Lured
By: Stupiak Kitty

SUMMARY: Midorima went to England after witnessing something he didn't think he would witness. He vowed to himself that he would never go back to Japan. Ever again. One decade after, he went back to Tokyo because of Oha Asa. As always, the prediction was never wrong.

Author's Note: I don't know why, but my mind is telling me to do this. I'm fond of angsty and tragic story. And as a proud FF reader, I can see little stories of angtsy MidoTaka. Please MidoTaka writers, please write another set of awesome heartbreaking MidoTaka stories! XD I won't make this tragic …just because. I just can't stand if these two were not meant together. XD

So… Here it is.

Sort of AU. Please correct me if I made them OOC. I'm still not familiar with the winter cup thing because I have yet to read the manga, so I'm sorry if some details were not right. XD This story is inspired with their duet song, ashita he tsurete, tag on the strain, and Last Song (Yamai cover). The latter song, it was breaking my heart while writing this. So I suggest if you want more dramatic effect~ (You know Stupiak Kitty, she's fond of heartbreaking songs~)

P.S. This is my first time writing a story without SK influence. And, this is Taka x Mido x Taka.

Also, beware with the wordy back-story. Just to let us know the pain of Midorima. :Dv

Chapter's Theme Song: Last Song (Yamai Cover)

Outside Airport

xXx

He stood there, taking his time to marvel the different environment around him. It's been ages since he had step foot on the country he had known since.

Japan

It was both familiar yet strange to see himself standing there, the soft Tokyo breeze stroking his cheeks. Though he remembered once, he had vowed to keep himself from going back to the place he had once called home.

Just like any vows, he had it broken.

People with different races were scattered around the busy area of the airport, the side where the freshly arrived people gather to wait. Most of them are with the same nationality as him. There were some waiting for their private ride. Families and loved ones were eager to greet the other passengers filled with excited cheers and embrace. Some were also standing, just like him, but they were quick to find a cab for themselves.

Midorima was surrounded with cries of happiness and longing, and that very thought infuriates him the most. He pushed his glasses up with his right hand and tried his best to ignore those who took a glance at his way. He had the urge to scowl at them, but he limits himself.

He was uncertain how long has he been standing there. He'd even lost count that moment when someone would ask him if he wanted a cab, or provide their service to look for his ride, even a suspicious 'concern citizen' who are willing to find his lost relatives most likely wandering somewhere around the place.

He needed none of those.

In fact, he was too stupid to think the possibility of being stuck in the airport and unsure where to go once he had made his decision to return home. Which, as obvious as it seems, was his problem at the moment.

Sure, Midorima has his family here and the path toward their home was still vivid inside his mind. However, ten years without any contact with his parents or even his sister made him doubt his plan of seeing them. He was even unsure if their house is still the same or existing yet.

He had promised to never look back and start a new life away from his once-homeland, after all.

He had fled Japan and went to England without anyone's knowledge save for his family. They were confused with his impulsive notion at first since he was doing well with his current school, and there is no reason for him to leave Japan. The mere mention of those certain word allowed him to accomplish his plan.

"I will study medicine in England like how you wanted me to do for the long time."

Their decision went exactly according to his plan, yet their confused faces were still etched in his mind. They were aware how basketball ruled his life, in addition to his fixated passion for Oha Asa. His family was also aware with their son's current rank within the basketball world. After all, becoming one of the Generation of Miracles is not a small feat.

His sudden decisions meant: Him, studying medicine, would take half his life into serious study. And going to a foreign country meant he will be starting all over again.

He had thought about it well, planned it thoroughly, and the itch to leave the place as soon as possible made it more achievable. Money is not a problem with him, so the only thing for him to do was to leave.

Right after their high school graduation, he had fled.

And he never return. He had never turn back. Not even once.

His family must have thought how matured it was to finally decide for himself, even living by himself in a foreign land when in truth, he was just a coward.

The first two weeks of living in a foreign country was full of anxiety, medicine, calls and letters.

He has been missing the people he's familiar with.

Of course, refusing to acknowledge that part doesn't mean he didn't feel that. Though, no one could persuade him to alter it into words.

Besides with that one person who happens to be the main source of this thoughtless idea of fleeing Japan. Thinking about it made him reject the image of him going home.

Takao Kazunari.

He was just a boy then. A very noisy and annoying boy who made fun of his lucky items — even his natural way of talking after his introduction of himself.

A boy who loves to kid around.

A boy who had declared revenge for defeating him on middle school, but had changed his mind and settled on making him acknowledge his existence by sticking by his side like glue, and rendering him that annoying pet name in the process.

