I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. Warning - man love ahead!

Dispelling Shadows

Although the culmination wasn't reached until over a month later, the moment it all began was precisely 1 minute and 35 seconds after the buzzer sounded, marking the end of the final match of this year's Winter Cup. The reigning champions – Seirin - had been thrown down by Rakuzan in the final quarter, although with the absence of Kiyoshi Teppei the only surprise had been Seirin's ability to make it this far. At the finish the stadium had erupted; every player in the gym was either laughing or crying, screaming in exultation or shocked into silence. It was at this exact moment that Seirin captain Hyuuga Junpei became legend by successfully confessing his love for his coach...without suffering castration at the hands of her father.

It was this declaration that overshadowed the catalytic interaction between Seirin's two stars, second-years Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya. They stood together on the court, awash in the sensation of their defeat yet in awe of their senpai's acceptance. It was their last season playing with them, and to end with such a heartbreaking victory at Rakuzan's hands? Kuroko's frame was wracked with tremors, and Kagami knew that in public or no, tears were imminent. He also knew the extent of his friend's respect for their upperclassmen, and understood that while he couldn't carry their team to victory, he could at least carry Kuroko.

So at the exact moment Hyuuga ripped off his jersey in front of half of Japan, Kagami jerked his hand towards the smaller body next to him, and haltingly wrapped his fingers around Kuroko's palm.

"Next year, Kuroko." He flexed his grip slightly, ignoring the shift of their sweat-slicked fingers, and the sharp intake of breath behind him. Had he looked over at his friend, he might have been struck by the widening of Kuroko's eyes. "For sure...we'll win next year. I promise you." Just before he pulled away, suddenly conscious of the thousands of eyes that could potentially be seeing him act in a ridiculous, un-Japanese, totally uncool manner, he felt Kuroko's small hand tighten around his with more strength than he could have suspected. He finally looked down into wide blue eyes that blazed with trust and determination, and the radiance of Kuroko's faith coupled with the strength of his fingers made Kagami realize something he should have known long ago.

Mitobe's quiet presence behind them caused them to pull apart, and Hyuuga's avowal – and Aida's acceptance - further diverted them. There was only time for one last quick glance to ensure that Kuroko's tears were halted (mission accomplished) before the evening wound down in a series of locker room pep talks; two more confessions (Koganei and Furihata- denied and accepted, respectively); a handful of interactions with the Generation of Miracles (even Akashi deigned to nod in Kagami's direction, while laying a hand on Kuroko's shoulder); an interview with The Tokyo Daily, and one last hectic team dinner at Maji Burger.

That night, Kagami fell asleep putting words to his revelation, although he suspected would never have the opportunity to say aloud what had taken him two years too long to understand – for all he went on about being his shadow, Kagami had finally realized that Kuroko was his light.

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"Kagami-kun, that is not where the basketballs go."

Kagami looked down to find himself standing over the third urinal from the door, moments away from dropping the basketball down where no such ball had ever gone before.

"Gah!"

Kagami blushed, swore, and flailed wildly. Fortunately, the ball in his hand was not dropped down into the urinal, but bounced harmlessly against a stall door. Less fortunately, the sudden startle caused Kagami to slip and fall to the floor, banging his elbows painfully on the tile.

"Awww fuckshitfuckdamn-" He broke off abruptly, realizing that polite as he was, Kuroko was bound to recognize his swearing, even when it was in English. Judging by the minute change in Kuroko's calm facade, he had. Yet close observation of Kuroko's face reminded Kagami just why he was so damn absentminded in the first place, and the flush crept back over his cheeks. He winced as he rose, just to mold his face into a frown.

"Why didn't you say something, baka? What if I'd really dropped it?"

Kagami sensed rather than saw Kuroko's lips curl into a tiny, satisfied smirk. "I did, Kagami-kun."

"But- I- argh. Why not before I entered the men's room, maybe?"

"...I did."

Kagami's scowl deepened, hands clenching ineffectually at his sides. He wondered if this would be the day Kuroko finally realized just how strange he was, how awkward and ungainly and stupid and wrong. Yet there was no way to tell until Kuroko opened his mouth and told him so directly, so he simply turned, opened the stall door, and retrieved the basketball.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun. Perhaps we should put the ball away in it's proper place before Coach finds us...and reasons to punish us." Darkness clouded Kuroko's brow at the thought.

