Do you still remember?
A/N: So, I don't want to talk much before the story, but I feel the need to put two warnings. Firstly; this story will contain a number of time skips; if they're not your thing, don't read. However (hopefully!) the transition from one time period to another is quite smooth. Secondly; I still did not read the manga, so some things may be inaccurate, especially the dates. (I researched where I could).
It was a windy night, where everyone remained inside in front of a fireplace or a heater, in company of their friends and family. Though there a storm was anticipated later that night, the sky was still clear. Seirin had just won against Yosen and the team was relaxing inside while discussing their next game. When the discussion started to drift away from basketball, Kuroko excused himself as he stood up and walked towards the kitchen. There he noticed that no one was paying attention to where he was going, and so he managed to slip out unnoticed in the cold night air.
He sighed as he walked slowly towards the nearest basketball pitch. He was glad that he was out; the heat inside the house was making him feel dizzy. Though the pitch was near, Kuroko decided to stop walking, He simply leaned on a barrier that was blocking the street and looked at the pitch. Even though his face was passive as always, he smiled inwardly as he glanced at the loop. Images from the past and present, intertwined together, played in his mind. As if on cue, the sound of footsteps accompanied his images. Footsteps that could only belong to him…
"Yo, Tetsu," he simply said, a hint of arrogance floating in his serene tone.
"Aomine-kun," replied Kuroko, his eyes flickering towards his left where Aomine's tall figure stood, before returning to their previous position. Aomine leaned on the barrier as well, mimicking Kuroko's position, without saying anything. A few more seconds passed before Kuroko looked at him again and spoke. "What are you doing here?"
"That's what I was going to ask you! Why aren't you celebrating with that idiot and the rest of the team?" he asked, his dark eyes looking forward, avoiding Kuroko's piercing gaze.
"It's too early to celebrate, we have to win the next two remaining games," he stated, still looking at the dark-skinned boy, who finally decided to turn around and let his eyes meet Kuroko's light blue eyes.
Aomine snickered at the response, shaking his head with a smirk as he muttered, "typical Tetsu."
"And it was too warm inside," continued Kuroko, immediately regretting he said so. Even though his face showed nothing, he turned away, looking back at the pitch. He waited, expecting his ex-partner to mock one of his many weaknesses, however there was no reply whatsoever. The wind continued to blow fiercely, filling the silence that surrounded the two boys.
Kuroko looked back at Aomine, who was still staring at him. Maybe he was imagining things, but Kuroko thought that his eyes had darkened. His usual arrogant grin was replaced by an indecipherable expression that matched his eyes. As their eyes met Kuroko realised that he couldn't turn around anymore. He wanted to reach out and touch his face, sweep all the darkness away and replace it with his happy grin. He wanted to call out his name and smile at him fondly. But his voice got caught in his throat, while his hands felt too heavy.
"Ne, Tetsu. Do you still remember?" Aomine finally said, a sad smile crawling up on his face. A million of emotions ran through Kuroko's blood while images started to replay in his head, as they had before Aomine arrived. Nostalgia, happiness, emptiness, care. Of course he remembers, that place held so many memories. They were just younger, livelier and happier. Tenderness, passion, sadness, love. None of those emotions managed to break through his inside barrier; none of them would show on his face. Unlike all those times back then…
2 and a half years ago…
The sun was preparing to set, staining the sky with a bright orange hue. The sound of a ball bouncing mixed with a number of shouts could be heard from the basketball area which Kuroko was currently looking at. It was the smallest pitch in the surroundings, usually used by non-professional players during the day who inspired themselves while watching basketball matches in the nearby grounds. However that day a young player which had already made it to the first string of the Teiko's basketball club was playing. A small crowd had gathered thanks to him.
He was walking away quickly, avoiding a number of people who tried to approach him, when from the corner of his eyes he noticed his new friend.
"Hey!" he greeted casually waving at him. Kuroko was taken aback; people never noticed him, even if he had been standing next to them for over an hour. Yet Aomine managed to see him even if he was walking fast.
"Good evening, Aomine-kun," he replied formally.
"Were you watching the game?" asked Aomine, who grinned sheepishly as the other nodded. "You should have joined!"
"I'm going to practise a bit when everyone leaves," said Kuroko with a blank face. Aomine turned around him before he said what was on his mind. Curiosity was clearly painted on his face, but he didn't dare to ask yet.
"I can stay too if you want!" he exclaimed.
"Sure," muttered the shorter boy, his expression unchanged. Aomine frowned as curiosity continued to boil inside of him. He felt that there was something peculiar about the other that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
They continued to chat idly on the game that Aomine had just played until the last players left the pitch. The sun had set completely by then; the moonlight being the only source of light. The pair practiced until Kuroko was out of breath and could barely stand anymore. He sat down under the loop, quickly followed by the dark-skinned male who was still grinning. Aomine looked at him, noticing once again his usual expression.
"Kuroko Tetsuya, you're such a weird guy," he stated. Kuroko didn't reply, he was still catching his breath. "But let's do this again, Tetsu!" continued Aomine enthusiastically. He looked at his friend, pondering for a moment before saying, "yeah, Tetsu definitely suits you."
It was only for half a second and Aomine was too excited to notice, however a happy expression flickered on Kuroko's face when he heard 'Tetsu'. He had never met anyone who called him by his first name, let alone a nickname.
"Let's go home, Tetsu!"
1 month later…
"Yo, Tetsu! Let's go grab an ice-cream after pr-," Aomine stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Kuroko sitting on the floor, his head resting on his knees. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked instead, his voice masked with worry. He could barely see Kuroko's face, but he was sure that something was wrong. Why wasn't he practising as usual, anyway?
"I'm giving up on basketball, Aomine-kun," replied Kuroko without moving. Aomine didn't reply; he stomped towards Kuroko with a furious expression. The shorter boy was staring at his feet, unaware of the angry aura which surrounded his friend. The dark-skinned male then grabbed his hand and, rather violently, lifted him up until he was standing. His blue eyes, void of any emotion, were deceived by his voice which cracked on the last two words as he muttered, "I failed the promotion test."
