Hey guys!

So this story starts at the end of Kuroko and Hinata's final year at Teiko. Here, Hinata had moved to Tokyo with his family for a couple years, and spent those at Teiko with Kuroko and the rest of the Generation of Miracles. :) Those years aren't directly part of this story, so I won't be writing them, and we're going to get straight to the good stuff!

(You'll get to learn about Hinata and Kuroko's time together the farther in we go, along with the others in the story. The specifics aren't that pertinent to the development, so there wont be a whole lot of in depth study of their pasts. This story does have a full plot though, and it doesn't just follow one of the stories or the other. This is a true cross over, with a whole lot of convoluted stuff getting thrown down by both sides. And it's already well on its way to complete, with side stories and everything, so put this up on your alerts, cause we're going places people!)

"I can't do this anymore."

The words barely ghosted past his lips- irrationally, he wanted someone to be able to hear them, to reassure him that this wasn't really happening. The cynical part of him quipped that someone hearing him was pretty much as probable as someone seeing him- that is, not much.

It hadn't been long since the disastrous match between Teiko and Meiko, where his team had beat down his best friend and drove him out of basketball forever. Maybe a month? It felt like an eternity.

His team didn't need him anymore, that much was certain from the way only half came to practice and the rest didn't put in much effort.

Even if they had needed him, he didn't know if he could've brought himself to play on the same court as them. He got a lump in his throat and his heart threatened to pound out of his chest every time he thought about it. The thought of playing on the same team that had completely destroyed Ogiwara's love for basketball was . . . unbearable.

-They're your team you can't abandon them, can't abandon basketball, don't quit don't quit why why why-

Time seemed to speed by and drag at the same time. Every time he looked at the clock it seemed it hadn't moved a millimeter but weeks had flown by without him noticing.

It was just . . . nothing seemed to change. Nobody else seemed to have been affected at all by what had happened. Why weren't they affected? He was still reeling, still trying to come to terms with the way the world had suddenly tilted on its head, and they were all able to go on with their days as if nothing had changed.

But then.

Then Hinata didn't come to practice.

He should look into it. It made no sense. Even if the rest of the Miracles didn't try, even if half of them skipped on a regular basis, Hinata had never given anything less than 100% to basketball.

He did nothing. Hinata was just like the rest of them, it turned out.

If he ended up using misdirection in the hallways more than usual, who was going to know? Who would even notice that he had gone missing? Certainly not the Miracles.

He was so blind. How could he be so blind? He was normally so good at picking up on people's emotions, so good at reading them and making sure he didn't overstep his boundaries.

So how? How had he made the mistake of lumping Hinata in with the rest of the Miracles? He had known. Known from the beginning Hinata wasn't like the rest. Hinata wasn't all honed power and genius skills. He was rash, and brave, and reckless, and pure reflex, but he wasn't a Miracle anything like the Miracles he was sunshine while they were darkness and rain and terror.

It had taken him weeks to notice that Hinata didn't have the bounce in his step like he normally did. It was obvious, if he had just looked. The usually peppy orange haired boy might as well have had lead feet with how heavy his steps were.

It only took a glance after that to see the dark bags under his eyes -he had never been able to sleep well before matches but this was different- the new tremor that was in his hands, allowing the ball he normally carried with him to slide to the floor time after time, the way he never spoke more than a word to anyone at one time.

Instantly, Kuroko felt his heart drop in his chest.

Of course. Hinata was just as much a part of the team as Kuroko had been -extra not used forgotten- Unlike the rest, though, Hinata hadn't let his talent go to his head. He had only wanted to play for the team.

Like Kuroko.

He felt sick. He had pulled away from Hinata just as much as the rest, when Hinata looked like he needed the company even more than he did. -Not again, never again. First Ogiwara, and now Hinata as well, why did he keep doing this-

The day came when he went to hand in his resignation for basketball. It was too quiet, with no Hinata or Murasakibara or Aomine, and it had hurt just to hear the sound of a basketball bouncing, of it swooshing through the hoop.

Hinata walked up to him the same sheet of paper in hand, eyes understanding and haunted, shoulders hunched as if trying to swallow himself whole. Kuroko had cracked a little caring smile, one that seemed to lift the guilt and terror and replace it with childlike wonder.

Then, with a hand gently tugging Hinata's paper out of his grip, he added it to his and laid them both on the desk.

They didn't see much of each other in the next couple weeks, but it wasn't because he was avoiding Hinata this time. If anything, he began going out of his way to make sure the oranget ate and kept up on his homework -milkshakes left on his desk and little sticky note reminders.- He told himself he wasn't avoiding anything, but Hinata still reminded him a bit too much of what he'd lost. Soon. He'd be able to talk to him again soon. He just-needed a bit more time.

Graduation found Hinata's head of orange bobbing through the crowd towards him. Kuroko was surprised to see him walking so determinately, the fire that had been missing from his own eyes crackling tentatively in Hinata's.

"I'm going to Karasuno." Hinata said. "I played volleyball in elementary school, and I loved it back then. . . I think . . . I think I could love it again." Kuroko nodded.

It went unspoken that he couldn't love basketball again. Kuroko had anticipated that much, and while a part of him ached that Hinata, who had loved basketball so much, had become turned off by it as well, -stupid Miracles, they've moved on from enemies to teammates. When will it end?-

Besides, who was he to judge, when he couldn't even bear to be around the court?

In a tentative voice -he had promised not to leave Hinata behind, the shadows that had been plaguing the oranget were gone now, or at least buried under determination, so strong why couldn't he be strong- he said, "I could help you practice."

A spark of hope lit in Hinata's eyes that had Kuroko's heart aching but also felt- curiously - like something was sliding into place. Like shifting gears. Like change.