Kagami grunted in agreement, and strode out of the bathroom, not bothering to see if Kuroko was following him. At this point he could take that for granted, even if the rest of the world had turned upside down since the Winter Cup.

It was only after they had safely deposited the basketball in the rack that he spoke again, voicing the question that was foremost on his mind. "So uh, why were you following me, anyway? I thought you went home after practice."

There was the slightest of hesitations before he responded, just enough to catch Kagami's attention but not enough to determine its meaning. "I followed you because you do many peculiar things, Kagami-kun. I know of no one else who would take a basketball into the bathroom, after all."

Kagami sputtered and glanced away, yet the embarrassment was fading. He'd said and done plenty of dumb things on and off the court in Kuroko's presence, and this was by no means the worst. It would all be forgotten by tomorrow, or by this evening at least - he would cook something complicated so he would focus on what he was supposed to be focusing on, not big blue eyes and-

"I also wanted to use this opportunity to speak to you privately. I've noticed you have been a bit distracted these last few weeks. Is there anything wrong?"

With a distinct lack of self-preservation, Kagami glanced wide-eyed at the boy next to him. Yet even as his common sense called for him to look away, look anywhere but Kuroko's face, the concern he saw there held his attention. He had rarely seen Kuroko wear such an expression. Perhaps when Aomine was at the height of his stupidity, but never since then. Directed towards himself, he realized how powerful Kuroko's emotions could be, especially as he so rarely revealed them.

"Kagami-kun?"

He swallowed thickly and wondered if there was a casual way to dry his sweating palms without drawing attention to them. "M'fine. Nothing's wrong. Just...disappointed about the Cup."

His attempts at evasion did not miss Kuroko's eye. "Are you sure? Forgive me for saying so, but I think there may be something else bothering you."

Kagami simply could not handle this. With a groan, he shifted his gym bag to the opposite shoulder, swinging it between himself and Kuroko. Hating himself for both his rudeness and his inability to maintain eye contact with his (friend, partner, what is he and what am I?) teammate, he shook his head, and then called out his goodbye over his shoulder as he turned and walked away.

He had barely gone three steps before his teammate appeared in his path like a nettled ghost. "Kagami-kun, you will have to do much better than that if you wish to avoid my questions. Or is it me you wish to avoid?"

He sighed deeply, and longed for the days when Kuroko's misdirection still took him by surprise. Then he could jump and bluster, Kuroko's pride in his abilities would be appeased, and he could change the subject. Now that he knew where Kuroko was - at all times, on and off the court, and it was driving him up the friggin' wall- and that Kuroko knew that he knew, there was no such respite. "It's not you, Kuroko. I... It's...it's complicated."

As soon as the words left his mouth he knew they were wrong. Kuroko's expression grew guarded, and there was a knowing glint in his eye that Kagami did not like. "Ahh, I see. I had wondered if it had anything to do with the...forward young lady in our class. I know she is considered to be quite attractive, and from the way she has been pursuing Kagami-"

"It has nothing to do with her. She's not even cute, anyways, just annoying as fuc-" Instead of wincing, Kagami merely sucked in a breath and held it. This was it. He was an irredeemable idiot. The one chance he had of shaking Kuroko off his trail and he'd blown in it a moment of total, stupid, honesty. For the third time that week he wondered if it was feasible for him to transfer to another school. Kaijou, Touou, Shuutoku...he'd consider any but Rakuzan in order to get away from the boy who turned him into a bumbling idiot.

...Well, maybe not Kaijou. The rest of the team was fine, but he just could not stand Kise.

"I see. If that is the case then, does your avoidance mean that you do not trust me? Or is it a family matter? If so, I apologize. I do not mean to pry."

Kagami snorted. Kuroko not prying was like Midorima deciding to take a day off from Oha Asa, or like Akashi not being insane. Although he did respect the 'sanctity of the family' and would probably back off if Kagami claimed that was the case, there was no way Kuroko would believe him. There was also no way Kagami could leave the matter hanging like this now that Kuroko was looking up at him with all the effectiveness of a wounded animal.

"Ok. I might have a problem."

"Yes, I presumed as much."

"Kuroko."

"Yes, Kagami-kun?"

