Omg I haven't posted anything in ages. (over 2 years...)
well I blame my muse for ditching me.

Hi I ship AoKuro so effin much.

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke does not belong to me okay. It belongs to the huge troll we all call Fujimaki Tadatoshi. (If he was not a troll, he would've given me more Akachin (Akashi Seijuurou) by now. ughhhh.)

Summer Days

It was a hot day near the end of July.

The heat bore down at anyone who dared to leave their houses with no mercy.

"This is so troublesome…" Aomine Daiki whined to no one in particular as he trotted down the street. The street was crowded with people, teenagers on holiday, adults in suits, housewives with grocery bags… It puzzled Aomine as to why they would all even bother to come out on such a day like this.

Aomine sure wouldn't have came out; had Satsuki not made him. ("We have basketball practice!" she had screamed over the phone, "You've missed out on plenty!") So Aomine went to the school gymnasium, did a few shots and decided to go home. It wasn't as if it made a difference if he practiced or not. He couldn't find an opponent. There was no one who could play basketball on par with him. It wasn't fun.

"I'll go get ice cream…" He muttered to himself as he rounded the corner. He used to do that a lot, back in Teikou especially. After school practices during the summer, they would be walking home all sweaty and hot, and the two of them would get ice cream.

Yeah. The two of them.

Aomine headed to a convenience store around the area that he remembered. This area was close to Teikou Middle School. Two blocks down and another corner away was a fairly large convenience store that he used to go to with the rest of the team after school practices.

He peered through the window, checking out the newest issues of magazine as he walked to the entrance. Why not? His eyes landed on the newest issue of a sports magazine that Aomine was subscribed to. There was plenty of basketball in it. He remembered the two of them used to discuss about the techniques explained in the magazine together. ("I bet you can't do it, Tetsu." "I don't object to that. Besides, it's not like Aomine-kun can either." "Oh really? You wanna see?") And sometimes Aomine would be able to do it, sometimes he wouldn't. And when he failed to, Aomine would treat the two of them to ice cream. Smirking to himself, Aomine stared at the magazine, reading the front page. At that moment, a hand reached out and pulled the magazine from the rack and out of Aomine's sight. Frustrated because he was halfway through reading the headline, Aomine looked up to see the person who picked up the magazine.

A messy head of short blue hair, blue eyes, pale skin; a short stature, skinny arm and a body that looked as if it could be blown away by the wind…it was all too familiar to Aomine. "…Tetsu?"

Kuroko Tetsuya didn't reply, he was reading the magazine, failing to notice the person standing outside, and Aomine was too soft to be heard through the glass wall that stood in between the two.

Aomine was about to knock on the window to catch Kurokos attention when the light blue haired boy turned around and looked at something, someone, behind him. A tall stature, red hair, slightly more colored skin and a stupid look on his face almost all the time, Kagami Taiga stood further into the store waving lazily at Kuroko, gesturing to something that Aomine couldn't see.

Despite the heat, Aomine's entire body went cold in a second, and boiling in the next. Rage. Without so much as a second glance, Aomine turned in his spot and walked away from the convenience store. Maybe it was better for the two if they didn't talk each other, with things being left the way they were during the Inter League.

Actually, the tension was there ever since Teikou, when Aomine suddenly began to grow and excel in basketball. Aomine would be able to singlehandedly score until the other team gave up. He was that strong, that skilled, that talented.

Everyone eventually began leaving Aomine alone, afraid of him, scared of him; except maybe the annoying brat, Kise…and Kuroko. Kuroko stuck with him as his shadow. But Kuroko was only a shadow…Aomine wasn't looking down on Kuroko, but Kuroko wasn't what he wanted, only what he needed. And he still needed Kuroko.

Toou was a pain. He couldn't get around with any of them, none of them could work with him at all. That's why it was better the way they played one by one. That's why Kuroko had to be with him. He couldn't understand it when Kuroko told him he was not going to go to the same school as Aomine.

Aomine sighed.

Basketball was boring.

Especially without Tetsu.

Kuroko turned away from Kagami and looked out at the streets from the inside of the convenience store. He didn't know what beckoned him, but he did. And he spotted the back of a familiar person, the tall and lean body, tan skin and dark blue hair, walking away. The last time Kuroko had seen it, it was on the basketball court, the towering figure smirking after ruthlessly beating Seirin to the ground.

