A/N: I don't know what to do for the next chapter! Give me suggestions on who should be featured in the next chapter (be it a member of Kiseki, or anyone new)

My 13th chapter at the end of 2012 LOL

Kuroko no Basket © Fujimaki

"Er... Akashi-san... Are you sure about my going to Kyoto for the weekend?" Kuroko asked. He stood by Tokyo's train station while looking at a familiar red head. Her bangs remained the same, if not longer, but her hair had been shorten to shoulder length with the ends curling inwards. She was as beautiful as ever, but her eyes still gave off a menacing aura.

"If I was not sure, Tetsuya, I would not be standing right here, now would I?" She replied smoothly, putting anymore resistance he would have to a halt. "...I do not recall allowing you to refer to me anything other than my given name." The former Teikou captain smiled dangerously at him, not that it had much effect on him.

"I assume it was for the duration that I stayed at your home for the night, considering the fact that it'd be 'confusing' to refer to you as your surname with your family present." He replied back. To anyone else, it would sound like Kuroko was being a smart-mouth to Akashi, but she knew better. He was answering her bluntly, nothing more.

But that did not mean she was satisfied with his answer.

"I am, and always will be 'Seika' to you, Tetsuya. Do you understand?" She sauntered up to him and looked up at him with those threatening eyes yet again. He looked down and met her gaze with equal intensity, but the message he conveyed was not the same. Stunning, electric blue eyes met red and orange ones.

Her outer appearance betrayed her inner thoughts, however.

'You won't stop calling me Seika, will you Tetsuya? You won't...move on, will you? Tetsuya...' Her conscious wondered, almost desperately.

Kuroko sighed, allowing his hot breath to accidentally graze Akashi's face. "Let us board the train. I would hate to leave your parents waiting any longer."

As he boarded the train, his seat across from Akashi, Kuroko's phone vibrated from within his pocket. He pulled it out to see two text messages; one from Kagami, another from Kiyoshi.

Sub: Have a safe trip

From: Kagami Taiga

Have fun in Kyoto... and bring back a souvenir! ...Take care...

Sub: Yo~

From Kiyoshi-senpai

Yo~ Have fun on your date (^_ -)b

Kuroko did not understand the implications of the last text, but Kagami's message made him smile lightly. Typical Kagami.

It wasn't until he felt the seat sink a little bit that he looked up from his phone to see Seika sitting next to him instead of across.

"Tetsuya..."

"Yes?" He was clearly avoiding using her name.

"I'm tired." And she was. From traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo to pick up Kuroko. Although it wasn't necessary, she absolutely had to see him. To know that he was not part of a long dream. To know that his disappearance wasn't because the dream ended. To know that he is real. To know that, when he left Teikou, it would not be the last time she would see him. Although she had his number in her phone, it was not enough. Akashi Seika absolutely must confirm Kuroko's existence.

Because that's just how they are. Kuroko was the driving force of the team that hid in the shadows, and that even applied to outside of basketball; he would just disappear. He could be there, he may not be there. And, although she claims not to be afraid of anything, Akashi was scared of one thing, whether she admits it or not;

she was terrified of the thought that Kuroko would up and walk out of her life for good, as if he was never there.

A similar occurrence happened after he had quit coaching their middle school basketball team. When the new coach—what's her face or another—had announced that she was going to replace Kuroko as the coach for the team, she felt her face pale and her blood grow cold. When he left, all she thought about was 'Was he ever even there?'

She was snapped out of her reverie when a hand was placed on her head and directed it over to a firm shoulder.

Kuroko could see her shoulders lightly trembling and that her eyes were glazed with tears threatening to fall from her blank face. She was obviously having a bad memory of something. He assumed it was from the fatigue of losing sleep for his sake, so he took the liberty of placing her head on his shoulder.

She took the chance and carefully shut her eyes, falling into a blissful sleep. No words were needed to be exchanged.

"Seika."

"Mm... Tetsuya?" Akashi's eyes slowly opened to the same darkness. When her vision returned to her, she saw that it was only night and the moon illuminated the room partially, allowing her eyes to adjust to the lack-of lighting.

Were they naked? No, she could feel her undergarments on, and Kuroko still had a shirt. She felt relieved, and at the same time, slightly disappointed.

She was lying in a bed. There were arms wrapped around her bare shoulders, but it was hard to see his face with her back turned to him.

But it wasn't as if she did not know who it was.

"Tetsuya..." The sleepy teen turned in his arms to face him. When her eyes fully adjusted to the darkness, she could see his beautiful, half-lidded blue eyes staring at her. His face was within close proximity, and within kissing range; she could smell fresh green mango with a hint of lotus flower. It lingered for a bit and disappeared the next minute, but it's presence still lingered.

'Just like him, huh...' Her eyes fluttered shut as she lost herself in him.

She scooted closer to his chest to get a better whiff of him, but as she got closer, the scent was gone. Akashi tried to open her eyes but was met with pure darkness, as if someone was shielding her eyes from something.

"Seika..." She felt her blindfold being kissed. "I'm right here."

She choked out a sob. Where did that come from? "Tetsuya...!"

"Seika. You don't need to see me. I promise I'm always here." She tried desperately to free her arms to tear away the offending blindfold, but his arms around her held her in place.

'I need to see him... I need to see his face...! I need to see that he's rea-!' But her movements halted when a hand guided her own to a firm chest.

"Seika-san. I'm real. You don't need to see me to know that I'm here." She could feel a heartbeat. A real, pulsing, pounding heartbeat. Her hand was then moved and she could feel lips gingerly placed on each and every finger.

"I'm here." Kiss. "I'm here." Kiss.

He repeated the motion on each finger, chanting the same line to assure her that he was right there, not a figment of her imagination.

"Tetsuya..."

"Akashi-san. Wake up, we've arrived."

Her eyes flicked open to a red, yellow, orange, and pink sky before her eyes.

"Mmm... Tetsuya...?" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, and sat up and stretched in her seat.

Boarding off the train and meeting Akashi's parents was expected. They greeted him with a warm smile.

"Good to see you again, Tetsuya."

"Akashi-san, why do I have a weird feeling that this has happened before..." It wasn't even a serious question, obviously rhetorical.

"Then I guess we'll have to familiarize you with this feeling, wouldn't we, Tetsuya?"

She was sprawled across his body with her legs straddling his own. Her head was on his chest as she listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart. Her eyes were half-lidded. Her body shook as she chuckled.

"It's alright, Tetsuya. I won't pull anything this time." She snuggled closer to him, embracing the scent that is Kuroko. Before she fell into a deep sleep, she muttered to herself, "After all, I have my whole life, now that I know that you're here..."

A/N: Old news, but Kise, Midorima, Kuroko, Kagami, and Aomine are getting a perfume line... That's where I got Kuroko's smell from (lol)

Kay, idea for a series of one-shots. Yay. Planning it's gonna be a pain though lol

Last update of the year, y'all (this would sound so alarming if it wasn't the 31st...)