Lovely Jewels

Finally, A Date

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

"Who are you?"

Kuroko was quick to notice the dangerous flashing of Akashi's eyes.

"I am Shigehiro Ogiwara," the brunette calmly replied. "You must be one of Kuroko's guests." Ogiwara eyed Kuroko out of the corner of his eyes and took note of the other male's troubled expression.

Kuroko finally managed to slip from Ogiwara's grasp, though he felt the arms loosen around him reluctantly. He took a step towards Akashi only to have the red head shoot out a hand to grasp Kuroko's wrist. In less than a second Ogiwara stood up and wrapped an arm back around Kuroko's waist, preventing him from going to Akashi.

"Aka-" Kuroko began.

"You haven't introduced yourself yet," Ogiwara stated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Refraining from rolling his eyes, Kuroko tried to break out of either male's grip to no avail. "You two, let go," he demanded, looking between the two of them, but it was obvious that neither was paying him any attention.

"Akashi Seijurou," Akashi greeted, not for one moment loosening his grip on Kuroko. "It's quite the pleasure to make your acquaintance." He gave a brief disdained look at the arm around Kuroko's waist.

Ogiwara merely grimaced in response to Akashi's words. Kuroko took a short breath before snatching his wrist away from Akashi and pulling himself out of Ogiwara's grip. Stepping aside, he looked at both men who had similar shocked expressions on their faces. Kuroko absent-mindedly rubbed the wrist where Akashi had gripped him and looked at Ogiwara with a calm expression.

"It's nice to see you, Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko finally stated, taking a small bow. "But Akashi-san and I had plans for tonight."

Akashi, who was at first internally annoyed at the -kun that Kuroko had placed after Ogiwara's name, perked up slightly at the last of the light-blue head's words. He crossed his arms to prevent himself from reaching out to Kuroko. "Ah, that's right," Akashi added, nonchalantly. He gave Ogiwara a sideways glance. "You will have to excuse us."

Ogiwara bit the inside of his cheek before suddenly smiling. "Eh? Let me come along with you guys! It'll be fun, and I can catch up with you, Kuroko!" He waltzed over to Kuroko and threw an arm around the other male's shoulders. "What do you say?" Ogiwara asked, still smiling and completely ignoring the redhead in their presence.

Akashi's eyes flashed once again for a moment as he used his Emperor's Eye to mark Ogiwara. He let his gaze fall to the side as Kuroko began talking to Ogiwara. He doesn't seem to be an enemy, but I don't trust him either, Akashi thought, drawing his attention back to the pair in front of him.

"-but maybe later," Kuroko finished, hoping he wasn't being too hard on his friend.

"No, Tetsuya, let him come with us," Akashi suddenly interjected. He, himself, wasn't too keen on sharing precious time with Kuroko, but something in Ogiwara caused his suspicions to flare. He needed to know more about Kuroko's so-called friend.

Kuroko's brows furrowed and he cocked his head. He stared at Akashi, but before he could comment, Akashi turned to Ogiwara.

"Is there anywhere you would like to go? Tetsuya hasn't been home in awhile, and I am not familiar with the area," Akashi started, slyly handing over the reigns to the newbie. He felt Kuroko's gaze on him and simply glanced at the shorter male.

Ogiwara eyes narrowed for a split second before he eased into a cheery expression. His arm dropped from Kuroko's shoulders as he used both hands to animate his words. "Well, there's this really great pancake place that just opened up! The ingredients there are super fresh, and the food tastes amazing!" Ogiwara beamed.

Kuroko snuck to Akashi's side, unnoticed by Ogiwara. "Let's go then," Kuroko responded. He wanted to ask Akashi about his sudden invitation, but tucked it away for later. "I'm hungry."

Ogiwara gave Kuroko a warm look that did not go unnoticed by Akashi. "Yeah, okay, it's really close by. Follow me!" Ogiwara cheered as he led the way out of Kuroko's room, starting to banter excitedly about all the food that the two just had to try.

