And I'm back! Thank you to everyone who had reviewed the last chapter (even if it isn't so much of a chapter as much as it is an author's note). Anyway, my test results came back clear to anyone who is interested to know. The doctor thinks that it might be stress overload or something, as I had been pretty stressed out for the past three months.

Also, to answer some questions, yes, I've actually read the manga, thank you very much. And while I do like the Teiko arc currently ongoing in the manga, I probably won't be including most of it in this story. I've already planned out Princess of Miracles even before I've started writing it, and I don't intend to change my plans for this story just because of the recent events happening in the manga.

Anyway, for those who had been complaining that the recent chapters seem almost like a novelization of the manga/anime, I hope that you'd be happy with this chapter, as it involves some Aomine/Tamaki fluff as well.

Pairings: Aomine/Tamaki

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter Twenty Four: Tears of Summer

"She'll be fine now." - Akashi Seijuro

XXXXXX

Kuroko Tamaki stared out of the classroom window, barely listening to the lecture even as the History teacher droned on and on about some samurai during the Edo era. Even without looking, Tamaki knew that half her classmates were barely listening, with the other half probably already halfway to la-la-land.

Their minds were already in holiday mood.

It was a week to the start of the summer holidays after all.

Their coach had gathered the entire basketball team the day after they've watched the match between Touou and Kaijo, and had informed them that she'll be scheduling some special training for them during the summer break.

The moment that they've heard the words 'special training' come out of their coach's mouth, the entire basketball team paled. It never bodes well whenever you put 'training' and 'Riko' in the same sentence.

Not even Tamaki knew what Riko had in mind, but judging by the devious glint in the brunette girl's eyes, Tamaki knew that it isn't going to be anything good.

Also coincidentally, the school's summer cultural festival will also be held the week before their break for the summer holidays. Tamaki's class had decided to hold a café during the festival, along with putting on a play for the parents that will be coming to their festival.

Right now however, Tamaki's mind was barely on anything school related even as she stared out at the gloomy and dark skies that seem to be threatening rain.

'What a desolate day.' Tamaki sighed inwardly to herself. 'I can't get into anything at all.' She thought absent-mindedly, twirling her pen in between the fingers of her right hand as she did so. 'We have until the end of the summer holidays to get ready for the Winter Cup. Will we be in time?' She wondered, glancing at her left wrist.

"The Winter Cup will be interesting. I'll crush them all. This winter will be war. Against the Generation of Miracles."

The school bell went off just then, and there were sighs of relief from Tamaki's classmates, as it meant that they could finally go home.

"All right. This will be it for today." Their History teacher told them, closing the History textbook with a light snap. "Just because it will be the summer holidays doesn't mean that you should slack off! Remember to do your homework and do some revision over the holidays, as there will be a quiz once you get back!"

There were loud groans at that. Tamaki stifled a small smile as she packed her books and stuff into her bag. She then pulled out her phone to check for any messages or calls that she might have missed whilst she is in class, and the eyes of the teal haired girl widened a slight fraction when she saw the date reflected on the screen of her phone.

"Oi Tamaki!" The loud boisterous voice of her teammate and friend caused Tamaki to turn around. "I know that basketball practice is cancelled for the week as we're all busy with the preparations for the cultural festival, but do you want to get some training in with me?" Kagami asked.

"Sorry. Not today." Tamaki apologised, chucking the last of her things into her bag. "I got something on today. See you around."

In Touou Academy, Aomine Daiki cracked opened his eyes as he felt the light drizzle of rain falling gently onto his face only to be met with the dark and gloomy clouds converging the skies.

'It's raining, huh?' Aomine grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, not caring in the least that the rain is falling onto him. 'I should go in.' He groaned as he got to his feet, his muscles still aching from his match with Kise. Satsuki had been unusually concerned about his muscle aches and pains after the Touou versus Kaijo match, but Aomine had merely shrugged it off as Satsuki being…Satsuki.

Almost like the skies had just opened up, a heavy downpour soon begun with the loud boom of thunder the moment that Aomine walked through the door of the school's rooftop. "Barely made it in time, huh?" Aomine mused, staring at the downpour with wide eyes. "And it is so bright and sunny just a few hours ago too." He took out his phone to check for any messages or calls that he might have missed when he was sleeping. From past experiences, he knew that if he saw any missed calls or messages from Satsuki, it'd be in his best health interests to call her back. The tanned teen's eyes widened when he saw the date reflected on the screen of his phone. "Ah damn." He scratched the back of his head with his free hand, his eyes growing darker. "It's today, huh?"

