Reminiscing Rain

Part I

Aomine Kuroko

He hated rain.

Kuroko leaned further, seeking for warmth and softness of the cushion. He hugged his knees and brought them closer to his chest. The sound of pit-pat outside crawled to his ears and Kuroko squint his eyes shut even more.

He hated it when his whole body was drenched with coldness. He hated it when the icy breeze came inevitably and made him shiver underneath the sticky cloths. He hated it when all he could see was a blur picture trough the white, pouring curtain. He really hated it when he was the only one left alone hiding under the school roof, waiting patiently until the sun took its territory back. He hated it when—

'I don't know how to receive your passes anymore.'

Kuroko startled as something warm touched his cheek.

Kagami Taiga, the former ace of Seirin and the now intern at the fire station located two blocks away from their shared apartment frowned at him while setting his own cup on the glass table. The redhead flopped down beside him. The stares he gave Kuroko prompted the blunet to quickly took the mug and hold it with his hands. The steams oozing from hot cocoa relaxed him a little.

Kagami retreated his stares and diverted to the outside of the window where the rains still dancing underneath the dusky sky.

"Man, this is a pain." He grumbled at the bad weather. His nose scrunched up. "Even though it's already winter…"

Kuroko just sipped on his hot drink quietly.

"Hey" Kagami glanced at the man beside him. "Do you have any plans tomorrow?"

"Aside from submitting my report at the university in the morning, I have nothing planned." Kuroko replied calmly.

A smile bloomed on Kagami's face. "That's good! Then, after we have lunch, let's play some basketball!" the redhead raised his hands up above his head. "It's been a long time since my hand touches the ball after all."

The teal haired man hold the mug in his hands, warm he thought, sipping it before, without looking at his friend, quietly answered; "I am sorry Kagami-kun. But I have to decline."

Kagami swiveled his head, the look of confusion openly crossed his face as he observed the passiveness on the smaller man's expression.

"Huh? Why?" He blinked. Kuroko Tetsuya, the man who loved nothing more than vanilla shake and basketball to have refused one of them without batting his eyes, Kagami felt something severely wrong with the blunet now.

Ignoring the look of disbelief he was given, Kuroko slowly stood up. With the mug in his hand, he looked at the redhead. "You can call Kise-kun or Midorima-kun if you want to go to the court since they live nearby, though Midorima-kun might be busy with his medical school." The blunet then started to walk off.

"Oi, where are you going?"

"My room. I have to finish my homework." He said, cutting of all kind of further conversation. His small yet lean back was on Kagami. "Well, then good night Kagami-kun."

As he shut the door, he heard his roommate loudly shout after him.

Pit-pat, pit-pat

"For what reason do I need to practice?"

Stop it.

"You want me to crush down my opponents that have lost the will to fight even further?"

No, you're wrong…I—

"What part of it that you understand me!?"

Please, listen to me first…

"From that day, I haven't gotten even a single pass from you."

It's because you are—

"The only one who can win against me is me."

There's still someone stronger than you.

"I've…no longer known how to receive your passes anymore."

"Kuroko-kun?"

The aforementioned man blinked and he saw the man in his fifties look at him with eyes full of concerns.

"Are you alright? You've been spacing out since you came here."

Kuroko shook his head as he glanced to the drizzle outside the wide panel before returning his gaze to the professor in front of him.

"No, sir. I just don't feel well under this kind of weather."

The professor looked past his shoulders to the rain outside and smiled wearily. "Oh well, the weather these past few days are surely bad, indeed." He nodded to himself. The old man then put his hand on the report. "Your report is looking good, just a few readjustment at the introduction and it will be perfect."

Kuroko nodded. He was preparing to leave when the professor called out to him.

"The rain is indeed troublesome, but the sky cannot be as beautiful and clear as it is without the rain, can it?"

Blue eyes just stared blankly at the black ones, searching, calculating, before he turned his gaze toward the door. Sliding it open, small whisper lingered as the man himself walked out of the room.

"Maybe, maybe not." The voice was quiet yet so clear in the silent room. "It depends on what comes afterward, doesn't it?"

The professor just smiled to himself as he turned to his desk and resumed his work.

Boys these days sure have no sense of romance, huh?

