A/N: Hi guys! I'm sure you all want to kill me after I left such a cliffhanger on the previous chapter. Ohhhh, and the sneak peek? Did you love it? I enjoyed writing it. Hahahaha, sorry I'm being mean, ain't I?

So, yeah, our MidTerm Exams just ended so I'm here to give you updates and new fanfictions!

Guys, many of my fanfictions have ended but more are being born, so I hope you try them as well. Of course, there'll be filler chapters on some of my fanfics, but I try my best to entertain you guys on every chapter, so I hope you appreciate each chappie I make!

By the way, super duper thanks for all the reviews you left me for the previous chapter. Don't worry, even I, myself, was teary-eyed as I wrote that chapter. It was as if I was being so angst-y on Akashi and Kuroko. But I'm not regretting it.

Uh, maybe one or two more chapters before this one ends. But in advance—Thanks for tuning in!

Next chapter coming up!

Listen to this while reading the chapter, it fits the mood and the story: watch?v=503l8Z_DaB4 or if it doesn't work, just type: AkaKuro FC Engsub Ama no Jaku. You won't regret it!

Nachos and Cake,

LFMH021

"Tell the Clock to Stop Ticking"

Chapter Eleven:

Akashi's eyes diverted back on the grim reaper when Shi sighed. "What happened in there?"

The black figure frowned and shrugged. "I was actually not sure why Jikan, the white idiotic angel with Kuroko, tried so hard to make that phantom player happy with this lie of his."

"What do you mean? What lie?" He whispered in fear.

The look Shi gave him sent shivers down his spine. The dark eyes the grim reaper possessed looked like a void. A void filled with emptiness. A void filled with loneliness. A void filled with nothing. A void where no one could ever survive. "Kuroko Tetsuya was already dead."

It was as if everything shattered.

It was as if everything broke into pieces.

It was as if Akashi was suddenly unsure of the reality he was in.

The red-head subconsciously released the grim reaper's cape. "Y-You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not. Ask your friends. They know." Shi mumbled as he gestured something behind the red-head.

As he turned around to look at his friends, he already knew. He already knew the answer, but he was just denying it. He was hoping for some little hope that his friends would look like they didn't know a thing, but his heart shattered even more as he saw his friends and colleagues were all silently crying behind him.

"Look inside the locker room. You'll know everything in there." Shi said.

As he tried to play tough, Akashi looked up and glared at Shi. "You are not going away. You're coming with us."

Shi sighed, and nodded. "He's already gone anyway. My job is done. I might as well accompany you guys while I still can."

He's already gone anyway…No. No. As Akashi ran-walked towards the locker room of Seirin's gymnasium, a crying Kise mumbled, "H-He's a grim reaper? W-Why can we see him?"

"I'll explain everything later since I have nothing else to do anyway." Shi muttered behind them.

As Akashi slammed open the locker room's door, his eyes widened upon seeing a weeping Kagami hugging Seirin's jersey number 11 tightly. "What happened?" The smaller red-head snapped.

When Kagami just looked up, and continued weeping; Akashi growled, "What happened?! Answer me, Kagami Taiga!"

Seirin's ace snarled, "He's officially dead, Akashi. Kuroko's dead. After I said: 'You're dead?' Something blinding suddenly surrounded him, and then after few more moments—he disappeared. His jersey and uniform suddenly flew out from inside his locker and dropped on the floor. And then…and then, I remembered everything…"

"What 'everything'? What- "

And then it hit him.

They were all there.

Everyone was laughing, chattering or cuddling with one another. It was just a great day for celebrating a precious occasion.

Everything was perfect.

There, right on Kuroko's residence's living room.

Today was the phantom-player's birthday, and seeing as Akashi, himself, insisted for a party—A birthday party was held in the teal-head's usually-empty house.

It was a day of celebration.

It was a day of laughter.

It was a day of happiness.

Well, it was supposed to be, anyway.

On the floor, Midorima and Takao were playing a video game –due to the continuous pestering of Takao, the green-head agreed—and the dark-head was surprisingly being beaten by the miracle shooter. Grumbling, Takao pinched his partner's cheek when he lost for the third time in a row now.

Murasakibara was lying on Himuro's lap after eating four slices of cake Himuro bought for Kuroko's birthday. As the violet-head began to feel drowsy, Himuro decided to hum the violet-head's favorite song.

Kise and Aomine were on the couch and were laughing at every photo they would see on Kuroko's 'Teiko Middle School' Album. Every game of theirs was inside, and they couldn't help laughing with the expressions they had back then. They were cuddling while doing this.

Kagami was not around for he had a very important errand to attend to, but he didn't leave without placing a gift inside Kuroko's locker before leaving the gym.

