"When are you going to stop walking away from me?" Kuroko asked quietly, his voice breaking as he stared at Aomine's back, watching as it tensed after his words.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Aomine finally said after a long pause, starting to walk towards the door again.
"Oh, you don't?" Kuroko let out a laugh that was closer to a sob. "Because this is the fifth time you've done it to me. Twice in middle school. When you walked away from my first bump, then at the river. Each time you pushed me away and then walked away from me. And then in high school. Right after I told you I loved you, and you said that you loved me too, you started doing it again. Then again in our first year of college. Now as we're about to graduate. And Daiki, if you walk away from me again, please don't come back."
Aomine whirled around to face him, and he looked just as broken as Kuroko felt. "So you do want me gone!" He accused.
Kuroko threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "No! That is not what I want! But I can't keep doing this if you're going to keep leaving! You can't expect me to keep taking you back. I love you. I've loved you for a long time, and I don't know if I'll stop loving you. And that's why I'm telling you that if you're leaving you can't come back. Because it hurts, Daiki. It hurts each time you leave. And then you come back, and it's all I can think about. And then things start to get normal, and I start to think that maybe this time things will be different. This time you won't do this to me. And each time I've been wrong."
"You expect too much of me then." Aomine scoffed.
"Perhaps." Kuroko conceded. "So, what is it this time? It's not about basketball like it was in middle school. It's not that we're moving too fast like you said it was in high school. You couldn't even come up with an excuse last time. What is it then this time?"
"Why do you even care about me? Can't you just fucking let me go?" Aomine shouted, balling his hands into fist to hide the shaking.
Understanding flashed across Kuroko's face and he ran a hand through his hair. "So that's it, huh? You don't think you're good enough?" The tension that filled Aomine's body was answer enough. "Do you think I would have stuck around this long if you weren't good enough?"
"You're not sticking around anymore. You just told me not to come back."
Anger sparked in Kuroko's eyes. "Don't you dare turn this on me. That statement has nothing to do with your being good enough and everything to do with your constant leaving. It's because you are good enough. Because if you come back again I'll take you back, and I can't keep doing that if you're going to keep leaving."
"Then don't keep doing it." Aomine said, his voice much quieter this time.
"I wouldn't if you'd just stay."
"You deserve better."
"That's not your decision. I'm perfectly capable of deciding who does and doesn't deserve me." Kuroko informed him.
"I'm sorry, Tetsu." And for a moment Kuroko thought things might be okay, but then Aomine turned around and walked out the door.
As soon as it was closed Kuroko sunk down to his knees and covered his face with his hands, feeling the warm wetness of tears against his fingers.
Aomine made it to his car before the tears started falling. His jaw hurt from the strain it took to keep from screaming his frustration out to the world, and he wondered if he'd be strong enough to stay away from Tetsu this time.