Warnings:LGBT- Transgender!Kuroko (Male to Female), Violence. There may be triggers so please proceed with care.
No one ever said that only girls could dream of castles and dresses. Even boys were allowed to dream sometimes.
When Kuroko was 5, he dreamt of a crimson-haired Prince, riding on a white horse. They were surrounded by a meadow with beautiful lavenders growing wildly, stretching towards the forest. As the Prince approached, he climbed down gracefully and gave him, no, her a bow. He took her small hand in his and pressed a light kiss on porcelain skin. She blushed as he looked up with heterochromatic eyes and a winning smile.
The Prince was handsome and a mere commoner like her could never imagine how a Prince would want her. However, he assured her that her beauty could not be compared to anything or anyone for her beauty was too great. Her cheeks flushed to the colour of a tomato and he chuckled. Offering an arm to her, she took it. She knew he was the one that will take her from here. To bring her back to live a happily ever after with him in his Castle. He helped her up his white horse before he swung behind her and slipped his arms around her tiny waist to take the reins. Together, they galloped away in the direction of his Castle.
That was the end of the dream, Kuroko explained to his mother. He told her about the sky blue dress he was in and about how good-looking his Prince Charming was. She smiled indulgingly at him and nodded when he asked if the Prince would come and get him.
Ever since that dream, Kuroko was never the same again. He knew he had boy parts and he was required to dress as a boy in society. When he went to school and talked to girls about how lovely their dresses are and how he wished he could try them, the boys had scorned him. They bullied him into submission and had him do dirty deeds for them such as stealing. He returned home crying and his mother comforted him.
On the morrow, he was transferred to another kindergarten. When he started his first day, he promised himself that he would not talk or act like a girl anymore. He would be a boy, a boy he would be to his family and friends and everyone else. But deep down, he knows. He is a girl at heart but no one must know. Absolutely no one at all.
9 years later found Kuroko training basketball with his new friend, Aomine. The dark-skinned boy was a merry boy who enjoyed basketball a lot. Kuroko took up basketball so that he could build up his strength to fight against bullies and to increase his manliness. 9 years later and he still believed that he should have been born a girl. The desire to wear dresses was buried deep within him and threatened to break a few times but he chained them and locked them up, shoving his wants and desires to a dark corner. Because no one must know of this. Or they would hate him. Society has a lot of narrow-minded people and with that, he must not let them know of his girl heart.
Coming back to the present, he was having trouble shooting (as always) when three others entered. Aomine greeted them enthusiastically while Kuroko wished he could hide from that pair of piercing red eyes which belonged to the one and only Akashi Seijuurou. When he first saw the redhead two years ago, his first thought was his Prince. Akashi resembled the Prince in his dream so much that he continued to wish that his Prince would approach him and steal him away to his Castle.
A year has passed and they have yet to talk to each other. Kuroko gave up on the dream that his Prince would come and retrieve him because that was not going to happen. Not ever. Everyone around him barely noticed him, even his Prince do not know of his existence. The dream was a lie and it was shattered into pieces when his Prince walk past him without turning his head one day. That night and the many nights after, he shed tears for his broken dream and the loss of his Prince. He was no Princess and his life was no fairy tale. It took him months to recover and return to his daily routine but he no longer held on to that dream. It was a stupid girlish dream every girl has and they including he should wake up and face reality.
Life went on as normal and he made new friends each day and forgot about the dream. Until today that is, when the redhead decided to grace Aomine and Kuroko with his presence and looked at him. He felt as if those eyes could look into his soul and discover his deepest darkest secret. He barely managed to control his shudder when those eyes flickered from Aomine back to him after the dark-skinned boy introduced him to his teammates.
After a thorough assessment by Akashi, the redhead decided to recruit Kuroko into their team which shocked everyone because he was weak and could not shoot a single ball into the basket.
But the redhead had only smiled and told them to trust him because he trusted in Kuroko's potential. Aomine was happy for him and he returned the fist bump the taller boy offered.
It was three months later that he obtained the name Phantom Sixth man.
Kuroko panted as he ran, knowing that he was about to reach his limit. His Captain watched him knowingly and signalled for a change of member. The whistle sounded and Kuroko was benched while Kise was sent out to substitute him.
Momoi offered him a towel and he gladly received it to wipe his face. He took a seat next to the rest of his team mates and grimaced, because he was sweaty and stinky. All boys like girls who smell nice. At times like these, he would squirm in discomfort and feel an itch under his skin. Lately, the itch has been getting worse and the other benched players asked him if he was alright out of concern.
"I am fine," he answered with a smile and turned back to the game. "I am merely excited." The others grinned at him and proceeded to cheer for the Teiko basketball players.
The next few minutes or so, the itch was still there. Usually, it would go away when he ignores it but not this time. He got up and excused himself, saying that he needed the washroom. He all but fled from the scene and locked himself in an empty stall.
'Why is it not going away?' He thought to himself in frustration. He shut the toilet seat and sat down, scratching his neck where it itches the most. Closing his eyes, he wished he could peel off his skin and maybe turn into a girl. But it was a stupid wish because nothing like that would happen unless magic is real. Magic does not exist. Just as his Prince on a white horse.
"Why must I be this way? Why can't I be born a girl?" He whispered, leaning his head against the wall of the stall as he scrub away his tears furiously.
