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After their third year of high school, everyone kept in touch. First year of university passed with frequent coffee dates, Skype calls, messages and not a single birthday missed.
Second year brought forth the news that Akashi was set to inherit his father's company and had to quit university and take that position up at barely 19 years of age. Contacting the redhead became almost impossible. With the added free time that would’ve otherwise been spent with the redhead on his hands, Kise focused wholeheartedly on his modelling. December of their second year at university found him on the cover of America's Mens Health magazine.
Third year, Aomine was scouted to represent Japan's U20s, Kagami following soon after. Not two months later, Murasakibara had announced that side-by-side with his passion for eating snacks went his passion for making them, and he declared that he was quitting basketball to become a pastry chef, quickly rising in skill and position.
Four years after their high school graduation, Midorima completed Japan's toughest medical course and was well on his way to becoming the decade's youngest surgeon.
After the fifth year, Kuroko stopped sending birthday messages.
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"Tetsu-kun, that's enough."
"I'm sorry, Momoi-san. I'm so sorry."
"Oh, Tetsu-kun..."
"Satsuki? Is something wrong?"
"Ogiwara-kun!! Could you-!"
"Tetsuya. Put the bottle down. What would your students say if they saw you like this?"
"I had a student once. He's an international model now; what does he care?"
"You know, I don't know what's more bitter; the alcohol you insist on drowning yourself in every month, or you."
"I just - I need to forget, Shigehiro. Forget them."
"This is not the way to do it, and you know it."
"So what if I do? I knew the good terms between us wouldn't last, yet I did nothing."
"There was nothing you could do."
"What difference does that make?"
(Ogiwara looks at his childhood friend and one word comes to mind; glass. Empty and cold and brittle and broken. Where there was once innocence, a wall had been assembled, and Ogiwara had finally ran out of methods to try and get around it.)
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"So what unfortunate soul is warming your bed tonight, Tet-chan?" the young man seated before him asked, a teasing grin on his handsome face as he skewered his chips.
"I was rather hoping you would be willing to take up that position, Kazunari-kun." Came the blunt response, causing the other's eyes to widen with mirth. "Ah, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've missed you."
Despite the words, the blush didn't come. Instead, there was a hint of barely-there affection even as the bluenette admonished in his usual deadpan, "You're being embarrassing, Kazunari-kun."
(Yet sex with Kazunari still happened, and it remained one of Kuroko's favourite things. The raven was a generous lover, giving exactly what Kuroko wanted, yet unapologetically taking what he wanted too. They rolled around the sheets well into the night and they both lost count of how many times the lights whited out, but when they finally did stop, Kazunari wrapped the bluenette in a hold that was almost stifling, and that was how they fell asleep. When Kuroko woke up the next day, the bed was empty, the only evidence of the night's events being the dried discomfort in and on his body and sheets. Yet he walked with a bit more of a spring in his step as he took to the shower; two broken pieces could not make each other whole, after all, but they could make the suffering a bit more bearable. A bemused snort made its way out of his nose; even in their high school days, they were similar. It seemed that said similarity persisted even through their adult years, presenting itself in their penchant for trusting the wrong people.)
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Kuroko has a job now, as the owner and teacher of a little private kindergarten. Looking after the children is the one sure way he has of taking his mind off the train wreck that is his life. Initially, the parents were hesitant about sending their children to someone who could still be considered a child himself, since he opened the place when he was barely 22, yet they were soon charmed by his 'calming' disposition and professional approach, not to mention, the children were the only people Kuroko had ever come across who seemed to almost gravitate towards him – whereas before, it was hard to get his presence noticed, the children made it impossible for him to disappear, it was like they had some sixth sense for him. The kindergarten wasn't a large place by any means; two years in, and it still counted only a hundred or so children, but Kuroko had been inclined to hire a few other people to help look after them, one of whom ended up being a familiar face. "Morning, Tetsu-chan!" came the cheery call as one Mibuchi Reo made his way over to the bluenette and lightly pecked his cheek.
"Morning, Reo-kun." he replied, the familiarity still catching oddly at his lips, but the raven had insisted that 'Mibuchi-san' was too formal and made him feel old.
"You need to sleep better, Tetsu-chan." he tutted, and Kuroko was slightly startled to realise the raven still hadn't backed away from where he’d kissed his cheek, and he felt suddenly bashful as the same gaze the other often directed at the children when they hurt themselves or did something silly was aimed at him; the trademark 'you need to take better care of yourself' look clear in the silver pools. "You'll scare the children away with those bags." he teased, poking lightly just under Kuroko's eye. The bluenette rolled his eyes and sighed, but muttered a quick 'I'm sorry' at the scolding. Mibuchi smiled sadly and pulled something out of his bag, "Stay still." he instructed and Tetsuya felt something cold being dabbed under his eyes. "It's concealer." the raven explained at his baffled look. "There, all done!" he exclaimed, patting Kuroko's cheek affectionately. "Now you look a little bit less like the undead. If you wanted to be really revolutionary, you could attempt taming that ridiculous bedhead of yours." he ran his fingers through the aforementioned hair, and Kuroko unconsciously butted his head into the touch. Reo giggled, continuing the light petting. "There, there, kitty-kitty." he laughed at Kuroko's affronted glare and grinned sheepishly when the other pulled away, patting down the displaced strands.
"Get to work, Reo-kun." he grumbled, grabbing the keys to go unlock the door. Still, a light flush persisted on his cheeks, and not for the first time, he understood why Mibuchi's nickname throughout high school had been 'Reo-nee'; he may be annoying on occasion, but he never failed to make Kuroko's day marginally better.
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"You look like shit." came the amused greeting, and a figure stepped out from the shadow of one of the adjacent buildings as Kuroko finally locked up the kindergarten, wanting nothing but to head home and play dead for the rest of the night.
Plans inevitably ruined, he sighed and turned towards the voice.
"Good to see you too, Makoto." he snarked, fatigue making his already thin patience snap. "Would it kill you to give a bit of a warning before you choose to invade my life next time?"
"We both know you don't give half as many fucks about my ‘invasions’ as you so adamantly claim you do." the other shot back, a knowing smirk on his face as he made his way towards the bluenette. "Besides," he drawled, not stopping till he was well and truly in Kuroko's personal space. "I know how to make it up to you." he murmured, breath fanning over Tetsuya's neck and he ran his tongue along the shell of his ear and sucked on the lobe, drawing a shiver from the petite teen.
"Fine." Kuroko gave in, voice coming out a lot breathier than intended, and he took off in the direction of his apartment, not turning around to see if the raven followed; the satisfied chuckles trailing behind him were answer enough.
Nights with Hanamiya were always odd. There was the unspoken agreement that their masks were discarded at the door, and when Kuroko walked in, he didn't bother hiding his bitterness, his frustration, his anger; Hanamiya flourished on those emotions, teasing and goading and mocking till Kuroko snapped and jumped at him. They'd lash out at each other with punches and kicks and teeth and claws, and when they were both exhausted, Hanamiya would offer either alcohol or weed, but on this night, it was a small, inconspicuous syringe, yet something in Kuroko's blood ran cold.