Kuroko continued his walk along the open corridor when he almost collided with a sudden figure that ran straight toward his way. The tall, blonde man with elegant face and firm body blinked his golden eyes when the sight of blue mob appeared in his sight. It didn't take long after that a big grin that have been killing all of female livings on earth, but so idiotic and annoying in Kuroko's thought, would plaster on Kise's face when he saw who he fatefully ran into.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise chirped cheerfully, attempting to steal a quick hug but immediately fail as the shorter boy shot him a dreadful glare. The blonde internally sulked and backed out as he almost saw the imaginary dark cloud form behind the small frame before rapidly bathing Kuroko with his shining aura again.

"What are you doing here? I thought you don't have class today." Kise tilted his head questioningly.

"I don't. I came to submit my report today."

Kise beamed. "I assume you're free after this then, let's go somewhere and talk our lives out!"

"We are talking" Kuroko deadpanned.

Kise whined. "Not like this! I mean, we haven't seen each other like forever even though we're in the same college! It's not fair when I really want to see you and the only one I always run into is Midorimacchi!"

Kuroko tried hard not to smile at that, thus he feigned a cough. "It can't be help, can it? Aviation school and medical school are located across each other."

The blonde pouted. "Still, it's so unfair…"

Kuroko just sighed. Something hasn't changed, he mused soundlessly. It would be wired though, if one day Kise stopped being clingy and acted all mature instead. If that ever happened, he was certain Akashi-kun would directly come from Kyoto and be the first one to immediately and thoroughly examine the blonde's every part inside out with no hesitation.

Giving up, Kuroko relaxed his shoulders as his eyes met with the golden ones.

"Lead the way then, Kise-kun." Kuroko smiled lightly. "And don't forget to buy me vanilla shake as well."

Pit-pat, pit-pat

Kuroko stared blankly at the pouring rain while slurping his large vanilla shake, the tribute from one and only Kise ryouta. He lifted his finger to the window pane, absentmindedly sliding it along one of the million droplets that ran down the transparent glass.

It was a good thing that they found this café earlier before the sky could get mad and punished them with such heavy downpour. Dark clouds idly loitered as the thundering could be heard faintly from inside. Kuroko took another sip from his favorite drink before looking at the taller man who was busy texting via his phone.

Sensing the calm stares, Kise glanced up and offered his usual smile to his beloved person.

Kuroko ignored, couldn't help but tease, "So this is your way of 'talk our lives out', huh?"

Kise pouted. "Stop being so mean already, Kurokocchi!" He wailed out, pointing at his phone accusingly. "I was just replying to Kagamicchi's, that's all."

The blunet raised his brow as he heard his roommate's name, then there's a click in his head as he recalled the conversation with the former ace yesterday. "Oh."

The taller man vigorously nodded Kuroko's afraid his head would be ripped off someday. "He asked if I want to play basketball." Kise answered cheerfully. Kuroko secretly smiled as he noticed the other's eyes glow when the word basketball was mentioned. "So I said yes and I will bring you along since we're together!" he joyfully sang. "We haven't play with one another for who-knows-how-long, it would be fun!"

Kise didn't notice how Kuroko's body slightly tensed and his eyes dimmed without usual light of blue. The man was about to reject the offer like he did with Kagami yesterday, preparing for all the whine and protest he expected from the certain blonde when Kise suddenly gaped at something behind his back. Curious, Kuroko glanced over his shoulder. With the roar of thunder rolling under the screaming sky, Kuroko felt his ears have gone deaf and everything went still for a moment.

On the small screen hanging in the corner of the café appeared the familiar figure running with rapid speed across the court. A glimpse of dark blue shined briefly as the tanned hand finally made contact with the ball, and with sudden change in movement that was too fast to spare the opponent to even blink, he easily stepped backward and threw the ball in his hand straight to the hoop, making the whole gym tremble with an uproar cheer.

Kuroko felt his breathing hitch at the bored expression adorn the tanned man's face. The look that indicated nothing but impassiveness while he ran past the other team forced his eyes to shut.

Kise, on the other hand, whistled at an intimidated play. "That Aominecchi sure has it, huh." He said casually. Though his eyes reflected jealousy, his voice was full of the same respect he held for years toward a certain someone. "Count you, me, Kagamicchi and Midorimacchi out, it's still unbelievable Aominecchi is the only one who pursue basketball career."

"It isn't that impossible, isn't it?" Kuroko somehow managed his voice to come out more stable than he has expected. The man invisibly clenched his fist under the table. "Everyone has their own path of life to take. It is just the matter of time when they realize it that's all."

