you find it to be that difficult to believe what I say then here is your apple." The woman placed the fruit on a table next to the stairs. "Take it and you are free to go. But if you decide against it and are willing to trust me, then I will be waiting above for you." Kise wasn't given time to reply before the bright red of her kimono disappeared into the shadows of the stairs, a thin trail of smoke following her as it curled in the air.

"That was the first time I had met Kohaku." Kise said, a slight smile etched on the corners of his lips but the soft expression was ruined by the sense of forlorn in his golden eyes at the memory. "She had invited me to come over and eat with her whenever I wanted. I was hesitant at first since no one had ever really offered me such a kindness. And it took me almost a week after that before I returned with an empty stomach." Kise frowned as he recalled something else of his past. "Sometimes I wish I had been nicer to her in the beginning. But I guess I was still trying to get used to the notion of someone trying to help me. It was a little over a month of eating with her that I had finally lashed out."

Kise fumbled over a couple of tossed garbage bags, their contents being knocked out as he ran through them. He almost fell to the ground, his foot having got caught in the plastic but the teen quickly freed himself and tumbled a few steps before flying down the alley once again. The blonde's eyes were wide in thrill, the pupils inside shrunk to little pinpoints in the ocean of gold. Adrenaline made the child's blood pump loudly in his ears, his breath quick and in light gasps as he ran with all his might. Every time he took a step the more he knew he was lengthening the space between him and his pursuer, the man obviously not being quick enough to catch up to the younger. Kise felt a smile break out on his face, enjoying the fact that he had all but won the meagre race of a battle.

Taking a few turns down the streets Kise smirked when he realized he was only a few blocks away from his temporary salvation. If he were to slip inside for a while then the man would run past none the wiser—if he was even able to accomplish following him this far at least. Kise snickered in mockery at the man's helplessness and swiftly climbed the few stairs leading to the entrance, opening the door which gave a light ring and darted inside. Despite his lungs heaving for breath Kise's expression held a prideful grin, believing he had just pulled off something commendable. The teen moved to stand behind a few shelves of books, deciding that he would hide and wait till he knew the pursuing man had given up or completely lost him.

The downstairs part of the library was void of any persons, the place silent in tranquil and lit by the sunset shining through the tall windows lining the walls and high ceiling. Kise had grown to be familiar with the building, especially since it was where he knew he would be fed. He and Kohaku had built a kind of routine over the past few weeks of being together. Kise would come by every other day to have a meal with her. He knew she would have allowed him to come over more often but Kise refrained from spending too much time with her, not wanting to become too dependent on the woman's courtesy. But on the days that he managed to drag himself over he would have to admit that he enjoyed being in Kohaku's presence. She was very kind though most people wouldn't get that impression of her on the first introduction.

Kise was wary when he had eaten with her the first time. He hadn't felt comfortable as he watched her cook from the dining room table. Just how was he supposed to react to someone who'd claimed they felt generous enough to actually offer him something for free? Kise had sat stiff throughout the preparation of the food and even when she had finally set down his heaping plate in front of him, Kise remained quiet. They were both silent as they ate, Kise practically having shoved his food down his throat without chewing. The food was probably the best he had ever tasted, and it almost brought tears of relief to his eyes when his stomach let out a sound of protest from the amount of food he was feeding it. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt full. When he was done he had awkwardly sat at the table watching as Kohaku ate her meal which was still half full.

He hadn't known what to do then now that the woman had carried out her unannounced promise of feeding him. But it took only a few seconds before he felt himself standing up and bowing as low as he could, an overwhelming sense of gratitude eating away at his previous suspicions. He had loudly exclaimed his thanks, remaining in his bowed position until he had heard a few chuckles escape from the woman. He had lifted his head up slowly to stare at her, confusion filling his thoughts. But the woman paid him no mind as she continued to chortle, the sound melodic and befitting of one such as herself. When she had finally come to a silence she had said to him that she was surprised he had bowed to her, for she had thought that he was going to be an ungrateful brat after the meal and make a break for it. Kise had felt angered that she would think such a thing and even had the gall to actually tell him! But before he could retaliate, her next words froze him into a perplexed silence.

"But since you're still here, I suppose that means there is some hope left for you," was what she had told him. Kise didn't know how to respond to that, feeling his entire rage fly out of him once again for her strange words that made no sense to him. She had given one last chuckle before telling him that he was free to come and eat dinner with her whenever he liked. Kise had bowed one last time before exiting the building, his thoughts clouded with what had just transpired. He had made it a few blocks before he slid against a wall and buried his head in his arms. He remembered he had almost cried that night. The events that just unfolded were relieving to him and left him grateful, and the promise of something to look forward to ignited a small sliver of hope in his chest once again. It had been years since he'd felt such a kindness. And it had been too long since he'd had a reason to live again.

He fell asleep on the street that night, the cold seeping into him from the residue rain. When he had woken up he had an unadulterated fear that the events of the previous night were all a dream. But the content feeling still in his stomach made the teen remember that whatever happened last night was anything but. He had stood outside of the library everyday afterwards, watching it but not brave enough to enter. He had a raging battle of hesitance snagging at his heels, preventing him from going inside the quaint building, because what if all she had told him was a lie? It was the first time he had met anyone who seemed as pure and kind as her, so the thought that something existed like her was still trying to be accepted. It took him almost a week of standing outside the library before he finally mustered up enough courage to step inside.

He was greeted with a warming smile and a "Good to see you again, Kise-kun." Kise didn't respond to her, suspicions still running wild in his head. After the first few times of eating with her again, he gradually became used to her kindness. But there was still the thought of her just playing a ploy that prevented him from becoming close to her. However he still didn't know if it was the suspicions, or Kise himself who didn't want to become attached. When they ate he made sure that their conversations were far from anything related to his past or present—if they even had a conversation at all that is. Kise knew that he was practically using her compassion, but he didn't know what to do. It was the first time he has experienced something of the sort and it still left him confused more often than not. All he knew was that Kohaku fed him, and food was one of the most important things to keep him alive.

Kise took a deep gulp of air, willing his heartbeat to slow down while he closed his eyes and rested his head against the shelf. The blonde lifted a hand and reached into his pocket. The material of his jacket was a worn and faded blue in color that had several tears and stains on it, but Kise didn't mind the ratty state his clothing was in. All that mattered was he had clothing on his back that kept him warm—well . . . at least most of the time. Kise felt his fingers come into contact with the object he had taken from the man. The material was soft and worn over the years with care, but Kise wasn't interested with that part of it. No, what the blonde teen found so captivating was what the thing held inside it. Grasping the object with dirtied fingers, Kise brought the stolen prize out and into the light, giddy with excitement as he studied it.

The thing was a light brown, wrinkled in several places where it folded over itself. Kise placed a digit beneath one of the flaps, giving it a flip and smirked as he was met with the sight of the man's I.D. and credit cards. Kise pursed his lips as he yanked the driver's license from the pocket it resided in, eyes grazing over the information it provided with little interest. It would appear that the man he had pickpocketed from was named Zayne Esten—a foreigner no doubt from the likes of it—and was twenty-three years old. Kise skimmed over the rest of it idly, not caring much who his victim was before tossing the card on the ground listlessly. The golden-eyed child turned his gaze to the cards lined along one side of the wallet, searching for anything potentially useful. All he came up with was a few credit cards and a stamp card of some restaurant.

Kise clicked his tongue in distaste at the lack of anything valuable on the cards. He would be able to use the credit cards for only a while until the man managed to close the accounts on them. And even then it was risky to actually use them. The law had a way of tracking stolen credit cards, so he would only be able to use it once or twice before he had to throw it out. Kise sighed and left the cards in their place, deciding it wasn't worth the risk of using them. His eyes finally met what he had been anticipating most of all, the long fold running down the middle of the wallet which usually held the owner's cash. Kise smiled and opened the pocket, feeling happy that he was about to get his hands on genuine cash for once. It would feel amazing to buy something at the store without any repercussions instead of having to steal it and potentially die or get thrown in juvie.

