Prompt: Time Travel AU / Pairings: None, just GOM bonding. / Rating: T for cursing.
Chapter 2: Time Travel - Backwards
Time is a human construct, one that man uses to keep track of his schedule and the events as they pass by — or in another definition, it was merely a part of the universe and humans, as evolved as they are, use it. But one thing that is odd of time is the mysteries of it. It can be stopped, yet not. It can be deceiving yet as clear as day. An oxymoron within itself — a paradox that is so familiar yet so out of this world, or even universe.
Therefore, when a second-year high school student, Murasakibara Atsushi awakened in his to-be first year middle school student body with his memories intact; he was understandably confused. But like the lackadaisical giant (middle school student or not, he was still tall for his age and ethnicity, thank you very much) he was, he quickly blinked away his surprise at the fact he was in his family home in Tokyo and not the Yosen dorms of Akita, and proceeded to consume breakfast.
It was the first day of classes for Teiko. If he recalled correctly to which he did, eating his breakfast (fourth helping — time-traveling was apparently very taxing to the stomach). Glancing at his book bag that was stuffed with snacks and not the appropriate textbooks that his older sister had probably bought for him in a separate bag, he ignored his older siblings' scolds before walking out to his middle school.
Again. Sighing, Atsushi mumbled under his breath. "How troublesome~"
Naturally, not too far from the Murasakibara family home, Kise was a similar confounded state, staring at his older but younger than he recalled, sisters — bickering over the last clean foundation brush in the bathroom, the ruckus having awakened the blonde. Millions of thoughts circulated his brain before he grabbed his phone by his bedside, amber eyes taking in the date and time, as if he stared long enough, that time would reverse itself.
But unfortunately, he had no such luck.
After a sharp yell for him to come down and eat the haphazardly prepared breakfast by his second sister, Kise snapped out of his stupor before dressing himself quickly, the experience of dressing quickly in his modeling career kicking in. Freezing in mid-tying his tie, Kise blinked into his reflection. Was he really this thin and short then? This… weak? And wait, if he was really in the past, then that would mean that he had to start not only middle school over again but his modeling career too…!
"Ryota! You'll be late!" Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Kise finished his skin care before dashing down, his thoughts circulating on one thing. He had to do middle school over again… with the good and the bad…
Grimacing, Kise ran a hand down his face. Great.
And the blonde was not alone in his reaction. Aomine was in the same state, glaring at his bedroom after he had gotten the shock of his life at the sight of a younger, more friendly Momoi Satsuki — yelling at him to get his ass out of bed.
Fuck this. He fumed, as he roughly put on his uniform. He had been through middle school once and it had gone all to shit the first time, the hell did someone think up that he wouldn't screw it up this time? And he was sure as hell not okay with going through with it again. With half a mind to dial up Akashi or Midorima to confront them on what the absolute fuckery was going on crossed his mind before he quickly dismissed it. He very much valued his autonomy and where they were.
Stomping his way down the stairs of his family home, Aomine ignored the calls from Satsuki, hollering for him to get his ass to their new school. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he cursed every god above before making his way to his middle school, the cherry blossoms of the spring semester billowing over them — welcoming, no, mocking.
In his personal chauffeured car, Akashi looked through his phone with an even glare, his uniform and appearance as pristine and clean as it was the previous timeline. It was not an often phenomenon for himself to be surprised by very much, however, any sane person would state that time travel was not exactly a routine and normal process that was very much researched. Of all, it was often discussed and theoretically possible — but only in fantasy or superhero powers.
Although, there was a general public that believed him and the rest of the Miracles were not human — it was not true. Narrowing his monochrome eyes on the date, Akashi closed the screen before sighing, the pristine middle school of Teiko entering his line of sight.
All the answers lie here.
Midorima had a similar conclusion, lucky item in hand and school bag slung over his shoulder as he walked to Teiko — after receiving the scare of his life when he thought he had purchased the incorrect lucky item for the day. But no, after a look at his bedside alarm clock and a fleeting thought of a possible prank by Takao that was swiftly thrown out of the window when his younger sister ran into his room, demanding him to help her tie her shoes — he was most definitely not dreaming nor under the influence of any own drug. After obliging his sister after getting ready himself, Midorima picked up a book on time travel along with a roll of bandages before dropping off his sister — he had many things to do.