Kise leaned in his hand, contemplated. "Hmm, that's true." He flashed a smile. "Ma, I can't imagine Aominecchi doing anything besides basketball anyway. It is only thing that he's good at after all."

Kuroko couldn't resist the urge to smile at that. "True it is."

Kise then jovially beamed at Kuroko. "So? You are coming with us too, right?"

Blue logs swayed a little as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kise-kun. I have to decline your offer." He continued before the blonde would come up with any complaints. "I don't think I feel really well under this kind of weather condition after all." He stood up from his seat and bowed a little. "I have something to do, if you excuse me."

"Ah—wait, Kurokocchi!" Kise's voice couldn't reach the blunet as he already went out of the café. Golden eyes wavered with concern as they followed the small figure drove off to another direction albeit the falling rain. His brows contorted and his eyes dropped to his phones.

"I don't think I feel really well under this kind of weather condition after all."

"Kurokocchi…" Kise mumbled under his breath, the sound of rain resonated through his ears.

"You're still not over it, are you?"

Pit-pat, pit-pat

The rain was still falling.

Kuroko stopped his pace as some of droplets touched his hair, serenely lingering at the tip of his fringe before slowly losing to the gravity and dropping to the ground. The quiet pit-pat rang continuously in his ears.

'Aomine-kun, wait—!'

'What do you want with me!?'

'So that is your answer, huh?'

'Stop struggling already….'

'Just act like we didn't know each other anymore, alright.'

It was always like this. Kuroko hid his face underneath his bangs as he bit his lower lip in frustration. The rain always reminded him of unpleasant memories. The things he wanted to forget yet kept on remember he nearly threw himself up. The bitter fragment of his life railed in front of his eyes one after another as if to mock him and spin his life out of his chosen path. He wished the rain has finally stopped. He already gave up on basketball, so why he was still bothered with all the decisions made in the past?

'Isn't it because you are weak?'

Stop it. Kuroko grimaced as he raised his hands to cover his ears.

'You'd better quick basketball. If you're still loitering around here, Aomine won't be able to play to his full potentials, you know it too right?'

Please, I beg you, stop—

'So promise we will stand on the same court again someday na, Tetsu!'

'…you liar'

Kuroko crouched down to his knees, his breathing racked, his head felt so heavy. His body was cold despite the rising heat inside his chest. He tightened his grip around his knees ignoring all the murmurs sent toward his direction.

His head throbbed. No good. Kuroko blinked his eyes as they slowly lost their focus. His consciousness was nearly drifting away. He needed to call Kagami—

But before the man could reach out his phone in his pocket, his blurry eyes noticed someone has stepped toward his way until the person would stop in front of his crouching state. Kuroko tried to focus on the man's face. However, all he could see was half of his face hidden by an umbrella he was holding.

Kuroko shut his eyes in defeat as his body finally fell forward. The only things he remembered before his unconsciousness was the smell of the rain—

—and the familiar warmth of someone's arms.

Kuroko was walking along the corridor of the gymnasium where the winter cup of their last year of high school was held. It was irritably frustrating their team lost in the semi-finals against Shuutoku. Though it was amusing to see Kagami yell with his teary eyes and red nose at the certain ace and captain of the veteran king and got shot straight in the head by his lucky item, the taste of losing was still too bitter to their likings. It was their last tournament together yet they couldn't climb to the top. Kuroko tightened his grip as he heard the cheer roaring from behind the door.

If he was stronger, maybe the tide of water would have changed.

Kuroko tilted his face up and stepped forward. It's no use crying over spilled milk. All he could do was accept the reality and move forward. He loved basketball, that fact was something it couldn't be changed easily, and even though his time of high school basketball has been over, the next page of his life at university was still waiting for him to open.

Kuroko smiled despite himself. And there's also that promise he made with a certain someone too.

He couldn't wait to play with Aomine-kun again.

"You see, I think Toou will win this round."

Kuroko's head snapped toward the direction of the voice. There he saw, a man in his mid-forties talking on the phone with someone, the back of his jacket clearly stated the name of an infamous basketball team, seemingly went all the way here to scout on the promising players.

"Yes, yes. Though it will be a tad difficult, Toou seems to be on a higher level than Yosen. Uh-huh." The man nodded his head, his finger brushed his chin. "That's right. They have Aomine Daiki-kun remember?"

Kuroko's footsteps halted as he heard his friend's name. His attention shifted fully to the older man when the conversation went on and his own name being mentioned.

