Author's Note: So finally I managed to write something for this fic and it's been a year. I apologize for the suuuuuuper late update but I finally got this done. Enjoy~

Beta: Aokazusei

Disclaimer: KNB is owned by Fujimaki-sensei.

Chapter 3

"Doubt"

Tetsuya heard his phone beep several times, but he had no strength to answer it. He could only curl around his favorite stuffed toy, a birthday gift from Shiori-san, Akashi-kun s mother. The pillow was wet from all the tears he shed, yet he didn t mind for he was starting to become drowsy from all of his crying. Yet the constant beeping from his phone made him unable to sleep as the rings kept resonating around his room.

It didn t seem like the ringing would stop anytime soon, so for the first time in two days, he checked his phone, hoping he didn t miss any important messages. As he flipped his phone open, he saw the red tick on Kagami's name amounted to twenty. He sighed, feeling a little guilty about not reading it, but he continued to check to see who else sent him a message. As he scanned through the bright screen, his eyes paused in front of a person; he received a new message from Akashi's father.

From: Masaomi Akashi

Subject: Dinner

Good afternoon Kuroko-kun. Shiori and I decided that we should have dinner together with Seijuurou tonight in order to better acquaint the two of you. So please meet us at the restaurant we usually meet, tonight at 7 pm. We'll be expecting you.

Tetsuya glared at the screen and reread it over and over again. But despite the hard stares he gave it, the message would not change. He will be meeting with the Akashi family tonight, and worse of all, Seijuurou would be there.

Tetsuya looked at himself in the mirror and grimaced at the horrendous sight, all thanks to his beloved redhead. He sat back down on his bed and reached for his sketchbook. Droplets of tears where on the page as he was spent his time drawing his heart out earlier. He had managed to draw an angry Akashi, just like he remembered when the redhead was in the lockers. How could he even forget? Those red orbs filled with so much contempt and animosity, it made tears fall from just the memory.

He clicked on to the messages he received from Kagami, centered on Kuroko s wellbeing and the reason for his absence for two consecutive days. Kuroko sighed and decided to call his best friend, for he owned him an explanation.

He clicked the call button and then came an immediate answer from Kagami. "Kuroko, you finally called! I thought you were dead!" Kagami's loud voice exclaimed. He could tell he was really worried about him.

"I'm sorry, I was not feeling well. My chest was hurting, so I decided not to go to school. I apologized for making you worry Kagami-kun," Kuroko said.

He heard a sigh from the other line and said. "Do you want me to visit you? I can cook you some dinner for tonight. "

"I'm sorry but I was invited to a dinner so I will be out for tonight, but thank you Kagami-kun. Maybe next time."

"Alright, next time then. I'm glad nothing bad happened to you. I thought you were absent 'cuz Akashi dumped you or something. So, how did your confession with Akashi go?" At the mention of Akashi, he felt his chest tightened. The memories of Akashi saying he hated him spiraled through his mind again. The voice he adored so much, was laced with so much malice that he almost didn t register that Akashi said anything.

Kagami was actually quite close to the find out the reason why he didn't go to school. He was silent for a while, taking his time to catch his bearings. "I didn't managed to give him the letter. I was interrupted."

Kagami sensed that his friend was down so he decided to drop it. "I see. Don't worry, there's always a next time Kuroko."

"No," he said bitterly. "There won't be a next time Kagami-kun. Akashi-kun would never like me, it would all be such a waste if I confess. My feelings would forever be one-sided. I would rather have it that way." Kuroko sighed as he tried not to cry again. "I'm sorry but I have to go Kagami-kun. I still have to prepare for the dinner."

"Alright, will you go to school tomorrow?" Kagami asked.

"I think I will. I felt better now," he lied. "Thank you for worrying. I'm going to hang up now, bye."

"I'll see you then, bye."

When the call ended. Tetsuya lied down on his bed. Akashi will be moving in. He ll need to make sure to keep his feelings hidden, or it could be used against him and hurt him more. Tetsuya sighed and decided to take a quick shower. He would at least want to be presentable at their dinner tonight.

