Act 7: Nostalgic
Two weeks had passed by since Kuroko escaped from the hospital. It is impossible to say that Kagami is not worry about Kuroko, especially his well-being. As much as he hates losing Kuroko to his brother, Tatsuya, he would rather see Kuroko happy than suffer. He prayed everyday to see Kuroko again, to see his smile again, to feel him again and most of all; he wanted Kuroko by his side again.
These two weeks had been hard for Kagami, he had not shaved or bath, he had not eaten much, and he had not even touched his favourite basketball either. The escaped had been a wake-up call for Kagami, alarming him that if he continues to do what he was doing, everything will be lost.
He tried searching everywhere; Kuroko's favourite place since their high school years—the Maji Burgers, the park where Kuroko usually walk his dog, Nigou, but to no avail…
If Kuroko continues to be out of his life for any longer, it looks like the end for Kagami. Tatsuya had barged into Kagami's shared apartment to Kuroko one day, to demand the location of one sky blue hair, but to witness the horrible state of Kagami—the dying tiger that was once filled with determination.
Tatsuya tried snapping Kagami out of his dead trance, but nothing will do the trick. He tried punching him in the stomach, slapping him in the face, he even threatens to take Kuroko away from him as far as he possibly can, but nothing…nothing at all made Kagami move, not even a finger.
It looks like Kagami is already dead—mentally dead.
[Tatsuya]
'Kagami that idiot…! If he continues this any longer, he will deteriorate. Damn, I don't want to give Kuroko up, but all this happen because I couldn't let go of Kuroko…I don't want to see both of them apart like this. Kuroko, where are you?' Tatsuya thought while he was walking towards the principal's office.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Tatsuya overheard as soon as he was right in front of door to the principal's office.
"I'm not sure myself Kuroko-kun—"The second Kuroko's name was mentioned, Tatsuya barged into the principal's office like a burglar trying to steal money from the bank.
"Is that Kuroko, is that really Kuroko, may I speak with him please, Riko-san?" He pleaded desperately, in spite of his love for Kuroko, Kagami is still his brother—a family, and blood is thicker than water.
Riko hesitated for a moment, but the look in Tatsuya's eyes had force her not to say 'No' and she handed the phone to Tatsuya. Kuroko on the other hand was puzzled by the sudden silence from the other side of the phone and was calling out to Riko worriedly until he heard Tatsuya's voice.
"Kuroko don't hang up on me…because this is urgent; unless your heart won't accept Kagami any longer then please do hang up."
There was a long silence, but there was no sign of hanging up from Kuroko.
"Did something happen to Kagami-kun…?" A soft whisper, but not too soft to hear properly, came suddenly from the phone. The need to know was apparent in the soft whisper.
Tatsuya breathe in some air before answering, "Kagami, he's on the verge of dying Kuroko…He wouldn't eat, bathe, sleep. He just wouldn't do anything. I tried to snap him out of his trance, but he wouldn't budge…He desperately needs you. I may hate whatever he had done to you, but as his brother, I don't want to see him in this state any longer…It kills me inside that I'm not taking care of him."
"I—I can't see him, Tatsuya…I'm afraid of him. Afraid of what he'll do to me. Make him come, make him come to me. I still love him, I desperately need him too, but my body is so frightened that whenever his name is mentioned, I froze. Tell him that I'm at Shige's, and if he doesn't come in three days, that means he and I will never see each other again…"
The conversation ended there and Tatsuya rushed out to Kagami after processing what Kuroko had just told him.
When Tatsuya arrives, he wasted no time and stormed into the apartment. Yelling straight at Kagami, telling him to snap out of it, that he needs to go to Kuroko before everything is too late. Kagami still would not budge.
"Are you listening to Kagami? Come on, get your lame butt off this floor and move it to Kuroko!"
Tatsuya was at his limit, and he uses this anger of his to punch Kagami, not enough to break his jaw, but enough to let him feel pain, a very painful pain. However it did nothing. Left with no other choice, Tatsuya resulted to taunting Kagami.
