"Oi, Tetsu!"

Aomine's voice alarmed the other first-stringers as he shouted to their smallest member. That was weird. No matter how much irritable Aomine had become, he never shouted at their phantom player. Midorima looked up from his shooting practice only to see Kuroko lying face down on the ground.

This wasn't a rare occurrence, so he didn't make much of it. The phantom player would be up and running again once one of their teammates tell him to get up. In this case, it was Aomine, but when the tanned teen told him to get up, Kuroko didn't respond with his usual low mumble of approval.

"Tetsu?" Aomine shook the boy, but the tealhead showed no reaction. "What's going on, Aomine- AH! TETSU-KUN!" Momoi's shrill voice completely made the three best friends focus of the gym. Everyone looked up from what they were doing previously, all concerned and worried of the phantom sixth man.

"Dai-chan quick we have to get Tetsu-kun to the infirmary!" Momoi spluttered, even forgetting to use 'Aomine-kun' instead of 'Dai-chan' like how she usually did whenever there were other people in the vicinity.

Aomine carried Kuroko on his shoulder, the tealhead still not moving even with all the jostling around. "Akashi, where's Akashi?!" Aomine roared, but when their redhead captain was nowhere to be found, he marched to Midorima with a worried expression. "I'm taking Tetsu to the infirmary, be back as soon as I got him settled down. Tell that to Akashi." And with that, the trio rushed out of the building.

Midorima wasn't worried about Kuroko. After all, their phantom player was extraordinarily weak in physical stature. After their second championship win, Kuroko had been forcing himself even further, saying something about a childhood friend of his.

The practice resumed like nothing happened, although there was a lingering sense of worry that Midorima couldn't shake off no matter how many times he shot the ball. Precisely during this time, his captain returned from the meeting he had with the head coach.

"Midorima, what happened while I was gone?" Akashi asked, noticing the disappearance of their ace, their manager, and their phantom player. "Akashi," the shooting guard acknowledged with a glance of forest-green eyes. "Kuroko collapsed in the middle of training, Aomine and Momoi are bringing him to the infirmary."

"Ah? It wasn't like the usual ones then?" He asked, sounding a teensy bit different. Was he worried? "No, he didn't wake up no matter how much Aomine jostle him." Midorima answered calmly, it's not like he was worried of Kuroko or anything. After all, Aquarius had the worst luck today. The tealhead should have brought an orange pencil case as his lucky item…

"I see, I guess we can go home earlier today…"

"Eh?"

"Gather your things and change, everyone! We will end today's practice here!"

As soon as Akashi's voice resounded, everyone dispersed. The second years went to change while the first years went to clean up. Midorima stood there dumbfounded. What on earth…?

"I'll be leaving. You should too, Shintarou." And then the captain left.

Midorima was really confused. Why would Akashi, of all people, cancel the practice today just because of Kuroko, who was already taken care of? Given it was already halfway into sunset, won't it be better to just carry on until seven, like they used to?

But Midorima said nothing. After all, maybe Akashi was thinking about things that he didn't notice. He sighed, dropped his ball, and went to the changing room.

When he was about to enter, Akashi was already leaving, seemingly in a hurry. But he still kept a calm and composed face. He shrugged off Murasakibara, who called Akashi to speak with him, probably about mundane things.

Midorima paid no attention. He changed his clothes to his uniform in no hurry at all. He even met with Aomine, who was still in his practice getup. But the greenhead left earlier than the power forward, who was cluttering to get his stuff in the bag.

The shooting guard pushed up his glasses as he looked towards the blood red sky. Beautiful. But… something else caught his attention.

It was Akashi. He was not going home yet, but where? Did he forget something?

"This is so troublesome nanodayo." He rolled his eyes, pushed up his glasses, and proceeded to follow his captain.

Akashi was in no hurry, but there were slight gestures that made Midorima think that something wasn't right with his captain. The greenhead ignored it, though. He wasn't one to worry about others, after all.

After a few minutes of walking, Akashi finally stopped in front of the… infirmary? Why would he be going to the infirmary? Akashi wasn't injured, was he?

But then, it struck his head. Kuroko. He must be there to see Kuroko. After all, this was the first time Kuroko actually passed out cold and not just lying face-down on the gym floor. Akashi must be worried.

