Author's note: I shouldn't have, but this was supposed to be my submission for the event AkaKuro Creation of Wonders on Fb. I submitted this under the name Cerulean Kitsune.

This was meant to be a oneshot, but it got way too long so I split it up, and I'm STILL not done writing. Eh. I'm halfway through it though. I think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke nor the cover photo.

Chapter 1

"Kuroko! Oi, Kuroko! Come on, wake up! We're going to be late for your dialysis appointment!"

The cerulean-haired man stirred, rolling over to blink blearily at his companion.

"Just a little longer… I'm so tired, Kagami-kun…" He tried to snuggle back into the blankets, but they were snatched out from under him. He let out a little whimper as the cold air hit his exposed skin. Warm arms scooped him up just a second later, and he burrowed happily into the embrace, luxuriating in the heat.

An exasperated sigh came from above his head, and he felt the faint jolting that meant Kagami was walking. "Honestly. The reason why you're so tired is because you didn't go for dialysis. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Maybe… Then I wouldn't be in so much pain all the time…"

Kagami huffed as he set Kuroko down on the edge of the bathtub and began undressing him. "Quit talking like that. We're going to see that specialist today. Maybe he'll finally find out what's the cause of your problems."

"Or maybe he'll be a waste of money, just like all the others." Kuroko looked up at Kagami with dispirited eyes. "I'm sorry for being a burden, Kagami-kun."

Kagami's eyes softened as he leant down to press his forehead to Kuroko's. "Don't ever say that. You're my best friend - the one who stuck with me through the bad times, brought me back to my senses when I was being an asshole and, well, tolerated me. If paying for all your treatments is what I have to do to repay you, then I'll gladly do it. Besides," he pulled away to fill the bathtub. "I've got all this cash lying around. It's better if I use it to help others rather than spend it on all the junk I used to do back then."

Kuroko smiled weakly at his friend's back. Kagami-kun can be a sappy idiot sometimes.

The various tattoos peeking out from beneath the redhead's shorts and T-shirt were a familiar sight by now, and Kuroko was glad he had managed to dissuade him from throwing his life away, once upon a time.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were sitting in the waiting room after Kuroko's dialysis session. The cerulean-haired man looked healthier now, with more colour in his cheeks as he sipped on his weekly cup of vanilla milkshake. Ever since his kidneys began to fail him, he had to give up drinking them on a regular basis, or his life expectancy would drop even further.

He shouldn't even be drinking those things in the first place. They're chock-full of sugar…

Kagami tapped his foot impatiently. The doctor they were about to see was apparently the best in the region, but he couldn't help feeling nervous. What if this doctor was a fraud, just like all the others? He was no doctor, but even he could tell that Kuroko was wasting away. The blunette looked thinner and thinner every day, and he complained about his joints aching every other day. Nobody seemed to know what was wrong with him, and with how weak he was getting, he would be confined to a bed permanently if treatment wasn't found soon.

A hand tugged on his elbow, bringing him out of his reverie. "Kagami-kun, it's our turn."

He looked up and saw that Kuroko was right. Their number was flashing on the screen. Kagami stood up first, then helped Kuroko to his feet, tossing his empty cup in a bin as they slowly walked to the consultation room. The gleaming nameplate read 'Midorima Shintarou', and while Kagami wasn't expecting much, he certainly did not expect to see a room lined with trinkets of various shapes, sizes and colours.

He would have continued to stand in the doorway with his mouth agape if Kuroko didn't jab him with a rather sharp elbow. Grumbling to himself, he shut the door and poked Kuroko lightly in the back of the head before taking his place against a wall. Then, he let his gaze travel aimlessly around the room, his posture and actions emanating boredom to the untrained eye. What he was actually doing was observing the doctor, who after a brief shock, was speaking quietly to Kuroko.

The doctor had a curious shade of green hair, and the fingers on his left hand were meticulously taped. The spectacles he wore gave him a professional look, but the man looked so serious that he wondered if he actually had a life outside of his work. There's professionalism, and there's workaholism.

"-gami-kun. Kagami-kun." Kuroko's voice invaded his thoughts, and he realised the other wanted his opinion on something.

He stepped forward until he was behind the chair Kuroko was sitting in, then asked, "What is it?"

Kuroko shot him an ugly look. "Midorima-sensei was just telling me his diagnosis."

