Author's note: I love Kuroko no Basuke right now and I have a definite obsession with Kagami. So here is a story of romance, comedy, and maybe even a little bit of despair~~. Yeah, uh, just kidding I'm not that good of a writer! But Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I won't ever be able to create such wonderful eye candy so, yeah, not mine.
Summary: Bad luck seems to hover around Aoki Tora like a malevolent storm. The tall muscular girl has had numerous accidents occur around her. The most recent involving her grandmother's death. Moving from West Chester, Pennsylvania back to Japan, Tora is now living in the big city, alone, and in a large apartment that her widowed grandfather has agreed to give her. Tora's new city life has just begun, but now she's decided to live differently and try something new. Something different that can get her mind off her grandmother's passing; basketball. Tora isn't prepared for the whirlwind life she's been thrown into and she can't seem to get away from the giant idiot who lives right next door.
"The sky is blue, but the building's grey. The sun is warm, but the railing's cold. Seven billion people, but I'm all alone," a voiced sighed as two blue eyes gazed out of the third story apartment. The small building had balconies that allowed patrons to look out at the vast city of Tokyo. Everywhere the blonde looked there were buildings. The cage of concrete and glass was dull. No rolling green hills, no small creeks, no birds chirping happily. Sure, there were birds, pigeons to be exact, that enjoyed relieving themselves on people. The soft straight hair flopped sadly over the girl's shoulder as she looked at the ground below.
Her muscular frame sagged in a sullen silence. Her slim body resembled a withered tree. As she gazed down at the concrete below she thought to herself, "Maybe if I jump, God will make the world beautiful with a splash of red at the bottom." Blinking in surprise, the girl laughed at herself. Suicide? That was the easy way out. The final plea for help. The girl wanted to defy her fate for eternity if possible.
"A fate worse than wandering alone in darkness, one fraught with death and hatred," she mumbled before taking one last look down at the ground from her perch on the railing. She jumped back onto the floor for her balcony and slid the door open. With a click, the door shut behind her and she flopped down onto the living room couch. She eyed the remote on the chestnut coffee table. She flicked the flat screen on to a random drama before staring over at her uniform. Aoki Tora started her first day of high school tomorrow. The uniform was bland and unflattering. Tora sighed when she saw the skirt. After watching the pointless drama for five minutes, Tora heaved one final sigh before covering her eyes with her arm. She fell asleep before sunset and woke in cold sweats many different times that night. Her breathing came in short desperate gasps as she tried to calm herself.
Tora gave up on sleep at two in the morning and got ready for school. After forcing down a few strawberries and packing a bento, Tora put her books in her bag and slipped her shoes on. She grabbed her keys and walked out into the complex's hallway where she locked her door. After turning around Tora sighed and slid down to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her back against the door of her too large apartment. For the first time in months, Tora fell asleep peacefully.
"Okay, so, books? Check. Lunch? Check. Shoes? Check. What the hell am I forgetting?" the gigantic redhead said to himself as he scratched the back of his neck. The chain he wore stung his fingertips lightly. He shrugged his bag over his shoulder and swung his door open. His long arm stopped before slamming the door and he snapped his fingers. He reentered his apartment and grabbed his keys off a nearby hook.
"Keys... That would've been annoying," Kagami Taiga sighed as he marched out his door once more. Without skipping a beat, Kagami was already walking down the hallway of his apartment complex humming. He was in a good mood for once, today was the day that people could sign up for clubs. Kagami was overjoyed at the fact that he could play basketball inside on the smooth floors instead of out on the concrete. He missed the squeaks of his shoes on the wood floor.
Kagami briskly passed by the door next to his before he got to the staircase. He paused in his humming and his split eyebrows twitched in curiosity. He turned his head to look over his shoulder before his bloody red eyes widened. He rushed back toward his neighbor's door and stood a few feet away. Kagami's eyebrows knitted together in curiosity and confusion.
"Why the hell are you out here? Hey, you!" Kagami called squatting down across from the girl sleeping against the door. Kagami noticed Seirin's uniform hung loosely upon her lanky frame. He sighed when the blonde didn't wake up. Just when Kagami was about to shake her shoulder, the girl shivered.
"Please... do... don't go," she mumbled as her face twisted in pain. Kagami hesitated for a moment before he looked at his cell.
"Shit, I'm late! Hey!" he hissed before poking the girl's forehead. Her blue eyes fluttered open, her vision filling with his dark red eyes. She blinked for a moment.
"AHHHH! Molester! Pervert! Lecher! Kidnapper!" the mysterious girl screamed before slamming a right hook into his jaw. Kagami flew to the side and clutched his face.
"Ow! Is that anyway to treat the person who wakes you up and prevents you from being late?" Kagami mumbled shooting up, rubbing his sore jaw. The girl blinked again quickly before her face twisted into confusion.