Midorima sighed, he was about to turn back and actually go home for the day. But then, there was a sound of painful groan coming from the infirmary. Wha…?

The shooting guard gulped down his worry (he wasn't worried!) and inhaled as much air as he could. He wanted to know what was going on inside. Without Akashi's knowing, of course.

Luckily, the redhead left the door slightly ajar. Midorima narrowed his eyes to get a better look inside.

Akashi was standing next to Kuroko's bed, the phantom player was still soundly asleep. His captain was covering his right eye with his hand, seemingly in great pain.

"Kuroko… ugh…" He murmured as he tried to speak with the unconscious boy. "Kuroko… what's going- UNGH!" Midorima was about to barge in when Akashi fell to his knees and threw his head on Kuroko's bed. "Aka-"

"Tetsuyaaaaaaa," Akashi's voice sounded different. But it wasn't. It wasn't different at all. But it didn't sound right.

"What happened to you, Tetsuya? Why did you pass out? Is the practice too hard for you?" Everything sounded wrong. It was just Akashi, expressing his usual concerns over their teammate. But Midorima could hear the sheer… something that made his skin crawl.

And on the other hand… Tetsuya? When did Akashi and Kuroko be on first name basis? But… earlier he called him Kuroko? Everything was confusing…

But what Midorima saw after that shocked him even more. Akashi sat on Kuroko's bed, he caressed the phantom player's hair gently before colliding his lips to Kuroko's pale ones.

What. The. Hell?

"Tetsuya…." Akashi whispered breathily as the phantom player groaned a little in his sleep. "Tetsuya, Tetsuya, my Tetsuya…." Midorima knew this feeling. He knew he'd faced this Akashi before. Back when they were in the first grade, just after they found Kuroko. And that other time when they were discussing Haizaki's fate. Who…

"Don't worry, Tetsuya. He canceled the practice, you aren't missing anything." Akashi smiled gently. "Don't worry, don't worry…" Kuroko groaned sleepily, his hands groggily reached for Akashi's hand. "Ogiwara…-kun?" He whispered breathily.

Akashi's face contorted into an expression Midorima couldn't word. It was a mix of anger, pissed off, and irritation. He looked absolutely enraged. The redhead raised his hand, like he was about to slap the tealhead.

"Akashi- don't!" Midorima intruded and held the the redhead by his wrist. "Unhand me, Shintarou." His green eyes clashed with Akashi's crimson and… gold? No way, Akashi's eyes were crimson. Both of them. But this time, his right eye were tinted with gold.

"What are you thinking?! Are you going to slap Kuroko?!"

"Yes, yes I was. He's mine. Why would he mutter someone else's- ugh!"

The redhead brushed Midorima's hand away and covered his golden eye with it, groaning in pain. "Damnit, damn you, Akashi!"

He needed to do something. He must do something! But before he could calm the redhead, a pale hand and a groggy murmur beat him first to it.

"Akashi…-kun?"

The effect was instantaneous. Akashi's eyes returned back to their usual crimson. He was breathless as he looked around his surroundings. "Midorima? Kuroko…?" The tealhead woke up, rubbing his eyes with his left hand, his right was still firm on Akashi's other wrist.

"What's going on, Akashi-kun? Midorima-kun?" He asked confusedly.

Akashi fell into silence, and so did Midorima. What were they supposed to say? After all, Midorima himself didn't understand what just happened. Was that Akashi? Did Akashi like Kuroko that way? And what did he mean by Kuroko was his? Why did he say he and not I when he was speaking about cancelling the practice?

"I… I'm glad that you are better now, Kuroko. I heard you collapsed in the middle of training." Kuroko nodded. "I apologize, Akashi-kun."

"No, it's alright…." The redhead fell silent again before standing up and threw his usual cool and calm smile to the both of them. "I have some thinking to do." And with that, he left.

Who… was that? Who did he speak to before that Akashi returned? Who was the one who tried to slap Kuroko on his face? Was that Akashi…?

"Midorima-kun," a soft, monotonous calling woke Midorima from his stupor. The greenhead perked. "What is it, Kuroko?" He asked.

"What's going on?" Ah, that question was such a simple, yet complicated one. Why?

Because Midorima didn't know how to answer that.

I'm falling deeper in this ship...