Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket.

A/N: I was feeling sad, I wanted to write about that, halfway through when I was already done with my part of the story, kagakuro by some sorcery took over apparently and started writing itself. Like this is just, it's not my story I swear I have already several drafts of planned kagakuro stories and this is not in any one of them. *prays to my kagakuro lord*

That said, therefore the reason behind Kuroko's sadness will never be something like depression. I don't want to pull every rl crap on my otp (even if it's extremely relatable) because it's not something that I thought up for them, I was mostly using Kuroko for my personal catharsis. :( Neither did I give much thought to Kagami. Although seeing how they always exist in my head (I'm daydreaming about them close to 24/7 these days) that's probably how they got pulled well (in my books).

Some details that seemed to fit:

This story is lovelier in platonic view. At Kagami's house, at Kagami's balcony. Probably a sleepover with Seirin and Kagami notices Kuroko's still up late at night.

Kagami-kun, Don't Stop Patting My Head

supersabaku

"What are you looking at?" Kagami quipped as he entered the balcony.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko acknowledged, turning to look at the new presence in the vicinity, "It's nothing much. I was just looking at the stars."

Kagami made a small noise at the back of his throat as he glanced outwards towards the night sky, sitting himself some distance next to where Kuroko had his knees up against himself on the floor.

"…it's pretty," he pipes up nonchalantly after a few moments of silence, almost as if he was talking to himself.

Kuroko shifted his eyes ever so slightly to look at Kagami as he spoke, before returning his focus to the inky expanse of an ebony blanket hung high across their heads. Kagami was sitting cross-legged on the floor, tucking his hands under his legs as the occasional wind sweeps by to chill them to their bones. Kuroko tucks his legs a little further into himself, wraps his arms a little tighter around them.

"What about you, Kagami-kun? What's gotten you out here?"

"No – I just came to check on you. But," Kagami shifts, "I didn't know the sky could be this alluring at night," he grins.

Kuroko puts his head down at this, then turns to rest his cheek on his knees so to stare unblinking at Kagami.

"What?"

"It's nothing," Kuroko repeats softly.

"…"

Kagami looks back, but doesn't give a response immediately. He rakes in the sight of Kuroko as he stares almost sleepily, mouth turning at the corner as he questions Kagami without questioning at all.

"…"

Kagami closes his eyes then. Breathes out a bit and makes his way over to Kuroko, casual and relaxed. He wasn't saying anything but Kuroko could see words reflected clearly in his eyes, a poorly disguised sigh of frustration in breaths that came out in wispy swirls of fog.

Jeez, he could hear Kagami's admonishment. Still warm, still gentle and uplifting.

When he feels a large, welcoming hand on his head, Kuroko's natural instinct should be to stiffen, to flinch in the most imperceptible manner… to reject. But he is surprised when he realizes it wasn't just energy he had run out of; he couldn't even bring himself to bother at that very moment.

Kagami doesn't stop after a few pats. His attention was placed back to the night traced so whimsically in chaotic and riveting patterns of stars, and he continues to stroke Kuroko's hair almost absently. Kuroko does absolutely nothing but allow whatever Kagami thinks he's doing. He was so tired… Tired and sleepy….

"Kuroko…?"

Kuroko opens an eye at the traces of disbelief he could sense in the tone. He feels wet – his knees are wet. His face felt cold with the wind slapping at where his tear tracks were now dry.

…oh, he thinks simply, tacked on like an afterthought.

He props his head up and touches his cheek, but that only caused a fresh tear to run down over his hand. Kagami had long stilled his movement to observe Kuroko in what is now a cautious, rigid silence.

Kuroko glances at Kagami then, but the moment his eyes searched Kagami's face, he was set by a sudden barrage of tears that came running, eager to form at the corners of his eyes, brimming and spilling over so forcefully he could no longer make sight of things.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko whispered, his voice cracked.

Kagami is alarmed to say the least. He could feel something clenching at his heart. He lowers his head, slightly. Kuroko's tears were out of control now, plopping softly onto the ground as he trembles lightly. Kagami slithers right next to Kuroko this time, grabbing his shoulders to lean against himself as he ruffles his hair a lot harder than before.

"That hurts, Kagami-kun," Kuroko manages to say despite everything.

"Good to know you can still retort,"

Kuroko doesn't answer, but Kagami eases up on his strokes and falls into a gentle rhythm of scrapping lightly against his scalp on occasion. Kuroko was heaving now and Kagami would be lying if he said he wasn't worried.

But, he thinks to himself, this is about the only thing I can do for now.

He jerks his head to look at the crying boy beside him and unconsciously traces his hand to the hair at his nape, playing in soft and hopefully relaxing motions.

Calm down… Kuroko.

Kuroko hardly understands or is even aware of what's happening. The only thing that mattered is that crying felt really good and he notices, belatedly, that he had a lot of tears threatening him to let them out. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he notes there's an incredibly fuzzy and pleasant tingle at his nape and every stroke down his head seems to smooth the jagged edges that were bleeding out of him. It was undeniably recuperative. He gives a small sigh after hiccups had had their fun roughing him up, he tightens his fist and leaves the faintest of crescent marks against his palm, he takes a long breath and tries to keep it in. The startling and ever abrupt tears that came bursting out from Kuroko Tetsuya were starting to wind down to a halt.

