Hello everyone, it's been a while. Unfortunately, I have not finished the next chapter yet, but I just could not wait any longer. Here, at long last, is my FAVORITE chapter of this fic so far.

Before that, thanks to irislxi (Thank you!) and LetTheWorldHonorTheFallen (Thank you for your review! I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in a PM already, but just in case, the use of their first names is going to be important later on. Right now, they're all kinda operating on one assumption, excluding Momoi, of course, hence no first names.) for reviewing, all 21 followers, 17 favorites and 868 readers!

Okay, enough out of me, now enjoy my absolute favorite chapter!

Chapter 5: A Bond Reforged

The entire gym was silent as they all stared at the final score, probably all in varying states of shock.

The silence of the gym was broken as Kagami yelled,

"Alright!"

The next thing Kuroko knew, the people on the bench were running onto the court, loudly cheering, while Riko was giving them all a thumbs' up.

"I can't believe we won." Hyuuga grinned as he, Izuki and Mitobe returned the gesture.

Kuroko felt like his body couldn't move an inch, as if he had just finished a specially designed training menu, made by Akashi and Momoi with the idea to push him so hard, he eliminated almost any possibility of his passes injuring his palms and possibly breaking his arms. That training menu had been torture, but passing had never felt easier afterwards.

This...this brought the same feeling of satisfaction, of victory, knowing he was able to do it with a team that trusted him again, that he was able to show Kise he could do this. He could participate in the Oath and win. He swore he would and now...now the proof that he had a chance was right here.

Kuroko looked over at Kise then...and watched as two delicate tears fell from his eyes.

The next thing they all knew, Kasamatsu was kicking Kise again. Kuroko couldn't hear what the Kaijo captain said, but he saw the effect it had on Kise.

Kise blinked away his tears and smiled, determination lighting up his eyes.

And Kuroko smiled internally, because Kise was relying on his team, and actually looked like he wanted to keep playing. And if Kise wanted to keep playing, that only meant that Kuroko succeeded and that meant...well...

"Line up!" The referee yelled out. They all did so. "With a score of 100 to 98, Seirin High School wins."

"Thank you very much." All ten of the players on the court bowed in unison.

As they prepared to leave, Kasamatsu held out a hand to Hyuuga to shake.

"Because we're in different districts, if we play again, it'll be at Inter-High." Kasamatsu stated. Behind him, Takeuchi was fuming in anger, a dark aura surrounding him.

"We'll be there." Hyuuga promised as Riko smiled angelically behind him, an aura of light surrounding her. "I don't want to confess my love butt naked." Riko smiled then at the reminder. "Let's go!"

"Yes, sir!" Kuroko yelled out with the rest of the team.

"Hey, where's Kise?" A Kaijo member asked, drawing Kuroko's attention.

Kise-kun...?

Kise let the water run down his face for a moment before he turned the water off. Then one of the voices he least expected to hear spoke up.

"Gemini's horoscope predicted terrible luck for you today, but I didn't think you'd actually lose."

Turning his head up sharply in shock, Kise felt his hand automatically move to his stomach, watching as none other than Midorima Shintaro stood before him, his right middle finger flexing briefly in a reciprocal greeting.

"You came to watch, Midorimacchi?" Kise questioned.

"Either way, it was an unfortunate game." Midorima mused. "Even a monkey could have managed those dunks. It's no wonder fate didn't choose your side." He pushes up his glasses with his taped fingers.

Riiiiiiight...Kise forgot how strict Midorima was. The sight of his scolding was almost refreshingly familiar, though he was missing the sight of Akashi at his side, either offering corrections or giving a cool smile that sent chills down Kise's spine without fail.

But even if this was familiar, Kise wasn't going to just accept this lying down or at least, not without teasing him first.

"I haven't seen you since middle school. It's good to see you again." Kise pouted exaggeratedly as he stared at the sharpshooter. "I see you haven't stopped taping your fingers. Anyway, who cares if I dunk as long as it goes in?" It was oh so easy to fall back into this old argument, to the ease of middle school before it all fell apart.