"What? I don't even know you," she said cocking her head the side. Kagami growled.
"I'm Kagami Taiga. Your neighbor? Yeah, uh, you were kinda passed out in front of your door," he stated irritated. She blushed and glared at him. He was slightly taller and his attitude annoyed her.
"Aoki Tora. Thanks, but, uh, I didn't ask you to, nor did I want you to," Tora said as she stood up herself. She brushed past Kagami's glare and opened the door to the staircase.
"Hey! What the hell? I was just being kind. You don't have to act like a bitch," Kagami growled out, shoving his way past toward the stairs. He stomped forward angrily. Tora rolled her eyes before looking at the ground ahead. A large snaking crack wrapped around a step ahead of Kagami. Tora's eyes widened as she watched him stomp down the steps towards the large crack. Without hesitation, Tora had dropped her bag and surged forward.
"Stop, idiot! Don't go any farther!" Tora yelled, but Kagami ignored her. She squeaked, a knowing sinking feeling erupted in her stomach. She was already riding his heels and now she grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back. She forced herself forward onto the cracked old step. With a crunch, Tora sighed as she felt the step give away. She jumped up and over the crumbling mess of rock and onto the next one.
"What the-," Kagami started as he stumbled back and fell on his butt. Tora smiled meekly. He was safe, so she was happy. She hopped back up the steps to grab her bag. She continued downward without a backwards glance at the bewildered redhead. Tora intended to tell the landlord about the busted step on her way out the door, when a large hand grabbed her shoulder. She was spun around before she could open the door to the first floor.
"How in the bloody hell did you know that would happen?" Kagami asked, a look of utter confusion mingled with fascination upon his masculine face. Tora rolled her eyes.
"And how in the bloody hell do your eyebrows split like banana peels?" Tora said sarcastically before marching out towards the landlord's desk. Kagami stood baffeled by her answer before fuming out after her.
"They don't look like banana peels!" Kagami yelled after her. Tora cocked her head at him. She had finished talking to the landlord about the step.
"Fine. They don't look like banana peels," Tora sighed turning towards the door. Kagami smirked, victory in his grasp.
"They look like bunny apple slices."
"God, that bitch is so friggin' irritating!" Kagami growled from his seat in the classroom. Once again, he was seated in front of Kuroko Tetsuya. Kuroko had his nose buried in a book. He let out an almost silent sigh as he glanced up at the glowering redhead.
"Yes, well, this Aoki-san is rude," Kuroko admitted and Kagami nodded enthusiastically, "but she does have a point about your eyebrows."
"The hell?" Kagami growled out, slapping a hand over his eyebrows in embarrassment.
"I never thought of it but, yes, they do quite resemble these," Kuroko stated as he stabbed two apple slices from his lunch. They were cut to make them look like bunnies. He held them up against his own eyebrows.
"Really, dude?" Kagami sighed. Kuroko's eyes glimmered slightly with mischief.
"I am Kagami, Lord of the Land of Bunny Apple Slices," Kuroko stated in a monotone.
"Give me those, you bastard!" Kagami grabbed the apple slices angrily before shoving them in his mouth. He was irritated enough today and now the invisible boy was pulling shit on him? What had the world come to?
The bell rang for the end of lunch and the teacher came back into the room.
"Alright class, I am happy to announce that we have a transfer student from America. She just finished her paperwork, so she will be starting today. Miss, you can come and introduce yourself now," the teacher stated. Kagami groaned, another unpleasant part of the day. New kid, meant new mayhem.
"It is truly a pleasure to meet all of you!" a voice exclaimed, whispers went round the class like wildfire, but Kagami's ears recognized the voice.
"Oh, fuck no," he groaned under his breathe. Kagami lifted his head off his desk slowly.
"My name is Aoki Tora, please just call me Tora. I hope I can get along with all of you!" She was standing there. Blonde hair fluttering lightly on her shoulders, blue eyes crystal clear, and a small smile was displayed on her pink lips.
"God, why do you hate me?" Kagami hissed. It seemed like she was done speaking so he slammed his head back down on the desk, exhausted.
"However, there is one condition for living with me," Tora stated, smile falling off her face like a tear. Kagami's ear twitched.
"Don't get too close to me unless you want to die."
The gym was filled with the sound of squeaking shoes and the sound of leather hitting the floor. The basketball club had started the new year off with a one on one tournament. Half-court, game to twenty-five, one game elimination. So far, no first years were left in the games. Four had played in the tournament. Twenty six of the thirty freshman looking at the champions of the Winter Cup had fled in fear of Riko, the monstrous new third years, and some of the second years.