"Actually, I'm quite interested in him since he was in Teiko…Those plays were incredible one would believe it was only in middle school level. Yeah…though at first it seems less flashy because he had to pay attention to that small boy…Kuroko Tetsuya, if my memory is correct, uh-huh, the one that has little presence, yeah Seirin team."

Kuroko could hear his heart beating fast. What is he talking about?

"It should be only Aomine, don't you think so?" the man laughed. "He is literally shining on the court without any obstacles. If we get him, it will be the end!" he cooed with excitement before lifting his brow when he heard the loud cheer from behind the door. "It seems the match is over. I'll call you later, yeah. I have to go talk to Aomine-kun."

The man was about to turn toward the door when he suddenly jolted as the sight of blue abruptly appeared before his eyes.

"Holy crap…" the man gripped a fistful of his jacket around the chest area as his heart beating loudly at the sudden appearance. "How long are you here!?"

In spite of answering the question, Kuroko lifted his head, an unfamiliar furious glimpse crossed his ignited blue eyes.

"About what you have said earlier," his voice was low but he made sure the other would hear him clearly. "What did you mean by that?"

The man blinked in confusion. "What did I mean by what?"

Kuroko gritted his teeth. He didn't answer immediately, instead waiting patiently for the reply.

The older man stared at the teen before him for seconds before realization drowned to him. He then smirked.

"Oh, isn't you Kuroko Tetsuya-kun." the smile he gave out didn't reach his eyes at all. "Don't you think it's rude to eavesdrop on someone's conversation?" he leered. "Are you, perhaps, wondering who this obstacle I was talking about?"

Kuroko hated the smile on that old man's lips. He diverted his gaze, hands clenching.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, I don't see the meaning of this question at all that you are already aware of the answer itself."

"No one on the court is a hindrance." He heard himself retorting. Kuroko could felt his blood boil inside his body. "Everyone is doing their best for the team. No one is lazing around—"

"Since when did I mention 'anyone'?"

Kuroko immediately felt silent.

"No objections, have we?" The man said, his eyes as sharp as the hawk eyeing its prey. "I'm a coach myself. I have 'eyes' to see the true potential hidden behind the mere stones that would turn into diamonds." He stated blandly "The things I see in Aomine-kun and in the others…I can't just find it in you, that's all."

Kuroko's hands clenched that his knuckles turned white. His brain stopped functioning as the other still continued his brutal insults.

"Why do you think your team lost to Shuutoku, huh?" the man continued, unaware of the dim expression on the supposed indifferent face. "Isn't it because you are weak?"

Kuroko's eyes wavered as he diverted downward to where his hands were clenching with the hem of his jacket. He tried to talk back but his voice was dry, he didn't know what to say.

Because it was true

The sky outside the gymnasium started to grumble. The sound of the rainfall then could be heard, albeit faintly, in the corridor.

"That ace, Kagami was it?, was trying so hard I felt sorry for him." he said casually. "I don't know what that coach of yours was thinking sending you out in such critical moment. Don't you think it resembled suicide?" he shrugged, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you have been committing for the team so far and I don't know how trustworthy you are but all the matter is the results that come afterward." He stated coyly. "And your team lost."

Kuroko could only stand there with his face downward and hands trembling in silent anger and dread.

Angry because his coach and his friend were being insulted by someone who barely knew the truth.

Dreadful because all the things he said, they were undeniably true.

The sound of the rain painfully got louder.

The man took one last glance at the smaller teen before turning his back and walking off to the opposite direction, leaving one last word to the blunet.

"You'd better quick basketball. If you're still loitering around here, Aomine won't be able to play to his full potentials, you know it too right?"

And the thunders began to roar.

At the sound of the rain, Kuroko tiredly opened his eyes.

He blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling before instinctively reaching his hand to touch his thumbing chest, his eyes then snapped shut.

He saw it again. Kuroko couldn't help but retire a sigh. He almost laughed at his fate. Why all the unpleasant things in his life had to deal with the rain. It was raining that day when he was told to stop doing what he loved the most. It was raining the day he broke their promise with Aomine on the last day of the tournament. It was also raining when he was looking for Aomine in order to bring him back to the practice and then—

'I've…no longer known how to receive your passes anymore.'

Kuroko shook slightly, not know if it was from his mockery laugh or the cold rain outside.

