It was one of those days. One of those days that are so normal and smooth that they don't seem real. This was atleast how Aomine perceived it before it all went to shit. He should have known. He should have known that bad stuff always happens when you least expect it.
He couldn't stop thinking about how it went so wrong in an instant as he lay crumpled on the ground in a bloodied, shivering heap.
"Aomine-kun, please settle down before Midorima-kun pops a blood vessel."
"But I want that!" Aomine laughed upon seeing the shooting guard's patience grow thin, avoiding the object thrown at him. The tanned male grinned before sprinting out of the locker room. He continued running around the arching, circular hallway because he had so much pent up energy and he need to relax somehow. He didn't care about the weird looks from the few people he passed nor did he care that he would get reprimanded by Akashi later on for his abrupt disappearance.
Eventually Aomine came to a slow jog before leaning against a wall to compose his thoughts, a sudden somber expression appearing on his usually bright features. Even though he had skipped a few practices lately, he was not out of shape. It brought a his sad smile to his lips because it was a bit unfortunate to him how Tetsu couldn't afford to be absent at all or he definitely would be worse off. Yet, here he was and his abilities were not affected one bit. It really was not fair.
"Daiki, right?" The teen broke from his contemplations to eye a boy his age that had a serene smirk gracing his mouth. Aomine recognized the stranger as the power forward of the opposing team he and his teammates were to play today.
"Yeah, that'd be me. And you're Kuran?"
"Please, call me Will."
"Will?"
"My first name."
"Isn't that American?"
"That's right. I grew up there. I'm half Japanese and half American."
"Huh… that's cool."
"Yeah, I suppose it is. Do you mind if I call you by your first name, by the way?"
"Nah. Not one for strict honorifics, anyway. Usually only my parents or my captain call me that, though."
"Well, I'm special, hm?"
"I guess so. Did you need something or did you come to just chat nice with me?" The smile directed at him was cold, bitter, almost like the ones Akashi would use when he became angry. It always made death seem like the better option than be on the receiving end of it.
"You're quite perceptive, Daiki, I must say. But, yes, I would like to propose something to you."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" The boy came toward him and Aomine was surprised to realize that his counterpart was a bit taller than him.
"You're obviously very talented, one of the best, if not the best, players I've seen in a long time." Aomine scoffed, frowning with the most unimpressed expression he could. He had a feeling he knew where this was going and he did was not amused at all by the prospect of it.
"Flattery gets you nowhere. Just tell me what you want."
"Alright then, I guess I'll cut right to the chase. I want you to lose today."
"What?" Aomine growled out, hands in his pockets as he made to walk past Kuran. Despite the fact that he had a sinking feeling that this was exactly what the boy had wanted, he was still surprised and disgusted and it struck something cold deep within him. "Forget it. Talk's over." The Teiko player grunted when his back suddenly collided with solid wall again. There was a strangely soft hand on his jaw and one next to his head.
"You will lose." Cobalt eyes narrowed with annoyance.
"And why the hell would I do that?"
"Unless you want trouble, you're gonna do as I say, Daiki." Tanned arms crossed together, a barrier between the two frames.
"Trouble's my middle name, Willy."
"I'd rather not lose to Teiko in my turf. My team is absolute shit so if you're—"
"Are you listening to yourself? You sound pathetic." That nefarious grin widened and Aomine actually felt his core turn to ice.
"I know how it must sound, but if you do lose for me, then I'll give you all the money and Horikata Mai wonders you desire."
"What? I…" The tan boy's eyes were bewildered and his stomach dropped at the malicious smirk.
"I've been keeping an eye on you, Daiki. I know all there is to know. Now, will you do it or not? Teiko can afford one loss, especially you."
"I-It's not my fault we're—"
"Listen to me, you little punk. You're the ace of those monsters. You could easily win the whole thing without the rest of 'em. No one else holds a torch to you, Aomine Daiki. Not even me. I may sound like a coward but it's the bitter truth. The only one who can beat you is you." The Teiko power forward's blue orbs widened, body going slack after registering Will's perturbing words.
