DD: Hey guys! Sorry I've been writing so many short stories and not actual chapters for ongoing stories recently. I promise to get back to monthly updates as soon as I post the next chapter of The Boy in the Attic. I just find it really hard to write things I've made a commitment to when I'm not at home. But as I'm transcribing this from my adorable and awesome notebook in which I've written three one-shots now, I'm on a plane home so I should have the next chapter up before September 2nd. Thanks so much for being so patient with me. This story is AkaKuro (Akashi Seijuro x Kuroko Tetsuya). I haven't quite seen to the end of Kuroko no Basuke yet, so I'm going off the assumption that Akashi either had MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) or schizophrenia. If this isn't the case, then this is an AU where he does. Anyway, hope you enjoy. I own nothing!
"There were two of me to begin with. It was merely a swap between us." Akashi smiled, his dual-coloured, cat-like eyes wide. "I have no intent of hiding this. Whether or not you believe is up to you, Tetsuya."
"Oi, Tetsu!"
Kuroko's eyes flew open as a pencil hit the back of his head. He glanced at the person behind him, rubbing the back of his head. "That hurt, Aomine-kun."
Aomine shrugged. "Whatever. Come on; it's time to go home."
Kuroko sighed and put his books in his bag. "You're not going to practice today?"
"It's the day before a match. We don't have practice." Aomine pulled his bag onto his shoulder. "Besides, even if there was, I wouldn't need to go." Kuroko frowned but didn't comment. Aomine turned towards the door. "You coming?"
Kuroko nodded and closed his bag before catching up to Aomine. They walked in silence for a while, Kuroko's gaze on the ground while Aomine looked up at the sky. Kuroko's grip on the straps of his bag tightened. "Aomine-kun?"
"Hm?" Aomine glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you think Akashi-kun has changed recently?"
Aomine snorted and turned his gaze back to the clouds. "We've all changed except for you, Tetsu."
Kuroko sighed, his gaze wandering to the street basketball courts they were passing. He stopped. A figure was standing alone in the court farthest from the road, shooting.
"Tetsu." Kuroko blinked and looked at Aomine again. "You coming or not?"
Kuroko hesitated and shook his head. "I need to talk to Akashi-kun for a bit." Aomine glanced up and saw the figure. "I'll see you tomorrow."
A brief flash of hurt glimmered in Aomine's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. "Yeah. See ya." He left and didn't look back.
Kuroko made his way over to the lone figure on the court. "Akashi-kun."
Akashi turned, spotting Kuroko. "Tetsuya. I expected you to be at practice."
"You said everyone playing tomorrow didn't have practice." Kuroko held his gaze. "Why are you here?"
"To practice." Akashi smiled and threw the ball. It went straight through the hoop.
"Why cancel practice for us if you're going to practice here on your own?"
Akashi shrugged. "Daiki and Atsushi wouldn't have shown up either way, and with Ryouta sick, only you, Shintaro and I would be there. Hardly enough to practice properly." He met Kuroko's gaze again. "Now let me ask you the same question, Tetsuya. Why are you here?"
Kuroko didn't falter. "I was hoping to be able to talk to you."
Akashi smirked. "Looks like you achieved your goal."
"No." Kuroko cut him off. "Not you. The other you."
Rage flashed in Akashi's dual-coloured eyes and before Kuroko could register what was happening, Akashi had pinned him against the wire mesh of the court's fence. Kuroko's eyes widened and he tensed. "He won't be coming back out, Tetsuya." Akashi's fingers dug into Kuroko's shoulders. "He's weak. I can bring honour to my family; to the Akashi name. He would have lost to Atsushi that day if I hadn't swapped places with him."
Kuroko glared at him. "You're wrong. Bring him back."
"No." Akashi leaned closer to him. "I haven't been out since he was in sixth grade. He never blocked me before middle school. Granted, he probably didn't notice the lapses in memory. But then he met you. The phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles. And suddenly…" He pushed Kuroko harder against the fence. The mesh dug painfully into his back. "I was cast aside. He didn't care if I came out around the others, but he did around you. And since you always seemed to be there, I was blocked." He smirked. "Do you know why that is, Tet-su-ya?" Kuroko squeezed his eyes shut. Akashi hummed. "Yes, I remember it. My other half's walls were down that day. He was distracted. That's why he was doing so badly against Atsushi. His mind was in another place. A janitor's closet. With you. Kissi-"
"Stop it." Kuroko's eyes flashed open and he glared at Akashi. "Let him out Akashi-kun. This has gone on long enough."
"On the contrary." Akashi's smirk widened. "This hasn't gone on for nearly long enough. You see, Tetsuya, this isn't about your romance with my other half. Stolen kisses, lingering touches hidden from your teammates' eyes? That doesn't interest me. This is about me getting my revenge. On him for keeping me locked up-" He pointed to his head. "-for years. And on you-" He jabbed Kuroko in the chest. "-for being the cause of his actions. And for that…" He paused and stepped away from Kuroko. "You'll never see him again."
Tears burned Kuroko's eyes. He wanted to grab Akashi and pull his other side out. The one he had loved. But he couldn't.
He pushed past Akashi and ran out of the courts. His feet pounded on the pavement as he ran up and over the bridge, ignoring the way his lungs burned for air.
"Tetsu."
Kuroko skidded to a halt, panting for breath. He turned. Aomine was leaning against the railings of the bridge, waiting for him. "Aomine-kun…" Kuroko drew in another gulp of air, trying to hold back his tears. "I-I thought you were going home…"
Aomine shrugged one shoulder. "I decided to wait." He stood upright. "Did you sort things out with Akashi?"
Kuroko's eyes widened. He knows… He looked down. A tear trailed down his cheek. "I tried, but…" He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. "I couldn't…" He heard footsteps nearing him and jumped as he felt Aomine's arms wrap around him.
"He'll be back to normal some day," Aomine said, drawing Kuroko to his chest. "We all will be. We just need to find the right people to bring us back. I know you'll get him back, Tetsu. You might not be alone, but it will be because of you."
Kuroko buried his head in Aomine's chest, gripping his jacket tightly. "Yeah," he choked out, clinging to the brief moment of comfort and familiarity. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't see it again for a while. "Some day…"
DD: I actually feel kind of bad that I didn't give Kuroko a happier ending. It originally started as something that Kuroko was going to coax the Akashi he knew out again and then the other side of Akashi would take control again after a short length of time. But it didn't work out that way as I wrote it. Oh well. Please review! See you next time, Killer Queens!