The Color of Rain

Disclaimers: I do not own any piece of work deriving from the manga or anime adaptations of Kuroko no Basuke.

Never Stops Raining

The flickering of the lamp post outside was no stranger to Aomine Daiki. The man was leaned back toward the redwood chair of the kitchen table as his navy eyes nonchalantly watched the post tick on and off from inside his home. Though winning the practice game against his rival team of Seirin, this victory did not give the tanned man one bit of satisfaction. After each game, he would return home and follow the rituals of eating his dinner, taking a shower, then end his nights within the comforts of his room. Lately, he's had sleepless nights and this seemed to be no different than the previous ones, but this night had him feeling more restless than previous evenings.

Aomine excused himself from the empty kitchen and discarded the dishes into the sink. Even facing behind the kitchen window, he could see the illuminating flickers of the lamp post continuing to flare on and off over his shadow. His already tense eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, and he idly made his way over to the window and abruptly drew the blinds to a close before proceeding to the restroom.

As Aomine stood in front of the bathroom mirror after his shower, he took notice of his physical changes over the years. He displayed his hair in the same fashion; short but unkempt length of blue. His facial features seem to sharpen from his previous years, especially toward his eyes to where the contour of his brows gave him a permanent stern expression. Even his physique seemed broader than before. With his dark skin tone, one could trace the outline of almost every muscle and definition of his figure. To his dismay of growth, he also found himself developing traces of facial hair toward his chin to which he constantly shaves off the moment it's caught in his line of sight every other morning. Aomine grimaced on that last thought as he checked for signs of stubble on his chin before heading to his room.

After throwing on a fitted black long sleeve over his torso, he laid on his bed with his eyes fixed on the alabaster ceiling above. If he thinks I changed for the better, I can't be that bad, right? Aomine sourly clicked his tongue right after the thought. Why was he letting Kuroko get him so worked up? What exactly was he frustrated about anyway? Aomine roughly turned over to his side, propping his elbow underneath his cheek as his hand slowly shook off the last droplets of shower water from his short mane. His eyes narrowed into closure and he slowly exhaled his breath, as he felt no indication of slumber hitting him any time soon.

Inside the basketball court of Tōō Academy, a rather disgruntled teen slammed their body down on the bench with sheer frustration as the team's afternoon practice was coming to a close. Aomine Daiki, the bronzed toned teen rested a towel over his head, and he stared with narrow eyes on the grounds of the wooden floorboards beneath him. Slowly, he could feel the droplets of sweat fall from the sharp features of his chin down to the ground with every breath exhaled. Within his line of vision, the feet of his childhood friend Momoi, came to a close right beside him, but his head remained hung over as he didn't bother to acknowledge her presence.

'I understand where you're coming from, Aomine-kun-"

'Don't give me that shit, Satsuki.' The ace scoffed, his lips almost twisting into a snarl. After a brief moment of silence, Aomine inhaled a large sum of air before exhaling out. He refrained from letting his irritation get the best of him when around her. Aomine lips parted, his voice lower than usual as he spoke, 'Have you ever caught others staring at you—and not out of admiration, but out of fear?' He didn't expect her to answer for the sole reason that he knew that she never bore the distance that Aomine had projected unto others in the past.

His thought was right, she had no answer.

Aomine could see her feet shuffle slightly in response to that. 'They're scared of me. All of them are. I know you can tell just by looking on how hesitant they are passing to me.' He felt a light creak of the bench give out a small squeak as Momoi sat beside him, her hands cupping her knees lightly. Aomine continued with a dishearten snort, 'I can't really blame them though. Especially what I put that loud mouth captain through in our last year. But I actually come to practice now, I actually put in effort working with them. No matter how much I commit, these passes, these plays… they feel off, and it pisses me off that there's nothing that can shake it away.'

His hands were gripped shut in anger, the tense motion causing the flexing of his muscles and ligaments. His attention was fixed outside of the wooden floors his eyes were met with, and for just a brief moment, he envisioned a familiar vacant faced partner from long ago. In that same moment, he cleared the azure haired boy out of his mind, and continued, 'There are things I threw away years ago that I'm trying to pick up again, and I don't need anyone to question the changes in my basketball.'

Momoi lifted one hand off her knee to push her long pink strands of hair behind her line of sight. She's always been patient with her childhood friend, especially with his recent internal struggle after the first years Winter Cup that took place last year. She smiled, glad that Aomine was welcoming her into his thoughts—even if they were troubling. Although her smile was shown warmly, her orbs displayed a speck of anguish as she turned her head to face Aomine, studying the patterns of his light pants from after the mini game just played. She knew absolutely well what he meant by his last sentence and she immediately thought of the phantom player.

'Looks like you hit a wall, and it's nothing to beat yourself up over. I know the circumstances different, but I've been in that situation a couple times before.' Her voice was very tranquil unlike the usual ecstatic tone that she's always presented. Momoi reached out her hand to slowly remove the towel from her navy haired friend's head in turn, directing his dark azure eyes over to her from his peripheral vision.

