I was supposed to upload my 'Who Am I?' fic today but I got a bit distracted along the way. So, here I am, with another Aokaga fic!
Some things to keep in mind before you guys read this:
I know nothing about car accidents and this was completely on whim. So, if you know about these kinds of things, I am really sorry for sounding really dumb.
I wouldn't say this is angsty but does have a scene that involves suicide. So, DISCLAIMER!
That's pretty much all I want to say and if you enjoy this fic, don't forget to check my other Aokaga fic called My Savior My Angel!
Darkness. He only saw darkness. It was so cold. He was sure he was shivering. He stood in the middle of the dark place, or was it even the middle he was standing at? He didn't know. He couldn't have known. It was so dark.
Sirens. He heard sirens everywhere. Were they coming from an ambulance or from his wailing friends? He had no idea. They were loud, so loud. Were they right next to him? Or were they just like that to his ears? There was no way he could have known.
Even the smallest sense felt dark to him. Everything felt dark now.
"Dai-chan, oh god, Dai-chan!" Momoi's wails rippled through the tumultuous scenery that was filled with sirens of both the ambulance and the police cars.
"He's going to be alright! He has to!" Came the panicked screams of Kise.
"Where do you think you're going?" Akashi hissed. His eyes flashed with complete rage and anyone who was 10 feet away from him could feel it in their bones.
"I'll crush you. I won't even hesitate to do so. I'll crush you so you can die." Murasakibara joined with no of food in his mouth. A long time since he could talk clearly with no trace of his inner child.
"He's bleeding horribly fast. Father, please clear a surgery room for him. The ambulance just came. We're on our way." Midorima tried to say as calmly as he could but everyone could hear his trembling tone and his shaking shoulders. He was terrified.
"Kagami-kun?"
"Kuroko, what happened? Where's Aomine?" A pause. "No." Another pause.
A sound of a crash. A blood-curdling scream.
"Aomine-kun, please open your eyes. Please. You have to. Do not give up on us now. Please open your eyes, Aomine-kun. Please…"
Another scream penetrated the whispers of Kuroko's soothing voice.
Sobs. Sobs everywhere.
And then,
Nothing.
"Aomine-san, are you awake?" Aomine groaned at the voice and turned over. He didn't want to wake up now. It was too early; it was still too dark.
"Aomine-san, please wake up. We have to check up on your eyes." That got Aomine's attention. He turned back to where the voice was and opened his eyes.
Wait.
It was still dark. Had he forgotten how to open his eyes? He couldn't be that stupid, could he? Aomine closed his eyes and opened them once more.
It was still dark.
He started to panic.
"Aomine-san, please calm down!" The voice tried to say but Aomine was in no mood to do so. Why couldn't he open his eyes? Was it still night? No, it couldn't have been. He felt sunlight washing over his dark skin. Then why could he only see darkness?
He closed them and put one of his fingers on the bottom of his eye. He felt his eyelashes tickle the skin. He was sure that he had closed them. The only problem was opening them now. He followed his eyelashes until he was sure they couldn't go any further.
He had opened his eyes.
But why was it still so fucking dark?
"Aomine-san, please, just calm down and listen to me." The voice tried one more to soothe, and this time, Aomine complied. What else was he supposed to do?
"Who are you? Why can't I see anything? I know I opened my eyes. I know I did. But I can't see anything." Aomine said in a cracked voice, so confused with everything.
"I'm Dr. Midorima." Said the voice and Aomine tilted his head.
"Midorima's dad? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? I don't understand. I can't see. I can't see anything but black." Aomine stuttered uncontrollably and he felt his hands shake in terror. What happened to him?
"Aomine-san, there's no easy way to say this." Dr. Midorima started and Aomine felt his body shaking even harder. What was happening?
"Aomine-san, you're blind. I'm so sorry."
Time suddenly stopped. There was no sound, no noise. Not even the tiniest breaths from Dr. Midorima or the ticks from the clock. Everything just froze.
And then Aomine started to breathe again.
"I don't understand. I'm not supposed to be blind! I just – I don't –" Aomine tried to form various sentences but all were useless as there was only one thing in his mind.
He was blind.
"Aomine-san, please calm down. It'll get better, I promise."
"How? How can it get better? I'm fucking blind!" Aomine roared and tried to punch the nearest wall. He ended up falling from the bed that he could no longer see. Dr. Midorima was there to help him up. Aomine tried to shrug him away but he couldn't even see the doctor's hands anymore. He couldn't even see his hand anymore.
There was a choking silence as Dr Midorima helped Aomine back up again. Aomine said and did nothing.
He felt weak.
He felt worthless.
"What happened?" Aomine asked in a whisper and Dr. Midorima didn't speak for some time.
"Do you remember anything prior to waking up?" He then asked and Aomine felt his eyes prickle in pain. His now useless eyes. Aomine started talking slowly.
"My friends and I decided to have a feast, in celebration of bringing the old Generation of Miracles back. We invited Kagami and Kuroko as well because they were the ones who started this all. We ate, were kicked out of the restaurant because Murasakibara and Kagami had eaten its year stockpile, and we were walking to Kagami's house to party more. And… I don't remember what happened next." Aomine then paused and he felt cords inside him break one by one.