Oha-Asa was never wrong after all. All of their horoscopes seemed to have a date with destiny today. How annoyingly vague of a fortune. Midorima thought as he glanced at the lucky item. And of all things… why a basketball?
Kuroko sighed into his hands as he walked towards Teiko. Restart.
After the entrance ceremony, four phones pinged with a text from a yet to be saved number, but regardless, they recognized it well enough. Assuming that I am not in this phenomenon alone, meet in the third string gym after school. Discussions of our circumstances will be conducted there.
Basketball tryouts did not start until tomorrow, after school — therefore, the gyms were yet to be sorted, so if they did know, they could have only come from where the sender was. And naturally, even in an altered timeline, their former captain was not mistaken and to his expectations — everyone arrived. Aomine was lounged at the seats for opposing teams and spectators alike, sprawled out with his school bag at his feet. Seated beside him, Kise was seated, overall ambience a pleasant one, having come to the realization that he may try basketball even earlier than he did the previous. Arriving together with the other two, Murasakibara munched on his snacks from lunch, pouting at the fact that he was on his last four. Kuroko entered afterwards, without the other three's notice as usual, taking in the sight of his middle school friends once more, bag slung over his shoulder — they didn't notice him.
After a moment, arrived the middle school version of Akashi and Midorima, the latter a step behind the other. "I apologize for keeping you all waiting, although, the circumstances are rather unprecedented outside of fiction."
"Akashi." Aomine greeted before looking around. "Tetsu's not here."
"I'm right here, Aomine-kun." Kuroko deadpanned, scaring everyone but Akashi who smiled lightly at his team. Even under time travel, some things remained constant.
"Uwah!" Aomine cried out, speaking for the others. "Tetsu! When did you get here?"
"I've been here all this time." Kuroko responded in his usual fashion.
Hugging the smallest of them, Kise exclaimed with a loud hum. "Eh~ You should have said something~ Kurokocchi!"
"I did." Kuroko replied. "None of you noticed until Akashi-kun arrived."
"In any case, Kuroko's low presence aside." Midorima interrupted for a moment. "I, for one, would like the purpose of this meeting to commence."
"And we shall, Shintarou." All of them noted the name change as they did the same at the golden eye of their captain — not to appear until the following year at the very least. "Seeing how all of us have been sent here due to uncertain circumstances — we will first assess one thing at a time. What is the last thing you all can remember from our original timeline?"
Murasakibara answered first, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. "I fell asleep after coming back to Akita after the game with those annoying gorillas~ Geh. My arm was broken." The others supplied similar stories — that they had departed after the Vorpal Swords and Jabberwock game with their victory, gone to bed, and then awakened to find themselves in past. When questioned if they had done anything out of the ordinary or anything had happened that was similarly eventful, the unanimous answer was a definitive no, after Kise had begun to say that he almost stubbed his toe.
"So, we have no idea what caused us to back here other than the fact that we are?" Aomine grumbled, kicking Kise in response to his stupid story. "Does that mean we have to do middle school all over again?! Oi, Akashi, Midorima. Don't you guys know what the hell is going on here?!"
"Calm yourself, Daiki." Akashi scolded with a light glare. "As much as I would like to meet your expectations of having such omnipresence, it does not transcend time. However, I do have a guess from all of your accounts — we all played together in an official game once more with Kagami Taiga and the day after, we awaken here. Therefore, we can see this situation in two ways: a way to change the outcome of us becoming the Kiseki no Sedai and the events that lead to that as we know it or to allow it to play out with our prior knowledge to the best of our ability."
"We can't make it like we did in original timeline, Akashicchi?"
"Because we have our memories from that timeline, Kise." Midorima retorted to the blonde with obvious huff. "Even if we wanted to, the timeline is already altered because of that sole fact. We wouldn't react or do any of the things our younger selves may have, despite being ourselves."
