Kise Ryota was a very persistent young man, particularly when it came to getting something he wanted. And it seemed that his current fixation was getting Kasamatsu Yukio to go places with him.

The former captain of Kaijo had graduated several months ago, and since he'd gone off to University, he'd done a pretty good job of keeping in touch with his friends from high school. He'd gone out to eat with them several times, and more often than not responded to Kise's texts when he got back to his dorm, even if he was exhausted. His schedule was pretty tight, so he didn't get a lot of free time. Still, he tried his best.

Clearly, Kasamatsu's best was not enough for Kise. The blond, now in his second year of high school, had practically demanded over a three-minute-long phone conversation that Kasamatsu drop whatever he was doing that night and take the thirty-minute trip to a little restaurant near Kaijo High. He claimed it was really good, and that Kasamatsu would love it and appreciate the time off.

Of course, the idiot wouldn't listen to reason and understand that it was a Tuesday night and they both had early mornings to look forward to. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

And so, that was how Kasamatsu ended up on a bus, heading over to the district that housed Kaijo.

It felt a bit weird to be taking this route to the school he'd gone to for three years of his life. Memories unwillingly forced themselves into his mind as he stared out the window and watched the scenery pass by. Images of basketballs, fans in the stadiums, and high black socks filled his vision, and he couldn't help but smile. He missed it - basketball. He missed the thrill it gave him as the audience cheered, missed the elation he felt when he made an amazing shot. But most of all, he missed commanding his team. Or, actually, it was more like he missed his team in general. It was a constant, dull ache in his chest, reminding him of the life he'd been forced to leave behind. He missed Hayakawa's excited screams and shouts, Moriyama's flirtatiousness and stupid pickup lines, Kobori's strength and support, Kise's bright laughs and determination.

Another grin crept its way onto his face at the thought of the golden boy. While he was annoying from time to time - or, almost every second of every moment Kasamatsu was around him - he was like his little brother. Yeah, he would say that that was a good description of what Kise was to him. Someone who got on his nerves, talked to him too much, who he lost his temper with more often than not... but who was still a precious, irreplaceable person that Kasamatsu would give his life for.

Not that he'd admit it out loud, though. He hoped that Kise had a sort of sixth sense and understood that when Kasamatsu called him an 'idiot,' that it was an endearing term; that when he punched him or kicked him, that it was meant affectionately...

Okay, maybe not always. But he made a point of treating Kise differently than the others. Once he'd found that the model had an innate ability to get on his nerves far more than everyone else on his team, Kasamatsu knew that Kise was going to hold a special place in his heart. After all, Kasamatsu had two little brothers of his own. He knew what it felt like when a little brother was being annoying, and being around Kise felt nearly exactly like being with one of his baby brothers. And he loved them more than anything.

So, yes, Kise was a very important part of Kasamatsu's life now. Hence the fact that he had done his homework at an alarming rate of speed just so that he could get to the restaurant and appease the blond's unnecessary demands.

The bus got to Kasamatsu's stop sooner than the former captain had expected, but he wasn't going to complain. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could go home and get some much-needed sleep.

Kasamatsu hopped off the bus and shoved his hands into the pockets of his University jacket. While it was only early fall, it was quite chilly. Besides, he just liked flaunting the name of his school. It felt almost like being able to sport one of Kaijo's royal blue basketball uniforms again, and it filled him with a sense of pride. Of course, the University's jacket was navy blue, and had gray writing on it. It wasn't the same proud, enjoyable color as Kaijo had given him to wear, but he supposed that he was just being biased. Nothing would ever be as good as Kaijo for him.

The jog to the restaurant was a short one, and took only a few minutes. Soon, Kasamatsu reached the place, and when he opened the door, he was assaulted by the rich scent of... was it Mexican food? He wasn't sure, but it smelled so good, and the restaurant was pretty fancy. He hoped he'd brought enough money.

"Do you have a reservation?" asked the short, brunette woman at the counter before him. She was smiling, and very pretty, and Kasamatsu felt the heat rise up to his face.

