Something was wrong with their shadow.

During basket training at Seirin High school, Kagami thought of that. Kuroko was, in appearance himself as usual, but Kagami was really close to him so could catch some details about him that the others wouldn't be able to see.
First, and everyone could see that, the bluenette was floating in his sports clothes that were fitting him perfectly a few weeks ago.
Secondly, he had bags under his eyes, imperceptible, but they were there and he looked like he needed a good night rest.
Then, Kuroko was kind of dozing off, wasn't as sharp as usual in his movements, and when Kagami was receiving his passes they sounded off, he even missed a few of them, which was super rare for a specialist like him. His skin was a little paler than usual, and for a mysterious reason, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt while everybody was playing with short-sleeved shirts and sweating like hell.

All those little details mixed together were giving Kagami a bad feeling right in his guts. Especially that Kuroko was always wearing his blank expression, it was a hell of a challenge to guess his actual mood .
So, all the practice passed like this, Kagami feeling awkward and anxious towards Kuroko and the latter being his usual shut-off self.

"Alright boys! Training's over, good job!", praised Coach Riko, throwing her little fist in the air.
"I thought I was going to die...Again," an exhausted Furihata complained, soon being reprimanded by Captain Hyuuga who head chopped him.

As he was drinking his water, Kagami was slightly staring at Kuroko who was walking towards the locker room. His walking had a little sway in it and he was tottering. The red hair frowned and was making his way to the bluenette, when Kuroko fell forwards.
In the blink of an eye, Kagami caught his left arm before he could bang his head hard on the floor, and snaked his arm around the other male's waist.

"Oi Kuroko, you're alright?!" he quickly asked.
"I'm a little light-headed that is all. Thank you, Kagami-kun."

Kagami didn't let go before Kuroko was firmly standing on his feet. The bluenette was looking as if he was going to puke at any time.

"Let me take you to the locker room. You're going to face plant if I let go of you", offered the red hair.
"Th...thank you."

The way to the changing room was silent, Kagami supporting most of Kuroko's weight. Finally, he spurt out the question that he was itching to ask.

"Hey, Kuroko... If there was anything wrong or something bothering you in your life...Would you tell me?"

Almost imperceptibly, Kuroko stiffened for a moment then relaxed.
"But there's nothing wrong Kagami-kun. Why would you think that?"
"You were kind of dozing off during practice. You even missed three of your passes and it never happens usually."
"I was just a little tired, that is all. Please don't worry, I'm fine," insisted the shorter boy.

When Kuroko was saying that he was fine, he would usually pass out 5 minutes later. But the tiger was feeling that he would not get much more out of him right now so he just dropped him on the bench in the locker room, and headed to the shower. Before he got in it, he turned around and said:

"Don't forget that I'm always here if you need anything. You're my shadow and a light can't live without it."
The bluenette looked away at this, with a little blush on his face and smiled sincerely, although there was a hint of sadness in his sweet porcelain face.
When Kuroko was ready and got out of the room, the forward, drying his wild hair with his towel, could not stop himself from thinking how skinny Kuroko's wrist and waist were when he grabbed them earlier
Yeah.
Despite of his emotionless face, there was definitely something wrong with their phantom man. But Kagami knew that he wasn't going to spill out his problems like that because despite his frail look, Kuroko Tetsuya was the most stubborn person he had ever known.
However, the tiger himself was as stubborn as his partner is, and he was going to find out what was wrong with their residential number 11 phantom man.

And he could have swear he had felt the feeling of bandages tapped around Kuroko's wrist.

...

If somebody was going to find out what was going on, it would be one of the GoM guys. Even if the red head didn't want nothing with them (especially Ahomine), he would do anything to ensure Kuroko's happiness. So he decided to call (stupid) Kise first.
On his couch at his appartment, Kagami was waiting for Kise to pick up, but he didn't have to wait for a long time as he got, right after the first tune, a deafening :

"KAGAMICCHI! It's so rare for you to call, how are you doing!?" shouted the pumped-up blonde.
"Geez! Kise, can't you pick up normally?! My ear is freaking killing me!"
"Ahaha, sorry~"
"You don't seem to be though...Listen, I have something to ask y..."
"How's Kurokocchi?" the model asked suddenly and seriously.

Kagami's eyebrows frowned automatically as the blonde was comfirming his fear unfortunately. For the Kise Ryôta to be afraid or serious, it must be something really grave.