"Therefore, in either case, we have a crossroads before us." Akashi said, a glint in his eyes. "What do you all want to do, to be the Kiseki no Sedai once more and do it differently from what we initially have done or step away from all of that?"
"Eh? You're giving us a choice, Akashicchi?" Kise blinked in surprise as the others too stared at their former captain in mild fascination, who took their reactions with a grain of salt. It was surprising, after all — he was giving them the choice to leave behind the events that shaped their lives together.
"Yes, Ryota. Although, I have guesses of my own as for your individual choices, I will not force you into anything. The choice is yours and I will respect it. You all know what will happen if we do the same in our timeline, and I ask of you all to consider carefully of what the repercussions of doing the same or different actions will be."
Silence enveloped the gym before Akashi sighed. "You all do not have to answer me right away. However, as basketball tryouts are tomorrow after class, I expect your answers by lunch."
The following day at lunchtime, one by one, the to-be Kiseki no Sedai gathered with their individual bentos and individual answers. Akashi waited patiently, always watching as they all gave it — unanimously agreeing to be the ultimate team once more, to play once more — only with changes. Kise refused to join in their second year, with full awareness of the future and the conflict with Haizaki, and declared that he was going to be an original member of their three championships. Aomine grumbled and complained about redoing middle school but turned to Kuroko with an almost nervous air, reaching out with his fist once more, silently asking the smallest of them to be his shadow once more. At this, Kuroko smiled softly before meeting his light halfway, bumping his fist against the tanned one — making his light break out into a wide grin. Midorima cleared his throat and looked away when he declared that he wasn't going to put his practice to waste and allow his skills to diminish in such a state, not that he cared for the team or anything — before looking at Akashi to the side, offering to take up some of the load off their captain. Akashi smiled lightly as Midorima said that it was his duty as a vice captain to help after all, not to mention he was also the student council president — clearly not because he cared or anything of the sort. Murasakibara was bit output to being on the spot as they all witnessed his little entrance to the Zone, proving that he clearly loved basketball — but in his childish way, looked to Akashi with a guilty face before apologizing, stating that he had grown up a bit from what happened in middle school.
Setting aside his bento, Akashi looked at all of them for a moment before saying an apology of his own, eyes still heterochromic. Then he bowed, shocking them all. "I apologize as well, to you all. I was selfish."
"A-Akashicchi!" Kise lifted the captain from his bow. "Please don't bow to us! W-We all were at fault. It was not just your fault."
"Perhaps, Ryota." Akashi conceded after a moment before he looked to Kuroko. "But it was I who allowed you all to become so broken. So dislodged and lost because I too was lost in my own troubles."
"But you are no longer like that. None of you are." Kuroko said, making everyone turn to him, all blinking at the sight of a softly smiling Kuroko. "In middle school in the last timeline, we all were at fault. We became monsters because we were too young — we did not know how to play against those who were not at our level. We worked hard, took things too far and for granted — breaking us all. However, unlike then, we are not young in the mind, any longer. Therefore, in these next three years, I want to play basketball with everyone again. But this time, without needing to be concerned of our scores — just to play because it's fun."
"Kuro-chin is smiling~" Murasakibara stated the obvious as Kuroko composed himself.
"I do not know what you are speaking of, Murasakibara-kun."
"Kurokocchi~ You should smile more~! You look so CUTE~!"
"I am not cute, Kise-kun. Please release me."
"Oi, Kise! You heard him. Let go!"
"I may have to ask you to write up the new training menus for me, Shintarou. I will be having my hands full with speaking to Coach Shirogane and Nijimura-san later today — requesting I be in charge of the rest of us."
"Eh? Training menus already, Akashicchi?!"
"We haven't fucking even joined yet! And you're going to kill us with your hell practice already, Akashi?!"
"Language, Aomine. Your language is as crude as your brain, there are minors present. Not that I care or anything."
"We're all minors, you fucking tsundere."
"I am not a tsundere, you idiot."
"I don't wanna practice, Aka-chin~"
"It is a requirement, Atsushi. I cannot exempt you just because you don't want to. You know that to play basketball well, you must practice. And do not worry, it will be adjusted to your limits."