"Our apologies to all passengers. Due to the heavy downpour, rail service might be delayed. We apologise for any inconvenience—"

On a train heading towards the Tokyo district, Akashi Seijuro sighed as he looked out of the window only to see that it is currently raining like cats and dogs. He could barely make out the landscape through the window because of the rain. The redhead then huffed and settled into his seat, making himself comfortable.

Akashi took out his cellphone and stared at the screen that is a wallpaper of him and his cousin, a photo taken when they were in their first year of middle school. Tamaki had smiled a lot more back then.

'It's today, huh?' Akashi mused to himself, eyes glancing at the date being displayed on the LCD screen of his phone. 'The weather was like this back then.' He thought, looking outside the window. Akashi's eyes darkened over considerably as he pressed the palm of his hand against the window, feeling the cool temperature of the glass because of the heavy downpour. 'The night when Uncle and Auntie died.'

XXXXXX

The rain was starting to let up, being nothing more than a light drizzle, as Tamaki made her way towards the cemetery. The teal haired girl was surprised to see a certain tanned teen waiting for her at the entrance of the ceremony, his hair damp from the rain.

"Yo." Aomine greeted Tamaki.

"How did you know that I'm here?" Tamaki asked, adjusting her hold on the bouquet of lilies in her arms.

"Well, on this one day of the year, you and Akashi both always skipped practice. I asked Yuki-san where you might be, and she told me to come here." Aomine explained, dancing around the reason why Tamaki and Akashi always went missing on this one day of the year every year. "Besides… I've never met your parents before. And well, I kind of want to give my own greetings." He muttered.

Tamaki smiled a small smile. "My mother would have liked you if she had met you," she told Aomine even as they walked through the cemetery. Tamaki didn't miss the slight flicker of fear in Aomine's eyes as his eyes flickered from one gravestone to the next. Looks like Aomine still hadn't gotten over his fear of the supernatural. "My father will just scare you. Especially if he sees you with me. My father is kind of overprotective. They aren't the best parents in the world, especially since they are barely around. But still… They're still my parents." Tamaki stopped before a pair of elaborate-looking gravestones, placing the bouquet of lilies before it.

Aomine stood beside Tamaki, eyes tracing the names engraved in the gravestone: Kuroko Takeru and Kuroko nee Sasaki Mayumi.

'So they are Tamaki's parents.' Aomine mused, hands stuffed into his pockets. Along with the rest of the Generation of Miracles, he knew what had happened to Tamaki's parents during their second year. And later on, what had happened to Akashi's parents. Those two incidents had changed the two cousins drastically, and even the Generation of Miracles as a whole.

"Okaa-san. Otou-san. It's been another year." Tamaki said softly even as she stood before the gravestones. "I've been doing well. Aunt Yuki and Sei too. We're getting on fine. I've started high school this year." She smiled a small smile. "It's already been…two years, huh? Time really flies." She turned her eyes towards the ground, recalling that disastrous night.

~Second Year of Teiko, Summer~

The second and third stringers of the Teiko basketball club trailed back slowly towards their school after a practice match with some random team, all trailing after their vice-captain and a certain blonde who is just next to her.

And like with every single one of Teiko's matches, it is a victory, especially with one of their regulars, the vice-captain furthermore involved in the game.

"I still don't get it." Kise Ryota complained. "Sacrificing oneself for a game? I know you're amazing, Tamacchi. But is it fun to play like that?"

"Hmm?" Tamaki glanced up from where she is currently tapping away on her phone; apparently composing a message to their captain to inform him of their return and the match's outcome. "It's not," she said in response to Kise's question. "It's not fun to play like that at times. But losing is even less fun. Any player can be in the spotlight, particularly the team's ace."

"Aominecchi?" Kise wondered.

"Well, he too." Tamaki said with a small amused smile. "But the one that usually helps lead the team to victory is the team's support. They might not be in the spotlight, but their role is just as important, if not more. There is no such thing as a useless player in the team, Kise-kun." She shut her phone.

Kise grinned. "I think I find basketball more fun now!" he said cheerfully.

Tamaki smiled. "Well, that's good," she said. "We don't have to kick you off the team at least." She joked, much to Kise's horror.

"W-What?"

