Shackles

A Kuroko no Basuke oneshot

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The Kuroko no Basuke characters belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei, not to me. Never thought I'd write Akashi outside of Akafuri…then I read the Teikou arc of the manga. *feels* T-T Read, review, and enjoy! *Written for Mein Liebling for the Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2014 forum with the pairing Kuroko/Akashi (and a side of Kise/Aomine just 'cuz ;P).

- ^-^3

Kuroko can recall what Akashi-kun was like, back in middle school, when they first met.

(When Akashi-kun's smile hadn't used to scare him.)

Back in those days, he remembers, Kuroko was starting to come out of his shell. Of course, Aomine-kun played a big part in that. He was the one who'd encouraged Kuroko not to give up on basketball, not just yet. In a way, Ogiwara-kun should be just as thankful to Aomine-kun.

But if that's the case, then Ogiwara-kun should be grateful to Akashi-kun as well. It's not that Kuroko wishes his childhood friend to worship Akashi-kun, but he wonders what it would've been like if Ogiwara-kun had been able to join him at Teikou…been able to meet and play alongside the others (people are calling them the "Generation of Miracles" these days). Maybe things would've been different, if Akashi-kun and Aomine-kun and the rest had been exposed to Ogiwara-kun's cheerful disposition… Yes, maybe…

(Kuroko likes to keep a secret from himself: He wishes Ogiwara-kun could've been with him all through Teikou, because even if Ogiwara-kun couldn't change the others, at least Kuroko would've had someone to go to when the tides changed.)

- ^-^3

Sometimes Akashi-kun is still irresistible. Sometimes he's nothing like the changed person Kuroko and Midorima-kun have been noticing.

Sometimes Akashi-kun comes over to Kuroko during practice and helps him with some move. It feels like special attention. It's nice. Where the others have been growing exponentially on their own, Kuroko has remained the shadow Akashi-kun has always seen him as, so when Akashi-kun comes over to him, it's as if he's telling Kuroko that Kuroko's like them. Special. No, he's more special. (Because he gets Akashi-kun's attention.)

Aomine-kun leaves Kuroko alone when Akashi-kun's nearby, and Kuroko tries not to let it bother him. The person he'd begun to think of as his best friend and the person he's beginning to think he's in love with—they don't get along.

(It's not cats and dogs or even oil and fire—it's one steel blade versus another, and Kuroko thinks the sparks glint too brightly when they clash.)

Kise-kun is…Kise-kun. He's still a little clingy, but he obeys Akashi-kun. They all do. So if Akashi-kun goes to monopolize Kuroko, then so be it.

Murasakibara-kun has food on his mind. Perhaps he's occasionally jealous of the attention Kuroko gets, and Kuroko sometimes feels guilty. But when a pair of crimson eyes finds him across the court, he can't help the butterflies in his stomach.

Even if they are changing, this won't. Akashi-kun's interest in Kuroko won't diminish. It's like Aomine-kun's friendship, Kise-kun's bubbliness, Midorima-kun's strictness, or even Murasakibara-kun's appetite—they won't disappear, ever.

(Kuroko hopes.)

- ^-^3

They can see it from a mile away. Something's different between Akashi and Kuroko, and Aomine would be a liar if he weren't worried for his friend.

A few times he brings it up to Kise, because, as thick as the blond is, Kise can be awfully perceptive. Besides, he cares for Kuroko as much as Aomine does.

"Ever get the feeling that it's not a good idea to leave Tetsu alone with Akashi?" the blue-haired boy asks the model when heading home from practice (though what's practice these days when Aomine rarely feels like attending?).

"I…know what you mean," Kise confesses, and he frowns. Such an un-Kise thing to do.

Aomine follows suit with his own grimace. "I mean, is it too much for me to say? I know I've…not been around much…"

"No, no!" Kise dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. "Aominecchi… Akashicchi—well, we except for him and Kurokocchi have been growing, right? Yet I think Akashicchi's about to leave Kurokocchi in that regard and join us." He whistles lowly. "Though, to be honest, I'm not sure I wanna be around to see his transformation…"

"Think it'll be that bad?"

Kise nods his head vigorously. "Oh, definitely! He'll be worse than a lion, even—he'll be like a poisonous snake. Or, wait, no—he'll be like a bee! One sting and he's done, so he'll calculate before he attacks…"

Aomine's shoulders drop. "Really, Kise? You couldn't have stopped at snake? You had to bring up bees?" He can't help it; he shivers.