Kuroko missed his smile.

"What's wrong? Kuroko?" Kagami asked. "Hey, Kuroko?"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied as he snapped out of his daze, "nothing. I thought I just…"

"Just…?"

"Nevermind," Kuroko said as he placed the basketball magazine back on the rack.

"You're not gonna get that?" Kagami asked as he gestured to the magazine that Kuroko placed back. "It's pretty good, I got the last issue as well, though some of the things inside sounds pretty stupid if you ask me."

"Really?" The pale blue haired boy had asked but did not listen to the red head's answer, instead his mind was still thinking about the shadow of who he thought he had seen just a while ago. If that was indeed Aomine Daiki, then should he have maybe at least said 'Hi'? Or was it better for him to have ignored it and left it at it was. Was this all that resulted of their friendship?

"Hey Kuroko? Kuroko? You listening?"

"Sorry, I wasn't." Kuroko replied as he exited the store with Kagami.

"You're painstakingly blunt aren't you…"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko asked as he turned to look at the taller male, "…say, would we still be friends after we graduated from Seirin?"

"That's too far ahead you're thinking…"

"Would we?"

"I guess…" Kagami replied as he scratched the back of his head, "we're connected through basketball aren't we?" Kagami grinned and for a moment, he was very bright.

"Connected through basketball…is that so…" Kuroko mused as he looked down on the floor.

"Why?"

"Nothing…" Kuroko replied as he once again drowned himself in his thoughts.

But…Aomine-kun didn't like basketball anymore.

How could they still be connected through basketball?

Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Shoot.

It was too easy. Aomine thought they could entertain him a little, even if just a bit. But it was futile. Even street basketball, 1 versus 3 and it was still horribly one sided in favour of Aomine. He wasn't even breaking a sweat and the current game score was 68 - 5. They've been calling quits since Aomine scored 32, but Aomine did not let them.

"Aomine-kun, Stop it," a voice commanded from the side of the court, "That sort of basketball is not fun."

"Ah?" Aomine rolled his eyes as he turned to look at the person who had just called out to him. He froze, eyes widened as he watched Kuroko Tetsuya pick up the basketball and walking over to him.

The three guys Aomine had called opponents for the past fifteen minutes had scrammed away from sight.

Aomine let out a chuckle. "You don't get it Tetsu," Aomine replied, "Basketball is not fun…" Stealing the ball from Kuroko, Aomine ran at the unguarded post and dunked it in with one hand effortlessly. "It's boring."

"Then why do you still play it?" Kuroko retaliated as he picked up the basketball that had rolled to a stop beside his feet. Aomine stopped as he turned to look at Kuroko, a hint of unwillingness in his features. "Aomine-kun, please answer me. Why do you still play it? If basketball is not fun anymore, and you don't like it anymore, then why do you still play it?"

There was silence as Kuroko began dribbling the ball, bouncing it up and down. He stared at the basketball, avoiding contact with Aomine; not that the latter was looking at him anyways. Aomine remained still, looking up at the hoop as if pondering the question, or pondering the answer.

"Because Tetsu plays it."

Kuroko didn't know how to react. He stopped dribbling the ball, allowing it to slowly bounce away from him. He looked up at Aomine, his mouth slightly open. He was expectant of all sorts of answers like 'I just felt like it.' or 'Because I'm good at it.' (a very Murasakibara-esque reply) and was ready to shout and question him about it. But Aomine's reply caught him off guard. "Becuase…me?"

"Don't think too much about it," Aomine waved it off. He turned around and began heading towards the exit of the court. As they crossed paths, Kuroko could detect the faintest hint of a smile that remained on Aomine's features. As if out of reflexes, Kuroko grabbed onto the Aomine's wrist, forcing the dark blue haired male to stop in his tracks. "Tet-"

One hand on his wrist, another on his collar, Kuroko turned Aomine around and pulled the taller male down, their lips colliding together.

"!" Aomine's eyes widened as he felt the pressure on his lips, the only thing registering were Kuroko's piercing blue eyes. Aomine felt as if ice was pressed against his lips, Kuroko felt cool against his own hot, sweating body.

There was also the vague taste of vanilla.

Before Aomine could react appropriately, Kuroko had released him and took a step back. He looked down, hair loose and shadowing his eyes. Aomine pushed his hands into his pocket, took a step forward and bent down, trying to look at Kuroko's face. Kuroko looked away.

