Words alone can't express my happiness when I see the peoples are still waiting and like this story. I felt so honored to have so much people liking, following and even take time to review. I realized one of my biggest weakness is grammar. I'm sorry if my horrible grammar made you can't enjoy the story. I'd really appreciated if there's anyone who is willing to be my beta-reader.

I'll try to find a beta-reader too, but I can't promise in the near future I'll be able, since as I told you before, I'm still busy. And as much as I can, I want to avoid any long delay between each chapter update. Because I know how it feels to wait for a long chapter, especially if your author is a meanie like me who love a cliffhanger so much :P

But, if you didn't mind to wait long for me to find a beta-reader first, I'll do it start from chapter 12. So, please tell me which one do you prefer at the moment. I'll still try to find a beta-reader, no matter what you choose. The only one will be affected only the update's speed.

And lastly, thank you for everyone who keeps giving me their opinion and suggestion to improve my writing, and to those who keep supporting this story, no matter what weakness I may have in bringing this story for you. I really appreciated your every words, and I'll try my best to improve it within my capabilities.

Chapter 11 : I Think, I Love You

…

Pain and malicious energy keep spiraling around him. He didn't know where he was or why he was here.

All Akashi know that this place is dark and filled of malicious intent, darkness, hatred, jealousy, and on top of it pain. Although Akashi didn't sure why or remember when, but he got a feeling that he ever faced a same situation long long time ago.

Suddenly, a light can be seen. Again, even if he didn't remember when, he knows that the same light also helping him escaping from the same situation long time ago.

Akashi starting to walk towards the light, but the darkness around him didn't want him to just go like that. It's painful. It's feels like he was stabbed by so many tiny swords at every inch of his body.

Then, some faint glow of blue and gold mist covering him. The gold mist entering his body and making the pain go away. While the blue glow pulling him gently towards the light. But the darkness around him still tries to hold him too. Although it can't make him feels any pain anymore, but the darkness still refusing to let him go.

Then, a warmth he knows very well joined him. Then another warmth, and another. All of that warmth gave him power to resist the hold of the darkness.

A blinding light after he goes into the light, made Akashi closed his eyes for a moment.

"Welcome home." A soft voice with a cheerful tone greeted him.

Akashi opening his eyes slowly to giving his eyes time to adjust. And when he can finally be able to see, his eyes widened in surprised, for the one greeted him was Tetsuya.

Akashi looks around only to find him in some sort of a very spacious white room. Akashi looks again to Tetsuya, but found out something different with this Tetsuya and his Tetsuya. This Tetsuya seems different with his golden eyes and a more cheerful smile. His Tetsuya's smile always held sadness in it.

This Tetsuya chuckled as if can know his thought, "I'm not 'your' Tetsuya if you want to know. But it doesn't mean I'm not a different Tetsuya."

"How did you… Never mind… What do you mean?"

This Tetsuya tilted his head a little and poised a finger under his chin, "Hmm… Let's just says that I was a fragment of the real Tetsuya that was created as his attempt to save and protect you." He answered somewhat vaguely.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll understand it soon." The golden eyed Tetsuya answered cheerfully and mysteriously.

Akashi is silent for a moment, "Where is this place?"

At that question, the golden eyed Tetsuya raised one eyebrow, "Why do you ask? Don't you know this place?"

It was Akashi's turn to raise his eyebrow, "If I know, I wouldn't ask."

At his answer, the boy in front of him suddenly looks so sad. His expression now really resembling his Tetsuya's expression when the blue eyed boy thought no one watching him.

The golden eyed boys in front of him turned his head to the left and he wears a longing expression.

"It's seems, you really don't remember anything." The boy in front of Akashi finally says.

Akashi pinched his bridge nose, feeling miffed by this Tetsuya's vague and mysterious answer. He didn't like this situation. He always proud by how he knows everything and could control every situations. But now, here he is, in the middle of nowhere. Talking to someone who-looks-like-his-Tetsuya-but-not-his-Tetsuya.

"Look, I don't know where am I, or how am I goes into here. You may look like Tetsuya, you may act like you know me, but I don't know you. And I don't like it even one bit. Now give me some explanation. A real explanation." Akashi added with his demanding tone.

This Tetsuya chuckled again, "That is the Seijuuro-kun I know. Okay, so what explanation do you want to know?"

"Who are you? Why do you look like my Tetsuya?"

"My Tetsuya…" The golden eyed Tetsuya repeat Akashi's word slowly as if savoring it, "I like that, Sei-chan. Anyway…" he hastily added upon seeing a frown at Akashi's face, "Like I said before. I'm a fragment. I was part of your Tetsuya, the real Tetsuya or whatever you want. I was created accidentally when Tetsuya's magic seal of his other magic broken and he then use it to save you. Then, because of his subconsciousness to protect you more and your unique ability, I was created."

"My unique ability?"

"I can't answer that. My knowledge is limited. And I can't answer what I didn't know. Why don't you ask your Tetsuya later? The fact that I knew it, it means that the real Tetsuya also knew it. He knews what I knew and he knew what I don't."

Akashi sighed, "Why your eyes are golden?"

"I was created because of him using his other magic that was sealed before. This gold eyes was a personification of his other power…" the golden eyed Tetsuya paused and looking at Akashi, "It seems you also got Tetsuya's personification of his other magic. Just…" He added when Akashi open his mouth to talk, "Look at yourself later in the mirror. I just hope, you'll not angry at Tetsuya."

Akashi brows furrowed but decided to continue his Q & A session with this Tetsuya, "What is this place? Why you're saying as like this place is something important, while what I see only a white room. And why did you call me Sei-chan?"