~.~.~.~.~

Akashi glared at the ceiling of his bedroom as he lied down on his bed. The image of big blue eyes filled with pain, his retreating back, and especially, that smile Tetsuya first greeted him with, they seemed to be engraved in his mind. He regretted saying those harsh words to him, but it's too late to get it back. The damage was done.

He heard the door opened and his mother came in. Her long red hair was pinned in a messy bun, while light make-up illuminated her already beautiful face; it was simple, yet elegant. Shiori Akashi was a beauty beyond compare, a woman truly befitting of the Akashi name.

Akashi wondered why his parents couldn t choose a normal girl instead of a boy for his engagement. Did they not consider the damage it would inflict on the Akashi name? Knowing them, they must have thought of it, but power is more significant than reputation. Even with slight crack on their reputation, if the Akashi and Kuroko are united, their empire would be indestructible. It would be absolute, just like how the Akashis wanted to be. Such a small crack would be overlooked in exchange for power.

"Are you still mad about the engagement?" his mother asked, sitting beside him on his bed. What made him more annoyed by this engagement was that it had to be Kuroko Tetsuya. Something about that guy unsettled him.

"How do you expect me to react? You re arranging me to marry a boy. I thought you wanted your own grandchildren," Akashi said. Being married to a boy would definitely ruin his mother's fantasy of having grandchildren.

"Well, surrogacy is one way to have children if you can't have one. I know some gay couples who chose to have that in order to have children."

"But mother, I am not gay, and I don't think Kuroko is gay either," Akashi said as he sat up.

"Well, you'll never know," she said with a smile. Akashi didn't know why, but her smile made him suspicious.

"Mother, I am not gay," he said. His voice was absolute.

"I hear that from several straight men who were in the closet, and look at them now, they re out in the open with their lover. Seijuurou, we are not asking you to be one. I think you heard of loveless marriages among our social circle. You don't need to have feelings for Kuroko-kun. Just respecting each other would be enough. If you found the one you love someday, then maybe, you can choose to annul your marriage," Shiori explained.

"I thought Akashi s has a tradition of no divorce or annulment of marriage," Akashi said, remembering how his grandparents told him several times before.

"As your mother, I wouldn't want you to be in a loveless marriage or a forced one..." she said.

"Then why are you letting me marry Kuroko."

"It was because of the promise we made with the Kuroko couple before they passed away. It was not all just about the power Seijuurou. We owed those couple a lot. They were my best friends. Without them, we might as well be living in the slums," she said. Akashi didn't fail to notice the sad look his mother gave away. Shiori dismissed it with a smile and stood up. "Anyway, I came here to collect you. We'll be going."

Akashi nodded and stood up, donning his suit properly. Shiori took a combed and slicked Akashi's hair back. She smiled and admired how lucky she was to have such a handsome son. "You re actually really attractive. You might just make your fiancé fall for you. Tetsuya isn't that bad looking you know; in fact he's very cute."

"I have met him, mother, and he's indeed as what you said he was. But I'm not going to fall for a guy," Akashi said firmly.

"Who knows," she said as she placed the comb down, and then linked their arms together. Akashi didn't know why his mother kept on insisting that he might like Kuroko. "Let's go, your father is waiting." Akashi nodded before the two redheads walked down towards the living room where the older Akashi sat waiting.

"Tetsuya-kun texted me that he was at the restaurant. What took you so long?" Masaomi asked, placing his phone in his pocket when he finished replying to Kuroko. Akashi still didn't know why his parents cared so much about Kuroko.

"Can't I at least spend time with my son? C'mon let's go. I don't want to keep Tetsuya waiting. That would be rude," Shiori said to her husband as she walked out of the door, dragging Seijuurou with her.

~.~.~.~.~

Tetsuya fiddle with his phone, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he sat alone at the table, which was reserved for the four of them. He wore a suit for today and even went to great lengths of taming his wild hair, though the task was difficult and there were still strands sticking out.

He checked his watch and wondered what took them so long. It only made him dread meeting Akashi tonight. He inspected his image in the mirror earlier, and the bags under his eyes were not very visible, though that was due to the light make-up he applied, but knowing Akashi, he would most likely notice.

Since he was facing the door, he saw it opened and in came three gorgeous redheads that made every person in the restaurant turn their heads in awe. A perfect family was what ran through his head. How could he fit into that family? He felt so different; they were in another world. He heard whispers from the other people and knew they were talking about them.