Her smile lost the hint of sadness, finally understanding his internal struggle, and she added in a velvet voice, 'You should try talking to the one's you've hurt in the past. I think that'll lighten all the weight you're carrying over your shoulders.' Aomine finally turned his head slightly to face her, his orbs losing the bitter undertones held within. His hands finally relaxed, and he laxly propped them over his knees. 'Testu-kun is a forgiving person, Dai-chan. You out of all people should know that.'

Aomine turned away from his companion, using one hand to brush through his damp hair to hide the shock filled emotion within his irises. 'What makes you think this is about Tetsu?' A trace of a small laugh was shown in his question as he stood up, slinging the towel over his shoulder as he started off to the locker rooms. 'I'll find my answer in my own way.'

Aomine let out a low chuckle, still sensing her smile from behind. It's funny how much a person can know exactly what you're thinking.

On and off, the flicker of the lamp post outside continued to make itself known to those in the surrounding area. Aomine opened his eyes, still not finding any sign of sleep ready to take him over. He reached for his phone, reading the time before sitting up. It was time that he finally ventured off to make amends.

With a sigh, he stood up, removing the sweats he was wearing in exchange for dark denim jeans and slipping on socks shortly after. He slowly made his way throughout clutter of clothes in his room and found a pair of black and heather gray Air Jordan mids. After securing the shoes over his feet, he threw on an olive parka and proceeded out of his room and out of the comforts of his home. Welcoming the bronzed man outside was the brisk wind of cold air, and he clicked his tongue with discontent.

Passing two blocks ahead, Aomine's dark orbs shot up to the outline of the night sky for a brief moment. The multitude of clouds slowly casted over the moon and seemed to remain at a standstill in the air. A scoff resounded from the already irritated tanned man, now quickening his pace. It looked as if it was about to rain.

The heavy droplets of rain water seemed to continue to no end outside. Short, irregular whines accompanied the sounds of the rainfall, as a large husky propped their front paws over the ledge of the window where the curtains blew softly over the dog. "Nigou, please go over to your bed." The soft monotonous voice of Kuroko Tetsuya requested, tearing his oval cerulean eyes off the pages of the book at hand and over to his left hand side where the mascot of Seirin was located. With a notion of his head, Kuroko's companion retracted his paws off the windowsill and returned to the shadow's room to lay in a firm dog bed next to Kuroko's own.

Sitting up against the armrest of the living room's couch, Kuroko placed his book mark over the unfinished page read and closed the cover of the worn book. He focused his attention on the outskirts of the outside environment and asked himself how long it's been raining like this. Shifting his legs on the couch, he felt a sharp pain surge through his right ankle, directing his attention back to the injury he obtained earlier this afternoon. Through the florescent light of the moon, he could trace the difference in width of both ankles through the lenses of his reading glasses. His expression glowered in slight, and with cautious effort, he veered his legs off the couch and hoisted himself off the comforts of the couch.

The practice game had absolutely left the azure haired boy with questions. All of those questions revolving around his former light. He could still picture the remorseful royal blue eyes of Aomine burning into his own during the match. Not once during their time together in Teikō did he ever see such an expression on the taller man's face. His attention was brought back to present time as he felt the ache of his ankle rising through his body from standing.

All around the dark room, he could point out the boxes huddled toward the corner of his room. Kuroko's frown stayed in place, realizing that soon he was to start packing his belongings for when he would leave for college he got accepted into. With this sprain, he couldn't do much for now. His face now shifted back to his usual vacant demeanor now facing another task at hand.

Where did I leave the tape? He carefully made his way over to the closest wall and propped his left hand over the cold surface and used it to make his way to the dining room table where he last placed them. Laid out on top of the mahogany table was the pre wrap as well as athletic tape that Kagami had gotten for him before seeing him off after the match. Grabbing both items in his right hand, he started back to the couch again. The sheer curtains of the windowsill began to dance more rapidly to the wind followed by heavier raindrops hitting the windowsill. Kuroko hobbled over to the window with his pale arm reaching over to the latch of the window to close—

Three abrupt knocks on the front door resonated over the rain and wind, causing the phantom player to jolt in surprise. Nigou bolted out of Kuroko's room barking over all the heavy rainfall just outside. Kuroko dropped his hand, turning his body to the large door behind him in speculation. His family was out for winter vacation for another week, so that was out of the question. The time read past nine on the overhead clock next to the main door.

A minute passed when three more knocks were heard. Nigou continued with his bellow of barks at the door, and Kuroko lightly placed his hand over him with ease, ceasing his dog's anxiety. Careful to not project any tension on his right foot, Kuroko leaned the left side of his body to the corner of the door before opening it slowly, looking up at a rather tall figure above hovering inches away toward his own stature.

"Aomine-kun…" Kuroko uttered in surprise, the expression clearly shone in his face as he released the doorknob unconsciously. Just above, he saw a pair of stern eyes staring down at his own, with rain droplets falling from the ends of his former light's short hair. The taller of the two shifted uncomfortably in place, soaked beyond belief.