Shin-chan!

Hora, Shin-chan! Lift the penguin's arms and say goodbye to the kids!

Don't mind his words, Shin-chan's just a tsundere.

Shin-chan!

He was just a boy who frustrates him more than ever. Despite that, Takao still carries him around with his rickshaw. (Even with his constant complaint as to why he had to pull him every time.)

A boy with exceptional silver-blue eyes and was strong enough to regard himself as his partner inside the court.

A boy who chose to be at his side, teasing him endless and tolerating his usual antics instead of opting for a less-than-eccentric company.

Takao's choice of pestering and tagging along confused him back then.

He's not stupid to realize that Takao is a friendly person. His carefree demeanor and witticism, which annoys Midorima the most, was apparently his charm amongst people. He can't just approach and babble around with the people just like Takao. He just can't. He sees no reason to do that.

Takao can spend his time around any people. However, at the end of the day, he always came back, sticking with him like a magnet. It annoys him, but it was amusing to think that he can be with someone — someone he can enslave and order about.

He had never thought of anything malicious with their companionship, after all they were both guys. It changed the moment when Takao revealed his true reason, his excuse for sticking close with him despite his tendencies to command him around.

It all made sense to him. Why else would someone, a cheerful guy to be exact, allowed himself to be with a person who just makes his day miserable by pushing him to do things he doesn't normally do — fishing out his lucky items for him, carrying him around town with his bike though they can just walk.

Accompanying him was already a hard task for Takao in the first place.

"Because I like you, Shin-chan! I like you, as in I imagine myself do things I don't normally do with a guy. L-like kissing."

That does it. He remembered once, seeing the humiliated look of Takao made him think. He might have pulled off a disgusted face in front of him to make him look like that.

In truth of that matter, he was just confused.

Takao confessed his feelings for him.

It confused him. The whole thing was confusing him. The idea was like a foreign object to him. Last time he had checked, they were both guys. And both gender wasn't supposed to like each other, unless one of them move the other way. Yes, it's true that he had never been attracted to anyone before, more so with a guy, so this sort of thing is unknown to him. He was beyond shock as he realized the real meaning behind Takao's words.

So he did what his mind was telling him to do. He let his pride swell up.

"This is not a joking matter, Takao. Spare my mind with your shenanigans no da yo. It is disturbing."

The look of Takao's face was still fresh on his memory; the momentary shock before it has been replaced with an awkward smile and a laugh, with him backing away, and hands on the back of his head.

"O-of course, Shin-chan. Forget that I even said anything."

He had hoped that Takao was really kidding just like how he used to be. He could not approach him the way he used to. He could sense the wary stare of Takao boring into his skin, but he refused to acknowledge it.

He ignored Takao for days, even months, he remembered well, just because it was awkward for him to react around him. The moment Takao had claimed his feelings toward him, he found himself spending every night thinking about his words. Imagining how it would feel if Takao had done the thing he'd claimed to say — wondering whether he was sincere when he said that. Knowing Takao, he must have done that to test his reactions.

It has been months since he was accompanied with no one but himself. It hadn't bothered him much, he actually liked the feeling of solitude.

Until then when he realized how significant Takao's presence in his life was as he saw him one day, walking on the hallway with his new friends tagging along. He noticed the way Takao laugh, just like how he was laughing when he was still with him.

He couldn't explain the sudden shot of pain surging right through his brain, as well as the urge to clench his fist until his knuckles turn white.

The burst of unexpected feelings was unknown to him back then. Perhaps it was the fact that his line of thinking was juvenile.

He had yanked him away from his newly friends, much to their surprise. The only face he considered at that time was the confused face of Takao as he pulled him, his wrapped fingers gripping Takao's arms like a vice. He only stopped walking until they reached the back corner of their practice grounds.

He was not sure why he had pulled Takao away from the group. He didn't know what to say, either. This unknown rage was the reason of his impulsive act; he had remembered consoling himself with those words.

The expectant look out of Takao's face urges him to let out a frustrated growl.

"You are not allowed to spend your time with them from now on."

He had blurted out before he could still his tongue from saying. He hadn't expected the sudden brightening of Takao's face, like he had just informed him the happiest news around the world. It made him scowl when he saw that familiar little smirk creeping out from Takao's lips.

"Could it be that Shin-chan is jealous?"

He looked away, the same time as he pushed the glasses up, and humph. Preposterous! There's no way he was jealous, was his consoling words running inside his brain that time.