Aomine's face softened a bit as he released his grip from Kuroko's hand. He could understand the other feeling hopeless. However there was no way in hell that he would let him give up, not after he finally met someone who loved basketball like he did!
"So freaking what? Does your love for basketball stop here?" Kuroko shook his head. "So why? If you love the sport and never give up, you'll be able to do it! You'll transmit your love of the game and…" Kuroko stared intently at Aomine, who kept on talking about how loving basketball will take him to a road of glory, and so he should never give up. The taller boy ended up having a one-sided discussion on how amazing basketball is. Kuroko lips curved up into a rare genuine smile as the other spun the basketball on his finger while talking about his love for the game.
Finally Aomine stopped his monologue and looked at Kuroko, who was still smiling. "Hey, what's with that look?"
"Nothing. Aomine-kun is amazing," he answered.
"Oh." Kuroko's eyes widened as Aomine put his hand around his shoulder. He could feel his breath on his neck as he whispered, "Then keep on practising, so that one day you'll play with the amazing Aomine."
At that moment Kuroko was glad that Aomine decided that he had had enough of talking and went to shoot the ball that he had been holding for too long. His face had heated up from the proximity.
6 months later…
"What did I tell you?" exclaimed Aomine as he ran towards Kuroko, who was standing in the middle of the small pitch, looking at the basketball which he held in his hands. A satisfied expression sat on his pale face, his eyes gleaming in happiness when they glanced at the taller boy. "I knew you'd make it to the first string. Soon enough we'll be playing next to each other!"
Kuroko didn't have time to reply; as soon as Aomine was in front of him, he stretched out his large hands and encircled Kuroko's small body unexpectedly. The ball slipped from Kuroko's hands, bouncing away from them. His wide eyes stared at the other male who was beaming as he lifted him up. He started to spin on his feet with Kuroko still in the air.
"A-aomine-kun," he stuttered. His light blue hair fell over his face as he tried to push Aomine's chest to break free from his hold. "Please, put me down."
Aomine turned one more time before finally putting him down. A huge grin was still planted on his face, unlike Kuroko who had his usual neutral face back on. However this did not reflect his heart, which was beating twice the normal speed. He turned away from his friend, who started to talk about the things that they will soon be able to do together within the same team.
Suddenly silence surrounded the two teenagers as Aomine stopped talking. Kuroko took a long breath as he put his palm on his heart, afraid that it might be too noisy. People chatting aloud could be heard from the nearby streets. They had just finished school and he figured that people would soon start to gather in the vicinity. His heart finally started to calm down, enabling him to trust his voice to be impassive as per usual.
"Want an ice-cream?" questioned Kuroko, breaking the ice. He turned around to find Aomine playing with the ball. His lips curved up slightly; no wonder Aomine stopped talking. He moved towards him and sneaked a look at his face. As usual the dark-skinned boy was smiling widely, enjoying the feeling of the ball hitting his palms as his body danced around it. Kuroko figured that Aomine didn't hear him, but he didn't mind; in the past few months he realised that he could stand in the middle of a basketball pitch and do nothing but stare in fascination at the other male.
"Let's play, Tetsu!"
1 month later…
"But that was truly an amazing shot, Aominecchi!" shouted Kise.
"You already said that five minutes ago, Ryouta," stated their captain before Aomine would try to strangle the blond boy for being too loud. Instead he looked at his right, where his shadow sat quietly, his face slightly red. He was starting to get worried; it seemed like Kuroko could do with a good sleep, but the team insisted that they stayed there to celebrate their win.
"But I'm still impressed!" Kise declared, louder than before. A vein popped on Aomine's temple. His hands were already about to move towards the blond's neck when he suddenly heard Kuroko laugh.
He couldn't take it anymore; he got up with a sigh and moved towards the kitchen. "Anyone wants a drink?" he asked, not bothering to wait for their reply. He figured that a cold drink would help his partner. He was already opening the fridge when he heard the door close behind him. "Tetsu? I was getting you a cold drink."
Kuroko smiled and thanked him. His eyes then moved towards the outside door, before looking back at the door he had just closed behind him. As if he was reading his mind, Aomine walked silently towards the door, opening it slowly to let the cold wind fill the room. Kuroko followed him and quickly enough they were out in the cold cloudy night, walking towards nowhere in particular. The light haired boy soon started to shiver, barely able to move his body through the opposing wind. His friend laughed at him as he stopped walking. He held his hand out and asked teasingly, "need a hand?"
Ice blue eyes glared angrily at his friend, who continued to laugh. Kuroko couldn't hold his angry face for much longer; a small smile soon found its way on his face as his eyes softened. Quickly enough his blank expression returned and he continued to walk forward, ignoring Aomine's hand while saying, "thank you, Aomine-kun, that's very kind of you, but I can do it by myself." The dark-skinned boy shrugged and continued to walk after Kuroko.
"Kise-kun was right," stated Kuroko after a while.
"Hmm?" replied a confused Aomine. He had been lost in his thoughts, which was happening quite a lot lately, especially when he's around the other male.
"Your last shot; it was amazing," said Kuroko, a drop of excitement depicting his voice. He stopped walking, turning around to look at his friend.
If Aomine could blush, he would have done so. "T-Thanks," he muttered as he also stopped walking. You made it happen; I could feel your stare and I felt like I could do whatever I wanted to. His unspoken words flew with the whispering wind, as their eyes locked. Suddenly the world ceased to exist, the wind stopped and the cold turned into an inferno. He didn't know what was happening; the more he spent time alone with Kuroko, the less he could understand what was happening to him. He was sure there was some kind of magic spell that he was entrapped within.