When he opened the wallet a sense of harsh disappointment wafted over Kise as his gaze fell on an empty pocket, save for a little black booklet stuffed in it. Kise frowned and pulled the book out, turning it over to read the cover. The words were in English and even though he had trouble forming the words in his head Kise managed to read that it was a passport, the booklet having "The United States of America" plastered over it in a large font. Kise sighed and returned the book back in the pocket, feeling like he had just lost in the biggest way imaginable. How come the one guy he targeted to pickpocket had to be the one without any money on him? Kise growled to himself in frustration and punched the bookshelf behind him, the books jumping with a loud clatter from the force.

"Kise-kun, is that you?" a voice called from above as footsteps began sounding from the stairs.

Kise gave a soft curse and quickly leaned down to scoop up the discarded license, stuffing the plastic back into the wallet before shoving it into his baggy jacket once again. Kise ran his hand through his hair, trying to brush out the tangles from the run and painted a deceiving smile on his face, attempting to appear cheerful.

"Yeah, it's me." Came Kise's light reply, his voice only slightly shaking at the end. Kise internally winced, hoping Kohaku hadn't caught the tremor in his tone. Kise waited in his spot, listening as the footfalls of the old lady came closer till she appeared around the bend of the staircase that lead to the living quarters above. Kohaku didn't seem any different that day than any other day. Her hair was still pulled up, though this time it was in a ponytail, her bangs curled into ringlets that fell against her cheeks. She was wearing another kimono; however this one was a brilliant white in color with explosions of several colors splashed across it as flowers. Kise felt himself slightly fidget where he stood, feeling nervous as she slowly came closer. He had an unwavering fear creeping up his spine that she would find out he had been stealing despite her warning.

The last time he had been caught she didn't feed him for almost five days, saying that bad deeds would only receive punishment. Kise hadn't talked to her for almost a week afterwards, feeling angry that she had thought she could do that to him. But in the end he still returned, knowing that she was the only one who would give him any type of solace in his cruel reality. However, despite her kind offering of food he still stole things, just without her knowing. He couldn't find it in himself to stop, especially since he didn't have to steal things to feed himself anymore and could concentrate on taking valuable things. It was better now that he didn't have the uncontainable sense of doom following his heels that constantly reminded him death was around the corner if he didn't find his next meal. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her anyways, right?

"You look very troubled." Kise snapped his eyes up to meet an ice blue staring back at him with a calculative gaze. The blonde felt a lump form in his throat out of anxiety, but managed to swallow it down after some difficulty.

Kise shuffled a step back, feeling that if he put some space between them it would create some form of a barrier that would shield him from her piercing stare. "It's nothing. I just went to the park today and a stray dog charged me." Kise lied through his teeth, not meeting her blue orbs and casted his eyes to the wooden floor. It's okay. He told himself. She didn't know what he had been up to and he'd managed to keep it a secret for this long already so now shouldn't make any difference. Kise raised his head to return Kohaku's stare with his own determined one. "It chased me for a while, but I managed to fend it off." He didn't feel any remorse as the lie rolled off his tongue almost seamlessly.

Kohaku was silent for a few seconds after he spoke, her gaze not wavering from his form as she narrowed her eyes a bit. Kise remained quiet as well, not brave enough to break the silence and possibly ruin his chance at escaping the scene with his secret still kept intact. Slowly the old lady nodded her head, letting out a breath of air before taking a few steps closer.

"It didn't hurt you did it?" she asked him gently, a hint of worry laced into the tone. Kise shifted uneasily, feeling a bit lost at her kindness once again. A sense of insecurity folded itself around him making the teen feel like rotten trash for having deceived her in such a way. But he quickly shoved it away, not liking how it made him feel weak inside. Kise shook his head in answer, not finding it in himself to say anything out loud. "Alright," Kohaku said with a strange form of sadness radiating from it, "but make sure you're more careful when you enter such places. Even the prettiest rose still has its thorns."

Kise nodded his head and turned away from her. "I'm going to head out." he told her, shoving his hand into his jacket to clutch at the stolen prize. A strange emotion he had never felt before squeezed at his heart, mercilessly forcing an unknown pain into his chest. It seemed as if it was eating a hole deep within his very being, consuming all that he was and driving thoughts of remorse and sadness, and pain deep into his soul. The alien feeling scared him, for he had never felt something so excruciating. He wondered what the foreign emotion was and it took him a second before the answer froze him in shock. Guilt. Guilt was what he was feeling. It was the first time something as pathetic as guilt had come across his feelings for someone else. It made him furious that he had allowed someone to create something so weak in him. Weakness didn't win in his world. Kise grit his teeth in self-disappointment.

"Don't wait up for me at dinner." he all but spat through his teeth, spinning on his heel to retreat through the door. But it was at that moment someone opened the entrance, letting a cool breeze filter through the stuffy building. Kise couldn't say he wasn't glad for the fresh air but when he saw just who came through the door an overwhelming sense of dread crashed down upon his shoulders. The melodic bell chime that drifted in the silence almost taunted him with its lightheartedness, the bell seeming to give a false sense of cheer despite the unfolding circumstances that were happening too fast for him to comprehend. Kise's eyes widened as he came face to face with furious grey eyes, the owner towering over him matching the physical appearance of the license's picture in the stolen wallet.

"Now I've got you." The man heaved, his breath coming out in short gasps. Kise watched as the man—Zayne if he remembered correctly—leaned over, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "You can run pretty fast, brat. I'll give you that." Zayne spoke fluently enough to understand, though his words were thick with an accent and slurred from his breathing. It made it a little difficult to figure out what he was saying. "But now you've got nowhere else to go, so how about—"

"Excuse me." Kohaku interrupted abruptly, causing the man to startle since he hadn't noticed her before. "Just who are you to say such things to a young child? You have no right coming into my store and threatening someone without cause." Kise felt small standing in between the two. It was horrifying to know that the man had found him and Kohaku was trying to protect him without even knowing he had done something wrong. It was quiet as Zayne finally managed to slow his breathing, the man standing to his full height which was alarmingly tall compared to Kise's shorter stature. Kohaku didn't seem fazed in the least though.

"Sorry, ma'am." Zayne apologized politely with a small bow. "But this one has stolen my wallet, and I demand that he return it immediately."

Kise felt as if he was struck from lightning, the volts sending a strike of fear up his spine and shaking his shoulders. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was Kohaku who had turned her piercing blue stare to him, all but burning holes into his flesh at the news. Kise clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the disappointment in the air, knowing that what was about transpire wouldn't be pretty.

"Kise-kun," the ravenette spoke, sounding resigned, "is this true?" her voice didn't waver as she asked the question. Kise thought it was cruel of her to ask such a thing when she already knew the answer to it. Maybe she just wanted him to face the fact that he had done something wrong. And saying it out loud was the first step to acknowledging it. But Kise didn't care that he had stolen, it was who he was after all. And he wasn't about to change just because she was there.

"Yes." Was all he said in reply, glaring up at the man before him with loathing. The man's gaze faltered in intensity as he stared into Kise's golden orbs of fury, finding that the look in his eyes was something too old to be a child's. Kise didn't care though, giving a sneer at the man before whipping his head around to face Kohaku. "Yeah," he spat out heatedly, "so what?" Kise didn't like how he felt cornered with no place to run. It wasn't a good situation to be in and always ended with him hurting in some way. So Kise threw away all form of rationality, instead relying on his instincts to get him out of the circumstances. It's kept him alive so far. Besides, animals that were cornered tended to snap back anyways. "It didn't have anything good in it anyhow. I was planning on throwing it out before he came." Kise jammed a finger into Zayne's direction with vigor, internally blaming him for the whole mess.

