Comfort   von Gepo
                            (Twin-story to "Hurt")
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                      Kapitel 23: The last one to forgive
                      -----------------------------------


“Midorima?” He sat down next to the green-haired who wore his orange trikot
over a pullover to keep warm. It covered his little baby bump but it truly was
little. For someone in their seventh month, it was much too small.
“Kuroko? What are you doing up here?” The other looked him up and down,
finally using his sense of smell. “Oh! I thought you wanted to wait.”
“I did. But I am used to things not going my way.”
“Was it … did it … I mean-”
“He didn´t hurt me” Kuroko answered the question his companion seemed loath
to ask. “We were in the heat of things, quite literally. Hormones make you
stupid.”
“Oh. Well, I am glad to hear it wasn´t … like back then. You`re keeping it
I guess?” Midorima looked really pained. This conversation must be hard on
him. Talking about his emotions or trying to sound nice did not come easily to
him.
“Of course.” He smiled. “I don`t want to ever abort a child again. Even if
it makes us very poor.”
“You mated a future NBA player, I don´t think you need to worry.” The other
scoffed. “If Aomine doesn´t shape up mentally, Kagami will be the only one of
us but I have to admit he is good.”
“What about Kise? You don´t think he´ll stick to basketball?” Akashi was
out for obvious reasons and Midorima was stroking his. “Or Murasakibara? Even
though he does not like the sport much, I think Himuro will kick him out if he
does not earn a living.”
“I am not a doctor yet and I have not examined him personally but I don`t
think Kise´s foot and knee will heal fully. Aomine`s elbow just needs a good
training regime. Murasakibara … you most likely know better than me, I am not
good at making predictions about social behavior.” Yes, that was one way of
putting it. “I don´t know Himuro Tatsuya well enough to judge correctly. I
only know that Murasakibara by himself will not consent to a professional
career.”
“Himuro will make him play because there is not much else Murasakibara can do
to provide for their family.”
“Is Himuro pregnant as well?” Midorima looked up in surprise.
“I don´t think so or he would have informed Taiga. But Murasakibara is very
family oriented. Not traditional like you, he just likes kids. Maybe because
they are easy, small kids have his level after all. I think he was even more
crushed that I aborted the babies than you.”
“Really?” Midorima was silent for a moment. “I wouldn´t have expected
that. I was … distraught. I knew that people could abort, I just never
considered anyone would do so. I was very naive.”
“If I had not done it, we would have been mated for nearly three years now and
I would be pregnant with our third child.” Kuroko looked at him. “I would
have left school without a degree and would spent my whole life shut away in
your home. You´d return every day to my melancholic smile and you would most
likely abhor yourself for the rest of your life for forcing that on me.”
“It was for the best.” Midorima rubbed his stomach. “Your decision was the
right one, even if I could not see that at the time.” His eyes followed Takao,
no, Midorima Kazunari actually, with a smile on his lips. “Staying together
for a child would have been horrible. It or they would have grown up with two
unhappy parents. Even if the situation isn´t perfect, having parents in love
with each other is important.”
“You do, don´t you?” Kuroko smiled. “For years I thought you were unable
to properly feel emotions.”
“I am still not sure I do. But I am beginning to understand what they are and
those things I feel do resemble little versions of what other people seem to
have. Love … for me that is trust. To trust someone with my whole being and
give myself to him. And there is this certain urge to touch.” The other sent
him a coy look. “I don´t know if it is instinct or love but touching Kazu is
nice. I abhor touches from most other beings, my mother is the only one from
whom I allow that.”
“I would hate to have to live in your head. Even after all that happened, I
can feel love and joy and happiness.” Kuroko knew his expression showed what
he talked about. “I can relax.” He did just that, sinking into his seat.
“I haven´t had flashbacks or panic attacks for months.” He looked Midorima
up and down. “Hey, could it be you don´t have a lucky item with you?”
“Of course I have one!” The green-haired pulled a flamingo plushie out from
under his trikot but immediately put it back. “But I have learned that some of
those items count as embarrassing, so I try to hide those.”
“How did you learn that?” The blue eyebrows shot up.
“Well, I went to school with this statue of a fairy on a unicorn-”
Kuroko could not help himself, he had to laugh thinking about that sight.
Hilarious! Everyone must have burst out laughing. So even Midorima had noticed
that it might have something to do with him? His – was it husband now? No,
marriage between men was illegal in the country – had really come a long way
with him.
“Well, yes, that was everyone's reaction. I asked Kazu about it and he
explained the concept of shame to me. I still cannot understand why anyone would
feel ashamed about something another person does but I was able to integrate the
concept into my daily behavior and adjust it accordingly.”
Well, talking to Midorima might not be the easiest thing but it had one
advantage over talking with anyone else. You did feel much less like a failure
of nature afterwards.
