[EDIT] WHEEEEEEE THIS SINCE YOU ARE MINE, I'M ALWAYS RIGHT FIC NOW BACK IN BETA!

BETA'd by: Raphael Argai Thanatos ;w; THANK YOU SO MUCH!

disclaimer: even after the BETA, I still don't own Kuroko No Basket -w-;;;

He is always right.

That red haired young man, again, is not even surprised by his victory against another school. Though, the last time he heard, Shuutoku had always been hailed as the king of basketball in their city, especially after a certain green-haired young man of the Generation of Miracles enrolled into the said high school.

Stepping out of the basketball court with pride, he smiled. A calm, yet intimidating smile as usual. Of course, since he always wins, he's always right.

Really? Always? So you're saying that he was never wrong? Not even once?

The first time Akashi saw him, he thought he knew everything about him.

That light blue hair. The height that did not surpass Akashi's—in fact, he was happy that said boy was shorter than him. The eyes that you could never tell what he's up to. The slim, slender body. The suckish shot.

And his misdirection ability.

And Akashi was never once wrong. Kuroko brought a big change to his basketball team. Though Akashi only let him play on two out of four quarters out of many games, Kuroko's hidden ability could help the team, especially when the team was caught on crisis. And Akashi guessed easily that the duo Aomine-Kuroko brought the bombastic victory to the team.

Akashi, once again, was right. He always thought that Kuroko was one of his loyal teammates. In fact, the most loyal teammate he ever had. Kuroko didn't mind that Akashi made him go through several hellish practices and never complained when said redhead doubled or even tripled his training menu, only to polish his passing ability. Kuroko was always there when he was needed. And though Kuroko had never been placed in the first five players, he was never late to attend the match and always faithfully stood on the bench with no complaints, next to Akashi.

As you see, Akashi was never wrong with all his analysis.

The only thing he was wrong was thinking that everything would go smoothly forever like that.

"I want to quit."

Akashi went silent. He even stopped his bite halfway on his lunch sandwich.

"I don't quite understand what you're saying, Tetsuya." Akashi said as he let his back meet the wall on Teikou's rooftop.

Kuroko continued to sip the milkshake he bought from the cafeteria through the straw, as he rearranged his sitting position, like Akashi's, to sit firmly against the wall.

"I know that Akashi-kun quite understands. I want to quit the team." Kuroko's tone didn't change. It stayed calm, so did his expression.

Akashi hated to admit, but sometimes he cannot predict Kuroko with his monotonous facial expression and tone.

"The thing I do not understand," a small pause, as Akashi placed the sandwich back in his lunchbox, as he didn't feel like eating anymore. "is the reason of why would you quit the team."

"Aka—"

"You know, you're useful to our team, especially when there's only a ten point gap." Akashi said. To most people, to only win by a ten point difference is not enough, especially on the last quarter. Much to Akashi's own amusement, he'd prefer to win with much higher scores, crushing the opponent's mentality by winning with such a wide gap. Though it's not like he's craving of victory, because of course he will win.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko called his partner's name, before said teen could even have a chance to speak more. "If it's about the past, then yes, perhaps I could help around a little. But now, not anymore."

Akashi stayed still. He didn't say anything.

"Nobody can get past Murasakibara-kun's defense, nor can they stop his offense. Nobody even has a chance to rebound Midorima-kun's one hundred percent accurate shot. Kise-kun can imitate any threatening basketball style. And Aomine doesn't even have to break a sweat to beat any other team without question. Am I right?"

A pair of heterochromatic eyes stared ahead of its owner—to nothing, actually, as he was still lost in words.

"They're unstoppable, therefore they need no help. They don't need any passes from the kind of man who is usually unnoticeable on daily basis, Akashi-kun. Is there any reason for me to stay?"

"There is one,"

Now Akashi's eyes on Kuroko, glared to the soft haired boy. Kuroko didn't react at all, both his body and his facial expression remained the same.

"Because I order you to stay."

This red haired guy hated it if things don't go his way, didn't he?

"I'm sorry, Akashi-kun."

"Tetsuya." Akashi's tone got colder.

Kuroko shook his head. "This is my final decision. Please forgive me, Captain."

"No, Tetsuya—"

Kuroko stood up. He stood before Akashi, then bowed down. And then, he left Akashi alone.

Akashi is always calm, even when his mood is not stable—since when is his mood is stable?—and he never expressed his anger in 'whatever-way-that-would-waste-his-energy'. But, Kuroko was sure, when he walked downstairs, he could hear his name was called in agony.

"TETSUYAAAAA!"

Akashi awoke, a bit surprised when he realized that he had fallen asleep on the bench on the edge of some outdoor basketball court that Rakuzan rented. All he could remember that he got here thirty minutes earlier than the usual afternoon practice time—now it was fifteen minutes before practice—just to kill some time. The court was starting to get crowded as more and more people filled it.

'That dream again?'

Akashi chuckled. Was his decision to call all the other members of Generation of Miracles plus their sixth phantom player, wrong after all?