"Try something new." Hanamiya smirked at his hesitation and Kuroko watched, transfixed, as the raven carefully tensed his arm so the vein popped out, and the bluenette followed the needle with avid fascination till disappeared under his skin, followed by the raven's relieved, blissful sigh a few seconds later. Half lidded hazel eyes flickered to him, and a lazy smirk gracing Makoto's lips. "Your turn."
This is different. Kuroko thought dazedly as his limbs grew heavy and his mind felt like it was stuck in that limbo between sleep and consciousness. His skin felt hot and his mouth was dry, and he raised his eyes from his shaking hands to the smirking face of Hanamiya, and the other rose, none of his usual grace present as he slunked over to the bluenette, dropping down beside him, hand crawling under his shirt without any pretence and Kuroko sighed as those clever fingers tweaked his nipples and shivered when Makoto ran his nails down his stomach. Their eyes met; Hanamiya's gaze left nothing to the imagination, and Kuroko's answer to the unspoken question was to pull the raven into an open mouthed kiss, more tongues and saliva than lips, and he allowed Makoto to push him down till his back was on the sofa and the raven was looming over him, hands working on his belt and eyes telling of all the indecent things Kuroko never could have even thought of.
(the sex was incredible.)
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"Tetsuya!"
"Good morning, Himuro-kun."
A sharp hazel eye assessed him carefully, and a small downward curl of the other's lip conveyed his displeasure at what he found.
"You've lost weight." he observed unapologetically, and Kuroko found the unnerving gaze to be more intrusive than if the other had prodded him with his hands.
Kuroko shrugged, not bothering to deny. Tatsuya's frown only deepened. "You hardly eat as it is, you should take better care of yourself." he admonished, and Kuroko resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"You sound like Reo-kun, Himuro-kun." he replied coolly, bemused.
"Mibuchi knows what he's talking about, Tetsuya." the other remarked easily, stepping closer. "Even Hanamiya is worried."
Kuroko raised an eyebrow and treated the raven to his best deadpan, hoping it conveyed that he thought Himuro was full of shit. "He didn't say that." he accused, and the other man scowled, the same fire burning in his eyes as Kuroko had witnessed in their games against Yosen what felt like eons ago.
"He didn't say that explicitly, no. He said that your ribs ‘dug into his arm when he fucked you’, and in Hanamiya's language, that is equivalent to rushing you to the ER."
Kuroko backpedalled slightly at the cold rage in the other's voice, but he frowned nonetheless. "I don't need a babysitter, Himuro-kun." he denied, backing away.
"Are you certain?" the other questioned, narrowing his eyes. "Because you don't seem to be capable of looking after yourself."
They stared each other down, neither speaking, then Kuroko deflated, all the fight leaving him, and he stepped forward and dropped his head down on the raven's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Himuro-kun." he murmured, tangling his fingers in Tatsuya's shirt. "I'll try taking better care of myself. I will. It's just... Hard, sometimes."
"I know." Himuro whispered, anger gone, carding his fingers through the pale locks. "But you have people around you who care, who would jump at the offer to help you should you so much as hint at wanting it." he felt Kuroko recoil at the idea of asking for help, and his fingers tightened in the bluenette’s hair. "There's nothing shameful about admitting that you're still hurting, Tetsuya. We may not be able to take all the hurt away, but we can certainly try." Kuroko pulled away from the embrace to study the pale teen.
"'We'?" he asked curiously.
"Me, Mibuchi, Takao, Hanamiya, Ogiwara, Momoi, hell, probably even Imayoshi if you asked him. You're not alone, Tetsuya." somehow, those words were all that Kuroko needed, and he broke down in Himuro's arms, heavy, violent sobs racked his body as he shook in the raven's hold till he couldn't cry any more.
"Thank you, Himuro-kun." .. He took Himuro's advice to heart.
He denied further invitations to shoot up with Hanamiya, he stopped his monthly excursions to the bar and he allowed Momoi to pop in to his kindergarten and bring him lunch, the pinkette's smile blinding every time he ate in front of her. He also finally gave in to Ogiwara's attempts to pull him outside and to the courts, something he'd succeeded in resisting for at least three years. The lack of practise showed at first, but he soon settled into the steady rhythm of sneakers on tarmac and the familiar heft of the basketball in his palm; they ended the day with Kuroko sweaty, aching and exhausted, but he felt good, better than he had in months, and he had a feeling it wasn't just thanks to the post exercise rush of endorphins.
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"Kuroko-kun, fancy seeing you here." a familiar voice drawled quietly, and Kuroko smiled.
"Good afternoon, Imayoshi-kun." he greeted cordially, turning to face the bespectacled teen. "How have you been?"
"As good as one can be when they're spending their days making sure a bunch of childish egocentrics don't kill each other." he replied casually, his trademark grin ever present as he expressed what he thought of their government.
"Do you count yourself as one of the childish egocentrics?" Kuroko teased good-naturedly, a small smile on his face when Imayoshi's answering grin grew and the easy admission of "But of course." fell from his lips.
"But how are you, Kuroko-kun? You seem in much higher spirits than you did during our last encounter." he questioned lightly, but the bluenette had a feeling he already knew.
"I didn't want to be a bother." he admitted, Imayoshi being a person he could afford to be upfront with.
"Ah, yes, your little flock of ravens was getting rather worried about you." Shouichi nodded along, adjusting his glasses. "How kind of you to take your harem's feelings into consideration." and suddenly, Kuroko couldn't tell if he was being mocked or told off or none of the above; he felt unsettled.
"They are not my harem, Imayoshi-kun." he admonished, frowning.
"But you slept with them all, have you not?" he retorted, and Kuroko winced.
"I've slept with you too, yet you're not a part of my 'harem'." he pointed out, not above using air quotes as a small scowl pulled at his lips.
"Whoever said I'm not?" and with a wink, the other turned on his heel and strutted away towards the cashier, and Kuroko was left staring after him dumbly, two different cans of dog food clutched but forgotten in his hands.
When on earth did he acquire a harem?!
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When he confronted Ogiwara with the events of his meeting with Imayoshi, his childhood friend had laughed until he fell off the sofa and there were tears leaking from his eyes.
"You're not helping, Ogiwara-kun." Kuroko scolded, frowning.
"Ah, I'm s-sorry, Kuroko, but it's been so long since I've heard you raise such an asinine concern. I've missed it." he apologised, wiping the few tears that escaped from his eyes.
"It's not asinine." the bluenette murmured, a blush rising on his cheeks, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, but you literally came out with a 'do you think I have a harem, Ogiwara-kun?' and you expected me not to laugh?" he chuckled, doing a poor imitation of Kuroko's voice, and the bluenette felt his lips twitch at the friendly teasing. Still, he looked at Ogiwara expectantly, and Kuroko smirked when his friend blanched. "Don't tell me you actually expect me to answer you?!" he exclaimed, the distress in his voice comical.