Oh, yeah, the diagnosis. That's fast. "What does he have, Midorima-sensei?"

The green-haired man pushed his spectacles up with a taped finger before speaking. "As I was telling Kuroko-san before, I am unsure what his disease could be until we run some tests. However, based on his symptoms, my diagnosis would be lupus."

"Lupus?" Kagami drew a blank. "What's that?"

Midorima breathed out through his nose heavily, as if exasperated by his lack of knowledge. "Lupus, also known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE, is a disease where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. It is not as common in men as in women, which is why I doubted it at first. However, from the past reports from the other doctors that Kuroko-san has seen, I highly suspect that this is the cause."

Kagami was very confused. He had never been the brightest student, and words still confused him although he was sure Midorima was doing his best to keep it simple. "So basically, Kuroko's body is trying to kill itself?"

"That is correct. If you'd like, I can pass your case on to another doctor who is doing research in this area. I believe he said he has almost attained a cure." Midorima shuffled his papers, and Kuroko looked up at Kagami.

"Do you want to try it, Kagami-kun? From what Midorima-sensei has said, I sincerely believe that I might have this lupus."

"Kuroko, it's up to you. I'm not gonna stop you if you want to tr- Wait." He turned to Midorima. "Sensei, did you say that this other doctor has almost got a cure?"

"That is correct."

"So there's no cure for lupus?" Kagami was horrified.

Kuroko, on the other hand, looked resigned, as if he had not expected much in the first place.

"As of yet, there is no cure. The most that we can do as doctors is to treat the symptoms, and suggest organ transplants if it is very serious."

"Is it very difficult to find an organ donor?" Kagami asked, as the rusty gears in his brain began to creak and turn slowly. He knew that Kuroko was definitely ill enough to need an organ transplant, or at the very least, a kidney transplant.

"That generally depends on the person in need of a transplant. Blood transfusions are easy to come by, but matching organs is more difficult. The organs are larger, thus the body perceives them as more of a threat." Midorima explained.

"I... I see." Kagami tried his best to understand, but all he got was that there was a low chance of Kuroko getting a new organ if he so needed it.

A hand was tugging lightly at his elbow, and he turned to meet Kuroko's tired gaze.

"Kagami-kun. Would it be too much if a bother if I wanted to try?" The redhead heard his underlying question immediately.

Would I be causing too much trouble for you if I wanted to get that cure?

The bigger man shook his head, then spoke to Midorima. "Sensei, when's the earliest date we can meet with this other doctor?"

The greenhead looked thoughtful, and a little troubled. "He is a very busy man. I am not completely sure, but if you'd like-"

The door slammed open and a cheerful voice greeted, "Shin-chan! Akashi requests your presence in the lab, like right now!"

They all turned to see a male nurse with his fringe held back by an orange headband standing in the doorway. The nurse looked a little surprised to see them, but casually dropped them a wave as he walked over to pull Midorima from his chair.

"C'mon, you know Akashi doesn't like waiting. Sorry 'bout the interruption, fellas, but honestly, the higher-ups are a pain-"

"You can't just crash into an office and drag the doctor off like that! We're not done yet!" Kagami spluttered, causing the nurse to cock an eyebrow.

"Well, then, sir, maybe you want to deal with our boss, if you think you're so great-"

"Takao." Midorima shrugged the nurse's hands off him with a reprimanding glare, then turned to face his patient. "Kuroko-san. If you'd like, we can go see the doctor right away. If I am correct, he is summoning me to demand I look for more test subjects for him."

Kuroko looked a little bewildered, and looked from Midorima to Takao to Kagami and back to Midorima again. Kagami nudged his friend, nodding to let him know it was okay if he wanted to go. Seemingly reassured, Kuroko shakily stood up and said, "Alright. I'm ready to see this doctor."

Although it really is too sudden.

Midorima nodded in acknowledgement, and Takao immediately shoved him out of the door, forcing the other two to chase after them. They dove down winding corridors, driving through crowds with nothing more than loud screams of "Excuse me!" and "Coming through!" The majority of the people they passed looked more surprised than anything, but some of them shot them dirty looks, cursing under their breath. Kagami was aware that Kuroko was growing weak due to their hectic pace, and after a few more turns, finally grabbed and hoisted the blunette into his arms.

