Writing about basketball matches is so hard!

Beta by OtakuBroMelody

I don't own Kuroko no Basuke

Chapter 10

Rakuzan vs Yousen (First part)

Rakuzan team and Yousen greet each other in the basketball court. Mibuchi winks to Himuro, but the cutie boy ignores him and keeps a sociable smile. Murasakibara says, "Even if it is Aka-chin, I will win, because scary Aka-chin turned back into weak Aka-chin."

Akashi glares the giant. "I won't lose."

Kuroko looks at Akashi worriedly. His boyfriend isn't his usual self. The phantom has a bad feeling; 'I must give my best to support him during the match.'

Hayama says, "Eikichi, look! There is someone more gorilla than you," and indicates Okamura. Yousen captain starts to cry. Nebuya scolds the blond, "You said the same thing during the other match."

Fukui yells to the opponents, "During the finals of the Interhigh, we didn't play at our best." He looks at Murasakibara. "We are going to show you why we are called the Shield of Aegis. This time, we are going to win!"

The referee whistles. The match starts. Hayama gets the ball and passes it to Mibuchi. The black head tries a shot, but Murasakibara blocks it using only his arm. Mibuchi is astonished, the giant is so tall, and thus he doesn't need to jump, 'I can't use Koku.' Kuroko recovers the ball and passes it to Mibuchi again. He tries a faint, but Murasakibara's long arm reaches him, 'Ten with him is useless as well.'

Akashi gets the ball and passes to Hayama. The blond tries to use his speed, but he is blocked by Wei Liu. Hayama curses, "Damn, I can't shake him away," and passes the ball to Kuroko who uses a cyclone pass and the ball returns to Akashi.

Rakuzan captain tries to go beyond Yousen's defense, but while he is facing Murasakibara, his body trembles, 'What is happening?' While Akashi is confused, the purple giant steals the ball with his long arm and Himuro gets the ball. With his fluid movements similar to a dance, Himuro bypasses Nebuya and scores.

The game continues, but Rakuzan can't get pass the opponent's defense; instead, Yousen can score even if it is only a little.

Rakuzan players are worried, Akashi's passes aren't smooth like the usual, and their captain is stiff. Nebuya tries to overpower Murasakibara, but he, too, succumbs to the giant. The first quarter is nearing the end, and yet, Rakuzan didn't score a single basket. Akashi is growing restless.

Himuro glares Akashi. "I saw you play against Shuutoku and I can't believe you are the same person. Are you scared of Atsushi? He isn't the only one you should be careful of." Himuro gives a threatening aura. "I have a promise to keep and there is someone I want to defeat, so I can't be stopped here." The one-eyed boy surpasses the crimson head. Himuro scores another basket.

The referee whistles; the first quarter ends. The players return to the bench.

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Akashi can't believe it. Why can't he play like he usually does? Did the one-on-one in middle school give him some kind of trauma? A voice from the innermost of his mind speaks to him, 'You are weak. Switch with me.'

Akashi feels his other self, 'You didn't disappear.'

Bokushi Akashi laughs, 'I'm a part of you, and how can I simply disappear? But I'm in the same time independent. Until I decide willing to merge completely with you I will stay here inside your mind.'

Oreshi Akashi asks him, 'What do you want?'

Bokushi Akashi replies, 'Switch with me. You can't beat Atsushi. I can't permit you to tarnish Akashi Seijuurou's name any longer.'

Oreshi says, 'No, I won't commit the same mistake again. You are my weakness, born from my fear to be abandoned, not my strength.'

Bokushi laughs. 'Look at you who can't stand with your legs properly. You will fall again. You can't run from yourself.'

Oreshi retorts, 'Sure, you speak big, considering you lost before.'

Bokushi mutters, 'Tetsuya doesn't count. He is special.'

Oreshi is retorting when he hears a voice calling him, "Akashi-kun." The crimson head returns to the reality and sees his surroundings. With a worried face, Kuroko and the others are looking at him.

Mibuchi says, "Sei-chan, are you alright?" instead Nebuya yells, "Get a grip Akashi! If you are going to be a burden, stay out of the match!"

