Summary: "Hmm, I guess if I can translate it to your language. It will be like," Kagami paused before smiling as he stared straight to Kuroko's blue eyes. "You'll be like my star… Hidden behind the clouds after dawn, but shines brightly before dusk. The reason why I fly, you can say."

Warning(s): Shitty Grammar, OOC, implied shounen-ai, stupid title

Disclaimer: Don't own KnB (© Tadatoshi Fujimaki). Also, ©Pattern from YouTube's Doujinshi (Title [in YouTube]: The Sky I'm Leaping Towards)

The Reason Why Birds Fly

Kuroko Tetsuya walked through the sidewalk, his index finger instinctively spinning the ball as his blank stare looked directly at the path he was sure heading to the street basketball court. He almost smiled at the memory he remembered whenever he and Kagami-kun passed by.

He and his former teammates used to play there, their jerseys that had "Teiko" written on them were what they wore during those times, always messing around, but laughing all the way. Even their former team captain wasn't any better. Ah, those memories still haunt him from time to time, but what was done was done. The bond they had would never come back anymore. But that didn't mean the memories they shared were forgotten.

It would just never be the same. They had their own lives now. They all took different paths, too far from each other, but in their hearts. They knew they were still the people back then. They may had changed, but it was for the better. Kuroko's teammates learned what they lacked (or lost) before, they now saw Basketball, not as a mere chore because they were good at it but to play Basketball because it was a sport where they could have fun.

They learned to have fun, to not feel obligated on winning because it was what people expected them to. They were playing, not for themselves but for their respective teams. And Kuroko was more than satisfied with that. He wasn't the one who taught them (he was not that self-centered) that, but he was more than thankful because he was one of them who learned.

He learned the concept of Basketball that wouldn't be seen from any school if he had not gone to Seirin. It was refreshing. That even if he was the shadow that supports from the background, he knew he had comrades ("teammates" just didn't feel right because he knew Seirin was more than that. Seirin was not only a group of players huddled in one circle, but a single group of people that treat each other as relatives, and has connection thicker than blood because they were gathered by the form of an orange ball. The symbol that brought them all together) that supports him just as much.

Ah, speaking of support.

Kuroko looked in awe as he watched his Light made his dunk, his Jumping form dominating the height of the backboard. Kuroko smiled.

Kagami-kun's jumping form was that of a bird, he thought as he proceeded to approach his Light.

Kagami who had been clueless from his Shadow's presence, dunked the ball hard before jumping back down. He swore his heart almost stopped when he saw Kuroko – no, it's not that kind of stop from those shoujo manga. But more like a heart attack because it's the same feeling as seeing a ghost, Kagami surmised.

"What the hell! Since when have you been here?!" he shouted, annoyed that after all this time that he and Kuroko had been teammates, he still couldn't tell the difference between Kuroko's presence from the wind. Ugh. And he swore on his grave that his Shadow enjoyed scaring the hell out of him.

"I've been here the whole time," Kuroko answered with that monotone voice of his.

"Then you should have said something! I swear, one of these days I will be sent to the hospital because of you!" He scowled, but then caught something from what Kuroko had said. "So… you're here the whole time? Did you see me practice?" A nod from Kuroko was what he got for a response.

"Well, if you're here then you came here to practice with me?" He asked and his Shadow nodded again. He smirked then said, "All right, let's practice together! It's more fun with two people than one." He grinned.

"Wait, Kagami-kun. I have something to say," his Shadow called him. He raised an eyebrow before nodding his head to show that he was listening. Kuroko held the ball between his hands as he talked once again.

"I was fascinated," Kuroko said, a small smile playing on his lips. Kagami raised an eyebrow, but chose not to say anything. It seemed like his Shadow was thinking about something.

"Kagami-kun's Jumping Form is really… beautiful. Like a bird, I thought," his lips still smiling as he held the ball tighter. Kuroko looked straight to Kagami's eyes and Kagami was sure his face was as red as his hair.

