They met by chance.

He had gotten out rather easily, his lack of presence coming in handy.

It was a normal thing for him to escape the orphanage and go to the local park, the one which housed that newly painted basketball court.

He never had a ball with him, and he never really played.
He was most content just sitting on the nearby bench and watching the people come and go.

Some would win, some would lose.
There were even days when tears were shed, and he felt for the team that lost.

He longed to be on one of those teams.

He would watch as they joked and laughed.
How they argued and bickered but no matter the situation, they solved their issues on the court.
With that ball.

It was such a simple way to solve problems, and he wished he could solve all of his in that way.
With that ball.

This day seemed a bit different than the others that he had spent watching, however.
There weren't many people on this particular day.
The court stayed empty most of the time he sat there until he finally stood on half asleep legs to make his way back.

That was when he noticed that bright red mane heading toward the court.
It belonged to another boy.
A boy that looked about his age in his face but his height could have made him quite a few years older.
He was at least a foot taller than the blunette, if not more.

There was no others with this particular boy.
There was no team following in toe.
Just him.
Alone.

It would be the first time he had seen someone come to play by themselves.
And it made him feel a bit less lonely.

It was to no surprise when he wasn't noticed standing there but he took it as an advantage and stood his ground to see what the other did.
He just...played.
He dribbled and prented to pass and took the shot.
He played a game.
By himself.
He looked like he was having fun.
But Kuroko knew better than that.

You can't play baskbetball by yourself.

"Hello."
It wasn't like him to speak up but he couldn't let the other be alone.
Not when he was playing basketball.
It was almost routine that the boy would look around, belwildered, before noticing him and jumping out of his skin.

"WOAH! Where did you come from!?"
Moving a few steps forward, Kuroko pointed back at the bench he had previously been sitting on.
"I was there the whole time. I come here often. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."
He watched as the other observed him, taking in all that he couldn't see just a moment earlier.
He looked him up and down, and finally cocked an eyebrow.
"You just sit there ...and watch people play? You don't ever play, yourself?"
Shaking his head, he shrugged his thin shoulders.
"Not many people take notice of me, and it's not my place to ask to join their games."
He was thrown off by the scoff that came from the other, and the way his cheeks stretched to reveal his teeth as he smiled.
"It doesn't need to be your place. Just ask. The worst they could say is no."
The way the other seemed to radiate confidence was oddly alluring to him, and he found himself quite intrigued by the boy who finally realized he hadn't introduced himself.

"Oh, that's right. I'm Kagami! Kagami Taiga! So, Kuroko, did you want to play?"
Well, did he?
"Yes."
It was like a pent up emotion had finally been released and he felt lighter as he walked onto the court. It was like this was the place he was meant to be. Nothing had felt right before this moment.
He wasn't good, though.
Quite the opposite.
While the other shone brightly in his skill for the game, Kuroko lacked every basic skill that there was. That didn't seem to phase Kagami at all, though. It seemed like he was glad to have someone else on the court. Like playing by himself had become normal to him and he was happy to find someone to finally play with.
Kuroko found it odd, as the young boy seemed quite good at the game.
He could even dunk at such a young age, something Kuroko barely saw the adults do.

Finding that this was more taxing on his body than anticipated, Kuroko found himself hunched over in an attempt to catch his breath. It didn't take long for Kagami to notice now, since he had adjusted to his presence for the moment.
"You're really not used to this, huh? What made you want to play?"
Since no one before this had ever noticed him, no one had asked such a thing and it caught him off guard.
What was it that made him want to play?
When he thought about it, the only thing to cross his mind was the happiness on the faces of those he had watched play. Even through the tears, he could feel it had been a good game. Something that both teams had enjoyed no matter the outcome.
"It looked like fun."
It was the most honest answer he could come up with, and it didn't surprise him when the other didn't seem to understand.
"Well, of course it's fun!" And then there was a change in how the other composed himself.
The brightness in his eyes had flickered, even though slightly, and Kuroko could feel how the mood suddenly dropped.
"Well, it's more fun when you have a team to play with, I guess."

In that moment he realized that they were the same.
They were both looking for something.

Somewhere for them to belong.

"Do you live close to here?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, just down the street. What about you?"
"The orphanage around the corner."

The mood tilted again and Kagami was suddenly apologetic, as if finding out such information was a problem. Reaching, Kuroko snatched the ball out of those oddly large hands for a kid and dribbled the best he could before shooting and barely making it to the hoop. The ball bounced off of the rim and rolled off into the grass.
He turned to meet Kagami's curious gaze, then.
"It's not something that needs an apology, Kagami-kun."
He retrieved the ball and tossed it at the taller boy, who nearly didn't catch it from being taken aback by the smaller of the two.
"It's something I have accepted in my time there. I guess if there was something I'd like to change, it would be that it gets lonely."
He could tell his forwardness was not something Kagami was used to by the way his cheeks began to glow pink and he couldn't make eye contact. It nearly made him laugh. This boy was interesting.

"Will you come here again?"

Kagami finally shook himself out of his stupor and looked up, that bright smile stretching onto his face once more. It was captivating.
"Yeah, of course! If you'll be around, I'll definitely come by again to play!"

If you'll be around...

The words bounced around in his brain and he could feel heat lifting up into his cheeks. Gradually, he let himself relax enough to put on a smile and nod in reciprocation.
It was then that he noticed how much time had actually passed and he almost showed his panic. He was out much longer than he anticipated, and much longer than he should have been. Especially because he had snuck out in the first place.

"I have to go, Kagami-kun. I'll be here again tomorrow at the same time."

He didn't wait for the other's reply and ran off to get back before they noticed he was gone and caused an uproar. Everytime before this, when he had to go back, he could feel himself sinking into the pit of darkness, but it didn't happen this time.
This time, he stayed light on his feet.
His head stayed up, his eyes shining bright.
For once, he didn't fear the loneliness. He knew that when he went to that court again, he wouldn't be alone.

He felt it was easier to let the days pass by as time went on. Each time he snuck out of that small window, he knew there was someone waiting for him. He knew that his days of watching, were over. He had found somewhere he belonged, and someone he belonged with. Each day they spent playing was another step he took out of the darkness.

Everything had been so nice that he should have expected something to go wrong, but he let his guard down. He let himself become vulnerable, and it was the biggest mistake he could have made.

It started on a day similar to the first they had met. The sun was shining, there was a soft breeze in the air, and no one was on the court.
No one.
Kagami didn't show up, and Kuroko found himself waiting for much longer than he should have before heading back to the orphanage.
The next day, the same thing.
Day after day he snuck out and looked around, expecting to see a flash of red and that stupid grin of Kagami's, but it never came.

No matter how long he waited.

Kagami never showed up again.