Kohaku let out a sigh, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at the bridge of her nose. "Give it back to him Kise-kun." Kise shuffled on his feet, anger coursing through his veins at her words. Just who was she to tell him what to do?! Kise narrowed his eyes in rage but dug his hand in his pocket nonetheless, a growl escaping his lips. Knowing Kohaku, arguing would be pointless and would only cause more hassle than what it was worth for the damn wallet. Kise spun on his heel and stomped up to the foreign man, a death glare with searing intensity present on his expression. He shoved the worn wallet into Zayne's awaiting hand and scoffed, not liking how he felt defeated. Kise glanced over his shoulder at Kohaku, silently challenging her to say anything. But the women didn't falter despite his glare, opening her mouth to say, "Good. Now, apologize."

Kise choked on his spit, his eyes widening in bewilderment. Apologize?! To him?! Just what was going through that senile old lady's head?! Kise gaped like a fish for a few seconds, not believing what he had just heard. Did she actually believe that he would stoop so low as to apologize to someone? Never in his life had Kise been sorry for anything. Everything he did was with purpose. Stealing the man's wallet was a chance to get himself some cash; what was so wrong with that? If Kise were to apologize—and that was a huge if—then he most definitely wouldn't give it to the man who had ruined his whole chance. Not only did Zayne's wallet have cobwebs in it, but he also managed to track him down successfully which lead to the ordeal he was now stuck in. Kise would much rather burn the wallet and watch the guy's morbid expression than anything else.

"I'm not apologizing to him!" Kise seethed in fury. "I don't give a damn about what I did! So, I stole his shitty wallet. So what?! It's not like I fucking murdered him!" Kise didn't understand why she would make him do such a thing. People who thought they could control him made Kise's anger bubble like a boiling volcano with magma threatening to spew out the top. He didn't have to listen to her. "I didn't even take anything from the wallet. I shouldn't have to apologize!" Kise fumed with his voice bordering on yelling.

Kohaku's expression contorted into a deeper frown, wrinkles becoming more distinguished on her aged face and her blue orbs hardening to stones. "I do not tolerate your behavior, young man." Although her voice was stern, she did not yell or raise her tone in the slightest. Kise was caught off guard from her restraint, not used to people who didn't yell at him when they were angry. "You have done something wrong. And the only way you can change that is if you apologize to him right now for your terrible actions."

Kise let out a snarl at her persistence, his body trembling in vehemence. "I won't! You aren't my parent! I don't have to do as you say!" Kise fists clenched as he screamed out the words, feeling confused that she wouldn't give in already. Why was she trying so hard for him? It didn't make any sense. Didn't his refusal to submit mean anything to her? He wasn't going to do what she demanded of him, ever. "My parents died a long time ago!" Kise froze as soon as the words left his lips, his eyes widening when he realized what he had told her. It was the first time he had said anything about his family—or lack thereof. Kise knew that Kohaku had her suspicions about him not having a home or anyone to rely on. But now he had just given her the most precious information about his circumstances. She had the ability to send him to an orphanage now. Kise choked back a sob at the thought.

"I-I'm just going to leave." A cautious voice spoke up from the silence, startling Kise. Kise didn't turn to watch as the bell above the door chimed, sounding the leave of Zayne who probably wouldn't be seen by any of them again.

Kise's head was bowed, eyes on the floor to escape from the sight of what he would see before him. He heard Kohaku sigh in front of him, and Kise felt himself shrink when her footsteps rang in the air, bringing the woman closer to him. He didn't move—or more like couldn't. His feet were frozen solid to the floor, averting him from fleeing the discussion he had feared the most and wished had never been brought up. It frightened as to what she would ask of him, what she wanted to know about his past. What it would mean for him to try and remember the life he had strained to forget but never seemed to go away. It left him shaken and weak, his defenses bending beneath the weight of his agony. And then something flashed inside Kise, giving him a clear view of his emotions. It wasn't Kohaku he was scared of; it was he himself. He was terrified of what he would find if he were to release all his troubles out loud.

Kise heard himself sniff, subconsciously allowing tears to leak from his eyes. He rubbed at them angrily; mad at himself for showing such weakness in front of another. He felt something touch him on his head and the teen flinched back harshly, closing his eyes at the feeling. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was Kohaku's hand that had fallen upon his head gently again, caressing his dirtied strands of blonde in nimble fingers. Kise whimpered at the touch, the sound escaping him unwillingly.

"Sshh, Kise-kun." Kohaku's sweet voice filtered through his ears softly. "I know it's painful. The life you have lived is not one that should have been condemned to a child as young as you. You have faced many difficulties at such an early stage, and yet are still so bright." Her other hand lifted beneath his chin, raising his head tenderly so their eyes met. "Despite being forced to grow up before your time, and travel through a harsh life, you have shown the world that you still have a fighting spirit. And that Kise-kun," she wiped a few of his stray tears away, the liquid leaving trails of wetness on his cheeks, "is what makes you so strong."

A small cry left his lips at her words. The will holding back his tears breaking and allowing the salty water to flood from his golden eyes and stream down his face. Kise sniffed and plunged his head into her bosom, closing his eyes as he wailed in pain. It hurt too much. The pain and sadness swallowing his heart and scattering his emotions, the loneliness and forgetfulness drowning out his thoughts and leaving him broke, even the mourning of something that was taken away and the yearning of something he knew he couldn't have was all a burden too heavy to bear. Kise didn't know how to hold it in anymore. He was angry—angry that whatever was out there hated him enough to force him to live a life of hardships, the solitude accompanying it the worst to face. He was scared and always left wondering if he would survive to see the next day. And he was confused, not ever knowing how he was supposed to make it or persevere in this hellhole.

But most of all, he missed his old life before it all crashed and went to hell. He missed his family and the warmth of seeing them every day. It had been so long since he'd seen them, their lives taken from him with him unable to do anything about it. He didn't remember what his parents looked like. His mother's smile having slipped from his fingers and his dad's heartwarming laugh clouded into nothing. He often wondered what it would be like if he were to wake up one day and see the grinning face of his mother, realizing that the hell he had been living in was only a nightmare. But sometimes he thought about what it would feel like if he were to give up, and leave the world permanently. Maybe then he would see his parents up in a better place and finally be able to escape this cruel reality.

Everything inside of him hurt so much . . .

Kise's cries eventually turned into soft whimpers, his chest heaving as he tried to recover from his wails. Kohaku's fingers ran through his hair, soothing him as she closely held him to her body. Kise felt reassured of her presence so near, like she was soaking up all his anguish and leaving him free from his pain. He was once again grateful for her. He didn't know what he would have done if he didn't have her there with him in his greatest time of need. Kise clutched his hands tighter, fisting up her kimono in his grasp as he clung to her. His whimpers stilled and his breathing quieted, the only thing audible being the hushed voice of Kohaku as she whispered soft words of reassurance.

"It's alright." Kohaku spoke quietly while rubbing circles on his back. "I don't think I can tell you everything that you need to hear Kise. But just know . . . I'm always here to listen to you when you are in need."

Kuroko stood silently as Kise took in a deep breath, his hand near his mouth as he bit at his knuckles. The blonde was trying desperately to reign in all his swarming emotions, the thoughts running in his head leading through his darker times in life.