"What happened to me?" Aomine then asked, his voice barely working anymore.
"There was an accident, Aomine-san. There was a driver who hadn't been looking at the time and he crashed right where you were at. You had various bruises and a concussion because the car had hit straight at you –"
"But why can't I see?" Aomine desperately cut in.
"Some of the shards from the car… They went inside your eyes and punctured your irises and corneas. We did everything we could. I am so sorry." Dr. Midorima finished sadly. All the words said by the doctor afterwards no longer entered Aomine's ears. He still couldn't process the words.
He was blind.
He, the former ace of the Generation of Miracles, the one person who could pull off the most ridiculous shots, the student who relied on his vision to make these impossible shots, was blind.
What could he do now?
He heard the door open and various footsteps stomped over to where he was sitting. He didn't turn his head towards them. He just closed his eyes. What was the point? He wouldn't be able to see who it was anyways. He wouldn't be able to see anyone anymore.
"Dai-chan, you're ok!" He heard Momoi cry in joy and he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He didn't acknowledge her hug. he didn't acknowledge that she was even here.
"Aominecchi, do you feel any pain? I can call the nurses right away if it hurts. Aominecchi, we - we thought you were -"
"Ki-chan, don't you dare say that! Hes' fine! He's fine!" Momoi cut in and he felt a wet patch on his shoulder. Was Momoi crying?
"Mine-chin, do you want a pocky? I got some on the way here. It's strawberry flavored and it's good." Murasakibara said, though Aomine noted the lack of his usual childish tone, and he felt something poke his cheek. But he didn't open his mouth and he still didn't turn towards them.
"Murasikabara, don't do that." Akashi? Ah, Aomine had forgotten. Akashi was back to his old self. He didn't call them by their first names anymore. In a way, Aomine felt anger. Everyone had to change. Everything had to.
"Aomine, are you ok? How do you feel?" Akashi asked in a reassuring voice but he didn't answer him. He didn't say anything at all.
A sigh came out from Akashi's mouth and he soon ordered everyone to leave the room. Momoi and Kise were very reluctant but Akashi made Murasakibara force them out. Aomine was somewhat grateful for Akashi. He didn't want company right now. He didn't want to face the fact that he would never be able to see his friends again.
It was silent for a while. Aomine was still sitting upright on the bed, unmoving, just closing his eyes. He didn't want to open them at all. He refused to do so.
He thought he was all alone. That was, until he heard the small sobs coming from a corner of the room.
"Who's there?" He asked in a tired voice, not even bothering to get angry anymore. He felt so drained and feeble. He felt nothing at all.
There was a deafening silence and Aomine thought that maybe the person had left the room. But then, he heard quiet breathing.
"I know you're there. I hear your breathing." He pointed out and soon enough, he heard light tapping of feet coming towards him. Aomine was already sure who it was even before the person talked.
"Aomine-kun." Kuroko said and Aomine finally turned his head towards him. But he still didn't open his eyes. There was no point to it, anyways.
"Hey, Tetsu. How's it going?" He tried to start casually but judging by the reticence, Kuroko wasn't buying it. Nothing could get past his former shadow.
"Aomine-kun, does anyone else know about this?" He asked bluntly and Aomine turned away. He knew it.
Kuroko knew.
"I don't know. I'm sure Akashi knows and maybe Midorima, since his dad was my doctor, but I'm not sure about the others. How did you know?" He then asked.
"You wouldn't open your eyes." Was Kuroko's blunt answer. Aomine felt something else in him break.
"And you immediately think that that makes me blind?" Aomine asked angrily, so tired with everything.
"Aomine-kun, why are you not opening your eyes? Why do you not want to see me?" Kuroko just asked simply and Aomine felt his rage increase.
"Maybe because I don't want to open my eyes! Maybe, just fucking maybe, I don't want to see your fucking face! Maybe that's why! Why? You have a problem with that? Like I fucking care!" Aomine shouted and it was not long after he had said those words that he immediately regretted them. What was he saying to his best friend? What kind of a sick person was he?
Aomine waited for Kuroko to leave, to say that he didn't want to spend time with a horrible person like him, but instead, Kuroko just wrapped his slender hands onto his.
"Aomine-kun, I am so sorry that all of this happened."
"You had nothing to do with it." Aomine retorted exhaustingly. Kuroko was silent. Aomine felt his hands grow cold as the body warmth radiating from Kuroko's hands disappeared.
"Tetsu?" Aomine asked uncertainly.
"Aomine-kun, please tell me. Are you blind? Can you no longer see?" He asked and Aomine felt the world burden on his shoulders. So it was true. This was not a dream, as he had wished it to be. He was truly and utterly…
"... Blind. I'm… I'm blind, Tetsu. I can't see anything anymore. I only see black. It's really dark, even in the morning and afternoon. I feel the sun from the window but I can't see it. It's always night for me, Tetsu... I'm really blind, aren't I?" Aomine's voice broke, and though Kuroko could see his smiling, no one could deny his tears slowly trailing down his cheeks.
And then, he turned to where he assumed Kuroko to be and grabbed his hands. Kuroko said nothing and let him be.