He could finally feel his brain revving up again.

It is only now when Kuroko takes in his surroundings that he becomes hyperaware of how good Kagami's strokes feel, the warmth shared through their shoulders – the gentleness that is Kagami Taiga – and he thinks it should be appropriate to regain his senses. He should…

"Hn?"

Kuroko leans deeper into Kagami and lets his head fall a little over onto his shoulders. He was very tired.

Kagami chances another look when Kuroko doesn't reply. His eyes were half-lidded and Kagami – just about anybody – could see that Kuroko was drained beyond belief. Kuroko is tired – tired and therefore not as bull-headed and discerning as he would be in his normal state of mind. Why do you reject this person made out of warmth and gentleness? he thinks almost clownishly. Kagami's good nature shines as brilliantly as always and Kuroko thinks his light is almost blindingly painful. But…

"Kagami-kun, you're embarrassing,"

"Wha-!"

"Why would you stroke my head? I'm not a kid,"

"Well, sorry about that! I was trying in my own way!"

"Yes. I know. Seeing me cry made you flustered didn't it?"

"…you should shut up if you know that much,"

Kuroko laughs. Chuckles harder when Kagami's hand moved of their own accord to caress his head after silence passed them by again, causing himself to blush a lovely red as he immediately removed the arm slung over Kuroko entirely.

But… Kuroko's thirst for his light was unquenchable. He will be drawn to his light as many times as he is a shadow. It was hopeless.

It's hopeless, he thinks but with a vague smile. So hopeless.

Kuroko was still leaning on his shoulder. Kagami didn't seem to mind.

"Kuroko, y'know…"

"Yes?"

"…" Kagami pulls a face as he scratches his head and sighs.

"Yes?" Kuroko quips again.

"You can do this any time,"

Kuroko's only response was a blank stare that prompted Kagami to speak again.

"This," he points at his shoulder as he gets up from Kuroko, "I'll always be here to lend this, so…"

"Does that include your harassment of my nape?"

Kuroko thought it would be wise to stop when he thinks he can see steam flying out of Kagami's ears, coupled with the fact that his fist was shaking and ready to grab Kuroko by the collar any second now.

"I'm joking, Kagami-kun. It's just a joke," Kuroko delivers, deadpan as ever.

"Give you an inch and you'll take a mile," was Kagami's grumble in turn.

"I don't mean that, Kagami-kun. It just felt so good," Kuroko leans against his shoulder again.

"Would you call it 'harassment' then?!"

"Should I call it 'loving caress' instead?"

"Kuroko you bastard…!"

"Now, now, Kagami-kun. Nobody likes a stickler who can't take jokes,"

"I can't say you have very good taste in jokes,"

"It was good enough to rile you up, wasn't it?"

Kagami buries his face into his hands at this point. He was fighting a losing battle- why did he pick a losing battle to fight in the first place? He sighs and thinks he could see part of his spirit leaving with it. Don't leave me alone with this clever bastard... I need to fight him at a 100%... Kagami thinks lazily. Kuroko's ordeal was unexpected and surprisingly, Kagami found himself somewhat drained of energy. His body may now be released of all tension but for the past hour that Kuroko had been crying, Kagami was strained, vigilant and impossibly tense as he took in every detail the crying Kuroko had to offer. Why is he crying? Where are his emotions headed? What's gonna happen next? What is he feeling right now? …it was a torturous venture with no end in sight.

Wait… did Kuroko just say something?

"Please let me intrude upon your offer, Kagami-kun,"

Yeah, he heard that, but-

"And, please… do pat my head if you don't mind, if the time comes again,"

Kagami must had pulled a rather incredulous gawk on Kuroko because he furrows his brows as he says, "What's with that expression, Kagami-kun?"

"No, well-" he manages to close his mouth. Somewhat.

"You were calling it 'harassment' just minutes ago,"

Kuroko's mouth then, twitched just a little. Is he… is he sulking?! And for what?! Kagami felt dizzy. Kuroko was sending too many pieces of information and Kagami was getting exhausted from all the sudden processing he was forced to sit through in one night.

Kuroko breathes out a tiny sigh.

"That's not it,"

Kagami stares at him, not realizing he was waiting for Kuroko to continue.

"I wasn't pulling your leg when I said it felt good."

Thank you, Kagami-kun, or I will spoil myself on your warmth if you will give your warmth to spoil on me, Kagami doesn't know if these were concoctions of madness made in his own head or if Kuroko actually said them, or was it those eyes that were speaking out to him?

Kagami blinks and almost stutters and he doesn't know why.

"Y-Yeah, if you're sure then…"

He doesn't know either why it feels he's gotten even closer to Kuroko despite not knowing the reason for Kuroko's tears that evening, feeling as though Kuroko himself does not quite understand the state he is in. But something's changed. Something about Kuroko has changed.

Kuroko looks at Kagami, quietly, before he gives a faint smile.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun."

It was said in actual words this time.