"It's raining, Tetsu." Aomine bluntly replied, his voice low. Kuroko immediately snapped himself out of his shock and opened the door fully to let him proceed inside.

"I'm sorry." The shorter male stated, now shutting the door inside. As Kuroko immediately staggered over to the pantry to retrieve a towel, Aomine eyed the dark room, outlining the environment he was now surrounded by. Though it's been years since he's stepped into the soft spoken young man's home, the layout was just the same. The kitchen lights flashed on, turning Aomine's attention to his side as Kuroko came back with a towel for him. "You must be cold, would you like some tea?"

Well, hell yeah he was freezing. Aomine dismissed his snide internal comment and accepted the towel, now starting to ruffle it through his head first. "Yeah, that's fine." He answered, setting down the towel on the marble kitchen countertop. The navy haired man removed his parka, hanging it over one of the chairs lining up against the countertop. With a brief nod, Kuroko carefully made his way inside the kitchen rummaging through the cupboards to retrieve a saucepan to fill with water. He placed the pan over the stove, turning the switch to spark the flames underneath the pan. As his attention was directed toward getting the other ingredients, Aomine studied Kuroko with softening eyes.

The shorter male has grown by an inch or two now that he actually has the time to look at him. His height was almost enough for him to have his chin reach above Aomine's broad shoulders. His unruly azure hair was kept the same length but also in turn had Kuroko remove unwanted strands behind his ear. Doing this cause Aomine to trace the outline of his sharp features from his chin to his adam's apple. The taller of the two also wondered when he started wearing glasses. Continuing below the nape of his neck, Kuroko wore a horizontal black and white striped long sleeve with the collar too wide for his own size. One side hung off loosely exposing the small curve of his trapezius muscle. So not only has he grown in height but also by mass as well. Aomine smirked, expecting nothing less from someone who always gave one-hundred and ten percent of their being toward basketball. All these changes from Kuroko's being sent chills down the indigo hair man's spine. He felt something toward the pit of his stomach, a feeling that was greater than fondness… was it attraction?

Nudging the leg of Aomine Daiki was Nigou, waging his tail as he stared up at the tall man with beaming oval eyes. Aomine was glad to have had his attention away from whatever thoughts that could've arose next just looking at his old shadow. He looked down at the dog, amazed by the difference in size he was now and he bent over at the knees, caressing the soft mane of the canine with his comically large hand. Nigou willfully accepted the gesture, now sitting upright with his eyes closed.

After a couple moments, Aomine could see the shift of Kuroko's khaki pants as his feet faced his line of direction from the kitchen floor. The dark skinned individual looked up to see the subtle smile of his former shadow staring at his interaction with Nigou. For a brief moment, heat flared up toward Aomine's face in slight embarrassment and he shot up, diving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"We could go in the living room." Kuroko invited softly, with two mugs in hand. Aomine nodded and turned toward the direction of the living room, however, he didn't hear the footsteps of the other male following suit. Turning around, he caught the light haired shadow staring down at his feet. Aomine's eyes followed, noticing his former partner's weight shifting to the left side of his frame. His eyes darkened, lips twitching in annoyance more so about himself for what he caused earlier today, and he removed his hands from his pockets to gently grab the mugs from Kuroko's hands.

"If you needed me to get them, just say so." Aomine grimaced lightly, shifting his large frame to the side of the kitchen to allow Kuroko to exit first. The phantom player looked up toward his dark eyes, and nodded, now placing one hand over the countertop to carefully make his way to the couch. Aomine watched from behind as the former shadow grabbed the athletic tape along with him. A sense of guilt was conveyed through his navy orbs that he was glad Kuroko couldn't see, and with that he now followed the azure haired young man to the living room.

Kuroko slowly sat down, shifting his upper body toward the armrest of the couch before hoisting up his legs to follow. Aomine waited patiently, his lips pressed into a firm line. Kuroko exhaled gently, resting both hands on his lap. Though working with a simple sprain, handling it on one's own could still be exhausting. "Here." Aomine mumbled, handing the warm cup over to Kuroko who gingerly grasped it with both hands.

Aomine sat down on the other side of the couch, leaning over to prop one elbow over his knee as he stared down at the cup within the grasp of his other hand. Sprinkles of cinnamon were swirled into the beige liquid, and Aomine took in the aroma with a slow inhale of his nostrils. Vanilla… that's not surprising. Taking a sip of the vanilla chai tea, the warmth seemed to immediately settle Aomine's freezing exterior.

Now it was Kuroko who was observing his old friend, his mind filled with more questions than ever before. The moonlight showed Aomine's profile clearly, and the light haired male immediately took notice on how light the taller man's facial features were compared to his hardened expression from a couple years before. Kuroko paused at that thought, his lips pursed with uncertainty. Just when was their last interaction together? Besides their basketball encounters. Besides their chances of meeting through Momoi. Kuroko took in a small amount of tea before coming to the realization that it was about this time frame in the cold winter two years ago where they've spoken. He froze, fixing his eyes on Aomine through his reading glasses. Though it was two years ago, Kuroko could recall the memory vividly from every word spoken, to the crease of every expression exchanged.