"Ugh, just don't be so formal. And c'mere. Let's talk over here."

"In the locker room?"

"S'good a place as any. Can't talk about it in the hallway."

"As you wish."

Yet now that they were in locker room, Kagami had no idea where to start. Kuroko had seated himself on the bench, not hunching over as he would during a game, but properly, with his feet on the floor and his back straight. Deciding that there was no more point in delaying the inevitable, Kagami slid to the floor. At least he could enjoy the change in angle - there was no way Kuroko could use those puppy eyes on him when he was this close to the ground.

"So, you remember that English essay we had to do? The one about important things?"

If Kuroko was confused by this opening he did not show it. "Yes. Is that why you are distracted? You scored fairly well, I thought."

"You saw it?" Although he was resigned to his ignoble and utterly humiliating fate, Kagami's blood still froze in his veins.

"Just the score. Coach wanted me to keep an eye on your progress, in case we had to enact drastic measures again."

Kagami exhaled in a rush. Well that was better than he thought it would be. Now, if only he could explain his problem in a way that didn't make him appear to be unnatural...or depraved. "Ahh, yeah. Well. I guess I've been distracted because of what I wrote for the essay. Just had to think some things out. Then I'll be back to normal, promise."

Kuroko's brow knitted with what would be, on a lesser mortal, indignation. "Kagami-kun, you wrote about basketball. I know this. Why would writing an essay on basketball make you absentminded, clumsy, and avoid me like I have the plague?"

Kagami winced. He hadn't realized he had been that obvious. Although with three weeks since the Winter Cup and two since the essay, there had been plenty of opportunity for Kuroko to realize something was wrong. Hell, there had been plenty of opportunity for Kagami to realize something was wrong, even if he was still deeply and firmly in denial about it. "I didn't exactly write about basketball."

"Kagami-kun, I am well acquainted with the word in English. I used it enough times in my own essay. I know that I saw it on your page-"

"Basketball isn't the problem, Kuroko. I wrote about it, yeah, but it wasn't the most important thing-"

"Basketball wasn't your most important thing?" Kuroko rarely interrupted anyone. He also rarely showed his surprise so openly. Kagami did not know how to handle either situation, and therefore blocked his face with his hand under the pretense of rubbing his temples.

"It...was not what I wrote about."

Not looking at Kuroko was unfortunately very conducive to hearing all the subtle nuances in his deceptively flat tone. "Let me reiterate. The topic of the essay - your most important thing - was not basketball. It was, however, something that has left you suitably distressed."

"I'm not distressed. I'm just confused."

"About basketball?" The concern lacing his voice would have been apparent to anyone, not just one who had spent every free moment with him over the last two years.

"No, I already said that. Look, Kuroko, I don't know how to say this. It's not about basketball. It's not even about losing to Rakuzan."

"Was it about Himura-san?"

"What? No. All's cool with Tatsuya."

"...Was it about me?"

Kagami's hand fell away from his face. For once, his face was as unreadable as Kuroko's. Only the intensity in his gaze was recognizable. "No. Yes. I don't know. This is why I'm confused."

Kuroko swallowed before responding, and Kagami's eyes tracked the movement at his throat. "I confuse you?"

Kagami's hand came back to his face, rubbing his temples and smoothing the hair away from his face. This was the hard part about talking, because if he already knew what was wrong, he would have fixed it already. Now he had to somehow make this mess understandable to Kuroko, too, without endangering their partnership. "No. I think I confuse me. But maybe you do too. Ugh, I just... it's about the whole light thing."

A faint shadow developed over Kuroko's brow, undetectable as of yet, but threatening to grow. "You wrote about- you are confused because you are my light?"

Even though his heart was thudding painfully against his chest Kagami couldn't help but smile. "No, baka. I got used to that a long time ago. Not sure that ever really bothered me, to be honest."

Kuroko's head tilted to the left, and Kagami's fingers twitched. It was always at the most inopportune times that the urge to touch Kuroko flared. The line of his neck was so delicate, and it would be incredibly easy to trace it, wondering if it would make him sigh. The fantasy shattered when he glanced down at his hands, so large and rough and unfitting. Kuroko was a guy. He was a guy. Together they could play basketball, and nothing else. To harbor these thoughts about his friend would only make everything worse than it was now. His confusion would never end if he would not just wise up and accept that some things were never meant to be.