Tamaki laughed. "I'm just joking," she said before her phone started ringing, much to her surprise. The teal haired girl pulled out her phone only to see the words 'Akashi Seijuro' flashing across the LCD screen. "Sei?" she wondered as she answered the phone. "Sei?"

"Tama, where are you right now?" Her cousin sounded breathless and a little panicked. And judging by the background noises on the other end of the line, Akashi seems to be in a vehicle of some sort. Maybe a taxi?

"Huh? I just messaged you. We're on the way back to the school. Why?" Tamaki answered, rather confused.

Akashi was silent for several moments before he spoke again. "…Tama, I need you to calm down and listen to me," he said seriously. "Mum just called me. Uncle and Auntie are…"

Tamaki's eyes widened. "…Eh?"

She never noticed her phone slipping from her grasp and shattering into pieces on the pavement.

"I guess the saying that you never know what you've got until you've lost it is right in a way." Tamaki admitted. "Right from the start, my parents have never been there whenever I need them. I used to complain about this to them, and even to Sei." She looked at Aomine. "But the house had never felt empty before. Maybe because I knew that they will return. But after they'd passed away, the house just feels…so empty and cold." She admitted. "Maybe that's why I chose to move houses."

Aomine said nothing to that.

"But…" Tamaki closed her eyes briefly. "Maybe it's about time to let go. Two years is long enough." Aomine gave a start as he felt Tamaki clutch his left hand with her right, and they intertwined their fingers together. "Okaa-san, Otou-san, let me introduce to you my boyfriend. We've known each other since middle school, and we've only started seeing each other recently."

Aomine looked at the gravestones of Tamaki's parents, clearing his throat nervously. "Hi, Uncle and Auntie," he started, feeling rather foolish for talking to an inanimate object, but he pressed on. "I've never actually met you before, but I heard that it's customary for the guy to ask the girl's parents for their permission to date their daughter. I guess I can't really ask for permission now, but still…" He looked at Tamaki before turning his attention back to the gravestones. "I want to thank you. For leaving such a wonderful gift. I swear to you that I will protect Tamaki."

"I won't be coming back every month or so anymore." Tamaki said softly. "I'll be moving on. The only time that I will come is probably on your death anniversaries and birthdays. Daddy, I'll take your advice."

"…Live on…for us, baby…"

Tamaki bowed slightly to the gravestones. "Goodbye."

The two then left the area. A short while later, Akashi Seijuro emerged from behind a tree, an umbrella held over his head even as he walked over to the gravestones of Kuroko Takeru and Mayumi.

"Looks like you can rest assured now," he said. "Tama is in safe hands. She'll be fine now. But as her cousin, I'm still worried about her. Please watch over her."

The rain stopped, and almost as if in answer to Akashi's plea, the sun came out slowly from behind the clouds. The redhead folded up the umbrella that he is using and shielded his eyes as he looked towards the sun.

"Besides… I think that it is about time that I take my own advice as well," he mused. "It's about time to move on from the past."

XXXXXX

"It's been a long time, Daiki." Momoi's father greeted the tanned teen as he opened the door. "I hadn't seen you around for some time."

"Well, Satsuki called me here today." Aomine muttered. "And it's a Saturday too. I want to sleep in." He grumbled.

Momoi's father shook his head in amusement. "If you sleep too much, you'll become an idiot," he said with a laugh. "Well, Satsuki and Tamaki-chan are both in her room. You know which one it is. I'm heading out."

"Yeah." Aomine nodded even as Momoi's father walked out of the house. The tanned teen then headed towards Satsuki's room, knowing which room it is as he had been here so often, and had even slept over numerous times throughout his childhood years.

He heard the voices of the two girls even before he reached the room.

"…and I shall brave the tower, for I love the princess so…" That was Satsuki's voice. Are they reciting lines from some Shakespeare book? "Gah! These lines are so mushy that even I find it embarrassing!" Satsuki complained, and Tamaki giggled. "Who even speaks like that these days? And who wrote this script? There's way too much Shakespeare references in it!"

"Do not look at me. I'm not the one who decided that we are going to play Sleeping Beauty for the school festival." Tamaki told Satsuki, and Aomine blinked.

Oh right. He'd nearly forgotten that Tamaki had actually invited Satsuki and himself to Seirin's cultural festival next week. She didn't invite Kise, but the blonde had apparently invited himself along, dragging an unwilling Midorima along for the ride.