It was a little-known fact, but Kasamatsu Yukio was not good at talking to women. Any women. He would stutter and blush and get embarrassingly awkward, and he didn't even know why. So, he'd never been more thankful to hear the bright - albeit annoying - voice sound behind him, and ultimately save him from a terrible situation.

"He's my date for the night!" Kise was standing behind him - he'd obviously just gotten there, his jacket pulled tight around him to keep the autumn chill away. He was also wearing ridiculously dark sunglasses and ball cap, most likely as a disguise. The blond was smiling a bit as he bumped his shoulder against his former captain's. "I reserved a table for two last week, remember? It should be under the name Kasamatsu Ryota."

Kasamatsu would've kicked him, had they not been in such a nice restaurant. Instead, he just growled harshly, "It's not a date, idiot!" He was positive his face was as red as a tomato. Not only had he nearly had to talk to such an attractive young woman, but now she probably thought he was gay.

Freaking fantastic.

Kise laughed softly as the woman picked up a couple of menus and ushered them over to a booth table in a corner, probably to keep prying eyes away. Kise sat with his back to the rest of the people in the room, and Kasamatsu took a seat on the other side.

The model smiled happily, his golden eyes bright as he took off his sunglasses. "Thanks for coming out tonight, senpai," he chirped, leaning his elbows on the table and not making any move to pick up his menu. "I hope you don't mind the name I used. If I had said 'Table for Kise Ryota,' it probably would've caused a bit of a commotion." That was an understatement. The young blond's popularity in the modeling industry had shot up recently - people everywhere were recognizing him and flocking to him. Kasamasu had no doubt in his mind that there would have been a hoard of fans around them if Kise had reserved a table under his own name. An alias was necessary.

Kasamatsu just huffed and picked up a menu, looking over the options. As expected, everything was expensive, and he couldn't help but make a face. Fifteen dollars seemed to be about the minimum price on most of the meals, apart from things that sounded disgusting or the tiny items. He reminded himself to bring more than ten dollars next time, but living expenses were practically devouring any and all money he managed to scrounge up.

"Oh, get whatever you want, senpai! My treat," Kise assured him with one of the most welcoming grins Kasamatsu had ever seen. "I come here all the time. I recommend the number eight dinner - the one with the steak fajitas that comes with soup and rice on the side. It's to die for."

Kasamatsu's eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter, but he knew the sharp-eyed small forward would notice. "No, Kise, you don't have to do that. I'll get my own," he said, quick to decline the offer. He didn't want to take advantage of his former teammate just because he had money. Besides, what good senpai let their juniors pay for their food?

Kise tilted his head to the side and knitted his eyebrows together. "But senpai, what kind of date would I be if I didn't buy your dinner?"

"We're not on a date!" Kasamatsu snapped, clenching his fists and sending the younger boy a glare. "That's disgusting, Kise. I don't even know how you got that idea in your head!"

The blond looked only a tiny bit surprised at the outburst, before he laughed softly and shook his head. "I know it's not a date, senpai! Not a real one," he went on, opening his menu and scanning the contents over. "It's more like I just wanted to do something nice for you. Can't I do that?" His yellow eyes peeked up from the menu to meet Kasamatsu's steel blue ones. "It would make me very happy to pay for everything tonight, okay?"

Taking a small, steadying breath, Kasamatsu sighed. "Fine. I guess one time won't hurt. But I'm paying next time! You got that?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes sharply to make sure the model understood how serious he was being.

"Then we're going to Maji Burger next!" Kise exclaimed joyously, before immediately changing the subject. "Have you decided what you want to eat?"

Kasamatsu shot him a glare, but he had absolutely no energy left to argue with the blond. He'd make sure the next place they went to was somewhere nice, regardless of what Kise said. "Um, I'll just have whatever you're getting, if that's okay," he responded, leaning against the booth behind him and crossing his arms.