Akashi fell behind Ogiwara and Kuroko, mentally sending notice to the other guardians about their whereabouts and to keep their guard up throughout the evening. The three soon left Kuroko's home and were walking through the city to get to the restaurant. The streets were mildly crowded, and the warm air was punctuated with delightful smells coming from street stalls that were opening with the coming night. Ogiwara continued to mindlessly banter, finally getting Kuroko to relax while Akashi quietly looked on, adding in a few comments here and there.

"Ah, here it is!" Ogiwara chirped, pointing at a brightly lit sign.

Kuroko looked up and read, Pancake Place. He hid his amused expression from Ogiwara, but couldn't help but think of how uncreative the name was. Glancing at Akashi, he could tell the redhead had similar thoughts. Regardless, Ogiwara powered ahead and held the door open for both Kuroko and Akashi, surprisingly. As the door opened, a bell jingled, announcing their arrival, though the loud atmosphere of the restaurant succeeded in drowning out the trill. Kuroko was immediately hit with the enticing smell of fried vegetables and meat. He could feel his mouth salivating a bit, but managed to keep his composure.

"Excuse me!" Ogiwara called out over the chatter, waving to get a waiter's attention.

Kuroko flinched a bit when he felt a hand place itself on the small of his back. He looked up to see Akashi next to him, but the redhead was busy leading Kuroko towards the table that the waiter was leading them to. Kuroko's shoulders relaxed, feeling Akashi near him.

"Eh? Kuroko?"

"What, Kuroko's here?"

"Where? Where is he?"

Akashi stifled a groan and he spotted Ogiwara trying to hide a grimace. His eyes narrowed, still not understanding the brunette's motive for tagging along. A deep, familiar voice caught his attention, and even he found himself struggling to keep a civilized expression. It was that loud, giant redhead from before.

Kuroko's eyes brightened upon spotting his group of friends. Kagami came over to give Kuroko a high-five in greeting, which the shorter male eagerly returned. "Hello, Kagami-kun."

"Yo! I didn't think you would make it back," Kagami joked, daringly shooting a glance towards Akashi. "Not after that phone call."

Ogiwara piped up suddenly, jumping in between Kagami and Kuroko. "Woah, you're tall!" he stated, grinning from cheek to cheek.

Kuroko gently pushed Ogiwara aside. "Kagami, this is Shigehiro Ogiwara. He's my childhood friend." Motioning his hand towards the male next to him, Kuroko watched Ogiwara beam at the introduction.

"It's nice to meet you," Kagami greeted. "I'm Kagami Taiga. Kuroko and I go to school together." Kagami turned to the other redhead who seemed to stand protectively behind Kuroko. He arched a brow before asking, "And you are?"

Akashi noticed Kuroko tense in front of him and decided that he would be civil for his Time Traveler's sake. "My name is Akashi Seijurou. I am in your care."

Kagami tilted his head a bit, finding Akashi's voice to be vaguely familiar. "Uh, yeah, sure," he replied, unsure how to properly respond to the other's courteousness. He turned back to Kuroko. "Come on over to our table, Kuroko! We still have plenty of room, and I'm sure Hyuuga and the others would like to see how you are doing as well."

Kuroko quickly glanced back to Akashi to see that the redhead didn't seem entirely opposed to the idea before turning back to Kagami. "Sure, Kagami-kun. Thank you for the invitation."

Ogiwara was the first to arrive at the table, loudly introducing himself and immediately becoming fast friends with Kuroko's classmates. Kagami took his seat, and both Kuroko and Akashi sat next to each other. The group went around giving introductions once again, and Kuroko was shocked to see Akashi being mildly pleasant to his friends. He made a mental note to thank him later.

"Kuroko," Kagami called out, a stern expression on his face.

Kuroko finished putting a piece of pancake in his mouth, chewing slowly as he nodded his head in acknowledgement at Kagami.