Kagami and Kuroko were laughing about Furihata's final point in his match against Fukuda. When Kagami angrily growled at Kuroko for punching him, Riko stepped into the gym.
The four remaining first years, Ito Hitoshi, Kato Masaru, Maki Ryo, and Mori Sho, stood straight upon seeing the third year coach. Riko's hair was once again cut short, a new tradition she had started. The boys soon finished the round leaving Furihata, Kagami, Koganei, Hyuuga, and Izuki in the competition. Riko blew her whistled and the boys swarmed over.
"Alright, listen up! We have another aspiring star," Riko said motioning a figure to come into the gym. The boy walked into the gym confidently, shoulders back, head held high, and a smirk just brimming on his lips. He had blue eyes and a short blonde hairdo. Kagami stared at him intensly, sizing him up until his eyes popped in recognition.
"Aoki?" Kagami asked incredulously. The boy faltered for a second. His blue eyes questioning.
"Do I know you?" he asked, voice exactly like the demonic girl.
"What the hell do you mean? I live next door to you!" Kagami exclaimed marching towards the boy. He looked at him at almost eye level evenly and calmly.
"I am Aoki Torao and I sure as hell haven't seen you before," the clone stated. Kagami blinked.
"Torao? It's Tora isn't it? The girl that sits... directly in front of me?" Kagami asked voice wavering with confusion, eyebrows scrunching together.
"Oh! You're the guy my sister was talking about!" Torao stated slapping Kagami's arm harshly. Kagami raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"What guy?" Kagami's head was starting to hurt.
"The bunny apple slices for eyebrows!" Torao said. Kagami's anger boiled over.
Kagami stood watching Torao play against Hyuuga. Hyuuga adjusted his three point shots accordingly to Torao's blocks, but he was still losing twelve to eighteen. Torao was fast, really fast. Kagami watched as Hyuuga jumped back in a feint-away jump shot. Kagami could barely close that distance himself, but Torao continued after him undeterred. Hyuuga snapped the ball into the air, a long high arcing shot. Torao had jumped a moment to late, as the ball shot up and fell towards the basket. Kagami knew Hyuuga's shots always fell right into the basket when he was pressured like this. The ball fell downward, gravity increasing the speed. Kagami watched the leather-bound sphere plummet until it hit the rim of the basket and bounced out. Kagami blinked surprised, Hyuuga had missed. Kagami blinked again and Torao had already seized the ball and was running around Hyuuga as he finally reacted. Kagami never saw anyone run past his senpai that fast. Torao took the same position as Hyuuga, behind the three point line.
"Hyuuga-senpai, do you ever think of doing a double feint?" Torao asked dribbling the ball far away from Hyuuga.
"Huh? What?" Hyuuga questioned, focused on the leather clad object.
"Well, first you do this," Torao said, jumping back just as Hyuuga had before. He followed instantly and Torao smirked.
"Then this," he laughed as he sprung forward and rolled to the left of Hyuuga, the ball rocketing between Hyuuga's legs. Hyuuga blinked before turning around. Torao stood twirling the ball on his middle finger, smirking.
"Wha-How-When?" Hyuuga stuttered.
"Uh, when you thought I was done moving?" Torao laughed, voice ringing like a bell. Kagami's face heated from the warm expression. Torao really resembled his sister. Kagami shook his head clear of those nasty horrid thoughts and focused on the game. Hyuuga stood shellshocked by the adorable smile on Torao's innocent face.
"Now I'm going to get two three pointers and win!" Torao stated, tossing the ball over his shoulder and high into the air. Kagami blinked as he watched the ball float into the hoop. Torao was now winning twenty one to twelve.
The final match of the day was Kagami versus Torao. Kagami was ecstatic, he could take his anger out on this weirdo in place of his bitchy sister. Torao, on the other hand, stood with his hands in his pockets before Kagami. Blue eyes looked lazily into red before they returned to the bouncing ball. Kagami dribbled annoyed as the boy refused to move. Kagami growled before launching forward and past Torao. He raced towards the hoop and was prepared to slam the ball into the basket when he stopped short. He looked down at his right hand, the leather bound sphere was not in his large hand. He swiveled his head back to face Torao.
"Missing something?" Torao smirked, the basketball spinning on the tip of his shoe. Kagami's eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
"What the hell?" Kagami stated. Torao just shrugged before kicking the ball high into the air. Kagami surged forward towards where it would land so he could steal it back. He glanced back to where Torao had been standing. He saw the shorter male crouched low with his arms above his back like wings. Kagami stopped short as he watched Torao launch himself into the air and grab the ball with his right hand. A loud slap resonated as the ball slammed into the hoop. Kagami blinked. The move resembled his Meteor Jam, but it was off and different.
