When you've lived in the same place for a long time, you get tunnel vision. You might think you're getting the full picture, but in reality, the sides are blurry, the details scratched out. The main picture, sure, it's there; but each scuff, each and every nick on the pavement, the taste of the wind, the scent of the hydrangeas by the verandah? Nothing. There's absolutely nothing.

XXX

Kuroko Tetsuya sighed as he glanced out his window, the moon darkening the lawn with a sort of morbid illumination. Outside a lone kitten wandered past, its paws the color of inky blackness, his tail draped in a white tip. His bright blue eyes glanced around curiously, piercing even the blackening shadows, almost their own illumination, at least in a sense.

So tomorrow was the day. To be honest, Kuroko wasn't sure how to feel; everything felt unreal to him, a dreamlike quality to his days, and he could honestly say that tomorrow, when one of the most life-changing events of his life would occur, he probably wouldn't react much. Not like he ever did normally, but tomorrow, they'd be expecting something—tears. Some hugs, a few sniffles at least, maybe some empty words of promise, saying they'd meet up again, see each other in the coming weeks.

But Kuroko could offer none of that. He wasn't sure exactly what to feel. Some days, he was so excited that it was all he could do just to keep his face completely devoid of emotion, to maintain his low presence enough to avoid people's detection. But then others, he was a walking mess, a disaster; afraid of the future, unable to embrace it, a cowardly gait. Even worse, on some days he was completely devoid of any emotion, save for the daily struggle of getting to work, applying for loans, a few scholarships thrown in the mix. Each day was a different story, a whole new set of emotions; ones that he couldn't replicate even if he wanted.

It just . . . it was hard. One day, he knew (and that day happened to be tomorrow, but even that fact had slipped away from his grasp) he would have to leave his family behind, his younger siblings, his aging parents and nearly ancient grandmother. Sure, he could come back and visit, send a few phone calls their way, even send a gift—but it wouldn't ever be truly the same, would it? No, he wouldn't be here every day, watching as the leaves outside turned from a translucent green to a virulent red, then a majestic golden yellow. The light from the sun wouldn't flicker the same way like in his apartment, through the cracks in the door, defining shadows in the foyer. He wouldn't see the neighborhood children pass through, black backpacks hung haphazardly over one shoulder, their glittering smiles and soothing laughter bringing life to the aging community. His siblings would grow taller, every day; and when he saw them next, he would wonder where exactly the time had gone, when Tetsuki had stopped putting her hair in pigtails, and Katsuya had decided that he was too cool for a hug from his older brother. In a way, everything would remain the same, an eternal youthfulness; but then, on the other hand, nothing would be the same. It was almost like a movie, remade from its earlier counterpart, the general story the same; but the details? Some were similar, but most were vastly different, and thus each movie was special in its own way, each with its own ups and downs, laughs and tears. Kuroko would be living one movie; his family, and his town, another. In a way, that was sadder than any novel he'd ever read.

And yet, at the end of the day, he was happy. Sure, he'd be leaving them behind, but he'd be starting something new too, something that could possibly rival even what he had now. Maybe he'd meet some girl, a quiet one, and they'd walk to class together, hands sometimes entwined, other times clasping novels all too tightly. He get new friends, naturally all basketball players, and they'd play together on the weekends, when they weren't busy with work or school or lovers or an English paper due at the end of the day. His siblings would visit on occasion, and here, in this new place where anything was possible, he wouldn't question the inexplicable habits as he would at home. He'd be cool, a little detached, greeting each one promptly, introducing them to his friends, his girlfriend, the cool restaurant down the street that sold awesome sushi. He'd teach them new basketball moves that he learned from practice, smiling as Katsuya gave an impressive attempt while Tetsuki stared, wide-eyed, at the giant men surrounding her. Then she'd scurry to Kuroko's side, grasping his leg, her flowing hair tickling his calf as she eyed the team with a look of distrust. They'd have fun though, and return home, and everything would return as it was.

But everything couldn't remain as it was.

Kuroko sighed again, something he'd been doing a lot lately, and pushed his chair away from his window, closing his eyes. If he sat like this, he could imagine a better life, one where everything and anything he wanted was his for the taking, if he put his mind to it. He could also imagine a world where everything he aimed for dissolved into ash, coating him in a sticking embrace, a suffocating sense. It was a world where he didn't play basketball, where each day he meandered through Tokyo's streets with a gray suit, dead blue eyes. It was a place where time was perpetually stuck at four in the morning, the seconds ticking by agonizingly slowly, yet still too fast to do anything but watch helplessly as the hour morphed into a day, and the day in a year. The grave would zip by, a welcoming laugh from Death's guardian angel—

"Onii-san?" A small, somewhat soft voice interrupted his musings, causing him to crack open an eye curiously. Cute bunnies blinked back at him, their eyes the shape of almonds, engulfed in a sea of lavender. His little sister, Tetsuki, was glancing at him, rubbing her eyes as though she'd just woken up.

"Tetsu, you should go to bed," he said, using the cute pet name she'd insisted on him calling her after her fifth birthday. "It's really late."

"I know," she huffed, some color returning to her speech. "But Onii-san seemed worried all day, and I was worried." She plopped down on his bed, her feet hanging off the floor by a good few centimeters. "Are you?"

"Worried?" He supplied, though in retrospect there was probably no need. Tetsuki understood a great deal of the world more than her twin, so her words should not have come as a shock to him. "Not particularly."

"Onii-san," she said again, her tone stern. "You can lie to Mama and Papa and that idiot Katsuya, but you can't lie to me. I know. You're afraid about tomorrow, right?"

Ah, afraid. He wasn't necessarily, though he supposed to an outsider that might appear the case. "It's not so much afraid."

"Then what is it?"

"Anxiety, perhaps? Or excitement?" He smiled demurely at Tetsuki, who blushed an impressive shade of scarlet. "Maybe a mix of both."

"O-kay," she said, though it didn't sound like she understood at all. "But Onii-san will do anything he does well, so he shouldn't be worried." Her feet lightly thudded against the floor, and she turned towards the door, going as she came—quickly, and without reason. A purposeful gait, though.

But before she reached the door handle, she paused, and Kuroko could almost imagine her silently arranging her options. Finally, she said, "Onii-san, do you mind . . . if I sleep with you?"

Instead of words, she heard the rustling of bed sheets, and that was all she could do before she jumped forward, snuggling in the bed with the brother that would soon not become her brother.

These were the thoughts that plagued Kuroko's head even as he fell asleep, and subconsciously he grasped Tetsuki tighter.

XXX

Okay, so hey there! If this is your first time reading this, I hope you enjoyed this! If not, here's the second one-shot in this small collection of one-shots. I've been really feeling this since college is right around the corner, and I'm not sure how to progress, so some of his feelings really resonate with my own.

Also, I wanted Kuroko to have a little sister, so SUE ME.

^.^

Anywho, this story is bound to be a little longer than the last, as it will showcase Kuroko and Akashi's viewpoints, alternating, so don't be surprised if this wasn't done in a three-shot.

. . . Also, I'm sorry for having fell off the face of the earth, but I can't guarantee it won't happen again. I have a few one-shots planned out, but some of them are too childish, and others are way too serious, so I'm trying to find a happy medium. I hope this is it.

But thanks for reading, anyways :) Have a good day, and remember to review!