"After that, I told her about my past. How I became an orphan at age nine and had been living on the streets ever since." Kise said his voice thick with emotions too muddled to differentiate. "When I was done she had asked me if I wanted to live with her. And if I remember right, I think I agreed almost immediately. I remember feeling so overjoyed at the thought of living with someone who would take care of me again that I answered without thinking. But I guess what little kid wouldn't, right?" Kise chuckled to himself. Kuroko didn't say anything as usual but Kise kind of felt grateful for that. He wasn't sure he could continue if the bluenette decided to ask questions or anything. His silence was only encouraging Kise to fill the void with words; he never liked the quiet anyways.

"So I moved in with her, got enrolled in school, and even made a few friends—though they weren't exactly the best people to hang out with, but I never complained. I was just glad to have someone my age to talk to." a moment of silence drifted by, Kise lost in his thoughts as he sunk deeper into his past. "All went well for a couple of years. Kohaku had become something akin to a mother figure for me, filling the hole I had since my real mother died and I couldn't be any happier. But I guess it was too soon for me to relax. Maybe if I hadn't felt so attached to my new life then I wouldn't have been left so broken after shit hit the fan."

Kise grit his teeth and pedaled as fast as the bike would go, desperate to arrive at his destination. Street signs and people flew along the sides of him as he traveled on the sidewalk, the air crisp as he took in heaping breaths of oxygen to still his panic. His phone was still clutched in his hand, the device being crushed in his palm as he held onto the handle bars to steady himself. Kise called out a few apologies as he cut in front of some people, their annoyed voices fading as he pedaled further away.

It wasn't a very long ride to where he was desperate to go. It took only fifteen minutes but to Kise it felt as if the whole world could have frozen over before he made it to the parking lot. He cycled up to the front entrance, jumping off the wheels and not bothering to chain the bike up. The piece of metal wobbled on its wheels before tumbling over on its side, the clatter already too far away for Kise to hear as he had made it through the doors. His sneaker clad feet slid on the floor, the glossy aluminum too slick for his shoes to get a grip on but the fifteen-year-old paid it no heed as his head swerved around to find the receptionist's desk. He probably looked like a mad man, with his hair and clothes being tousled from the ride and his pupils shrunk to the point where one could barely see them. It didn't seem important to him though, as the teen quickly rushed over to the woman at the desk when he spotted her.

He slammed his hands down on the wood, startling her from her work, but Kise couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. "Yumi!" he all but yelled frantically, catching the attention of all the people in the waiting room around him. "Kohaku Yumi! I need to see her!"

"C-Calm down, sir." The woman stuttered, her eyes blinking up at him as he let out a breath of air and ran a hand through his hair messing the strands up even more. "You said the name was Kohaku?" there was silence as a few clicks rang in the air from her mouse. Kise held his breath, internally wishing that she would hurry the hell up but refrained from saying it out loud. "Ah, looks like she's in room 249—third floor-"

Kise didn't stay around long enough to hear the rest of what she had to say, instead whipping around to sprint towards the nearest staircase. He quickly collided with the door leading into the stairway, the metal bashing into the side of the wall creating a loud bang that reverberate in the tall, empty room. Kise grabbed at the stair railing and ran up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time. His breath heaved from his lips and his blood pumped in his ears but Kise didn't have time to concentrate on how his lungs were burning and his muscles were quivering from the strain. He didn't slow down even when he burst into the halls of the third floor, his eyes searching wildly as he sought out the number the woman had told him. It took a few turns but the blonde eventually came across the appropriate room with the labeled number. Kise hurriedly sprinted into the room, the courtesy of knocking completely flying from his thoughts.

The blonde teen skidded to a stop in the middle of the white room, finding the lack of colors to be harsh on his eyes. He clenched his phone in his hands, his lungs finally feeling like they would burst and give out and his muscles shaking from the endeavor of arriving there. The room was almost completely bare, save for the large bed in the center and a man in a lab coat standing next to it. Kise's eyes dismissed the way the man jumped in surprised, the noise of the door hitting the wall having caught him off guard, and immediately zeroed in on the frail woman lying beneath the covers of the medical bed.

Her eyes were closed, the skin around it pulled as her brows furrowed, most likely in pain. Her hair was strewn across the pillows in a tangled mess, the gray becoming lost in the sea of black. Her expression was tight, her lips thin and the color in her cheeks pale. A nasal cannula tube hooked behind her ears and was placed inside her nasal cavities to provide oxygen for her. An IV needle was stuck into the bend of her elbow, the clear plastic connected to a drip that contained some type of transparent fluid. Several other cords and lines hooked her up to different machines, each one looking more confusing than the last. Her skin was a sickly pale, and the color around her eyes was deep purple that contrasted deeply with the rest of her pastel flesh. She was dressed in a plain white hospital gown, the cloth patterned with a crisscross of squares in blue. Kise almost fell to his knees at the despairing sight.

"Ah, I'm sorry," If the voice hadn't been so deep then he was sure the sound would have bypassed his numb ears. Kise glanced over to the doctor who had moved to stand a few feet away from him. "But only immediate family members are allowed to see the patient right now." The man was in his younger years, probably no older than his early thirties. His light brown hair was slicked back out of his eyes which allowed him to see the bright color of his gray orbs. The name tag present on his coat enabled Kise to read that his name was Hayate.

Kise stood up straighter, his height effortlessly towering a few inches over the man's shorter frame. "She's my mom." Kise spoke, his expression darkening in challenge at the other, daring him to try and object over his claim. The man shuffled, his face flashing in confusion at what he said. Kise didn't blame him though. The age gap between him and Kohaku permitted that he could easily be her grandchild. The prospect of him being her child was hard to believe. But Hayate just shook his head, as if clearing his doubtful thoughts and instead nodded at him, accepting his statement for the time being.

"Alright, I'm sure you would like to know what happened to Kohaku-san then." Kise nodded his head in answer despite it not being a question. The teen let out a breath of air as he looked at his mother again, studying the small beeps of the EKG monitor beside her bed.

"I got here as soon as I got the call." He lifted his hand up showing the doctor the phone that was still tightly gripped in his palm. He was somewhat surprised the cellphone hadn't broken or at least cracked along his frenzied dash to the hospital. "They didn't tell me much but I think it was more of because I had hung up before they could finish so I could get here quicker." Hayate nodded his head in understanding, probably believing him more on the claim that he was Kohaku's family since they were the firsts ones notified if something important like this happened.

The brunette sighed, looking down at the clipboard held in his hands. "Well, Kohaku-san has just gone through cardiac arrest at promptly 11:24 this morning. She was brought here soon after and we immediately began assessing any possible problems that could have been the cause to her sudden attack." The doctor flipped a page on his clipboard, his eyes skimming the paper quickly before looking back up at Kise. "For now, I have reason to believe that her cardiac failure may be an indication to coronary artery disease. But I can't be too sure until I have officially run a diagnostic on her."

Kise's eyes widened at the news. Coronary artery disease? What the hell?! "W-What do you mean she has that?! Kohaku is the healthiest old woman I know! There's no way she would have something as bad as CAD!" Kise's heart felt like it was being squeezed to death, the information making his thoughts run wild with all the worst-case scenarios.

"It's probably not as bad as you think." Hayate said swiftly cutting off Kise's traumatized thoughts. Kise stared at the man with narrowed eyes, not liking how lightly he said that. Just what did he mean by that? Kohaku could easily be near Death's door and this guy had the audacity to look like it was a simple conversation about the weather?! Kise's face took on an immediate expression that all but demanded for the doctor to explain. "What I mean is," the doctor didn't seem fazed by Kise's glare, "we receive several patients a year with this type of diagnostic. It's fairly easy to prevent and most people have a high success rate of diminishing the causes and effects for CAD. You need not worry," Hayate smiled encouragingly and placed a hand on Kise's shoulder, "Kohaku-san is in good hands and should make a full recovery regardless."

Kise didn't know what to say to that.