"But the dress for the princess is so beautiful!" Satsuki squealed suddenly. "It really suited you, Tamaki-chan."

"Well, thank you."

Aomine's eyes widened. 'Tamaki is playing the PRINCESS?' he thought in bewilderment. During middle school, Tamaki never held any major roles during performances. Partly because of her lack of presence. But also partly because Tamaki isn't exactly popular amongst the girls of Teiko. Same reason as Satsuki's popularity poll amongst the girls in Teiko: they hung around way too much with the boys of the basketball club.

Aomine then frowned. 'Wait a minute. Sleeping Beauty… Sleeping Beauty…' He tried to remember what he could from the show of Sleeping Beauty that Satsuki had forced him to watch with her once when they were kids. 'Then doesn't that means that…the prince has to KISS the princess?' Aomine's eyes widened in horror at the mere thought of some other guy kissing his girlfriend.

Oh hell no!

XXXXXX

"For a new school, they sure knew how to organise their festivals." Momoi commented, impressed, looking at the colourful booths and banners that decorated the school grounds of Seirin High School. "Reminds me of the school festival during our second year at Teiko." She giggled behind her hand, as if remembering something funny. "Mukkun looks so cute in that dress of his!"

Aomine, Kise and Midorima groaned as one as they recalled that disastrous school festival. And they of course still remembered how the tall purple haired center looks like in that long purple dress of his. Momoi wonders for a moment if the Cultural Club of Teiko had kept the dress. And of course, they remembered that disastrous rally race that Momoi, Tamaki, Aomine and Kise have taken part in.

"Cafes. Haunted houses. They even have a fortune telling booth!" Kise peered over Momoi's shoulder at the pamphlet in her hands.

The four teens apparently failed to notice the attention that they are currently gathering because of their good looks, particularly Kise who is a particularly popular model.

"Kyaa, they are so hot!"

"Do you think that they are still available?"

"I would so go after them even if they weren't!"

Six months ago, Aomine would have been basking in the attention. But now, the tanned teen only has eyes for one girl, his girlfriend. And it is said girl that he is more concerned about than anything right now.

Aomine turned towards his childhood friend, having given up on trying to locate the already difficult to locate Tamaki in this insane crowd. "Satsuki, which way is the school auditorium?" he asked, looking in several directions at once like an arrow will just appear from out of nowhere, pointing him towards the correct direction.

"Huh?"

XXXXXX

The entire Seirin basketball team stared at the doors of the auditorium even as it swung closed behind the two that have just exited from it, ignoring the whispers and mutterings around them that have just broken out all over the auditorium like hissing fires.

"What was that all about?" Koganei finally asked, very confused. "Was that Aomine Daiki from Touou?"

The plays put on by the classes that chose to hold plays that year for the cultural festival were being held in turns by year level – with the third years first and the first years last. And coincidentally, the only first year class that had chosen to put on a play that year is only Tamaki and Kagami's class.

And now, the entire auditorium, with the Seirin basketball club especially, were particularly confused, wondering if they'd really just witnessed what they'd just seen.

Aomine Daiki of Touou had suddenly barged in the middle of the play when the prince is about to kiss Snow White. That had caused confusion and more drama than all the plays itself put together. A certain teal haired girl had then dragged a very embarrassed Aomine out of the auditorium before the president of the drama club could order some of the ushers to throw Aomine out of the school.

Aida Riko had a very devious and mischievous grin on her face. "I think I got an idea why…" she grinned.

XXXXXX

Tamaki made sure that the door to the rooftop was securely locked and bolted before turning around to face a very embarrassed Aomine Daiki.

"You mind explaining to me what that was all about?" she asked her boyfriend calmly. Aomine met Tamaki's eyes unsurely, slightly comforted by the fact that Tamaki doesn't seem to be angry in the least that he'd almost ruined her class's play.

"S-Sorry." Aomine sighed. "I just thought that…" He trailed off, blushing. How is he going to say that he'd wanted to stop the play because he'd foolishly assumed that Tamaki is going to play the princess, and by default, be kissed by the prince because he'd overheard Satsuki and Tamaki rehearsing her lines that day?

As perceptive and observant as ever, Tamaki guessed what is going on immediately, and she chuckled. "You thought that I'm playing the princess?" she guessed. And as Aomine looked away quickly from her eyes, she knew that she had hit the nail on the head. "How do you even know that my class is putting on a play? I didn't tell you, did I?"