Kise's heart ached at the thought.

"That's why you're no good." Midorima stated, right on que. "Getting the ball in from up close is easy. Getting it in from far away has true value. Didn't anyone teach you to 'do the likeliest and God will do the best'? Optimal efforts makes you worthy of fate's grace." Suddenly, Midorima threw a towel at Kise, which he caught in midair.

How like Midorimacchi...providing for us all even as he scolds us for mistakes or not following Oha-Asa...he really is a tsundere, just like Aominecchi said!

"I always do my best, and I always keep the Oha-Asa horoscope's lucky item on me." Midorima said, raising his left hand to show off today's lucky item. "By the way, today's item is a toy frog. That is why my shots never miss."

I've never understood that last part. This is the Generation of Miracles' number one shooter. Kise thought to himself. Then he spoke aloud. "Shouldn't you be talking to Kurokocchi instead of me?"

"There's no need." Midorima smirked, his left middle finger twitching in response to Kuroko's name. It was an instinct ingrained into all of them. "B-blood types like myself and A-blood types like him never get along."

That's a total lie!

"I not only acknowledge his style, but respect it." Midorima continued. "But I cannot accept his decision to attend an obscure school like Seirin. I simply came because we'll play them in the division preliminaries. But honestly, they're not good enough."

Kise and Midorima simply stared at each other then, silence hanging heavily over them...until a bell broke the heavy air.

"Midorima, you bastard!" A black haired boy wearing the same uniform as Midorima growled as he pedaled a rear car over towards them. "You left me alone in the middle of traffic! Do you know how embarrassing that is?!"

Huh...there must be something about him if he was Midorimacchi's ride. Kise mused to himself.

"I just came to watch the game today." Midorima said before he turned back towards Kise. "But allow me to apologize. There is no way we will lose to Seirin. I regret to tell you that you should give up on your revenge."

Just then, Seirin walked by and Kise's eyes landed on Kuroko. They didn't leave the phantom once as the copycat watched him pass by, reaching up to check on his wrapped head.

All over again, the guilt struck Kise's heart and he wanted nothing more than to wrap Kuroko in his arms and make everything better. But he couldn't. Not now.

Once they left Kaijo, Riko made sure she took Kuroko to get his head checked out at Sasazuka General Hospital. Once they met up with the team afterwards, Riko flashed them all a thumbs' up.

"Everything's okay." She grinned.

The entire team breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief."

"Sorry for making you worry." Kuroko apologized, bowing in apology.

"I didn't know what would happen when you fell over." Izuki admitted.

"I'm just glad you're alright." Tsuchida smiled. For a moment, they were all silent. Then Koganei broke it with a cheer,

"Alright! We won!"

After that, somehow, the entire team ended up at a restaurant called 'Steak Bomb' where they got free steak...as long as they ate an entire huge steak. Kuroko could barely stomach most of it, let alone a little. Thankfully, Kagami ate every single bite of steak that nobody else could stomach.

Kuroko left as soon as the entire team began to give Kagami their plates, needing some fresh air. Besides, they didn't notice him slipping away anyway. He turned around after he left the restaurant...only to see Kise standing there, smiling at him gently.

"Kise-kun?" Kuroko whispered, disbelief in his voice.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Kise asked.

And Kuroko...he moved without thinking. He stepped closer, making sure that Kise's eyes were on his at all times, before he slowly leaned down and hovered over Kise's right cheek. Kuroko paused then and looked up, seeing Kise's eyes staring right back at him, his breath quivering in his throat. Slowly, Kise nodded and Kuroko closed the distance between his lips and Kise's cheek.

Instantly, lightning shot down Kuroko's spine and he closed his eyes, well aware of the burst of light blue around Kise as Kuroko's name no doubt was seared into the skin of his stomach, just as it had two years ago.

As Kuroko pulled away, he met Kise's eyes before quickly kissing Kise on the other cheek.