The magic was soon broken by the sound of a thunder that split the air above their heads. They both looked up and then back at each other, their movements synchronous. Aomine was the first to grin as he said, "Remember, one of our goals…"
"… Play under a thunderstorm," finished Kuroko, a small smile playing on his lips. Together they ran towards the nearest basketball pitch. The boys smiled as they recognised the pitch. Aomine took a ball and dribbled forward to test it, before passing it to Kuroko who was still entering the area. The pale boy immediately passed back the ball to his light, who was already under the net, ready to dunk the ball in.
"One against one?" he asked with a grin as he threw the ball back to Kuroko, who accepted his challenge. A couple of raindrops could be felt, coming down from the clouds which were gathered upon their heads. Few minutes later, Aomine was still running while the other boy paused with the ball in his hand, lowering down to catch his breath. The rain had increased, wetting the boys and the pitch that they were playing on. Not that they cared. They had lost count of the score, though they were both sure that Kuroko scored zero goals. "Giving up?"
"I knew I wouldn't win against Aomine-kun, but I won't give up," he replied.
Aomine smiled widely, looking at Kuroko who had just dribbled around him. "That's what I love about you, Tetsu," he uttered. He quickly caught up to the shorter boy, who was somehow caught off guard. The wet ground didn't help, as their feet entangled and they stumbled on the ground together, with the ball rolling away from them. "Foul!" shouted Aomine, as he burst laughing on the floor.
"If anything, you stumbled on me," replied Kuroko with a straight face as he tried to avoid the other male and stand up. He failed to do so however since Aomine put out his hand and grabbed his pale leg, dragging him towards the floor once again. "Aomine-kun…" he sighed; sometimes his partner could be such an idiot. He tried to resist; falling on Aomine was not an option. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to control himself anymore, especially after what Aomine had just said. However the dark haired male was stronger than him and soon enough he was lying on the wet floor next to him, his head protected by Aomine's strong palms. His blue eyes were still closed after fearing the worse. No one said a word for a while as they stayed on the floor, catching their breaths. Aomine was still holding Kuroko's head, who in turn was clutching to his wet shirt.
The short male slowly opened his eyes to find out that his partner was staring at him intently. Once again they found themselves caught into each other, unable to move away. He wasn't sure who moved first, but somehow they were suddenly much closer than before. Their lips were just an inch apart as their breaths mingled. That's when Kuroko heard his control snap completely. His blank face melted away; it was replaced by an expression of desire and care. It was too dark to see, however Aomine could feel the heat radiating from his flustered face. That's when he finally figured out the magic surrounding them…
"Kurokocchi! Aominecchi!" came a distant voice, which made the two players jump quickly on their feet.
"Fucking Kise," he swore with an annoyed voice, as Kuroko turned around to hide his face. The taller boy continued to swear inside his mind as footsteps approached the pitch. They soon realised that Kise wasn't the only one with them.
"I was so worried!" cried the blond boy who clinged to Kuroko. Aomine glared at him; if looks could kill, the pitch would be full of blood.
"Daiki, Tetsuya… What did I say about not wandering around?" asked Akashi with a voice full of disapproval.
"Tsk," replied Aomine in an annoyed voice.
Before he could add anything else, Kuroko turned around and spoke. "Sorry Akashi-kun, it was my fault. I wasn't feeling too well in the heat, so I thought some night air would do me good. Aomine-kun kindly accompanied me."
Their captain soon forgot about the little accident as the four walked back towards their place. The rain had stopped and the night quieted down. Kuroko walked in silence as the other three restarted to talk about the basketball game that they had just won. Aomine slowed his pace and glanced at his shadow, who was uncharacteristically looking away. They passed under a lamppost and he smiled as he noticed a rather evident blush still painted on Kuroko's face. So that's why huh, Tetsu.
1 week later…
To be precise, five nights had passed since Aomine was sure that he was in love with his friend. The first night, right after they almost kissed in the rain, he couldn't believe his fast-beating heart and thoughts. Eventually after a good night sleep and the usual early morning training, his mind was completely cleared. He was finally sure what the feeling that was slowly making him go crazy was. That day Kuroko didn't attend neither school, nor practise. Akashi had announced that the blue haired boy was sick and he was ordered to rest.
Two days later Kuroko had fully recovered, however Aomine still did not find any time to talk to him. The smaller boy was undoubtedly avoiding him, using his weak presence in his advantage. During school lunchtime he disappeared before the bell had even rang. When they were practising, Kuroko asked their captain to train on some new skills which apparently could have been done with anyone but Aomine.
Consequently, Aomine was waiting for Kuroko to come out of his house at an ungodly hour. The sun had not even showed its signs yet. The tall male was quite sure that the other was still sleeping cosily in his bed. However he didn't mind the wait; he was finally convinced of his feelings and on how to act, and no one had the power to change that, not even Kuroko himself.
Half an hour later, the sun started to peek from the horizon, and a light was switched on from Kuroko's residence. He didn't have to wait much; soon enough the door opened and Kuroko came out quietly, wearing his basketball training clothes and a bag over his shoulders. As soon as he closed the door, he realised that he wasn't alone. The light blue haired male tried to run away without saying anything, but Aomine managed to grab his wrist.
"Oh no you don't!" he growled. He was seriously getting pissed now! First he avoids him, and now he runs away? "What the fuck is wrong with you, Tetsu?"
Kuroko squeezed his eyes closed as if he was trying to fight some internal battle. This enraged Aomine even more, who used all his force to push Kuroko backwards until he was cornered in his own doorstep. A small lamp which was situated exactly on their head lit up automatically, shedding light on their faces. That was when Kuroko noticed the scowl on his friend's face, which was not mirroring his ecstatic eyes. That was also when Aomine could finally see that the pale expressionless face was not so quite pale. It wasn't even expressionless either. Aomine did not know what kind of expression his friend wore, but he was sure that the red tinge that was crawling all over his face was an embarrassed blush. An image of Kuroko under the streetlamp flashed inside his mind.