"Do not give yourself too much credit, fool," was his words, he could still recall. "I'm just claiming my servant back. I'm tired of walking home."

He was just claiming him back, he had once said. He half-expected Takao to be offended. Instead, he laughed, even hugging him and babbling about him being the best tsundere of all. He just pushed him away, muttering about how much he regretted his actions now. But Takao simply laughed, before offering his awfully familiar grin.

It was as though Takao had seen past his actions, beyond his cruel words. Like he understood the real reason why he did that. When at that time, he was as clueless as a moth circling around the fire.

Now, he clearly knew.

He learned to love the only person capable of understanding him.

He had come to love Takao.

It was a painful and slow relationship between the two of them. Months passed and nothing has almost changed.

Almost.

The only thing that changes was their relationship. He still ordered Takao around.

He was even unsure how did they end up together. He never told him his feelings, since he was even uncertain with his feelings at that time. Takao, on the other hand, was the vocal and gropy one. He would sometimes shout "Baby Shin-chan!" whenever he was around, which means every single day, much to his annoyance (and embarrassment), or even wrapping his arms around him whenever they were in public. When in private, however, he would touch him anywhere. Caressing his wrapped fingers, kissing him whenever possible, fondling him everywhere, even downwards.

The thought of someone kissing, or even touching him where only him could touch, he finds it rather offensive. He was not comfortable with that fact that someone was actually doing it on his body.

On the other hand, Takao was unlike him. The moment he and Takao became half-way intimate to one another, he discovered the other side of him. Rather kinky side.

Takao was always needy, gropy, and hungry. He even confessed that he would often if not always, jerk his longing off with his face etched inside his mind. It disgusted him at first, but knowing that his servant was thinking of him while doing his personal stuff made him quite satisfied.

In fact, it was totally fine by him rather than discovering him jerking off with another man's face in his mind, it made him mad just by thinking it.

The moment he had discovered Takao's other side, he has been pressuring him by asking him to do it — with each other this time. Yes, he had allowed Takao to embrace and kiss him at times. But doing it with someone was like playing basketball without any shoes on. It was uncomfortable and unsanitary, even just by thinking it.

So every time Takao would ask him about that, he would always say no.

But not with that certain day.

The day he had dreaded, until now.

It was the usual day after practice, he remembered. The time where everyone in the team was now gone, while the two of them remained in the locker room. As usual, he could sense Takao's gaze throughout his body as they shower. He had even tried groping him, which earned him a painful swat on the head and a poisonous glare.

So when they came out of the shower and started setting up their sports bag, he had said the words that made Takao stare at him like he had just sprout wings.

"Come over. My parents are coming home late."

Of course, that was his first time saying it to Takao despite his constant plea of coming over. Takao already knew the real intention of his word. He became anxious after seeing the knowing smile of Takao, but he knew there's no turning back.

Even though he tried to hide it, his bed knew how much he had wanted to touch Takao as well. He was a human, after all.

He could still remember the first time he had felt fear. He's always been a proud man. No one had ever triggered his fear, even Kagami. On the other hand, he can't say that he feared Akashi. He respected their former captain more than anyone. But he didn't count that as fear.

The cold hands of Takao above his told him that he felt the same. And for the first time on the same day, he allowed himself to be guided by Takao.

He remembered how gentle he was, all right. The softness of Takao's lips, how it moves, how it tastes. The familiar caress of his hands around him, it made his worry fade away a little bit. Both knew this was his first time. Despite that, he could tell that Takao had already experienced this.

The way he knew how their lovemaking goes. The way he knew how to manipulate him, his body sings with delight as Takao took his member all the way. How he chokes himself, but refused to let go. It was kinky to say, but he found his gagging to be rather sexy.

The time where he pulled a lube out of his jeans, removing it in the process. Putting a condom on his rock-hard on swiftly like he's used of doing that. Spreading the liquid all over his fingers — as well as bobbing his free hand on his member slick with his own seed. Takao's eyes showing how much he enjoyed doing this as he massage the outer ring of his entrance, before pushing it with painfully slow pace. He had remembered it so well — even the feeling of both pain and pleasure as Takao started to dig into him.

Deep inside him, it irked him to know that Takao had done this to another man— now that he thought about it; he doesn't even know if Takao had done this with a man or a woman. He was just sure Takao had done this. There's no way that act between them was his first. Still, there was a sudden ache at his chest whenever he remembered that someone has already touched Takao other than him.

That memory was forever carved into his brain. After all, Takao was the only person he had allowed to be near him. Even after all these years.