Everything was going well until something unexpected happened.

They all turned when Kuroko's room's door slammed open with a snapping Akashi, "And you think I'll believe your lies?"

"I am not lying, Akashi-kun, there is nothing between me and Kagami-kun." Kuroko defended.

Akashi sighed. "With the photo attached with his customized gift, I cannot actually believe you, Tetsuya."

The red-head ran down the stairs and began to fix his things.

"Akashi-kun, please do stop being narrow-minded. For all these years, you've known me. Why do you still doubt me?"

"Because you and Kagami Taiga are too close, and I never thought you'd let me down like this." Akashi closed his bag.

"We're classmates. We're schoolmates. We're team mates. We're best friends. We're partners. We're 'light' and 'shadow' of our team. You cannot expect us not to be close." Kuroko countered.

"But not that close. Not. That. Close." Akashi snapped and twisted the front door's knob. "You should have just told me that you can't be contented with one. I could have looked for someone better for you."

"Akashi-kun, why are you being so unreasonable?"

"Because I'm your lover. There should be honesty between us."

"Yes, I am your lover, so you need to at least give me some of your trust."

"I trusted you, Tetsuya. I did."

"Why are you being so upset about him when you know it's you whom I chose? I was being honest all this time."

"Because you're mine! You're supposed to be only mine." The red-head growled. As this silenced the teal-head, he turned around. "I'm going ahead."

"AKASHI-KUN, WAIT!" Kuroko shouted as Akashi walked out of the house. He bit his bottom lip and ran after the other. "Wait. Akashi-kun!"

The six looked at one another before nodding and chasing after the two.

"Akashi-kun, please listen to me."

"No, I refuse. You'll just brainwash me." Akashi hissed.

"Please believe me when I say it's just you."

"Just leave me alone."

This cycle continued and they began to run.

"Akashi-kun, please, listen to me!"

"Just go away." He insisted.

"No."

He turned his head. "Just go away, Tet—" But that was a bad idea.

"AKASHI-KUN, WATCH OUT!"

Yet it was too late, he already froze on his ground.

His eyes widened, though, when the teal-head suddenly forcefully pushed him towards the other side of the road.

And Akashi frozenly watched as the truck hit Kuroko. It stopped after few moments but Kuroko continued rolling on the street. Blood splattered all around them. There was even blood flowing out Kuroko's head and mouth.

"No…No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Akashi screamed as he ran towards the teal-head.

The other six surrounded them, as well.

"Kurokocchi! Kurokocchi, open your eyes! Kurokocchi!" Kise wept as he held onto Kuroko's hands.

"Kuroko! Not today, your horoscope didn't say today was your day! Kuroko!" Midorima growled.

"Tetsu, wake up, you idiot! Wake up, I said! Tetsu!" Aomine wept as he held Kuroko's collar.

"Kuro-chin…! Kuro-chin…! Not today, please…! Not today…You'll make a lot of people sad…Kuro-chin!" Murasakibara wept.

"Tetsuya, can't you hear us? Don't give up, not today. Not today, I beg you. Tetsuya, think about the people you'll leave behind. Tetsuya!" He cried as he placed his forehead on the lifeless Kuroko's chest.

"This is all my fault! All my fault!" He screamed as Kuroko's heart beat slowed down and finally stopped.

"I killed him." He whispered as he fell on his knees. "I was the reason why he died the first time." He blankly stared at the floor. "So that's what he was talking about…So these are all the memories he had been persisting me to remember. We were already happy. So happy…"

Jikan gave up on floating and settled on standing with his invisible feet. "It was all a lie. I told him that he was given another 365 days to live and to make you all remember. But it was actually just 182 days. Just half a year. Just a half a year, and I just fooled him. And he can't make you remember. I was just insisting him to make you guys remember so that this somehow-gift for him could make him happy for one last time."

Shi then resumed, "But he's already dead. My job was to take him with me, so I couldn't let you remember him because he may cling onto this fake reality we built for him and will be quite hard to ask to come with me."

"So…it wasn't really a second chance to live?" Kagami wept.

Jikan looked at the ground with guilt. "It isn't. I was just fooling him, because he looked so lonely and sad when he arrived up there. I couldn't let him enter when he isn't fully ready. I wasn't expecting all of this to happen, though."

"Why…why could we see you?" Aomine mumbled.

"He had this magical wristwatch that tells him how many he has left. It was updated for 365 days instead of 182 days so that he wouldn't get surprised. But Shi, seeing as he was doing his very best to take Kuroko away, managed to change the time left for Kuroko to stay. And there was only five days before his days expire. Almost just a week, and as seeing as you are involved –too much—with him, you were granted eyes to see both of us." Jikan explained.

