Kuroko sat at the dining room table, alone and listless. The only sound that could be heard in the dim evening was the A/C. The blue haired male listened to it humming its old familiar tune, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit him. He let out a small sigh.

Eight hours left.

There was no way he could tell his friends. They'd find out soon enough anyways. It was then that his eyes wandered to the counter where he saw a camera. His curiosity got the best of him as he weakly got out of his seat and picked it up. He looked through the old videos it contained. Tears stung his eyes as he watched himself blow out the candles on his fifth birthday cake with his grandparents and mom in the background, setting down utensils at everyone's seats. His baby cousin, Koharu, was crying and hitting her highchair while grandma soothed her. Uncle Touma was smoking a cigarette and playing with his little boy, Itsuki. Tetsuya's mother came from behind him and cut him a slice of cake, feeding it to the teal haired boy. He giggled when she wiped the bright blue frosting off of his cheeks.

He pressed the arrow, signaling for the next video to play. He skipped a few until he found the one he was looking for. Kuroko was playing basketball at his friend's house. Neither of them could have been any older than ten or eleven.

Again, Kuroko pressed the arrow, and another video started. There he was, with Aomine and Kise sitting outside of the middle school, sipping a vanilla shake and laughing with his friends. He sadly smiled to himself, letting tears stream down his cheeks. He could hear a ruckus from the boy recording, who he guessed to be Midorima, and the clip ended. The next video began shortly after. Kuroko and Akashi were sitting at his home watching a movie on the couch. Kagami was recording it while the two threw popcorn at eachother playfully.

"I love you, Tetsu," Akashi mumbled in his ear.

"I love you, too, Seijuro."

"Blah!" Kagami acted disgusted as he recorded the two boys give eachother a short kiss on the lips. Kuroko's heart sped up rapidly. He was forced to leave this all behind, his whole life. He only has eight hours left on this earth. His knees buckled beneath him and hit the floor with a thud. The sick boy held his head in his hands as he cried silently. He didn't want to leave the people he loves so much. He didn't want to leave Akashi. There has to be a proper goodbye.

A sad smile played on his lips as he stood up and brushed off his jeans.

Kuroko sat the camera down on the TV stand, pressed start, and sat down on the sofa. The boy gulped, looking down at his lap and fidgeting with his fingers nervously.

"I wish mom and dad could be here with me during my last hours, but I'll see them soon in that special place in the sky, whatever that may be." Kuroko had trouble keeping his normal monotone voice steady as he talked about his parents. He didn't figure it'd do any good telling them more stuff when he'd be seeing them soon anyways, so he dropped that subject. The next person that came to mind was the one he held dearest to his heart.

"Seijuro..." he wasn't quite sure what to say to his lover. These were the last words he would ever say to him. He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes.

"Remember the time Aomine accidently bumped into me and knocked over my vanilla milkshake?" Kuroko grinned as he recalled the memory, feeling choked up. "It spilled right on my lap. I told you it was alright, that I could change pants." He let out one of his rare giggles. "You chased him all around the gym. I don't think I've ever seen you that angry. Actually, I take that back. You were furious when Kise stole a pair of your scissors and pretended to be you. I guess he isn't good at impersonating people, because you'd never do something that stupid. Akashi-kun is smart." Kuroko thought for a moment.

"Aomine, you were my first best friend. You helped me reach my full potential in the thing I love doing most. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." Tears ran down Kuroko's face, and he didn't make any move to wipe them off.

"My best friend now," Kuroko tried to keep his voice steady, "Is Kagami. Thank you for being my light these last few years. If there was one thing I could say to you now, it'd be that I'm sorry. I failed at being your shadow and keeping you at the top. There's nothing I can do to stop it now. The doctor said I have eight," Kuroko looked at the clock on the wall, "no, seven hours left to live if I'm lucky. Please don't give up basketball. That goes for Hyuuga, Izuki, Riko, and the rest of the Seirin team, too."

Kuroko looked up at the camera. "Kise. I bet you're crying right now, aren't you?" A string in Kuroko's heart tugged at the thought of his former teammate going through any amount of pain at all. It was hard to picture the blonde without a grin on his face at all times. "You've been a great friend throughout my intermediate years and highschool years aswell. Don't stop smiling that bright smile of yours." Kuroko felt his limbs getting heavy and his eyes getting weary, but he kept going. This was the last chance he had to talk to his friends.

"Midorima-kun, I know you'll do great things in the future. Whatever path you decide to go, you'll exceed past everyone's expectations with it like you always have. I don't mean to make this into some motivational speech or anything, but you have the academic skills to do anything your heart desires. Don't hold back." Kuroko imagined the proud, yet saddened look the green locked male would wear when he heard this.

"Ah, Marusakibara. I still don't understand how you can eat constantly and never gain a pound. Each to their own I guess. Drink some of those vanilla milkshakes at Maji Burger for me since I won't be around to do it myself. Who could do a better job at that than you?" Kuroko softly smirked to himself as he pictured his friend drinking his favorite treat in his honor.

"To all of you watching this; Please don't stop living. Momoi, please find a boy that will treat you well and not another one of those jerks you seem to be attracted to." Kuroko paused for a moment as he winced in pain. His arms were getting heavier and heavier, and he knew he would have to end the video soon.

"Akashi... I know that you won't be able to move on. We all know this, because that's just how you are. Please, don't push the others away. Don't lose your friends because of this. I love you so much, more than you'll ever know. I want you to keep this videotape. Watch it whenever you're feeling down, and please, don't forgot me."

And with that, Kuroko lifted a weary arm and ended the video. He grabbed a yellow sticky note and put it on the side of the camera.

For the people that have made my life more than perfect, he wrote with a black Sharpie. That would be the last thing he ever wrote.

The pale boy stood on weak legs and out the back door where he could watch the sun set. "The last sunset I'll ever see," he whispered to himself. It was the best one Kuroko had ever witnessed. The sky was painted with varying hues of yellow, orange and pink. The clouds fogged the sky in a way that the boy couldn't describe as anything besides perfect. That would be the last thing he ever saw. It calmed Kuroko.

His eyelids were heavy. His legs were weights. He sat down and rested his head against the wall of his little house and closed his eyes as the wind blew in his face. Right there, the boy said his last goodbye to the world. This wasn't how he pictured he would die. Kuroko always pictured himself surrounded by his friends, Akashi, and the few family members he's still in contact with in a hospital bed during his last days as a very old man. If he learned anything out of this, it was to expect the unexpected. To cherish every precious moment he has on this earth. There was no taking back anything in the past, but-

His aching lungs drew their final breath, and that was the end of Kuroko Tetsuya.

Yes, I'm back! I deleted my latest fanfiction, Picking Up The Pieces, because the story wasn't going anywhere meaningful and there was no use in continuing it. I hope this will make up for it and you people will forgive me.On another note, I'm thinking about making another chapter for this where they watch the videotape and cope with the death of their dear friend in their own different way. What do you guys think?