"T-The only one who can beat me is… me?"
"Exactly. You're too good for everyone else. Give us a chance." Aomine looked down briefly before his and the blonde's green eyes were clashing. The other teen smiled sweetly, stroking tan skin affectionately. The shorter boy then inured his jaw, cobalt orbs hardening just as much.
"Fuck off, white boy."
"What was that?"
"I said fuck off and go back to your team, you piece of shit." Kuran's glare was deadly as he whispered a "you'll be sorry" before swiftly walking in the opposite direction where he came from. Aomine didn't realize he was holding his breath until he exhaled. His heart was thrashing against his rib cage and he didn't even know why. If he was being completely honest, the look he knew he saw present in those harsh eyes chilled his bones.
No one else holds a torch to you.
You're too good for everyone else.
Give us a chance.
The Teiko player's hands were shaking and his body was absolutely still because those words… they were all he could think about. He knew he was talented, and he knew that the more he practiced, the more he would improve. People always asked him to go easy on them. They always gave up. The pressure he kept feeling lately would not succumb and his heart and shoulders, even his smiles, felt heavy nowadays.
Why wasn't he able to feel light anymore?
Why did basketball feel like such a burden?
"Aomine-kun?" He whipped around, coming face to face with the expressionless façade of his partner.
"Oh, Tetsu… How long have you been there?"
"For once, not the whole time. What is with that look on your face?"
"Huh? What look?" The pale bluenette stared intensely at him for another moment but then shook his head as if he was signaling the end of the short lived conversation.
"Let us go back or Akashi-kun will not be pleased."
"He's never pleased," Aomine whispered but Tetsu ignored the comment and the two walked back to the locker room silently. The tan boy's fists were clenched so tightly in his pockets that he felt them grow moist with red frustration and torment.
The only one who can beat you is you.
Aomine's breath was slightly winded but he was faring far better than his teammates and his opponents as he jumped and performed his famous dunk. He landed smoothly, wiping a bit of perspiration with the back of his hand. The power forward turned around to eye the court and his heart dropped because why did everyone look so small? Why did they all look so hopeless? Why was no one trying?
"Nice one, Aominecchi! Now we're up by forty points!" The blonde patted his teammate on the back, grinning brightly as Kuroko's knuckles met Aomine's. The tan boy was not paying attention to any of the compliments nor the fist bump, only returning the gesture out of habit, because all he saw was the lifeless forms of the opposing team. Will's cold eyes were burning into him, injecting him with that same ice. The blue haired teen shivered and brushed his companions away to get in position.
At this point, he wasn't even thinking about what he was doing. He was moving purely from instinct.
The only one who can beat you is you.
When Aomine broke past the defense and executed a flawless turnaround to shoot the ball, his eyes drifted towards the center and the small forward near him. They were peering at the floor in defeat and walking away with dead expressions. His gaze redirected to his shot and watched it go in with a beautiful 'SWOOSH' despite his falter. The crowd was going wild… for what? For him?
The Teiko power forward heard the other players whispering and murmuring about how he "was a monster" and how "no one can beat Aomine" and that "he's too good" and "we don't stand a chance" and "there's no way he's human, I quit."
The only one who can beat you is you.
Aomine clenched his jaw and grit his teeth, shoulders slumping in defeat. His body felt a hundred pounds heavier as he went to mark Kuran, avoiding the curious gazes of his shadow and his captain. He met the swelteringly frozen orbs of his counterpart and he wanted to lay down for the longest time possible.
"This is your choice, then, huh?"
"I… My body's moving on its own, I can't—"
"Shut up. I warned you. You're done, you freak. You're gonna pay for humiliating me like this. I bet you enjoy seeing others suffer, don't you?" The sneer and glare directed at him was so malicious and fiery that it shocked him at little. It was so full of contempt and it stung in the worst way possible.