The next few days involved Kohaku going through several tests so the doctors could get a read on just what was going on with his mother-figure. He was drowning in anxiety throughout the ordeal, not liking the way an unsettling dread seemed to coil in his stomach. The doctor had given him a summary of what was happening to Kohaku, using terms and words that made almost no sense to his young mind. But he had a decent grasp of the situation and was able to follow along well enough. Hayate had told him that Kohaku had a family history of CAD, the disease having killed off most of her family already. Kise had frown at that information. Kohaku didn't tell him much about her life before she opened up the library and settled down. Had he known she was in such a high risk for CAD then he would have stopped her from smoking the first week he moved in with her.

The doctor told him that Kohaku had severe stress levels which were part of the cause for her diminishing health. Kise didn't like the thought of Kohaku having been overly stressed. He knew that most of it probably came from him. Despite having been taken in by her and given a home, Kise still wasn't the best child in the world. If it wasn't his stubbornness and shitty attitude then it was the fact that he came home almost every other day with some sort of injury. His time spent at school usually ended up in brawl after classes with the school bullies. It wasn't like Kise asked for them to meddle with his personal life but when they overstepped their boundaries Kise couldn't find it in himself to refrain from punching the nearest asshole. No one else had the guts to teach them their lessons and Kise was more than happy to oblige. Kohaku always chastised him for his rash behavior, but he ignored it more often than not.

After they had officially diagnosed her with coronary artery disease, they led Kise into her room so that they could discuss her surgical options. It was the first time he was actually able to see Kohaku since all the other times he had gone to her room she was either gone or asleep. He had immediately rushed into her awaiting arms and clutched her tightly to himself. He felt relieved to see her smiling at him again even though she was obviously in pain. When they had settled down, Hayate had explained that Kohaku would undergo a procedure called coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). They would perform an open heart operation, taking a vein from the thigh and transplanting it into the heart to create a new route for blood to pass through the heart. It was a procedure that the surgeons knew rather well so the whole bypass surgery shouldn't take them no more than a few hours.

Kise was probably the one who worried the most out of the two of them. Kohaku had laughed at him lightly and teased him about it. Kise had chuckled with her to try and release the tension in the air but he couldn't stop the slight shaking in his hands no matter how hard he tried.

The next day they prepared her for surgery and Kise had stayed by her side until they gave her a sedative, the anesthesia quickly putting her to sleep. He had sat in the waiting room; his chest feeling like it was being strangled with wire despite his hammering heartbeat. He had let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding when Hayate came to give him the news that Kohaku had successfully made it through surgery and was in the recovery room. He was only allowed to see her for a few minutes, since she was still recuperating from the lingering effects of the sedation. But Kise was just glad to see her moving around—however groggily that may have been—and alive.

It was approximately an hour later when she was moved again to the ICU and was almost fully alert. Kise had spent every day with her after that, hightailing on his bike after school so that he could be there. Kohaku had thanked him gratefully for his continuous presence, telling him his bright eyes and exuberant laugh made the bland room seem livelier. Kise could only smile shyly at that.

A few days later was met with Kise strolling out of the hospital, leading a much relived Kohaku into the outside. She smiled when the sun hit her face, taking in a huge breath of the summer air and releasing it with her eyes closed. "Gosh, how I missed this. I will never take the sun's pleasant warmth for granted again." Kise glanced over at the aged woman, watching as she became completely relaxed under the sun's light. Her skin had finally acquired a rosy hue to it, no longer looking pale and sickly. Her eyes were bright and the bags beneath them seemed to be disappearing with time. Despite the bandages that wrapped around her in certain areas, Kohaku looked better than what he had seen her in a long while. He smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling like all was right in the world again.

"I was a complete idiot to think that my life would continue like that. I should have known better than to believe that my luck had finally decided to take a turn for the positive—that nothing else could possibly happen and most of my hardships had come to an end." Kise snorted at himself, turning his head away so that the bluenette next to him couldn't see the self-loathing written on his face. The next memory flashed across his eyes. He could still remember it clearly, as if it were yesterday. Kise's eyes trailed down to look at his hands. "It was a few weeks after her surgery when it happened." Kise's throat felt like it was closing up, the muscles straining as they tried to collapse in on themselves so he wouldn't have to speak anymore. Kise internally wished they would, hoping that anything would happen so he didn't have to go on.

"More specifically, it was the anniversary of the day she had taken me in. I was going to surprise her with a gift in thanks of everything she had done for me over the years. Perhaps the events that played out that day were just a sick form of punishment for all the wrongs that I had done."

Kise couldn't keep the smile from curling at the edges of his lips as he tiptoed up the steps that led into the library serving as his home. His eyes peered inside of the building through the glass windows, looking for any signs of the one he was trying to remain hidden from. He waited for a few seconds, happily noticing that the woman was absent from the bottom part of the library and no customers were in sight either. Turning the handle of one of the double doors, Kise slowly opened it up, hoping that the bell above wouldn't chime loud enough to attract attention. When the gap was big enough Kise squeezed inside and closed the door behind him softly.

It was a perfect day in his mind. The sun was shining and no clouds were in sight on the rather warm summer day. Birds filled the air with their cheery chirps and songs, laying out a tune that could brighten even the gloomiest person's day. Kise was glad for this kind of atmosphere. It just made the whole occasion that much better, especially since it was the day that he was going to surprise Kohaku with a gift. It was on this day two years ago that she had asked him to stay with her, and it was two years ago that she had given him something to live for. Kise didn't think the gift would be enough to show how thankful he was for her kind actions but it showed more than what he would be able to say with words.

Kise looked down at the small box in his hands, the package enveloped carefully with blue wrapping paper. It was a simple gift, not overly expensive or eye-catching. The blue paper was decorated with white lines that made a zig-zag pattern and the top had a white ribbon neatly tied into a bow. It wasn't very big in size, barely covering up his palm if held in his hand. But he wasn't too nervous about the size; he knew Kohaku wouldn't care how big or expensive the gift was. What really worried him though was whether or not his mother-figure would like the object within at all. He had struggled for a while trying to decide on the present, and had saved up on money to buy it for her once he chose. He wanted to think that he had put a lot of thought into what he should get her, but it was Kohaku's decision in the end if he picked the right thing.

Kise kept his hands behind his back as he carefully made his way up the stairs near the back of the room to head towards the living quarters in the library. He made sure to keep his steps light so that the old wood of the staircase wouldn't give out its usual creeks, gradually ascending up the slightly spiraled stairs. He held his breath as he came closer to the entrance of the living room, seeing through the crack in the door that the room was bathed in sunlight most probably from the open windows. Kise's face turned giddy as he tried to contain the smile attempting to split his face in two and grasped his hand over the doorknob, resting there for a few seconds to hear if Kohaku had noticed his presence yet. When he was met with silence, Kise quickly burst into the room, closing his eyes and raising the gift into the air with an exclamation of, "Happy Anniversary!"

Total silence.

Kise's eyebrows furrowed when no sounds came from the house after a few seconds, opening his eyes to peer around in confusion at the lack of greeting. Kise's hands lowered down to his sides as he traveled further into the living space, glancing around into the different rooms. His thoughts were clouded with reasons as to why she didn't answer. Maybe she had left without telling him, going to the store for their monthly groceries? Or perhaps she had fallen asleep again since she was still recovering from her surgery? Kise didn't know what to think as he walked around the house, searching for Kohaku and calling her name several times. He was about to leave and come back again when he stepped in something wet, the liquid splashing against his worn sneakers and covering the sides. Kise looked down only to have his breath catch harshly in his throat, his eyes widening as he let out a screech and tumbled back, the present falling out of his grasp.