Torao was leading by seven when Riko called the game. She needed to get going before her overprotective father showed up and beat the hell out of the team. Kagami's breathing was quick but soon returned to normal. He glared at Torao who was smirking as he wiped the sweat off his face. The dude was super weird, Kagami concluded. The boys quickly changed and went out into the warm night air. Kuroko sighed as he felt the slight breeze brush over him. He looked up at Kagami and he decided to not announce his presence. Torao strolled up to them and slammed a hand on each of their backs, Kuroko stumbled while Kagami glared.
"Yo! Mind if I join you? I mean, we do live next to each other," Torao smiled, teeth gleaming in the light off street lamps. Kuroko nodded and Kagami shrugged. The three walked in silence till Kuroko parted ways. With a wave and a smile, Torao gave Kuroko a happy-go-lucky salute before he turned and continued after the oblivious giant redhead. Kuroko turned down his street and stopped.
"How did Aoki-kun notice me?" Kuroko whispered before shrugging, he would have to ask tomorrow.
"Do you ever smile?" Torao asked Kagami as the taller man trudged forward. He hunched his shoulders in an attempt to shake off the boy's remark.
"Shaddup, why don't you?" Kagami glared back at Torao's gleaming eyes.
"So, why do you hate me? I mean I can understand my sister, but me? Not so much," Torao asked, walking into the apartment complex after Kagami. Kagami paused and looked at him for a second.
"I don't hate either one of you. I just don't get why your sister has to act like she's pushing everyone away. I mean, today in class she told everyone to stay away from her if they didn't want to die," Kagami grimaced.
"Yeah... I heard..." Torao sighed and rubbed his right shoulder before rolling it around some.
"My whole class was like, 'what the fuck is wrong with this chick?' I dunno, it just doesn't make sense to me," Kagami shrugged scratching the back of his neck. He felt the slight sting from the chain he wore on his fingertips as Torao blinked, a look of surprise flashed across his delicate features.
"She only says that for people's own good," Torao stated, face darkening with an emotion Kagami couldn't quite decipher.
"Why?" he simply asked. Torao took a deep breathe before hardening his facial features.
"My sister... causes a lot of accidents. She has horribly bad luck, so much so that people called her the "cursed child" in West Chester. My parents, my grandmother, my sister's two best friends, three teachers, my aunt, and my cousin all died in accidents that my sister was involved in," Torao stated without any emotions filtering across his face. His crystalline eyes bore pain, sadness, and guilt as he stared back at Kagami.
"How is that her fault?" he asked, a small shiver running down his spine at the memory of that morning. Torao shook his head.
"Everything always happened around her and she was never harmed. Everyone else, not so much. She's just trying to protect people, I guess," he shrugged as they reached their hallway. Kagami grabbed Torao's arm before he could pull open his front door.
"I'll prove to her that she isn't the one causing all that bad luck," Kagami stated resolutely. Torao smiled softly.
"How do you plan on doing that? She'll just push you away no matter what. There's no point," Torao sighed.
"I won't take no for an answer. A person is just a person and I plan on proving that. I promise," Kagami stated. Torao's eyes widened as he gazed into Kagami's red pools. He was being honest and the resolute powerful emotions welling up in his eyes made it clear to Torao that he would prove it.
"I bet she'll be glad to hear that."
Torao stood leaning against his front door as he stared at the inky blackness of his apartment. He chuckled to himself quietly.
"You'll prove it to her, huh?" Torao whispered as he shrugged his bag off, kicked his shoes into a corner, and turned the lights on. He walked into his bathroom quietly and looked in his mirror. There was one toothbrush, one hairbrush, one tube of toothpaste, and one figure in the mirror. He laughed at his reflection before tugging on his hair. Longer blonde tresses cascaded down and flopped around lean shoulders. Torao held the blonde wig in his hand and laid it down on the sink. Torao looked once again in the mirror.
Tora stared back. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she got ready for a bath.
"I can't believe they bought the twin brother act. I mean, Torao? Come on guys," she giggled before Kagami's face popped up into her head. She froze as she plugged her phone into some speakers and chose an swinging jazz song. As the music reverberated in the small room Tora remembered Kagami's promise. She sank down into the warm water and sighed.
"Not on my life."
Kagami laughed quietly as he heard the jazz song through the bathroom wall. Torao had a pretty strange choice of music. Kagami didn't mind the song, in fact he actually liked it. He finished his bath, dried off, and grabbed his homework. He went back into the bathroom and leaned against the wall as he listened to the music drone on.
Author's Note: Sooooooooooooo, WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS IT BAD, IS IT REALLY REALLY REAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY BAD? I dunno if you guys understand so I'll say it hear: Torao is Tora in disguise. Get it? She's pretending to be a guy. Okay soooooooo I'm reaaaally tired g'night.