A/N: Got an update for you! This is all for you and for myself. Though my priority right now is my studies and my Haikyuu fic 'Palm Strike' so this wouldn't be frequently updated. But I will also find time to update for this.

Enjoy Reading!

Kuroko no Basket

Split-second Realization

Part I:

"The only one who can beat me is me."

That had been the sentence that he had constantly spouted when his hope of finding someone that can match with him in terms of talent dwindled down and then was finally gone. He had at first believed what Tetsu had said, that he can find someone who will give him back the thrill he feels whenever he plays.

But then he didn't come. And every last hope he had died seeing how the matches he had come to love so much became boring. How his opponents just lost their will to fight and just gave up when it was just the end of first half.

And along the way, his friendship with his precious shadow also died.

Aomine supposed that that was entirely his fault for spouting those nonsense to Tetsu. Just remembering the face Tetsu had made in front of him as he continued to mouth off and basically told him that his passes are useless and that he had forgotten how to receive his pass made him feel like a jerk. But he had already told him and he didn't have the strength to take it all back.

In the end, both him and Tetsu drifted apart until his shadow basically disappeared on them.

Frankly speaking, Tetsu was weak. He could give that fast and magical pass to almost anyone in the court and he acknowledges his strength. But he couldn't shoot and has a very low stamina for a basketball player. But at the same time, he was strong. He overcome his weakness and stood on top. Out of all of them, Tetsu was the strongest. He lives in the shadow but inadvertently, he had been his guide towards acquiring his love once again in basketball.

Tetsu was his guide towards his light.

And that light is Kagami Taiga.

Aomine wondered what would have happened if he found Kagami before he became such a jerk.

If Kagami had come to Teiko, would he still end up being the same, or will he still change?

As he stared at Kagami who is now eating his tray of burgers that had formed a pyramid when the redhead had bought it, devouring it at an alarming rate like he hadn't eaten for the past few days, he decided that it was no use looking back to the past because his present is more important.

But he just cannot really help asking himself one question that had been nagging his mind ever since the startling realization came onto him.

Would he still fall in love with Kagami if he had met him before?

"He is adorable isn't he Aomine-kun?" a deadpanned voice suddenly asked beside him that he can almost feel his heart jump out his chest in shocked surprise. He reined in his instinctual urge to shout as he scowled at the baby blue eyes of his shadow sitting beside him while slurping that vanilla milkshake of his.

"What are you going on about Tetsu?" he asked instead, lowering his voice so that the redhead in front of him wouldn't know what they are talking about.

Tetsu only stared at him hard in the eyes. Aomine had every intention of looking into it without backing down but he had to when Tetsu's eyes changed from coolly looking at him into a knowing look.

Damn. Tetsu's eyes still had the effect of making him feel guilty it seems.

No one spoke and the only thing that can be heard on their table if the way Tetsu slurped his vanilla milkshake and the sound of Kagami eating. Aomine's eyes once again drifted to Kagami, looking at the way he is eating his food in fast-record.

It was messy and highly inappropriate but for some reason, Aomine found it adorable.

Damn. Tetsu's right.

"Settle it immediately Aomine-kun. Do not hesitate." Tetsu once again said. Aomine blinked before looking at his once shadow in question which he answered. "What do you really feel about Kagami-kun?"

Aomine instantly reddened. He already knew what he felt about the stupid basketball idiot! It was a good thing his skin tone is dark or his flush would be instantly noticed.

Apparently, eventhough he didn't say anything, he didn't have to since Tetsu can already see his answer through his reaction because the he nodded.

"What are you going to do about it?" Aomine blinked at the question. What he should do? The tanned teen's mind became blank. What is he going to do now? "If you leave it at that, then it's okay."

Aomine then thought about it. Should he leave it at that? Truth be told, he is still trying to come to terms with it. He hadn't even known that he is already- that he is- in love with Kagami until two days ago in the basketball street court the two of them frequently use when they decide to play.

They are at the Maji Burger right now because he is treating Kagami to his burgers – which had almost cleaned his money. He had forgotten how many burgers Kagami usually eats – as an apology for avoiding the redhead for the two days he had brood. And he had also offered to buy Tetsu his favourite milkshake as thanks for convincing him to stop avoiding Kagami.

He really didn't want the redhead to be pissed at him, though he wouldn't ever tell them that.

"Oi! What are you two talking about there?" Kagami asked, a half-eaten burger on his hand as he stared at him and Tetsu with his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Nothing, Kagami-kun."

Maybe he should leave it at that, at least for the moment?

Kagami stared at them some more before finally shrugging his shoulders. "Alright." He then continued his eating fest.

It was a few seconds of silence more before Tetsu spoke quietly to him once again.

"But if you want to pursue Kagami-kun, you have to do it immediately." The inflection in Tetsu's voice made him turn and look at him. Tetsu just stared at him impassively. "Or he'd be taken by someone and before you know it, Kagami-kun is already with someone else."

That last sentence of his froze him.

Aomine's mind was suddenly bombarded by images of Kagami being radiant and happy with an unknown person beside him. Without him in sight.

His eyes froze into a frigid possessive anger.

A/N:

There, an update. Aside from 'Iziel' who thinks I have to add another chapter – btw, thanks for reviewing! – my cousin nagged me that I have to at least add some chapters more even if SSR isn't the main fic I am focusing so I did.

How was it? Leave your review before heading out!