“It is how you learn from other people´s behavior. You identify with people
you see or hear or read about and imitate favorable behavior. It is why watching
pornography is bad, it distorts your view on reality.” That was something no
other than Akashi had explained to him once when they talked about Aomine. One
of his parents unfavorable quirks had been to watch pornography with their kids,
so he had been brought up with a horrible attitude towards relationships and
sex.
“Why would anyone want to see other people have sex?” The green-haired
seemed confused.
“It turns people on.” Normal people. Midorima would most likely be put off.
Aomine had showed him some pornography in their first year of middle-school
which had been deeply disturbing for Kuroko. It was where he finally learned why
everyone regarded Omegas as cockhungry sluts. It was hot, sure, but why someone
would decide that raping a person who was unable to consent was hot was beyond
him as well. It was a lot less fun when you were on the receiving end of such
treatment. The usual five-Alphas-rape-one-Omega-flick was beyond disgusting to
him as well – at the same time it did turn him on. Watching porn always left
him disgusted with himself and in fear he would receive the same treatment. A
year later he had received that treatment from Aomine, so that fear had not been
unfounded. Come to think of it, he hated pornography. “But you are right, I
also don´t want to see other people have sex. What I have is nice enough.”
“So Kagami treats you well?” The green-haired actually smiled.
“Yes, he does.” Kuroko actually felt like grinning, so he tried, but it came
out mangled, so he stopped. “I am glad I learned to control my hormones. It is
how it should be, we are both able to have a choice. It makes being together
much more meaningful.” It made him remember Akashi though. If that one ever
decided to give him a blast of his pheromones, it would overpower Kagami´s. It
also made Akashi very honorable for not doing so, but he hated the possibility.
“Midorima … did you know that Akashi had feelings for me?”
“He hinted at that, yes.” They were best friends after all. So Akashi told
his best friend possibly ruinous things. “He never said so outright, anyone
could have overheard and used it against him but he did talk to me about that
dilemma. I think that I was the first to hunt you wasn´t due to the fact that I
had somehow been the best one that month but to make me forget he ever hinted at
that. I just do never forget.”
“So you knew all along? Did you ever talk to him about it?” Kuroko felt
anger surge up in him. So Midorima had been able to do something against those
hunts?
“I tried after that first hunt. I never got out a full sentence before his
gaze told me he would murder even me if I continued. That dark side of Akashi
… that wasn´t my friend. I stopped talking to him after that day. He scared
me.” Those green eyes filled with guilt. “I am sorry. I should have
protected you more. But I was very scared of him back then.” He lowered his
gaze. “A good Alpha always puts his Omega´s needs over his own. I did not do
that. Mating with you had been my only idea how to get you out without being
hurt too much. I am sorry for having been such a coward.”
“Don´t worry, it was a honorable offer. It was more than anyone else ever
gave me.” Kuroko leaned over and shortly squeezed Midorima´s hand before
remembering he hated touches from others. “Especially when you knew that
Akashi wanted me for himself. You would have put yourself in harm´s way like
that.”
“Maybe … maybe Akashi would have decided to visit and fuck you right in
front of me. I am not sure I would have done more than tell him I did not like
that. I am not a good Alpha mate. I relish in being taken care of, not the other
way round.”
Kuroko froze for a second before saying: “Thank you for your honesty.”
So he would have ended up a plaything for two Alphas, one mourning that fact,
one relishing in the chance to have him however often he pleased. Worst case
scenario the family in which he lived would have shunned his babies, not knowing
if they were actually theirs. His gut feeling had told him not to take Midorima
up on his offer, even if that meant more consecutive rapes. It had been good to
trust his feelings, even though he had doubted his decision again and again.
“I´m sorry.”
“Don´t be a broken record, you are long forgiven.” Kuroko decided to screw
that no-touch-thing and lent against the other. “I found you unbearable in
middle-school but I learned to appreciate your way of communication. One has to
learn to like you but it´s okay. I do now.”
“Thank you, I guess?” The green-haired had stiffened but already relaxed
again. “I still don´t exactly understand friendship but Kazu teaches me.
I´ll try to be a good friend.”
“As long as you follow morale, we´ll be fine. I told Akashi the same. Did he
tell you I slapped him?” Midorima looked back with something akin to fear.
“Don´t worry, we´re good. He actually asked me to punch him in the face
after he understood where I was coming from. He is very sorry about
middle-school.”
“Are you sure he understood you correctly? When an Akashi actually says he is
sorry, he will do his utmost to correct his ways. This … might be dangerous in
some circumstances.” Midorima sounded a bit doubtful. “Do you know what he
plans to do now?”
“He said he wanted to talk to his father – I met that man, he is
horrible.” Kuroko felt the other stiffen again. “I guess you know him?”