Just a few days ago, Akashi summoned them all, knowing that they would be in the very same location, specifically the place where they would compete in the Winter Cup.

Summoned all the members, so much to only meet just one of them.

Since he saw that figure after such a long time, Akashi still can never let that figure out of his mind. Kuroko was now starting to be the real ghost, haunting his very mind and slowly getting the best of him. Entering his every dream. And not leaving Akashi alone.

And Akashi hated how he cannot predict the small things that would be bothering him.

Today, after practice, Akashi was in the mood to walk around the city before he got back to Tokyo Hotel, where he stayed until the Winter Cup ends. He decided to take a walk and wandered in the city where he used to live in when he was still a middle-schooler.

And he thought he just passed Seirin High School, the high school—that Akashi remembered—where Kuroko enrolled in.

Maybe his subconscious really wants to meet him that badly.

"And Kagami-kun, I thought that you finally gained the ability to not let your ego get the best of you. I humbly apologise to having misunderstood such a thing." Dimly, Akashi heard Kuroko's monotone yet polite voice. And there he was, just exiting the Seirin High School's gate.

"You shut the damn up!" Kagami shouted.

Akashi didn't quite get what's happening. But… He sensed something weird vibrating in the left side of his chest when he saw Kuroko and Kagami. His Tetsuya was being too close with his new partner.

He never behaved like this when Kuroko was with Aomine. At least, he didn't feel too many unnecessary feelings like this.

Were the scissors that bruised a small part of Kagami's cheek not enough to warn him to not get too close to Kuroko?

"Oh, I'm going first, Alex's waiting." Kagami said as he glanced on his watch. Then he left and waved his hand, Kuroko waving back until Kagami was gone out of sight.

And exactly after that, a pair of hands caught Kuroko's body and snatched him away somewhere.

"Why all of sudden this invitation to your place, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked when they finally arrived in front of Akashi's house. "I'm happy with your offer… if only you didn't drag me all the way to the nearest taxi all of a sudden and gave me the impression that I might be getting kidnapped by a stranger."

That was kind of scary to Kuroko. Well, thank God it was Kuroko. If it was anyone else, even any other member of Generation Of Miracles, they would be dead instantly when a certain red haired guy kidnapped and dragged them all the way by taxi and forced them to follow him all the way to the hotel where Rakuzan was temporarily staying at. Well, it didn't matter whether Rakuzan stayed there or not, but "the hotel" plus the two of them alone together gave it a rather dubious connotation.

"Just pretend that I'm bored with the old-school style." Akashi chuckled. "Go in. I didn't end up rooming with anyone."

As if anyone would dare to, Akashi added to himself, as he was well aware of other's fear of him.

As if they came back to their middle school times, Kuroko obeyed right away. Not sure if it was kind of an old habit, or if Akashi had a kind of special trick to make other people obey him without making himself speak longer than one or two sentences. Either way, it showed how great Akashi was.

Though only once, a long time ago, Kuroko had refused to obey him.

Kuroko entered Akashi's room.

The hotel room was nice, with quite a view. Though the two people inside weren't actually surprised—it was a five-star hotel after all, and it's not like it was the first time they'd been in one. Akashi got his own small, nice kitchenette plus a dining room and living room.

Kuroko sat in the living room. That room didn't have much stuff in it, only a sofa, TV, coffee table, and surprisingly a kotatsu table in the middle of the room, similar to the one in Kuroko's home.

Not long after that, Akashi came with two slices of strawberry cake and two cup of Japanese tea. Kuroko was unsure that would go well, but had no problem with it.

"I'm sorry to be a bother." Kuroko said.

"Formal like always, Tetsuya?" Akashi smirked.

Then they sat across each other on the aforementioned small table. They enjoyed their tea and cake Akashi had brought from the kitchen in silent. Not one of them had in mind to start a conversation.

Like a long time ago.

Akashi smiled a bit. A bit. He placed his fork on the small plate after had the last bite of his cake.

"It's like we go back to our middle school years, yes?"

Kuroko glanced away from his cake.

"Yes, Akashi-kun."

"You and I always ate on the rooftop of our middle school, without having a conversation before each of us finished our food." Akashi smiled. "And you only had milkshakes or snacks. Didn't your appetite improve, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko followed the direction where Akashi glanced at. Kuroko's unfinished cake. It's not like the cake tasted bad or anything, Kuroko simply had little appetite. "Ah… I'm sorry, Akashi-kun. But the cake really tasted delicious. Ah... but I'm full. I'm sorry."

Akashi shrugged. After all, it was only a cake he bought, not his handmade, so he didn't have any problem at all.

"Yeah… though the last time we had lunch, that was also the first time you talked to me while we were still eating our food."

Kuroko went silent.

"… Yes." Like it or not, he agreed.

"And I still can remember that time your milkshake wasn't finished."

"… Yes…"

"That time, the sky was blue. Bright blue."