Aomine opened his eyes.
Kuroko stiffened slightly.
And then, there was a cry of anguish.
Kagami?
"Aomine-kun, I must go. I will be back as soon as I can. Kagami-kun!" Kuroko yelled as loud as he could and Aomine heard the light footsteps gradually turn fainter as the door shut.
Why? Why was Kagami in this room? Why had Kagami seen him at his lowest point? Why had Kagami seen this horridness that were his no longer useful eyes?
Why? Why did everything happen like this?
And the realization hit him hard.
He would never be able to see Kagami's crimson eyes again.
The time it took for Aomine to finally accept the fact that he was blind was agonizing. Every time someone came into the room, he would either ignore them completely or snap at them until they would eventually leave.
The worst was when Momoi would enter. She was extremely stubborn and he would always call her ugly names just to get her to leave. Sometimes they would work and sometimes they wouldn't. Sometimes, she would just cry in front of him though he couldn't even see it.
He would never open his eyes for her, even if she begged and pleaded. He just didn't want to show her his pain. She had been with him since they were practically babies; she could read any emotion he had.
It wasn't until Kuroko joined Momoi one day that she finally understood just how bad the accident had been. Kuroko easily convinced Aomine, which, in his opinion, was just sorcery, and he reluctantly showed her his eyes. He didn't know what happened afterwards but Kuroko explained to him that the moment Momoi saw his eyes, she fled the room in tears.
Who knew that listening about it than actually seeing it was so much worse?
It wasn't long until the whole Generation of Miracles joined Momoi. It was obvious that she had told everyone because the moment he heard those similar stomping of footsteps, Kise barged in and literally threw himself onto Aomine, tears falling onto his shoulder.
"I didn't know! I didn't know!" He would keep repeating and then would blame himself that it was all his fault.
Murasakibara was silent throughout the whole ordeal but Aomine knew it affected him just as much. How did he know? The giant was reticent; not even the slightest sound of munching or bag ripping could be heard. At this point, it was as if the center was muted. Nothing could be heard.
Midorima and Akashi asked him nothing but medical questions. Aomine knew they had known all along. Why they didn't tell the others, he didn't know, but he was grateful for their not telling. He was actually grateful that Momoi told the others; if she hadn't, he didn't know how to tell them himself.
Throughout his acceptance, there had been many people visiting him, from the Generation of Miracles to Touo academy, and his busy parents occasionally joined the visits. There was even visits from Kaijo and Shuutoku, though Aomine could predict that it was because both Midorima and Kise were skipping practice to be with him.
And throughout the whole chaos, there was only one person who never set foot into Aomine's room.
Kagami, you bastard. Why won't you visit me?
Aomine entered his room for the first time in months. He had been cooped up in the hospital, more so because he wanted to stay there. Dr. Midorima had told him that it would be ok for him to go back home but Aomine didn't want to face the real world yet. Dr. Midorima knew this and let him be for a few more months. However, it was only so long until another patient had to occupy the room, so Aomine had no choice but to leave.
His parents had to walk with him to his room and Aomine hated every second of it. His mother held him as if he were expensive china and his father did everything he could to annoy Aomine to no end. He would push away anything that was 10 feet away from him and describe the room as if it were Picasso's painting. Aomine wanted nothing more but to bark at them for their unnecessary treatment but he knew that they were only doing this because they loved him. He held his tongue and followed their lead.
The first thing he noticed after opening his door was the smell. It distinctly smelt of dried sweat and the plastic of the basketball. Was this how he always smelt to people? Nothing but sweat and basketball? Was that all he was?
His parents guided him to his bed and once Aomine could feel the soft mattress, he immediately collapsed on it.
"I'm fine on my own now. I'm not going anywhere anyways. You guys can go." He said while covering himself with the bedsheets. When he didn't hear any footsteps, he sat back up.
"Honest. I'm fine." He reassured.
"Really?" His mother asked uncertainly and Aomine nodded. His father whispered something to his mother and finally, he heard footsteps turn dim. The door closed behind him quietly and Aomine was alone.
He was alone and it was still so fucking dark.
He reminisced his days in the hospital where he tried desperately to run without bumping into walls, where he struggled to pick up chopsticks and having no idea where the actual food was, where he ended up having to be accompanied by a friend or nurse to his room or even the bathroom. His friends were supportive and he was extremely grateful for that, but there was only so much they could do.
He was struggling so much inside. He had to accept the fact that he would never be able to play basketball again. And that killed him.
What would the world be like for him without basketball? He shivered at the thought of it. It wasn't a pleasant thought. He decided to move away from that. He didn't want to think about that right now. He was already seeing darkness everywhere; he didn't need any more.
His mind shifted automatically to crimson red eyes and hair. His fists clenched and he was sure they were pure white at this point. Why hadn't Kagami shown up to at least see how he was doing? What happened the first day, when Kuroko was the only one who could make Aomine open his eyes? When Kagami let out that ghastly scream and abruptly left without another word?
He hated himself at this point. He didn't even know what Kagami looked like when it happened. Was he feeling dread? Or was he feeling guilt and remorse? The thought of the latter emotion running through Kagami's face made Aomine feel sick.
