In this world there are only two things: constants and unreliables.

I'd grown up in a world of constants; the same doctors and nurses, same hospital, same appointments, same words said over and over again, the same feeling in the pit of my stomach that had become so normal I can't remember a time it wasn't there.

There had only ever been one unreliable thing: me.

I think I knew first time I happened to glance him from outside the smudged glass of my window. I knew that things would end up this way. How could they not? There was no other alternative ending, no parallel universe where this situation would have ended how everyone wanted it to. There was never any possibility, and yet I knew.

I'm going to play basketball with him.

Of course if I had known then what I know now, maybe I would have reversed everything, changed my mind and closed my eyes again so I couldn't see his face from behind the fingerprinted screen between myself and the sky.

Maybe things would be different, but then again maybe not.

That's the thing about fate, it is never a constant.

The sky had turned an unnaturally dark color that day, but the clouds never appeared anywhere. It was simply like the blue had gotten deeper, more tempered than it's normal cheery color. He glanced around at the empty court, the grip of the basketball fresh in his hands. Hoisting himself up from the cracked pavement he let the ball drop and watched it bounce down the court and away from him, it's height slowly decreasing as it rolled farther towards the fence on the other side.

\

This basketball court had long since been abandoned by the neighborhood locals, and inspecting the ground, he could see why. The yellow and white lines had long since faded into almost nonexistence, the ground jutted unexpectedly through the cement, and the hoops on either side barely clung to the shreds of a net left behind from the weather and time.

But it was perfect.

This was what he needed, not some squeaking and shiny gym where the noises were screech of basketball shoes drowned at all sound and the annoying voices of ignorant players echoed off the walls in their attempt to be heard.

He walked the few feet to pick up the ball, testing it's weight in his hands before lining up and shooting, watching the ball more clatter than swish into the far hoop.

Yes, this was the perfect place. The perfect place to escape.

He jogged the few feet and snatched up the ball, feeling the familiar energy seep into his bones and felt the need to move, to run, to dodge, to shoot, to just play.

So he gave in. He closed his eyes and gave in, feeling the invisible enemy move around him and he attacked, hearing the crunch of the loose gravel under his feet and the air between his fingers as he took shot after shot, with the hoops that went clank instead of hiss.

The sun was beating down now, but the sky remained dark. He could feel the sweat beginning to collect on the back of his neck, under his arms, even feeling the heat through the thin white tee shirt he had changed into after school.

"Hey! Hey!"

He jumped and almost completely dropped the ball at the voice. Widening his eyes he looked around the court but saw nothing, not a single person.

"Hello? Are you blind over there?"

"Hey!" He yelled back, anger ticking in his head.

The voice was louder this time, and so annoying.

"I'm right here you know?"

That voice was even more loud and turning around, he found himself face to face with its owner.

He was dressed all in black, jeans and a sweatshirt to match, all in dark contrast to his ghostly white skin only revealed on his neck and face.

"Took you long enough, I thought you'd never find me!" The stranger said, giggling a little and stuffing his hands in the long pockets of his jeans. His voice suddenly turned serious and his eyebrows shot up in alarm "Wait you aren't really blind are you?"

He found himself replying before even thinking as his eyes flicked up to meet the others,

"Of course I'm not!"

He suddenly felt a lump grow up in his throat as he finally found the eyes of this odd intruder.

The sun, that was all that came to mind, golden hair lazily tossed to the side, and amber eyes with something like a strange light he had never seen before anywhere else, something expected to be found in the most unlikeliest of places.

It would be weird to call another guy beautiful, but that's what he was. He was almost enchanting to look at if it weren't for-

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"

That voice.

"I have a name you know," he replied, ignoring the other boy's question.

"But I already know your name!"

"Huh? What?! How do you-"

"You're Aomine Daiki, that much is obvious, right?"

And for the first time, Aomine found himself unable to say a word.

Even the way he phrases questions is weird, what's with this guy?

"Anyway, before you interrupted me, I was asking if you played basketball?" As he spoke his face began to light up. The image of the sun began to creep to the edge of Aomine's mind again.

"Uh...yeah…" he replied slowly, hoisting up the basketball and cocking his eyebrow.

"I play for the team at school but I uh like to do extra," he paused before adding "Alone."

"Ah I see, the lone wolf."

"No it's not like that I-"

"Kidding, kidding, geez someone's a little touchy."

Who was this guy anyway thinking he could disturb my perfect peace, what's his problem?

Aomine knew he kept asking himself the question, but couldn't string together the words to actually come out of his mouth. He just stared back at this no name, his grip on the ball growing firmer. Then the realization hit him, "Wait, what was your name anyway?"

"Who, me?"

"There's no one else here do you think I'm talking to myself?"

"Kise,"

"What?"

"Kise Ryota." he repeated, turning on his heels a little as if to move away.

"Nice name," Aomine replied, attempting to sound sarcastic.

"Thanks!" Kise said, grinning and laughing almost to himself.

He took a few steps away but swiveled his head, blonde hair catching in the sunlight.

He really does look like a sun. No wait there's a better word for this.

"You better be back tomorrow so I can play with you,"

Warmth. He looks like warmth, like a gentle fire.

"Daiki."

"Hey don't call me that!"

Kise just smiled again and walked faster, past the fence, around the corner and out of sight.

"Warmth, pff" Aomine muttered to himself, "What a stupid thing to think."

He spun the ball on his finger for a moment, feeling the grooves and bumps as it moved.

"What the hell was with that guy?" he whispered, still talking to himself subconsciously.

More like what the hell is with you, he thought silently.