"Fuck you! Fuck you both! May a giant dick be shoved down both your throats!" Furihata was crying out to his two "friends", Fukuda and Kawahara, mean words not matching his terrified eyes as he tried to swing his heavy backpack at the two, who giggled as they ran away.

Kagami raised one of his split eyebrows: "What's up with Furi?"

"Kawahara-kun and Fukuda-kun conspired against Furihata-kun and slipped truth serum into his water." Kuroko said, suddenly popping up and looking up at Kagami with seemingly indifferent eyes, "Now Furihata-kun can't keep his mouth quiet and says whatever's on his mind."

Kagami nodded in pity and understanding, when a thought crossed his mind as he looked at the invisible boy. "You seem to know a lot about this, Kuroko" Kagami slowly stated, and when Kuroko gave a small smile, he sweatdropped, feeling absolutely for his teammate, "Seems like you have conspired with Kawahara and Fukuda against poor Furi..."

"I did not conspire against him-I simply refrained from telling him the truth."

"Kuroko, you can be a little son of a bitch sometimes."

"I simply thought it would be entertaining to see the usually fearful Furihata-kun showcase his inner thoughts, Kagami-kun."

Kagami slightly cringed as he looked over at the other team's captain. After their loss at the Winter Cup last year to Seirin, Rakuzan went into hardcore training mode and in the midst of this Akashi Seijuurou invited the Seirin basketball team over for a joint training, perhaps to boost his team's morale by stimulating them with a reminder of their loss. Riko, of course, wanted to learn something from Rakuzan too-after all, it was by 60% luck that they won, and Riko wants to reduce that 60 to 0.

Their training ground was a forest in the faraway suburbs, and, as Koganei and Mitobe tested on their 40 minute walk here from where the bus dropped them off, the place has no wifi or cellphone signal.

They will be sleeping in antique wooden cabins warmed only by firewood, and anyplace besides their sleeping area has very densely spaced trees that no one can pass through without waving a handful of branches away first, not to mention that potential animals that could lie around here.

Point is, there are so many things that could go wrong in this place.

"Ya sure ya want Furi's mouth running off in front of Akashi?" Kagami turned away from the Redheaded captain for a second to look at Furihata Kouki with concern, "The dude almost stabbed my eye out for saying hi..."

Kuroko looked thoughtful for a second before slowly saying: "It's okay, Akashi-kun wouldn't hurt Furihata-kun too badly, I think."

"You think?!"

After trying to kill both of his "friends", Furihata is now seen lost in a forest mumbling and seemingly not making any sense, tripping over rocks and creaming at squirrels.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." The brunette chanted numbly, spelling out every thought that went through his mind as he walked back and forth in the midst of the forest, "why do would they do this to me? I'm screwed! Now I'll probably blurt out everything I don't others to know about, like how I think Hyuuga-sempai and Kiyoshi-sempai have been ploughing each other's asses even before Kiyoshi-sempai broke up with Riko-sempai or how I think the rainbowheads are all as gay as a rainbow! Oh no! I hope no one heard that!"

Kawahara and Fukuda have somehow slipped some drug into his homemade lemonade and after he drank it he became all giddy like this. He tried to slap them, but they somehow ran into this forest and presumably made it back while he's now just standing here, lost and scared.

"And worst of all, they did it on our joint training with Rakuzan, where that guy will most definitely see me." Furihata shivered as he remembered those cold, heterochromatic eyes looked down at him as he fell rather painfully on his butt, or his voice that managed to sound somewhat elegant as he shoved Kagami down to the floor, or the way he looked as he tried to cut Kagami with a pair of red scissors. "He looked absolutely ridiculous while doing that, though-he had to raise his arm against his cheek and straighten out his arms like a kid throwing a tantrum to even touch Kagami..." Shit.

He panicked, and as he did his mouth went off:"'I am the absolute'? Jesus it sounds all cool and shit coming from him but from anybody else's mouth it would probably just like a patient from a mental ward-actually, if you think about it, he probably should go to a mental ward too. No one normal would stab someone in the eye like that."

"Shit shit shit shit, I can't let my mouth go off like this or I'll be dead. I don't care how many masochists are willing to pay to die by his feet, that's not me! If he can stab Kagami with a pair of scissors he can very well strangle me! He probably won't even need anything, like just with his bare arms..."

Furihata was so busy imagining his doom and mumbling to himself that he didn't notice a tall (well, taller than the 170 cm Furihata) figure trekking through the woods and coming up behind him. Akashi Seijuurou was just pleasantly looking over their training ground when he came up upon the mumbling boy. His heterochromatic eyes narrowed with mild confusion-what the hell was this boy during, away from his team? He slid closer to better see the mumbling boy's face.

He's probably from Seirin, for Akashi didn't recognize his face as one of the members on his team. He quirked an eyebrow; he doesn't remember Seirin having such a mindless blabber. He knows for sure this guy isn't Kuroko or Kagami, and he furrowed his brow as he tried to recall the other members of Seirin: He's definitely not Hyuuga Junpei, not Kiyoshi Teppei, or Izuki Shun...is he that cat-face that broke Reo? No, this boy doesn't have a cat-face...