"That's the whole point of the call Kise. (Why the hell would I call you if it weren't for something about Kuroko duh) Recently, he has been strange and it's worrying me... all of us! And I was thinking that maybe you will know why."
"Well, I was also thinking that. He's been avoiding all of us recently! He even refused to see Akashicchi! I really don't know what is going on, but I can tell you it's reminding me of when we were in middle school. He avoided and didn't talk to us for what? 2 months, before Akashicchi and Aominecchi went to talk to him. He brushed it off with a "sumimasen" of his, and he was back to normal. Raaaaah Kagamicchi I don't like this! You should go talk to him! And bring Aominecchi with you!"
"Haa? Why should I go with that dumbass? And you're really starting to make me worried sick about Kuroko! Shit... I was already planning on doing something you..."
"I'm saying that because if Kurokocchi is in this exact state, then he would be more comfortable with Aominecchi and you. You're both his lights, you know that right?"

The tiger stopped, realising that even if he was his light now, the genisuses knew him better. Catching his breath and cooling his nerves, he smiled gently.

"You're right Kise. Sorry. If it is for Kuroko's sake, I'm going to do it."

He could almost hear Kise smile as well.

"Ahaha thank you Kagamicchi! And Aominecchi is not a bad person! He is just an idiot who cares but doesn't show it. He sounds a little like y..."
"I'm fucking hanging up Kise if you finish that damn sentence!" he barked angrily.
"Okay, Okay! I didn't say anything, don't get mad!"
"Anyway I'm going to do that. Aomine knows where Kuroko lives?"
"Yeah, I think there is only him and Akashicchi who knows. And Kagamicchi?"
"What?"
"If there is something really bad, tell me would you?" asks worriedly the blonde.
"Yeah don't worry I won't leave you on the dark on it."

Kagami ended up the call with a lingering dread inside his stomach. Why Kuroko would hide something from him? From the team? He knows that they are here to support one another...
Besides, he had to call the deep blue-haired ganguro jerk and talk to him. He brought up the phone up to his ear and waited. Surprisingly, he didn't have to wait much longer:

"Yo Bakagami." came the lazy voice of the ace of Tôô Gakuen High school.
"Yo Ahomine." came the usual reply to their stupid nicknames. "I was calling for..."
"Kise texted me, no need to explain, I'm sending you the address and we're going. Meet me up there."

As soon as he had finished his phrase, he had hung up. For the first time in his life, Kagami was grateful to Kise very much because he saved him the trouble of dealing (by the phone which is even more annoying) with the one and only Aomine Daiki.
But damn it! What was wrong with them? First, Kise isn't his annoying and usual self and then Aomine sends him without any complain Kuroko's adress. What the hell? What did they all know about him that he didn't? Was Kuroko doing a relapse or something? Damn those fucking questions! He was going to Kuroko's, and Aomine was so going to spill out everything.

...

A tall navy blue-haired teen with tanned skin was standing in the threshold of a little house, in Tokyo.

"This time I'm not gonna let you down. You're going to tell me everything Tetsu."/p

A movement caught his trained gaze, a little smile spreading on his lips. With that red head of his, he was quite impossible to miss. Well, he wasn't any better with his navy blue hair and dark skin.

"Yo, you came fast." he greeted to the slightly panting red head who had apparently run all the way from his apartment to here.
"You literally threw me off the phone, so I'm excepting you to tell me a little bit more before we knock on the door." spit out the tiger while catching his breath.
"I knew you would say that. But I'm telling you that right now: the details, none of us know them. We were as eager as you to know what the hell was going on and you know that Tetsu can be secretive as hell, he doesn't even talk about himself that much apart from his opinion on basketball. So I'm as impatient as you." precised the other ace.

Kagami nodded, more confused than ever, but ready to get the truth out of their shadow. With a last glance to the tiger, Aomine knocked on the door:

"Oi Tetsu! It's me, I'm with your dim light, we've come to check on ya!" shouted Aomine.
"Teme!"
"You're inside?" added the blue, ignoring Kagami.

No answer.

"Maybe I should shout louder?"
"Oh shut up." Kagami said exasperatedly, sweat-dropping.

Aomine knocked on the door again. Twice. Still no answer. The two aces shared a worried glance as Kuroko usually comes directly back home after training unless they were all going to eat outside with the Seirin guys.

"Should I kick the door open?"
"Of course not you aho!"
"Then, we should call him...Oi I'm not an aho!"

The tiger was already tipping on his phone. He brought it to his ear but again no tone, it was directly the recorder.

"His phone is off." he said genuinely worried.

