Beta: Di

Warnings: blood, implied a dead of a character

A/N: This is something I've wanted to write for a while.

Scream

It is painful.

He took the pills to not feel how much doing this would hurt, but even the strongest drugs in the store aren't enough to numb this kind of pain. But it's okay; it will end soon. He knows it. His stomach is turning upside down, body is sweating, but he cannot back down. He promised, he cannot stop.

His nails are too short, they should be longer, he thinks absently, but digs into the flesh again and again till blood starts trickling down his hand and his vision almost fades to black. It's a miracle the pain hasn't made him faint yet; guess those painkillers were good for something.

It feels weird in his palm, wet and warm, liquid dripping steadily between his fingers.

Without a second thought he starts working again, faster this time, knowing already what to expect, not caring about the violent dizziness coming in rapid, strong bursts, the blood or his own body which screams from pain (almost numb with it, in fact) as if someone set him on fire.

He promised, didn't he? He promised so he needs to do it, there is no turning back. He promised and he always keep his word. So he swallows down vomits and doesn't stop, pain eating him alive. He promised. Promised, promised, promised...

He doesn't know if he is laughing or sobbing when he reaches for the cellphone to call an ambulance – this is the only clear thought in his mind; the rest is darkness and nightmares and demons lurking under kids's beds – he doesn't know. What he does know is that he hurts, they hurt and... and that blood can be really sweet when you lick it off your lips, making the pain go away for the smallest part of a second.


They are playing basketball when Kuroko's cellphone rings. Normally Kagami wouldn't notice it – Aomine is right in front of him with that smug grin on his face like he knew he has already won and Kagami needs to beat him, to score against that bastard and show him who is better, that he didn't win Winter Cup by accident! - but normally Kuroko wouldn't scream after answering a call like someone was skinning him alive.

Both Kagami and Aomine stop playing immediately, rushing to their friend who was supposed to observe their match from the bench. Kuroko is looking at something in front of him with unseeing eyes, his body trembling, but no sounds escaping his throat. His cellphone is lying broken under his feet.

"Kuroko!"

"Tetsu!" Aomine grabs Kuroko by his arms, turning the shadow to himself before Kagami has a chance to do it. "Tetsu, fuck, what happened?"

Kuroko's bottom lip starts to tremble, yet his body calms down like just the touch of his old friend is enough to help him. Kagami would've been envious of their friendship if the situation wasn't as dire as now.

"Kuroko, what happened? Is this your grandma?" Kagami rests his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, concerned. He remembers how Kuroko mentioned that his grandmother wasn't feeling very well recently. "Kuroko?"

"I..." Kuroko's voice is shaking; the first time both Aces see him like this. "I only wanted to h-help you." It goes without saying that by 'you' Kuroko meant 'Generation on Miracles'. "I didn't know... I didn't..." Tears are gathering in pale blue eyes, threating to fall down any second. "I didn't..."

"Tetsu, tell me what happened." Aomine's knuckles are digging into Kuroko's shoulder, turning white slowly, but Kuroko doesn't seem to mind it. "Now."

The teenager takes a deep breath and before he starts speaking Kagami knows that something awful happened, that he should turn around and run away because whatever he is going to listen will kill him inside.

But he forces his animal instinct to calm down, focusing on what Kuroko is saying.

"They found him this morning." Kuroko is crying openly now. It's like after their first match with Touou again, but ten times worse. The bluenette looks like he just saw someone murdered in front of him. No, it's like he murdered someone. "He lost it, he really did it." Kuroko looks right at Kagami and Kagami, at that moment, knew exactly what he was going to say next; he sees it in the deadened blue orbs etched with raw torture, normally soft features twisted in pain and at that moment his brain shut down, brutal fear gnawing his insides with a passionate fervor which makes Kagami tremble.

Kuroko's voice is surprisingly steady for someone so close to having a panic attack when he speaks the final words:

"Akashi-kun gouged his eyes out."