"I thought you said that you love him, that you would never let him go. Then what the heck are you doing right now? Is all this love crap, a big lie? Is this the extend of your love? Then I shouldn't have let him go to you, I should have held onto him because letting him be with you is a big mistake I tell you, a BIG mistake!"
There was a slight twitch on Kagami's right eye; apparently the taunting is working, so Tatsuya continues.
"Yeah, I should just go over to Kuroko right now, to tell him what a BIG lie your love is to him. Maybe he'll even give up on you and come back to me. Then I'll proposed to him and we'll live happily ever after and you, you can just continue to—"
Before Tatsuya could even finish his statement, a punch was landed right onto his right cheek, letting him knock down onto the floor.
"Shut up, Shut up! I will never let you marry Kuroko, he's mine, I want to be the one to marry him. I want to be his everything!" Kagami shouted, but was the puzzled by the sudden laughter erupted from Tatsuya, "Why are you laughing, have you gone nuts Tatsuya?"
Tatsuya stopped laughing, got up from the floor. Then place his hand onto Kagami's left shoulder and said to him, "Welcome back to the world of the living, brother because you need to be alive to see you beloved Kuroko."
"Tatsuya…"
"Kuroko's at Shige's, that is where he told me he's at and that if you don't come in three days, then both of you won't be seeing each other anymore."
After hearing this, Kuroko ran towards the door, but because of the lack of desire nutrients in his system, he had no energy left and fell to the floor upon one step.
"But first, let's get you all clean up and fed before seeing Kuroko, alright? Wouldn't want him to see you in this state, would you?"
Tatsuya helped Kagami up and get him to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Tatsuya was scrubbing Kagami's back when Kagami suddenly said, "Tatsuya I'm scared…"
"Why are you even scared of, Kuroko should be the one who's scared after what you've done."
"That's the point, I'm scared that Kuroko wouldn't be the same with me anymore after what I've done…I need some encouragement, help me Tatsuya…"
"You know…I should just be a counsellor after this because both you and Kuroko kept asking me help do that and these." Tatsuya sighed as he poured water onto Kagami, "But don't worry, I know who can help encourage you."
A towel was thrown towards Kagami and he caught it like a basketball player he is.
"Here, dry yourself up and get dress while I make you something to eat. You've lose a lot of weight recently and tomorrow, I'll bring those people who will help encourage you."
"Thanks Tatsuya, I owe you…even after what I've said and done to you…I'm sorry."
Tatsuya just wave Kagami off and went to do what he said he will do.
The next day came as a surprise to Kagami. Five kids with five different colour hair stood right in front of him; some with a frown, a smirk and even a playful smile. To say Kagami was dumbfounded, he definitely is, dumbfounded.
"What is the meaning of this Tatsuya?"
"These here are you encouragement, brother and he assure you will definitely get your wanted encouragement."
However, Kagami had a different thought, 'Encouragement you say, I say it's death wish."
Midorima started to talk first, "It's not like I wanted to do this at all Bakagami, but it's the sake of bringing Kuroko-sensei back to teaching me, so here a lucky item for you. With this lucky item, I assure you that Kuroko- sensei will definitely return."
A dog plushy which seem to reminds Kagami of Kuroko's pet dog, Nigou, was given to him and he just accepted the 'lucky item' from Midorima with a soft thanks.
The second person to encourage Kagami was Murasakibara whom have different kinds of sugary candies in his hands, "If you want to win back Kuro-chin, then you need candies and lots of it. Kuro-chin seems to love Vanilla, so here you go…A vanilla lollipop for Kuro-chin and some vanilla…"
After long hours of Murasakibara handing Kagami vanilla candies, it was Kise's turn to encourage Kagami, "All you need to do is to hug Kuroko-cchi, give him lots of hugs and then kisses and then do a lot of wrestling!"
Kise enthusiastically said to Kagami, but Kagami question him about the 'wrestling' part in which Kise replied, "Because mommy and daddy always wrestled after hugging and kissing."
Kagami gave himself a face-palm and sweat drop before thanking Kise for his advice.