"Great!" Kise really did look happy, and Kasamatsu found that it was contagious, for he couldn't stop the small smile that sprung up onto his own face as well. The model waved down the waitress and ordered two number eights, and then rested his elbows on the table. "So, senpai. How's everything been going at University?" he questioned, glancing down at his former captain's jacket.

Kasamatsu could've sworn there was a flash of sadness in the younger boy's eyes, but he chose to ignore it for now. "It's been all right. Could be better, but I guess that means it could be worse, too. I still don't know anyone there yet," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

Kise looked surprise. "Really? But you were good at making friends in Kaijo, weren't you?" he questioned, sympathy written all over his face. Kasamatsu knew it was probably stupid - he'd been there for months, but had only spoken to a few other students conversationally.

"You only knew me in my third year," he pointed out with a chuckle. "And I only got to know the people I did because I was on the basketball team and had to speak to coordinate with them. I didn't have any friends apart from the people on my team." It was true. His only real friends in his last year had been Moriyama, Kobori, Hayakawa, Nakamura, and Kise. Yes, he knew a couple of the other first-years, but they hadn't bonded or anything. Not like he had with the others.

Kise shook his head vigorously, squeezing his eyes shut tight. "I can't believe that, senpai! You're amazing. You probably have lots of friends." He sounded so sure of himself...

The black-haired young man took a deep breath and released it in a sigh. "It won't do you any good to flatter me, idiot," he muttered, looking off to the right and surveying the people of the restaurant to try and take his mind off the conversation at hand.

"No, no. I wasn't flattering you! You're smart, a great player, and I've never seen you be afraid of anything," the boy rambled, then looked thoughtful. "Well, that can't be right, though. Everyone's scared of something, right? You can't be completely fearless, because no one is. Even Akashi's scared of stuff... probably."

"I'm not really scared of anything specific," Kasamatsu mumbled as he took a sip of the water the waitress had brought. "I mean, I'm probably scared of stuff. I just haven't been in a situation that scared me yet."

Kise blinked and tipped his head slightly. "That can't be right. I mean, I ran into this giant spider just this morning in the bathroom and almost had a heart attack. You can't possibly not have had a moment like that before, right?" he asked genuinely. It didn't seem like he was looking for an excuse to tease his senpai at all.

"Of course, but I don't think that's actual fear. Maybe a petty one. I think real fear is more like..." Kasamatsu never got the chance to finish his sentence. For in that moment, a loud, trilling noise sounded, and one of the waiters ran out of the kitchen. He was sweating profusely, his blue-and-gray outfit soaked at the neckline and armpits, and a sheen of wetness over whatever skin was visible.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" The man's loud voice wavered a bit. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I advise you all not to panic, but there is a fire in the kitchen. Everyone must leave the building in a calm, orderly, single-file line, through the back exit."

The back exit? Did that mean that the fire was nearer to the front of the building? Kasamatsu looked over at Kise, whose golden eyes were round in what could've been surprise or mild fear. "We should go," the older boy informed him, getting to his feet. Kise followed suit, and they headed toward the back doors, where everyone else in the building was gathered and panicking.

Kasamatsu decided to play it calm and cool, as usual, and waited for everyone else to get through first. He thought he heard something, and glanced to his left, through one of the kitchen doors. He felt his eyes widen ever so slightly at the sight of the flames licking up the walls inside. It looked like no one was in there, so why did he hear...

The noise came again, this time a bit more clearly.

"Help me! Help!"

Was someone... trapped in there? Kasamatsu didn't give himself time to think before rushing over to the kitchen door and slinging it open.

The heat was almost immediately unbearable. The nineteen-year-old flinched back from the inferno, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. How had the staff let it get that bad without getting everyone else out? It didn't make any sense whatsoever.

Kasamatsu felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, turning to look behind him. Kise was standing there, his eyes squinted against the heat, and even though Kasamatsu had jumped, his hand remained firmly on his former captain's shoulder. He didn't look scared at all, but instead wore an expression of confusion. Kasamatsu didn't blame him. The younger boy probably thought he'd gone insane.