Mibuchi screams, "Eikichi! Calm down!"

Akashi inhales with full lugs and says, "Nebuya is right." He bows. "I'm sorry I'm showing such unsightly side of myself." He turns to face Kuroko. "Tetsuya, give me a slap."

Kuroko looks at Akashi like he has grown another head. "Why?"

Akashi replies, "My body is tense, and my mind is in turmoil, I need a shock to snap out and recover my self-control." The phantom nods. "Okay. Close your eyes."

Rakuzan captain closes his eyes and waits for the impact. Instead, he feels a pair of lips on him. Akashi opens his eyes and sees Kuroko kissing him. The red head can't resist and responds to the kiss.

From the bleachers, Kagami blushing mutters, "Did you mean this when you said the world is ending?" Mayuzumi's expression of resignation to the inevitable gives the answer away, how much he wishes to bleach his eyes in this moment!

Midorima stays immobile completely shocked. Akashi got a lover before him! He doesn't feel defeated at all, okay? Takao teases him, "Don't worry, Shin-chan, you have me!" Midorima watches him like Takao is an alien. "Shut up." He says, but his cheeks show a blush. Takao laughs in his sleeve; 'Shin-chan is so cute.'

Kise is happy and daydreams about a world of love, rainbows and unicorns. 'Akashicchi opened his eyes toward love, he will become nicer and kinder, Yessss-suu!'

Aomine's face becomes pale, he is confused, and he can't believe it. 'Akashi can love like a human? Tetsu can love someone like Akashi? The weirdest people I have ever met fell in love with each other like a match made in heaven!' The tanned teen – for not to feel alone in his misery of being single – watches the reaction of his ex-teammates. He sees Midorima being teased by Takao, 'Midorima, you as well?' Aomine wants to cry, he even lost to the glassed tsundere! His pride as a man is crushed.

Next to Aomine, Momoi cries biting a handkerchief, 'Tetsu-kunnnnnnn!'

Murasakibara is the only one not to care in the slightest.

In the bleachers, hidden by the shadows, a person tightens his fists, 'Kuroko, how could you do this?'

On the Rakuzan bench, Akashi and Kuroko end the kiss. Akashi panting asks, "Why?"

Kuroko breathless replies monotonously, "Pain isn't the only way. Now, you are more relaxed."

The red head tries to move, and indeed, the tension on his body left him. He smiles. "Thank you."

The couple lost in their little world is brought back to the reality by a cough from the coach. "Please, refrain doing this in public. Right now, we are in the middle of a basketball match." Nebuya and Hayama make a face like they don't want to be there, while Mibuchi's eyes are sparkling from what he considers as a cute display.

Akashi and Kuroko apologize for their action. Rakuzan team begins the strategy meeting.

Kuroko proposes, "If we can't beat Murasakibara alone, we should do it together."

The break ends, and the match continues.

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Nebuya takes the ball and challenges Murasakibara under the hoop; the giant says, "With only your strength, you can't beat me"

Rakuzan muscle head replies, "Long time ago, someone told me the same thing. That strength alone isn't enough. I still think raw power is the best, so I worked really hard on my body, but this time, I will make an exception." Akashi jumps behind Murasakibara and Nebuya passes him the ball.

Murasakibara's reaction time is top notch and he is ready to block Akashi. The red head remembers Kuroko's words before the match, 'If you feel trapped or you don't know what to do, simply pass to me. I will help you.' Akashi turns and sees Kuroko running toward him. "Tetsuyaaa!" He passes the ball to the phantom. Kuroko makes a shooting pose. He remembers his last meeting with Aomine.

Kuroko is practicing shooting. Aomine says, "Seven out of ten. You can use it in the matches"Momoi hugs the phantom with her whole strength. "You do it, Tetsu-kun!"

After being released by the death grip, Kuroko bows to the Too's ace. "Thank you, Aomine-kun."