"Kurokocchi..." Kise whispered, his voice filled with awe as he stared at Kuroko.

"My apologies for the suddenness, Kise-kun. I simply missed you." Kuroko stated.

Kise stared in awe for a moment before he gently, oh so gently, grasped Kuroko's left wrist and gently lifted it to his lips.

As soon as Kise's lips touched Kuroko's wrist, lightning raced from the phantom's wrist to his heart and it felt as if every nerve ending came to life, connecting him to Kise and Kise to him. He watched in awe as Kise's yellow aura glowed around Kuroko's wrist, and he could feel the characters of Kise's name form on his wrist, right where they originally appeared two years ago.

Kise raised his head, his eyes still awestruck as he slowly leaned in and returned the kiss Kuroko had laid on his cheek.

"I missed you too, Kurokocchi." Kise whispered into Kuroko's ear, causing the phantom to shiver.

"Kise-kun wanted to talk?" Kuroko asked as Kise pulled away.

They made their way to a nearby playground, which they both knew had a streetball court that had been a favorite spot of the Generation of Miracles before...before.

Both of them were silent, their minds still in a whirl of activity. After all, bonding between soulmates was already an incredible moment, but doing it twice? That left a profound feeling unlike any either Miracle had ever experienced before. It was as if the other's name had been seared into their own skin, and their essence firmly settled into their own mind.

Kuroko, in that moment, had no doubt in his mind that if he tried, he could read Kise's mind and vice versa as well. But, of course, neither of them did that, just allowing the feeling of their reforged bond to circle within their minds, just the two of them in a space meant to contain so many more.

Kise was the one to finally break the silence, obviously having had a purpose in coming all the way out here after all.

"It's been a while since we last talked like this." The copycat admitted, holding a basketball in his right hand like Midorima held his lucky items. "How's your injury?"

At the question, Kuroko felt a wave of worry, concern and guilt fill his mind and his heart ached at Kise's pain, considering how minor the injury actually was.

But he understood. Kise didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to become...a real monster. And Kuroko knew he wouldn't, knew this injury had just been the heat of the moment in the practice match, nothing more.

He sent Kise feelings of forgiveness, hoping to reassure the copycat with his emotions more than his words could properly convey, even as he spoke aloud.

"I'm fine."

And the phantom watched as Kise's shoulders relaxed, his posture loosening until he looked more like Kise and less like a doll wearing his skin, just as he did on every magazine cover he modeled for.

Those weren't the Kise Kuroko knew, the Kise he knew could be cold and cruel to outsiders, but kind and compassionate to people who earned his respect and love, few as they were.

They reached a bench then and Kise sat his bag down beside it before standing on top of the bench and sitting down on the back of it, the basketball held in both hands between his legs now.

"I saw Midorimacchi." Kise admitted. Kuroko blinked in surprise for a moment before he hummed.

"Honestly, I don't get along with him very well." He stated. Instantly, he felt a childish anger in his mind, knowing Kise was internally calling him out for lying.

But it was also true, Kuroko had spent more time with Aomine and Momoi than anyone else in Teiko, and he still spent more time with Kise, Murasakibara and even Akashi than he did with Midorima. But Midorima had never said no to hanging out with Kuroko and the two had often spent time reading together in the library when their companions became...too much and Akashi was busy with the Student Council.

And, of course, there was the fact that Midorima valued scoring three pointers, the most amount of points possible, over everything else, including passing, Kuroko's specialty. It made for a lot of arguments between the two of them, mostly passive aggressive, but arguments nonetheless. But it also meant that they had been a deadly combination on the court at the best of times.

His feelings must've bled through the bond to Kise, because the copycat laughed.

"Now that you mention it, you're right." Kise smiled. "That left hand of his is no joke. Especially on good days for Cancers."

"Yes." Kuroko agreed. He had, after all, often helped Midorima acquire his lucky items if the sharpshooter could not obtain them himself in time.

