# Thicker Than Water1 #

"Gomene, Tetsu-kun." Cherry red eyes looked at her husband, rather ex-husband with guilt as she pushes the paper to the man in front of her.

However still, no words were exchanged but dull aquamarine eyes stared back at her before giving a nod and scribbling his signature on the divorce paper.

"Now that's all done, I now pronounce you man and not wife." The bald man gave a light laugh but to no avail, the room's atmosphere was still heavy. "Well then Kuroko-kun, I shall take my leave." He coughed awkwardly before leaving the two behind.

The teal head was to leave too when his ex-wife reached her arm out to him. "I know what I did was selfish, now doesn't make any difference but please don't let this get between us, especially Tsukiya-"

Her words were cut off by the teal head's cold glare, something he rarely do. "Do not speak of his name lightly. Not after everything you've done." He says before pulling his arm back harshly. Now, Kuroko Satsuki-rather Momoi Satsuki, was furious too. "I am his mother! I have every right to see him and be with him as much as you do!" She screams.

"Even after he witnessed you in bed with Aoimine-kun?" He retorted mockingly, making the pink head flinched. "When was actually the last time you did something for Tsukiya-kun? Did you go to his science fair? Did you attend his piano recitals? Or maybe even his basketball game?" Every words stabbed her like a knife. "You have no idea how much he'd do just to get your undivided attention. What happened, Momoi-san? When did you stop cooking your son's favorite meals and spend all night while I'm gone fucking Aomine-kun?" He continued bitterly and his ex-wife sobbed. Kuroko Tetsuya, in all 28 years of his life; had never been sadistic or one to torture others to their breaking points. But he was so hurt that the woman he once loved would cheat on him with his best friend.

"Aren't you the same, Tetsu-kun?!" She yelled, gripping the hem of her skirts. "You barely come home and when you do, you don't touch me let alone look at me!"

"That's not enough reason to neglect our son!"

What she said was true though. He had been coming home late, barely eating his wife's cooking (not that it actually improved and he wondered how Tsukiya managed to tolerate it) or even sleep with her in the same bed. Work had been hard on him since he started out a kindergarten teacher in a private school, an independent novelist with 3 books best sold in Japan and soon managing his grandmother's traditional Japanese tea house. It was rather selfish of him to think his wife and child would simply cherish their little time together. In return he'd go to his son's presentations and matches though he'd skip the food party. One night he noticed his son seeking solitude from the extravagant party his mother always threw for him. Like his father, he managed to escape with his presence less ability. He was down in the basement watching a taped basketball match of Kuroko Tetsuya's skills and moves from Teiko in comparison to Seirin. With his (scary) observational skills which got from his mother, he watched all the Phantom's techniques, memorizing step by step. A pang of guilt hit Tetsuya for he had not been there to teach him personally. It was then that he asked his best friend, Aomine Daiki, to teach his son in his place. And of course the latter agreed.

It was uncomfortable for Tsukiya at first, as he was a reserved person and Daiki was the oppposite of all that. Yet bit by bit and some afterschool practices; Tsukiya began warming up to him as he learns more and more free form moves. He might even surpass Tetsuya before middle school and the latter doesn't mind.

But weeks turned to months and Daiki had been coming over more than he needed to. The afternoons were understandable but the mornings weren't. The looks Daiki would give Satsuki and sometimes the wink she'd return make him suspicious of them. Sometimes lobsters were served for dinners, as if Satsuki was already expecting Daiki to come over. The worst was seeing Satsuki wearing this once large denim dress shirt which was clearly not Tetsuya's.

"I just bought it because it seemed comfortable." Says Satsuki sheepishly. But Tetsuya knew a lie when he heard one. Even Tsukiya, with observational skills beyond his age, avoided his mother and uncle at some point.

Tetsuya had never once thought of Satsuki being unfaithful, that was until he came in late with a bouquet of pink roses to celebrate their anniversary. He wanted to surprise Satsuki so he sneakily crept towards their bedroom but surprisingly, he encountered Tsukiya running away from the bedroom's direction with a dark look on his face. Curiously he followed and opens the door and flinched.

What. The. Hell.

Tetsuya could never forget the cliché scene unfolding in front of him; pink rose petals lay scattered on the floor as the sacred bed of the husband and wife was soiled by his very best friend. The pants and moans that echoed through the bed room hurt his ear but he was too frozen to move and cover it. They were rabid, like animals in heat as Satsuki bit down that tanned neck and Daiki fastening his pace. They barely noticed the teal head leaving.

