A/N: This is a belated birthday tribute to Kuroko, since I couldn't post it on time (curse you, family reunions!). I hope people like this, since I was initially unsure about posting this. Delirium does funny things.
Summary: In a game of harmless truth or dare, the Generation of Miracles realize the true extent of hate and a grudge from their Phantom Sixth Man.
The plastic bottle spins round and round on the wooden table without a single hint of stopping, making everyone else sitting at the table either excited or nervous whether the bottle will choose them or not for yet another round of truth or dare.
So far, the last two dares in a row were embarrassing and hilarious; Aomine had to give a wedgie to Midorima, who was making his way back to the gathering from the kitchen and tripping him when the furious horoscope follower tried to maim the pervert with a butter knife full of strawberry jam.
As for the second dare, Kise had to tweet on his public twitter account that he was in irrevocably in love with pigeons only and that he was an incurable pigeonphile, courtesy of Akashi, who, apparently had a hidden sick sense of humor. This resulted in a number of desperate, horny fangirls dressing up to look like pigeons and basically, looking like a horrible Halloween rendition of pigeons and someone even had the gall to dress up in a chicken costume ("Perhaps she just didn't have a pigeon costume and had to compromise," said Akashi who looked like he was trying really hard to maintain his perfect composure) and tweeted, "I'll be your pigeon wife, Kise-kun~" with multiple hearts and disgusting emoticons ("The thought counts, Kise-kun," said Kuroko, his blank mask still intact but seemed like it would crumble anytime soon).
Murasakibara found it amazing that they did it in less than 5 minutes after Kise posted his dare tweet whilst Aomine said that Kise should abuse his authority for free nudes (Kuroko had to smack Aomine upside the head for this).
Suddenly spinning slower, everyone watched in anticipation to see where the bottle would land the fate of truth or dare. While Midorima really wanted to use this chance to possibly castrate Aomine and Kise wanted to have some form of payback for the ridiculous pigeon thing (despite knowing he might get killed later, but all's fair in love and war when it came to this game), it had unexpectedly had its bottle cap facing Kuroko.
Kuroko stared at the bottle.
The blond was slightly disappointed it didn't choose Akashi (he needed some sort of compensation for the ridiculous amount of tweets he had been getting from his fangirls in the last 10 minutes and the new hastag, #Kiselovespigeons), but it didn't deter him. It was rare that anyone would get a straight answer from the phantom if it was a personal thing. It wasn't like he wanted to embarrass his ex-mentor, but there were things he wanted to know and it would be a lifetime chance if he could record Kuroko's dare attempt. "Kurokocchi, truth or dare?" he asked cheerily.
The teal haired male didn't know if he should feel lucky or unlucky. God knows what the others would dare him to do.
So.
Kuroko shrugged. "Truth."
The others couldn't hide their excitement on what they could ask their phantom, who was sipping his milkshake calmly. Kise pondered on what to ask, like who did Kuroko like out of the Generation of Miracles minus Aomine, was he actually passive-aggressive (the other phantom, Mayuzumi, scared the heck out of Kise because of this and he hoped it wasn't the same for all the people who possessed misdirection) and also-
Sadly for Kise, Aomine interrupted and took the chance to ask. Trust someone like Aomine to be an inconsiderate bastard who holds little to no regard for another person.
But for Aomine, this is the one time he is serious.
Aomine quickly asks, "Do you hate us?" His face is grim and his mouth is set in a thin line.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Generation of Miracles freeze. It has been a long time since their their first Winter Cup (though all of them could remember the details vividly like it happened yesterday) when they were first year high school students and they already have set aside their differences with one another and put their victorious but cruel past behind them, thanks to Kuroko. When Seirin won (because Kuroko managed to make a miracle and surprise Rakuzan), all of them met up with one another and reconciled, no longer as bitter rivals but friends of sorts.
For Aomine to ask this question now, it is rather strange. Especially when he mentions "us", not "me". The tanned basketball player can be a narcissistic and selfish person on an average day, but he is not dense to see the fact the he wasn't the only one to cause Kuroko pain during their Teiko years. All of them had a hand in Kuroko's inevitable sent application for quitting the team and temporarily hate on basketball. Though Kuroko's hate was focused on basketball, Aomine is unsure whether Kuroko hates them. At times, it is hard for even someone like Aomine (who is the closest to Kuroko out of their group) to read his best friend's face.