"Kagami-kun, now I am confused as well. Please explain?"

"If I could explain it any better, I'd have figured it out by now, and wouldn't have caused any problems."

"That is not the case. Please, try to explain. I- I want to know. Is it something I am doing?"

Kagami stretched out his legs before answering. Of course it was something Kuroko was doing, it was everything Kuroko did. All the sly smiles and the jabs on the back in class, all the passes on the court and the determination and even the childish fixation on vanilla friggin' shakes - "No. It's not- it's not. You. It's me. I just don't know how to handle it, ok?"

"Handle what exactly?"

All the frustration and confusion came together, popping the cork on Kagami's inchoate, bubbling emotions. "Having a light. I don't know how to handle it."

There was a long, long moment of silence. Within that moment, both boys had plenty of time to reflect on the full ramifications of Kagami's words. Kagami had, consequently, never been so terrified in his life.

"I...am your light?"

Now that the truth was out and there was no turning back, Kagami took a deep breath and attempted to get it all out at once. "Well it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean I guess you've always been...that to me, but I was all distracted 'cuz you told me first. But how else could we be...what we are? And it wasn't ever a problem until this Winter Cup, when I realized you were my light, and now I can't shut you off, you know?"

"Kagami-kun-"

"And it's not so bad on the court, hell, it's fuckin' awesome on the court, but in class it's kinda rough. You're right there, and now it's twice as hard to concentrate, and I get mad at your stupid friends every time they try to...I don't know, go on dates with you and shit-"

"That's only Kise-kun, and it is unwanted-"

"I mean you could have told me that having a light was this damn hard! And you're everywhere! It's not like I can unsee you! I mean, it's nice always having you in my head, but it's also really distracting, and...and-"

Kagami sputtered as Kuroko stood. Belatedly, he realized he may have gone too far after all, even though he had kept himself from saying the words he repeated like a mantra every time certainty closed in: I think I like you, I've never liked anyone before, I think I really, really like you-

"You are unfair, Kagami-kun."

Kagami watch as his partner stepped close, and an odd thought struck him - even the tiger can be hunted. "Kuroko? Wait, what? Why am I-"

All protestation died as Kuroko settled himself in his lap, catching his outstretched arms and bringing them to close around him. He brought his own hands to Kagami's face, catching Kagami's shocked exhalation between his fingers.

"You made me wait a very long time." Kuroko brushed his cool lips against Kagami's own, and any further protest on Kagami's part was ended before it began. He pressed against them again, and Kagami's tension slowly began to seep away. He kissed him a third time, close-mouthed yet lingering until Kagami sighed against him. Then he pulled back, just enough to take a breath and not let go of the moment.

"Kagami-kun, is this...acceptable?"

Kagami tried but could not keep his hands from trembling at Kuroko's back. He was fighting a losing battle against adrenaline, hope, and the desire to touch that was steadily pushing him past rational thought. To answer Kuroko's question with words was beyond him. Instead, he brought a shaking hand to the back of Kuroko's head, steadied it there, and blindly pressed his first kiss against his partner's lips.

It was enough. Kuroko sank into his embrace, humming his pleasure against Kagami's lips. Both moved slowly, engaging in a series of careful, light touches that at once built confidence and laid the foundation for dizzying heights. For a long while, Kagami was unable to register any sensation other than Kuroko's lips, moving quietly yet determinedly against his own. Eventually he was able to distinguish the erratic path Kuroko's hands traced between his face and hair, and how he gripped his shoulders whenever he nudged his lips more firmly against Kuroko's. This discovery prompted him to open his mouth, craving more of Kuroko and instinctively knowing this was the way to get it.

It was impossible for Kagami to distinctly remember what happened after that. The encounter broke down into the dizzying rush of blood through his body, and the body of the boy on his lap. There were deep kisses that only grew deeper, until there were tongues and teeth and ragged breaths that took in just enough air to continue. Kuroko was the braver of the two, nipping with his teeth and lathing with his tongue; hands never still against the canvass of Kagami's body. Kagami, still distantly worried he might break Kuroko, pulled his hands maddeningly slowly up and down Kuroko's back. Yet it was his hips that jolted first, arching up when Kuroko trailed his mouth from his face to his neck.