The view of the Tokyo Metropolitan gymnasium always looked best at night.

The bustling audience from earlier in the afternoon have finally cleared out, leaving the luminous lights of the auditorium to gleam over the grounds of the complex. Exiting the area was the power duos of Seirin, ready to celebrate their victory of securing their win against Rakuzan. With long strides ahead of the smaller male, Kagami dug his hands into the pockets of his team jacket and exhaled into the open cool breeze, watching his breath leave his body into the open night sky.

As exhausted as the crimson haired teen was, he couldn't shake the grin plastered over his face. Their goal of being the best in Japan has finally been made into a reality, and he couldn't shake off the fire burning within his heart, nor did he want to. Without looking back at his companion, Kagami waved one hand over his shoulder, ushering the shadow to follow suit. 'Let's hurry it up, Kuroko. Everyone is already waiting on the bus.'

Kuroko was glad that Kagami's back was turned, for the usual expressionless male also couldn't clear the delighted look of his eyes and smile. This wasn't a bad notion, but for being known as the shadow player, he'd rather keep to himself just as he always had. As content as the shorter male was, he failed to notice the squirming of his gym bag and a sudden jolt sent his bag falling over his shoulder and drop with a piercing thud unto the landscape.

The pair turned to face the ground, and shuffling out of the bag was Nigou, bolting off into the field just to the side of the walkway, clear out of sight. Kuroko sighed, bending down to pick up his belongings. This couldn't be helped though, he was sure that his pet needed a release after being inside the gym for a long period of time. Kagami groaned, thicker traces of carbon dioxide escaping into the crisp wind. Kagami turned heel, continuing his pace. 'I'm going to let the coach know it'll be another couple more minutes. Just hurry it up!'

'I'll be there shortly.' Confirmed the fair skinned male, watching now as Kagami's figure disappeared with a left turn heading to the bus ramps of the complex. The phantom player let Nigou have his way for a bit longer, hearing the trots of the young canine over the field across from him. Kuroko's eyes darted up to the night sky. The fluorescent lights of the complex dimmed out the stars above, showing the cobalt orbs of Kuroko's each twinkle amongst the cloudless sky..

Unexpectedly, an arm draped alongside of the left shoulder of Kuroko's, the reach long enough to latch their hand unto the azure haired male's right shoulder. With a shudder, the wide oval eyes began to turn along with the crane of his neck, only to be stopped by the individual drawing their body closer to him and preventing Kuroko from making the turn. 'Just stay how you are right now.' The voice was demanding, but at the same time, low and gentle.

And also very close to his ear.

Kuroko perceived the owner of that all too familiar voice and shifted his eyes below, seeing a black leather jacket over his collarbone with a bronzed hand lightly securing his shoulder. Something about his voice was different though. Though it was only a simple request, Kuroko sensed a pleading tone to it. 'All those things that I've put you through back then…' the taller male started again, Kuroko feeling the chin of the other resting over his shoulder, almost burying their face within his jacket. 'All of those humiliating words I've ever said to you that you never deserved. I can't believe how long it's taken me to wake up from what I've been doing wrong this entire time.' The end of his sentence was faintly hoarse, his breathing running inconsistent against Kuroko's shoulder.

Slowly, Kuroko lifted his right hand to place over the tanned one over his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. His cobalt eyes lowered to the large hand as it gave a slight shudder underneath the light touch. Many thoughts and emotions of their past surfaced at once, and not knowing how to begin, Kuroko softly whispered, 'Aomine-kun, everything that's happened before—'

'I just wanted to thank you, Testu.' Indeed the old light was always good at cutting others off, and he retracted his arm slowly to break his warmth away from his old friend. 'I've got to get going.' He twisted around almost quickly enough to dodge Kuroko's turn of his head.

Just almost.

With cerulean eyes wide as can be, the shadow player caught tears escaping from the corners of Aomine's royal blue eyes. Kuroko froze in place. He wanted to reach out to stop him. He wanted to call out to him to talk more, to talk like they used to. But the muted teen seemed at a loss, as Aomine continued to make his exit. 'Tetsu, just know that I'm proud of you.'

Kuroko finally shook off his immobilization and opened his mouth to speak when he felt the paws of Nigou jump over his shins. Kuroko fixed his eyes below, picking up his dog tenderly and shot back up at Aomine's figure shrinking into the night and eventually, out of his line of sight.

"Oi, Tetsu. Did you hear me?" Aomine's curt tone tore the shorter male out of his trance, and he blinked, fixing his eyes on his guest. Aomine's brow arched up, noting that Kuroko's blank expression showed that his mind was elsewhere. "I asked if you were done with your cup."

Kuroko looked down at his tea noting that he was only one fourth through with it, but he nodded his head, handing the mug over to Aomine. The tanned man frowned at how much of it was left, and he stood up, pacing back to the kitchen to return the mugs to the sink while drinking the rest of Kuroko's unfinished cup. "Fuck, Tetsu. Why make so much tea when you can't even finish your own?" A small chuckle escaped Kuroko's lips as he heard Aomine's antics from the kitchen.