While Aomine wouldn't normally ask things like these (pointless and too much emotions at the same time), but honoring the game of truth or dare meant that you either had to answer with complete, unadulterated honesty or do the dare without half-assing on it like a wuss. This meant that Kuroko would answer it truthfully (the phantom was always good at misdirecting to another topic when it became too personal for his liking) and it wouldn't be that awkward either, since it was all part of the pretense of a game.
The others, finally out of their shock and frozen states, listened with rapt interest, unable to hide it when it was clearly visible.
They weren't sure whether to thank Aomine or hit him for asking something that they felt was completely taboo (because they didn't want to go back to that one time where their hearts would clench and rip itself apart when they finally realized that they pushed one of their closest friends away from their monstrous selves and later on, finally knowing that they broke one of the most important bonds and promise of that friend) but they too, were a curious lot. They might've not voiced it, though they have always been dying to ask, especially Akashi, who had decided they play the last match that way as a twisted form of "respect", Kise, who made the game of rigging the scores to match and also Midorima, who felt guilty that he, although the most level-headed one and aspiring to become a doctor, should've seen the the consequences (the psychological damages and trauma) and attempted to stop them.
As for Murasakibara, he wants to know because it's unbearable for him to harbor thoughts of what ifs ("What if Kuro-chin hates me," it a repeating one like an unstoppable routine and although they don't exactly get along on court, he feels like the most worthless person if one of his dearest friends, that one person he has spent his three years of schooling with, hates him) while Aomine, he had always been wanting to know, especially when he saw Kuroko's new light and when he finally got a grip after the second match with Seirin.
Snapping the rest out of their thoughts, Kuroko startlingly answers. "Hate is a rather weak word, Aomine-kun."
Surprisingly, it wasn't Aomine but Midorima who snapped back at Kuroko. Now was not the time he wanted cryptic answers. Midorima wanted the blunt truth with no sugar or cherries. Besides, he hated anything sweet. "What do you mean, Kuroko?"
"You asked me if I hated all of you." Kuroko continues, somewhat ignoring Midorima. The green haired male wasn't sure if he should be offended or he should let his acquaintance (he was never going to call anyone a friend) continue, seeing that Kuroko was going to answer, though not completely yet. "Truthfully, I have never hated you."
Kise tries to break the gloomy atmosphere by joking lightly. "Well, now I can rest peacefully at night without thinking that Kurokocchi wants a bloody revenge." He recalls the countless of dramas with this sort of cliche setting.
The model knows he failed when Kuroko raises an eyebrow.
"Even if I loathed, detested, despised, abhorred or execrated your very existence down to the cells that make up your genetics, I wouldn't want a... vicious way of settling things." Kuroko answers, shaking his head at the mention of something like violence. "In fact, I would've never gone back to playing basketball if I felt that way."
Silent questions are hung in the air and many of them are confused, minus Murasakibara, who seems content enough to know that Kuroko doesn't hate him.
"I would have disappeared from all of you without even a single way of contact, find the people we've played against who hate the Generation of Miracles the most, persuade them to join the same school and create a basketball club." said Kuroko, his eyes turning more cold and his voice seemed to hold a certain frostiness that would rival the coldest place on earth. "I wouldn't join as a player, but I would become their coach and train them for three years, depending whether or not there will be third years, because I wouldn't want them to graduate before settling my problems. After those three years, I would return, make my team join the Winter Cup and drag all of you from your thrones." Pain was promised here.
"It's obvious I would face Rakuzan in the last match," there was a glance that was directed at Akashi and the redhead willed himself not to flinch at Kuroko, "So I would make them rig the scores." just like the last match with Meiko, it was unsaid but clearly heard.
"It would be a perfect revenge and an equally perfect end, especially when it would be like facing a mirror." said Kuroko. Monsters I created against the very group that turned into monsters. "While the pain of losing wouldn't be physical, something like that would last longer and continue forever. This wouldn't be just normal hate anymore, but a grudge."
Somehow, one way or another, they felt either absolutely terrified or there was new found respect for their phantom. Meanwhile, Aomine isn't sure if he should regret asking. While it did take off a burden he didn't even know he was carrying, it was official that he was scared of his best friend.
"Since I did none of the things I've said, I don't hate any of you."
Kuroko proceeds to spin the bottle and take his milkshake to continue sipping it.