Kagami momentarily bit the inside of his cheek before going on. "We heard about your apartment," he started slowly, carefully gauging Kuroko's reaction. His eyes darted towards Akashi, who appeared to not be following the exchange, engrossed in a conversation with Koganei. "Your parents told us you suddenly left for the countryside. I was going to let it pass, but you didn't contact me at all," Kagami breathed sternly, acting both worried and slightly hurt. He didn't notice when Akashi glanced at him.

Kuroko kept his face void of expression. "I met Akashi-san through my Father's company," he started, noticing Kagami becoming confused at his words. "I was planning on moving out to the country estate before the apartment burnt down to further an environmental research of mine," explained Kuroko. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but my Father was happy with the research I brought back."

Kagami's shoulders released from their tense position as he soaked in Kuroko's explanation. He suddenly broke out into a smile, and while rubbing the back of his head, stated, "Ah, I see. That's good then. Just tell me next time." Although Kagami had a hard time believing Kuroko, he at least knew how important Kuroko's father's company was to him.

Kuroko replied with a gentle smile, and nodded his head. He felt a hand enclose his from under the table, and didn't have to look to know that it was Akashi's. He squeezed the hand, letting his guiltiness seep through the shared warmth in order to prevent it from showing on his face.

After dinner, Kagami and the others parted ways with Kuroko's little group. Kagami had given Kuroko a tender good-bye hug to the mire of Akashi, and Ogiwara as well it seemed. The night air was cool, and a light breeze danced across the trios' faces as they strolled back to the Kuroko's home. Kuroko quietly glanced at Akashi and Ogiwara who were walking a few steps in front of him. They were both chatting quietly about something when Akashi let out a short chuckle. His eyes darted away, catching sight of a couple that was walking by across the street. His hands clenched against his sides, bothered by this ever-persistent feeling that plagued his chest.

Akashi looked over his shoulder briefly to see that the smaller male was unsettled. He stopped, watching Kuroko as he bumped into both him and Ogiwara. Both extended their arms to help Kuroko keep his balance.

"Ah-Wha-" began Kuroko, obviously flustered by his lack of attention. He quickly straightened himself up and took a step back from Akashi and Ogiwara.

"We're at your home, Tetsuya," Akashi answered, crossing his arms across his chest. His eyes stared at Kuroko in amusement.

Ogiwara laughed and threw an arm around Kuroko's shoulders. "Haha, Kuroko, what were you daydreaming about?" he asked, letting his face fall near the other male's. The tone of his voice dropped a little as he jokingly added, "Were you thinking about spending time with me?"

Kuroko cocked his head to the side and frowned in confusion. "We just spent time together, though, Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko stated, watching as Ogiwara leaned back to let out another laugh.

Akashi withheld a sigh and reached out to grab Kuroko's wrist, tugging him away from the brunette's grasp. "Tetsuya, aren't you tired? Let's go back to your room," Akashi softly suggested, flicking his gaze towards Ogiwara to subtly send him a message.

"Eh!?" Ogiwara half-shouted, acting surprised. "You're tired, Kuroko? Come on, let me walk you up to your room too!"

Kuroko eyed both males warily, attempting to slip pass both while pulling his wrist away from Akashi. "I don't think that will be necessary," he muttered, repressing a scowl as his attempt to escape was thwarted by Ogiwara appearing in front of him. Before Ogiwara could protest, however, Kuroko spotted Midorima coming out of the front doors. Waving a bit too eagerly at the green-head, he called out, "Midorima-san!"

Both Akashi and Ogiwara looked behind them to indeed see the green-haired male walking towards them. Akashi raised a brow, curious to see why Midorima was seeking him out. Had someone staged an attack while the three were out?

Seeing that the two were distracted, Kuroko briskly walked around them and passed Midorima while nodding his thanks. He entered the front doors and quickly disappeared from sight. Midorima stopped before the two males, pausing to push up his glasses.