Aomine's free hand moved slowly towards Kuroko, where it created a contrast between their skins. He lowered his head, slowing down but not stopping when they were just few centimetres away from each other. He could feel Kuroko's breath getting uneven as his lips unconsciously parted slightly. The last thing Aomine saw before closing his eyes were Kuroko's blue eyes shining. His mind was suddenly filled of the male which he held in his hands as their lips finally met. As he suspected, they felt as soft as they looked, and tasted like vanilla. He smiled against Kuroko's lips before opening his own lips to deepen the kiss. Kuroko moved his hands over Aomine's neck to hold on him as he responded to the kiss.
When they finally broke apart, the blush disappeared from Kuroko's face and his face was unreadable. Aomine took a step backwards while not letting go of him. "Tetsu… Let me sleep during class, I'm already tired."
"No. And I won't let you copy my notes," replied Kuroko as he gently removed Aomine's hands from his waist and started to walk away. He paused after taking five steps and looked back at his partner. He held his hand out, which was soon taken.
2 months later…
The days were getting hotter, making it unbearable to wear the school's blazer. Kuroko and Aomine had just purchased a popsicle and they were walking towards their favourite fast food restaurant to have something to eat before heading home.
"Basketball's just a game, anyway. I'm going to start skipping games, too," stated Aomine as they were descending the steps. He quickly stopped when he felt a hand pull him back, quickly followed by coldness in his back.
"You can't do that," replied Kuroko, who had just put the remaining of his popsicle inside Aomine's clothes. The cold ice immediately started to melt on the dark-skinned boy.
"Popsicle?" asked Aomine dumbstruck.
"It takes everything I have to keep up with everyone else, so I don't how you feel but..." said Kuroko, pausing a little to inhale. "No matter how large the difference in our skill, if I were your opponent I would never want you to do that. Besides, I'm sure you'll meet someone more amazing than yourself soon."
Aomine turned around to look at his lover, who was staring at him with a serious face. "You little jerk," he muttered, before breaking into a smile. He laughed at how straightforward the other was. "You're right."
The two partners bumped their fists together, as they always do, before Kuroko replied; "that's right."
They didn't say anything else; they didn't need to. Before Kuroko could remove his fist, Aomine turned his hand and grabbed the small pale fist. At first he grasped the hand with force, but he slowly loosened his grip until he was barely holding Kuroko's fingers, which were holding back to him. He glanced at the other male from the corner of his eyes, where he saw the barely noticeable red tint on his cheeks. He grinned and squeezed his hand at they slowed their pace and walked closer than before.
Few days later…
"The only one who can beat me is me." Kuroko was not sure what he thought when he first heard that sentence. He felt that for once, the blank expression that was probably on his face expressed perfectly what he was feeling; emptiness, void, numbness. His heart shattered slowly, day by day, as he saw Aomine smile less and less during basketball. He knew that Aomine's life rotated around basketball, so how could he not enjoy anymore the thing that he loves the most?
He held out his fist, waiting for the usual dark-skinned fist to bump upon his. But it never arrived. "Tetsu, I don't think you were wrong, but... I can't. They all suck. I'll never find what I'm looking for. The only one who can beat me is me." That's when the last piece of his heart broke completely. He looked at Aomine's back as he observed every little detail; his strong shoulders, the sweat on his neck, the dark blue hair that was getting slightly too long. Kuroko blinked, his eyes starting to sting but still completely dry, and suddenly he was not there anymore.
Kuroko was the last to leave the basketball area. He started to walk slowly in no particular direction, his eyes focusing solely on his fist. He managed to calm his upset heart, even though his mind was deserted. He could not think of anything; he was simply functioning mechanically, like a robot. When he looked up to cross the road, he realised where he was; the usual pitch which held so many memories for him.
"Tetsu!" he quickly turned on his feet as he heard his name. His eyes met Aomine's dark eyes, which were looking at him curiously. "What are you doing here? I was almost going home without you."
He walked closer to Kuroko and embraced him without waiting for a reply. Kuroko simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of being held by Aomine. It was the only time that he could feel the Aomine that he knew before. Suddenly, all the thoughts and feelings came back, hitting him harshly on his face. As they were still holding each other, Kuroko calmly asked what was on his mind; "why didn't you return the fist, Aomine-kun?"
Aomine laughed as he let go of the smaller male. Another hit on his face. "Oh come on, who cares about that?"
Kuroko bit his lower lip to contain his feelings which were threatening to overflow. Then he asked with a broken voice; "why don't you smile anymore during basketball?"
"Tetsu, I want to get this straight. My relationship with you and basketball… They're separate," replied curtly Aomine. "So forget about it. Want a vanilla shake? I want an ice-cream!"
They met thanks to basketball and they both thought that the only thing they agree on is basketball. So, why? The question burned into his head, but he couldn't put any voice to it. He was afraid that uttering another word would result in his own breakdown, or in Aomine's ire. Kuroko felt like he was just put aside, even though Aomine kept giving him all his time.
Back then he didn't know what the reason was, but Aomine suddenly put his lips on him. He held him strongly, with his big palms resting on Kuroko's back, and kissed him passionately. Kuroko had thought that Aomine's actions were done on a whim; perhaps to shut him up or because he wanted to show off. As these thoughts crossed Kuroko's mind, fusing with all the images from the basketball match, his eyes started to sting once again. The taller male tightened his grip and a couple of unnoticed tears fell from Kuroko's eyes; he had never felt so alone.
1 year later…
It was their last game together; Kuroko had long decided that. He was never so sure of a decision that he made. No feelings managed to make it to his mind; it felt calm like an ocean on a beautiful day. They were walking out of the basketball pitch, everyone was looking forward while Kuroko took a last glance at the area were they lifted the last cup they would ever lift all together.