Just to mess with him, Kuroko employed his best deadpan as he started at the redhead, "Why else would I have asked if I didn't want you to answer?"
Ogiwara seemed to mull over his words for a few seconds, then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Promise not to kill me?" he asked rhetorically, and Kuroko nodded, curious. "Yes, Tetsuya, I do think you've acquired yourself a harem of sorts." he admitted, and Kuroko went even paler than usual. He wasn't expecting Ogiwara to admit it!!
As if reading his shock, the redhead laughed. "C'mon, you must've realised! Mibuchi, Takao, Hanamiya, Imayoshi, Himuro; you got like, five guys, who, not only did you sleep with all of them at some point, all still hang out with you more or less regularly and all know of each other. That's some shoujo manga stuff right there, Tetsuya." his friend explained, grinning at the bluenette's puzzlement. "Also, you need to explain to me this penchant for ravens that you appear to have." he teased mercilessly and barely avoided a cushion to the face, courtesy of a very flustered Kuroko.
“I do not have a 'penchant' for ravens!" Kuroko spluttered, blush growing.
"Oh, reeeeeally?" Ogiwara taunted, eyebrow raised. "Cause as far as I'm aware, save from Momoi and I, the only people you're regularly meeting up with - and banging - have black hair. If it was just one or two I wouldn't have cared, but at five, I'm tempted to say you have a kink, Tetsuya." the corny wink that Ogiwara tacked on at the end of his psychoanalysis made Kuroko more embarrassed than any of their conversation so far.
"Honestly, Ogiwara-kun, I'm really tempted to Ignite Pass you in the stomach right now." he mumbled from behind his hands which were cradling his face in shame.
Ogiwara just laughed. "Honestly, you're so out of practice that I probably wouldn't even feel-! Ooof!!"
"Please be quiet now, Ogiwara-kun."
"Jesus, you're violent."
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Unfortunately, the peace was not to last. Depression was not something one could just will away; there were good days and bad days, but most of the time, it creeped up on you, unannounced and uninvited and you were left wondering what on earth you were meant to do with yourself now.
Kuroko had cleaned up his act, staying off the drugs and the alcohol and eating better, but that was not a 'cure-all'. Subconsciously, he was waiting for a trigger, waiting for the black pit to appear and swallow him whole, because while he enjoyed the relative happiness he felt nowadays, surrounded by people who understood and cared and were willing to help in their own ways, he had an inkling that that happiness was only temporary.
His pessimistic outlook came true around a month before the seven year anniversary of finishing high school; he was just doing his usual weekly shopping when his eyes unconsciously fell on a headline;
The success stories of these five young adults will leave you reeling in your seats so grab some tissues and make yourself comfortable as People Magazine digs into the how and why of the group labelled the ‘Generation of Miracles’ in their middle school years. Ten years later, we come to you with the confirmation - that monicker was not in vain!
Naturally, the magazine found its way to Kuroko's basket.
The next day, on what had become his routine check-up on how Kuroko was doing, Ogiwara found the bluenette on the floor of his bathroom, a serene expression on his usually troubled face, the magazine and two empty bottles of pills by his side. He made an executive decision then and there; enough was enough. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled all the numbers he could think of, thus kick-starting the beginning of an end.
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Ogiwara stood by the hospital bed, the atmosphere unusually solemn, his phone heavy in his pocket with the weight of the last message he'd sent:
To: blondie, light #1, light #2, megane-chan, candy-kun, bakanocaptain Subject: EMERGENCY -Come to Tokyo Hospital. It's Kuroko.
Casting a look over his shoulder, he still hadn't quite gotten over his initial surprise; they had all come. He had sent the text after he'd called the ambulance and dialled Himuro, trusting the raven to spread the message onto the rest of Kuroko's harem, and the group's promptness had surprised him. Less than ten hours since the incident, they were all gathered in the hospital, the doctors being kind enough to give Kuroko a private room. Kagami and Aomine still had their travel bags and Ogiwara was 95% certain they had jumped on the first flight back to Japan and the hospital had been their first stop since. Akashi was dressed in impeccable business wear, but he'd long shed his tie and blazer and just stood quietly on the edge of the group, eyes trained on the sleeping bluenette, an unreadable look in the red orbs.
The doctors had pumped Kuroko's stomach as soon as he'd been delivered by the ambulance, and he now lay with all sorts of tubes and needless sticking out of him, and Ogiwara guiltily fingered the remote that would call any nurse over in case Kuroko showed a 'psychiatric break'. (He'd been assured that that was the common procedure for suicide attemptees, and he'd had to excuse himself and go vomit in the toilets at the term; that's all that Kuroko was to them; just another failed attempt.)
He shook his head to clear it of the bleak thoughts and returned to studying the group of Miracles; Murasakibara had not eaten anything since he'd stepped into the room, and despite not knowing the giant too well, even he was aware of his habit to continuously walk around with something in his mouth - the lack of said something spoke more than if he'd burst out crying at Kuroko's bedside. Kise looked the worst for wear; there were pronounced bags under his eyes, the normally clear golden pools bloodshot and glistening with unshed tears, and he'd yet to move from the position he'd collapsed in upon learning of the bluenette's circumstances, occasionally mumbling 'Kurokocchi... Suicide... Kurokocchi... Depressed?... How... Kurokocchi?'
The moment Midorima had waltzed in, he'd headed straight for the medical report at the end of Kuroko's bed, and Ogiwara felt a sick sense of satisfaction when his eyes had grown wide behind his glasses, having no doubt why.
Kuroko had overdosed on Prozac and Tramadol – one an antidepressant, the other a painkiller. Ogiwara knew the irony was not lost on the prodigious surgeon; the one thing meant to prevent suicide had almost been the means to one.
"Ah, I'm sorry for being late!!" Reo's arrival startled everyone out of their funk, Akashi's eyes widened as they fell on his old teammate. "I had to finish up at the kindergarten; the parents were worse than the kids when they learnt Tetsu-chan was in the hospital!!" to the surprise of the Miracles, the raven completely ignored his old captain and headed straight for Kuroko's bedside, moving to stand beside Takao who had collapsed on one of the plastic chairs by the bluenette's bed. "Has he been here long?" he asked nobody in particular, eyes worriedly flitting over every inch of the shadow's face.
"Ten hours." Hanamiya announced from his perch on the windowsill, then he scowled as if he'd already said too much and returned to glaring out of the window. It was Imayoshi who elaborated, leaning on the wall beside the window, arms crossed over his chest, signature grin missing. "But he could've ingested the pills anywhere between twelve and twenty-four hours ago; we're waiting for the doctor for the details and the exact damage report."
Mibuchi made a distressed sound and collapsed on a chair beside Takao, resting his head on the point-guard's shoulder as one of his hands moved to cradle Kuroko's smaller, paler hand, and he lapsed into silence.