It wasn't his fault. It would never be his fault. There was no way Kagami would feel guilt over what happened to him. Aomine didn't blame him; he didn't blame anyone.
But Kagami's remorseful face didn't leave his mind.
It wasn't his fault.
It wasn't.
He didn't know why he was doing this. He had promised himself never to come across these types of places again. Not when he was disabled like this. And yet, here he was, standing on a basketball court with a ball in his hand. He took a deep breath before exhaling shakily. He could do it. He had to.
This was the only hope left.
If this failed, he didn't know what to do with his life anymore.
It took him some time to find the basketball stand but when he did, he let himself smile a little. Now that he found where the hoop was, he could easily make the shot, right?
He took small steps backwards, making sure he was align with the stand, but he wasn't too sure. It wasn't until he took another 13 small steps back that he finally stopped. This would be far enough to make a three pointer, would it?
He breathed as normally as he could. He could feel his hands starting to shake harder. His saliva clustered and it got harder for him to swallow. He was sure there was something stuck in his throat because it was getting harder to breath.
He inhaled deeply before taking his stance and finally letting go of the ball. He waited for the familiar swish of the net. He waited for the harmonious cadences of the bouncing ball. He waited. And waited.
And he knew it didn't make it in.
He closed his eyes and took a step forward to start looking for the ball. Then, he felt his ankle touch something hard. He picked it up and he realized that it was the basketball. How had it come to him? Had he thrown it too lightly? Just the thought of it disgusted him.
He tried to make another shot. Once more there was no swish of the net. The ball hit his ankle and he tried one more. And another. And another.
None would go in.
But Aomine wasn't discouraged. In fact, the failures just made him want to try it out more. He would prove to himself and the others that even as a blind man, he was still the ace of the Generation of Miracles, of Touo, and himself. The ball touched his ankle and he picked up. He got ready for another shot when his ears overheard a conversation that he probably wasn't supposed to hear.
"Hey, isn't that Aomine Daiki from the Generation of Miracles?" One asked.
"Yeah, it is." The other said and it sounded to him like he was morose.
"He keeps missing his shots, though. Isn't he supposed to make any shot he throws?" The first one asked and Aomine felt his bones stiffen.
"You don't know?" The other asked incredulously. "Why do you think he's wearing sunglasses?"
"I don't know. It is kind of sunny, you know?"
"Have you honestly seen basketball players wear sunglasses while playing?" There was a short pause before the first one answered.
"Well, I guess not. So what happened?"
"He got into an car accident and some of the windowpane glass pierced his eyes. He's blind now." The second one explained and Aomine heard the clueless one gasp in surprise. He tried to focus on making a shot and ultimately threw the ball, in hopes of showing the two that he was still capable.
There was no swish of the net.
"So that's why he keeps missing his shots? I can't believe it. To think such a thing would happen to someone as talented as he." The first one tsk-ed loudly and the other sighed.
"Yeah. It's such a pity."
"What does that make him then?" Aomine's spine chilled. What did he mean?
"What do you mean?" The other asked in confusion, taking Aomine's thoughts out to reality.
"Well, now that he can't play basketball, doesn't that mean he's no longer a Miracle now?" The first one explained and Aomine's eyes widened behind his sunglasses.
"What?" The other one asked in complete shock. "Why would you think that?" The ball rolled towards Aomine but this time, he completely ignored it. What was the person trying to say?
"Well, think about it. He can't play basketball anymore. Doesn't that kind of, you know, take him out of the Generation of Miracles? I mean, they are well known for their talents, but now that he can't play, he can't be Miracle anymore." There was silence before the other one spoke.
"Well, I guess that is true. Wow, it must hurt for him, knowing that he's no longer one of them anymore. Come on, lets go. I'm hungry." The conversation steered away from Aomine and their voices were no longer heard as they were now too far away from him.
Aomine couldn't think anymore.
He couldn't think, he couldn't feel, he couldn't even breath anymore.
He couldn't play basketball anymore.
The ball completely forgotten, Aomine started to run. He had memorized his path by now. He knew exactly where he was going. He ran as fast as he could and didn't bother to apologize to the people he bumped into. He had a goal now; he wasn't thinking now.
He slammed open the door to his house and thanked the gods that his parents were not home. He ran up the stairs to his room and closed the door. And everything came at once.
He was alone.
He had no one.
He was no longer a Miracle anymore.
He would never be anything anymore.
Kagami. Where was Kagami? Aomine wondered in despair as he went to his closet, skimming through his clothes with his fingers. When he found what he was looking for, he grabbed it and lunged for the chair that was tucked beneath his desk. He was always curious as to why his father had decided to buy him every type of tie known to man. He had told him that he was preparing for special occasions, such as graduation ceremonies and prom days and maybe even for his marriage. Aomine wanted to laugh out loud.
His father was right. The ties would be used for a special occasion. Just not what anyone would expect so soon.