They were out on the main street when Kuroko suddenly stopped walking. No one had noticed, not even Aomine, when the smallest male of the group turned around and walked into a side street. He paused and turned around to take one last look at his now former teammates. His eyes finally settled on the dark-skinned tall male, who was walking alongside them quietly, wearing a bored expression. During the past year Aomine had done as he promised; he had separated his relationship with Kuroko and basketball. While on pitch they hardly talked anymore, outside the basketball area they were exactly the same. They met, had ice creams and milkshakes, ate together, walked around, kissed and held each other, and went to explore a number of fun places.
However Kuroko noticed two things, which helped him take the decision to leave. Something was missing from their relationship; they never talked on basketball anymore, which was a big part of their lives. They never felt the excitement that they usually felt when they used to play one against one, or when Aomine used to score right after he had received a pass from Kuroko. Furthermore, they never had said what they felt for each other. Kuroko started to believe that Aomine continued to go out with him just because he couldn't break it off.
"Goodbye, Aomine-kun," whispered Kuroko, a sad expression taking over his blank face for a split of a second. I love you. In that exact moment, he made a promise to himself. He had a new goal in his life and, even if he didn't know how yet, he was going to do anything in his power to make it happen; bring Aomine's smile back.
Few months later…
After Kuroko quit the Teiko basketball club, months passed without meeting anyone of his former teammates. This was mainly thanks to the fact that school had finished and he was now attending Seirin. Once he was there, he joined his new school's basketball club. Eventually he confronted two members of the generation of miracles; Kise and Midorima. He tried not to think much about it, but he knew that one day or another he'll have to meet and play against him as well.
As he heard Momoi's voice when he was training in the pool with his new teammates, reality hit him in his face. Aomine is now his enemy and he's going to play against him sooner than he thought.
"Momoi-san. Did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?" he asked the pink haired girl. It was the first thing he could think of asking, without being too obvious. Momoi seemed to understand what he was asking in reality.
"Yeah. I really did want to go to your school. But who knows what he'll do if I don't watch him?" she answered. Everyone in the pool area looked at them confused, sensing the change of atmosphere around the pale boy. Kuroko remained quiet. Momoi suddenly changed subject as she saw the little puppy which resembled Kuroko. After some time, everyone left the swimming pool, leaving Kuroko and Momoi alone.
"The next time we meet, we'll be on different benches," Momoi stated.
"Yes," replied simply Kuroko. He didn't know what to say and he was sure that his old friend already had something else to say.
"I watched a video of your game against Midorin. It was a great game," she continued. Kuroko looked around as she said; "Kagami-kun… He plays just like he used to play."
"Yes…" Once again he had no idea on how to reply. He felt numb; no feelings were running inside him.
"Watching you two play brought back memories."
Ah… That hit him straight in his heart. Memories; he had lots of those. He also realised that Kagami reminded him slightly of his former teammate, best friend and lover. However no one could replace Aomine in his mind and heart. This only helped him lock away all the memories of the dark-skinned boy. Now that lock opened and a number of images from the past flashed in his mind. He looked at his fist as his heart missed a beat.
"I prefer the way Aomine-kun used to play with you. He started playing basketball by himself. Isolated from the team, I thought losing would change him. But he doesn't lose. Even by himself, no one can stop him," said Momoi, not noticing the change in Kuroko's face. When he didn't reply, she finally said with a sad laugh, "oh, sorry. Conversations about the past always turn dark."
"Will he change?" Kuroko wasn't sure why he asked such a thing, but he remembered the promise he made with himself the day he left Teiko's basketball club.
"Huh?" replied a confused Momoi.
"If someone stops Aomine-kun," he explained.
"What? But..."
"I know Aomine-kun's strength. But I won't be fighting him alone. I promise I will beat Aomine-kun," he stated. Momoi didn't need to know that it had been his goal for a while. Back then he didn't know that he'd be able to achieve it directly, with his own hands. But now, thanks to his new teammates, he has the ability to make it happen.
Few hours later…
"Kagami-kun, you're stupid, but..." Kuroko started, walking behind his new light who had just been scolded by their coach.
"Where did that come from?" scowled the redhead.
"But I don't think you'd do something reckless for no reason. Did something happen?" asked Kuroko.
"I played Aomine. He said he used to be your light. It sounded to me like you weren't just ordinary teammates. What happened between you two in middle school?" asked Kagami. So straightforward, thought Kuroko. The taller male was looking at him, inspecting his face for any possible clues. The blue haired male wasn't sure what he managed to convey unintentionally as memories from the past came back to him once again that day. He didn't care though; he started to tell everything about Aomine to Kagami. Everything, apart from the fact that they had been indeed more than just ordinary teammates.
"Because of a certain event at the national tournament in our third year, I quit the Teiko basketball club," finished Kuroko. Kagami didn't ask about what happened there. That's when Kuroko realised that, even though Kagami was usually quite dense, he still understood that Kuroko's relationship with Aomine was much more than he had told.
"I see..." Kagami replied. Unexpectedly, but typically, he started to talk about how the generation of miracles infuriate him and how he wants to beat them all. Kuroko smiled slightly at his reaction. Kagami held out his fist and confirmed Kuroko's thoughts as he said, "Let's go beat him and wake him up."
Kuroko simply returned the fist. He was glad that his new partner not only understood without asking too many questions, but also supported him. He was finally ready to meet Aomine.
Few days later…
The days quickly passed and finally the match day arrived. Before the game Kuroko was alone; he had just fed his dog as he stared at his fist. Numerous thoughts passed from his mind. What would he do if he won? Would he really see Aomine's smile back? Would that mean that he's back to the Aomine he knew? Could they continue from where they left off? Kuroko eyes moved towards the little puppy and he smiled. Let's do this, he said wordlessly to himself, feeling full of determination.
When the whole team entered the pitch and saw the Touou team, something snapped inside Kuroko. Aomine was not there. He had been mentally prepared to see the dark-skinned male and he was actually looking forward to see the man that he still loved after months of not seeing him. His determination threatened to waver, however he did his best to keep focusing on the game. After all he owed this to his new teammates.