"Unhh." Kagami froze and flushed in mortification. He hadn't just done that, had he? He opened his mouth to apologize, but could only suck in a ragged breath when Kuroko bit down on the juncture between his neck and his shoulder. It became a whimper when Kuroko ground his own hips down, bringing into focus just how unoffended he was.

Inexperienced or not, Kagami was lost. Approaching this encounter with all the voracity he displayed on the court, he brought Kuroko's face back to his, kissing him roughly. Taking Kuroko's quiet moans as an invitation, he trailed his hands down his partner's chest. His goal was straightforward, and he knew to do nothing else. All he could think of was what he enjoyed, and the drive to touch/own/consume Kuroko was overpowering all else.

It was only when he had reached the waistband of Kuroko's shorts that he broke the kiss. "Is this..." Kuroko's own whispered phrase flashed through his mind, causing his lips to curve into a feral grin, "...acceptable?"

He didn't miss the hunger in Kuroko's widened eyes, nor the flash of teeth that bit at his lower lip. Yet he wanted a verbal response, so he squeezed Kuroko's thighs, his thumbs brushing against the tented fabric between them. "Kuroko?"

"Yes. Yes please." Kagami smiled wolfishly at Kuroko's admission. He turned his attention back to Kuroko's shorts, and what lie under them. He could feel Kuroko nudging him, attempting to bring him back into a kiss, but for this he wanted to see more than feel. So he gently pulled at elastic waistband, pulling it over and down the stiff length, and tried to mentally prepare himself for what would come next.

Kagami was unsure how he would feel about this part. He knew his feelings for Kuroko

were more than just platonic, yet the thought of another man's dick so close to his own caused him to shudder in a mixture of pleasure and revulsion. Yet Kuroko was the perfect mixture of too much and not enough - not as long or as thick as his own, but uncut and decently sized. It was, in its proportions, perfect, and so Kagami experienced no further qualms about cupping it in his hands, and pulling down on the foreskin to expose the pale head.

"Mmm. Kagami, oh-"

Kagami let loose with a growl of his own as Kuroko buried his face against his neck. He began to pump slowly, utilizing less pressure than he would on himself, but still an amount he feared would be too much for the smaller boy. A small part of him was grateful that they were sitting on the floor - the pleasure was spiraling up towards his head, and had he been standing he would have fallen to the floor. Yet he continued, only increasing the pace when Kuroko's gasps became audible.

"Ahh, yes. Kagami, yes. Please-"

Kagami's eyes lidded as Kuroko began to rock against him. Delicious heat enveloped him, especially so when Kuroko regained sense enough to suck on the pulse point at his throat. He was beginning to lose himself in the rhythm when Kuroko suddenly reared back nearly toppling out of Kagami's hold.

"Are you all right? Is- is this ok?" Kagami experienced a moment of sheer panic before Kuroko leaned forward and reassured him with a wet kiss. Yet before he could continue, Kuroko pulled at the string of Kagami's shorts.

"Together. I want us to cum together."

Kagami had never heard such beautiful words in the Japanese language. In moments, his own erection had been freed, and bobbed gently against Kuroko's. The sight robbed him of all rationality, yet his purpose was doubled. He took them both in his hand, pressing them closer together, and began to rub.

There were low, guttural sounds coming out of his mouth, but surely they could not be his own. Regardless, Kuroko swallowed them greedily, kissing him helplessly as Kagami stroked both their cocks. At first it was awkward, trying to judge speed and pressure when there was an unexpected amount of sex in his hand, but the payoff was worth it. It was more than enough simply to have Kuroko there with him, kissing and touching and sparking the slow fire inside him. Even with the challenge of getting them off together, he would still cum far too quickly.

Hopefully he would not leave Kuroko behind. "Kuroko, I'm- are you close...?

Kuroko arced his back, jutting his hips forward as he did. "Yes. Kagami. Yes."

That was all the invitation Kagami needed. His strokes became faster and firmer until there was nothing but ascension, and then white fire in his mind. Distantly, he could hear Kuroko's shuddering breaths and wet heat against his stomach, but for that blessed moment there was only the heights of heaven and the momentary suspension before he fell back to earth.