Kuroko tried to protest, though he hardly had the energy to spare. "Kagami-kun, I can walk. Put me down-"

"No. I know your limits as well as you do, and your life is short enough as it is. Let me pamper you once in a while, alright?" He picked up the pace to follow the disappearing greenhead, leaving Kuroko to dwell on his words.

At long last, they reached a quiet stairwell with just one lift. Neither the nurse nor the doctor looked out of breath, which was surprising, considering their mad dash. Takao pulled out an identification card and waved it in front of the scanner. The lift doors opened, and Kagami was surprised to see that the interior was much more sophisticated than its dilapidated exterior. They had only just stepped inside when the lift shot off, arriving at their destination before Kagami even had a chance to regain his bearings.

He followed Midorima and Takao out of the lift dumbly and regretted it when he was hit by the cloying smell of disinfectant.

Eww. This is even worse than what a normal hospital smells like. What do they keep in here, dead bodies?

Even Kuroko seemed disturbed by the stench, and he spent three days a week in the hospital for dialysis.

Kagami realised the blunette was trying to tell him something. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Kuroko huffed, then spoke again, his voice a whisper. "Midorima-sensei said this doctor was demanding test subjects. Do you think he means for clinical trials?"

Clinical trials. Those words seemed familiar. A gentle click in the back of his mind spurred forth the memory, and Kagami could only frown. "Maybe. I hope it's a later stage of the trial, at least. It might be safer."

He felt the blunette nod against his chest, and the movement was so weak that he couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness for his friend.

"Kagami-san." Midorima's voice invaded his consciousness, and he stopped himself just in time to prevent from walking into Takao.

The nurse did not seemed pleased by his lack of awareness, and took an annoyed step away from him. They were standing in front of a door, with a nameplate that read 'Akashi Seijuurou: Head Researcher'. Midorima gave a curt knock, and a crisp voice called for them to enter barely a moment later.

Kagami followed the other two in before setting Kuroko on his feet. The cerulean-haired man still looked rather pale. Kagami wanted to ask if he was okay, but before he could, a slim hand entered his field of vision and held Kuroko firmly by the elbow. "Would you care to have a seat?"

This must be Akashi-sensei, Kagami thought dumbly as he watched the doctor guide Kuroko to a chair. He's... Short.

Akashi was also a redhead, although his hair was a brighter scarlet than Kagami's dual-toned crimson. He really was short, just a little bit taller than Kuroko. The biggest shock came when he sat down behind his desk and faced his visitors - a pair of heterochromatic eyes that gazed upon each of them, one blazing ruby and the other a dazzling gold. It was, needless to say, frightening. There was a strange air of authority about him, and his presence was both commanding and charismatic.

...and there was also one other thing. He noticed Kuroko the moment they stepped into the room, which was unusual. Kuroko's poor health had caused his innately low presence to diminish even further. Thus, to be able to see him right off the bat took a justifiable amount of skill that very very few people possessed.

"Shintarou." The crisp voice shattered the silence, and Midorima flinched. "I requested for your presence, and yet you bring guests. Do you not understand the implications of bringing in others unannounced?"

Midorima bowed stiffly, and one hand shot up to keep Takao at bay. Kuroko noticed that the nurse looked as if he wanted to punch Akashi. "My apologies, Akashi. However, Kuroko-san was attending a consultation with me when you summoned, and I thought it would be prudent to bring him along. He may be able to help with your research."

"Oh, is that so?" Akashi levelled a look at the greenhead, his eyes narrowing. His face was mocking, as if Midorima was unworthy of making a decision such as that. "I will speak to both you and Kazunari later. Wait outside."

Midorima only bowed stiffly again and grabbed Takao by the collar, dragging him out of the room despite his enraged protests.

"That's not a very nice way to treat your subordinates."

Red and gold eyes met red and Kagami repressed the urge to shudder. "Who are you to oppose how I treat my colleagues?" Akashi's words were tipped with steel, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.

Kagami stared back, unafraid. "Kagami Taiga. Shouldn't a good work environment revolve around good relationships?"

"That depends on what sort of a work environment you run." Akashi stated bluntly. "I run research in this facility; anything short of exemplary work is intolerable, and makes for poor data collection. If poor results are the reason why my patients receive substandard treatment, then there is a need to rectify the matter immediately. Now," Akashi leaned back in his chair, glowering at Kagami. "If there are no further complaints on how I decide to run my research facilities, I believe that you and your companion have been brought here to seek treatment?"