Removing his reading glasses, Kuroko placed them over the windowsill behind him and watched as Nigou sniffed them curiously before returning to the shadow's room to slumber. The kitchen lights were clicked off, and Aomine returned to the couch, making sure that there was enough distance for his large frame to not touch Kuroko's swollen ankle.

The silence was uncomfortable.

At least it was uncomfortable for Aomine Daiki. Barely any words have been exchanged since his arrival, and though he's thought out how to map out each word to say to his former companion, he couldn't find timing to surface his story. He leaned back toward the coach with one arm over the armrest of the chair. He eyed the boxes around Kuroko's door and to his dismay, figured he was going away for collage. He wanted to ask Kuroko which school he was looking into. It's not like I can ask him that. What was he hoping for? For them to end up going to the same college and play basketball like nothing has happened?

Shifting his head slightly toward the shorter male, he caught the pair of cobalt orbs boring into his own. Just how long has he been looking at him for? "It's been a couple years since you've been over." Kuroko began, his face unchanged even in the dim lighting of the moon hitting his stature from behind. The taller male searched his face for signs of resentment, letting Kuroko's statement end with no reply.

Kuroko Tetsuya was now the one who felt a tad bit flustered toward his looming gaze. The cobalt eyed young man blinked, now shifting his eyes down below the couch to gather the athletic tape while tenderly dragging his knee up to his chest to start wrapping his ankle. He lifted the base of his foot and started wrapping over his foot. "Although I'm happy you came to visit, why are you here?" Aomine let out a small exhale of a chuckle, internally sneering on how his expression never matched the said mood he was in. He leered over the ruffled haired shadow's work and cringed at the sight of his wrapping.

"You're doing it wrong, baka." Aomine flatly replied, avoiding the question at hand. Kuroko stopped, looking up at Aomine questionably. The taller of the two blew out an exhale, sitting up from his lax position. The curious expression Kuroko held sent heat to Aomine's face in which he as glad for the night sky to conceal. Aomine rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing the detail of his lean forearms and held his hand out to take in the tape. "Just let me do it for you." Kuroko nodded, handing the tape over to him and laid his foot out on the couch once more.

Aomine shifted his body to face Kuroko, and he carefully lifted the other's foot to lay over his lap. Kuroko attentively observed his work on the base of his foot, noticing how gentle Aomine was with him despite the strict expression he was wearing over his face. Without looking up at him Aomine began in a murmer, "I'm used to taping up the other players on the team, so this is a breeze for me. You should've at least picked it up as well."

Kuroko relaxed his shoulders, internally joyous on how the former light has made small efforts such as this to work together with his respective team. "Our old coach used to be the one to assist with this. She taught Kagami-kun before leaving, so I didn't worry about it too much back then." Aomine's lips twitched at the thought of that crimson loud mouth mummifying the poor shadow's leg.

Aomine lightly pushed Kuroko's pant leg up, exposing the porcelain skin of his ankle. Even with the moon's lighting, he could clearly see the inflammation as it puffed red. Guilt swarmed Aomine's features from his eyes to the curve of his lips as he cloaked the pre wrap around the injury. He didn't care if Kuroko noticed.

"I know it wasn't intentional, Aomine-kun." The velvet voice of the phantom player shot Aomine's eyes forward to see him, stopping what he was doing. The cold hands of Aomine's still lingered over Kuroko's ankle, and the smaller male shuddered slightly at the touch of his fingertips. "I could see that it was bothering you. But something also tells me that there is more to it than that." The statement was a matter of fact as Kuroko's steady eyes kept its glare over the ace's own.

Turning his attention back to the injury, Aomine blew out a sigh. This was one of relief that only he could tell. His lips opened partially, arranging the words in his mind to say to Kuroko, but he digressed. Placing the pre wrap on the floor, he grabbed the tape next, rolling a strip over the base of his foot and a strip over his ankle to secure the pre wrap from moving. "For years there's been this strange void inside that I can't get rid of." Aomine started, keeping his focus on the procedure in front of him. For what he was about to say, he didn't even want to see what kind of face Kuroko would be making then. "This feeling always comes back around when I see you."

Though his wording was vague, Kuroko placed his arms over his lap, waiting for him to continue. His oval orbs captured the deep crease of Aomine's brows, noting that he was searching for how to explain this clearly.

"There was no trust in Tōō. After the first year, no matter how many times I've made it practice each day, no matter how I've much I've tried to coordinate with the team, no matter how many times I've stayed behind to practice with them, each one of them were so hesitant around me. Talk of me spread out quick to the new members once they've joined, and I can't blame them for what I've done in the past." Aomine's voice spat a hint of venom toward his frustration. The azure haired man remained silent, watching Aomine gracefully wrapping the base of his foot, careful not to make it too tight. "But the desire to play basketball is still there, that hasn't changed. The want to work together with the other players was shown. Now finally on my last year I was starting to see progression with our team play. And then I see you and Bakagami…" His voice trailed off now, cutting the tape around his foot with his hands, and now starting to tape around the top of his ankle and below.