They all did their best to score as much as possible before the prodigy arrived, however they underestimated their opponents. They were losing when Touou's ace finally entered the pitch unexpectedly, less than a minute before the end of the first half. As soon as Kuroko's eyes sat on Aomine, they got glued on him; his aura was nothing short of arrogance as he walked with a smirk planted on his face. There was no hint of the boy that he used to know. He entered the pitch, ignoring everyone's stares, and stopped when he was in front of Kuroko.
"Hey, Tetsu. It's good to see you again," he said nonchalantly. Kuroko kept staring expressionlessly at him, or so he thought. "I was wondering what face you'd make. I like it. You look ready to go."
His breath got caught in his throat; Aomine could still read him well after all. He put this thought aside and focused his mind back on his goal as he replied, "yes. I promised Momoi-san."
The dark-skinned male gave a small laugh before he said, "I more or less understand what you want to say, but you'll have to show me that with your play." His eyes bore into Kuroko and at that moment the blue-haired boy had a feeling that his ex-partner wanted to convey more than those words. That feeling soon disintegrated in the air as Aomine continued; "well, either way... Say it once you've beaten me."
"Yes," muttered Kuroko.
Everyone was looking at the pair, sensing the unusual tense atmosphere created by the two. Aomine finally moved away, his arrogant face back in place. "If you can do it."
Seeing Aomine play again lit a funny feeling inside Kuroko's stomach. His eyes shined for a split of a second as he saw him dribbling. However that soon disappeared as he glanced at his face; there was no smile whatsoever. The first half quickly finished and the teams used their ten minutes break to regain some energy. Kuroko sat down quietly as he did not fight back the images of Aomine from flowing inside his mind. As expected, their coach ordered Kuroko to rest. He tried to tell them that he can do it, but he knew he was being unreasonable. During the beginning of the third quarter, he could see better the talent of the dark-skinned ace. He was absolutely unstoppable; he had no limits. A part of Kuroko smiled; Aomine's raw talent was incredible and pleasing to see.
Minutes passed and the gap between Touou and Seirin got even larger. Aomine walked next to Seirin's bench and looked at Kuroko. "Come on out, Tetsu. Let's settle this."
"Kuroko-kun?" asked Riko, her voice unsure. Full of determination once again, Kuroko stood up and prepared to finally play against his previous light.
"I'm fine," he replied. "I've had plenty of time to rest. I'm going."
"Show me the strength of the new light and shadow," uttered Aomine. Kuroko blinked. Was he overthinking, or did he hear a hint of jealousy? He glanced at him, but he had already turned away. The blue haired male took a long breath. As he exhaled, he threw away all the thoughts he had.
Seirin did their best to stop Touou, but it seemed like everything they did was in vain. Aomine was like a beast that was just unleashed. Kuroko noticed that the more he managed to pass the ball, the more Aomine got powerful. It was like they were competing against each other, but Aomine was unquestionably smashing him.
"You're still the same, Tetsu," muttered Aomine all of a sudden. Kuroko looked at him, trying to decipher what he was talking about. "You really haven't changed since middle school. Not at all." Bang. His heart started to beat faster as his breath hitched. Aomine's face held no expression at all. For a moment Kuroko thought he was looking at a mirror of himself. He had no idea what Aomine was talking about. Then arrogance took over him as he asked with a smirk; "I'm disappointed. You still think you can beat me?"
Kuroko remained still, his limbs not responding to him. His mind was full of everything and nothing. Then he remembered the last time he talked with Aomine about basketball. My relationship with you and basketball… They're separate. Of course Aomine wasn't talking about anything else. It was only about basketball. "I do. This is my basketball."
However the game didn't change. Touou continued scoring and Seirin couldn't do much. Kagami was substituted because of his leg injury and Kuroko was helpless. "How sad. You haven't changed at all since middle school. You haven't improved. Akashi was right. Your basketball will never win." He used to think that his heart couldn't shatter anymore after Aomine did not return the fist and refused to talk about basketball with him. He was wrong. He stared at the floor as those words kept playing in a loop inside his mind.
As the game finished everyone went to their respective changing room. Undoubtedly, Touou's changing room was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was chatting, apart from Aomine who sat by himself while preparing to get out. "I thought they'd be stronger, considering they beat Shutoku. Especially number eleven, Kuroko, right? He was absolute shit towards the end. He was real uptight about it until the very end. He should've given up sooner."
Aomine's blood sprinted inside his veins. No one had any right to say anything about his Kuroko, no matter what. His hands flew towards his teammate's neck as he grabbed him and furiously said, "You sure talk a lot for someone who didn't play. It's annoying, so shut up."
He walked out of the changing room, forgetting about his bag. Seeing Kuroko was indeed nice, but unsettling. When he left without saying anything, Aomine got very angry. However he immediately understood the reason; they had nothing in common anymore, after all. "Ah, fuck," he muttered to himself as he sighed. Yes. As he thought, he still liked his former teammate.
In the meantime, Seirin's changing room was empty bar the blue haired boy who was sitting on a bench all alone, his face in his hand. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but he knew that he felt like an idiot. Why did he think that Aomine would talk about anything else but the match? Why was he still hoping that they could go back to how things were before? Why did he think that there was a slight hope that he was wrong when he left and that Aomine might have actually loved him back? He felt like he wanted to cry, but no tears made it to his eyes. When he went out and walked towards the usual pitch, he hoped with all his heart to see the familiar dark-skinned male, but he was all alone.
Few months later…
All the members of the Seirin basketball club were at the hot springs, replenishing their energy. After the game against Touou, each player had their own challenges to win. Kuroko realised that the biggest barrier he had hit back then was not his own limited skills, but his emotional thoughts. He knew that against Touou, even if he didn't show it on his face, he had let his feelings take over him, breaking him down slowly. He was motivated solely by his goal and when he did not see Aomine immediately, his motivation wavered. For this reason he worked on locking away every thought while playing basketball.