When they got near the table the three finally took notice of him. It was Shiori, as always, the first to greet him. "Good evening Tetsuya. And sorry to keep you waiting, there was a bit of traffic so we got late."

"No it's alright Shiori-san, I didn't wait for long," Kuroko said politely. He saw Akashi ushered his mother to sit down, avoiding any eye contact with him.

The young redhead was too gorgeous for his own good tonight. He was breathtaking. Too handsome. He could tell that most of the females in the room were eyeing the redhead like hungry wolves. Somehow it kind of made him jealous. If he was a woman, would Akashi still like him a little more? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the seat clattering a little as Akashi sat beside him. He could smell his cologne from afar, and it began to intoxicate Kuroko.

"So Tetsuya, meet Seijuurou. I'm sure you know what will be your relationship from now on," Shiori said. Kuroko could only nod, slightly feeling uncomfortable.

"Mother, don't you think we're moving on a bit too fast. I wouldn't want to scare Kuroko away," he heard Akashi say, and this time he could feel those smoldering fiery gaze look at him. It made him look at Akashi, their eyes locking. His breath almost caught up at his throat at how intense the redhead was staring at him.

"I believe this is the second time we met, Kuroko," Akashi said.

"You didn't tell me you have met each other, Seijuurou," Masaomi said.

"I forgot to mention it father. Apparently, I met Kuroko first on the rooftop. He was standing on the railings. I think he was planning to jump," Kuroko's eyes widened; he couldn't believe Akashi was bringing that up now.

"Wait...were you planning to jump Tetsuya-kun?" Masaomi asked.

"No, I assure you not, Akashi-san. I was not planning on jumping. I was just curious on how the scenery would look like if I stood up on the railings," Kuroko said. "I...I was planning to draw it." It was a good alibi and hoped that the couple bought it though he knew Akashi didn't.

"That was dangerous Tetsuya, what if you fell?" Shiori asked.

"I grabbed him on time mother," Seijuurou said. A waiter came on their table offering them an expensive wine. Masaomi, nodded and let their glass filled with wine.

"I was about to go down when Akashi-kun came in," Kuroko said, refusing his glass to be filled with wine since he's bad at handling his liquor.

"By the way, Tetsuya you should let Seijuuro see your works. They re beautiful. He even drew me once. It was perfect," Shiori praised him and told him that she still kept portrait, framed on the wall of their bedroom. A smile formed on Tetsuya's lips, glattered to hear about what Shiori did, and the young redhead didn't fail to notice it.

"Thank you Shiori-san. Your words are too kind," he said.

"But they are the truth. Anyway, I do hope you two get along well. We hope you two get along as much as possible. You'll be stuck with each other for long time. Not to mention, you'll get married at the right age," she said.

"You're right mother, I'll try to get along with Tetsuya," Akashi said as he took a sip with his wine while looking at Kuroko.

Kuroko on the other hand felt a lumped on his throat again when he heard Akashi. He didn't know why but he knew the redhead was faking it.

I hate you.

It resounded in his mind. However, he hoped inside that Akashi meant those words he promised Shiori. But when he stared at those eyes, there was a glint in his eye; the redhead would never want to be with him.

The dinner progressed on as they were served expensive foods. Kuroko having a small appetite, already felt full when he finished his entreé; he didn't know if he could even eat the main course. The Akashi couple urged him to eat more, but he decline since he would feel sick if he ate too much. He decided to just take a sip of his vanilla milkshake, letting it soothe him, despite the cold stares he felt from Akashi.

As they progressed on Masaomi finally said. "Tetsuya-kun, would you mind if Seijuurou moved in with you tomorrow?"

It made Akashi stopped on his tracks, moving in? No one mentioned that to him before. "Pardon me, but did I hear that right?" Akashi asked.

"Yes, I apologize Seijuurou but we forgot to tell you. You will be moving in with Tetsuya, starting the day after tomorrow," Masaomi said.

Akashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. First of all, Akashi found out he was to be married to someone, most of all a guy. Now, he was going to move in with him. Akashi tried to calming himself, taking in slow deep breaths to relax himself. He would not let anger get the best of him; he was an Akashi, and thus he must take things calmly.