"Seems like he just came to watch today's game." Kise said, the 'came to watch the first battle' unspoken, yet loudly heard. "Anyway...first you turned me down and then I lost today's game." Kise sighed, looking up at the sky. "Everything's going wrong with my life right now. I didn't expect you to say yes, but I was serious." By this point, Kise was balancing the basketball on his head, his legs lifted high into the air so that the only thing keeping him on the bench was his arm strength.

"You'll fall over." Kuroko warned even still, just as he always did. Always trying to keep them all together, until the only one helping him too fell apart and they were all lost in different ways. "Sorry." Kuroko apologized then, looking down. Because he failed them all, because he couldn't bring them back to the good days at Teiko, no matter how he wished it. The Oath was taken, the battles begun, and they all would be in separate teams until high school ended at least.

Kise jumped off the bench then and held the ball up, a genuine smile on his features and warmth washing through their bond, so warm that Kuroko swore it felt as if a sun were lighting up within him.

"I'm kidding. Anyway, I wanted to ask you for your reason." Kise admitted. "Why did you disappear right after the middle school championship game?" As the copycat spoke, he threw the basketball, which Kuroko caught with only his right hand easily.

There was silence between them then, long enough to fill the air with its thickness.

"I'm not sure." Kuroko said, finally.

"What?" Kise asked.

"It's true I began to question Teiko's policies because of the championship game." The phantom admitted. "I felt we lacked something."

And Kuroko would never forget that moment, the overwhelming pain as he saw the final score and the utter defeat on the opponent's face. He couldn't forget it, not ever, he wouldn't let himself.

And that was when Kuroko himself had...not destroyed the bond between them all, but walled it off. That day had been the last time any of them had ever felt each other, the tiny cracks they each formed in the bond finally breaking it as they all walled it off so tightly, it was as if it barely existed anymore.

That had been the first night Kuroko had slept without the comforting presence of six others within his mind, all sending each other comforting feelings (and the occasional bout of anger from Midorima when they stayed up too late or hunger from Murasakibara or the calming yet authoritative feelings only Akashi seemed to project). It had not been a good night, not for a single second, and he barely slept at all.

"Sports are all about winning." Kise argued, bringing Kuroko back to the conversation (and he couldn't mess this up, his heart couldn't take another wall forming, not again). "What could be more important?"

"I thought the same thing until recently." Kuroko nodded. Winning is still everything, but it's not the only thing, Kise-kun. Please, let me show you. "So I still don't know exactly what's wrong with it, but...all I know is I hated basketball at the time." And all of you as well.

Kuroko didn't say it, would never say it, but he knew Kise could hear it. He was perceptive like that.

"The feel of the ball. The squeak of basketball shoes. The swish of the net. I started playing because I loved the game." Kuroko continued. "That's why I was so impressed when I met Kagami-kun. He loves basketball from the bottom of his heart. He seems to have been through rough times, but he still takes basketball more seriously than anyone else."

'He reminded me of Aomine-kun, before everything broke apart.'

Again, even though Kuroko didn't say the words, he knew Kise heard them clear as day. Kuroko could admit, to himself, that he had been glad to find the many similarities between Kagami and Aomine when he did. He missed his other pieces, but his Light most amongst them all.

Aomine had been the start of Kuroko's journey to becoming a Miracle and Akashi had been the final push he needed to truly become one. Without both of them, Kuroko would not be here today. Not with Kise, and not with any of the rest of the pieces of his very soul.

"I don't get it." Kise said. "I can say one thing, though. If you think so highly of Kagami because of his attitude towards basketball, some day the two of you will part ways." That was the moment Kuroko noticed Kagami around the corner and it seemed Kise sensed him as well, as he continued speaking information Kuroko himself already knew. "The biggest difference between me and the other four isn't our physical abilities. They all have a special ability not even I can imitate. I realized during today's game that he's still learning. Just like the Generation of Miracles, he has a unique ability. For now, he's still an immature challenger. He's enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents. However, someday he will achieve the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe Kagami won't be a different person?"