He looked for the end of the knotted ties and stepped onto his chair. He touched the ceiling lightly and found the metal bar. He had always wanted a workout room for himself and as a result, his parents had inserted a bar for him to use. He remembered when they had first gotten it for him; it wasn't what he had been expecting but he had still been overjoyed with the fact that his parents thought about this for him. They had made the mistake of setting the metal bar too high for him but he had found that it was just another challenge for him to overcome. He recalled always getting a chair and standing up, gripping the metal bar while doing so, and push the chair away so he could start his sets of pull ups. As there were nothing to support him, it had been extremely difficult for him to achieve more than 10, but he could not give up. He couldn't.
He was sure he was crying now.
His parents' gift would now be soiled with his mistake.
His words would now be in the dust.
Aomine made sure to tie the makeshift rope tightly onto the metal bar and cautiously dipped his head onto the hoop that was on the other end.
He was smiling now.
He looked back on his past, his memories, his special moments. He called up the time he first met Kuroko, his shadow to his light. He remember the beating of his heart when he had won his first basketball game as a starter. He shivered at the thought of when he had first felt his talents bloom to a ridiculous level. He went through the memories of his being a complete and utter asshole.
And he remembered Kagami.
His personality, his fist high up in the air, his soothing voice when Aomine had lost for the first time, and his burning red eyes.
Where was Kagami now, when Aomine needed him the most? When was he going to visit him?
When was Aomine going to ever see Kagami's crimson eyes again?
He couldn't take it anymore. He said a silent goodbye to his loved ones, his friends, and Kagami, before kicking the chair away.
And no sooner had he kicked it did he finally hear the incessant banging and screams from outside the door.
Was that… Kagami?
He choked on the rope as he tried to direct himself towards the door. He felt his neck burn horribly as the joined knots digged deeper into it. He wanted to scream in pain and agony.
He just wanted to see Kagami.
He was close to losing himself now. Even as he was already in the dark, splotches appeared and reappeared everywhere. His lungs felt as if they were scorching in flames. He couldn't breath; he couldn't breath at all.
The last tear fell and he whispered to the now quiet door, "I just wanted to see..." He wanted to finish the sentence desperately, but it was too late.
He was in oblivion now.
Aomine was confused. There must have been something wrong. he felt himself awakening. He felt himself gaining consciousness by the second. What was happening?
There were incessant beepings from one side of the room and chatters on the other.
"Is he awake?" One asked, relief evident in his voice.
"I don't know! I'll call Dr. Midorima!" Another yelled as footsteps pattered on the floor.
"Dai-chan, can you hear me?" A high-pitched voice asked and he groaned slightly.
"He is awake! Oh, thank god! Dai-chan, how dare you scare us like this? We were worried sick!" The same voice reprimanded and Aomine groaned once more.
What was happening? He remembered so clearly what he had been doing. He should have stopped breathing. He should have never woken up.
Then why was he breathing now? Why was he waking up?
"Father, he's waking up. What do we do?" A deeper voice from the rest asked.
"Make him open his eyes." Responded the 'father'. What did he mean? Why would he open his eyes? There would be no difference.
"Dai-chan, open your eyes. Please?" The high-pitched voice asked him tenderly and he wondered just why they wanted him to do so. Nevertheless, he did.
And he lost his breath.
He blinked once, twice, and even a third time before he finally registered what he was seeing.
Color.
He saw color.
He saw Momoi next to him with tears falling down her cheeks, Kise being held back by Murasakibara, most likely to prevent him from lunging at him like last time, Midorima staning beside his father, and Akashi smiling.
He then cried. Everyone followed suit.
"What's happening to me? I can see you guys. I can see again." Aomine choked out while a big smile broke out.
"It worked? Aominecchi, it worked! You can see!" Kise blubbered and almost got away from Murasakibara's grip
"Kise-chin is really annoying." Murasakibara said, still no food in his mouth. Aomine no longer had to pinpoint if he had any food with him. He could now see it with his own eyes.
And then he stopped dead.
He could see again? How? He thought he was blind.
Akashi, who had been silent the whole time, commanded that everyone leave the room. At first, there were complaints but one look at their former captain and they all realized that it was time to tell him. Or at the least, inform him on what happened.
"Akashi?" Aomine asked, confused. Akashi said nothing and grabbed a nearby hand mirror. He thrust it in front of Aomine and he took it, still puzzled.
He looked at himself in the mirror.
He saw red eyes stare at him.
He threw the mirror at the wall. Its shards showered onto the floor. They all whispered to him. They all blamed him.
His hands started shaking violently and looked at Akashi. He was silent.
Aomine tried to find words to express this horrible pain that settled onto his chest but realized that it was too painful for him to even gasp out. Akashi was still silent but this time, he held his trembling fingers and gripped them tightly.
It was a few long moments before Aomine could grasp some self-control. His chest still hurt immensely as he spoke.
"What happened? Why?" Akashi said nothing. Aomine felt ire and rage boil up inside him.
"Why do I have Kagami's eyes?" Aomine roared in agony. Akashi had no choice but to look away. Even the emperor could no longer bear to see the scene laid out before him. He could no longer take the view of seeing one of his friends slowly dying inside. The only thing Akashi could do was hug him tightly.
The rest was up to Aomine to solve.
Kagami was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Kuroko. Aomine was close to giving up now. He recalled the last time he slept; it may have been a week or two since he laid on his bed. He was too busy running the whole Tokyo district in hopes of finding the duo.