The blond laughs and drapes an arm around Aomine's shoulders. Maybe once it would've been awkward…but, in these changing days, it's a comfort. "Really, Aominecchi…you're not much of a tough guy…"

Aomine shrugs, but his mind wanders back to Kuroko. Kuroko's not a tough guy either.

- ^-^3

Kise really wishes Aominecchi had been there when Akashicchi…well, for lack of a better word, snapped.

Sure, even Kise had gotten a little bored at recent practices. And, yeah, he was picking up more modelling gigs. But even he was there for it.

Akashicchi against Murasakibaracchi—it didn't seem like a fair match. Even Midorimacchi tried talking them down. But they wouldn't hear it. In the short time Kise had known them all, the one most resistant to change would be the one who changed the most: Akashicchi.

It was almost a violent match, in Kise's opinion. Murasakibaracchi had just about creamed Akashicchi, but then it happened. Kise didn't notice it at first, but the personality switch had been flipped (he'd note Akashicchi's eyes later).

Before, Akashicchi had been leading them, the king of the Generation of Miracles.

Now, he was ruling them, the emperor (tyrant?) of the Generation of Miracles, and his first decree was to put Murasakibaracchi in his place.

Kise's eyes flicker to Kurokocchi right up until Kise leaves for the day, to run to find Aominecchi to tell him what's taken place. Kise's worried for Kurokocchi, he really is.

- ^-^3

When Akashi-kun plays against Murasakibara-kun—and wins—Kuroko knows he's in a bad situation.

It doesn't click into place until later, much later than Kuroko would like to admit.

Through games and practice, Kuroko has been watching them all drift apart. And, even though it bothers Kuroko, Akashi-kun doesn't care that it bothers Kuroko anymore.

Before, Akashi-kun would stop them and scold them. "Aomine, don't skip practice" would come right after Kuroko mumbled to Akashi-kun about Aomine-kun leaving them to it by themselves.

Now, Akashi-kun is no longer Akashi-kun. "Leave Daiki alone, Tetsuya" emerges from his mouth as soon as Kuroko goes to comment again about the current state of things.

By the end of their time at Teikou, Kuroko's theory that this other Akashi-kun, a second Akashi-kun, exists is born. But even though this Akashi-kun is frightening and makes Kuroko question basketball, their friendships with the others, and life in general, Kuroko feels guilt.

(Is it so wrong for his knees to go weak whenever he hears Akashi-kun's "Tetsuya" and those two-colored eyes land on him?)

Really, Kuroko knows he's in a bad situation. And, if Aomine-kun were around, he'd chide Kuroko for not having the guts to speak up about it. After all, Kuroko isn't a tough guy like Aomine-kun is.

- ^-^3

Upon graduation, Akashi summons them all to the gym. Even Aomine goes, but he's surprised to find Kuroko's not there with them.

"Where's Tetsu?" he asks the other three, as Kise arrived with him and so wouldn't know.

No one answers.

Akashi's smile…feels downright evil, and Aomine looks away when their "emperor" opens his mouth.

"So…we're all going to separate schools. How fortunate."

The air's so thick with tension, it could be cut with a knife. Even Midorima seems puzzled by Akashi's statement.

"We all know what this will lead to—we'll see each other again, in tournaments. We'll see who's the strongest of all." His eyes slide to Aomine and Kise. "It's a good idea we'll have to face each other alone, with new teams. All's fair in war."

Kise tenses beside Aomine, but he cracks a meager smile and forces a chuckle. "Ah, Akashicchi, don't you mean, 'All's fair in love and war'?"

Those red and yellow eyes look away, uncaring. "Say what you like."

Aomine internally curses. Say what they like? What was the point of summoning them here anyway? There was no saying what they liked around Akashi now—it was almost as if coming here was a threat to remind them to split up. There was no going to high school together.

It's not fair, Aomine thinks when they leave. He and Kise exit the campus together, and Aomine mentally grumbles about Akashi's veiled threat. So he and Kise couldn't both go to Touou or Kaijou together, huh?

Then Kise says what's been on his mind: "With all the ruckus that Akashicchi raised…did you notice he didn't include Kurokocchi in any of those 'we's?"

"Yeah."

"I heard from Momocchi—"

"Yeah, it's true. Tetsu's also going to Rakuzan, same as Akashi."

- ^-^3

Just one day, after school, shortly before the snap, Akashi-kun had asked him.

"Kuroko-kun, where are you planning to attend high school?"

Kuroko had not been giving it much though. He hadn't been scouted as the others had, and all he could think was that maybe a short commute would be nice. He was pretty sure Seirin would work, or something…

"You should come to Rakuzan with me."