They felt a chill run down their spine at the last sentence. "… And how would we know our limits, Akashi-kun?"
"Why, I thought it be obvious, Tetsuya; do everything until you are at your limit."
Aomine hugged his shadow closer to him before declaring with a solemn voice. "We're going to die. It was nice knowing you, Tetsu."
True to Aomine's prediction, the six of them were currently worshipping the ground on their backs in the fourth gym — all having made it to first-string, Kuroko after they had matches to display his incredible passes and misdirection. To which, Akashi was granted authority over the six of them with their training menus with the assistance from the newly made manager, Momoi, who recognized Kuroko as the same person to give his winning popsicle to her before tackling him in hug. Usually, after practice, they all went home — that is until they caught sight of the mischievous glint on their to-be captain's eye.
A single game, the redhead said. Play as you wish, he said.
The almost lackadaisical way Akashi had dismissed it irked them all, and the most irritating thing was… it was working and they all knew Akashi had said it because he knew it would rile them up — after practice or not. The next thing Aomine knew, he was chasing after Kise with Akashi marking Midorima and Kuroko ready to pass at any moment, Murasakibara under the opposing team's hoop, daring them to shoot. Momoi was watching them all with analytical eyes, jotting down observations and such at their leader's request.
Peeling his head from the floor, Aomine groaned as he looked at the score, making the others follow in his line of sight. A tie. Of course.
"Do not be so disappointed, Daiki." Akashi said, having already stood up and was drying his sweat with a small towel, throwing one for each of them. How in the ever-loving-fuck was he standing already? "You will have other opportunities to go against us. We have three years, after all."
"Keh." Aomine huffed, mumbling a thanks for the towel as he looked at his shadow.
Kuroko was unmoved on the floor, the towel over his head.
"Ara, ara~ Is Kuro-chin dead?" Murasakibara hummed, poking at the shadow's sweaty head. "Kuro-chin~ Wake up~ You'll get a cold from sleeping on the floor~"
"DON'T DIE, KUROKOCCHI~!" Kise cried dramatically, running to the shadow before Midorima stopped him with a scowl.
"He's just exhausted, idiot. He's not dead, not that it's any of my concern. Aquarius ranked third today with a teaspoon as his lucky item, so he will be fine. But as much as I hate to admit it, Murasakibara is right, do not sleep on the floor, Kuroko."
"Hey, Tetsu. Can you get up?" Aomine prodded him, pulling up the shadow, who lolled his head for a moment before seeing his light.
"Good morning, Aomine-kun."
"It's night, Tetsu."
"My apologies. Good evening." Kuroko corrected himself as he blinked up at Aomine as the ace dried his damp hair. "Did we win, Aomine-kun?"
"Unfortunately, it was a tie between us, Tetsuya." Akashi smiled as he gestured for all of them to follow. "But I believe that is enough for today, considering we all need to accommodate ourselves to our younger bodies. No more basketball until tomorrow's practice, I will not have you all injuring yourselves. (Insert pointed look at Aomine and Kise here.) But for now, to the showers."
Thirty minutes later, all of them were outside a convenience store each with a popsicle (and more, a box in the purple-haired man-child's hands) bought by Kise, who was bullied into paying.
(I'm not a model yet! Hah? You think that's an excuse for you to not pay? Aominecchi, you cheapskate! You pay for once! I pay for important stuff. Porn magazines are not important, Aomine. Neither are lucky items, you tsundere! Then you pay Murasakibaracchi, you always have enough to buy food all the time. My food money is mine~ Kise-chin~ Do you want me to crush you~? Gah! KUROKOCCHI, SAVE ME~! P-Please let go of me, Kise-kun. THANK YOU FOR THE WINNING STICK, TETSU-KUNNN~! Momoi-san… I cannot breathe. Ryota, as punishment for suffocating Tetsuya, you will pay. Daiki will pay next time — we will pay in turns unless anyone suggests otherwise.)
As they all departed, all of them found themselves looking forward to their middle school days, redone.