Aomine replies, "Tetsu, next time we meet, we will be enemies. So don't lose to anyone until you play against me. Let's go, Satsuki." Aomine walks away and Momoi waves to Kuroko. "See you next time."

Kuroko watches them leave and smiles.

Murasakibara goes to stop the phantom. Aomine smiles from the bleachers. "It's useless. You can't stop something you can't see." Kuroko shoots and the ball vanishes. Kuroko says, "Phantom shot." The ball reappears and enters in the hoop. Rakuzan scores for the first time in the game.

All the players are astonished. Akashi thinks, 'When? How?' The first to break the silence is Hayama. "Kuro-chan, when did you learn to shoot? And the ball disappeared!" Yousen can't believe it! Their defense was bypassed!

Murasakibara looks at Kuroko with scorn. "I would have never thought that the first one to score against me is a weakling like you." The phantom replies, "Talent isn't the only thing that is worth it, Murasakibara-kun."

The purple head snorts. "Talent is all. Because of this, basketball is so boring." The referee whistles, reporting the players to keep playing.

Thanks to Kuroko new shot and various faints, Yousen lost his rhythm, and Rakuzan keeps scoring. Using team play, they make the purple giant steadily move. The sky blue haired teen says to him, "Are you having fun playing?" Murasakibara is annoyed. While Okamura marks Nebuya, Fukui and Wei Liu trap the phantom and block his view. Kuroko uses his quasi-emperor eye to pass the ball to his teammates.

Murasakibara is fed up, he takes the ball and like a hurricane, he slam dunk on the opponent hoop. He yells angrily, "I don't care about team play, efforts or having fun! Come at me. Your beliefs... I will crush it all!"

Coach Araki smirks. "Thank you for waking him up." Murasakibara scores again and literally crushes the hoop. The giant is out for blood.

Kuroko trembles afraid, he feels his scars more than ever, memories from the past resurface in his mind. The phantom shakes his head, he regains his self-control. The referee whistles. The first half of the match is over.

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While the technicians fix the hoop, the players return in the locker room.

Akashi says, "The match will become even harder now that Murasakibara is back in the offense."

Mibuchi asks him, "What do you mean, Sei-chan?"

Akashi replies, "In the beginning, Murasakibara played on the attack, he had a record about scoring 100 points during a game, but when he lost interest for the sport, he started to play defense. We have woken up a sleeping beast."

Akashi changes topic and asks Kuroko, "When did you learn shooting?"

Kuroko replies, "I asked Aomine-kun to teach me."

Akashi says, "Seem that you and Aomine are pretty close." A tint of jealousy is mixed in the tone; 'I should have a talk with Aomine afterward.' The same voice but from a different source adds, 'A very thorough talk, be ready Daiki.' A certain basketball idiot feels chills in his spine.

Kuroko replies, "It's enjoyable to spend time with Aomine-kun when he isn't in bad mood."

Akashi leaves this topic for later, there are more pressing matters to talk over. He says to his lover, "Tetsuya, don't use the phantom shot anymore."

The phantom asks him, "Why?" Hayama supports him, "The shot is pretty cool!"

Akashi says, "Precisely, because it's pretty cool, you can't use it, Tetsuya. A showing shot like this will gather attention upon you. You will lose your weak presence and so will your playing style."

Kuroko understands his mistake, he apologizes, "Sorry, Akashi-kun, I didn't think it would go so far."

Akashi makes a smile with full of warmth. "Don't worry, love. You only wanted to become a better player, I understand. Your shot was very useful to give us a start, so thank you."

Kuroko makes a ghostly smile. Akashi adds, "Next time you think about a new move, talk with me, okay?" Kuroko agrees.

Rakuzan basketball team and coach talk about the strategies to use. Coach Shirogane says, "Kuroko, rest during the third quarter. You will return to the court in the last quarter." the sky haired boy nods.

The break time is over. Rakuzan and Yosen players enter in the basketball court. The second half begins.

Sorry I'm cutting the chapter in half but I didn't update this fanfiction for a while so I wanted to give the reader something to read. Next chapter: the match continues and the identity of the person hidden in the shadow will be revealed! Please review