Kuroko had dropped the ball in his hand, and Akashi-kun had smirked a little, and it had all been very quiet in the gym with just the two of them cleaning up the court (Akashi-kun would only deign to clean up, Kuroko had noticed a while back, if it was alongside Kuroko). "I—"

"Just think about it," Akashi-kun had said back then.

And then he'd changed, or another Akashi-kun had emerged, whatever—and the suggestion became a demand.

It was almost the end of middle school, shortly before graduation, and Akashi-kun had come to visit him at home since Kuroko had made himself scarce after their win.

(Had things been different, Kuroko would've cherished the visit.)

"I see you're well, Tetsuya," he'd said.

(God, was Kuroko sick? He felt sick. His face felt hot as he hid it between his knees and secretly wished for Akashi-kun to leave and come closer at the same time.)

"The others have chosen their schools. I do not know if Momoi-san has informed you."

(Leave, leave, leave.)

"Atsushi is going far away, to Yosen. Shintaro chose Shutoku."

(Stay, stay, stay.)

"Ryouta will attend Kaijou, and Daiki will play for Touou."

(Stay, go, stay, go—whatever you do, Akashi-kun, just come closer. No, just leave.)

Akashi-kun's eyes had rested so easily on him. "You will come to Rakuzan with me."

Kuroko had lifted his head up, stunned.

Akashi-kun had stood, pecked his lips, and left, politely excusing himself.

The sensible part of Kuroko kicked himself. That hadn't been a kiss of affection. It had been a brand, a burn to mar Kuroko forever, labeling him as Akashi-kun's.

Still, it had been a kiss.

Did that make him an obedient dog, the only kind Akashi-kun preferred? But he wasn't a dog. He was a shadow. He could be Akashi-kun's shadow.

(Still, a kiss was a kiss. A kiss! A kiss. A kiss…)

- ^-^3

"Hey, have you seen Kurokocchi at all since graduation?" Kise asks Aominecchi on an outing (because Aominecchi will go for outings, not "dates").

Aominecchi shakes his head. Lines settle on his face, robbing him of his youth. They're only sixteen, but Aominecchi looks as though he's been through hell. Kise has tried to hug the pain away, as Momocchi tries to do, but it's no use.

"I haven't either." He sighs. "Oh, on an interesting note, we played a practice match against Seirin. You know, that no-name school? They've got some interesting first years."

"Huh."

Kise's golden brown eyes sidle over to his…(what are they anyway? They've never really been friends, but they're definitely more than friends…) "You know, maybe it's too early to tell, but I think this one kid might give you a run for your money."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Um…Kagamicchi was his name, I think."

Aominecchi snorts and ruffles Kise's hair. "So, in the language of normal people, that means his name is 'Kagami,' right?"

Kise sticks his tongue out at him. "Mean Aominecchi…!"

He chuckles and kisses the hurt away, as naturally as he would breathe. It's almost as if the action means nothing to him.

But, still, it's a kiss, and it gets Kise's mind off his worries, for but a moment.

(He kind of hopes that it takes Aominecchi's mind off things, too.)

- ^-^3

Before the Interhigh, Aomine puts his attitude aside and decides that Kise's been dropping hints (no, not about their dates! …uh, outings…) about seeing Kuroko.

"Really, Aominecchi?" Kise pesters him during a nighttime stroll. "I mean, I know I haven't made an effort either, and Kurokocchi hasn't made any effort, too, but you two seemed to be hit the worst in the end of our Teikou days…" He leans on Aomine's shoulder. He's willowy and tall and smells like Chupa Chups.

"No, you're right. I should see him, at least."

"I'll go with you. Don't do it on your own—besides, I miss him, t—" Kise shuts up. Huh. Who would've thought it was possible?

But Aomine looks and sees what has caught Kise's attention. Even he can't deny the presence. "…wow."

"Oh my god, so cute~!"

Aomine sighs. "Kise, you sound just like Satsuki…"

"Shut up, Aominecchi!"

- ^-^3

Kuroko…isn't sure what possesses him. But he meets with Aomine-kun and Kise-kun. Honestly, it feels good. A part of him muses that perhaps he was about to forget their faces.

Akashi-kun comes with him, and Kuroko feels a mixture of relief and anxiety. Akashi-kun has been by his side ever since they started high school—no, that's wrong; Kuroko has been by his side ever since they started high school.

"What's wrong?" Akashi-kun asks. In flickering moments like these, Kuroko sees a tiny glimmer of the old, caring Akashi-kun. (That always dissolves Kuroko's resolve.)