After what felt like hours but could've very well been fifteen minutes, a doctor quietly walked in, a clipboard clutched to his chest and a tentative smile on his face. "He'll live." he informed the group, nodding at the sighs of relief that escaped them before his gaze fell on the board in front of him. "Is there an Ogiwara Shigehiro here?" he questioned, and the man in question raised his hand, a frown pulling at his brows when the doctor gestured for him to follow him outside. "I need to talk to you about the particulars of Kuroko-kun's recovery."
The two left, and it seemed as if their departure had taken some of the tension that previously filled the room.
Kagami and Aomine were the first to snap, their accusatory glares falling on the easiest victim, their confusion and worry quickly turning into anger. "What the fuck are you doing here, Hanamiya?!" Aomine snarled, and Kagami jumped in.
"Hospital rooms are for friends and family. You're neither, last time I checked!" the redhead hissed, eyes narrowed with clear distaste.
But, to their surprise, it was not Hanamiya who answered.
"Shut up." all eyes fell on the tense figure of Takao who was the one to have uttered the words. "Shut. Up." he hissed, and when he raised his head, there were tear tracks on his face, but his eyes were clear, shining only with unadulterated disgust. "You have no right. You have no right to waltz in here, to call yourself his friends, to scowl and hiss at Makoto when you're the reason Kuroko's in this state in the first place!" he raged, stopping only at Hanamiya's warning, "Kazunari." His eyes met the raven's and it was clear he was intent on arguing, but the look on Makoto's face had morphed into a vile, vicious smirk, the expression in his eyes plain unpleasant. "Don't give them all the answers, dumbass." he grouched, the sugary tone at odds with his foul smirk. "They haven't suffered enough yet."
"I agree." Himuro murmured, drawing curious glances from Murasakibara and Kagami.
"Muro-chin?" the giant mumbled, staring at the raven with an odd expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, Atsushi," Himuro whispered, the patient smile he had usually reserved for the center looking forced and out of place, and totally at odds with the words that followed, "I can't forgive you just yet."
Kagami looked ready to jump into the argument, but all were silenced by Akashi's unusually mellow words. "I wasn't aware you were close with Kuroko, Mibuchi." the redhead admitted, eyes trained on the hand the man in question was still clutching in his own.
"Someone had to be." Mibuchi snapped back, shooting an angry look at his old captain. "When you all were too preoccupied with your own successes to give him the time of day-!" he cut himself off at Hanamiya's warning stare, sighing. "Do you know how hard it is, being abandoned for the second time in a row?" he asked instead, voice much calmer. "I wasn't even there for the worst of it, but from what Kazu-chan and Shigehiro-kun have said, Tetsu-chan was a wreck."
"He couldn't have expected that we'd all stay together for the rest of our lives." Midorima scoffed, adjusting his glasses but his eyes were trained on his old partner who continued to studiously ignore him. "That would've been foolish. Perhaps he had no ambitions of his own, but we did, so we pursued them." Hanamiya bared his teeth at the thinly veiled accusation, but was stopped from retorting when Ogiwara made his presence known, having returned unnoticed in the middle of Mibuchi's speech.
"It wasn't the fact that you left, but rather the manner of your departure." he announced, drawing curious looks from the group. "He would never have expected you to abandon your dreams for his sake, and you know that, Midorima-san." Ogiwara admonished, and the shooting guard had the grace to look ashamed. "But it was the fact that you left with no regard for him, not even a birthday message or a 'how are you?' every once in a while. It was like you kept him around when he was useful, whether as a teammate," he shot a meaningful look at Kagami and Aomine, who suddenly found the floor very interesting, "or as some twisted form of penance," not even Akashi escaped the brunt of the young man's glare, "But the instant he was no longer useful, there was no further need for him, you just discarded him. Again."
"I never intended for that to -!" Kagami defended, but was cut off by Hanamiya's growl.
"Whether you intended it or not, that's how it was perceived. What's done is done." Imayoshi explained, patting Makoto's knee gently like one would a pet, till the raven slapped his hand away.
Suddenly, Kise, who had been uncharacteristically silent till then, piped up, his voice small, hesitant. "How... How bad was it?" he asked, "Did he ever, you know..." he stretched out his wrist and made a cutting motion with his other hand. To everyone's surprise, Hanamiya laughed.
"No, no, never. He was better than that." he denied, smirking at Kise's relieved sigh. "There were the drugs, of course, and the alcohol, and the fucking around, but no, he never cut."
Kise's relaxed expression melted into one that looked like he was going to be sick.
"Why didn't you stop him?!" Aomine raged, stalking over and grabbing his old captain by the front of his shirt. But Imayoshi remained nonplussed, gently but insistently prying the bluenette's fingers from his collar. "You ruined my favourite shirt, Aomine-kun." he admonished airily, fussing with the creases before he raised his gaze to meet that of the enraged power forward. "In answer to your demand; I took part in the 'fucking around', so why would I bother putting an end to something that felt good?" he asked innocently, smirking at Aomine's speechlessness.
"Before you try to do the same to me, Taiga, I'm guilty of the same crime. We all are, to be perfectly honest." Himuro admitted quietly, drawing a laugh from Reo.
"True, true. But Tatsuya-chan was the purest one of us, truly." he sent a wink at Himuro before he sobered enough to address the Kiseki. "He was the one who got Tetsu-chan to clean up his act and look after himself better." he explained, inwardly revelling in the disbelieving stares directed at him by the group, though not liking the calculative way his old captain was appraising Himuro. However, before much else could be said on the matter, Kuroko groaned from his position on the bed, and Ogiwara stepped forward, and the atmosphere became tense yet again.
"Tetsuya." he murmured, moving past Mibuchi to be in Kuroko's direct line of vision. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, worried eyes trained on the bluenette for any signs of discomfort.
"W-Water." Kuroko croaked out, voice rough and dry from unuse. A glass was gently placed in his hands and Mibuchi pushed some button on the bed that raised it slightly so Kuroko was half sat up. When he finished drinking, Hanamiya materialised by his side, delivering a swift smack to the back of his head that had Kuroko wincing at the unexpected pain but looking almost amused, which stopped Aomine in his tracks to strangling the raven.
"If you want to die so badly, at least make sure you use a fail-safe method." he admonished, causing some jaws to drop. "Do you know how selfish and stupid you were, you dumbass? I had a meeting with a very important client scheduled for today, but instead I've been here for the past seven hours, waiting for your sorry ass to come to so I could yell at you properly." he scowled, glaring at the bedridden bluenette.
"I'm sorry, Makoto-kun." Kuroko murmured, looking properly scolded, eyes downcast. "Yeah, yeah," Hanamiya waved him off, then bent down and planted an unexpectedly gentle peck on Kuroko's forehead. "Just don't do it again. I don't want to waste another business opportunity because of you."
Mibuchi sighed as he patted down the hair that Hanamiya's blow had displaced. "Would it kill you not to be a tsundere for once, Makoto-chan?" he asked rhetorically, drawing a small smile from the bluenette.
"You really scared us there, Tet-chan." Takao mumbled, dropping his head to rest on Kuroko's blanket-covered thigh. "I'm sorry, Kazunari-kun." Kuroko apologised again, fingers carding through the raven locks.