"I-I don't—"
"Save it. I promise you, Aomine Daiki, that you will feel my pain and embarrassment soon enough. You'll see and you'll never forget how it is for us normal people. Just you watch, you monster." Aomine's breath hitched and his eyes widened, chills seeping all the warmth in his soul away from him.
He was vaguely aware of Tetsu passing the wall to him and he was vaguely aware of himself shoving Will away to retrieve it and he was vaguely aware of himself dribbling past the others to dunk it in hard enough for the frame and hoop to come crashing down.
The only one who can beat you is you.
"AOMINE-KUN!" The tan male felt a push to his side and a body on top of his as he landed on his back and heard a loud 'CRASH' emit throughout the court. He watched the entire structure come down seconds after Kuroko had moved him out of the way, cobalt orbs dazedly staring at the rubble and the glass shards and the silence ubiquitous around him as his friends came running towards him. Will was smirking darkly and shaking his head, turning his body to walk past his stunned and terrified teammates.
"Daiki, what is wrong with you?"
"Aominecchi!? Are you OK?"
"Aomine, do not move and allow me to look for any injuries."
"Minechin, are you feeling hungry?"
"Aomine-kun, do not ever do that again!" The power forward listened to all their voices and everyone else's but he only really heard Will's cruel one.
The only one who can beat you is you, you freak.
His shadow freed himself from his limbs and the warmth went with him, squeezing the air out of Aomine's lungs. He wanted to reach for him, wanted to grasp for red passion and green sincerity and gold hope and purple strength and blue friendship but he couldn't.
The closer he went and reached for them, for the sun, the further he felt himself drown. He felt his arms and legs and neck be dragged down further by invisible bindings and his voice was swallowed by the echoes of everyone's screams and pleas. They were begging him to give them a chance, for him to stop their suffering.
So, he let his hand fall and permitted them to quit hurting; he stopped reaching for the surface where warmth would greet him.
The game ended with Teiko winning 123 to 51, to no one's surprise. Currently, each team was in their respective locker room changing out of their uniforms. Aomine's movements were slow and everyone was trying not to look at him, keeping quiet amongst themselves. He was faintly conscious of their pitiful stares and turned his head to look at them with the most exhausted eyes they'd ever seen. The air in the room was tense and thick, choking him more than he already felt.
"What? I can feel my skin melting." They all stared hesitantly at one another before Kuroko decided to approach his light with a tentative step forward from his spot next to the teen.
"Aomine-kun, are you feeling alright?"
"For the millionth time, Tetsu, yes, I'm perfectly OK. How many times do I need to tell you?!" He didn't even recognize his own voice as he growled at the smaller boy. He was staring back with an intense fire in his eyes and Aomine only felt his anger increase because why couldn't anyone just let him be?!
"Then what happened today, Daiki? You could have injured yourself and—"
"Aominecchi! You scaaared me! How did you even do that? And if Kurokocchi hadn't saved you—by the way, nice job, Kurokocchi, you're my hero—you could have DIED!"
"Aomine, how could you be such a baka? We might have to pay for that—"
"Minechin, do you need snacks?"
"Do not interrupt me when I speak, Ryouta, ever."
"Aomine-kun, we're worried about you. You have been acting strange—"
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! DON'T ANY OF YOU EVER SHUT UP?! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! I'M SICK OF ALL OF YOU PRICKS!" He roared, swiftly grabbing his things and breaking past all of his teammates to storm out of the stuffy locker room. Why did he feel like he was going to explode at any given moment? He couldn't take this anymore. All he could think and see and hear was Will and his words and he felt like he was being smothered by each and every recollection and sneer. His body felt like ice.
As soon as he exited the building and dashed outside, he was drowned in the overwhelming feeling to sleep in the rain saturating his clean clothes. He just wanted to ignore and sequester all of the pressure building behind his ribcage and his eyes, running and running until he was dense and rife with thudding water and his shaky breaths.