Ogiwara stared at the closing doors with obvious dismay before finally turning his attention to Midorima. "Hello, I am Ogiwara Shigehiro," Ogiwara introduced, holding out a hand for Midorima to shake. "Are you one of Kuroko's friends too?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed slightly. He grasped Ogiwara's offered hand and squeezed firmly. "Midorima Shintarou," Midorima replied, and then added, "Yes, I am one of Kuroko's friends."

"Waaah!" Ogiwara cried out, clasping his hands on both his cheeks while he grinned. "Kuroko has made so many new friends!" He laughed loudly to himself while the other two looked on.

Midorima glanced at Akashi, who looked more than a little annoyed. Should I send him away? Midorima asked, while turning his attention back to Ogiwara who was wiping tears from his eyes from laughing too hard.

No, go back inside, Akashi replied, his tone firm.

Midorima gave Akashi one more glance before saying, "It was nice meeting you, Ogiwara-san."

"Eh!? You're leaving already?" Ogiwara whined, leaning towards Midorima.

"Yes, I was merely checking to see what the shouting was about. Now, if you'll excuse me," Midorima ended, turning on his heel. He began walking back to Kuroko's home, wondering why the small male was in such a hurry to leave.

Akashi waited until Midorima had entered the household before turning to Ogiwara, his polite pretense gone. "So, are you going to explain who you are?" Akashi asked, implying that there were other ways that Akashi would be able to get answers out of Ogiwara, should he fail to cooperate.

Ogiwara smirked before throwing his hands up casually. "I don't know what you are talking about, Sei-kun," Ogiwara retorted.

Akashi felt his mouth twitch. This brat.

The two stood in silence for a moment, the late night air quiet as no cars could be seen passing the Kuroko estate.

"I know who you are," Ogiwara suddenly admitted. He cocked his head to the side in an innocent manner. "Or rather, what you are."

Akashi felt his shoulders tense. "Oh?"

Ogiwara chuckled quietly to himself. "You'll be relieved of your duties soon," he uttered, meeting Akashi's gaze and boldly keeping it. His hands found homes in his pullover's pockets as he took a couple of steps toward Akashi. Ogiwara looked down at the redhead before leaning down next to his ear, happily surprised that the other male refused to move. "Kuroko is mine," he whispered.

Akashi's eyes flashed angrily as he hand reached up to grab Ogiwara's neck, but the brunette jumped back. Akashi sent Ogiwara a chilling smile as his hand slowly dropped to his side. "Shigehiro," hummed Akashi. "Shall I teach you your place?"

"Sounds fun," Ogiwara jeered, keeping his guard up. "But isn't it too late in the night for lessons?" Ogiwara almost pouted when he found that his retorts were met with cool calmness.

"Leave," Akashi commanded. As much as he would have liked to burn the man in front of him to a crisp, he still wasn't sure who or what he was, nor did he wish to incite unnecessary anger from Kuroko. Akashi turned and left Ogiwara at the estate's gates, neglecting to spare even a fleeting glance back towards Ogiwara.

Ogiwara shot a glare at Akashi's retreating figure before he too turned to leave. His eyes, however, wandered back towards what he knew was the window to Kuroko's room. A sigh escaped his lips as he thought to himself about how he would be handling Kuroko's newfound guardians. As he stepped off the property, a gold glow surrounded him, and in a few mere seconds he was gone.

Midorima was waiting as Akashi entered the building. He pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning on as Akashi approached him. "He's not human."

Akashi rubbed his temples before agreeing. "Yes, I have also come to that conclusion." His right hand suddenly clenched into a fist. "But I do not have any idea who is he and who he works for."

Midorima nodded before adding, "I will investigate him."

Nodding his thanks, he waved Midorima off before heading to the bedrooms.

"Kuroko is asleep, Akashi," Midorima quietly called after the redhead.

Akashi paused and looked over his shoulder, an amused expression crossing his face. "Are you telling me to leave him alone?" he inquired, turning a bit more. "Or are you tempting me?"

Midorima let out an exasperated breath. "Go to sleep, Akashi," he groaned, not wanting to chance upon another intimate scene between the two.