He went to his son's room; where Tsukiya was at the very end of the bed, eyes teary. "Gome ne, Otou-san." He says in a quiet voice. "I couldn't tell you."

Tetsuya hugged his child and whispered apologies of all his shortcomings. Sorry for coming home late. Sorry for attending your presentations and matched half-heartedly. Sorry you had to go through this. And lastly, sorry you won't have a whole family after this.

Cherry red eyes looked at him and he cracked a smile. "Don't worry, Outou-san is also my Oka-san." He'd say with an innocent voice. More guilt came crashing down on Tetsuya as the fact his son had long forgotten his own mother. "It'll be okay." He kisses his son's forehead. "I promise I'll give you a whole family again."

The engine of the car starting got the forbidden lovers off their bed as they saw Tetsuya and Tsukiya leaving. Both of teal heads looked at them coldly before the car drove off. Heck, even Nigou and Sahn were there.

Shame and guilt were not enough to describe the two childhood friends were feeling.

That night he remember going to his parents' house, them not questioning what happened. After all, they had always had the hunch that their son's marriage was falling off. He remembers Tsukiya sleeping soundly for the first time that night with their two dogs curled up in his room. The downside was him explaining to his parents what had happened and they listened. Though Tetsuya had given his list of his own faults; Satsuki's still topped it.

Three more days of thinking and ignoring apologies and meet-ups and a certain pilot and fireman beating the crap out of Daiki, Tetsuya came up with a conclusion. He wanted a divorce.

After a week of persistence and debate over the Kuroko-Momoi household, it was finally accepted. Since the Momoi family was all girls and close to the Aomine family, Kuroko Tsukiya's custody was won by his father since the child was clearly uncomfortable with them. Now here they are; signing the last thing that binds them. 7 years of marriage was enough felt like a prison for them. Shamefully, Tetsuya would admit he just didn't find excitement with Satsuki as she had with him too. This was easy for him but he cursed himself for dooming Tsukiya into this fate.

"I will take my leave Momoi-san." He says and the pink head flinched at the name. "Tsukiya-kun will see you if he wishes to."

"H-hontoni?"

"Hai. IF he wishes to."

And thus he left the room with no regrets. Yet why did he always have the tendency to make this certain girl cry? Sobs echoing the hallway resounded as the ex-Phantom leaves.

He made his was to his car and drove off to Teiko Elementary School.

Gossip was already evident the moment he went out of his car as a short teal head in summer sailor uniform came running towards him. Tsukiya was different from any other kid. He didn't looked depressed and the parents gossiping wondered why. This however, scared Tetsuya. He half-heartedly expected Tsukiya to be a bit... troubled. He had already made calls for a psychologist to help his son yet for some reason, Tsukiya seemed like he wanted his mother gone in the first place. Or perhaps he was keeping dark thoughts to himself? Tetsuya once again cursed himself as to why his son inherited also his expressionless face.

Was this the effect of divorce? Great. He barely knew anything of what kind of parenting single parents use... especially with his work piling up.

He gave a frustrating sigh and his son noticed, looking at him with worried eyes. "Otou-san?" He says, strapping in

seatbelt. Tetsuya flinched and turned to his son with a forced smile. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

What now? He gave his house to his wife to shut the Momoi family up so currently they lived in his grandmother's traditional japanese house with the tea house attached to it. It at least made his job easier than to travel back and forth for work. There had been a lot of changes and it continued to scare him. Why was his son not complaining?

He needed advice and fast.

Kise Ryouta?

No. The model slash pilot would only squish Tsukiya into a sense of overly loving parenting. Also, his son will probably give him an ignite pass kai on the stomach for asking advice from the ex-Copy Cat.

Murasakibara Atushi?

Will probably advice him to cook more and more food to make Tsukiya's heart content. But then again he also have a weak apetite resulting to him in a tummy ache. Definately not the idea of closure and a Phantom shoot on his face.

Kagami Taiga?

He has a daughter 2 years younger than Tsukiya and is very clingy. It reminded him of Satsuki... well scratch that then.

He could always rely on his ex Seirin team mates but what advice could they possibly give him? Especially to the fact everyone is happily married with kids. They don't know shit about single parenting.

"Otou-san," they reached their house. "Is it okay if I sleep over at Akashi-kun's house tonight?" He looked deep into his son's cherry red eyes.

Red.

Akashi Seijuro.

Of course, he was the perfect person to ask advice of this situation. He was after long divorced and a single parent himself. "Yeah, let's go. I need to see an old friend too."