"Will he be back?" Akashi whispered.

Jikan and Shi looked at each other before shaking their heads. "It takes a miracle for you guys to actually get him back. And miracles don't happen on times like this."

"Great." Aomine sarcastically whispered.

Jikan pointed something. "Look at your phones. Do you remember him?"

Akashi opened his phone and went to 'Gallery' to check. His eyes watered upon seeing a lot of pictures of him and Kuroko together when the other was still alive in his first life.

"It goes like this, Murasakibara-kun."

The violet-head blinked. "Wow, you're so great at knitting, Kuro-chin~"

Kuroko smiled. "Himuro-kun is greater than me. I've seen his works."

Both turned towards the dark-head, and he instantly felt conscious. He faked a smile and said, "Well, not that much, actually."

As Himuro handled the cross-stitch, Murasakibara leaned against him to watch.

"You two are perfect for each other." Kuroko suddenly blurted out, which surprised both.

Then they nodded and murmured, "Yes. Yes, I believe so too."

The violet-head then looked at the one beside him. "I miss him, Muro-chin. I miss Kuro-chin…" He sobbed.

Himuro smiled, and wiped his tears away before trying to wipe Murasakibara's tears, as well. "Stop crying, Atsushi. Please…stop crying."

But neither stopped from weeping.

~LFMH021~

Kise scrolled down his 'Camera Roll' and saw the folder named: Kurokocchi!

It was filled with photos of Kuroko. Photos he didn't know existed in his phone. He full-screened one and then swiped and swiped to see every picture.

"Just go already!" Kuroko grunted.

Kise shook his head. "It's impossible, Kurokocchi. Aominecchi will never return my feelings, ssu."

The teal-head frowned. "How do you know when you haven't ever tried?"

"I don't want to be hurt." The blonde murmured.

"Did you really believe I will hurt you, Kise?" A hoarse voice grumbled from behind a tree in front of them.

Kise's eyes widened when he was suddenly lifted off the ground by no other than Aomine, himself. The latter didn't fail to make the former blush. "A-A-A-Aomineccchiiii!"

Aomine refused to let him down, and looked at Kuroko. "Damn, Tetsu. This is the best gift for my upcoming birthday."

Kise blinked. "W-What?"

Kuroko began to turn around. "I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He said he wanted to be with the love of his life. So yeah, I figured I should start to become a bridge between the two of you because it's starting to become super annoying."

Kise looked at the retreating teal-head. "T-THANK YOU, KUROKOCCHI!"

"I told you before. Don't give up without trying." Kuroko mumbled before walking away.

Kise sniffed. "I feel like a part of me was suddenly taken away."

Aomine bit his lips and tried hard not to cry anymore. "It felt like the time I had a nightmare. I was also crying back then."

"I want him back, Aominecchi…Let's bring back Kurokocchi…Please…Please…" Kise begged as he wept so hard now.

All the bluenette could do was kiss Kise's forehead.

~LFMH021~

Takao and Midorima looked at each other before averting their gazes.

This argument had been going on since a week ago, and no one could seem to make them up.

Shuutoku's members had no idea what caused such a big fight for the two of them to arise. No one could also make them speak about it.

It was awkward. They didn't like not seeing the two happily playing side by side.

They're Shuutoku's shadow and light, after all.

"So, it's true…" A voice murmured.

Midorima took a step aback in surprise upon seeing Kuroko –with Nigou—in front of him. "K-K-Kuroko?"

"Momoi-san emailed me that when you and Too had a practice game a day ago, there was this tense atmosphere between you and Takao-kun. She figured you two argued and asked me if I can somehow, you know, help."

Miyaji sighed and approached the three. "Can you make these two up, Kuroko Tetsuya?"

The teal-head blinked. "Let me ask you something. Do you want everything to end like this?"

Both Takao and Midorima looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"You've come too far. I don't think your friendship –relationship—should be broken by such a small argument. Think of why you've stuck with each other in the first place." Kuroko mumbled and then sighed. "Seriously." Before walking towards the door. "I hope you'll make up soon."

After the practice, the two had made up.

Midorima removed his glasses. "Sometimes, he's so meddlesome."

Takao sniffed and wiped some tears away. "He's very kind, actually. It was great meeting him."

"Don't…Don't talk like he's so gone."

"But he is."

The two glared at each other for awhile before both began to sob again.

~LFMH021~

Kagami clutched the jersey with his two hands before murmuring, "I've mourned enough…But I know. I should have always known that whatever happens, he will never be mine. Both in the past and this lifetime."

