明日へ連れて
By – Hime no Ichigo

Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG
Pairing: TAKAO Kazunari x MIDORIMA Shintarou
Story Type: Drabble
Summary: "Shin-chan, you know I love you, right?"

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is the intellectual property of Fujimaki Tadatoshi.

Notes: This is from this week's theme: "umbrella". AU.

"You'll catch a cold," he was always scolded whenever it rained.

Not that Takao ever took the warning to heart, not even after the words were realized almost immediately the days after they were said. He never learned his lessons—or so it was perceived.

What Midorima didn't know was that these were subtle things Takao liked to push onto him in an effort to make him pay attention to only him. It didn't matter that everyone else despised him, muttering insults in front of and behind him; all Midorima needed to do was fill his vision with Takao Kazunari, his clumsiness, his usefulness.

Takao calculated his plans accordingly. Every so often, he knew Midorima would have just about enough of his disobedience, and would reluctantly tell him to share an umbrella with him. He would say it with a irritable tone, but Takao saw the pink splashed on his cheeks and ear tips. And playing his part correctly, Takao would be the clingy boyfriend(-to-be), flushed against Midorima's left side as he tried to match Shin-chan's bigger strides.

Embarrassed and bothered, Midorima still didn't have the heart to push him out of the safety of the umbrella – not when he was the one who invited Takao in. He slowed down, and regretted it the moment Takao teased, do you really want to spend more time with me?

Another block and a right turn later, they would be at Takao's apartment. He held on to the stem, covering Midorima's bandaged hand.

"What—"

"Shin-chan, you know I love you, right?"

He spluttered. "What's this all of a sudden?"

"I just want you to know, keep it in your head," Takao laughed, like usual. He pulled him down by his tie—ever properly done—and kissed him, testing waters. It was probably the first time Midorima had let him kiss longer than five seconds.

"How many times have I told you—"

"—not in public, right? I know, I know." He laughed again, more so at Midorima's indignant expression, knowing that he hated it when he completed his sentences, especially when it was something he did deliberately.

Takao hummed the rest of the way home, covering up for the gloomy mood next to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shin-chan," and pecked him on the cheek, earning him another resentful grunt.

It was a fond memory among many similar incidents that Takao had no trouble recalling all the details. Everything he did with Midorima was unforgettable, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he needed to.

Three years later, and still, it was all the same for him.

—No, things had changed. There was no one to hold the umbrella for him anymore.

"Shin-chan, I got accepted into med school, aren't you proud of me? I'm sorry it took so long."

It had taken a lot of resolve and determination and sheer hard work that Takao managed to pull it off. It had been Midorima's first choice, and he felt obligated to carry out that dream. Takao eventually found his interest in the sciences, triggered by the most unwanted thing.

He wiped the memorial with a wet cloth, and placed a fresh bouquet of white carnations in front of it. Midorima hated flowers, but Takao didn't want to come empty-handed. That would be rude.

"And I'm carrying an umbrella everywhere now, you should be proud of that too."

Takao twirled it, slightly entertained by the pattern the water droplets created for a few minutes. "This one is yours." He placed it down and covered the memorial, sheltering it from the rain.

He could almost hear the scolding in his ears. "You'll catch a cold."

I know.

- Owari -

Authoress' Notes: I'll let you fill in the gaps on exactly how Midorima died.