Kuroko answered for both of them, surprising Akashi. It seemed as though he had forgotten Kuroko was there. "Yes, Akashi-sensei. Pardon my friend's brashness and rudeness. I was told by Midorima-sensei that you are developing a cure for lupus."

"That is correct. Am I correct to assume that you are the patient?"

"Yes, sensei. However, Midorima-sensei diagnosed me with lupus not ten minutes ago. I am not completely convinced that I have such a disease." Kuroko said seriously, and Akashi looked thoughtful.

Kagami tried not to roll his eyes. Kuroko, you idiot, you just told me a while ago that you think you do have lupus!

"Even if you do not have lupus, you are already sitting in my office. Thus, I will take charge of diagnosing your illness. Shall we begin?"

Kuroko nodded.

"How long have you been in pain? Describe the pain."

"Since more than two years ago..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After Kagami and Kuroko had left, with a promise to contact them as soon as the test results returned, Akashi summoned Midorima and Takao back into his office. The redhead was comparing the notes he had taken during the consultation to the facts he had pulled up on his computer, and the furrow in his brow was only growing deeper.

"Shintarou, Kazunari. Take a seat."

"What do you think of this patient, Akashi?" Midorima was straight to the point.

Akashi shook his head and pulled off his reading glasses.

"Kuroko Tetsuya is an unusual case indeed. I suppose I must thank you for bringing him in. However," he said, red and gold eyes narrowing. "His condition has deteriorated so much that I fear even with our advanced medicine, we would not be able to cure him."

Midorima nodded along, as if he had reached that same conclusion. "It is as you say. Despite that, he would be a good subject to run some tests on. Perhaps one of the stronger drugs."

"If we do not double-blind this patient, we are compelled to scrap the double-blind for other subjects as well." Akashi raised an eyebrow at Midorima's suggestion.

Truly, it would not be a fair test if only Kuroko Tetsuya were to receive the drug and the other test subjects received the placebo. Yet it would be a waste and morally wrong if they did not attempt to treat him where they had the means to do so.

"You could always make his an isolated case." Takao spoke up.

Seeing the looks of the other two men, he shrugged. "You have enough patients to run the trial, one patient is not that much of a significant difference. Plus, it is unethical to refuse him treatment."

Akashi looked like he was mulling over the suggestion, and Midorima patted Takao on the shoulder. It was a fair argument, as they could always write Kuroko's case as a separate case study or scrap it altogether if the results were too far off the chart. On the other hand, to researchers like themselves, Kuroko would be an excellent guinea pig to test out some of the stronger medications they had been developing. If it failed… Well, everyone who willingly participated understood that there were risks involved.

Akashi picked up Kuroko's consultation notes. He seemed to have accepted Takao's argument.

"Very well then. Kazunari, take these blood samples to Daiki. Test them for the usual, and have him email me the results. Shintarou, I'll leave you to find an appropriate dose to administer to our newest subject. If all goes well, we will have a new project to play with in two weeks."

Midorima and Takao looked at each other, the latter shrugging helplessly at Akashi's method of phrasing things. They wordlessly took their tasks and left the room, quietly grateful that Akashi had seemingly forgotten to punish them.

Meanwhile, Akashi took out a tiny gold ring that he wore on a chain around his neck, spinning it between his fingers. The tiny aquamarines embedded along its length glittered under the fluorescent lights, weaving a faint memory of cerulean hair and sky blue eyes.

"Tetsu-nii-chan!" The small redheaded boy jumped onto the blunette's back, causing both of them to fall over.

The cerulean-haired boy rolled onto his back, laughing. He lifted the smaller boy up so that his vibrant red hair was outlined by the blue sky.

The smaller boy squealed and beat at his hands. "Put me down, Nii-chan! Put me down!"

"No can do, Sei-juu-rou," the blunette singsonged. "You attacked me first, so now I have to return the favour."

"No, no!" The redhead giggled.

Larger hands put him down, and he tried to run away, but to no avail. The blunette's small fingers dug into his sides, and he screeched with laughter, the shimmering sound of bells echoing through the mansion's empty grounds.

Akashi dropped the ring back into the folds of his lab coat, passing a hand over his eyes as if to wipe away the memory. "Tetsu...ya... Could it...be?"

There was no one to reply him. The only sounds that reached his ears were the soft whir of the air-conditioning and the steady ticks of the analogue clock.