Kuroko's eyes didn't falter from his gaze at Aomine. He could feel his hands stiffen over his lap, imploring his old light to continue. Aomine tore off the remaining part of the wrap, now facing his navy orbs into Kuroko's with undivided attention. "The way you two work together annoy the shit out of me. It's all too familiar, like I should still be the one receiving those passes, not him."

Aomine realized just how selfish that last portion sounded, especially since he was the one who encased this barrier between himself and Kuroko. As brash as the sentence slipped his tongue, it was better to be honest when it came to speaking with Tetsu.

"You've always been too impatient, Aomine-kun. That definitely hasn't changed." Kuroko firmly replied, throwing the other male slightly off with a raise of one eyebrow. "I can't say that you need to give them time due to the few games we have left, but even from the practice game I've noticed that they've grown comfortable with your synchronization with them. Sometimes it's never going to be at one hundred percent." Aomine scoffed at his reply. Hunching his shoulders slightly, he propped his elbow over his lap with his chin resting over a fist. Nonchalantly, he turned his gaze toward the night behind the dancing curtains with tight knitted brows.

That wasn't true.

Especially with Kagami and Kuroko's unison on the court. Every play executed seem to always glide through their opponents. Every firm touch of the ball had no slip of the finger, or chance of making a fumble. The direction, the timing, and the delivery were always one hundred percent with those two playing.

All of this was too familiar.

This was what Aomine and his Tetsu had years ago. But to the tanned man's dismay, he doesn't know if those plays could ever resurface again. From the pit of his stomach, he was fearful that he won't be able to mend what he's thrown away.

"They're not like you, Tetsu." Aomine finally responded, his voice was a soft as a murmur but was enough for Kuroko to hear over the rainfall. "None of them understood like you did. There was trust when it came to our play back in Teikō, and now I'm stuck in this damn rut and don't know how to get up from it." He kept his eyes locked unto the curtains flowing through the windowsill, feeling the shock that Kuroko emitted through his body language.

Damn, why did the taller male wait until years later to finally get this off his chest? But if he didn't tell him now, he was sure he would never get through to him. There was a part of him that also wondered what the point was bringing this up now, after all-

"You were the one who tossed me aside, Aomine-kun." Kuroko's soft voice held no malice to it, but the words stung the other as if he was resentful. Aomine's eyes narrowed, with his lips pressed in a firm line. "Though I don't feel any bitterness to it, I believe everything would've been different it wasn't for your change." Those words cut Aomine deep. Could Tetsu word it a bit better without sounding so harsh? "But… even after those changes, you still managed to find your basketball. We still found a way to play together again."

Aomine recalled the first basketball reunion with the Generation of Miracles together for the shadow's birthday. The taller of the two was thankful for the other's company for even their brief conversations were unwieldy. Their play on the court was not any better. Yes, there were plays that went smoothly, but Aomine felt no substance to them. There were moments where his large hands fidgeted catching the ball, or seconds of delay were wasted where he had to readjust the ball's positioning to continue the finishing move. At that point, he wondered if there was more to this unexplained tension than just being rusty with Kuroko.

He also recalled the legendary street ball match between the Vorpal Swords and Jabberwock within their second year. The light and dark duo of Seirin were proclaimed flawless as usual. Even the crowd placed them on the limelight of the court of being the best players out of the whole Generation of Miracles. The interacting plays between Aomine and Kuroko were at just fair at best, and this didn't settle too well with the navy haired man. By then, he was convinced that there was this unmistakable void every time he's crossed paths with his old shadow.

"Hey Tetsu," Aomine began, now shifting his orbs back to meet with the light cerulean eyes of Kuroko's. "Those past games we've played together… our play didn't feel the same as they were back then in Teikō. I know you could feel it too." His voice was low and steady, as he settled his hand back down to the tape and straightened his posture. Kuroko knew he was correct but chose not to say a word, so he clasped his cold hands together on his lap, finding some inch of warmth to hold together within. Aomine blinked, his lips now shifting toward the corner of his mouth as if he was flustered. He turned back down toward Kuroko's leg, now finishing up the wrapping. "The distance I placed in between us wasn't because of resentment, so don't get that idea. In truth, I've thought about you many times in the past."

This is embarrassing…

Aomine tried to ignore the shift in Kuroko's posture and started a figure eight taping method for the finishing touches around the front of the fair skinned male's leg. Through his peripheral vision, he saw Kuroko's subtle lips part slightly, his shoulders faintly perked up in surprise. What the hell… I've got to finish what I started, I guess. "After our first game against each other, it pissed me off to no end hearing one of our benchwarmers bad mouth you. They thought you were worthless, and I almost went to swing on the guy. People who've never seen you on the court shouldn't be the ones to talk." Aomine began to smooth out the various linings of tape over Kuroko's foot and ankle with his long fingertips, making the smaller male shudder slightly.

