My reasoning when I first started writing this: "how 'bout a somewhat dark fic wherein Akashi and Kuroko have been more similar than anyone thought all along. Sociopath!Kuroko who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'empathy'? Could be interesting."

Pairing(s): implied AkaKuro, GoM/Kuro, KagaKuro

Word count: 1445

Warning(s): betrayal, mental conditions referred to in a very cavalier fashion, references to M-rated matters. Oh, and for the sake of the story, Akashi didn't return to his former "Oreshi" self during the match, and remained his heterochromatic-eyed yandere self.


The ball swished through the net.

A pair of maroon basketball shoes hit the ground heavily, their owner staggering in exhaustion.

All eyes in the stadium turned to the counter, watching as two more points were added to the underdog team's score. Milliseconds later, the buzzer sounded.

There was a full minute of dead silence, as both audience and players struggled to comprehend the match's final result.

And then the cheering began.


Kagami couldn't believe they had actually done it. They had won, against Rakuzan, the so-called "Emperor of Creation", the school the most formidable Miracle of all had chosen to attend, which was also home to three of the Uncrowned Kings. They had barely done it, but they had won. They had WON!

He knew he was crying a little as he laughed like a madman in Kiyoshi-senpai's half-embrace, but he couldn't bring himself to feel too concerned about his manly pride at the moment.

The match had had so many ups and downs, so many surprise reveals and turnarounds that he felt like he'd been battling Akashi's irritatingly formidable team for months; but it had been so, so worth it. Their team had a whole new level of togetherness now, brought about by their collective entrance into the Zone's second door – and hearing their elation mirror his only brought his morale higher, until he was certain that he could pull off a hundred more of his signature jumps right at that moment, because it certainly felt like he was walking on air.

And, his own status as the team's ace aside, it was all thanks to his Shadow that they had made it this fair.

Kagami looked around for the Shadow in question as Kiyoshi-senpai's arm around his shoulder was switched out for Tsuchida-senpai's, trying to spot his partner. His quick glance around didn't scare up any blue-haired shorties, though, and after a few minutes of no sign of Kuroko, he started to get worried. His partner was so invisible, what if he'd passed out from exertion right there on the court and was right now being trampled by that muscle gorilla from Rakuzan?

By then, Seirin had calmed down a bit, though they were all still grinning wide enough to show their molars – save for Coach and Hyuuga-senpai who were locked in a tight embrace and wailing their hearts out from sheer joy and relief – so everyone heard Kagami when he anxiously asked, "Hey, has anyone seen Kuroko?"

No-one had; not even Izuki-senpai's Eagle Eye could detect the phantom's presence anywhere. They were all starting to get really worried when Coach finally spotted him by Rakuzan's bench, having what looked like an actually rather civilized chat with Akashi. Kagami was irresistibly reminded of that memorable occasion with Kuroko, Kise and five thugs on a streetball court, and found himself uttering the selfsame growl of, "What the hell is he doing?", as all of Seirin rushed off to retrieve their smallest player before the reckless idiot could get himself sliced to ribbons by scissors or something else equally gruesome.

However, both ex-Teikou players really did seem to be getting along without any bloodshed: then again, Seirin had long since realized that whatever grudges the Miracles might have against each other, Kuroko was seldom involved, and in fact all of the monstrous players seemed to have an equally monstrous soft spot for their once-Shadow. It just figured that Akashi wasn't an exception.

"You chose the right team, Tetsuya, I'll have to admit," the red-haired captain was saying when they came into hearing range of the Miracles' discussion, and the Seirin players all found themselves blushing a little in pleasure at hearing an actual compliment from the notorious perfectionist.

"Yes, Akashi-kun," Kuroko replied as bluntly as usual, his face impassive even as he folded over, resting his hands on his knees, in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Now, stop that, Tetsuya. You know your lungs can't expand properly when you're hunched over, you need to stand up straight if you want to give your body a chance to calm down." Akashi sounded oddly motherly as he chided his ex-teammate, but the way he placed a hand on Kuroko's hip and one on his shoulder to help him straighten up, was not nearly so innocent. Kagami bristled instinctively and began to step forward, but was stopped in his tracks by Akashi's next words.

"Well, it seems it was my loss this time. You win, Tetsuya."

What? The Akashi Seijuurou-sama is admitting to having lost at something so plainly? And why doesn't Kuroko look even the slightest bit surprised? That face of his is too unreadable, seriously!

"Indeed, Akashi-kun. Now, pay up."