He was back at the arena where he'd come from and he wanted to run away all over again. He saw people coming out of it and some just standing there, Aomine realized, looking for him. One of them, who looked faintly like Kise, was pointing and shouting his name.
The Teiko power forward backed away and broke out into a sprint again, shutting out the yells and rain deafening his ears. He was barely aware of himself screaming at them to leave him the fuck alone and he needed time alone and he really hoped they got the message. At least he hoped Akashi did and that he would make everyone else, especially Tetsu, understand.
Aomine felt something clutch his arm and tug him into an alley so his back met brick wall. He vaguely heard footsteps run past him and shrills of Aominecchi where are you and Aomine-kun please do not do this and the worry underlying their voices struck him, and Jesus Christ, what was he doing?
As he went to go back out to face his friends and tell them he was OK and that they could all just go home, he was pulled back further until he hit the ground and a foot right underneath his throat held him down. He groaned, squinting so he could try and make out who the bastard was. He heard rustling, like someone was going through his bag, and he widened his eyes.
"Hey, what are you doing?! Get the fuck off me!"
"Shut up." A swift kick was dealt to his side and the shoe on his collar pressed down further, crushing the bone underneath. His breath hitched upon listening to the voice because he knew that tone...
"Kuran! What the hell?!" The light of a phone illuminated the boy's face and the scorn written all over his face made Aomine's blood run cold.
"Just telling Tetsu that Aomine-kun is going home and that he will see him tomorrow." Large hands lifted his numb body up, his hands being tied behind his back. That snapped him out of his daze and he lashed out at the person behind him, his fist meeting with a hard jaw.
"DON'T touch me!" Aomine was aware that most of Will's teammates were surrounding him, grabbing for him. He kicked and punched, trying to evade their own hits so he could escape. He was caught by surprise when a sharp blow to the back of his knees was dealt by something solid, making the Teiko player crumple to the ground. A harsh knee to the face knocked back down, red splattering all over the concrete. Aomine tried to get back onto his feet but the solid object, which he realized was a metal baseball bat, struck him in the ribs and the pain knocked the wind out of him. He cried out, clutching the surely broken area.
Aomine heard snickers and laughs all around him. He felt kicks on his thighs, his sides, his face, everywhere but he wouldn't back down. His arms were shakily attempting to support him, after he dealt his own kick to the nearest person, as he tried to get up. His wrists were knocked down from under him and his cheek landed harshly onto the pavement with a resounding THUD.
"Know your place, you freak." His arms were grabbed for and, this time, Aomine couldn't resist because of the firm hold on his arms and legs. He struggled to break away but the chain that held his wrists together burned his skin and he was forced up roughly to face his assailants. He gritted his teeth and spat out blood from inside his mouth at Kuran's triumphant face. The blonde frowned at the tan male's smirk before a hard slap on Aomine's cheek left a bruise in its wake.
"Don't. Touch. Me." The shorter teen snarled, attempting to liberate himself from his captor but that only resulted in another hit to his hip with the bat. Aomine bit his lip to keep from whimpering at the ache because god it hurt so much.
"What was that, freak?"
"Stop calling me that!" His hair was yanked back sharply, Aomine's breath hitching when he saw the look in those hardened green eyes. They were predatory and out for blood.
"I told you I would show you what it's like to be one of us. So that's what I'm gonna do. Knock you down a notch or two. How's that sound, guys?" Various shouts of concurrence echoed in his ears and the bluenette growled, throwing his head back swiftly so the back of it smashed into his captor's forehead.
"I said to BACK THE FUCK OFF, assholes!" Aomine was livid as he tried to get out of his bonds but Kuran was not having it, grabbing his throat and slamming him into the wall again. The shorter boy groaned as he saw stars, trying to blink them away.
"You're in for it now." The words were whispered spitefully into Aomine's ear before he was shoved down onto his knees and was forced to look up at the opposing power forward.
