A/N:

Okay, another chapter done! I don't own the songs or the lyrics in this chapter, but they're good so I recommend them! "I'm not the only one" by Sam Smith and "Giving Tree" by The Plain White T's. Annyywaayys, I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)

Kuroko awoke surrounded by a sea of pillows and enveloped in a masculine smell. It was different, though that may be a good thing. Prying open his eyes, the bluenette had to blink a few times before his sight cleared up. He laid still for a long time, watching the clouds roll by through the window. The sky was beautiful and shining and there was even a rainbow forming in the horizon. Yeah, that sight was great, but all Kuroko wanted to do was sleep. His bones ached and his head was pounding a mighty beat and worse than that…so much worse than that, he recalled every little detail of the previous day. Kuroko wanted so badly to just lock everything away and sleep. He didn't want to feel anything, he didn't want to think of anything… Sadly, Kuroko wouldn't be granted that mercy. Once he was awake, he would be awake until it was time for bed that night.

"Haahhh…"

Sitting up in the bed, Kuroko began to violently cough. The fit lasted for quite a while, and left his throat feeling raw and damaged. He felt gross and could still feel the hands of the creeps from the day before.

'I need a shower…'

With that thought, the bluenette stumbled from the bed and to the bathroom, nostalgia attempting to assault his mind. One glance in the mirror, however, erased those thoughts. The silence in his mind only lasted a while before he began to remember everything he went through.

The shirt he wore slid off one shoulder, revealing his neck. There were bruises marring the normally pale white skin, turning it an ugly purplish red. Gritting his teeth, Kuroko tried to keep himself from gagging. A horrible feeling had taken up residence in the pit of his stomach, making him feel sick. Everything was too much. The one person the bluenette needed the most wasn't by his side anymore, and Aomine wasn't anywhere to be seen either.

Turning away from the mirror, Kuroko stripped off the baggy clothes. He didn't dare take a look again in fear of what he might find. The bluenette turned the shower as hot as it could go, before stepping under the spray. He let the water scald his body for a while, before resting against the wall and sliding to the floor. Eyes closed, Kuroko curled his knees into his chest as if he was shielding himself from the outside world.

"Why aren't you here, Akashi-kun…?"

…..

Marching up the unbelievably long driveway, Aomine tried to collect his thoughts. He had gotten this far, but now he wasn't really sure what he would say. The tanned teen was almost positive that Kuroko's situation was Akashi's fault, but what if he was wrong? He'd be a dead man and still not know what happened to his former shadow. Well, he's not going to back off on what-ifs, but Aomine still had no idea how he would confront the red-head.

Even if he came straight out and accuses him, that doesn't mean that hard-headed guy would just give in to accusations. Besides, what would he do even if Akashi admits to making Kuroko cry? Hit him? Aomine wouldn't be satisfied with that…

"Arggh! It's not like me to think so damn much!" He groused, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

'Whatever. Get over it you wuss…'

Continuing up the driveway, Aomine finally reached the front door. Rapping his knuckles against the thick wood, he waited for a response. Unfortunately, he waited quite a while to no avail.

Banging harder this time, he shouted as well.

"Get your ass out here, Akashi! I know you're in there!" The bluenette yelled.

It was a few more minutes before the door opened, revealing the red-head. His face was completely blank, as if emotions didn't exist within him. Aomine was taken aback, especially with the dead look that replaced the usually intense fire in his crimson eyes.

"Shit man, you look like crap!" Aomine commented, not even thinking about what he was saying.

There was a weird flash behind those dead eyes, but Aomine didn't know what to call it. The red-head simply stared back at him with otherwise no reaction.

"Uh…That's not what I came to say. What I meant was, what the hell did you do?"

Getting straight to the point, he glared directly into his former captain's eyes, something he had never done before.

"What do you mean?" Akashi questioned, tone as dead as his face and crimson orbs.

Setting his jaw, Aomine encroached further on the red-head's personal space. "Don't give me that crap Akashi. Why the hell did I find Tetsu standing out in the rain, soaking wet? No. Forget that. Why the fuck did Tetsu cry himself to sleep last night?" He seethed, about to flip his lid. Just thinking of last night's events riled him up once more.

Thick though he may be, Aomine didn't miss the flinch that shook Akashi's form.

'I knew it. I fucking knew it! Its this bastard's fault that Tetsu is hurt.'

Growling, the bluenette's eyebrows slammed down. "What the fuck did you do to him, Akashi?! I have never seen him cry before, ever! Not in all the years that I have known him." Aomine's chest was now rising and falling very rapidly as he snarled at the red-head before him.

Akashi merely stared back at him, still no emotion betraying his face.

It was a few moments before he finally spoke. "Is that all you have to say?"

If Aomine wasn't pissed off already, he was now.

"How the fuck can you say that? Aren't you two dating?" Aomine yelled, not understanding anything anymore. Something was definitely wrong because the bluenette knew for a fact that Akashi wasn't this heartless, especially not about matters concerning Kuroko.

"Him? No."