"I'm kicking the fucking door open!" the blue hair shouted, already lifting his left leg.
"Wait idiot!"

Before he kicked it open, the tiger tried to open it normally and to his surprise, the door was not locked.

"That is weird. Freaking weird."

Dread was in Aomine's voice as he spoke these words. Waiting no more, the two rushed in the house, quickly taking account of their surroundings. The walls were a light blue and green pastel and their was minimal furniture, very old Japanese-like.

"Kuroko/Tetsu! Are you there?!" shouted the two in sync.

They were throwing frantic glances around them and Aomine was looking like he was going to enter the Zone, triggered only by pure fear. Then the red head noticed that some steam was spreading out of a door, which appeared to be the bathroom. He grabbed the other teen by the arm and dashed in front of it ignoring Aomine's shout.

"Now you can kick the freakin' door!"
"Heck yeah!"

The navy blue-haired didn't wait any longer and swung his leg hard into the door not caring if it was open or not.
To their relief, Kuroko was there. The little one could not hear them because he was asleep in his bathtub. His arms were resting on the edge of the tub, and his head was on his arms, his baby-blue hair soaked wet. But he didn't seem to be sleeping well, his breathing jerky, and man...he looked so much paler than later at the training. But what really caught Kagami and Aomine's eyes were the arms protectors Kuroko was wearing, like the ones basketball players were wearing to protect their wounds during matches.

"He looks so pale, I don't like it."

Kagami looked at the other ace. He forgot that Aomine and the others had not seen Kuroko in a while, so his physical changes must have been striking for Aomine.
The said teen walked toward the little bluenette in order to wake him up. His look was so much tender than usual, eyebrows even more frowned than usual and concerned, which didn't suit him. Kagami chose to let him do it, because he looked like he needed it much more than himself right now.

"Hey Tetsu, you need to wake up or you will catch a cold."

He gently shook his arm two times, and Kuroko whimpered. He slowly rose his head from his arms and groggily rubbed his eyes.

"Damn, I felt asleep in the bath again..." he cursed, surprising the two in the process.

When he was fully aware of his surroundings, he realised that the person who woke him up was his former light.

"Aomine-kun? Kagami-kun too? How did you get inside?" he asked, really sleepy.
"You forgot to locked the door up, you airhead." Kagami answered him gently. We freaked out, ya know? We've come to check on you and the door was open, so we dashed inside like some crazy guys and found you freezing in your cold bath. You're alright, aren't you?" he added, with a very tender voice himself.
"Of course I'm alright Kagami-kun, didn't I told you that earlier?" he said looking worn out. His speech didn't match his words and he definitely didn't look fine, rather transparent like a ghost, like he was going to slip through their fingers at any time.
"Well for now, I'm getting you out of the bath Tetsu. Your body temperature must have dropped a little we need to get you warm again." said Aomine, a little bit like a mother would do.
"I'm still sleepy though..." said the little one, drifting to sleep again, his droopy eyes closing slowly.

Seeing that their shadow wasn't going to wake up for a while, Kagami moved and began to search for towels, which he found quickly. He tossed a big one to Aomine so that he could wrap the bluenette up in it.
The tanned teen got Kuroko out of the tub easily, with one arm wrapped around his waist of course not giving a single care if he got himself wet too. Aomine took a little moment to realize that his arm, even though long, could easily cover all of Kuroko's middle He was much more skinny than the last time he saw him... Heck, he was even thinner than when they were in Teiko middle school. His frown accentuated and he quickly covered the sleepy frail frame with the fluffy towel and began to dry his hair. Aomine was aware of Kagami's look on them, but he found it relieving.

"Hey Taiga..."

Kagami perked up at the use of his first name, but thought it wasn't too bad coming out of his biggest rival's mouth.
The fact that he was calling him Taiga just showed his mental state right now: shocked.

"Yeah, Daiki?"
"Thank you for noticing him. And thank you for reaching to us, especially Kise and me, he said a little emotional, tightening his grip on Tetsuya.
"No probs. And thank Kise, not me. Come on."

Kagami was holding the door for him. For them. The panther stood up, picking Tetsu up bridal style, and headed to the living room. Kagami was about to follow suit when something reddish caught his attention.
In the dustbin, they were some bandages. Bloody bandages. Kagami' blood rushed to his face as his brain began to put two and two together.
Arms protectors.
Bloody bandages.
...Long-sleeved shirt while training.

"Oh Gosh..."
He didn't wait any longer and dashed to the living room. He was going to break down from fear.