"Do your worst, freak." Those eyes narrowed, snapping his fingers. Aomine heard rustling and he felt bile building in the back of his throat when he realized it was from pants and shorts dropping in a heap. He glanced back up to Will with wide, bewildered eyes because god no this was not happening Nononono…
"That's exactly what I plan on doing, Daiki. Open." He was aware of something hard poking him in the cheek and he shook his head, turning away because please no please no PLEASE NO!
"Y-You can't be serious! Stop or I swear I'll—" that same thing shoved past his lips and hit the back of his throat, making Aomine gag. He shut his eyes as it moved in his mouth and hands roamed his body and his hair was pulled roughly.
So he bit down hard.
The person, who Aomine recognized as the captain of the team, howled in pain and he cursed and his fist met the Teiko player's bruised face. Said teen grunted as he fell onto his side, shivering and staring up with disgust at the boys surrounding him once more.
"So you wanna play like that, huh?"
"You did say that the only one who can beat me is me."
"Hmmm, I did, didn't I?" The two were glaring at one another vehemently, the blonde snapping his fingers again. The captain's hand was rubbing the place Aomine had introduced his teeth to as he slowly pulled a blade out of his back pocket. The shimmer of it mesmerized the tan skinned male, his azure orbs transfixed in horror.
"W-What are you—" Fingers shoved wet and dirty cloth into his mouth, muffling the rest of his sentence. Aomine's body stiffened when the sharp object came closer to his neck, trying to move so he could get back up and fight. His attempts did not go unnoticed and two pairs of hands maneuvered him onto his front and pinned him down.
"Get out the camera, Takuya." Aomine's heart picked up, realizing what was about to happen. The back of his neck felt hot when it hit him, the heat creeping up into his face.
"Stay down where you belong, you monster." The captain laughed, the blade digging into the soaked cotton of the Teiko power forward's shirt. The bluenette squeezed his eyes shut when it dragged down his back, a burning sting thudding, along with rain, on his back.
"Look at 'im, all laid out nice and submissive, like a good little bitch." His blood froze when the pointed object easily cut open his jeans and boxers so he was completely exposed and open to his assailants. Aomine felt something prodding at his entrance and he shook his head, trying to break free from the rough hands holding him in place.
"The only one who can beat you is you, huh? I think we've beat you this time, punk." Aomine's scream was stifled by laughs and the makeshift gag when something entered him rough and fast, bottoming out inside him. He thought he heard a click of a camera and cried out in despair and anguish.
"How's it feel, ya freak?" No one listened to the tanned boy's shrieks and pleas for them to please stop, Aomine feeling the horrid thing pounding into him from behind. Fingers entered with it, as well as some touching his damp body, and he felt himself breaking piece by piece with every thrust. No one was here to help him up this time.
The sun was gone.
A harsh slap was dealt to his rear and his hair was yanked back, emitting a pained whimper from Aomine. They all barked in laughter, they all whispered dirty things onto his skin, they all pressed bruises into his soul. His ribs bellowed in agony, as well as his wrists, and he wished he was anywhere but here as he kept hearing camera shutters go off.
He wanted to die.
"This is what you get for being better than everyone else. You deserve this for making all of us suffer. You brought this on yourself, freak." Aomine's heart grew numb, like a layer of ice was growing around it, and he stopped trying to say anything after that.
The only one who can beat you is you.
Aomine was shivering and battered and covered in red and white essences that kept washing away and coming back. He lay there, quiet and bare, and let the rain attempt to clean the filth that was everywhere. He knew that the grime would never go away, though. He was tainted and unclean and that only made him curl into himself tighter.
After that, he stopped trying to reach out for the sun. It didn't feel warm anymore.
The only one who can beat you is you.
He stopped trying altogether.
The only one who can beat you is you, you freak.
He stopped smiling.
The only one who can beat you is you.
He stopped caring.
The only one who can beat you is you.
Aomine Daiki stopped loving.
The only one who can beat me is me.