And Kuroko knew what Kise was doing. He was warning Kuroko from getting too close, from repeating history once more. Kuroko had tried to avoid that fate for all of them once before and he failed. Kise was worried that Kuroko wouldn't be able to handle such a thing happening again.

And, of course, there was the matter that Kagami could one day reach the level of the other Miracles. However, he would never be counted among them, even if others view him as their equal. Because it was the bond of the Miracles that made them different from other players, even those who could conceivably be the same level as them.

Of course, the moment was suddenly broken by Kagami hitting Kuroko hard enough to send him spinning.

He was really going to have to punish him later, jabbing him in the side for touching the top of his head like that wasn't even close to enough.

Kuroko didn't like that he lost his private moment with Kise, didn't like how Kagami butted in as hard as he had. But he couldn't explain it all now, especially since he knew he wasn't allowed to reveal just what he and Kise were yet.

Akashi's orders were absolute, even before he changed.

"You bastard, why'd you disappear like that?" Kagami demanded. He then turned to Kise and simply said, "Hey."

"Were you listening?" Kise asked, despite already knowing the answer, playing up his act once more.

"I sure as hell was." Kagami confirmed, falling into Kise's trap way too easily. "What the hell are you kidnapping Kuroko for?"

I chose to come, Kagami-kun, you should not presume to know that much about me.

"What? Who cares if I talk with him a little bit?" Kise asked, genuine indignantion mixed with his dumb blonde act.

"We can't go home." Kagami protested and...yeah, that made sense, but still, Kuroko was 15, Kagami shouldn't be treating him like a little kid. "The coach won't shut up about responsibility or something. We've been looking for him."

"Damn it, looks like there's some trash over here." An unknown voice said in the street ball court they stood next to. Turning, Kuroko saw some adults looking down on the kids playing.

"Come on, you've had enough. Give someone else a turn."

"We just got here. Wait your turn." The students protested.

"Our turn?"

"Now, now. Why don't we settle this with some basketball?" One of the adults suggested, calming his friend.

"Who are those thugs?" Kagami questioned, obviously having listened as well.

Kuroko had a bad feeling about this and he could feel Kise's own uneasiness as well. Silently, he began to pay attention to the game, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And it did. While there were only three students, there were five adults and the students had assumed the game was three-on-three. But it wasn't. All five adults were playing against three students.

And then one of the adults kicked one of the fallen students in the stomach as he protested that the game wasn't fair and then kicking the student in the shoulder.

Kuroko had enough. He had already made his way to the court and made his presence known by standing right in front of the adult who kicked the boy, spinning a basketball on his finger and stated,

"There's nothing fair about this." Then he brought the ball close enough that it grazed the man's nose, causing him to back up in surprise.

"Who the hell are you? Where'd you come from?" The man demanded as Kuroko stopped the ball's spinning.

"This isn't basketball." Kuroko stated firmly. "Besides, violence is bad."

"What the hell is he doing?" He heard Kagami yell.

"Kurokocchi?" Kise cried and he could feel the exasperation the copycat felt wash over him. Kise wasn't surprised, after all, Kuroko had done this quite often in middle school, even to his own teammates.

It also didn't help that this was how Akashi had always decided to solve disputes between the Miracles before everything fell apart: with Kuroko challenging the arguing pair to a game that they would inevitably lose, because Kuroko's style enforced teamwork that always won, in the face of fighting allies who tried to win all by themselves.

"What do you think you're doing?" Another man demanded, grabbing Kuroko by his jersey and pulling him slightly off the ground.

"There are still guys like this these days." The man Kuroko had surprised laughed, still holding his nose. "Fine, then." The man holding Kuroko threw him down. "Let's settle this with basketball."

That was when Kuroko felt a hand on his head again (Kagami was really asking for it now!) before the two presences he expected settled at his side and a wave of confidence washed over his mind, like an old friend finally returning to where it belonged.

"Mind if we play, too?" Kise asked, his voice full of his act, yet Kuroko could hear the underlying anger.