He dared to hope. Maybe. Maybe, like Hinata, he could find the will to love a sport again. He may never forgive basketball for taking away so much -Ogiwara, his and Aomine's bond, Hinata's happiness- but he could definitely help Hinata move forward.

Summer seemed to go by in a flash. Hinata wanted to spend every spare moment practicing, whether it be with the neighborhood volleyball ladies or alone with Kuroko.

Kuroko didn't know how anyone managed to resist Hinata's puppy dog eyes. Too often, Kuroko let himself be tugged along hour after hour as Hinata ran, spiked, and trained.

Most days he went home too exhausted to even think- but, if he were being completely honest with himself, he didn't really mind that. If training all day was a way to keep the dark thoughts from swirling endlessly in his brain, than that's what he would do.

Besides, those hours did not go to waste. Not only did his stamina slowly increase, but he got a front row seat to volleyball chasing the shadows from Hinata's eyes.

Besides, they didn't spend all their time on practicing. Training ended up balanced with runs to Maji Burger, countless vanilla milkshakes, and often meandering conversations that lasted for hours.

Kuroko learned a lot about Hinata that summer, but most of all about Hinata's idol the Little Giant. Kuroko secretly admired the volleyball player, if not for getting Hinata out of his funk, then his determination to win in a sport of height. Not that he would ever tell Hinata that- the orangette's obsession was big enough.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon, and Hinata and Kuroko were finishing up practice- they always finished with receives nowadays. Hinata's needed the extra practice.

"Ne, Hinata," Kuroko started, thinking through his words. He had thought of it ages ago, when he had first sent applications to the different schools. But the idea had only been a seedling then. If he was honest, it had grown on him every hour he had spent in Hinata's company. "What would you say if . . ." He paused, uncertain. Hinata's head tilted in question.

It wasn't a question of being welcome. He knew Hinata. There was a part of him, though, that wondered if - if he could pull the Generation of Miracles down from their thrones, one by one, if he just found the right team. To make them acknowledge their mistakes, to make them acknowledge his basketball.

But he had made a promise.

Steeling himself, he finished quickly, "How would you feel if I came to Karasuno with you?"

At Hinata's blank stare he hurried onwards. "I know it was your dream to go to the same school as the Little Giant but . . . but I started liking volleyball," Hours and hours of practice over the summer, the same pleasure of points scored, of exertion, of success, but completely different, because in volleyball, you couldn't score alone.

Even the Ace needed help from his teammates, even the ones who scored the points couldn't have done it without others playing their parts. "And I- I don't want to be left alone again."

Hinata was blinking rapidly. Doubt made his gut churn, his feet shift underneath him. He had been so sure Hinata wouldn't mind, but maybe he had read him wrong? Did he really only want someone to practice with him this summer before he could go off to a real team? -Not welcome not wanted not needed-

But then Hinata was bounding forward, the lead weights that had once weighed down his feet completely gone for the first time since this whole thing started. In a motion to fast to even see Hinata was wrapped around him and spinning around and around.

"Yatta! I was hoping you would come, but I wasn't sure! You never said what school you were going to so I assumed you would be going to knock some heads- cuz you always looked mad anytime you saw a basketball- and you could totally do it to cuz you're awesome." Hinata stopped spinning, leaving him to find his balance as he started to grin.

"But now you're coming to the same school as me and are you gonna join the Volleyball Club with me? Cuz that would be awesome you could totally be on the team and like set to me and stuff and then when the other team isn't looking we could set for you and you could spike like Wham! And they'd never know what hit 'em and- this is gonna be awesome, just wait and see!"

Kuroko merely watched in wonder as his chest loosened. He wasn't wrong- he was wanted. Hinata wanted him to come. Had hoped for it, in fact. The thought brought a feeling he couldn't describe, and in that moment, tinged with relief and hope and genuine happiness he hadn't felt since that match, he smiled.

It wasn't his usual one, he could tell that right away. It wasn't playing at the edge of his lips, it wasn't a suppressed smirk or grin. It cracked his face open the way Hinata's grin always had, and for a moment he just allowed himself the bliss.

After all, he didn't need misdirection around Hinata anymore -had promised not to use it. Not leaving him alone again.- He could let his emotions show around his friend. And Hinata was his friend, he had found. Hours and hours of practice and just hanging out had cemented that fact.

In fact. . . Looking at Hinata, he found the boy staring at him with something like wonder, his mouth hanging open. He tilted his head, brow furrowing.

"What?" He asked. What had he said?

A finger came to rest in front of his face. "You- You smiled!"

Kuroko blinked, bewildered and then bemused. He tried hard to not let his smirk show. As it was, he raised an eyebrow. "And?"

The shock was gone from Hinata's face, and was instantly replaced with ecstatic jumping and whooping. "Kuroko smiled! And he's coming to Karasuno with me! And he's joining volley!"

At that point he stopped jumping six feet in the air and looked at him. "You- You are joining volley with me, right? I said that before, but I don't know if you ever said yes." He looked sheepish at this fact.

Kuroko simply nodded though. "Ah, please take care of me," He said, bowing. Hinata, in typical fashion, completely waved this off and wrapped an arm around Kuroko's neck and dragged him in the direction of Maji Burger.

"You're too stiff! But let's go! We gotta celebrate!"

Hinata chattered the entire way, bouncing intermittently, seemingly unable to contain the endless energy stored in his body.

Kuroko smiled softly as they walked along, knowing he had made the right choice. Giving up basketball was more than worth Hinata's happiness, and he had even gained something else in return. Sure, volleyball wasn't basketball, but it was something he could dedicate himself to, and who knew- maybe their new team would be better than their old one.

At least, that was the hope.

Aaaand that's a wrap!

I should be posting weekly, so you can expect the next chapter soon!

Ja ne!

~Mikey And Raph