They never said anything after. Silence overwhelmed them, but it was a comforting kind of silence. They just remained clinging with each other, limbs over limbs, passive heartbeat over wild one. He could not control the fast beating of his heart, perhaps it was the fact that it was the first time he allowed someone to see his guard down.

As far as he recalls, they only did it twice. They did it the night before the dreaded day occurred. Takao's annoying insistence was still there, but he ignored it as always. He doesn't want them to make it as a routine. Call him conservative, but that kind of intimate contact was precious to him.

So when that certain day comes, the day he had wished it never happened, he felt it again. Fear.

It was a normal day, he remembered once. Besides the fact that Takao had called him just to say that he needed to be home early (babbling about emergency stuff) and couldn't pull him home, it was a normal day. His Oha Asa rating was average, his lucky item was a postcard of The Wave painting.

What he didn't expect was the next thing he saw.

He saw him, his servant Takao, with a woman. His arm was even draped across her shoulders. Since he was hiding at the corner, the only thing he saw was her contour. Despite that, she was unfamiliar to him. Takao's back was familiar, however, so he knew that it was really him. He can see him smiling, laughing — the way he would always laugh whenever he was beside him.

He felt his body stopped functioning, like he was frozen. He couldn't understand the feelings he had felt then. A sudden sharp of pain zip through him, and then it vanished. Now he could only feel the aftermath — like his soul got drown with freezing cold water.

He couldn't feel anything.

He felt numb.

A wry smile crept onto his lips. Takao should have told him sooner. He should have said that he doesn't want this relationship anymore. There's no need to pretend that everything was alright. He doesn't need to call him and tell him that he needed to be back home. He should have just told him that he didn't need someone as cruel as him. No, scratch that, he should have said that he couldn't continue doing this with a boy, because even he find this kind of relationship disgusting.

It was disgusting.

Though he knew deep inside, that was not the issue. It was the fact that seeing Takao with a woman infuriates him the most. Because he had realized, as he continued observing the couple, it felt normal. It was natural for a man to be with a woman, after all.

Takao deserved something as normal as this. Takao deserved a woman.

Not a man as stoic as him.

But as the thought sinks in, he was bothered.

For the first time, Midorima Shintarou, the proud ace of Shutoku team, felt scared.

So he did the only thing cowards do — he fled.

Who would've have thought that his beloved Oha Asa would be the reason of breaking the promise he had stubbornly made with himself?

He had never thought of it at all.

Enough strolling down the memory lane, he chided himself. There was no use remembering the past. It has been a decade since it has occurred after all. Besides, that was not the reason of his impulsive plan of going back to Japan.

Midorima took his phone out of his front pocket, made different gestures to open it, popped the earphones on his ear, and played the Oha Asa prediction he recorded for today.

Today is a typical day, isn't it? As for Cancers, this is not your day, unfortunately. Your compatibility with almost all of the signs is at worst. You would stumble upon unexpected events – places, people, even a situation you never thought of witnessing or happening. Be sure to have your lucky item beside you: Sakura.

He pushed his phone back inside the front pocket of his jeans and looked around. The item was very specific, but vague at the same time. He was uncertain if the Oha Asa meant by 'Sakura' was the petal, or the tree itself. He had, of course tried using his spare Sakura Tea back in England, but he knew it was a wrong item. He just came back from work in the wee hours of today, and he had just walked in on someone making out on the hallway of his condominium.

The only thing that has occurred to him at that time was to go back to Japan and find this lucky item to spare himself from witnessing the unexpected. He just booked an immediate flight to Tokyo at that very moment; using the time travel to rest. (He had no sleep until now) He needed to find his lucky time or he would be tearing his hair out with the things he had been witnessing and happening at this point.

There was a time when a middle-aged man had stood up to fix his things on the upper compartment of the airplane. He stood up at the side of his seat, standing on the tip of his toes. The worse thing was…the man seemed to forget to zip his pants up so he was forced to look to the other side of the seat where a rather attractive blonde woman was sleeping with her mouth wide open and a slim line of drool were coming out from the corner of her lips. When they arrived in Japan, he went to the comfort room to fix himself, only to be greeted by a scent of rotten eggs and a continuous sound of someone farting.

He checked his phone for the Tokyo time. It was now in the middle of the day.

He must need to find this Sakura lucky item and get this done so he can go back to England with his sane still intact.

He would rather find his lucky item, instead of collecting random and ridiculous memories just because he didn't do anything with his power to locate this certain thing.

Midorima started moving, his lone luggage strolling behind him as he walks, but then he stopped.

He was not sure where to go first.

xXx

Reviews are all welcome.