There on the ground before him was a puddle of thick, dark blood. Kise felt terrified as he stood there, not knowing how to move as his eyes stared at the splatters of blood all over the wooden floor. He slowly looked beyond the mass of red fluids and gasped in terror when his gold orbs fell upon the hand of a person, their arm covered by a white kimono smeared with blotches of blood. Kise's legs began to roughly shake, and despite his mind desperately ordering them not to they slowly began moving forward. Each step felt like he was encased in ice, the weight dragging him down as he inched closer to the body lying obscured behind the wall. His breath hitched in despair when his feet came a few inches from the fallen hand, now able to see the bloody mess of the person on the floor.

Kise fell to his knees, feeling like something had just slammed against his shoulders, forcing him to the floor to burden the weight. Kise's eyes widened the color dulling as he gazed upon the broken figure of Kohaku. She was clad in her usual attire, the kimono a stark white with several bright colors threaded into it. But it was no longer clean, the white cloth now stained with patches of dark blood from where it soaked in the puddles on the floor. Her hair was still pulled up though it was in disarray, the strands clumped together with her dried blood and falling in a mess around her. She lay on her side, her upper body being held by the slumped form of her shoulders and allowing Kise to have a perfect view of her face.

Her pale face was almost as white as her kimono, and was streaked with smears of blood that covered her cheeks and chin. A pool of her blood formed beneath her head, the substance now starting to soak into Kise's pants but he didn't seem to notice it. Her blue eyes no longer held the shine they once had, now dull and dark as the light had left long ago. They were wide open, staring at him and piercing him with their emptiness. Kise felt himself shudder at the sight, not liking how they appeared to see into his very soul. Kise looked away, turning his head and knowing that what lay before him now was no longer the kind, loving woman he once knew. All that remained was a cold, empty shell of what was.

Kise gritted his teeth, feeling like the bones would break under the pressure but he didn't care, the pain was nothing compared to the mental agony he was experiencing. Why was it that everyone he cared for always seemed to die? Anyone he has ever gotten close to always came to an undeserving demise, and Kise was left to wonder if this was the cruel fate he would forever be forced to live with. Why did it have to be him? Kise's eyes fell onto Kohaku's body. Why did it have to be her? Why did this overly kind, thoughtful, and caring woman have to be the one to suffer from the curse that befell Kise?! Kohaku didn't deserve to die! She was too pure of a person to have been dealt with such an agonizing death. Why did she have to die because of him?!

Something deep within him broke, the crack reverberating through his skull. Kise felt a scream erupt from his throat, the pain too much for him to handle anymore. He bent over, his clenched fists hitting the ground repeatedly as he hunched over and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall over his cheeks. Kise mentally willed them away, internally struggling with the loss of the one good thing in his life. He wouldn't cry. Not this time. Crying was like admitting defeat, and Kise would be damned if he were to cry over Kohaku's death. He knew that if he allowed the first tear to fall, then he wouldn't be able to keep the dam from breaking. Kise would turn into a wallowing mess of self-loathing and he would never forgive himself. And if that happened, he didn't know if he would be able to live on anymore. Kise had to be strong—he had to forget.

Kise's breath slowed, the teen gently sitting up to stare down at the heap of his once mother-figure with dull eyes. If he hadn't decided to be selfish and force his way into Kohaku's life then maybe she could have lived. If he hadn't taken all of her kindness to heart then maybe he could have turned his back on her more easily and left before anything could have happened. But he was too late to see the truth of what his presence was doing to her, too stupid. And now, because of him—because he cared, Kohaku has died. And Kise couldn't do anything else but stare. He knew this would happen—it always does—yet he ignored it and tried to believe that this time it would be different—that there might actually be a chance for him to find happiness. But he should have known better. Now all he has left is the pain of the void Kohaku once filled, and the knowledge that it was all his fault.

Kise blinked his eyes open in realization, a thought coming to the surface of his mind, one that he had kept locked away in fear of what it would turn him into. But now that he gazed upon it once again, the idea of it didn't seem as appalling as it once had. Kise forced himself to look at the heart-clenching view of Kohaku again, despite his heart raging at him for the pain filled image. From now on, there was only one way to stop innocent people from facing their deaths early because of Kise, one that certainly placed Kise on a path of loneliness but at least it kept everyone safe from his curse. Kise decided then that he would never care for another again.

The autopsy told that Kohaku had died from a heart attack, slowly dying from suffocation as blood spewed from her mouth and her heart seized to beat. Kise thought it was a rather low way for someone like her to die. Kohaku deserved to pass peacefully in her sleep, knowing that she had lived her life to the fullest. But there was no chance of that happening anymore.

There was no funeral for her. A simple gravestone marked the plot that Kohaku's body resided in and Kise visited it once. He had placed a small vase on the stone, the insides spilling with cyclamen, poppy, and purple hyacinth flowers. He had said his goodbye and then left, never turning around again. Since he wasn't of legal age, Kise wasn't able to take over the library and was forced out onto the streets lest he would be thrown into an orphanage. The weeks after Kohaku's death Kise still attended school, though now it was more of a nuisance than anything else, but he was glad for the distraction and buried his head into the extra work he asked for.

The bullies were worse than usual but Kise couldn't muster enough energy to retaliate to everything they did, but if they managed to set him off Kise made sure to leave them all in a bloody mess. It was almost one month later when the world found Kise standing tall above a high cliff, waves of the ocean crashing against the rocks below.

Kise stood still, his eyes closed as he listened to the thunder in the distance and breathed in the slightly salty air of the water. The sky was gray, thick with ugly dark clouds that threatened to pour rain over the land any second. The waves of the ocean were rough as they collided against one another and the rocky cliff beneath Kise's feet. Kise sighed and opened his eyes, staring out into the horizon. He came here to finalize his decision once and for all—on whether or not he would walk his path alone. He glanced down at his hands, studying the small box he held. It was wrapped in blue and decorated with a white bow and stripes. More than half of it was painted over with a dark crimson from when it had fallen into a puddle of blood. It was the gift he was supposed to present to Kohaku. Kise's mind was numb as he studied it, noticing the wrapping was torn in a few places and showing the cardboard under it.

It no longer troubled his mind when he thought of the old woman who had taken him in, she was a memory of his past now. It wouldn't be long now before he would eventually forget about her and move on with his life. But the gift in his hand was something that was holding him back. He wouldn't be able to continue living life in the now if he was still struggling to let go of his past. Kise clutched the gift closer to him, not knowing if he would be able to let go of the one thing that was all he had left of the woman who cared for him. But this symbolic present that was meant for her was keeping his feet plastered tightly to the ground, and he wouldn't be able to take a step forward unless he let it go. So he decided to come down to the cliffs that lined the coasts to send the gift into the roaring waves of the ocean to have it take the lingering pain away for good. Kise held his breath and held his hand out, hesitating for a few seconds before shaking his head and loosening his fingers on the box.

A racket of boisterous laughter erupted through the tree line, the noise so loud that it was easily overheard above the quakes of the thunder. Kise paused, listening intently when his ears picked up the snide voices of familiar people. He would know their unruly clamor anywhere but why were they at the cliffs? Kise glanced at the gift before making an irrational decision and stuffing it into his red sweatshirt, the box being swallowed by the loose clothing. The blond teen turned on his heels and trudged through the grass, following the carved path for tourists and heading towards the laughter of his school bullies. He mentally told himself he was going to see what was going on purely out of curiosity, but internally he knew that he was just trying to stall time before he had to officially throw away the memory of Kohaku.

Kise traveled down the beaten path, the ground eventually turning into concrete as he made his way down the slope of the cliff. He knew that a small park resided near the bottom the cliff. It wasn't very popular but he had heard stories that it was the favorite place for the ragtag team of bullies to hang out around. Kise huffed at the thought, wondering why the annoying band of jackasses always seemed to get in his way of everything. Kise slowly made his way towards them, keeping behind the coverage of the trees once they came into view. He only wanted to see what they were doing after all and confronting them about it face to face would be a bad choice since they would most likely want to kick his ass at first glance. Kise smirked, 'as if they could.'