"Who are you?" Akashi asked, "You are from Seirin, right?"

The boy jumped, and Akashi never knew someone could look that scared. Sighing, Akashi moved forward a bit in the forest, brushing apart some of the branches of leaves to talk to the boy and perhaps bring him back, "Are you lost?"

"No-no!" The boy stuttered, and in what seemed like an attempt to run the hell out, the boy made a violent movement which resulted in his falling face first onto the ground. Akashi moved forward to help the guy up, but decided to stop midway because the guy scrambled up and immediately clamped his hand on his mouth. He frowned, crossing his arms and letting his heterochromatic eyes glow for a second. He adjusted his voice to sound gentler: "Kid, I'm just trying to make sure nobody gets hurt. Now get up, or if you can't, tell me so I can give you a hand."

The boy's eyes widened and he shook his head violently. He tried to get up, but it was obvious he cannot due to one of his hands stubbornly clamping over his mouth. Akashi moved a bit closer to the boy, but still not extending his hand until the boy is actually going to open his damn mouth and stop acting like an idiot. Akashi usually doesn't have this much patience, but he just lost a game and is trying not to intimidate everyone that came his way. But this dang boy right here is making things difficult as his eyes seems to widen even more in fear as Akashi moved closer.

"Uh-uh!" Voices can be heard from behind the boy's clamped hand, and Akashi narrowed his eyes as he noticed that the boy was actually saying something behind his clamped mouth. "If you want to say something, say it without a hand in your way." The Rakuzan captain ordered, feeling really angry now.

The boy continued to just sit there, and Akashi felt his anger flare.

He give him one last warning: "I don't like people disobeying me." His heterochromatic eyes glowed as he suddenly recalled who this boy is, "Furihata Kouki-kun."

He was with Kuroko at the little meeting of the Generation of Miracles, and also had the nerve to try and goad him into their little trap on the last game. Akashi was particularly angry at the shot he managed to make for his team, for since they only lost by 1 point, if he didn't make that shot Seirin would have been another of his conquests.

But once again, you learn something from defeats.

But at the moment right now, Seijuurou is feeling angry. He let complete rage take over, husky voice commanding the boy to take off his hand.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This is how Furihata's going to die. Akashi happened to remember his name as well, which is the worst way he could have it. He shrieked, but nevertheless removed his hand over his mouth as to not further anger the redhead in front.

Come on, come on, come on, think of something positive to say about him...

"Oh?" Akashi's husky voice rang from above him, a dangerous edge to his tone, "I suppose that is a very...difficult task to undertake for you?"

Fuck, fuck, so he had said that last thought aloud. Unfortunately, Furihata's mouth can't stop that: "If that-that came from anyone else, I-I would have felt like shit-shit, but, but you probably hear compliments all the time and is planning to kill me at the moment so-"

"Why would you think I am planning to kill you?" the Rakuzan captain had bent down, and used a single hand to lift up Furihata's head to look into his eyes, red and gold meeting chocolate.

"Because you're a psycho that needs to be locked up in a mental ward." Furihata subconsciously murmured, and suddenly winced as Akashi's hand slipped down to his neck and ran his nails harshly through his neck, drawing a little bit of blood. "Excuse me?" Akashi suddenly grabbed him by the jaw and pulled him closer. He growled, "Would you be so kind as to repeat that again?"

"No, no, what I said is totally true but please let me go because I love my life-" and with that Furihata was sent to the ground into the leaves by a slap. He fell back with a large bang. "Fuck Kawahara and Fukuda and his damn medicine..." Furihata mumbled, but unfortunately the redheaded captain didn't hear him, and instead preferred to rest a foot on Furihata's neck, Red and Gold eyes looking down on him as Akashi picked up a sizable piece of stone as big as a child's fist, throwing it up and down in his right hand.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Furihata Kouki?" Akashi stepped a bit rougher on his neck, shoe touching where nails had grazed him a moment ago. The boy on the ground would have winced in pain if The foot on his neck isn't severely shortcutting his air circulation right now. The branches and rocks on the ground are also pressing pointedly into his neck, a particularly sharp branch threatening to break into his skin and his respiratory tract the moment he moves.

"I suppose I've left quite the impression on you, but you and I-I'm afraid we barely know each other, yet you dare to say such rude things to my face." The boy above Furihata said, a wicked smirk on his pale lips, "You dare to insult me, to doubt my absoluteness, to insist that I, the heir to the Akashi group, am something lower than a normal human being, a "psycho that needs to be locked up in a mental ward", so to say."

Fuck fuck fuck. Furihata would have said something stupid if Akashi hadn't choked him with his feet. His mind went blank and his mouth went dry when the foot above his neck went down, further choking him. His senses blurred together, and Furihata closed his eyes, only registering Akashi's voice.