All of this was coming out like word vomit.

But Aomine continued, knowing this made perfectly sense to himself, and was unsure if the other had understood. He released Kuroko's foot with a light nod of indication that he was finished, and he continued his thought, his gaze now piercing through Kuroko's own. "And the match when that bastard Hanamiya was taunting you, I would've lost it if he laid even a single finger on you. Even after that…" Aomine's hands clenched into a fist, and his stare lingered down to his tensed hands. "When I saw you busted up on the ground by Gold, I wanted to beat the shit out of him. Even if I knew I was outnumbered, seeing the way he grabbed you like a ragdoll was the last straw. But more than anything…" He trailed off leaving his voice, sucking in a large breath before looking back up at Kuroko releasing the tension of his hands.

Aomine's navy irises danced with regret; the eyes that Kuroko have caught all day during their practice match. His face softened, unwinding the creases of his tensed brows, and Aomine Daiki's lips curled into a mournful smile. "I wanted to be the one to pick you up from the ground on that night, and I wanted to be the one to help you up today as well. I wanted for you to look at me like the light I used to be. But for some reason, I couldn't do it. Just like back then, I couldn't bring myself to break down this wall." In that moment, he knew he'd abandoned his stern demeanor. As long it was just Tetsu there, he didn't care if he let his guard drop.

Kuroko's lips still fell open, his monotonous features revealing one emotion after another with Aomine Daiki. His voice seemed to be misplaced, as now he was finding the right words to respond with.

"Aomine-kun…" Kuroko stuttered, still brainstorming with a twitch of discontent to his lips. "I'm sorry, but I'm still trying to understand what you're saying…"

"Are you that dense, Tetsu?" Aomine snorted, shaking his head lightly on how oblivious the azure haired male seemed to be at times. "Even though you couldn't see it, what I'm trying to say is that I've cared about you all this time." Aomine relaxed his frame, now understanding what Momoi had said before about having this weight lifted off his shoulders.

Kuroko froze, transcribing all the words that his old light has just told him at this moment. He know his face gave away all the surprise, and it always took a great deal for someone to make him show a hint of emotion. But with Aomine Daiki, it was always easy for the tanned man to shape his vacant features into showing some hint of emotion.

Now Kuroko Tetsuya was starting to understand.

He understood the guilt enveloping Aomine, from the day in middle school where he abandoned his shadow, to the tears escaping his eyes after the final Winter Cup match against Rakuzan. All of Aomine's hesitation around the phantom player due to the blame he projected unto himself finally surfaced. Within a few more seconds of registering the new found thought, Kuroko's eyes were at rest once more.

"Aomine-kun, you shouldn't blame yourself for everything that's happened. If you were avoiding me because you thought I resented you, then you're wrong." Kuroko's velvet voice answered, eyes unwavering to the navy eyed individual. "Your troubled eyes always made me think about you in the back of my mind. Now I believe I finally understand what you've felt up until now. But again, even after your change, you've managed to find your way back to finding your love for basketball, and that's what makes me happy. I'm happy you're not alone anymore."

Aomine's forlorn smile disappeared, his mouth falling open slightly at the corners or his lips. He searched for resolve in Tetsu's eyes. Was it that easy for the shadow to just forget all of the pain he instilled unto him? Kuroko's eyes fluttered, his stomach churning at the gaze Aomine bore into him. Usually it was very easy for the oval eyed male to keep his eyes at his old companion before him, but this time it feels different. Almost as if this feeling was…

The curtains danced wildly right behind Kuroko's frame and a gust of wind blew the rainfall inside the area of his home. Shuddering at the icy droplets hitting his back, he turned slowly withdrawing his leg from Aomine's lap. Aomine blinked seeing the frail skinned man struggle to reach the windowsill, and he sighed, leaning over him with is long figure to close the window with a securing latch. "Honestly Tetsu, sometimes I don't know how you function by yourself. You always need—"

As soon as he turned head to the side, he realized just how close he was to his old partner.

Aomine froze in place, his shadow casting over the male beneath him. He unconsciously hovered over the light haired male beneath him, his eyes not even close to blinking for a moment. Kuroko slowly withdrew his upper body back from his advances, not getting too far at all when the armrest behind his frame stopped his movement.

Aomine knew he shouldn't be towering over the shorter male, but he couldn't move, more so, he didn't want to move from his position. Slowly, Aomine brought one arm forward, and secured his hand on the armrest inches away from Kuroko's sharp shoulders. Kuroko followed the hand notion with his eyes, studying the muscularity of Aomine's forearm before darting back to the navy eyes before him.

The mysterious aura resonating off of Kuroko's being seemed to ensnare Aomine, and he remained within that position for what seemed like minutes. His indigo eyes leered over Kuroko's own, searching, and even yearning for resolve. He studied the porcelain features of the male underneath him, from the way his cheeks blossomed a slight crimson, to the way his throat fluctuated as he took in an anxious gulp. The emotions from earlier before in the kitchen began to resurface, and this time Aomine didn't attempt to hold himself back.

Kuroko felt immobilized.