Hurt seemed to flash behind Akashi's eyes, but Aomine didn't care. The red-head didn't deserve to feel hurt, not after what he has said and with how he hurt Kuroko. Akashi couldn't even react before Aomine's fist connected against his jaw. It was a hard punch, but it only caused the red-head to stumble backwards slightly.

Anger finally registered on Akashi's face, but he didn't have a chance to move before his father appeared behind him, glancing between the two teens.

"What is going on here, Seijuurou?" Masaomi asked, raising one red eyebrow.

Akashi seemed to be trying to tell Aomine something with his eyes, but the latter couldn't tell what it was. What he could tell, however, was how quickly the red-head shut up and retracted from the situation when his father appeared. That was rather suspicious.

"Hmm…" The older Akashi hummed, glaring at Aomine.

"I believe it is time for you to go. It is disrespectful to show up on someone else's property and start a fight."

With that statement, Masaomi slammed the door, but not before Aomine caught sight of Akashi's pleading look. The bluenette was dumbfounded.

"What the fuck is going on?!"

…..

Dodging his father's questions, Akashi retreated to his room. He was seriously about to break, he needed to be by himself. Akashi couldn't believe how hurt he was feeling, especially when he didn't have a right. The red-head hurt Kuroko so badly and without an explanation, there was no way he could act like a victim now.

'Daiki said he cried…'

Akashi bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. His heart shattered when he heard that Kuroko had cried himself to sleep. Why, why did he have to be born as Akashi Seijuurou? Why did he have to be the biggest idiot in the whole world and hurt the one person that he should never? The one person he wanted to protect? And the red-head hurt him in the most despicable way, when Kuroko needed him the most.

"I'm so sorry, Tetsuya…If my father was any other man, I'd be able to make you happy but I…No, I did this…I can only blame myself, can't I…"

Muttering to himself, Akashi fisted his hair and pulled. The blood now trailed down his chin, but he deserved more pain than this. Aomine was right, he was a bastard, and he should get so much more than just a punch.

"I'm despicable…I know I have no right, but I still love you, Tetsuya…" Whispering into the quiet surroundings, the red-head closed his eyes and kept them that way until he heard his father calling sometime later that night.

…..

All the leaves on the giving tree have fallen

No shade to crawl in underneath

I've got scars from a pocket knife

Where you carved your heart into me

After his shower, Kuroko sat in Aomine's bed, motionless. His eyes saw nothing in particular as he stared blankly at the opposite wall. The bluenette had turned the radio on hoping for a change in the mood and atmosphere, but he must have pissed off someone up in heaven. For the last hour, nothing but sad songs had been playing, each digging the hole in his heart deeper than the last. What he had done to deserve this, Kuroko didn't know, but now he didn't even have the energy to get up and turn off the radio.

If all you wanted was love

Why would you use me up

Cut me down, build a boat, and sail away

When all I wanted to be was your giving tree

Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?

"Haahhh…"

Sighing, Kuroko let himself fall to the side into a big pile of pillows. Bringing his knees to his chest, he continued to listen to the flow of lyrics streaming from the tiny box on the night stand. The radio DJ really must hate him, because this is now the fifteenth sad love song.

"This must be a big 'fuck you', huh…"

You and me we made a vow

For better or for worse

I can't believe you let me down

But the proof is in the way it hurts

For months on end I've had my doubts

Denying every tear

I wish this would be over now

But I know that I still need you here-

When the music suddenly cut off, Kuroko groggily sat up to determine the problem. As he did, though, he came face to face with Aomine, who had an unreadable expression on his tan face. The bluenette glanced at him for several seconds, before finally laying back down.

"Oh, its only Aomine-kun." He stated simply, closing his eyes and curling back up on the bed.

He was rather shocked when a hand circled around his ankle, yanking him from his cozy position in the sea of pillows. Kuroko's ass hit the ground quite hard, and he jumped up in anger.

"What the actual fuck, Aomine-kun?!" The bluenette growled, icy blue eyes colder than ever.

'Shit, I don't think I've ever heard Tetsu swear before…'

"Get dressed, we're going out."

Tossing the smaller bluenette a pair of shorts and a shirt, Aomine began to walk from the room until he was stopped by Kuroko's tired voice.

"Hahh…I'm not going anywhere, Aomine-kun. I don't feel very well…" Kuroko sighed, attempting to lay back down on the bed.

Stopping his former shadow, the tanned teen put the clothes back in his hands. "Ah, ah, ah…I already told Kise we'd meet him at Maji Burger."

'What doesn't Aomine-kun understand? I don't want to go…'

"I just want to be alone right now, please leave me alone…"

At Kuroko's plea, Aomine almost reconsidered his plan, but he didn't allow himself to falter.

"Now, Tetsu."

The tone of the taller teen's voice forced Kuroko to stare blankly into his eyes. The silence dragged on forever, and Aomine began to get slightly uncomfortable. Shifting his weight between his feet, he still wouldn't give up.

Sighing again, Kuroko finally relented. If it was that important to Aomine, he'd do it. Besides, maybe this was a good way to get his mind off of Akashi, at least for a little while. The bluenette knew it would be impossible for him not to think of the red-head, but he would welcome any distractions.

"Fine. But only for a little while, and you're buying me a milkshake…"

"What?!"