"A-as usual you say some pretty embarrassing things without any problem, don't you?" Kagami sputtered as he looked at his Shadow who was looking at him like he had grown a second head before replying nonchalantly.

"Oh really? I didn't notice." Kagami would have retorted if his Shadow hadn't interrupted him.

"… As for me, I have a small build for a player. My stamina isn't that very high either. And neither my physical abilities, but I have my own style of being a shadow in Basketball. Of course, I don't intend to depend on that alone, but even so I still think… about how a shadow is always too far from the sky." He paused, his gaze locked to the ball between his hands as he continued.

"But if I fly like Kagami-kun, that must feel very nice." Kuroko smiled. Kagami looked up as soon he deemed his face doesn't feel that warm anymore before replying.

"Well, as you said, your physique is really… horrible. You won't be able to jump like me, as you implied." He murmured absently as he looked up to the sky.

"Well, that really hurts, Kagami-kun." Kuroko replied from the background but Kagami ignored him.

"But it's not like the sky is that far. Hmm, how do I say this…? You say how your basketball is 'shadow' a lot, but I guess you're right on that. Yes, you're probably right… But light can't exist without the shadow, yeah?" He paused before briefly glancing at Kuroko's way and looking up to the sky again.

"Ah… In other words, it's that… If you say I'm like a bird, then to me you're the star," he paused, then continued. "Birds can't fly if there's no sky, but why birds fly towards the sky is because of the stars."

"Ah, that doesn't make sense." Kagami placed his hand on his chin before continuing. "Hmm, I guess if I can translate it to your language. It will be like," Kagami paused before smiling as he stared straight to Kuroko's blue eyes.

"You'll be like my star… Hidden behind the clouds after dawn, but shines brightly before dusk. The reason why a bird like me, as you said flies towards the sky," he paused then continued.

"You can say that you're the reason why I fly so high," he paused then finished. "So, the fact that I can fly like a bird, Kuroko, is because you're here."

Kuroko paused. Stared. Stared. Stared some more. Before Kagami could complain at his Shadow's unnerving stare, Kuroko already said something that blew his pride.

"Kagami-kun, I'm amazed that you can say such embarrassing stuff. I was surprised," Kagami sputtered, his face so warm he thought he was going to explode before roaring back a muffled "Shaddup!"

"Isn't that because I hang out with you too much that you infected me?! I didn't know you had such disease, Kuroko!" Kagami knew he was bluffing, but he had to save his dignity somehow.

"Kagami-kun…" Kagami turned around just in time to see that, "Thank you." He turned around quickly before placing a hand on his chest. He straightened himself before replying with a tone he so tried hard to sound indifferent.

"I-it's nothing! I was just saying what I thought, and besides," he paused, looked back to his Shadow, before walking again as he continued.

"Your shadow might be pitch black, but in some ways you can tell that you're brighter than any Lights in the world." Kagami didn't see the small smile from Kuroko's lips as he stumbled to catch to Kagami's fast walking.

"Hmm, is that so?" Kuroko replied. Kagami grinned, stopped walking, (Kuroko almost bumped into him, luckily he had stopped in time) before raising his fist up in the air and said.

"I'm counting on you from now on… partner!" Kuroko stilled before a smile formed on his thin lips as he raised his fist up in the air, the same manner as Kagami did before they bumped their fists, and answered with a quiet, "Hai."

.

"I'll be going this way," Kuroko gestured the right alley, and Kagami answered with a muffled, "See you tomorrow then!" And they both part ways.

Later, when Kagami reached his apartment. He fell on his knees before he even managed to open the door and asked no one.

"That wasn't my imagination, was it?" He looked up and he was sure he was red as red could be describe before remembering that smile Kuroko had after he had said, "Arigatou."

So that guy… can make such a face.

-Owari-

Please tell me right away if I'm violating any rules, so I can immediately shut this down if I did. Thank you.