Little story before we move on. I initially didn't want to upload here because of a few factors. But then I'm like "what's the worst that could go wrong?" aaaaaaaaand there you go. My first serious fic (particularly difficult to write because I haven't written in like forever since a year ago or something)

Think I'm going to continue until I'm satisfied or something.

Hope you enjoy.

Recently, Kuroko Tetsuya obtained Maji Burger coupons so was able to get his favourite vanilla milkshake cheaper today.

However, after he sat down, the only thing he felt like doing was to stare at the cup in front of him.

He felt that whatever little appetite he had left, was now gone completely.

Meanwhile, across the table, Kagami was just stuffing his mouth with burgers, as always.

"I don't feel good, Kagami-kun." Kuroko tried to take a sip of his milkshake, but grimaced.

Kagami Taiga finished his 5th burger in 4 bites, and paused in taking his 6th as he narrowed his eyes at Kuroko.

"Huh. What happened?" The next burger was then unwrapped and promptly stuffed into Kagami's mouth.

"Odd. Yuh hahv bin fheelin ahhrite theesh few daysh…"

"Kagami-kun, don't talk with your mouth full, you'll choke," Kuroko frowned.

Kagami nearly wanted to hit him for interrupting his less than dignified speech but thought better of it. "Geez, stop nagging at me already." He tried to sound angry but failed, resigned to reaching out for his last burger and began to unwrap it. Man, he was so famished…

He did not miss Kuroko's gaze on his face, however.

"You'd normally order 10, but today you ordered 11 burgers," Kuroko pointed out, out of nowhere.

Kagami nearly stopped chewing.

"What's with that? I feel hungrier than usual, that's all!" Before he knew it, the last burger was gone, followed by another gulp of coke.

It was then Kagami noticed the vanilla milkshake across the table.

It's still nearly full.

That never happened before, the red-hair thought.

"You don't have much of an appetite today, do you?"

"… Not really, I guess." Kuroko just shifted his gaze to the window and mindlessly watched the people walking by the joint.

Kagami's eyes twitched, and didn't know whether to be concerned or frustrated at his friend's shifty behaviour.

Sometimes the way Kuroko did things were just baffling, and Kagami felt that he would never really understand him as a person, despite the amount of time spent with him. But seeing Kuroko feel so down as to literally not be himself? Could it be something actually… really serious this time?

"Hey."

"… What." Kuroko mumbled, nearly inaudible.

Kagami inwardly sighed and leaned over the table. He also proceeded to note that Kuroko's face was also flushed a little red, due to whatever reason.

This is getting weirder and weirder.

"Look, if there is something bothering you… uhh I'm all ears okay?" Shit. This is awkward. What kind of friend am I? What kind of person says that, even. "No, seriously," he took on a slightly more urgent tone, "It's not like I am good at helping or anything, but if it makes you feel better, you can tell me whatever's making you feel… geez, I've never seen you like that before. I don't even know what is going on."

"Of course not, Kagami-kun, I didn't even tell you anything."

Kagami resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Actually… I meant to tell you, and confide in you only at the time being, but…" Kuroko trailed off, voice nearly in a whisper. "I won't know if you are able to accept whatever I will tell you."

"Huh." Kagami raised a brow. This is new. He took another gulp of his coke and considered what was just thrown at him.

"'m pretty sure you can tell someone who has seen quite a lot of weird stuff in the past few years, like me. Don't worry Kuroko, I think even if you killed or poisoned someone, I won't tell anyone. Just shoot." Kagami lifted his hands to emphasise his stand.

Kuroko's face lit up, just slightly.

"… I wouldn't go that far to harm anyone, but do you mean it? What you said."

Another gulp of coke. "Yes."

"After all, what are friends for?" Kagami managed a grin. Ultimately, he really disliked seeing anyone he cared enough for unhappy or not themselves.

The barest of smiles appeared on Kuroko's face. The atmosphere around the duo gradually became more relaxed.

"Alright, so it happened yesterday, no wait, maybe I should just start from the beginning…"

At first, Kagami was speechless. Heck, he didn't even feel like making any sound. A moment of silence would be more appropriate for whatever he just processed.

"Of all people…" he finally croaked out.

"It could have been worse, if you think about it," Kuroko pointed out with a thoughtful look.

Kagami's face significantly darkened at that thought.

"Maybe Midorima and Kise. Or even anyone else from Rakuzan…"

"Thanks, my appetite is going from bad to worse."