His head fell back against the lockers just in time to see Kuroko's descent, and in the absolute certainty of afterglow he knew this would only get better. This was a sobering thought when it was already good enough to set his head spinning. The expression on Kuroko's face alone was enough to fuel another two week's worth of daydreams...yet all that was not what interested him. Carefully, he maneuvered Kuroko so that he could recline against him, taking care not to brush up against their spent members. Unable to fully relax, he stroked careful paths up and down Kuroko's arm, glorying in the rise and fall of Kuroko's thin frame against his.

"Kagami...kun?"

Kagami smiled. No matter how often he tried, Kuroko still addressed him in that maddeningly formal way. Except, of course, for when they were kissing - filing away that interesting tidbit for later, Kagami responded. "Yeah?"

"Are you still confused?"

He pressed a kiss against the top of Kuroko's head, half to stem the rush of affection he felt for the boy in his arms, and half to hide his smile. "No. You?"

Kuroko huffed indignantly against his chest, and then attempted to burrow his nose into his collarbone. "I am never confused, Kagami-kun. That being said, I am a little upset that it took you this long to realize your feelings for me. I have been very patient."

Kagami could not more stop his stupid grin any more than the happiness that flooded his body. In all his time with Kuroko, he had never imagined this could be possible Consequently, he had never even hoped for something half this amazing. "Ahh, sorry about that. I'm just a basketball idiot, you know."

"That is obvious, bakagami-"

"Hey now-" He crouched down to press his lips against Kuroko's cheek, and was gratified to see his kisses had the ability not only to stop Kuroko's teasing, but also to bring color to his ears. "I'll make up for lost time. I promise."

"I would not allow you to do otherwise, Kagami-kun. But perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere other than the locker room."

"Huh. Yeah, we're in the locker room, aren't we."

"Kagami-kun."

"Yeah, yeah. Just kidding. C'mon, let's get up. Man, at least we can clean off right here."

"Kagami-kun is most expedient."

"...don't make me kiss you again, Kuroko."

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"Kagami-kun?"

There were halfway to Kagami's apartment before Kuroko broke the silence. It wasn't a terribly awkward silence, especially in light of their strained interactions over that last few weeks. It was more of a calculating silence, wherein Kagami attempted to determine whether he could get away with holding Kuroko's hand or not. He had just decided to do it - to hell with anyone who even looked at them funny - when Kuroko interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

The smaller boy looked up at him, sideways and through the fringe falling into his eyes. "I feel as if I should warn you in advance..."

Kagami sighed and set his shoulders. "This is about the Kiseki no sedai, yeah? What, they aren't gonna' approve of me? After all this time? Well tell 'em to bring it on. M'not letting them get in the way of you 'n' me." When no response came immediately, he paused to look down at his partner. His heart skipped when he saw Kuroko's tiny smile, and warmth in his wide eyes. "Kuroko?"

The smile widened infinitesimally. "Thank you, Kagami-kun. That you feel that way...it makes me very happy."

Kagami could feel a smile edging onto his own face, and scowled reflexively. They were in public, after all. " 'Course I feel that way. Don't you?"

"Ahh. That was actually what I was trying to say."

"Oh?"

Kuroko fixed his most serious face on Kagami. "I am very...possessive, Kagami-kun. I do not intend to share. Is that acceptable?"

Is that acceptable? Kuroko had said the same thing before kissing him just an hour ago. Remembering the hesitation in his voice and the sweetness that followed was enough to recharge Kagami's libido, as well as putting any indecision to rest. "Only if I don't have to share you, either."

The hungry look in Kagami's eye was enough to convince Kuroko, apparently, as he nodded firmly. It was also enough to bring a mischievous spark to his own eye. "Well then. I suppose we'll have to inform our friends eventually...although perhaps not until the season is officially over. But in the meantime, perhaps we should simply order dinner in, tonight."

His confusion dimmed, but did not dispel his simmering ardor. "Wait, what? Why are those two connected-"

"They are not. I am simply referring to what I plan to do with you this evening. I doubt there will be much time for cooking, delicious as your food always is."

A lazy, dangerous smile crept up the side of Kagami's face. "Huh. Guess we better get home quickly then."

They looked at each other then, in perfect accord and wearing identical smiles. "Lead the way, my light."

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Well it took me several months to finally edit this, but here it is. Hopefully the ending makes more sense now!