There was no luck.
He had no idea where he was going but realized that the streets were familiar to him; it was to Kagami's ridiculously big house. Would it be unlocked now? He doubted it.
Aomine calculated that his house was a full 20 minute run and the moon was already shining in the sky. He decided to take the risk and go to his house once more.
He jogged up to the door when suddenly, it opened by itself. Out came a beautiful woman who had blonde hair and looked foreign with her blue eyes. His eyes widened slightly at her poorly covered chest and was about to ask her who she was but was cut off when she suddenly hugged him.
"Taiga, you came back!" She sobbed and hugged him tighter. Aomine was extremely uncomfortable at this point, even though he was literally being smothered by her greatly proportioned chest. She knew why she called him Taiga.
It was his eyes.
"Lady, I'm not Kagami. I don't know where he is." He informed awkwardly and tried to pry her hands from him. She immediately let go. She then took a step back and saw him in a different light. Her eyes widened significantly and then she started to weep.
"So he really did give them away…" She murmured to herself but Aomine heard her. Guilt seeped through his veins instantaneously.
"Who are you?" He asked, not wanting an awkward silence.
"I'm Alexandra Garcia, or Alex for short. Who are you?"
"Aomine Daiki." Alex's shoulders stiffened slightly. "What were you doing in Kagami's house? What did you mean when you said he came back? Where did he go?" Aomine started to bombard Alex with questions but none were answered as she just gestured him to the open door.
"I was just leaving. You can stay, though. His furniture is still there so you can take the guest bed." She said sadly before leaving him alone. He heard her soft hiccups as he went inside the house.
He closed the door and took in Kagami's scent. It was slowly fading away, he realized. He sighed profoundly before walking around the house. Almost nothing had been changed. He then walked into Kagami's room and it took a second to register how barren it was now.
It shouldn't have been.
The last time he had entered this home, Kagami's room had been the messiest room, with clothes scattered on the floor and the bed not even bothered to be made. Now, it was as if he was robbed. He checked the closet, the drawers, and anything that could be opened but nothing was in there. All the NBA posters were ripped out of the walls and all the photos that had been hanged were no longer present.
He then looked at Kagami's desk and saw that there was nothing but a voice recorder in the middle of it. Curiously, he walked up to it and picked it up. There was red blinking continuously. Someone had recorded something onto it.
His eyes widened at the name written in the middle of the recorder.
'Aomine Daiki
The handwriting clearly exposed it to be Kagami's and he quickly clicked the play button. He listened to it intently.
And then his heart broke into millions of pieces.
Yo, Ahomine, it's Kagami. If you didn't know that by now, then you really are an Ahomine. Oi, Kuroko, don't hit me on the head! I don't even know which direction you're at now. It's unfair!
I apologize Kagami-kun, but please hurry up. The flight will leave without us if you keep stalling.
It's true, though! He is an Ahomine!
Kagami-kun…
Ok, ok, I get it. Wrap this thing up fast. Got it. But, come on, Kuroko, give me some credit. It's awkward, ok? I've never talked in this voice recording thing before and if I were to talk, I'd rather do that with him face to face.
I understand Kagami-kun. Even so, please finish up.
Fine. Go outside and I'll call you back the moment I finish, ok?
Of course.
So, um, I guess by the time you hear this, you'll have regained your eyesight. I, on the other hand, will have lost it. I will have also arrived to LA with Kuroko. Yeah, Kuroko decided to tag along, and while I wanted to persuade him not to, he insisted. Told me this bullshit story about wanting to know the 'American Life' or something.
It is entirely true, Kagami-kun.
Oi, Kuroko, stop listening in! So, anyways, by the time you find this, you'll have also known that I'm the one who donated my eyes to you. Again, if you haven't figured that out by now, you're more than an Ahomine.
I think it's time for me to clear things up between us. For one, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not visiting you while you were at the hospital. Though it may have been extremely hard for you to cope with the whole thing, you can't really deny my getting affected as well. We've been through a lot together, you know? We're more than basketball opponents; I can even call you more than a friend. So, I just couldn't visit you while you were struggling. I figured, if you were struggling, then what good would it do for me, who was also struggling at that time, to help you? It doesn't work that way. At least, not for me.
But don't think I didn't care for you. You probably didn't know this but it was me who guided you throughout the months. Remember when you kept bumping into people? That was just me slightly pushing you to go to the right direction. Remember when you decided to go to the basketball court? I was the one who would fetch the ball and roll it to you.
Now, you may be laughing at the mental picture of a tiger fetching a ball like a dog, but yeah, that's pretty much what happened.
I really don't want to remember that day, though. I wanted to punch those kids so badly when they were talking smack about you. And then you started to run away. I knew it was bad because you were crying when it was happening. I knew you were going to do something you were going to regret.
Turns out, you did something even worse.
I was terrified when I slammed the door down and saw you hanging up there, almost losing the light. I don't know what I would have done if I were a second too late in hoisting you up to loosen the grip of the rope. When I was able to unknot the ties, you were already unconscious.
Embarrassing time to say this but I kind of heard what you said before you passed out. You told me, or I guess, you told yourself, that you wanted to see.
I'm giving you exactly that.