"… Yes …"

Akashi smirked sarcastically.

"So bright that made me blind, that it was the time I had to lose one of my teammates."

"…"

Akashi stared deeply into Kuroko's eyes. Then he figured something out.

The distance between them wasn't close enough to be called 'near'. They even sat across each other. But, Akashi could barely hear Kuroko's breathing, so strange and heavy. And forget Kuroko's expressionless face (though his eyes showed a little bit of a surprise), Kuroko's heartbeat was faster than normal.

Akashi then realized that now Kuroko cannot even reply to any of his words. Not even a small reply like 'yes' from those small lips.

But, Akashi knew no mercy.

"So bright," Akashi continued."So bright that I hadn't realized that my calculations were wrong,"

Kuroko closed his eyes, disliking the topic that Akashi brought forth without stop.

"That you, Kuroko Tetsuya, would always be by my side."

Kuroko closed his eyes more tightly. He even put both of his hands on his ears. "Akashi-kun, stop."

Nope. Akashi disregarded that comment.

"Look at me, Tetsuya."

Kuroko disobeyed him.

Akashi then glared at him.

"Tetsuya." Then his tone turned cold, just like that time.

"No, Akashi-kun…"

"LOOK AT ME, TETSUYA!"

Akashi flipped the table, throwing it to the corner of the room, so there would be nothing separating him and Kuroko. He could care less about broken cups and plates, or even the table. He would pay it later. But, that startled Kuroko enough to open both of his eyes.

"Akashi-ku—"

Akashi grabbed both of Kuroko's cheeks, pulled Kuroko's head and made him look straight into his face. Mercilessly he made Kuroko look at him.

Those eyes… that pair of heterochromatic eyes, looked hurt.

Kuroko stayed still. Looking at that pair of eyes that always looked beautiful to him for a few seconds in silence. As if the time in that room had stopped.

"Akashi-kun…"

"Tetsuya… look at me…"

Kuroko never heard Akashi's voice sound that weak. Too fragile.

Peck.

Both of Akashi's eyes closed, as the owner put his lips to the other's lips. Unlike Kuroko whose eyes widened in surprise. The owner of the blue sky hair didn't react much, still frozen in surprise.

But, Kuroko instantly reacted when Akashi pushed him onto the sofa, which coincidentally was behind Kuroko. The Red held The Shadow still on the bed while keeping their lips connected, and The Shadow tried to struggle.

As if The Shadow's struggling didn't bother him, The Red entered his tongue inside The Shadow's mouth.

Curse his so-called calculation. Akashi didn't even plan to do this.

Akashi let go of Kuroko, due to lack of oxygen. And that chance was taken by Kuroko to push Akashi away. Akashi didn't retreated much, but it made enough room between Kuroko and him so he let himself sit on the sofa properly. Both of them still in the middle to control their breath.

"I…" Akashi tried to speak in the middle of his breath. My, this was even more tiring than playing an entire four quarters. "I… will never hand you to anyone, Tetsuya."

"Akashi-kun…"

"I…"

"Akashi-kun… even if I hadn't quit the team, we would still go our own paths, right?"

"Even so, should we really have separated that quick? Besides, we can enter the same high school. It's between me entering Seirin, or you moving to Kyoto and entering Rakuzan."

Kuroko shook his head. "It's no good to involve your own future with somebody else's. And my reason to quit the team is to prepare myself to beat you all. How can I beat you if we we're on the same team?"

Akashi's breath started getting back to normal. He even smirked like usual. "I never lose, Kuroko. And I will never lose. Victory is given, not taken. And victory will always be mine."

Though disagreeing in his mind, Kuroko smiled as he knew Akashi went back to his usual self.

"…And… Akashi-kun… though I want to go against you in a future game, that won't make me leave you."

"Huh?"

Just in seconds, but sure, Kuroko kissed Akashi's cheek.

"I never intended to leave Akashi-kun. And I really always miss Akashi-kun, and eagerly wait for our game.

"When is it? Where will it be? How long will it take? Will I even be able to face Akashi-kun?

"I really, really like Akashi-kun."

Akashi went silent.

When they parted, Akashi really let himself be consumed by his emotions. So much that made him not realize what's wrong with Kuroko. He didn't realize that Kuroko's heartbeat went faster and his breath was unstable when he said farewell. Kuroko's blank expression really tricked him.

And that made Akashi miss the fact that Kuroko also didn't want to apart from him.

"I really always want to be by your side, Akashi-kun."

Just like him.

"… Hah…"

Akashi laughed ironically. How foolish he is! How could he never realize everything until now?

But now, that didn't really matter anymore.

"I love you, Tetsuya."

And then, Akashi smiled. No, not the usual scary, intimidating smile. But the smile that warmed Kuroko's heart, and made him smile back.

"Akashi-kun, me too, I lo—"

Akashi cut him off. He kissed Kuroko's lips softly, unlike before.

"I didn't need your answer. You are mine, and I'm always right."

WHEE!