"?"

Aomine moved his head to the other end to catch a glimpse, but Kuroko looked away again.

"?"

Aomine turned to the other side and once again, Kuroko looked away.

"…oi, Tetsu…" Aomine groaned, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Yes?" Kuroko replied without looking up.

"Look at me."

"I refuse."

"Look at me."

"I refu-"

Kuroko was forced to look up by the slender yet strong fingers that slipped underneath his chin. Aomine watched as the azure eyes avoided his glance and a red flush coloring Kuroko's cheeks. It was unintentional but suddenly Aomine felt that the flustered boy in front of him looked so…erotic.

"…" Aomine stared. "Stop it, Tetsu."

"…" Easier said than done.

"…Stop that face!" Aomine groaned as he released his hold. "It…it…"…makes me want to kiss you… Aomine was a normal, functioning, hormonal teenager. There was nothing wrong with that. "Just stop."

"Okay…" Kuroko replied unsurely as he tried take on an indifferent face. It wasn't easy. Kuroko wasn't used to it. What was I doing… Kuroko didn't know what came over him either, not that he wishes to know now. He liked it though. There was no denying it.

"Tetsu…what was that?"

"…Don't think too much about it." Kuroko replied.

"…hm." Aomine grunted lazily, a hint of reluctance.

When Kuroko finally looked up again, the beating of his heart a little less frantic and emotionally calmer, he was staring into Aomine's eyes. The look from those eyes froze all feelings within Kuroko. It was back to the hostility, to the tense atmosphere after a brief moment of relaxing. The guard wall was up again.

"Come, Tetsu." Aomine said, his tone a little whiny, a little demanding.

"I'm here." Kuroko replied , despite knowing that his answer was not what Aomine was looking for. Kuroko had hoped the confrontation would not have led to the same topic, to the same question, to the same conversation again and again. Kuroko didn't want that.

"You know what I mean Tetsu," Aomine replied, "Come to Toou, play basketball with me again. Become my shadow and mine alone."

"I don't want to," Kuroko replied defiantly.

"Why?"

"Because I need to defeat Aomine-kun with Kagami-kun," Kuroko said in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was as plain as daylight.

"Kagami again," the shadow on Aomine's features darkened as the sun began to set and the world began to dim. "Why do you choose a light as dim as his? What can you possibly gain from partnering up with him? Tetsu, your full potential can only be released with me!" Anyone listening to that could hear the anger dripping from every word, could hear the venom in his voice.

Kuroko kept his composure as he looked at Aomine. "I will defeat Aomine-kun with Kagami-kun in the Winter Cup. I promised Momoi-san. That way, Aomine-kun will return to the old Aomine-kun." ...to return to my Aomine-kun.

Aomine chuckled. Kuroko remained silent. Aomine could not stop himself from bursting out laughing. "Tetsu, you're willing to use him to get what you want?" He laughed again before towering over Kuroko with a smirk on his face. "You have not changed one bit since middle school."

Kuroko did not reply. He merely stared up at the taller and tanned male. Aomine's smirk grew even wider.

"I look forward to your challenge, Tetsu," Aomine said after a while. "You won't succeed."

"We will."

"Tch. I really hate that side of you sometimes."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Aomine said as he reached out and ruffled Kuroko's hair, before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning away. It was only a small gesture but it reminded Kuroko of the Aomine he once knew, the one that was not the current arrogant monster. No. Not monster. Even in the way Aomine had changed, Kuroko could never - would never, call him monster.

Kuroko didn't say anything as he watched Aomine take his leave from the court. Only when Aomine reached the gates of the court did he stop and turn around. "Vanilla milkshake…you still drink that stuff, Tetsu?"

"Yes, it's tasty."

"Huh…treat me to some next time then," Aomine said as he walked out the gates and turned the corner, out of view.

Kuroko was left alone on the court. He walked over to the basketball that lay a few feet away from him. He squatted down and picked up the ball, a smile on his face.

Yay. The more I read over this fic, the more effed up it seems. It lacks a a freakin' center focus.
Well I was just mainly exploring the whole relationship between Dai-chan and Tetsu during the interval between the InterLeague and WC. (EXCUSES EXCUSES.)

...I gotta polish up my skills. zzz

I have an idea for a fic actually. An AU where Tetsu is a kid and happens during Teikou. but idk.

Signing off;
Kuro