It took a few moments for Kuroko's words to register properly in Kagami's wrung-out brain, but when it did he felt anger instantly supplant his shock, and he couldn't have stopped the harsh exclamation that escaped him if he'd tried: "Kuroko, what the hell – you bet with your psycho of a captain on the match's outcome?"

Kuroko, as usual, remained completely unfazed in the face of Kagami's fury. "Not exactly, Kagami-kun, but close enough. Now, Akashi-kun," he went on, now ignoring his Light as he turned to stare the captain, whose hand still rested proprietarily on his hip, straight in the eye. "I do believe you owe me a year's supply of vanilla milkshakes."

"I should have known you would fight more seriously if such a prize was at your fingertips," Akashi said seriously, apparently unaware of the disbelieving looks the basketball-chibi pair was getting from everyone in earshot. "It's a shame I lost, Tetsuya: I would have enjoyed deflowering you."

"My virginity is better kept as a bargaining chip for a later occasion," was Kuroko's cool-as-a-cucumber retort, even as Kagami roared in outrage on his behalf.

"Told you Tetsu'd win, Akashi," a deep, drawling voice spoke up from behind Seirin, and they all instinctively made way for the tanned Unstoppable Scorer who walked nonchalantly over to stand at Kuroko's shoulder.

He was soon followed by the rest of the Generation of Miracles, all of whom clustered around Kuroko as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to do so. The sight should've been humorous, four tall players bracketing two much-smaller ones like a thicket of trees, not to mention their rainbow hair colors: but somehow, the aura they all gave off when gathered together exuded such effortless menace that a few of Seirin's benchwarmers found themselves instinctively backing away.

"That's always how it happens in dramas," Kise concurred. His usual whimsical smile was affixed to his pretty face, but his eyes were alight with a feral golden glint reminiscent of Perfect Copy. "The underdog wins in the nick of time against the final boss; and the underdog is always the team that has the moral high ground over said final boss."

"Kuro-chin really likes sports manga," Murasakibara chimed in idly as he munched on a handful of chips. Midorima released a put-upon sigh as he nodded in agreement, pushing up his glasses a moment later when the movement made them slide slightly down the bridge of his nose.

"Tetsuya has indeed always had a talent for bringing dreams to life," Akashi said grandly, suddenly looking less like a half-deranged yandere or untouchable Emperor, and more like he was trying to impersonate Suoh Tamaki.

Kuroko was unimpressed with his ex-captain's apparent personality transplant and simply replied, "I am certainly not the most dramatic member of our team." Aomine coughed loudly, poorly disguising his muttered I am a shadow, and was doubling over and coughing for real a moment later after Kuroko's elbow sank into his solar plexus. "Besides, this entire bet was Kise-kun's idea in the first place."

"And I was right, wasn't I?" interjected the blond in question, looking as pleased with himself as the cat that caught the canary and washed it down with a whole saucer of cream for good measure. "It was really fun! I lost twice though…still, it was the team Kurokocchi picked so no great surprises there."

"Tetsuya won mostly due to luck," objected Akashi. "If Kagami Taiga hadn't just so happened to choose the no-name but not too pathetic school Tetsuya decided to take pity on and grace with his presence, none of these weaklings could have guided Tetsuya to victory."

Seirin's members were so busy feeling both outraged and gobsmacked over this sudden onslaught of insults from a person they had thought was complimenting them mere minutes ago, they almost missed Kuroko's somehow menacing retort of, "I would have guided them to victory if it had come down to that, Akashi-kun."


Basically, in this AU, Kuroko is actually just as cold and uncaring as his typical impassive expression would suggest, and all the Kiseki no Sedai know it. Kuroko and Akashi have a habit of making wagers against each other, often at the expense of other people, and neither basketball shorty cares who gets hurt in the process. The rest of the GoM are aware of their captain and shadow's true natures, and love them dearly nonetheless, as they're all a little screwed in the head too, anyway.

So, Akashi bet Kuroko that a well-trained, experienced team ruled by fear would definitely beat a team full of more average players with good hearts rife with determination, and Kuroko took that bet, choosing Seirin as his guinea pig and subtly manipulating them into victory over and over again so that he could win said bet against his former captain (in this AU, the whole thing with Ogiwara-kun is all a fabricated sob-story and never actually happened). And indeed, Kuroko won.

Seirin, however, aren't nearly as happy about it as Kuroko and the GoM when they find out that it – that is, Kuroko's backstory, Kuroko's honest love of basketball, their bonds of trust and friendship with Kuroko – was all a lie.