Nobody who harmed a Miracle got away with it, that was a rule all of the Miracles held. Sadly, it seemed, Kuroko was on the "protection" side of this issue, but he didn't care.

He was going to play alongside Kise again. His heart raced with excitement at the idea and he couldn't help the happiness he sent to Kise's mind, earning an equal happy glow from the copycat.

"Why'd you get involved, bastard?" Kagami asked, sounding annoyed, yet less surprised. Perhaps he could learn...

"What the hell?" One of the adults cried.

"Five-on-three's fine. Bring it on." Kagami invited, as easily as Akashi would have in that situation (though Akashi would have brought more cockiness out of their opponents while Kagami, like Murasakibara, only inspired surprise and a bit of instinctive fear).

"What'd you say?" A man demanded.

The game went exactly as Kuroko predicted. Despite the fact that Kagami and Kise had never played together before, they both knew Kuroko's style (one almost inside out, the other well enough to be his new Light) to the point where they could simply trust him and play.

The five adults did not even stand a chance, not against two Miracles and one chosen by a Miracle. It was simply impossible.

By the time the game was over, the five adults were collapsed on the street court while Kuroko, Kise and Kagami were still standing, the phantom and copycat basking in the feeling of victory that they instinctively shared back and forth.

"They destroyed them." The three students whispered in awe.

"Amazing!"

Of course, as soon as they left the court, the scolding began.

"What were you thinking?" Kagami demanded. "Did you think you could win if it turned into a fight?"

"No, they would've beaten me up." Kuroko stated flatly. He remembered too well the times this happened in middle school. Midorima was often bandaging him up when he did so.

"You bastard!" Kagami growled. Kise didn't react, not surprised in the least.

Deciding to drive the point further, Kuroko flexed his right arm.

"Look at these guns." He said.

"You don't have any!" Kagami cried.

Not true, Kuroko had enough from years of playing basketball, they just weren't noticeable. And certainly not enough to win him any fights. Trust him, Aomine tried to help him get stronger. He failed.

"Kurokocchi, you can be amazing sometimes." Kise smiled.

"I thought those guys were terrible. I just wanted to tell them." Kuroko stated firmly, though he could feel Kise's amusement mixed with his awe. He was probably pouting then. No, he was definitely pouting if Kise was practically cooing in his mind, he always said Kuroko looked cute when he pouted. Momoi agreed, but Kuroko didn't get it.

"You should've considered the consequences first!" Kagami scolded and oh, now he sounded like a mixture of Midorima and Akashi, arguing for logic and acting like a mother hen...

Kuroko's heart ached with longing.

"I forgot to." He said aloud, just as he did with Midorima and Akashi.

"Don't give me that crap!" Kagami yelled.

"I'm sorry." Kuroko stated, not meaning it at all. He would do it again in a heartbeat.

"You said yourself they could beat you up!" Kagami continued.

"Sorry."

Suddenly, Kise picked up his bag, drawing attention away from Kuroko, who was overwhelmed by the feelings Kise was sending him (gratefulness, happiness, and something else Kuroko was scared to name).

"I should get going." The copycat said. He threw his coat over his shoulder then and grinned, a bright grin that Kuroko remembered before everything went wrong and his heart began to beat so fast, he swore it could be heard by both Kise and Kagami. That...that was why he was part of this, part of the Oath. To see this, even just once more. "I finally got to play with you, Kurokocchi." He began to walk off then, only to stop and turn back to yell out, "And don't think I've forgotten about my revenge, Kagamicchi!"

"'Kagamicchi'?!" Kagami repeated and oh, the irritation in his voice made Kuroko want to laugh. He'd felt the same way when Kise had bestowed his nickname at first, but now he loved the sound of that nickname coming only from those lips. Of course, he didn't laugh out loud...just sent it to Kise mentally.

"Kise-kun adds "-cchi" to the names of those he acknowledges." Kuroko explained. And it was the closest thing he would get to a seal of approval from Kise, of Kuroko's choices of Seirin and Kagami. "That's great for you."