His smirk was immediately ripped from his face once he saw just what their reason for being there was. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a small, helpless kitten buried to the neck in one of the little sandboxes. Its fur was standing on end with its pupils shrunk into small points of fear. It meowed it terror when a small rock landed next to its face, the stone only inches away from hitting it. Kise internally cursed when his eyes landed on the taunting smiles of the gang who were standing further away, each of them laughing and making fun of each other for missing the feline. Kise watched as their leader, Keiji, whipped his arm forward to launch a stone at the kitten again, this one landing even closer than before. The cat gave another heart piercing mew.

Just what the hell were those fucking idiots doing?! Kise felt anger starting to boil in his stomach, the feeling making him burn in rage. Throwing stones at a helpless kitten as a game?! Did they think that was some sort of sick joke?! Kise clenched his fist and before he knew what he was doing his feet were already leading him out into the open. He caught the stone that was aimed at the cat, standing in front of the little feline and blocking the teens from throwing another at it. He was met with shocked and surprised faces, most of them not expecting Kise to appear out of nowhere—hell Kise didn't expect himself to do that either. Wasn't he supposed to not care about others anymore? 'Well, that doesn't mean I have to let them suffer when I can do something about it,' Kise thought furiously. 'I'm done watching others suffer because of me.'

"What the fuck do you think you're doin'?!" one of the five teens yelled out—Nerubi, if he remembered correctly.

"I could ask you the same thing." Kise called out across the field, tossing the stone on the ground lethargically and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Does it make you feel better when you pick on small kittens? It's a good thing you got it buried. I'm pretty sure it would have whipped all your asses by now." Kise couldn't help the snort of laughter at his own words.

Keiji took a step forward, raising his head in challenge over the distance between them. "We would be more than happy to replace it with you. I'm sick of your haughty attitude all the time at school. It's about time we show you what it means to mess with us, and now there aren't any teachers around to stop us from beating your ass into the ground!" everyone behind him gave nods of their heads, agreeing to their leader's threat.

Kise placed his hands over his heart, his expression turning into one of mock fear. "Oh, no, whatever shall I do?!" he squeaked out in a higher octave than usual. Kise snorted at the enraged faces he was met with. "Look," he began, trying not roll his eyes but failing, "how about I just take the cat and leave instead of kicking all of you bastards into the dirt. That way none of you will get hurt and at least some of your pride will stay intact. Although I don't know how much you all have left considering you were torturing a kitten of all things."

"That's it!" Keiji yelled and barreled towards him, the rest following suit. Kise widened his stance and gave a taunting "come-hither" look to them as he raised his hands into a fighting pose. He couldn't keep the smirk from surfacing on his features, finding that the whole situation was quite laughable. These guys had fought him numerous times, and every single one of their battles ended with him victorious; just because there was a change in scene meant nothing in their favor. Kise got ready to receive the first attack from Nerubi but he was startled into shock he saw the other pull out a knife from beneath his jacket. He almost didn't dodge in time to miss the slash directed towards his chest, and the blade nicked him in the arm. Kise felt blood starting to trickle from the small cut but he paid it no mind as he danced out of the way from the other knife attacks.

The others quickly caught up to their fastest member and Kise swiftly found out that it would take a miracle for him to make it out alive in this clash. Each member sported a knife of their own, and Kise—who only had his fists as his weapons—knew that he was going to be fighting a losing battle. He cursed when he ducked beneath a blade aiming for his head and barely managed to spin to the right to avoid a stab at his thigh. It didn't help either that he was extremely outnumbered, and that time seemed to be fighting against him as well. He knew that the longer this fight carried on the quicker he'll tire out, and then it would be easy for one of them to sink their blade into him.

Kise blocked a swing aimed at his face, his hand latching onto their wrist and then pulling him over his head as he turned to slam them against the ground. Kise grinned when he noticed it was Keiji who he had just thrown but the victory quickly disappeared when he saw a blink of silver out of the corner of his eye. Kise jerked back, trying desperately to move out of range of the knife but he internally frowned when he determined himself too slow to dodge the blade in time. Kise let out a grunt when the blade from one of them pierced his shoulder, the weapon digging deep beneath his collar bone. Kise let out a yell in pain and grabbed furiously at whoever stabbed him, punching the guy in the face before spinning around him and elbowing him in the back of his neck with his good arm. The guy dropped like a rock, and Kise struggled back a few step, his gaze meeting several others who stood on the other side of their unconscious comrade.

It was a brief pause in action but it gave Kise enough time to quickly decide that now was probably a good time as any to turn and run. Kise moved to do just that, holding his shoulder protectively as he turned around to dart off into the trees. He didn't even make it two steps before an unhinged pain seared up the back of his leg. Kise screamed in agony and tripped, falling face first into the ground and scuffing himself up in several areas. Kise gritted his teeth and looked behind him to see the handle of a knife sticking out of the back of his knee. He wouldn't be able to run now, and pulling it out would cause a river a blood to pour from his injury. Kise internally screamed in rage and forced himself up on his hand and knee, the other limbs useless as they twang in pain.

"Look at who's helpless now, hmm?" Keiji sneered from above him. Kise glanced up at the teen, his eyes burning with an unadulterated rage. Keiji clicked his tongue in distaste and promptly swung his leg back to kick him in the side. A small cry unwillingly left Kise's lips as he fell onto his back. The view of the dark sky became covered as the gang's leader knelt above him, the ravenette's hands fisting into his shirt. "It's our turn to return the favor of you always beating us." Kise managed a small grin, his hand slowly moving upwards so they all could see his raised middle finger. Kise didn't have enough time to laugh at their enraged faces before a fist slammed into his face.

Kise didn't know how long they beat him, but he knew that he probably wasn't recognizable when they were done and left him for dead. His body thrummed with waves of pain all over, his skin being littered with blackening bruises and deep cuts. Kise's chest shakily rose with each painful breath of oxygen, his ribs having been broken in several places. His face felt numb and he was pretty sure one of them had the balls to gut him in the stomach with a knife. It was hard to think and his head felt woozy from loss of blood. He knew he was probably not going to live for much longer. Already it was an effort to keep his eyelids from closing and just succumb to the claws of death. Kise haggardly sighed and watched the clouds move above him. A sudden small sound to his right alerted him of the presence of the young kitten.

Kise turned his gaze to peer tiredly at the orange cat, the feline having travelled close enough for him to see it without moving. "Heh, looks like you were able to dig yourself out, huh little guy?" Kise forced out, his voice cracking at the end. The cat made no sound, just stared at him with bright, unblinking eyes. Kise slowly raised his hand out towards the kitten, wincing a little at the strike of pain flashing through him. He allowed the kitten to give his fingers a few sniffs before reaching out to pet it. The cat gave a sudden hiss and Kise couldn't react in time before the little feline had raked its claws across his hand, turning tail then running off. Kise sighed then dropped his hand back onto the ground. "You're welcome."

Kise lay there, unable to move. A few minutes passed before the sky gave a roll of thunder and a raindrop fell on his cheek. He was glad that it didn't immediately start pouring. The sky rained down small droplets, the light drizzle of water mixing in with the blood around him and turning everything pink. The sound of the pitter-patter was soothing for him, allowing him to concentrate on the noise instead of the searing agony flaring all over him. Kise thought back to the scratch mark on his hand, noticing that despite the fact he had saved its life the kitten had injured him then ran off. The corners of his lips lifted up at the irony. Maybe it was a sign for him to always discard the concern in his heart for anyone else ever again. The kitten just proved to him that there was no hope left in the world for him.