"Ugh, all right," Kagami paused in letting his imagination run even wilder. "Allllllright, maybe he's actually became nice and whatnot after Winter Cup, but first impressions count, so… As much as I would want to say, what, congratulations?, I'm quite unsettled by this."

"Mhm… So am I." Kuroko muttered.

"Well you know… from what I had seen the last time, he looks like some unstable person, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Kuroko just stared blankly at Kagami.

"Oh. Sorry, not helping," Kagami realised. "Okay, to be honest, I don't know how to help you, but your secret is safe with me, until you decide to tell the others, I guess. You can trust me on that." He then held out his fist.

"Not that I disapprove of what you did… Just don't hesitate to tell me if things get out of hand or something alright?"

Kuroko immediately brightened up and gratefully returned the fist bump.

"Thank you very much, Kagami-kun. This means a lot to me, really." Kuroko allowed a small smile onto his face for once today.

"No problem, after all, what are friends f- Wait I just thought of something, does the rest of the Miracles know about this?"

Kuroko had a thoughtful look on his face before he replied, "I guess they might know… something?"

"Wow," was all Kagami could say.

At least Kuroko finished his milkshake before he reached home.

"I'm home!" Kuroko announced, before he realised his whole family had already left for an important trip.

Well then.

Being all alone in the house has its pros and cons, Kuroko thought as made his way up the stairs and into his room.

For one, he would be left alone, undisturbed, able to do whatever he wanted to a little more freely.

Cons, he would be a little more distracted by his thoughts.

Kuroko chucked his bag at one corner of the room and sighed.

For him, it was a bad time to be distracted.

He glanced at the two photoframes displayed on his table. One was of an impromptu group photo together with the Seirin Basketball team. Koganei-senpai's eyes were closed and Captain Hyuuga was not looking at the camera. Kagami laughed at the photo for days afterwards and nearly got murdered by Hyuuga, however.

The other was a group photo with his teammates in Teiko, taken on his birthday, the same photo as the one he stuck on his locker. Kuroko reached out to touch the frame that surrounded the photo, before slowly tracing it towards the face of the person beside him in the photo.

That was it. The person who had turned his life upside down as of late and significantly reduced his appetite for his favourite food.

Truth be told, he hadn't seen Akashi Seijuurou smile that peacefully in ages. He remembered a similar expression, but one of resignation and relief perhaps, expressed by Akashi towards Kuroko right after the Winter Cup results were announced.

Kuroko had been shedding tears of joy, just like everyone else on his team, but after seeing that expression of Akashi's, he nearly choked on his tears a few moments after the two teams thanked each other, and actually had to use his sports towel to absorb the next wave of tears rushing out.

He had told himself that it was just the pure relief of finally being able to advance into the finals with a team he was proud of being in and actually conquering a team far more skilled and experienced than them, and that he actually, finally, managed to defeat all of his former teammates.

Despite everything, Kuroko hadn't been so sure.

A few hours later after that match, Kuroko had received a call from Akashi to meet him at the stadium cafeteria, for "around half an hour of your time at the very most will do".

It had been just any normal conversation held between two people, catching up and knowing more about their present situations.

Except that Kuroko realised, only much later, that he had been staring at Akashi for a little longer than he had expected.

But it was nobody's fault that the simple shirt and pants he donned on that evening looked especially good on red-head that day, and it was nobody's fault that Kuroko think that way, or so he had assured himself. And when Akashi talked, Kuroko would be a second slower to reply, the lag time for snapping out of the latter's fantasies of paralleling the situation to talking to an ethereal being, and not believing the good luck that befell on him.

After that encounter, Kuroko didn't think it was that much of a good luck. More like rotten luck, because he had sworn Akashi noticed his odd behaviour (a slight tilt of his head had sufficed into making Kuroko suffer an internal panic) but he didn't say anything. And Akashi's eyes. His crimson eyes, astounding and calculating, as always, did not give anything away.

Since when was he so obsessed with Akashi, his actions, his appearance, maybe even his opinion of Kuroko, everything? Maybe after that last unforgettable match he played at Teiko Junior High? Maybe before that, when he thanked Akashi for paving his way into the first-string? Maybe way before that, when he held his first conversation with Akashi, when the latter first noticed him?

Kuroko opted to chuck his pillow against the wall. It was all so confusing.

It was not like he cared, it was not in his character to care about anything he did not deem as important as letting his former teammates see the true joy of playing basketball. It was a goal he had finally achieved, and he had been truly glad, for the first time in nearly two years. Nothing else mattered.

That was a lie he would keep telling himself, until lately.