Since that day, he had not seen Aomine. He accepted the fact that his feelings towards Aomine will never change. Furthermore, he convinced himself that Aomine does not love him the same way either. He sighed as he waited for Kagami to return after almost passing out in the hot springs. He was laying on a bench, a facecloth over his eyes, when a bottle was abruptly put next to his head.
"Here," he heard. Kuroko quickly stood up, the blue facecloth falling from his face.
"Thank yo-", he started, stopping mid-sentence as he noticed the familiar silhouette of his former lover.
"It's been a while, Tetsu," said Aomine quietly, who was buying a new drink from the vending machine. He looked at Kuroko from the corner of his eyes.
"Aomine-kun." The two teenagers stared at each other, both trying to read each other's minds and feelings with no success. Kuroko was the first to break the eye contact as he looked down at this feet.
"I saw your game," began Aomine. Kuroko looked up once again. "Was that the new move Satsuki mentioned?"
"Yes. I developed it to use against you," replied Kuroko sincerely, making Aomine chuckle. The pale male wondered if the small laugh had any irony in it or not.
"Sorry, but it won't work," he said. "The one that'll win the Winter Cup-"
"Is us," interrupted Kagami as he put his hand around Aomine's neck. The dark-skinned boy scowled as he angrily removed Kagami's hands from his neck.
"Don't put your arm around my shoulder," he uttered pissed off.
"Kagami-kun," muttered Kuroko. Aomine looked at Kuroko, whose eyes were now on the redhead.
Kagami in turn was glancing back and forth at the two males, trying to understand what he interrupted. His eyes finally settled on Aomine as he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"You're going to win, huh? It's not enough," Aomine stated, not answering the redhead's question. "More. It seems you really did open the door, but you're just standing in the entrance. You're not even close to the generation of miracles. You're not even entertainment yet."
Neither Kuroko, nor his new light understood what Aomine was talking about. But the blue haired boy had promised himself that he won't let any feelings get in the way. When they finally learnt that they'll be facing Touou in the first game of the Winter Cup, Kuroko smiled. "Sorry Kagami-kun. I actually celebrated internally just now."
"What are you talking about? Everyone's thinking that," Kagami laughed. "No one thinks winning will be easy. If we win enough games, we're bound to face them sooner or later. Nothing beats repaying a debt quickly."
Aomine face got back his signature look of pride and arrogance. "Fine. Bring it on."
Few days later…
The sound of the ball bouncing after hitting the loop's net was immediately followed by the roar of the audience. Seirin versus Touou had just finished, and Seirin had won by just one point. There was a moment during the game where Kuroko was about to lose his calm and let his emotions rule him. However, when he was benched, he quickly refocused on the game.
Kuroko was celebrating with his teammates when he heard Aomine mutter with a helpless expression, "I… lost? I see… I lost. I…"
The blue haired male stared at him; he was now finally able to let out all his feelings and thoughts. He was suddenly starting to feel dizzy; he was already prepared to hit the floor when he felt a pair of arms supporting him. "Are you okay?" asked Kagami.
"Sheesh, you can barely stand with support," stated Aomine as he looked at the pair. "No one can tell who won now. But maybe that was for the best." He lowered his gaze as he continued; "the reason I lost was that difference."
Before Kuroko could reply, Kagami did. "Why are you acting like it's all over?" Aomine looked at him surprised. "Things are just getting started. Let's play again. I'll take you on."
The dark-skinned boy stared at him for a moment before smiling and saying with a laugh; "shut up, idiot."
Upon hearing his laugh Kuroko slowly opened his eyes and looked at him. "Aomine-kun." The smile disappeared once again from his face. An image from the previous game flowed into his mind as he looked towards the floor once again.
"You win, Tetsu," he muttered.
"Can I ask you for a favour?" Kuroko suddenly asked. It had been on his mind for a while. His heart started to beat faster as Aomine looked back at him. He held out his fist. "You still haven't returned my fist bump."
Aomine was taken aback. Kuroko wasn't sure how to interpret his reaction, but he didn't want to think about it yet. He wanted to first settle his basketball relationship with Aomine. Their private relationship could wait.
"What?!" questioned Aomine. "Who cares about that?"
"No," replied Kuroko. "Try putting yourself in the shoes of the ignored."
The ace did not reply immediately. He started to confirm what went wrong back then. "Fine," he said. He did not know what it meant. He just knew that responding to the fist bump could mean anything but one thing; get back to how it was when they were happy. He wanted to confirm this with himself more than anything as he said, "this is the last time, though." If a fist bump could at least mend one thing from the million things that went wrong, then he would do it. He held out his fist as he finished, "next time I'll win."
"Okay," responded Kuroko, right as their fists bumped. Their blue eyes bored into each other as electricity passed throughout their connected fists. At that moment, the world around them melted away as a familiar atmosphere surrounded the two.
A day passed and Aomine already started to change his attitude towards basketball. Not only did he go shopping for a new pair of sneakers, but he had also accepted to help Kuroko train his shooting skills. During their practise session, the two talked a lot about basketball. The pale boy would have beamed if he knew how; he felt like they were on their way to restore their basketball relationship. Somehow the two made a silent agreement to not mention their other relationship yet.
The night before Kuroko played against Murasakibara they practised for the last time. Aomine had also stated so. Before leaving he ordered Kuroko to win. At that moment, as he looked at the dark blue hair which was slowly starting to disappear, he wanted to reach out and stop him. He wanted to try and talk about it. He retreated the hand which had already moved on its own accord. He looked at it as he formed a fist; after we win against Yosen, I'll talk to Aomine-kun. It was a promise.
"Aomine-kun," started Kuroko. He took a long breath to prepare himself. Do you still remember? He blinked. He got so lost into his memories that he forgot about the question. "I remember," he finally answered. He was still looking at Aomine, who seemed lost in thoughts as well. Suddenly the sound of a distant thunder interrupted their train of thoughts.