"It's nothing," Kuroko says, because he's not very good at talking with Akashi-kun. Maybe he used to be, but not anymore. Not when Kuroko feels like a princess locked away in the tower by her beloved prince.

Akashi-kun reaches up and Kuroko flinches. Akashi-kun isn't bothered, though; he just chuckles and brushes Kuroko's fringe out of his eyes. "Do you not want to see Daiki and Ryouta, Tetsuya?"

"I want to see them."

"Then act like it."

The words are sharp despite Akashi-kun's playful tone. It's an order. Like everything else this other Akashi-kun says, it's an order.

Luckily, they grab a seat at an outside table at Maji Burger, for Aomine-kun and Kise-kun come bearing…a gift?

"Yo, Tetsu."

"Kurokocchi!"

Before Kuroko can avoid it, Kise-kun envelopes him in a big hug. The embrace is only interrupted by a woof from inside Kise-kun's sweater, and a puppy pops his head out of the sweater's collar.

"Oh, um…" The model blushes and laughs, and Aomine-kun yanks him down into a chair. "Haha, sorry about that. I forgot I was hiding Nigou in there."

"'Nigou'?" Kuroko asks. Even he's curious.

"Yeah! Look at his eyes! He's just like you, Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko stares long and hard at the dog. The dog stares long and hard at Kuroko. He doesn't quite see it, but the dog really is adorable, and so Kuroko smiles. The dog licks his face, and Kuroko laughs. Kuroko wonders when the last time was that he laughed.

"That's not even the full explanation, you dork," Aomine-kun scolds Kise-kun. He rolls his eyes. "He insists on calling the dog 'Tetsuya number two,' so 'Nigou' for short."

Kuroko smiles. It's a very Kise-kun-like thing of Kise-kun to do.

Akashi-kun stares at the dog with a smile on his face as Kuroko pets Nigou. "Really, Ryouta? You shouldn't compare Tetsuya at all to this beast. Because it is a beast, and Tetsuya is not. He's a shadow."

His words kill the fun mood, and perhaps he realizes it, because he stands and puts some money down. "Tetsuya, we have to catch the last train in fifteen minutes." His eyes slide over to the others. "I will see you at the Interhigh, Ryouta, Daiki. Hopefully without the mongrel, yes?"

Nigou growls at him, and maybe that should've been another suggestion to Kuroko that there's no such thing as Akashi-kun getting better with time. He'll just get worse and worse and…

He catches Aomine-kun frowning at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Just… Tetsu, are you happy?"

Interestingly, the question reminds Kuroko of the time he asked Akashi-kun whether he enjoyed basketball. Obviously, different feelings are involved here, but the sincerity's the same. And just as Akashi-kun couldn't answer Kuroko, Kuroko can't answer Aomine-kun.

The meeting goes stale after that. Nigou licks Kuroko's hand, and Kuroko enjoys that, but he's run out of things to talk about with his old friends. He fears they want to discuss Akashi-kun, and Kuroko still doesn't have the guts to talk about it. So they have nothing to talk about, nothing at all.

At the train station, Akashi-kun awaits Kuroko. He passes Kuroko some hand sanitizer, even though Kuroko washed his hands before he left Maji Burger.

"How are they?" Akashi-kun asks, more out of obligation than anything else.

A defiant "You would know if you'd stayed" plays on Kuroko's lips, but the shadow chokes it down. "They're fine."

"They're together, aren't they?"

Kuroko finds Akashi-kun's bluntness startling. "…I suppose so."

"Hmm." Akashi-kun crosses his arms in front of his chest.

Staring at Akashi-kun's profile, admiring it while at the same time questioning Akashi-kun, Kuroko fights the urge to ask it. Are he and Akashi-kun together? Is that what this is? Is that what this will always be?

In Kuroko's immediate memory, he can see Aomine-kun and Kise-kun laughing together and bickering about Nigou. They're good influences on each other.

But when Kuroko opens his eyes, he doesn't see him and Akashi-kun together. He sees Akashi-kun, and himself by Akashi-kun's side. He sees his place on the Rakuzan team, alongside Akashi-kun, Mibuchi-kun, Nebuya-kun, and Hayama-kun. He thinks of himself as the remaining puzzle piece meant to complete a picture, but he can't think that he and Akashi-kun are good influences for one another.

He can't picture himself completing Akashi-kun.

(Like with before, when the Miracles drifted apart and Akashi-kun became someone else, Kuroko's heart aches once more.)

(Unlike before, however, Kuroko allows his hand to be trapped in Akashi-kun's vice grip, allows his body to be trapped between those arms, and allows his worries and protests to be eaten like an emperor's afternoon snack.)

