Aomine Daiki lies stretched out in bed quite comfortably, his tall ten-year-old body not quite taking up the complete length of the cerulean bed sheets.
He dreams of the sun beaming down on him as he does a lay up. The silhouette he faces fall in defeat and Daiki smiles, trophy in hand.
Dainty footsteps reside in the room as he thrashes around wildly, a grin wide across his face.
"Da-i-ki! Da-i-ki!Da-i-ki!" The nameless crowd cheers, he smile the center of attention.
Suddenly, an earthquake strikes. His dream crumbles around him, but the crowd still call his name.
"Da-i-ki!Da-i-ki~," the crowd whines.
Navy lashes fluttering open, Aomine jumps up, frightening the petite girl near his bed.
"Da-i-ki! Hurry up, we're gonna be late~"
Frowning at Momoi Satsuki, Aomine Daiki promptly falls down, determined to dream about winning the NBA awards once again. Satsuki huffs, before ripping the blankets off him and kicking him on the ground.
Twelve-year-old Aomine Daiki lies on his desk, drool falling from the corner of his mouth. Students whisper and stare, but no one dares tell on the rather frightening ganguro.
He dreams he's running, a soccer ball is chasing him.
The checkered ball is as ugly as ever, with huge yet lanky legs it stalks after him.
"Come back here Ahomine,"
"No, get away, teme!"
They run along a bright red pavement, the thought of this being a dream not quite entering Daiki's admittedly slow brain.
"I'm gonna eat you, you rotten, basketball loving gaki!"
"Shove off, baka!"
In a merry-go-round routine, the soccer ball chomps its large spiky teeth.
"I'll eat you Daiki!"
Daiki feels fear gripping at his heart and he runs faster, futilely trying to out run the lanky-limbed, ginormous soccer ball. Anime tears fall from his eyes as he runs away from the carnivorous ball.
"Dai-chan," it whispers.
Suddenly, it viciously bites his hand and a prick of pain radiates off his hand.
"Itai!" Daiki screams, jolting awake and flicking his hand away until the pain subsides.
Smirking in her seat, Satsuki puts her pencil back in her pencil-case.
"Should've woke up when I first said your name," she whispers, just loud enough for him to hear.
He glares down at her, ready to yell, but Miura-sensei takes this as his cue to start scolding Aomine for disrupting class. Aomine glares at Satsuki throughout the lecture.
On the roof of Teiko Chugakko fourteen year old Daiki sleeps, hand covering his eyes from the blinding sun.
"Daiki-sama," Horikita Mai giggles, dressed only in a bikini.
She stares up at Daiki, lips pursed cutely and a heavy blush covering her face.
"Hai, Mai-chan," he answers suavely.
"I-heh- I... D-d-dais."
Her reply is cut of as Daiki shivers, he can feel the devil coming. Trembling, he plays off his nervousness.
"Mai-chan...I must leave, but know I will be back for you." He whispers down at her, the spotlight on him and the back drop fades to black.
Tears in her navy eyes, Mai nods, watching him stalk away.
Jumping up, Daiki thanks his instincts as he narrowly avoids Satsuki's rolled up documents. Satsuki glares down at the crouched, ready to pounce if necessary, ganguro-baka.
"Ne, Dai-chan~ You need to go to practice, Tetsu-kun's waiting~" Her eyes take a dreamy hue.
Sighing, Daiki picks his bag up and follows Satsuki dutifully, if not a little disinterested.
Satsuki smiles up at him coyly.
"Dai-chan~ Try my special, doki doki onigiri! " She shouts, shoving a monstrosity of so-called food before him
Smiling somberly, Daiki takes the food.
"Itadakimassu," is his mumbled reply.
The rice is under-cooked and too sweet, like she added cream in it. Raw salmon and sweet cream danced across his tongue in a bad way, but Daiki still manages to smile down at his best friend.
"Oishii, Satsuki."
Peering up at him through cherry coloured hair, Satsuki pouts at her best friend.
"Are you mocking me, Dai-chan?"
"Ie, it really is delicious,"
"Are you sure, because I was thinking of getting some black bean paste an-" she turns her back ready to walk out the door, when a weight is suddenly upon her.
Dark arms wrap around her petite waist, not daring to let her go. Leaning his chin on her soft hair, Daiki breathes in Satsuki's scent. It's a mixture of candy and sakura blossoms, her perfume she's had since they were ten. An overwhelming sense of protection courses through his body and he clings on to her, lest she disappear, again.
"Don't leave Satsuki, not yet."
Her frame dissolves and he hears her voice echo around the dark room.
"I'm already gone, Dai-chan."
Daiki awakens with a jolt, heart beating rapidly. Tears restrained in navy eyes and with a heavy heart, Daiki turns to his side, gazing at a the picture Momoi had taken last year. It was taken after Seirin's win at the Winter Cup, the whole of Kiseki no Sedai, looking so happy for the first time since their third year at Teiko.
Sighing, Daiki sits up and searches through his desk draws, before pulling out a paper. With shaking hands, he holds the obituary of his best friend close to his heart and apologises furiously. For every insult he'd ever said. Every birthday he'd ever forgotten. Every instance where he didn't say thank you when he should have. For not being there and pulling her away before the car could hit her. For not answering his phone that day. For letting her die.
From where she stands, Satsuki strides forward, stopping behind Daiki. Frowning sadly, she wraps her arms around the sixteen-year-olds broad shoulders and presses a gentle kiss to Ahomine's ganguro head.
"There's nothing to apologise for, Dai-chan," she whispers.
For the first time in forever, Daiki wishes Satsuki was the one that woke him up. For the first time in forever, Aomine Daiki feels lonely.
And that ending, is why it is rated 'T'. With that, I leave you and thank you for reading.