“I was invited and deigned a suitable acquaintance for his son after a
thorough background check. Since then I have been Akashi´s only friend up to
now. There were others he was allowed to talk to but he found most of them
insufferable. Akashi hates mindless chatter and it seems that is all those
stuffed-up rich kids are able to do. We were taught that it is polite to talk
like that but it was a chore for us both. We stuck together because we were able
to just stay silent and be happy with that. The adults were happy to know we had
friends while we were able to enjoy the quiet.” The other sighed slowly.
“From what I know now, I´d say we were lonely kids, trying to find some
respite in a life that demanded more than we could give. Akashi was someone I
could relax with because he did not ask anything of me and I not of him. Mostly
we played basketball or chess or shogi or simply read books next to each other.
I think for him it was the only time of the day where he was allowed to do
something he liked instead of having to learn things. He never complained but I
knew he hated his life. When he was allowed to visit a public school with me, he
complained to his father so that the man would not guess how happy Akashi was to
escape him. He was and is a man who accepts nothing but perfection. He would
suddenly turn up, demand his son to demonstrate some skill and beat him up if it
wasn´t on the level he expected. I never once saw him praise Akashi. My father
is similar but he would never dare to raise his hand against me. But after
Akashi´s mother died, well … there was no one to protect him. If you met the
older Akashi, you can be sure that he beat his son up for talking to you. You
are not on the suitable acquaintance list.”
“That is horrible.” Kuroko sat back up and looked at the other. “Is there
nothing we can do?”
“Just … don´t judge him if his father does turn up dead one day. I can´t
condone murder but it is hard not to with that man. I tend to just overlook some
of Akashi´s more strange behavioral traits. It´s not as if that man or I were
good role-models, so there is no one Akashi could learn good behavior from.
There was a time I had to explain social interaction to him.”
“Poor Akashi. Nothing against you, Midorima, but that is not your forte.”
“Don´t worry, I know. I don´t get mad about you stating the terribly
obvious.” Midorima resumed stroking his stomach. “Kazu will teach our
daughter human interaction. I´ll just listen and learn and if I see something
Akashi doesn´t know I´ll tell him.”
“I asked him to please let me teach his kids. Somehow I don´t see his wife
being any better than him at raising a child.”
“Would you teach me too?” The green-haired suddenly looked at him. “When
it comes to things people see as instinctual, I learned it´s best to observe
more than one person for a better understanding.”
“How about playdates with both our babies? When is yours due?” He remembered
something about hearing Alphas babies were often early-born.
“This month. There trying to keep her in as long as possible but my stomach
does not give much. I am having ultrasound checks every week to decide if she is
allowed to stay in another week. With the rate she is growing, I guess it will
be next week or the one after.”
“I still have half a year, I´m only eleven weeks now. So maybe you should
come over beforehand … how about you bring her to our Sunday basketball
meetings? I am not allowed to participate, you won´t be for a few months and
Takao will most likely be glad to spend a bit of time with … normal people his
age.”
“Are you implying I am not good company?” Midorima smiled, getting the
meaning.
“You are not exactly one to joke around and do stupid stuff with.
Relationships are important, but they are not the only thing in life. Especially
when you have kids, you need to remember to have friends too. Otherwise your
life will get lonely.”
“Since I met Kazu, it´s the first time in my life I haven´t been lonely.”
Which was pretty believable with the honest smile on his face – it was still
out of place in Kuroko´s perspective but nice all the same. “Can you believe
he dragged our teammates and me to karaoke? Again, I might add.”
“You sing?” Kuroko deadpanned.
“I´m pretty good too” Was that a smirk? Dear god, Midorima smirked. The
world was coming to an end. “He began teaching me some modern ballads. He
means to invite some girls next, having me sing pop songs with them.”
“You have some unexpected qualities. I can´t hold a tune. Kagami is even
worse, at least if I judge from his screaching under the shower.”
“Rather than singing, he should learn not to foul so much first” The other
commented the game they were watching for the first time. “It´s his luck
Kimura is so afraid of him, he mostly jumps out of the way.”
“Don´t be mean, he holds his ground well. It´s his first season, isn´t
it?”
“This team is doomed without me.” Midorima shook his head. “With Otsubo,
Miyagi and me gone, we are at a severe disadvantage against veterans like you,
even if you are without Teppei and yourself. We don´t have anyone rivaling
Kagami right now. This game is a one-man show.”
“Takao is holding his ground well. With his team-work, your team was able to
circle the ball around Kagami quite often. You´ll be able to join the
WinterCup, though maybe not the InterHigh. Your shooter is not even a quarter as
good as you. You are right that the team is severely lacking without you, but as
soon as you join, Shutoku will be unstoppable again.”
“Let´s have our rematch next season. Plan your next child after high-school,
alright?” The other Alpha not only smiled but poked his side. Midorima and
poking. When had he learned to relax like that?
“I direly hope I finally learned all about controlling my hormones.” Kuroko
sighed deeply. “Otherwise I´ll end up with twenty kids or so.”
Midorima chuckled. The world was coming to an end.

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