"You were doing so well." Himuro murmured, perching down by Kuroko's feet. "I promise to help you out more when you get out of here, rather than just complain that you're wasting your life away." he apologised, gently petting Kuroko's shin through the blanket.
"It wasn't your fault, Himuro-kun." the bluenette denied, sighing. "I got triggered. I read that magazine when I knew I shouldn't, and it all just got... Too hard. I'm sorry."
"Stop apologising, Tetsuya-kun." Imayoshi scolded, moving to stand beside Hanamiya. "Just don't do it again. You actually had us worried. All of us." he emphasised at Hanamiya's scoff.
But Kuroko was no longer listening. His gaze fell on the uncharacteristically quiet, rainbow-haired group standing by the door to his hospital room, looking so awkward and out of place that he almost felt sorry for them, before the reason for his current predicament registered in his mind and all he felt when he trained his gaze on his ex-teammates was cold anger.
"What are they doing here?" he asked nobody in particular, causing Kise and Aomine to wince at the drastic change in tone. Where he had been soft and quietly apologetic, all they heard now was a voice as sharp and cold as the edge of a knife, and his eyes were guarded and all traces of recognition masked.
"We've come to visit, Kurokocchi." Kise whispered, appearing torn between worried and intimidated, and Takao gave the model mental kudos for braving the death stare Kuroko had going on.
"'Visit'?" Kuroko parroted, a hint of wry amusement in his voice. "You haven't bothered to so much as text in the last three years, so do forgive me for doubting your motives for a spontaneous visit, Kise-san."
Ouch, Takao thought, staring at the tears gathering in Kise's eyes. Straight in his puppy heart.
"Ogiwara messaged us all to come immediately. So come we did, Tetsuya." Akashi murmured, none of his usual confidence in his voice as he met Kuroko's eyes.
The bluenette sighed. "I should have guessed." he mumbled, shooting an exasperated look at his childhood friend, before his eyes sharpened as they fell on Akashi. "And it's Kuroko or Kuroko-san for you, Akashi-san." he added, and the temperature in the room dropped by a solid ten degrees at the words.
"I didn't do it for them, Tetsuya. I did it for you." Ogiwara murmured, eyes narrowing at the bluenette's doubtful look. "Think of it as closure; they're the reason you're here in the first place - right in front of you, so neither you nor they can run away again. What happens next is entirely up to you."
Kise blanched. "I thought- I thought you called us ‘cause you knew we'd want to know Kurokocchi was alright!!" he accused, drawing a surprisingly sharp laugh from Ogiwara.
"Do you really think that after all that you'd done, I'd give a flying fuck about what you might want, blondie?" he inquired, a disbelieving eyebrow raised.
Before Kise could lament any more, Aomine spoke up; "Tet- Kuroko." he corrected himself, earning a nod from the bedridden bluenette. "I'm... I think I'm starting to understand what we 'did' to you... But... Was it really... this bad?" he gestured at the bed, at the machinery hooked up to and around him, and Kuroko somehow understood what his old partner was saying, despite the less than eloquent phrasing.
"Aomine-kun." Kuroko started, and Aomine felt a twinge of hope at the familiar name. But that twinge was brutally destroyed and obliterated when the bluenette spread his arms out, wordlessly indicating all the needles and tubes sticking out of his body. "I knew you were always a little slow on the uptake, so let me put it like this: I've been fighting with depression for the last three years, I pursued every imaginable method of erasing a few hours at a time, as I'm sure Makoto will confirm, and I'm here because I attempted to commit suicide because I didn't think I'd be able to handle anything like this ever again. So, in regards to your question 'was it really this bad', let me ask you something, what do you think?!"
The silence that befell the group went largely uninterrupted, until Hanamiya's sharp, pleased laughter cut through it like a knife. He walked over to Kuroko's unoccupied side, poking the bluenette until he shuffled over enough that the raven could clamber up to lay beside him, uncharacteristically mindful of all the tubes attached to him. His arm slithered around the bluenette's slim shoulders, pulling him against his chest that was still shaking with the occasional chuckle.
"That was brutal, Tetsuya. You're finally fucking learning." he cackled, and Kagami blanched when he realised the raven's tone was actually teasing, and his heart plummeted when the crude remark earned a small chuckle from his old shadow.
"I'm sorry. You and Shouichi-kun have been a bad influence on me." Kuroko explained, smiling fondly at the ex-Touou captain's indignant squawk.
"I have been nothing but kind and chivalrous to you, Tetsuya-kun!" Imayoshi denied, though his smirk clashed with the sincerity of his tone. Kuroko and Hanamiya's raised eyebrows merely made the smirk grow. "Though I second Makoto-chan's sentiments - that was nicely handled."
Before any of the people surrounding Kuroko could respond, Akashi's scathing tone made everyone freeze.
"As fascinating as your conversation may be, I still fail to understand what exactly Tetsuya needs closure from. And, frankly, this is wasting my time."
Faster than he could blink, Akashi had six angry pairs of eyes trained directly on him, with Takao, Mibuchi and Hanamiya looking ready to kill. But before any sort of confrontation could take place, Kuroko took a deep, loud breath, held it in for a few seconds while his eyes lazily took Akashi in, trailing from head to toes then back again before he let it out, turning to Ogiwara. “I’m done with him. I want him gone.” A wordless conversation took place between the two childhood friends, then Ogiwara lit up with a brilliant smile as he walked over to where the redhead was standing. “Let’s go, Akashi-san.” He murmured, splaying a hand on the top of his back like one would a criminal as he escorted him out. “Wouldn’t want to waste any more of your precious time.”
Takao and Mibuchi seemed pleased, but confused, while Imayoshi and Hanamiya were openly smirking. “Closure?” Makoto inquired mockingly, his arm tightening around the blunette’s shoulders.
“Closure.” Kuroko replied, a small smile on his face. A few minutes of silence passed before Ogiwara walked back in, looking exhausted but pleased.
“I take it he didn’t want to go willingly?” Mibuchi inquired, something close to exasperated amusement in his tone.
“Not quite.” Ogiwara admitted, then shuffled over to Kuroko’s bedside to hand him a small piece of paper. “He left quite amiably after he graciously allowed me to explain to him what exactly you needed closure from. Though he did ask me to ask for your forgiveness and to give you this.” ‘this’ ended up being a business card for Akashi Corporations, with the company’s website, phone number and address etched in neat print next to the logo, but when Kuroko flipped it over, it had another row of numbers, hand-written in a script that was still so heart-breaking in its familiarity that Kuroko felt tears pool in his eyes. Underneath the phone number was just one word:
Please.
“Always so minimalistic.” Mibuchi sighed dramatically, but there was a hint of pride in his voice.
“Huh.” Takao muttered. “And here I thought that the jerk couldn’t find his own ass with two hands and a map.” Kuroko smiled at the observation and handed the business card to Hanamiya, who openly snorted but placed it on the bedside table nonetheless.