"Senpai, where are you going? There's a fire!"

The raven-haired young man wanted to hit him. "Thank you for the information. I didn't know that," he snapped sarcastically, shaking his junior's hand off. "I heard someone in here. I'll be right back. Don't follow me, or I'll hit you harder than I've ever hit you before!" He didn't give the model a chance to respond before racing into the room and shutting the door decisively.

The cries for help were louder inside. Kasamatsu weaved around flaming appliances and cabinets, and located the source rather quickly. There was a young man - probably a bit younger than Kasamatsu himself - trapped underneath a fallen rack of pots and pans, his leg pinned behind him. The flames hadn't reached him yet, but it was only a matter of time before they did, so Kasamatsu hurried to try and lift the rack.

"Thank you, thank you! I didn't think anyone would come!" panted the younger guy as he peeked up at his rescuer. He didn't really look that scared at all, which struck Kasamatsu as a bit odd, but he didn't think much of it at the time. He couldn't - the blaze was too strong, it was too hot, and the situation was too urgent to sweat the small stuff.

Kasamatsu struggled with the fallen rack for what felt like forever before its weight lightened tremendously. He glanced over to his right to see that Kise had, despite his warnings, run in after him and had his hands on the other side of the heavy shelf. Kasamatsu wanted to throttle him. However, it was much easier to lift the metal object with the blond's help, and soon the young man was able to crawl out to relative safety.

"Kise!" Kasamatsu snapped immediately, clenching his hands into fists. There was no time to lecture him, so instead he continued, "We need to get out of here, now! It's dangerous!"

The pale-faced model nodded without arguing and turned to head back the way he'd come, and Kasamatsu looked over to the young man they'd helped out. "You, too. Let's go."

The wicked smile that crossed the other guy's face was incredibly confusing, and it made Kasamatsu want to take a step back. The longing to get away spiked when the boy spoke, "Thank you for the help, Yukio. It's a shame, really. It probably would've been in yours and Ryota's best interests to have left me to die."

Kasamatsu froze on the spot, trying to make sense of what he'd said, but with the inferno roaring around him, the pressing heat and his burning lungs, he couldn't manage it. He licked his dry lips and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a certain blond idiot, who didn't know how to follow orders.

"Senpai!" Kise called, bolting around the corner. His gold eyes reflected the growing flames around them. "What's taking you so long? I-"

A loud explosion cut off the second-year's sentence, and a wall of fire hid him from view. It took a moment or two for Kasamatsu's muddled mind to come up with the conclusion that the gas stove to Kise's right had blown up, and another moment for the ringing in his ears to subside to the point that he could hear the blond boy screaming. In the same instant that he took a step forward toward the noise, a hand gripped his arm and something of clothlike material was placed over his mouth and nose.

Panic swelled automatically in his chest, and he tried to struggle, but he found that his body wouldn't move the way he wanted. Instead, he slumped backward, against someone's chest, and heard his assailant chuckle before murmuring in his ear, "You're really going to regret saving my life."

The last things that Kasamatsu could remember were the sound of Kise crying in pain and the sight of a dark shadow blocking out the light of the flames overhead.

And then, everything went pitch black.

Hi! I don't know if you've read any of my stories before, but I'm really on a KiKasa brotp fix right now, so I'm going to be writing a bunch of fics about them. This is my latest, and it will be multichapter. I have no idea how long it's going to be, so please bear with me. We can get through this together!

Also, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger. Things will make much more sense in the next chapter, I hope.

So, um, if you liked it, reviews are incredibly appreciated! Actually, they don't even have to be good ones. Any reviews are helpful, if you wanted to tell me what you thought so far. c:

Fave/follow/ask questions/critique/pm me - I don't bite!

A bit of a warning for this fic: It's gonna have darker themes in it. Violence, mostly, and abusive behavior. There may be alcohol use, as well. There won't be any yaoi or romance in this at all. Their relationship is platonic.

Anyway, God bless all of you, and I hope you have a great day!

anim8or