Kise's heart broke at the thought and the teen tried to contain a whimper escaping him but the effort hurt too much. The sky roared with thunder as Kise finally allowed himself to cry after holding it in for so long. The teen wailed despite the pain and he was internally glad that it was raining since the raindrops hid the tears that fell from his eyes. Kise's lips trembled as he lay there, bleeding out and helpless under the pouring sky. He was ready to die, to finally leave the cruel world and escape from reality. Kise closed his eyes, his body raking with sniffles as he accepted the fact that he was going to see Kohaku again. The thought wasn't so bad, and Kise found himself feeling at peace. He was ready to give up.

"How pitiful."

Kise's eyes snapped open to see an unfamiliar face above him. The male's face was young and his expression formed a frown as his mismatched eyes peered down at him. Kise sucked in a breath in surprise, not having heard him come near. Kise watched as the teen studied him, most likely surveying the amount of damage he had taken. Kise knew it was of no use though. No matter what anyone did at this point he was going to die either way. Kise let out a small huff of air and closed his eyes again, deciding he would ignore the other until he went away.

"Why do you accept defeat so easily?"

Kise scowled and opened his eyes to glare at the redheaded teen. "Leave m-me a-lone." Kise spoke through gritted teeth, his voice weak and barely coming out above a whisper. "Let me d-die in peace."

The heterochromatic-eyed male knelt down next to him, sitting on the balls of his feet. Their eyes met and Kise found that he couldn't look away, the other's eyes almost forcing him to stare despite not wanting to. The other held a calculative expression, his brows furrowing. "You want to die?" it was a rhetorical question, and Kise kept silent as the red-haired male studied him. "I could end your life for you now, if you would like. It would be much better than bleeding out in pain until your body gives up." the teen stood up, looking over him at the blood stained grass around them. "Or, I could give you a chance at another life and allow you to start over."

Kise eyes widened at the offer, a sound of surprise escaping him. The teen would kill him if he asked him to? What kind of person is he if he could ask that without blinking? Kise fell silent, considering his words carefully. How would he be able to give him another life? It wasn't as if there was a hospital close by and gauging his size Kise didn't think the guy would be able to carry him even if he tried. But if he did ask him to kill him, that would be Kise deciding his death for himself instead of letting nature take its course. It would no longer be his consequence for helping the cat but his decision in giving up out of his own will. Kise didn't like how that sounded. Why did this guy have to appear out of nowhere and make his choice that much harder to deal with? Why couldn't he have been left alone until his last breath?

But did he really want to die? Give up on life and pass away before he could do anything to change it for the better? Leave the cold life he knew was reality then end up . . . where? Hell? Heaven? Some unknown void to be lost in forever? Kise didn't know, and that scared him. And here was this strange, random teen offering him up the chance to start over anew and perhaps do something worthy in his life. A spark of something erupted in Kise's chest. It took him a few seconds to realize it was hope that was flicking in his heart; the bright flame small but true. It warmed him up from the inside, kick-starting his body again and giving him strength. And that's when Kise knows that he doesn't want to give up. Being stubborn was one of his worst flaws but now it was one of the deciding factors on whether he would quit. But most importantly, Kise didn't want to die.

"N-No," Kise managed to force out, his tongue feeling like lead but he pushed on nonetheless, "I don't w-want to die." The teen above him stared into his eyes once again, searching for something. Kise's gaze hardened as he peered into the mismatched eyes, daring him to doubt him of his choice. A few seconds passed before the redhead gave a nod, seemingly satisfied with what he saw.

"My name is Akashi Seijūrō."

"K-Kise Ryōta."

That night, Kise Ryōta watched as the small box dropped into the ocean, the white bow being lost in a sea of blue.

Kise could feel Kuroko's eyes on him, but the teen couldn't find it in himself to return the gaze. "Akashi turned me into a werewolf that night. It was excruciatingly painful, and I remember wishing that I had chosen death instead but when the first transformation was over Akashi allowed me to join his pack." Kise smiled at the memory, a feeling of warmth overcoming his heart. "They accepted me pretty easily—or at least I would like to think. We got along well enough and over the years I'd like to believe that we have gotten pretty close. But," Kise paused in his words, his eyes focused on the small ripples in the water below him, "I still have this feeling that they're going to drop dead any second because of me and my stupidity."

Kise sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess that's the one thing that has prevented me from getting too attached to them. I wouldn't be able to handle the pain if I were to lose any of them. And the thought of them leaving me behind scares me . . . I'm so selfish." Kise took a shuddering breath, tears pooling in his eyes. "Kurokocchi . . ." Kise finally acknowledged the bluenette, turning to him with a miserable expression, "what am I supposed to do?" he whispered.

Kuroko was silent for a few seconds, the phantom gazing at him with mixed emotions swimming in his blue orbs. "I think Kise-kun," Kuroko spoke softly, "that you need to stop blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault. Your hatred against yourself is holding you back from seeing the good in others—in yourself. And it's preventing you from knowing how much it means to cherish another." Kuroko stepped closer, his blue gaze meeting Kise's own. "Don't hide behind the past because you're afraid to venture into the future, Kise-kun."

Something wet hit Kise's cheek, the werewolf furrowed his brows in confusion as he lifted a hand up to touch his skin. He pulled his fingers back to see a clear liquid on them. Was he crying? Kise sniffed, using his arm to wipe away the tears trickling down his face. Kuroko's words pierced his heart, the cage encasing it breaking away at the truth in his words. All this time he was running from his past, believing that it didn't bother him anymore. But now he knew that the past few years were of him standing in place, his back being turned to the possibilities of the future. He was never moving forward, and his unwavering fear always had him shying away from the thought of breaking the cycle. Kise didn't realize how frozen he was until then.

Kise looked at Kuroko, seeing the smaller teen staring out at the ocean again. Maybe now was a good time to discard the chains and look to the future for once. Kise smiled at the thought.

Midorima raised his hand to gently tap at the door before him, waiting until he heard the okay to access the room. He opened the door and walked inside till he stood a few feet away from the desk, his eyes meeting Akashi's as he gave a slight bow of his head.

"I bring news about the vampire's plans. It might be wrong as it is only an assumption but I have reason to believe that we should at least be cautious of our future progression from now on." The greenette said, while fixing his glasses to sit better on his nose. It didn't take long for him to explain the happenings of when he had saved Kuroko and what the bluenette had told him about his conversation with Yuki. Akashi had listened attentively, not interrupting to say his thoughts but Midorima didn't have to hear them out loud to know the alpha was in serious alarm.

"So they finally decided to bring the past into the present again?" Akashi said mostly to himself. Midorima watched the werewolf closely as Akashi sighed and swiped his hand across the shogi board in front of him. The pieces scattered in several directions, flying off the desk and landed in a jumble all over the floor. "This complicates things." He hissed out heatedly.

"Akashi," Midorima started, his eyebrows crinkling together, "if what they say is true, then does that mean Kuroko is a—"

"Yes." Akashi interrupted him abruptly. Their eyes met and Midorima had an unsettling feeling that it would take all of their luck just to survive what could possibly come.

"It would take a miracle for us to prevent this from happening." Midorima noticed Akashi's eyes narrow at his choice of words.

"I don't believe in miracles." The alpha said and stood up to begin picking up the discarded pieces lying on the floor. Somehow the slight chance of them being able to come out victorious plummeted into nothing.

And there you have it, chapter eleven. Forgive me if I used any improper terms and explanations during the medical part of this chapter. I am not a medical student of any kind and a lot of research was done to try and grasp a basic idea of the crap I was sprouting. So please, if you see any errors alert me right away! I hope this chapter wasn't too boring ^^ You guys are amazing to have stayed with me so far! Please don't forget to REVIEW and if you have any questions I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Until next time~