"You remember," Aomine muttered. His eyes then shot up, a new light shining in them. "Let's play a game!" he exclaimed as he stared at the clouds which were gathering far away.
"Wha-" Kuroko's eyes mimicked Aomine, looking at the tempest that was threatening the surrounding areas. So the prediction was right after all. Kuroko smiled as he replied, "yes."
They ran towards the pitch, laughing like two little kids as they arrived. Aomine was the first to grab the ball, dribbling from one side to another while waiting for Kuroko to catch his breath. "Come on! Where's the Tetsu that beat me?" he asked teasingly.
Kuroko quickly got into the game, sprinting towards Aomine to no avail. They played for a while, not noticing that the rainy clouds arrived upon their heads. The two battled, ran, dribbled, jumped and slipped, taunting each other and laughing together. The dark-skinned male was running towards the loop when his right foot stepped on a small pond of water which had gathered thanks to the rain that neither of them noticed. The unexpected slippery path led to the eventual fall of the ace. Kuroko, who was running right after him, bumped into him and fell as well.
That was when he noticed it. His eyes were closed, so he was relying just on the other four senses. It was music to his ears; Aomine's laugh. He slowly opened his eyes to see him grinning. It wasn't the usual typical arrogant smirk; it was his genuine smile, the one that shows how much he loves basketball. As a thunder struck right upon their heads he realised that Aomine had been smiling since the beginning, right when he suggested the game and Kuroko agreed.
Aomine stood up and went to retrieve the ball as he uttered with a small laugh; "Deja-vu, Tetsu?"
Kuroko didn't reply. He was still sitting on the floor as he thought about what had just happened. It's time. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he had to do it now.
"Definitely a deja-vu, we once again don't know how much I scored," continued Aomine laughing. "There's only one difference; you scored one!"
Kuroko laughed as he walked towards Aomine who was spinning the ball on his finger. The laugh quickly disappeared from his face as he got closer to his previous light. Aomine, who noticed the sudden change in Kuroko's aura, let the ball slip away from him. His own expression changed; there was no laughter, but it wasn't the usual harsh arrogant look either. Kuroko felt a certain gentleness radiating from him.
"Aomine-kun, I still do. I never forgot. I kept remembering. And I will never for-," his breath got caught in his throat as Aomine's hand rested upon his cheek. He retried; "and I will never forget." Before Aomine could reply, he wanted to explain himself. "I left because-"
"Shh," interrupted Aomine. "I know. I was the idiot that fucked it up."
"No," replied Kuroko as he shook his head. "You were right; our relationship and basketball, they are separate. One day they weren't, but…"
"Shh, shut up, Tetsu," said the dark-skinned boy, cutting him off once again. "The past is past. Plus, I wasn't completely right. Yes, they are separate. But they don't need to exclude each other. Talking with you about basketball was the best thing I ever had in my life. The two things that I loved the most." Kuroko's eyes widened at the statement. "That I love the most," Aomine corrected himself, smiling.
The shorter male felt like he was just electrified; his heart was beating faster than ever and his breath was uneven. He was sure that his face was depicted in a red hue. Aomine did not do anything; he simply stared at him as he held his face and smiled. He wondered if he could see the evident blush on his face, even though it was almost pitch dark. Kuroko then continued what he wanted to do from the start; his hands met at the nape of Aomine's neck as he buried his face on his shoulder. He took a long breath to inhale the other male's smell as Aomine embraced him back, holding him with his strong arms.
Kuroko moved his head back and looked straight at Aomine's eyes. His heart didn't give him a break; it kept beating like crazy as the two almost closed the distance. Their lips were almost on each other's when a voice was heard.
"Kuroko! Where are you, you brat?"
"Fuck!" swore Aomine as the two separated reluctantly.
"Deja-vu," muttered Kuroko. They walked out of the pitch to meet Kagami in the middle of the street.
"There you are! They were all worried about you, you disappeared without telling anyone!" said Kagami in annoyance.
"I'm sorry," responded Kuroko.
"Why didn-" he stopped abruptly as he noticed the other male next to Kuroko. "What are you doing here?"
"See ya later, Tetsu," uttered Aomine, ignoring Kagami. He was about to turn when he suddenly grabbed Kuroko's hand as he said, "actually wait… Come here."
Aomine used a little force to pull Kuroko under the nearest streetlight. He turned him around so that Kagami wouldn't see what he wanted to see; the blush which was still part of Kuroko's full-of-feelings expression. He smiled and bid his goodbyes once again.
As Kuroko was walking back with his new partner, Kagami couldn't help but ask, "What was that about?" When he received no reply, he stopped walking and looked at Kuroko. "Did I interrupt something?"
"Nothing in particular," replied Kuroko. He was glad that he recovered the usual blank expression, void of any emotion or blushes. "We met by coincidence." Well, it wasn't a lie.
The next day the whole team was getting prepared for the game against Kaijo. Kuroko went to look for a vending machine to buy a drink. As he was putting in the money, two hands presented themselves on the machine, trapping Kuroko in between. One of them held Kuroko's favourite drink. He turned around with a smile on his lips, which were soon captivated by the taller male. The coins, long forgotten, fell back in the money dispenser.
"You see, I forgot to tell you one little thing yesterday. I will not let you go once again," whispered Aomine, his lips hovering over Kuroko's soft lips. "Oh, and you'd better win today, Tetsu," he continued. "Actually, no. You better win the Winter Cup. Understood?"
"Yes, Aomine-kun," replied simply Kuroko, before kissing Aomine back.
A/N: Pheeeww… So… I didn't plan for this to be THIS long. I thought it would be a 5k one-shot with just 5 time skips, but I kept adding the time skips and things and wee. Here we are. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, excuse me for any inaccuracies and any possible OOCness. I tried to use some dialogs from the anime to decrease this.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on it but please… I plan on reading the manga so … no spoilers. Cheers. :)