Who knew how long he stayed there sobbing quietly until he heard approaching footsteps. Someone stood outside his stall and he bit the neck of his T-shirt to muffle any sounds from escaping his lips when he recognised that the pair of shoes outside belonged to his Captain.
"Tetsuya." The redhead's voice sent a shiver down his spine. "Open the door."
Not trusting his voice, he shook his head as if the other could see the motion.
"Tetsuya, open it now or I will bang this door down." Believing his Captain would carry out his threat, he wiped his tear-streaked one final time and unlocked the door.
Akashi pushed it open slowly and gazed at Kuroko, his heterochromatic eyes took in the state of his team mate.
"You have been crying." It was not a question. Hence, it required no answer. So Kuroko waited because he knew Akashi was going to say something else.
The redhead placed a hand on his cheek to turn his head so that they could look at each other properly. Kuroko dared avert his gaze for fear of offending the other.
"I noticed you walk away during the game. Is it because you do not like what you see?" He questioned.
Kuroko bit his lower lip. It was true that he noticed that his team mates have changed especially Aomine. The dark-skinned teenager no longer attended practice as if practice was a chore. And Akashi has started calling him by his given name ever since one of his eyes turned yellow. Every one of his friends no longer enjoyed playing basketball and winning was the only thing that mattered to them. Not that he does not desire winning as well. It was just that their definition of winning was different. They believed in winning by their own individual skills while Kuroko believed that winning should be as a team. Everyone started drifting apart and he felt as if he was the one being left behind.
Added to his girl problems, it was no wonder that stress has accumulated to the point that he could no longer keep it within himself. So he cried, pouring everything out and it was still insufficient.
And just yesterday, he made a decision to quit the team because he could no longer bear all the stress. However, he still could not gather his courage to hand in his resignation form. He wanted to say a final goodbye to his friends before he leaves the team for good.
Now, to be confronted by his to-be-ex-Captain, he felt compelled to just spill everything to the other. Tell him all of his problems. How he felt as if everyone was leaving him behind. Tell him of his insecurities and most of all that he was no boy.
But that would make matters worse and his friends would no longer be his friends. And he found that he does not want that to happen.
So he offered a bitter smile to the redhead and walked away, only to be held back by a strong grip on his arm.
"I know about your secret." Kuroko's cerulean eyes widened in shock, his heart coming to a standstill. No. He must not know. Especially him. He could not bear to see the redhead's reaction if he were to know that his team mate was not normal.
Akashi pulled him close into an embrace, slipping his arm around his abdomen and held him close. He whispered, the air from his mouth tickling Kuroko's nape, causing him to shudder. "You are a girl but I don't mind you being one."
So carefully had he guarded his secret and now that it was out in the open, his heart seized once more. Until he registered what the redhead has said. "W-what?" His voice trembled as he spoke, not believing what Akashi has just said.
"I dreamt of you at the age of five. I dreamt of riding a white horse to get you. There was a beautiful maiden in a sky blue dress, smiling shyly at me as I halted my white horse to climb down. I approached her, bowing low and took her hand in mine to place a kiss. Her blush was cute. When she addressed her commoner status, I assured her that she was a Princess in my eyes. I helped her up my horse and together, we were headed to my Castle.
"8 years later, I saw her again. However, she has hidden herself from the world. 'Why would she conceal her beauty from the world?' I asked myself. However, I fear that I may scare her away if I approach her because many girls and boys find me intimidating even at 13. So I waited for her to approach me instead. But she did not.
"A year later, I saw my chance as I saw her playing basketball with Daiki. So I decided to grasp it. I saw potential in her but most of all, I saw a maiden in pain. My Princess. Why was she in such torture? I was selfish and wanted her by my side. So I trained her personally and made sure that she would grow. And flourish she did into a swan by my hands.
"She was beautiful but I was inadequate as her Prince. I needed to be something more to be worthy of her. Not knowing that the path I took would cause her further despair, I implemented the plan and pushed everyone away, forcing them to do so too. In the process, not noticing my greed and arrogance, I have pushed my Princess away. All because my mind fed me with 'I am absolute'.
"Today, I took notice of my wrongdoings and questioned myself, 'what have I done?' Forgive me, Tetsuya. For I have been stupid and done you so many wrongs. I am sorry." With that, his arms started to slip away.
She cried, hot tears streaming down her reddened cheeks. He was her Prince all along. She turned and entwined her fingers with his in a vice grip.
"Sei," she whispered. With a sudden surge of bravery, she said out loud, her voice unwavering, "don't you dare let me go again."
Akashi, hearing this, gathered her in his arms and held on to her tightly. "Never," he swore to her.
She smiled and hugged him, her fingers digging into that strong back that she has always admired from afar.
"Tetsuya," he called her and she looked at him. His lips twitched upwards as he said, "I may not have a Castle but I have a white horse. I may not be a real Prince but I hope to be one to you." She smiled a small smile.
"During the weekend, let's buy you all the dresses you deserve including that sky blue dress from our dream. We will start your treatment whenever you're ready. Then, I will buy us a mansion with a meadow around it. And finally, we will recreate that dream we shared 9 years ago. Is that okay with you?" He pressed his forehead against hers.
She beamed tearily. "Okay."
And they lived happily ever after.
The End