He stood up, and placed everything Kuroko possessed on Akashi's arms. "You deserve these. You deserve him. You two were meant to be. Don't bother me. Don't look for me. I'll just mourn even more. After all, this time, it was my fault."

As he said this, he quickly grabbed his bag and ran off. Toughness, he was obviously trying to maintain.

Akashi stared at the clothes between his palms, and remembered one of the most precious memories he had of Kuroko.

He was staring at the skies for so long, he hadn't realized that Kuroko had stood in front of him.

Blinking, he asked, "T-Tetsuya?"

The teal-head smiled and sat beside him on the private bench he chose. "I thought so. I knew you're here. This is your resting place, isn't it? Despite its' creepiness."

Akashi nodded. "I feel at peace here." He murmured before taking one of Kuroko's hands. "Can I hold onto you?"

"Of course."

Silence enveloped the atmosphere, but Kuroko spoke first: "I wish…I wish that this will never end."

"It won't. I promise you this." He mumbled.

"Why…? Why are you swearing such a big promise?"

"Because I want to be with you too. Until forever." He mumbled.

His eyes widened when Kuroko reached for his face, and then placed his lips on his forehead. "You must be lonely—just like me."

For no reason, he wrapped his arms around the teal-head and hugged him tightly in reply.

"Never let go…"

Everyone was crying.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

They were just crying.

Even Akashi Seijuuro, himself, was weeping.

"Move on." Shi grunted as he floated above them. "When one's dead, he's dead."

Jikan glared at him.

The dark one frowned. "What? Don't blame me for something you've started. You shouldn't have given him asked the high almighty to grant Kuroko this wish. He could've just come with me."

The white one bit his bottom lip. "But he was so lonely and sad. Just like me before I officially became a guardian angel. I was usually just sitting under a tree and playing with anything I find around me. I missed my life. I feel like I could still have more." He turned to Shi. "Before you were assigned to be the next grim reaper by high almighty, didn't you feel the same?"

The dark one winced. "…No."

"You hesitated." Jikan pointed out. "You're denying the truth."

As the room get more filled with sobs and cries, Shi finally snapped, "FINE!"

Everyone looked up and turned to him. "…What?"

Shi gave up on floating and just flying around, and settled on standing on the ground with invisible feet and just black coat and cape around him. "3 hours, 2 minutes and 31 seconds."

"I don't get it." Aomine grunted.

Shi frowned. "I give you 3 hours, 2 minutes and 31 seconds. Which means you only have until 7:30 pm until you find him."

"…Find him? Find whom?" Himuro mumbled.

Shi smirked and looked at Jikan.

Jikan blinked. "You mean…!"

Shi huffed. "Yeah."

Jikan's face was filled with surprise. "B-But, why?"

"I am already giving you guys a chance to find him while you still can, and you dare to question me. Do you want to find him or not?"

"We do." Akashi firmly responded.

Shi then explained, "You have until 7:30 pm tonight to search and find Tetsuya Kuroko. Yes, he did suddenly disappear earlier, but he still isn't up there." He pointed the skies. "He isn't checked in my list yet. He can still be lingering around the town. Someone who's soon to go up usually stays and roams around his hometown before officially dying. And in my list, he was given until 7:30 tonight. If you believe he's alive and that you can find him, then perhaps you can tell the clock to stop ticking."

Shi blinked when the six's eyes were suddenly determined and were filled with hope. Strong individuals. These are very strong people who had been through a lot more than others think.

Jikan nodded. "Before 7:30 pm. You must be able to touch him and tell him: 'You're alive.' Or else everything'll be too late."

Akashi looked at the jersey he had in his hands.

"Ne, Akashi-kun?"

"Yeah, Tetsuya?"

"Do you believe in forever?"

"I do. Yes, I do, Tetsuya."

"I'll find you. I swear that I will find you, Tetsuya." He murmured as he breathed in Kuroko's scent.

And with 2 hours, 58 minutes and 47 seconds left, the six set out to search for even just a little miracle.

A/N: Ayyyyaaaah! I know, I know, I should have just ended it, but that would make the chapter too long.

So I cut it into two.

Which means the next chapter is the last chapter of this fanfiction.

So I hope you can tune in even until I update this for the very last time.

Ohhh, I hope you liked the feelssss!

Please, please, please leave a review! Thanks.

SNEAK PEEEEEKKKK!

"You're still hoping for a miracle."

Akashi glared at him for awhile. "Yeah." He mumbled.

And then he broke out.

Tears trickled down his cheeks, slowly and then quickly. Just like his emotions. "Yeah, I'm still hoping for a miracle because I just love him to the extent I can't imagine moving on without him by my side."