"Why hasn't anyone told me about this?" Kuroko saw that Akashi was composed on the outside, but judging from the way he was breathing and his tensed body, he knew he was not accepting of the news.

"Akashi-kun won't have to move in with me, Akashi-san," Kuroko interjected.

"It has been decided and you had agreed to it as well. You two need to be acquainted and be accustomed to living together for it would make it easier for the both of you. You have no say in this Seijuurou. You will start living with Tetsuya and that is final," Masaomi declared. Both of the teenagers know that once Masaomi made up his mind, there's no backing out now.

"I believe there are a lot of spare rooms in your house Tetsuya. Seijuurou will move his things tomorrow," He added.

Kuroko could only nod. Akashi, who doesn't seem to have a choice, just nod and downed all of his wine. He started to feel a little dizzy and thought he must have drank a lot.

While the rest of the dinner was being served, Kuroko barely finished his meal. He didn't even eat dessert since he was very full; he just drank his milkshake, sipping it silently until their dinner ended.

~.~.~.~.~

Kuroko stared at the two limousines in front of him as the Akashi couple climbed out of one of them. Apparently they needed to head somewhere and asked for another car to send them home, which meant that Akashi and Kuroko would be alone once again.

After the couple bid their farewells, Akashi silently went into the car, silent with no words or sounds addressing the bluenette. Kuroko, not wanting to be rude to the Akashi couple by declining, decided to ride the car despite not wanting to be alone with Akashi.

As the car began moving, Kuroko was silent. He averted his gaze away from Akashi and just looked at the window instead. The air between them was awkward. There was tension in the air, and he felt like he suffocating. He suddenly noticed Akashi was moving, unbuttoning the suit of his jacket and loosened his tie. Kuroko tried not to look but he caught a glimpse of Akashi's skin, making him flush, heartbeat racing.

Despite this male being cold to him and openly stating his hatred, he was still in love with him. During all those three years, spent on loving him, gazing him from afar, just admiring him, how could he even think otherwise.

That's why being so close to him made him a little more nervous, and even though he didn't want to look at Akashi, he somehow found himself turning to him, and more surprisingly, found those smoldering gaze, staring back at him. He wanted to look away but those eyes seemed to mesmerize him, pulling him back in.

Suddenly, Akashi was closing in towards him. A hand was placed on his cheeks, a thumb run across his cheeks. Kuroko began to blush hard. He could feel his heart racing as Akashi moved closer to him, his face inching closer and closer.

Kuroko was hyperventilating. He could feel his hot breath against his cheek. Akashi's is going to kiss him, kiss him! Kuroko closed his eyes, anticipating the touch of Akashi's lips crash against him. However after a span of 60 seconds, there was nothing. Then, he heard a chuckle.

"You really think I would kiss you? Don't get your hopes up," Akashi let go of him, and Kuroko opened his eyes.

"I would never kiss you. Don't get your hopes up. I hate you, remember?" The car suddenly stops, and a chauffeur opened the door, stating that they arrived at Kuroko's house. Kuroko weakly nodded before he got out.

Akashi moved closer to the window and called for Kuroko's attention. "My dear fiancé," he called. It made Kuroko stop and turn. "I hope you have a good night," he said mockingly.

"Good night, love," he smirked before he turned to the chauffer. "Let s go," he said and closed the window.

Kuroko felt a tear slid his eyes as he watched the car leave. It hurt. What he felt was the purest form of rejection and humiliation, and yet, he couldn't do nothing but cry.

~.~.~.~.~

Akashi slumped on the seat. What was he thinking? He never expected to do that, but when he stared into those blue eyes, he felt mesmerized. Pink lips were begging to be claimed, to be kissed. He wondered how those lips would taste like. Would it be sweet like the milkshake he drank earlier or maybe something different? He was glad that he was able to stop himself before he could do so.

He didn't know why, but thinking of Kuroko irritated him even more. He didn't know why but the bluenette affected him more than anyone else.

He was supposed to hate him. And yet, why was he starting to doubt that?

What was wrong with him?

To be continued...

A/n: So how was it? I hope you like. Until the next update. (idk when)

Love lots,

Shiori