Kise watched the interactions with a mix between concern, happiness and jealousy on his face. “Kuroko…cchi?” he tried hesitantly, drawing the bluenette’s gaze, but when no rebuttal came, he dared continue. “Is there anything I can do to… fix this?” he asked cautiously.
Kuroko’s eyes softened marginally as he regarded the blond in silence. Finally, he sighed. “From you, I just need honesty, Kise-kun.” He admitted, and the model perked up at the familiar honorific. “Do you, or do you not wish to pursue this friendship?”
The blond seemed appalled. “Of course I do, Kurokocchi! How could you think that I wouldn’t-!”
“Then I need you to act like it.” Kuroko interrupted sharply, cutting the enthusiastic response short. “I do not ask that you sacrifice your career for me. I do not ask for hours and hours of your time. But friendship, as I’m sure you would’ve realised with Kasamatsu-san if you’d bothered to stay in touch, is a two-way thing. It requires effort from both parties.”
“You… were in touch with Kasamatsu-senpai?” Kise murmured, torn between surprise and guilt.
“Of course.” Kuroko responded easily. “Last time I met with him was at the reunion of most of our high school teams two years ago, after that year’s Winter Cup.”
Kise’s eyes glistened. “I saw an email about that.” He murmured. “But… I was in Milan, I couldn’t-! My manager would’ve killed me if I-!”
“Kise-kun.” The bluenette interjected, harsher than before, but his eyes were soft. “Neither of us wants you to quit modelling. Just, if you wish to stay friends, a text, an email, a postcard every once in a while would suffice. But if you don’t, just say the word, and I will never bother you again.”
“You never bother me, Kurokocchi.” Kise mumbled, tears flowing freely now. “I promise I will try harder, meet with you every time I’m in Japan, I swear!” then, he suddenly deflated, looking almost like a scared child. “Can I… Could I hug you, Kurokocchi?” and Kuroko was suddenly reminded of the enthusiastic puppy of a middle schooler he’d first met almost a decade previous, and he could not help but nod.
Hanamiya, predictably, did not even move an inch from his spot on Kuroko’s bed, still glaring at the blond, even when Mibuchi grudgingly moved his chair back to let Kise gently wrap his arms around the bluenette and stroke his hair.
“I’m sorry, Kurokocchi. I’ll talk to you soon.” And he quickly grabbed Kuroko’s phone that was still laying on the bedside table, took his own one out, keyed in the bluenette’s phone number and walked out of the hospital room with a final parting wave.
“That went a lot better than I expected.” Himuro commented, a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
“Kise-kun was always a special case.” Kuroko replied, a ghost of a smile on his face in response to Tatsuya’s comment.
“You’re going soft, Tetsuya.” Hanamiya complained, glaring at the bluenette before his eyes gained a mischievous glint. “Or was he not the intended target of your wrath?”
The look on Kuroko’s face must’ve confirmed Makoto’s suspicions as he laughed and relaxed back in the pillows, staring at the leftover Miracles and Kagami with an amused expression and a challenge in his eyes.
“Kuro-chin.” Murasakibara called after he was done staring after the place where Kise had disappeared and it seemed that the giant did not bother to heed Kuroko’s warning of how to address him. The bluenette’s eyes flashed to him, guarded, but with a hint of curiosity shining through. He nodded, and Murasakibara took a few hesitant steps towards him, all the while rifling through his pockets. After a few seconds, he produced what was literally a fistful of lollipops, and dug through them until he produced a round, cream coloured one and dropped it on Kuroko’s bed. “You still like vanilla, right?”
The surprise in the bluenette’s eyes was evident, but all he did was nod mutely.
“If you give me your address, I’ll send you more next time.” He mumbled, valiantly avoiding Kuroko’s eyes, which were staring up at him with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“Thank you, Murasakibara-kun. And I’m sure Himuro-kun could give you my address. Perhaps you’d like to ask him?” the shocked look Himuro sent him made him join in with Makoto’s laughter, but the hopeful expression on the giant’s face caused them both to sober up.
“Fine.” Tatsuya sighed, walking over to the door. “Come, Atsushi.”
Murasakibara’s lips formed the closest Kuroko had ever seen to a smile, and he couldn’t force himself to be annoyed when the giant’s hand descended on his head and he ruffled his hair. “Thanks, Kuro-chin. And… I’m sorry.” The bluenette just sent him one of his small smiles and lifted his hand in a wave.
“No worries, Murasakibara-kun. I look forward to trying some of your other creations.” He murmured, and watched with a fond half-smile as the purple-haired man walked out, leaving only Midorima, Kagami and Aomine from the initial group.
“I didn’t know you’re such a matchmaker, Tetsu-chan.” Mibuchi teased, poking Kuroko’s cheek lightly much to the bluenette’s chagrin. “Everyone knows Tatsuya-chan has been mooning after that giant ever since high school.”
“If you ask me, I still think you let him and Kise off too easily.” Takao mumbled tiredly, drawing a chuckle from Imayoshi and a snort from Hanamiya.
“For once, I actually agree with Kazunari.” Makoto grumbled, sitting up and shrugging off his blazer, then settled down again, arm sneaking around the blunette’s shoulders. “You should’ve given them hell, Tetsuya.”
Kuroko’s smirk after those words sent shivers down Kagami’s spine, and Aomine’s skin paled considerably. “Trust me,” Kuroko began, eyes falling on his two ex-lights, while Makoto didn’t even try to stifle his cackles when he understood what the bluenette was getting at. “I plan to.”
“So you’re going by some ‘who needs to be messed with the most’ list, are you?” Aomine accused, some colour returning to him with his anger.
If he was expecting Kuroko to deny it, he was greatly disappointed. The bluenette merely nodded, face impassive, eyes flashing to Himuro who had walked back in, looking much more hopeful than upon walking out, before he spoke. “Indeed. I would’ve preferred to have made more of an impact on Akashi-san, however, I think he understood what I meant in the end thanks to Shigehiro-kun.” He acknowledged, sending a small smile Ogiwara’s way. “Besides,” he continued, settling down more comfortably against Makoto, “this isn’t forgiveness. It’s closure.”
Midorima made a strangled sound, then reached up to adjust his glasses to cover his face briefly before he spoke. “You keep mentioning closure every time someone walks out, like you need it desperately, like the lack of it was the cause of your… condition, but I had read once that closure isn’t really necessarily the way to ‘get over something’ or the only way to move on with your life, but rather, it’s one of the organizing-”
“-principles of perception in human beings, like the Law of Similarity or the Law of Good Continuity, and thus is an innate human desire? I know, Midorima-san. And I’m not denying the fact that I desire it.”
For a brief moment, Kuroko sincerely wished he had brought a camera – the look on the surgeon’s face was the most surprised he’d ever seen it, and he reckoned the other hadn’t even realised he was gaping until Takao’s chuckles brought him back to earth.
“I didn’t realise you read psychology books, Kuroko. Particularly not Kuroo T’s work.” Midorima observed, eyes trained on the bluenette and head tilted the slightest bit in curiosity.