- ^-^3

Kuroko and Akashi-kun do not play in the Interhigh finals. Murasakibara-kun does not, either, but Kuroko knows that's only because Akashi-kun decreed it. Only Murasakibara-kun is as obedient as Kuroko is these days.

Then the Winter Cup arrives, Akashi-kun gathers them, some Seirin students stumble upon their meeting, and Kuroko glimpses for the first time this "Kagami" Kise-kun has mentioned a few times via texts. The Seirin bunch—they look like fun.

Akashi-kun trims his fringe right then and there, using Midorima-kun's lucky item of the day (scissors! Who lets Akashi-kun around scissors?!).

The action… It incites the most fear in the Generation of Miracles they have ever experienced. Midorima-kun's eyes widen, Aomine-kun swallows the lump in his throat audibly, Kise-kun cringes beside Aomine-kun, and Murasakibara-kun pockets his snack—he might even have lost his appetite.

Kuroko says nothing then, but that action does it. He knows something will have to change. Be it him, Akashi-kun, or the dynamics of their…relationship.

Something will have to change.

- ^-^3

Seirin's tough. They manage to beat Rakuzan, and on a technicality, no less (Hayama-kun's hotheaded fault, according to Akashi-kun; Kuroko blames their teamwork not being as strong as Seirin's). For the first time in his life, Akashi-kun has lost at something.

A long time ago, Kuroko would've had sympathy for him. Especially knowing of his father, Kuroko would've had sympathy for him.

But Kuroko finds that's harder to summon now.

Akashi-kun doesn't want to be comforted after their second-place win at the Winter Cup. However, he is more than agreeable to Kuroko essentially locking himself up for the weekend at the large and empty Akashi home.

"I'll gouge my eyes out," the emperor mumbles into Kuroko's pale collarbone.

"No, you won't, Akashi-kun. You said you'd do that only if the loss was your fault, and it wasn't."

Akashi-kun's eyes drift up to meet his. "Are you telling me what to do, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko looks away.

"…never mind. You might scold me, Tetsuya, but I know you'd never leave me. I appreciate that." And he says it with a sigh as he drifts back off to sleep, and Kuroko's heart pangs just a smidge as he glimpses once more the Akashi-kun with whom he fell in love (the Akashi-kun that likely lays dormant right now).

Kuroko can't fall back asleep, but he gazes out the window. In Akashi-kun's room, there are two large windows far from the bed, and so Kuroko can only see the sky. But the sky reminds him of freedom, and freedom gets him thinking.

What would it have been like, had things been different? What if Kuroko had gone to Seirin, and Seirin's Mayuzumi had gone to Rakuzan in his place? What if Kuroko had been able to become Kagami's shadow instead of Akashi-kun's?

Would Akashi-kun be any different? Would he have changed back…or become an even darker personality?

At that thought, Kuroko feels restless and tries to leave the bed. But Akashi-kun's arms tighten around him. Kuroko gives up with a sigh.

No, Akashi-kun wouldn't be any different. All that's left for Kuroko to wonder now is how much more he'll let Akashi-kun tighten these emotional cuffs around his wrists, how tighter the loyal collar around his neck will get. (In some ways, Nigou has it better than he does.)

Kuroko understands why Akashi-kun won't let him go, though. Of all the Miracles, Kuroko was the only one whom Akashi-kun didn't discover himself. No, technically Aomine-kun found Kuroko. So Akashi-kun can't let him go. If Kuroko were honestly keeping track, well…that was the first time Akashi-kun lost.

Perhaps Akashi-kun has yet to count it as a loss so long as Kuroko stays, though…

(But, honestly speaking, Kuroko doesn't want to count it as a loss either, not when he's sticking around, waiting for that dormant Akashi-kun he loves to return.)

- ^-^3

Whoo boy. o_o Sooo much happened… Guess who's caught up with the manga up to ch254? XD *lol* Seriously, the Teikou arc killed me. I mean…FEELS. *drowns in them* I enjoyed writing this a lot, though, and I hope you thought I got Akashi-sama down, Milly! :O I had to include the nod to canon, though, with Mayuzumi…and Akashi and eye-gouging…and Nigou… And I appreciate Kise/Kuro/Ao friendship (with or without Aokise); they're just… *spazzes* Yeah, I'm useless in this author's note. Oh, cover artwork by me, btw. It was fun to draw and color~! :3 Note: I have a oneshot to go with this, "Guardian Angels," which gets some more from Aokise's POV regarding things. Read that, too, if you like! :]

Thanks for reading, and please do review!

-mew-tsubaki :}