"I can't answer that too. Why don't you ask Tetsuya? Or better…" The golden eyed Tetsuya touch Akashi's chest lightly, "Ask your heart, for the answer is always near you. It's deep inside you."

Akashi want to say more, but so suddenly his body starting to dissolve and he lost his ability to talk.

"Oh, I guess it's time for you to really return. We may or we may not meet again, Sei-chan." The golden eyed Tetsuya smile softly, "But remember Sei-chan, no matter how hard the trial you both will face, remember that the power of love is the strongest of all power."

Golden eyed Tetsuya took a step back away from him, "Bye, Sei-chan. And remember, no matter what, I… Lo…"

But the rest of his words were muted. Akashi is only able to catch a glimpse of the rest of the words before once again he surrounded by darkness. But this darkness is warm, embracing and giving him a relaxing feeling.

Akashi opened his eyes slowly and realized that he is in his own bed chamber. He sat up slowly, and quite satisfied to feel no pain in his body except a little headache.

"You're awake." A voice from his left talked. Even without looking, Akashi recognized the voice as Midorima's.

"I just woke up."

Akashi turned his head to look at Midorima. Midorima's eyes widened for a split second before he professionally changed his expression back into a neutral expression.

"What is it?" Akashi demanded.

"What is what?" Ask Midorima while avoiding Akashi's gaze.

"Don't lie to me, Shintaro. You know what I meant."

Sighed, Midorima is reaching for a small mirror in Akashi's bedside table.

"Look for yourself."

To untrained eyes, it seems Akashi didn't affected at all by what he sees in the mirror. But Midorima knows better that Akashi also a little bit surprised by what he sees in the mirror.

After all, who would not be surprised if one of his eyes changed color into gold?

Akashi studied his now gold colored left eye for a moment. The same gold color he sees in the golden eyed Tetsuya. Is this what he meant before?

"How?" Was all Akashi could say.

"I have no idea. What is the last thing you remember?"

Akashi put the mirror back to his bedside table, "Haizaki attacked me and Tetsuya, but because of my carelessness, I was injured in the head. And after that I was blacking out."

"Well, you've injured your left eye. I also didn't know the details, but when we've found you both… Haizaki was already nowhere to be seen, you're already unconscious and Kuroko is healing you."

"I need to see, Tetsuya."

A slight hesitation from Midorima made his brain thinking the worst. Akashi immediately stand up and snatched his sleeping robe.

"What's happened to Tetsuya?" Akashi's tone is calm, but Midorima could detect a slight hint of a worry in his voice.

"Don't worry, he is alive…"

"But?" Akashi asked again. Midorima practically could hear an invisible word of don't lie to me behind Akashi's tone.

"Just let me do a quick check on you, and then you can see him by yourself, okay?"

True to his word, Midorima is doing a remarkably fast checkup.

"Your left eye really healed completely and there should be no problem with your left eye's function. Just, take it easy for a few more days, and you'll be okay."

"Thanks, Shintaro." Akashi says curtly and already out from his chamber before Midorima can says anything.

_-.-_-.-_-.-_-.-_

Akashi sat beside Kuroko's bed quietly. For a moment he is doing nothing other than observing the sleeping boy in front of him.

When Midorima hesitantly telling him about Kuroko's condition, his overly creative mind was scheming about so many worst scenarios that may happened to Tetsuya. When he saw Tetsuya sleeping and very much alive, albeit paler than usual and clearly not as healthy as usual, but alive nonetheless, he felt a great surge of relief was over him. So much that it almost made him want to cry in relief. Almost.

He is gently grasping Tetsuya's pale hand, and his brows furrowed in distaste at the slightly colder than usual temperature emanating from his Tetsuya's hand.

'My Tetsuya… I like that, Sei-chan…'

Akashi suddenly remembered what golden eyed Tetsuya said to him.

'If that Tetsuya is a fragment of Tetsuya… Could it be what he said also formed from what Tetsuya's desire?' Akashi contemplated.

Suddenly a warm and happy feeling fills his heart at the possibility.

Akashi gently and softly ran his hand on Tetsuya's cheek. Since Tetsuya appeared in his life, his stable almost monotone life as a Prince of Seiteizan, changed.

At first he was afraid. Afraid of the sudden emotion that appeared in his heart toward the fragile looking boy he barely knew. Akashi was used to always having an answer for everything, to know everything. But this emotion is really new for him. It's so strange, so unexplainable. Yet at the same time, he feels happy. He feels more alive than he ever been. And more importantly, he feels completed.

Just a mere presence of Tetsuya can made him feels so many emotions he didn't know he was capable before. A selfish part of him feels jealous whenever he saw other peoples getting friendly with Tetsuya. He is happy whenever Tetsuya's happy. No matter how bad his day, as long as he can see Tetsuya's smile, his bad day didn't exist anymore. He feels anxious and afraid whenever Tetsuya getting hurt or unwell.

Akashi closed his eyes. He slowly lifted Tetsuya's hand and kissed it.

"I think… I'm in love with you, Tetsuya."

_-.-_-.-_-.-_-.-_

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride."

― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

After so many angst and suspense, I think it's time for a little fluff. After all, They're both deserved it, right?

The suspense and angst will be continued in the next chapter. :P

When I was writing this scene, the song of Each and All by Livetune from Devil Survivor 2 The Animation is playing. And When I'm finished with the scene, the song is ended. XD

So, the next update will be postponed until I know what you all want. I'm sorry, but I just don't want you to think I'm ignoring your advice, since in fact, I do appreciate it.

Well, I guess that's all for now. And thanks for your support and for everyone that reading this story of mine. Until next time \(^_^)/