“Oh, no, don’t get the wrong idea, Midorima-san. I didn’t read Kuroo T’s work.” Kuroko replied, and Midorima was about to scoff and offer some biting remark about how ‘that’s what he thought’, but the grins shared by all members of Kuroko’s entourage made him hesitate. Takao in particular was looking at him with an expression as if Christmas had come early, so he waited for Kuroko in hopes he’d elaborate. He didn’t disappoint, “Indeed, I didn’t read Kuroo’s work… because I was the one who wrote it.”
Takao burst out laughing. “Oh my god, Shintaro, your face.” He wheezed, burying his face in Mibuchi’s shoulder to stifle his chuckles.
“You’d said that Kuroko had ‘no ambitions of his own’; well, do you still think so?” Ogiwara questioned lightly, though his expression made it seem more like he was taunting the surgeon.
“I-I… then I don’t understand why you felt the need to use a pseudonym.” Midorima replied, ignoring Ogiwara, desperately clinging to the one piece of information that made sense. His question made Kuroko sigh.
“After my third year at university, I knew I wanted to go into teaching, but I had no money to start up a school or kindergarten of my own. Since my entire basketball style was based on people-watching, I hoped to use it to my advantage and write a book about my findings. Yet, on the off-chance that the book would actually sell, I didn’t want it to bear my actual name. Kuroo Tetsurou is close enough to Kuroko Tetsuya without being obvious, so why not? It was a means to an end, Midorima-san. That’s all.” The bluenette’s eyes sharpened. “Not all of us are lucky enough to have parents willing to pay for our every whim.” He added, eyes boring into the green ones he’d respected so.
“I never said- no, I think I understand. I apologise for underestimating your ambitions, Kuroko.” The surgeon murmured, shocked when Kuroko waved him off.
“You’d always done it, Midorima-san, I’m not overly shocked, to be perfectly honest. What did irritate me quite a bit was the fact that, despite the fact of how you claimed to ‘respect’ me, and how even you criticized Aomine’s ‘I don’t need anyone, I’m superior to everyone’ mind-set in high school, you seemed to have adapted a very similar one. I have not heard from you in three years prior to this. And I sincerely doubt any of the others have. Much less your old partner.”
Takao’s eyes flashed to the bluenette questionably, then widened when Midorima bowed his head, looking properly chastised.
“I apologise. I… don’t know you as well as Kise, or have a similar explanation to Murasakibara. But I’d like to try again. We did use to get along off the court, and I do admit to missing some of your book recommendations.” At Kuroko’s surprised look, a hint of a smile appeared on Midorima’s face. “I do still listen to Oha-Asa, Kuroko. She did say to appreciate the Aquarius’ in your life a few days back.” At that, Kuroko chuckled, then his eyes slid to Takao meaningfully, then back to Midorima. The surgeon swallowed, but nodded, taking a hesitant step forward.
“Takao…?”
The raven lifted his head, but the look in his eyes was still as furious as it had been when Kuroko was still out of it, when he’d first gazed at Midorima after five years of no contact.
“What do you want?” he hissed.
Midorima flinched, but barrelled on, and Kuroko felt a stirring of hope. “Could we… talk outside?”
“I don’t know, could we?” Takao mocked, a scowl pulling at his lips.
Makoto, who seemed to have been dozing just moments before, scowled and glared at the raven, “Oh for fuck’s sake, Kazunari, get your shit together! Hate-fuck it out of your system later if needed, but stop with the fucking angst, fucking he-ow!” in the silence that fell after his rant, Makoto glared at Kuroko, whose elbow had jabbed him hard in the stomach.
“Despite his crude delivery, I second Makoto-kun’s point, Kazunari-kun. I’m not the only one who needs closure.” The bluenette added, sending a reassuring smile Takao’s way.
Takao glanced between Kuroko and Hanamiya questioningly, then at Mibuchi who offered him one of his sunshine smiles, then finally raised his eyes to meet the anxious gaze of Midorima. “Alright.” He sighed, propelling himself out of the chair and to the door. “Let’s get this over and done with.” And he walked out, Midorima following not long after, though not before sending a grateful, hopeful look at the bedridden bluenette.
Finally, only one Miracle was left, standing at the back with Kagami, both looking awkward and out of place. Kagami’s eyes darted to Himuro, hoping to find some sort of sympathy there, but his childhood friend’s eyes were focused on Kuroko, a proud half-smile on his face.
Kuroko.
His shadow had changed.
In high school, Kagami was sure that he would always be able to recognise him. But now… if not for the fact that he still possessed the same unruly blue locks and bottomless turquoise eyes, Kagami wouldn’t have known who it was he was speaking to. The bluenette was more vicious, more confident, more direct in his speech and general disposition. Despite being bedridden, it was Kuroko who dominated the conversation, the movements and the behaviour of those around him. Not to mention all the things the others had told him about; Kuroko’s apparent promiscuity, his alcoholism, his fondness of drugs, Hanamiya fucking Makoto’s arm wrapped around his shoulders like it was the most normal thing in the world. It was odd. If he were to be poetic about it, the bluenette was no longer a shadow; he was light, blinding and burning and painful, feeding off the darkness around him; feeding off of Makoto’s cruelty, Imayoshi’s lies, Takao’s bitterness, Himuro’s envy, Mibuchi’s vanity – they were the reason behind Kuroko’s condition, Kagami was sure of it.
“Your thoughts are so transparent you could’ve screamed them from the rooftops and the effects would’ve been the same, Kagami-san.” Kuroko’s voice interrupted his musings, and he shook himself off, only to realise all eyes in the room were suddenly directed at him. Suddenly feeling defensive, his reply came out a lot more biting than he intended.
“Then humour me, Kuroko,” out of the corner of his eye, he caught Himuro shaking his head minutely left and right, a clear ‘no, stop’, but he wasn’t about to listen to his brother now of all times. “Explain to me how you could get so fucked up, and then blame it on us?”
“Taiga.” Aomine hissed, his eyes trained on Imayoshi’s face; more precisely, on the self-satisfied smirk and smug air he was exuding like a foul odour. Hanamiya was no better, and, to Aomine’s surprise, Mibuchi wore the same expression.
“Shut up, Ahomine, don’t tell me you’re not thinking the same.” Kagami grumbled, eyebrows furrowed and eyes glaring at Kuroko, whose feathers were as infuriatingly unruffled as always when he relaxed back into Makoto’s arm.
“I blame it on you, Kagami-san,” Kuroko began, and the temperature in the room dropped a good twenty degrees, to the point where even Hanamiya drew back to look at the bluenette with a raised eyebrow. “I blame it on you, because you and Aomine-san are the two who would know best just how much I despise being abandoned. You would know after the ‘tale of the rejected fist-bump’.” His tone was biting, sardonic, and Aomine couldn’t mask the flinch the words brought on. “You knew, you were right there beside me, you saw how much that affected me, and witnessed the great lengths I went to fix it. And yet, the moment you get the chance, what do you do? You do exactly the same as him. Cut off all contact, leave with not a single word, nor means of getting in touch. And when I finally see you, you have the gall, the nerve to accuse the people who stood by my side for all these years, who never even thought of leaving me, who have offered me support and understanding when I needed it most, and blame them for your wrongdoings?!” with every word, Kuroko’s voice rose in volume until he was nearly shouting, cheeks flushed a dark red in his anger. He looked ready to continue the verbal onslaught until his gaze met that of Ogiwara, who had not moved from his position by the door. The bluenette nodded, as if answering an unspoken question, and took a deep breath. “Let me correct myself,” he murmured, back to his usual, quiet tone and carefully-enunciated speech, and Makoto sighed, arm once again going around his shoulders, as if the danger had passed. “if you want to blame Kazunari-kun for my promiscuity, go ahead.”
