Prompt: Headcanon

"Let me help you."

After the win against Kaijou, the rest of Seirin Basketball High School had gone into the changing rooms, shouts of joy following them until the adrenaline finally wore off. It wasn't long before their bodies ached at being pushed to the limit, and in a rare act of kindness, Aida Riko didn't force them to eat any of the snacks she had prepared. Instead, she had taken it upon herself to grab them water and snacks from one of the vending machines near the entrance of the gym.

She had just finished buying everyone drinks and snacks when she heard the voice. About to thank the stranger who offered their help, her eyes widened when she saw just who it was.

It was the captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi Seijuuro himself.

He smiled wanly at her reaction before reaching out a hand to grab the bags she was carrying. Just as well, because her grasp on it had loosened considerably. She considered snatching back the bags and going on her merry way, leaving the younger boy behind, but her mind flashed back to what Furihata had told her.

"S-scary," Furihata had said, eyes wide and mind still reeling from what just happened before the Opening Ceremony. "I couldn't move even if I wanted to."

"Congratulations on winning against Kaijou," Akashi said easily, returning her mind to the present. Riko cleared her throat, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart. Even though the atmosphere seemed calm enough, she was still unsettled, and her gut told her to keep alert.

"Thank you," she replied. She paused, but decided, screw it. She might as well do a little bit of espionage, they were facing each other next, after all. "You're Akashi Seijuuro."

"Yes." He looked amused, and she wanted to wipe that smirk off his smug face. "I am Akashi Seijuuro." He spoke slowly, as if savouring the words that left his lips. Riko huffed.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" she stopped in her tracks, her hands on her hips. Truthfully, she hated being subtle, especially when being blunt can do the job just fine. Akashi stopped and turned to her. The air seemed heavy, but Riko refused to give in to a mere first year. No matter how scary they seemed.

"I did not realise you would abuse Tetsuya's ability to this degree." Akashi's equally blunt reply left her speechless for a moment. Her mind replayed what he said and she scoffed in disbelief.

"We're not abusing his ability at all," she said, keeping her temper in check. "What are you on about?"

"There was a reason why he was our phantom sixth man," Akashi continued easily. "Tetsuya was never meant to be a starting member."

"It's not up to you whether we have Kuroko-kun as a starting member or not," Riko snapped. "He's not in Teiko anymore."

"Are you really that short-sighted?" Akashi asked. Riko had a feeling that he was looking down on her, and it irked her even more. "For every game you make him play, that is an opportunity for other teams to watch and analyse his ability. His misdirection is why he is useful. Take that away and what do you have left? We both know that in terms of strength, Tetsuya is near his limit."

She wanted to disagree, but it was true. She had come to the same conclusion when she first examined him.

"I have seen you bench Tetsuya when the other players are merely getting used to his presence," Akashi continued. "If his misdirection is gone completely, are you going to force him to watch every game on the bench, knowing that he cannot have the chance to play again?"

"That won't happen," Riko gritted her teeth, because in her mind, she could see it already – Kuroko's passes will get intercepted more frequently, his shots blocked by members who have analysed his misdirection, until she has no other choice but to take him off court...and of course, Kuroko would leave the court because he would come to the conclusion himself.

"Tetsuya loves basketball as much as Daiki," Akashi said. "What inevitably will happen in the future will crush him. In many ways, that is even worse than what he had to endure at Teikou."

She scoffed.

"That's a lie," she snapped. She shook her head, trying to get rid of a voice whispering at the back of her mind, telling her that it will be her fault if Kuroko-kun returns to hating basketball. "You made him feel unwanted, and unneeded, and you forced him to resign!"

Riko realised too late that she may have crossed a line. She stepped back instinctively as Akashi's eyes narrowed.

"What happened at Teikou does not concern you," he said darkly. "The bonds between the Generation of Miracles are too strong to be broken by a mere resignation letter. An outsider like you would never understand."

"You're not teammates anymore," she hissed.

"As I discovered Tetsuya's ability, it is only fitting that I take it away myself," he said, ignoring her words. "Therefore, I cannot allow you to abuse his misdirection any longer. Seirin will ruin him."

"Haven't you done that already?" A hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Akashi looked near murderous.

"I did what was needed for the team to win," he said slowly. The hand never tightened, but she was frozen in place. "He participated only when necessary by my design. Even though he is your teammate now, he will always come back to me, just as how the rest of the Generation of Miracles will always come back to me."

Riko felt chilled to the bone. What exactly happened at Teikou?

"Enjoy your time with Tetsuya while you can because if I believe that you are bringing him down…if I see that you are making him choose that path, then I will personally step in and take him away." Riko looked Akashi in the eye.

"I'd like to see you try."

AN. Just finished re-reading knb and realised some inconsistencies with my headcanon and the actual manga. I want my fic to fit nicely between the scenes, and I also realised that Riko's personality and character was different in the series to how I portrayed her.

I also think that this revised version has a different ending and direction, so I plan to keep both versions. This version will have another chapter, the question is when I'll get to finish it haha.

I hope you enjoyed reading! I'd love to know what you think

Dedicated to me, because damnit, I deserve it.