Original Prompt: AU where Kuroko suffers a childhood full of loneliness and neglect due to his lack of presence. It culminates in a suicide attempt. Kagami interferes, and shows him the meaning of life - through basketball from Kagakuro prompts

Author's note: I couldn't pass this prompt up, and because school was cancelled I got to work on it. So enjoy!

Disclaimer I do no own KnB

Loneliness.

A feeling that shouldn't be known by someone of my age. To me that emotion was like an old friend that I saw every day. In truth it had been my constant companion.

My parents only had me because it was what was expected of them as a married couple. I knew my importance to them. My mother often forgot that there were three mouths to feed and made a meal large enough for only two.

If I wanted to eat I had to make it myself. My diet for most of my life had consisted of whatever was at school, boiled eggs, and the vanilla milkshakes that I had learned to create.

If I wanted something I had to earn money for it myself. So I had to get a job, I couldn't get money for chores.

It was like this with my father as well. I could stand right in front of him, and he wouldn't notice me. Only shift so that he could see what it was he was looking at before I came.

When I had nightmares, it was up to me to figure out how to calm myself down. My parents wouldn't come rushing in to see what the matter was and dry my tears. The worst part was that the nightmares were so realistic. It was always about me fading out of existence and no one would notice. Then at the end of the dream it would always be a funeral and no one would be around but the preacher and a few volunteers to lower my coffin into the ground.

Reality was sometimes worse. I was gifted with amazing observation skills, I could see nearly everything about everyone. I knew secrets that people thought only they knew. I saw how much pain existed in the world. From betrayals from friends, loved ones, strangers. It all came from being noticed.

I longed for that life. It would never happen, that was the sad truth.

Somewhere I figured out that humans as a hold tended to long for things that they could never have. Sometimes it was easy to live with the longing… other times it was so painful that you could barely breathe.

I longed for someone to notice me. To have a conversation. For someone to apologize when they bumped into me! Anything that showed that I wasn't just matter that took the form of a human.

I had tried to stand out. I dyed my hair light blue attempting for a comment or a scolding from a teacher. There was nothing, no double takes. The only thing that had changed was the fact that I now had blue hair.

For some reason I kept it. An act of rebellion, as I dubbed it. Only a small cry in a world of noise, it wouldn't be noticed.

No one would miss the one who was never known, that never existed.

Which led me to my current place. I stood on the roof of the gym, well after school. I walked along the wall that was there to prevent students from falling off unintentionally even though this area was off limits to the student body.

I stopped my pacing, turned and looked to the ground. I leaned forward a little bit, but the then straightened up. This wasn't hesitation, I just wanted to make sure my head was completely empty of thoughts before I took the plunge.

My head was as empty as I was going to get, I leaned forward even more. The ground blurry and moving as my slight phobia of heights kicked in.

I was seconds away from falling when I heard something behind me.

"Huh? Oi!" Then the sound of running as someone grabbed me just as I was starting the fall. I winced as my shoulder was yanked. I was slowly pulled back to the roof, too out of it to recognize what had just happened.

When I hit the gravel of the school roof, I was shaken out of my daze. I looked up to see who it was that saved me.

It was a guy in my class. He was tall, tanned, and looked very athletic. He had two toned hair, red and black. Though my gaze was drawn to his eyes. I saw his split eyebrows, which were odd, but not odd enough to keep my attention. His eyes, crimson, were filled with some undiscernible emotion, but that's not what drew me to them. It was the fact that they were looking right at me. He could see me!

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice was low and sounded genuinely concerned.

I was too surprised to respond. Not only did he see me but he was actually talking to me.

I don't know what my face looked like, but it caused him to look away and blush.

"I mean you fell and I caught your arm. That to have hurt." He clarified.

I could only nod. I knew that I would be awkward with human interactions, but this was exceeding my own expectations.

"Should we go to the nurse?" He asked watching me closely.

I shook my head.

"So why were you on top of the roof?" He asked.

He's blunt! I exclaimed in my head.

I tried to think about to answer. But as I looked at him looking at me I felt something well up in my chest. It was a strong emotion.

Suddenly I found myself crying, having a breakdown in front of this guy, who I had just met. I looked at him through blurry eyes, he looked startled.

I couldn't do anything but sob. I heard gravel shift as the other moved. I figured that he was just going to back away. After all my first impression had a lot to be desired. He caught me when I was about to kill myself and now I'm having a mental breakdown in front of him.

To my surprise I felt a source of heat next to me. Then there was one on my head. I wiped my eyes and looked at the other. He was crouching next to me, closer than the normal public would consider appropriately and I realized that his hand was on my head.

"I don't really know how to comfort someone who's crying." He spoke sheepishly. "And I'm not good with words; plus you just met me but I can listen you whatever you need me to."

His kindness sent me into another fit of sobs. I was pretty sure that I heard him mumble something that sounded like he didn't mean to make me cry.

I wasn't sure how long we were on the roof, but I noticed that it was getting cold outside. My sobs were finally settling down, and I was able to go a few minutes without resuming the harsh sobs. I hadn't been able to collect my thoughts, but I knew I had to explain something otherwise the first person that actually noticed me would think that I'm a freak. I wouldn't have that.