"I…overheard you and Satsuki rehearsing your lines the other day when we'd gone to her house."

Tamaki looked confused for a moment before she remembered which day that Aomine was talking about. "Oh. So that's what this is all about," she said. "I'm part of the wardrobe team." She explained. "The day before, I was meeting Satsuki to catch a movie, and it just so happens that the shop that we'd commissioned to make the princess's dress was near the cinema. We dropped by to check on the dress. As the girl playing the princess is around my size, I was merely checking to make sure that it is the right fit, and that it isn't too long or too short."

"Then… Those lines?" Aomine asked, still rather confused.

"The scriptwriter for our play was having problems with a scene in the play, and had asked for my help." Tamaki explained, and Aomine felt rather foolish upon realising that all this drama could have been avoided by merely asking Tamaki. "So that's what you're so stressed out about lately." She shook her head.

"Sorry." Aomine sighed.

"It's fine." Tamaki smiled. "There are still two hours left to the end of the festival. Walk around with me? I wouldn't be able to spend much time with you once the summer holidays begin. I have a training camp to attend." She sighed.

"Yeah. Me too." Aomine sighed. He smiled at Tamaki. "It'll be like Teiko all over again. Like the festival during our second year. I don't think that I've ever seen anything as funny as Murasakibara in a dress." He snickered at the memory.

Tamaki laughed, recalling the image of the tall and blank looking purple haired giant in a long purple dress as purple as his hair munching on some snack. "It is kind of funny now that you think about it," she admitted, even as both their hands intertwined with each other, and they left the rooftop.

At the very least until the end of the festival, they do not have to be enemies from rival teams and schools, but just a normal high school couple enjoying their time together.

Because with the start of the Winter Cup means an all-out war against the Generation of Miracles, and the next time that they will meet will be on the court as enemies.

XXXXXX

"I'm tired…" Tamaki sighed as she walked down the streets towards her aunt's restaurant. She laughed to herself as she remembered what had happened during the festival. 'Didn't think that I'll ever see him get that jealous. I think that he is just one step away from punching Satoru-kun if I hadn't dragged him away.' She smiled, remembering the petrified look on the face of the boy playing the prince as a raging Aomine appeared from out of nowhere on the stage just as he is about to kiss the girl playing the princess.

Truthfully, Aomine didn't really have to be so worried even if Tamaki is the girl playing the princess. The props team have positioned the props in such a way on the stage that it only looks like the prince and princess were kissing each other. They didn't actually have to kiss each other for real.

"Next week will be the training camp, huh?" Tamaki mused. 'I wonder what Coach has in mind. Whenever both Coach and Captain are involved in the preparation and planning for our training camps, it never bodes good news.' She groaned inwardly. 'But still… This tournament will be our last chance.'

"Cut it out already!"

Tamaki stopped dead in her tracks, being broken from her own inner musings as an angry voice pierced through the silent night air, shattering the peaceful silence of the night. The streets were silent at this time of the night, and there were few people about. But whatever few bystanders there are had simply ignored the loud angry voice as no business of their own.

Tamaki meanwhile recognised that voice, and she frowned to herself.

'That's…Aunt Yuki's voice…' Tamaki realised, suddenly concerned about her aunt. She followed the source of the angry voice towards the backdoor of the Rising Sun restaurant, and whatever good mood that the school cultural festival had placed her in instantly flew out of the window the moment that she saw and recognised the arguing couple.

The arguing couple were illuminated by the light coming out from the back door, hence enabling Tamaki to see them properly, despite the dim lighting at the alley of the backdoor of the restaurant.

One was unmistakably Kuroko Yuki who had her fiery red hair tied up in a bun, a dark blue apron worn over her clothes. The normally kind and gentle woman now had an angry look on her face, and she looked like a tigress about to pounce on its prey. As for the other person…

Tamaki's eye twitched as she recognised the other person immediately.

"Akashi Shinichi…" she growled low in her throat, recognising the man who had made her aunt and cousin's lives hell for nearly their entire lives until her aunt had decided to file for divorce.

Uh oh.

This isn't good.

Not good at all.

A/N: I think I kind of lost touch with my literary skills. Must be due to the fact that I hadn't updated anything for over two months! I never had problems trying to make a chapter flow smoothly before, but I had some serious problems with this chapter. And is it just me, or is this chapter a tad bit awkward? Now, I realise that I probably did make Tamaki a little OOC in this chapter, so my sincerest apologies for that.

Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!