"I don't want that!" Kagami protested.

None of us did, but now we love it. As much as we can, because that habit is part of Kise-kun.

"Don't lose in the preliminaries!" Kise yelled out, further away now.

I won't, Kise-kun. I promise.

Out loud, Kuroko said,

"Kagami-kun, I'd like to ask you something. Did you hear my conversation with Kise-kun?"

"About us parting ways?" Kagami questioned. "We don't even get along in the first place. You're the one who said I couldn't do it alone. If you're right, there's nothing to worry about. Besides...you'll always stand by the light. That's your basketball."

And Kuroko could only stare at Kagami for a moment, seeing an outline of light that spoke of someone else instead of his new redheaded Light. His heart ached with longing and regret. So much regret...

"Kagami-kun, you say some deep things sometimes." He said, trying desperately to distract himself.

"Shut up!" Kagami cried.

They exited the park then, right as Riko walked by and she cried out as soon as she saw them.

"There you are! Sheesh!"

And the next thing Kuroko knew, he was on the ground as Riko tackled him and bent his legs in a way they are not supposed to be bent, is this even allowed? This felt like Akashi's training menu at it's peak moment of torture!

"Let's go home." Hyuuga said and the entire team walked past without a care for Kuroko's pain.

Even Kagami.

"Kagami-kun..." Kuroko tried to call out. Kagami turned back briefly before joining the team again. "Save...save me..."

But nobody did and Kuroko fell unconscious to his coach's punishment. Maybe he should've planned this better...

Later that night, as Kuroko finally laid in bed, he focused on the newly reforged bond within his mind.

Instantly, Kise answered with the same warm glow of feelings he always had, warm and comforting like Kuroko's own personal star.

Kuroko smiled and sent back his own cold reassurance. The others once told him that Kuroko felt like the first drink of water in the middle of a hot summer, a perfect refreshment to the occasional overwhelming heat they all gave off when they were unbalanced, Kuroko giving them the perfect support to balance that brilliance, just as brilliant in his own way.

He...he missed this, because even though Kise was miles away in another prefecture, at that moment it felt as if he were right there, enveloping Kuroko in his arms, one of the few times Kuroko would accept such a hug willingly.

And he soaked it up with all he had, well aware of the missing pieces where five others were meant to be.

Soon...we'll be complete soon...I'll make sure of it.

And there we are! In case you couldn't tell, this chapter is my favorite so far cause we got the Kise/Kuroko bond reforged! So time for some more Kuroko/Kise shipping, yay! And a little bit of the Kise/Midorima and Midorima/Kuroko aspects as well, hopefully those turned out okay. For the record, the plan right now is to give focus on every aspect of this seven way relationship, both where the plot allows it (ex: Kise/Aomine will get quite a bit both for the Kaijo vs Touou and for Aomine's heavy focus when Kise plays against Haizaki) and when it's not shown as much (literally...Murasakibara and Akashi with everyone since they don't show up until the end). This story will also briefly go past the Winter Cup, including Kuroko's birthday, and I will write Last Game as it's own separate fic...possibly. I'm not fully sure yet, but I am writing it.

Anyways! I hope everyone is in character here. Sorry if there's too much Kagami irritation (not bashing, just...irritation) coming off, but it fits with the fact that he interrupts a private conversation AND plainly states that Kise kidnapped Kuroko (when Kuroko obviously went willingly to the viewers and they're old friends, why wouldn't they want to talk? C'mon, Bakagami!), so...yeah. Also, I noticed on my English dub rewatch that Kagami's Light silhouette is, in fact, Aomine instead of him, which I thought was a really nice touch and just goes to show how much you miss when reading subtitles.

I think that's everything...can't say when I'll update again, but I am determined to continue the Seirin vs Shutoku arc when I do. I dunno about you guys, but I think this story could benefit from some Kuroko/Midorima/Kise.

Leave a review to let me know what you think! Bye!