I inhaled shakily. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

The red head blinked, apparently not expecting me to talk. "Kagami Taiga."

"I'm sorry you had to witness that." I spoke quietly.

Kagami looked around. "Er, its fine I guess, but if you don't mind me asking… why are you up here in the first place?"

I stayed quiet for a minute before I answered, I figured that it didn't matter if I told him the truth, and lying left a bad taste in my mouth, or I imagine that it would.

"I was about to jump when you caught me."

Kagami furrowed his brows attempting to figure out what I meant. Then his eyes widened in horror. "Wait you were about to purposely jump off a building. You would've died!"

I gave him a look that I hope said something like 'duh.'

He looked confused but then he realize what I was implying "Whoa! Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" I replied.

"No need to get hostile."

I winced. So that had been the wrong way to respond in this situation. I filed that lesson away for future reference.

"You didn't mean it that way did you?" Kagami asked.

"No, I meant it as a serious comment."

Kagami looked bashful. "Sorry."

"It fine. I'm a little awkward in conversations." I responded with a shrug.

"Really?" Kagami asked, then he looked pensive. "Why were you going to… you know?"

I looked at him hiding my amusement at him trying to be delicate. I could tell that tactfulness wasn't in his nature. "No one would've missed me."

"That's not true!" Kagami immediately protested. "What about your parents?"

"They forget that I exist." I replied bluntly.

"Friends?"
"No one sees me, which makes it hard to have friends."

Kagami winced, and I realized that I had made another folly in dealing with people.

"What do you mean 'no one sees you'?" Kagami inquired.

"It means exactly that. You're actually the first person to notice me for more than a few seconds."

"Really." Kagami looked thoughtful and I couldn't figure out why.

"Ever played basketball?" He suddenly asked.

"No. Don't have friends, remember?" I teased him.

For some reason being with him made me able to act what I felt to be natural, not overly polite like some people and certainly not overly rude like others.

"Come on. I want to show you it, the team is actually practicing." Kagami stood up and gave me a hand to help myself up.

"Won't the team be mad that I'm watching?" I ask as I followed Kagami down the stairs.

"Course not! Coach will just yell at me for being gone for too long." Kagami shrugged.

"I'm sorry for getting you in trouble." I struggled to keep up with him.

Kagami noticed this and shortened his strides. "Nah, its fine."

"Why were you on the roof in the first place?" I asked him, grateful that he was no longer walking so fast.

"I saw you on the ledge, I wanted to make sure that you didn't fall." Kagami responded.

"Why?" I couldn't believe that this guy saw me from that far away.

"Because I didn't think someone should be so careless." Kagami turned towards me.

"I think you'll like basketball." Kagami said suddenly.

I arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?"

"Because everyone on the team is important, and aside from that it's really fun!"

The way he smiled I couldn't help but feel like believing him. "Sure."

"Even the small guys like you are useful in a game."

"I don't know how to play." I confessed. I didn't know much about sports actually.

"I'll teach you."

We walked into the gym where Kagami was automatically yelled by a female upperclassmen, who I assumed was the manager or coach.

"Sorry, I just met someone and lost track of time." Kagami replied nursing his abused skull.

"Eh?" The coach and the rest of the team blinked at the stupid excuse.

"I brought him with me." Kagami said.

I bowed. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, pleasure to meet you."

There was the sound of a collective scream and I looked up confused. The female was clutching her chest.

"How long have you been there?" She panted out.

"Since Kagami-kun walked in the door." I replied honestly.

They blinked in surprise again. I stood there unsure of what to do, I glanced at Kagami he stood there grinning.

"I'm Aida Riko." Aida outstretched her hand for me to take. "Have you played basketball before?"

I shook my head.

Aida looked at Kagami. "Why'd you bring him? No offense."

I wasn't sure how to respond so I shrugged.

"I just have a feeling about him." Kagami replied.

"Alright. Kuroko-kun was it? You can play on the freshman team, there's spare clothes in the locker room."

I blinked as I was lead into the locker room. I found the clothes that Aida was talking about and changed quickly. I wasn't sure how me coming to a practice was interpreted as me wanting to play, but since they seemed willing to have me, I'd give it my best shot.

I stepped out onto the court. The freshman team gestured me over, I marveled at how well they could spot me.

The game started, and because I didn't know much I would just support my teammates the best that I could.

When the ball was passed to me and I reacted instinctively and made the ball look like it bent around the second year that I was guarding. The pass stunned the team, and even Kagami looked surprised as he dunked the ball.

For once everyone eyes were on me, and I couldn't help but shy away from the feeling. The rest of the practice game wore me out. Aida approved me for joining the team.

On the way out Kagami grinned at me. I couldn't help but to smile back.

Kagami had illuminated me when I was in my darkest hour. I wanted to repay the other, so I decided then that I would help him and his team to become the best team in Japan.

For the first time I felt a sense of companionship.

I was no longer alone.

Its done. Forgive me for any errors that I may have caused. I don't have a beta, and I can only proofread it so many times. So leave you're thoughts below! Later! ~IF