Last but not least was Aomine's turn, but he just handed Kagami a basketball and went off to stand beside Kise in which Kagami was puzzled of what Aomine is trying to say.
Finally cam Akashi with his knowing smirk, "Taiga, Taiga, to know that you're the one who drive my Tetsuya away makes me mad, but my dear Tetsuya only desire you, so I will help you. It's quite simple actually; just tell Tetsuya how sorry you are when you see him. If he refuses to forgive him, kneel down on your knees until he forgives you. Of course if he's scare of you, get it slow. Don't try to rush things and everything should be fine. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but you can do it Bakagami, even though you're an idiot and all, but I can see that Tetsuya really loves you."
Kagami was surprised to hear what Akashi had said to him, he thought that maybe he would be strangle by him, or something worst, but apparently Akashi had encourage him and gave him a good advice along with it.
"Thank you, you brats. You may be making my life chaotic on my first day at the kindergarten, but thank you so much. I need to go get Kuroko now and thank you again, Tatsuya."
"Are you done yet? Come on, Bakagami my driver will drive you to Kuroko right now."
Akashi stated and Kagami smile and dash towards the limousine prepared by Akashi.
Upon arriving at Shige's, Kagami was confronted by an angry Shigehiro, "What did I tell you about hurting my dearest little brother, Kagami! I warn you that I'll kill you when you hurt him!"
Shigehiro tried landing punches onto Kagami, but Kagami swiftly avoided most of the punches. To Kagami, Shigehiro hits like a girl, but he can't say that out loud, he still needs to be alive to see Kuroko.
"Do you know how much Kuroko suffered? These past two weeks, he cried for you in his dreams, never wanting to let go of you even after what you've done to him! He was desperate for you. Every little thing reminds him of you; your laughter he said, your idiotic nature he said, all of your traits make him happy he said!"
"Kuroko said that…?"
"Of course he did, you Bakagami. How much of an idiot can you be? He loves you so much!"
Kagami grabbed hold of both Shigehiro's hands, stopping him from landing any more punches. Shigehiro struggle from Kagami's hold on him, but gave up after a few thoughts.
"Go." Shigehiro said.
Kagami stared at Shigehiro, puzzled by what he just said.
"I said Go! What is the Japanese language of GO, don't you understand? Go to Kuroko now, before I change my mind. He's in his room, waiting for you."
"Thank you."
Dashing off into the house, Kagami rushed to Kuroko's room. There he saw a very pale looking Kuroko, a thick blanket covering his whole body, yet he still shivers under it.
"Kuroko…" Kagami whispered.
"Kagami-kun…You're here. I—"
Before Kuroko could utter another word, Kagami embraces him in a crushing hug. A hug both of them longs for. Butterfly kisses were planted onto Kuroko. Cries of 'I miss you, I miss you' were heard from Kagami. Kuroko on the other hand, stay comfortable in Kagami's embrace, snuggling even further into Kagami's warm chest—the warm he longs and desire for these past two weeks.
"Let's go home, please. I can barely leave without you Kuroko. I will listen to all you want to say, I won't prison you anymore, so please come back to me…" Kagami pleaded.
Kuroko had never seen this side of Kagami before. He smile and said, "Yes Kagami-kun. Let's go home. I need you too, so much of you."
While both Kagami and Kuroko were glad to be together again. Outside the house, stood two people who were shivering; one Tatsuya Himuro and the other Ogiwara Shigehiro.
"I'm glad they are happy, but I'm freezing here. That Bakagami locked me out of my own house, how dare him!" Shigehiro complain while rubbing his hands together to create some warm.
Then arms wrapped around him from behind and he turn around to see Tatsuya in the same cold state as he is.
"Let me help warm you up then, Shige-kun."
Shigehiro blushes and snuggle further into the warm.
"If you're going to flirt with me, at least do it romantically." Shigehiro complains.
Tatsuya chuckled, "I heard there was a famous café around here; want to go there before we completely freeze out here?"
Shigehiro nodded and both of them went to the said café, hands holding onto each other.