The next morning, Akashi rose early. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as he walked out of the bathroom fully showered and dry. He chose to avoid Kuroko's room the night before, though his desires were entirely opposite. Pulling off the towel from his waist, he hung it over a chair before reaching for his clothes. There was too much going on, and Akashi was more than half-tempted to cage Kuroko and hide him away from all the dangers that were popping up.

He finished buttoning his shirt and gave his room a look-over before stepping out, immediately heading to Kuroko's room. If he was lucky, his little blue-head would still be asleep, and he would be able to get a look at Kuroko's wild bed hair. Slowly opening Kuroko's door, Akashi peeked in, surprised to see Kuroko's bed empty and unmade. He stepped into the room cautiously and looked around, spotting an empty bathroom. Akashi felt a breeze tickle his hair and his eyes moved to see Kuroko's window wide open, the curtains dancing in the wind.

Panic set in as he utilized his Emperor's Eye to scope out the estate. He could see the figures of the other guardians, but Kuroko's aura was absent. His fist flew out and punched the wall beside him.

Shit.

Kuroko's eyes drowsily opened and closed as he felt a chill creep up his spine. He tried to move his arms, but found that he couldn't. He pulled harder and was met with a jingling sound. His eyes snapped open and looked up his right arm to see that it was chained to a bed. His gaze darted around a well-furnished room, and he lay in the middle of a king-sized bed. Attempting to pull his left arm, he too found that one chained.

Struggling to sit himself up, Kuroko kicked at the sheets until his back was propped up against the bed's headboard. Where am I? Kuroko thought. He pulled his knees closer to his chest. Where is Akashi-san?

Before Kuroko could think up an escape plan, the sound a door creaking open caught his attention.

"Good morning, Kuroko."

Heeeey guys! I'm not dead! Regardless, I apologize for the extreme update once again...I guess it's a bad pattern...But my goal was to get this chapter out to you guys within the year! I know it's not my best...I kind of feel like I can't write anymore...so I deeply apologize for the crap that my fingers are typing up. Also, I would also like to thank EVERYONE for their continued support. Without you guys, I certainly wouldn't have the drive to keep writing!

Special thanks to:

allanimefreak73754 - Waaaaah! It's like you know me so well, haha!

Rinfantasy- Right? Our poor baby! But let's hope he gets through this and gets Kuroko too!

Yami-The Lord of Darkness - Ehhh...well I mean Kagami was in this chapter, haha! (I did it for you *wink wink*)

Lorelei Jacques - I agree! Very good advice! But...but I still might run to him...if he looks like Akashi-sama...

ShinseiShinwa - YEAH! TAKE HIM DOWN AKASHI! And thank you so much for dropping a review!

KurokoTetsuya101 - *gets down on knees to do a formal bow* No, please, thank you so much for taking the time to give me feedback! Waaah, I did another cliffy, but thank you for all your support!

Airka Yumeko - I hope it's unfolding in a way you like!

YukaNYuki-twin - My...I feel so bad because I update so late...but I am also super happy that you like it so much that you keep rereading it! Thank you!

pandaminx17 - Woooow! I'm happy you love it! Haha, *hides* it's not like I did a cliff hanger again...*cowers*

Darkness7913 - Sooo, the Momoka in the past was an ancestor of Momoi. The time traveling power cycles between the Kuroko's and Momoi's families. So, I would admit Kuroko played a part in the death of his ancestor, but he would have died during that night regardless...it was fate. Hope I was able to answer your questions!

DarkWolf991 - Hahahaha! I mean, that could definitely be arranged...*rubs hands together mischeviously*

I hope to see you all soon! Thank you guys again! Also, I would also like to point out that I am moving to AO3. Given that there is still interest here, I will continue to update here, but I don't plan on publishing anymore stories on Fanfiction after this one. Please continue to offer me your support! Ah, and I also have a tumblr guys! I would like you guys to check it out...but I don't really post much except for updates...and my poor doodles...

'Til next time!

- Jin Juhua Lang