If you think this was on a whim, you're wrong. I have been thinking about giving you my eyes the moment you were out of the hospital, but I never had the courage to do so. It's a big sacrifice, giving one's eyes to another.
But I find that it was worth it.
You can finally see now, even if I can't anymore.
Probably a good time to tell you that this is why I'm going back to the States. LA is so much more comfortable for me to live in and I already have friends there. They're going to help me cope with this blindness. Kuroko's also going to be with me, so that's good, too.
I don't think I'm going back to Japan any time soon. At least, not until I can understand how to walk without any help. I may have to get one of those watchdogs, which, by the way, terrify me to death, but if it means helping me, then I'll do what I can.
I can't help but keep replaying the same scene in my mind. Remember when we decided to celebrate with the other Generation of Miracles? When you had the accident? I kept thinking to myself, if you hadn't been waiting for me to come out of the restaurant, would you have been safe? If I hadn't forgotten my phone in the restaurant, would you have kept walking?
It's all in the past but I can't help but feel guilty. In a way, it was my fault that you turned blind. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't something to redeem myself.
Kuroko and the others told me that it wasn't my fault; that it was the driver's fault; that he should have known better. I appreciate their trying to help me but this was something they just couldn't fix with mere words.
Oh, but don't even think that this is my way of redeeming myself to you. It's nothing like that, and I hope you'll believe me.
I did this because - and I really hope Kuroko isn't listening to this - I love you. That's why. Nothing else. I don't care - well, maybe I do a bit - if you don't love me back. I'm ok with that. Maybe someday, when we meet again, you might return my feelings. But the future is unpredictable; you don't know what's going to happen.
So, I guess this is goodbye. It's really shitty how I'm ending this but I'm sure if I don't finish this fast, Kuroko will barge into the room and drag me out. We do have a flight to catch, after all.
Use my eyes well, ok? I'm trusting you.
I better be hearing talks about how the Generation of Miracles' Ace can crush anyone in his way while I'm living in LA, do you understand me? Don't you dare give up basketball because of this. Because this isn't worth giving up what you love.
So bye, Ahomine...
Kagami-kun.
Jesus Christ, Kuroko! I told you I'd call you when I was done!
You were taking too long.
Well, I'm done. How do I stop recording this?
There is button right below your thumb, Kagami-kun.
Ok… Hey, I found it! Look at that! So, I just click this and -
That night, Aomine slept to the infinite loop of Kagami's voice, tears gradually drying onto his face.
A Few Years Later
Aomine had no idea where he was going. Actually, he did know where he was going. He just didn't know why. Was it because he finally had time for himself? Or was it because he felt lonely and needed some nostalgic feelings to kill him inside?
What could he say? He was a complete masochist by this point.
He walked slowly, his strides long and prideful. His panther-like aura glowed like the sun itself. Many spotted him and whispered to one another; others stopped abruptly to just stare with wide eyes.
Aomine felt self-conscious for the umpteenth time. Honestly, he was just a basketball player, not a celebrity. So what if he beat the Jabberwoks, or as he deemed them, the Douchebags, in the last NBA game? In the end, he was just another player.
Of course, he could understand why people admired not only him but his teammates as well. They, who had been but mere rookies, had won against the best team in the history of the NBAs, and with a 10 point difference as well.
He had to give most of the credit to Akashi, who had had already pinpointed all the players' weak points the moment they had walked in, and the leftover credit to the rest of the Generation of Miracles.
Sure, he was the one who scored the most points, but that was only because he was fulfilling a promise. A promise that could never be broken.
He finally arrived at the basketball court; the court where he and Kagami first met. He wanted to facepalm when he remembered how he had acted towards Kagami when they had first faced each other. Just how much of an arrogant bastard had he been when he was younger? Just thinking about it made Aomine want to cringe.
He scanned the court and realized in surprise that several other courts were built around it. All of them were occupied by people, both young and old, with sweat filling their bodies and smiles lightening their whole faces. Aomine itched to play with them and browsed the multiple courts in hopes of finding a team that was missing a player.
And then his eyes landed on the flaming red hair that he had been longing to see for so long. Before he even knew it, his feet had already begun to move. Soon enough, he was standing at the edge of the court, not believing what he was currently seeing.
He didn't change as much as Aomine expected. Actually, that was good thing for him. He always pictured him to be the same as he was in high school and the fact that he hadn't changed that much made him happy. It meant that he still knew his Bakagami.
The only changes that were evident were his height and face. He had grown taller, maybe as tall as he. But that wasn't what caught his attention. His face; they were covered with black sunglasses. His chest panged with guilt. Those were the same sunglasses he had worn.
He didn't think to get closer to him; he couldn't. Not when he made him like this. And then, he was pushed by an unfamiliar force. He looked back and saw that it was none other than Kuroko Tetsuya, who, in turn, gave him a small smile.
Aomine nodded. He could do this.
Kagami shot the ball and it hit the rim of the hoop. He cursed as he adjusted his sunglasses. Aomine went straight for the ball.
"Oi, Kuroko, mind getting the ball for me? I swear I made a shot yesterday. I'll show you." When Kagami was met with silence, he tilted his head.