He lay still, engulfed in the unfathomable yet comfortable scent, on the bed. He didn't know who brought him here but it's not the place for him to laze around. Large blue eyes swept around the empty room before struggling to sit up. The sharp pain shot through his head that he had to move his hand to support his head in the failing attempt to chase those painful sensations away.

Kuroko groaned in his pathetic state when he heard the door being opened. He peeked through his eyelashes and immediately froze on the spot when he saw who was lazily dragging his feet into the room.

The man with contorted eyebrows donned in loose sweater and tight blue jeans stopped before the bed. His piecing dark blue eyes stared down impassively at Kuroko's agape expression before his tanned hand would rub the side of his neck. His short dark blue locks silently swayed as he readjusted his position and shoved a mug with steamed cocoa in it to the still confused blunet.

Kuroko just blinked in disbelief and continued his stare that made Aomine shift his feet in discomfort.

The taller man heaved a sigh. He looked elsewhere as he said, "Are you gonna drink it or not?"

His voice was so foreign to Kuroko.

Is it really…? Kuroko bit his lips, his body stilled as he drank in the sight of the tanned man.

Is it really Aomine-kun?

Still not looking at the petite man, he repeated. "Are you gonna drink it or not?"

Kuroko snapped out of his trance. Quaveringly receiving the mug, his heart throbbed when their fingers brushed against each other. "T—thank you, Aomine-kun."

Kuroko noticed the other's body tensed up a bit before he heard a sigh. Aomine propped himself on the sofa nearby. His eyes blankly stared at the rain outside the window.

The blunet fidgeted with the mug as he took a sip. The bittersweet of cocoa lingered on the tip of his tongue as the awkward silence reined the room. None of them talked. Kuroko looked downward and for the first time in two years, he didn't know what to do.

He didn't know what to say.

Kuroko startled when hoarse voice resonated in his ears.

"Are you done?" Aomine asked, his face nodded toward the mug in paled hands. "If you're done, give it to me."

'and leave.'

Kuroko tightened his hold around the mug. His eyes casted downward, the suffocating silence resumed.

After a minute but felt like an eternity to the both of them, Kuroko's sudden voice snapped Aomine out of his reverie.

"Um, Aomine-kun" Kuroko stumbled with his words as he felt intense, narrowed eyes stared back at him. "I, I think I own you an explanation…"

"You don't own me anything." Aomine cut his sentence off. Lifting up from the sofa, he walked his way to the bed. "I see you're done with the drink. Give it to me and get off."

Kuroko felt like he was thrown with icy cold water. He stubbornly moved his hands away as the tanned ones reached to take the mug in his hold.

Aomine cursed under his breath. "Tetsu—"

"Listen to me." His voice was trembling, he knew, but he couldn't stop as the unknown emotions waling up inside his chest. "At that time, I didn't mean to say that—"

"And what did you mean to say!" Aomine snapped, seethe seeped through his voice. "What does that even matter now!?"

The betrayed look on his face made Kuroko's face soar and his heart clench in pain.

"Does it change the fact that you betray me!?" Aomine went on, exasperation clearly showed on his eyes, the look that Kuroko has never witnessed.

And never expected he himself would be the cause of it.

"We made a promise that we will stand on the same court, that you will once again be my shadow." Aomine felt weak as he rumbled on. He felt tired but he needed to get this over. "We promised to go to the same university, be on the same team and everything and yet, you—!" he grabbed a fistful of the other's shirt, bringing their faces close to each other. Aomine invisibly cringed when he saw what his expression was through the reflection on those large blue eyes.

Those blue eyes that always full of determination and confidence now were replaced with fear and void of light.

Aomine gritted his teeth in frustration.

What happened to you? He wanted to ask. What happened to me?

He relieved a strained sigh as he slowly released his grasp on the other's shirt. Turning sideways, he stepped back and threw himself on the sofa.

"Just get out." Aomine said coldly, his voice held no room for any arguments.

Kuroko, quietly, silently struggled off the bed. He absently walked passed the tanned man and stopped in front of the door. The cold wind gnawed his skin and froze his bones as he stepped out of the room. His feet unconsciously dragged him along the road. He didn't know where to go, he didn't even know where he was now.

The sky was growling. He stopped and looked up at the vast canvas painted by dark clouds and gray color. His body felt numb, his heart was cold.

As the rain started to fall once again, Kuroko lifted his finger and slowly touched his face.

He didn't know if the wet on his cheek was from the rain or his tears.

End of part I