"I am an Akashi, and I am absolute. Even if you did intend to anger me and coax me into a fight, you will not succeed, for I will not heed your words. I need not your approval, Furihata. People will fear me, they will respect me. Exactly how I like it." He lowered his head, and Kouki's eyes snapped open at the threatening tone, "And you will pay."

Furihata was about to give up when he felt Akashi's foot loosen up to tap on his face. The Rakuzan captain was looking at him in a strange way for a killer. "Why do you look so scared, Furihata?." Those eyes stared increduously down at him, meeting his. Furihata took this chance to breath but he suddenly realized there's something in Akashi's eyes.

"A-Akashi-kun, you're crying."

The foot slapped him, "Don't say such things"

"But...but you are."

"I said do not say these things!" Akashi moved again, but Furihata rolled away. He stood up, and Akashi threw the rock he held in his hands at him. "I am not a psycho! I am perfect! I do not cry and I am absolute and nothing, nothing will tell me otherwise!" Akashi screamed in an almost hysterical way that sent chills down his spine, but the tears still remaining in his eyes sent something ugly down his gut.

Perhaps Furihata was stupid, perhaps he shouldn't do this, perhaps he should just use this leverage and run.

But Akashi was wearing the strangest expression, not only on him but on any human being. His left eyebrow was drooping down, as if tears were threatening to burst from his red eye; but his right eyebrow was still raised in a maniacal rage, golden eye still staring into his soul. The entire expression is tied together by a wide splitting of this lips that did not in anyway resemble a smile.

And Tears were streaming down both of his eyes. "I'm sorry!" Furihata said apologetically as he avoided the rock and ran up to the redheaded boy, wrapping his arms around him. Brown hair pressing against red, Furihata apologized, ignoring the redhead's constant attempt to get him off, "My friends have fed me this drug and now I can't stop my mouth from saying these things..."

The redhead in his arms stopped physically hurting him, but he still didn't reciprocate the hug. "So you did think that I am subpar?" His tone was still angry, but had less of a murderous edge and instead a hurt tone, perhaps partly due to his eyes not directly staring at Furihata.

"I do not think you are subpar for a minute, Akashi-kun. I think you are perfect in every way: you are an amazing basketball player, an intelligent captain, and downright gorgeous." Furihata whispered, feeling his face grow red and his heartbeat speed up, which he doesn't doubt for a second that Akashi can feel. He, in turn, feel Akashi scoff as his body softens down, just a little, and lets the drug do its job: "I...I just thought that you are so perfect, that there had to be something not-so-perfect about you, because you are human, just like the rest of us."

Akashi scoffs again, and Furihata laughs a little, arms still wrapped tightly around the Rakuzan captain: "it's hard to believe, but do you know you and I have 99.7% identical genes? Our neurons-they work with the same mechanism, their ion channels open to the same voltage difference caused by the same ions, but I suppose yours is just a bit more effective than mine." Furihata stops his laugh and says something he actually wants to say, for once: "I'm really sorry, Akashi. I shouldn't have said these things. I shouldn't have hurt you and made you cry. I-I'm so sorry. They are your weaknesses and your imperfections, and it was low of me to say these things, even under a drug."

He can feel Akashi smile and raise his arms to gently pat Furihata on the back, signaling him to leave. "Don't make me sound like a vulnerable woman, Furihata-kun. I now know you didn't mean any harm and that your teammates are to blame for this mess, now-"

Furihata probably should have left, but his then thought: Fuck it. If he's going to do this, he's going to do this right.

Instead of pulling away, Furihata hugged tighter. He shut his eyes and blurted out: "No! You were crying! You need to let your tears out!"

"Excuse me? Don't think that because I had so graciously forgiven you for your first offense I'm going to allow you to escape for such ridiculous assumptions about me." Akashi pulled back, trying to free himself, but Furihata wouldn't let him.

"You need to let it out, Akashi!"

"Do you think an Akashi have use for tears, Furihata?" Akashi has his hands on Furihata's shoulders, but he's not pushing away-he's shaking.

"Yes you do! Didn't I say humans share 99.7% of our genes with each other? By the very fact that you have eyes, ears, a nose, and a pair of hands with five fingers you are just like the rest of us. Tears are a necessary physiological response to extreme stress and a form of release like ejaculation or urination. Withholding of these ocular fluids will cause physiological as well as mental deficiencies, Akashi-kun."

Akashi was silent, but he can feel the redhead's shaking has increased. So he has finally decided to let it out. Akashi chuckled weakly, and wrapped his arms around Furihata. "What are you, a living textbook?"

"W-Well, my best subject is Biology, and it is one of my bigger interests, along with railroads..."

"Is that so?" Akashi pulled back, and Furihata really tried not to widen his eyes too much at the weakness seeping through Akashi's eyes as he looks face to face at Akashi. He doesn't know if he succeeded, for Akashi gave a gentle chuckled and he says, attempting to not let his voice tremble too much with tears as he buried his head on Furihata's chest:

"Fine, I'll take you up on that offer."