"Kuroko? You there? Don't be using your phantom powers on me. I'm blind. I can't see you either way. Kuroko?" He called out and Aomine rolled the ball towards him. It hit Kagami's ankle and Kagami, still looking confused, picked it up.
"Kuroko? What are you doing?" He asked out loud and Aomine took a deep breath.
"Yo." He said and Kagami visibly stiffened. He then twisted his body to where Aomine was standing. He then hovered his hand a few inches away from Aomine, as if he were debating on whether he should touch him or not.
Just as he was about to retract his hand back, Aomine growled and yanked his hand back. Kagami yelped as his hand met smooth skin.
"What do you think you're doing?" Aomine grunted and Kagami hesitated.
"Aomine?" He asked uncertainly and Aomine nodded, making sure he could feel the movement.
"I fucking hate you, you know that?" He commented as he pulled Kagami into a bone-crushing hug. It wasn't long until it was returned.
"When did you come back?" He whispered, still unable to let go.
"Just a week ago. I finally got rid of the watchdog. Scared the shit out of me every time it came close to me. It was horrible." Kagami replied and laughed.
Aomine had no words. He couldn't process anything. Kagami was blind because of him. And yet, here he was, smiling and laughing as if there was nothing wrong.
He let go from the hug and Kagami's eyebrows furrowed.
"Aomine?" He inquired, confused as to why the dark skinned man would let go. He then touched his face, and his eyes, which were still somewhat visible behind the sunglasses, widened.
"You don't think this is your fault, do you?" He asked and Aomine said nothing. Kagami sighed before punching him in the face. Aomine flew back, more in shock than in pain. Kagami was still standing tall as he glared.
"Did you not hear the recording? Did you miss the fact that I don't blame you for this?"
"I -"
"Did you fucking miss the part where I said I did this because I love you? How much of an Ahomine can you be?" He snarled. But that wasn't why Aomine couldn't speak. It was the fact that while Kagami was saying this, some tears trailed down his face.
"Fucking hell. You don't understand, do you? How much I love you? And we meet, after 5 fucking years, and you still don't get it?" Kagami looked like he wanted to punch a wall, or better yet, Aomine's face. His fists were clenched tightly as he walked towards where Aomine was sprawled. It was then that Aomine found his voice.
"I do remember. I remember everything you said in that recording. That doesn't mean I don't feel remorse for my doing this to you! You're a basketball idiot and now, you can't even make a shot! And it's because of me!" Aomine said angrily but inside, he was dying all over again.
"If I had been looking, I would have seen the car. It wasn't because you had to go back to the restaurant. You blame yourself for all of this happening? What do you think this is doing to me now?
"I see your eyes everyday when I look in the mirror, Bakagami. You know how hard it was for me to accept the fact that you gave such precious things to me, a low life who doesn't even deserve them? And all you do is leave me and go back to LA!" Aomine yelled, all the frustration, anger, and guilt exploding. He was surely crying now.
"You know why this is affecting me? You think it's because I forgot the recording? You're the fucking idiot if you think that, Bakagami! I've been listening to the fucking thing every single fucking day, especially if we had a game coming up." Kagami looked taken back and Aomine grew angrier.
"I don't -"
"It's not me who doesn't understand; it's you! I fucking love you and you don't even know that. The agony of seeing your eyes on me every single time just killed me. The thought of your giving up basketball just for me, because you loved me? If I could reverse time, I could have - I could have -" There were no more coherent sentences as Kagami hugged Aomine tightly. Aomine could only hug back.
"It's ok, it's ok. I'm ok now. I'm fine with being blind now." He comforted and Aomine choked back a sob.
"You can't even play basketball anymore."
"I can try. It's just another challenge for me to overcome, you know? What's life without any challenges?" He comforted and Aomine finally let himself go. He cried like there was no tomorrow. Kagami soothingly patted his back while his own tears mashed up with Aomine's.
"You can't see anything anymore, though. You can't see light and colors. You can't even see me anymore. Bakagami, why?" Aomine whispered tiredly but Kagami just smiled.
"I see you, Ahomine. I see you." He simply replied and Aomine couldn't help but smile back.
The stronger the light, the stronger it shines. The stronger it shines, the better it can penetrate through the dark. The better it penetrates through the dark, the easier it becomes to see a loved one, even if one is physically impossible to do so. As long as one can see his loved one, even if one can only physically see darkness alone, the future will only be predictable in the end.
Aomine sees Kagami, and Kagami sees him back.
That is all that matters in the end.
They both see each other, walking through the darkness with their hands held, smiles on both their faces, and lights merged together.
-fin-
So, what did you guys think? Did you enjoy it? Because I had a lot of fun writing this fic :)
I will say that this doesn't give that much of an impact as it did for my My Savior My Angel story but I think it's because there wasn't as much angst. You might even call it a happy fic (well, my best friend says this because I'm known for writing really angsty or creepy stories lel)
Even so, please do not forget to leave a review or a favorite. It's always appreciated and I really would love know how you guys took this story. Should I write more one-shots like this or should I just stick with another genre?
Please check out my other AoKaga story because I absolutely love that one-shot :)
And so, without further ado,
Peace
FlyAndDontLookBack