Sure they've been close in and out of the basketball courts-but never like this. This time, there was something alluring about his old light that didn't give him the urge to protest. The night light showed Aomine's calm features with precision from his sturdy shoulders, to his chest exposed from his shirt hanging loosely over his frame. From how close they were, Kuroko could see the elevation of his chest with every breath taken by the bronzed man. A part of Kuroko felt an odd lump within the pit of his throat. Just how long has he always felt this strange knot on the inside from being confronted by Aomine?

A large, cold hand cupped the left cheek of Kuroko's softly, snapping the light bluenette out of his thoughts and back to Aomine. His body jolted at the cold touch of his hand meeting his cheek, and he could feel his face burning red. Closing in the distance, Kuroko could smell the sweet hint of vanilla from Aomine's breath lingering over him and he shuddered underneath the taller man, his breath hitching in irregular intervals. As if on its own, Kuroko placed his hand over Aomine's broad chest, feeling the cold residue of the rain water still lingering over his skin. This motion wasn't in protest, and it was beyond him to find an excuse why he was continuing to let Aomine make his advances.

Tracing his thumb over the alabaster cheek of Kuroko's tenderly, Aomine's eyes were half lidded, studying the patterns of his cobalt eyes staring deep into his own until he fully cupped his cheek. And just like that, Aomine closed the last bit of distance of body heat emitting from his old partner as his lips grazed over the fair lips of Kuroko's tenderly. They were soft, and surprisingly warm despite the icy atmosphere that embraced their flesh. Aomine wanted to dive in further; to conceal his lips fully over the light ones of Tetsu to take in its warmth—

A small quiver resided from the other's lips causing Aomine to pause. He now retracted his head back slightly.

What the hell am I doing?

With a low exhale, Aomine withdrew from Kuroko's body heat, and returned to his spot toward the other side of the couch. "Tetsu…" Aomine whispered, turning his head to the side and scratched the back of his short hair with unease. He was afraid to see what face Tetsu was making now. "I should probably get going." Aomine muttered, and he stood up, unrolling the sleeves of his shirt as he made turned to make his way to the kitchen before catching a glimpse of Kuroko's stunned face.

Aomine grabbed his olive parka, his lips turning into a frown on how damp the jacket was. Regardless of that fact, he placed the jacket over his body and turned toward the front door with frustration. Things between them went from bad, to worse, and he couldn't fix the issue at hand this time. Aomine placed his hand over the doorknob to turn it, revealing the heavy rainfall greeting him outside. Aomine's eyes grew dark as he took a step out, his hand searching for the doorknob to close behind him. As if things couldn't get any worse for him.

A small click was heard just beside Aomine, as a black umbrella revealed itself, now hovering over his tall stature. Aomine turned around, seeing Kuroko staring up at him with his usual expressionless face, now accompanied with a blush flushing over his light skin. Aomine's eyebrows rose slightly at Kuroko, who now turned his head to the side, averting his eyes in slight embarrassment as he raised the umbrella higher toward the taller male.

"Know that I care about you too, Ahomine." Kuroko whispered through the raindrops, the tone audible for the ace to hear through the heavy rainfall. Kuroko glanced back up at Aomine, his head still remained at a profile view so Aomine couldn't see the true embarrassment plastered over his face. "Next time you should do this properly." Aomine was taken aback by his broad statement. "You should call me the next time you're coming over, Aomine-kun." Letting the fluster of his subside, Kuroko now faced Aomine completely, smiling softly at the taller male.

Aomine blinked. Kuroko wasn't angry with him at all, and he even said next time, which meant that he would be seeing him soon. Aomine took in the handle of the umbrella gently, faintly crossing fingertips with his old partner before Kuroko released it. Aomine smiled warmly down at the other; his smile just as sincere as they used to be in Teikō middle school. He drew in closer to the smaller male, encircling his free arm around the bluenette's shoulders and rested his chin over his unruly hair. He could feel the intervals of Kuroko's breathing hitting his shoulder, and he gave him a soft squeeze. "I'll see you soon, Tetsu."

Kuroko Tetsuya to his dismay felt his warmth separate as Aomine withdrew himself to turn heel. Just as their last encounter after the first year's Winter Cup, Tetsu couldn't produce any words out of his mouth to call back to him. He watched breathlessly as his old light walked away; Aomine's hand lifting up over his shoulder to wave goodbye.

Securing the door shut behind him, Kuroko leaned against the wooden door, processing everything that has just happened. Unconsciously, Kuroko brought up his fingertips up to his face gingerly, feeling the lingering sensation of Aomine's lips grazing against his own. Kuroko could feel his face flush instantly, chills now encircling his entire body.

Just what the hell was that..?

Note: There's definitely going to be a continuation of this story, and it'll be at a slow start just because I feel that amends between the two need to be fully made before throwing all the other ideas I had into this. I've envisioned Aomine to be one of those individual's to show a bit of a caring side despite the hard demeanor he always presents to others. I hope their the two personalities seemed on point, and just as always, reviews are always appreciated!