“Oi!” Takao’s indignant squeak came from the door when he let himself in, apparently back from his talk with Midorima. “Talk about out of context! What is-!” but he paled and quietened when his eyes took in the tense figures of Aomine and Kagami, and how amused Imayoshi appeared, compared to Hanamiya’s near sadistic satisfaction. Himuro was leaning on the windowsill looking for all intents and purposes bemused and disappointed, but Takao could see that the corner of his lips was tilted up ever so slightly. “Ah,” he murmured. “I see.” And he flopped back down in his seat by Kuroko’s bedside, resting his head on Mibuchi’s shoulder and flashing Kuroko a cheeky thumbs-up, which earned his a small smile.
“As I was saying,” Kuroko continued, “if you want to blame Kazunari-kun for my promiscuity, go ahead. Similarly, if you want to blame Makoto-kun for my substance abuse, I won’t stop you. It is true that I probably wouldn’t have gotten into either without their influence.” Hanamiya snorted, but made no move to detach himself from the bluenette’s side. “However, what you need to understand, is that, at the time, perhaps those ways of dealing with the problem weren’t the best; they definitely weren’t for my health, nor were they a long-term solution. But they were what got me through the last four years; they were the reason why I hung on for so long. So don’t you ever, ever, dare blame them for my condition. Because that is entirely on you lot, Kagami-san.”
Silence fell around the room after Kuroko had finished his speech. Kagami was opening and closing his mouth, looking like a fish out of water, eyes wide and disbelieving. Aomine beside him looked equally shell-shocked, but there was a glint of comprehension in his eyes. Ogiwara and Himuro looked, for all intents and purposes, like proud parents, while Imayoshi and Hanamiya wore shit-eating grins and stared at Kuroko with a mix of pride and amusement. Mibuchi and Takao, who had not moved from their spot by Kuroko’s bedside were smiling, and Mibuchi’s hand sought out that of the blunette’s and held it gently, squeezing once for comfort and reassurance.
When it came to Kuroko, the bluenette was breathing hard, cheeks flushed, but looking lighter and surer of himself than anyone in the room had ever seen before. Only Ogiwara dared speak, a thousand-watt smile on his face as he appraised his childhood friend.
“See?” he asked cheekily. “Didn’t I tell you you’d feel better?”
Kuroko’s face appeared to split in half with the size of his grin. “Shigehiro-kun, you are a genius.”
“I know.” The brunette replied, a proud smile lighting up his face. But before much else could be said, Aomine stepped forward, and all eyes were suddenly on him.
He stood in silence for a few seconds, quietly appraising his old shadow, before a hesitant smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“I understand, Tetsu.” he announced, smirk back in place, looking for all intents and purposes like the middle schooler Kuroko had known all those years ago. “I finally get you.” His joy was boundless, and he threw his head back and laughed, a short joyous sound before he faced the bluenette again. “Where’s Satsuki when you need her to write something down, huh?” he chuckled, then his gaze levelled with the bedridden Kuroko, whose confusion seemed to win over his anger at the use of the old nickname.
“Understand what, Aomine-kun?” he murmured, eyes never leaving those of his old light’s.
“I understand why you were so angry. Or are so angry. I finally get why you were so goddamn stubborn in high school. And, I get why you blame us.” A smirk so feral Kuroko winced split Aomine’s face, and his eyes were wide as saucers when the darker bluenette suddenly extended his arm towards him, his hand curled into a fist, a confident smirk on his face. “I understand,” he repeated, “but you’re wrong. And as soon as you’re out of the hospital, I’m going to prove it to you in the one language we always understood.”
Kuroko’s eyes lit with understanding, and Aomine’s smirk grew. “I’m going to beat you at basketball.”
Slowly, Kuroko raised his gaze to meet that of Aomine’s, and he frowned. “I do not wish to play you one on one, Aomine-kun.” He replied, to which the darker blunette’s smirk merely grew.
“You won’t. It’ll be me, Taiga, and the rest of the ‘Miracles’ versus you and your new clique.” He announced, ignoring Kagami’s protests coming from behind him.
But Kuroko was not easily swayed. “You’ll never convince the others. Besides, I will not force my friends into something if they don’t want to do it.”
“Wait a second please, Tet-chan.” Mibuchi interrupted, getting up from his chair, Takao following suit. “Let’s get one thing straight, Aho-chan.” He continued, addressing Aomine this time, and making Takao snort at the nickname. “Assuming you manage to convince Sei-chan and all your other freak friends to play in this match, what’s at stake? What do we get out of this?”
Aomine smirked, as if he’d been waiting for that question, his arm still outstretched. “We will accept the blame for Tetsu’s condition, never bother him or you again if he doesn’t want us to, and acknowledge his way of doing things once and for all. Oh, and you were wrong, Tetsu, I only need to convince Akashi, and he will get the rest on board.”
Kuroko sighed. “You still don’t understand, Aomine-kun, but never mind, I expected as much.” His eyes trailed over every man gathered in the room, each of whom had helped him in the last few years more so than he could ever hope to put in words. “Could I ask one more thing off you?” he asked, startling when Hanamiya stood up from his post as his pillow, only to swat him over the head again.
“The asshole is strutting like a goddamn peacock all over us and you’re asking if we’re going to defend ourselves?! Fuck yeah we’re gonna defend ourselves, and the megane bastard and I will see to it that Japan’s little stars end up in hospital after we’re done with them!” Makoto grouched, pointing at Imayoshi who just sighed and adjusted his glasses.
“Crude as always, Makoto-chan.” He remarked drily. “But yes, Tetsuya-kun, what he said is nonetheless correct. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I played properly, but between now and when you get out of the hospital is more than enough time to get back in shape and wipe the floor with my darling kouhai.”
Kuroko chuckled, accepting that as Hanamiya and Imayoshi’s way of saying ‘yes’ to the match. Still.
“Kazunari-kun? Reo-kun? Himuro-kun?” he turned to each of the names mentioned respectively, but was only met with smiles and reassuring nods.
“You honestly don’t say we’d say no now, do you, Tet-chan?” Takao teased, ruffling Kuroko’s hair.
“I guess not.” Kuroko agreed, a smile on his face when he turns to face Aomine, his own arm raising in the air, hand curling into a fist –
When their fists bumped, a deal was sealed, and Kuroko couldn’t keep the grin off his face.
There was no way he was going to lose.