Title: Better than Nothing

Pairing: Akashi x Kuroko

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: So I'm running out of motivational fumes so I asked Aokazusei for ideas to use and this is the product. So I decided to use it for her request on my One Year Anniversary Tumblr post! :D

-x-x-

"Get up Kuroko," a boy ordered the blue haired boy as he kicked him continuously.

Another laughed, recording the whole thing with his cell phone, "I can't believe you're such a little wuss."

The biggest out of all of them stood there with his arms crossed, "You think you can act all high and mighty just because you're friends with Aomine and Momoi-chan?"

"So? What do you have to say for yourself?" The one with the phone asked, taping him from only a few inches away from his face.

"Heh," the others laughed, "He can't say anything since he knows it's true."

"What are you guys doing here when you should be practicing?"

"I-It's Captain!" The boys shrank before their boss. "W-Were not doing anything r-right guys?"

"O-Of course not! This guy just fell so we were helping him up."

"Is that true?" His eyes pierced their souls as they gulped in unison. "10 laps around the court. Now."

"Y-Yes sir!" The three of them ran, dropping whatever was in their hands.

Before walking over to Kuroko, the boy picked up the cell phone and slipped it into his pocket. He would make sure to give it to a teacher after he checked the data.

"Hey, are you alright...?"

Kuroko peeked between the gaps of his fingers, the sun shining behind his savior.

"Can you stand?"

"..." Kuroko nodded and took the stranger's hand. "...Thanks."

"You should stand up for yourself next time or else it will happen again."

"Yeah…" Kuroko nodded; having a feeling he saw the other before. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, thank you."

"I-,"

"Captain!" A normal looking male ran up to them and whispered something in his ear. He clicked his tongue and patted Kuroko's shoulder. "Sorry that members of the basketball club were mean to you. I will make sure they're punished, severely."

"Ah…" Before Kuroko could reply, the bell had already rung and it was time for his librarian duties.

-x-x-

After he finished club activities, Kuroko had enough time to return home to take his dog out for a walk. Normally, Nigou was pretty tamed, but for once he ran off. "Nigou!" Kuroko looked around the street, but he was nowhere in sight. He was sure that he saw him run after something red, but he wasn't sure. The only other time he would run after something was when Kagami was around. The moment he realized that, he ran off to find the two where Kagami would normally be.

By the time he got to Maji Burger, he was out of breath. He wasn't one to waste energy so he was definitely out of shape.

"Woof!"

Kuroko heard the familiar call of his name and looked at the other side of the street.

Nigou wagged his tail, happy to see his owner out of nowhere. "Woof!" Nigou took a step on the road, trying to get across to meet him.

"Don't!" Kuroko yelled, lunging forward to protect him from the car heading their way, "Nigou!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Screech!"

-x-x-

"D-Doctor! He's waking up!" The nurse yelled as she pushed the button to signal the others. "Kuroko-san? Kuroko-san, can you hear me!"

"Huh...?" Kuroko thought as he opened his eyes to the white blinding ceiling. Four figures stood above him, but he couldn't make out any faces. Voices echoed in his ears, deafening him. His head was pounding and he could hear a high pitch ringing.

"Kuroko-san, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Kuroko stared blankly at the person, not sure of what was coming out of their mouth. He faintly noted two figures beside a door. He assumed it were his parents. "What...What happened?"

"You were almost run over by a car. The driver said that they didn't notice you at all. Luckily someone was able to push you out of the way before a major injury could occur." The doctor turned around, looking at Kuroko's information on his clip board. "You hit your head badly enough that we need to keep you here in case of a concussion. You will be let out within two weeks if things go according to plan."

"Ah, thank you doctor…" Kuroko nodded, trying to think back to what happened. "Is my dog okay?"

"Your dog?" The doctor looked at his nurse, who just shrugged.

"I believe your dog is fine, but you will need to ask your mother when she comes back tomorrow morning. We informed her that you would be fine and that she should return home to rest." The nurse smiled at him. "You should sleep as well, good night."

-x-x-

After a day, visitors were finally allowed to see him.

"Momoi-chan…I...can't...breathe," Kuroko strained to speak as a pile of stuffed penguins blocking his oxygen intake.

"I'm so sorry Tetsu-kun!" Momoi scrambled to push them off of him.

"Where did you get these anyway?'

"Oh! I didn't get them! Someone dropped them off for you."

"Who?" Kuroko found it weird that anyone would buy him something.

"It's a secret," she smirked while winking.

"Oi Satsuki, move," Aomine lightly shoved her out of the way, earning the chance to see her pout.

"You're so mean Dai-chan!" She whined.

"Hello Aomine-kun," Kuroko smiled at him, glad to see he didn't sleep in or something.

"Here," Aomine looked around and then revealed the shake he was hiding in his jacket.

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko smiled. No one would have noticed, but he had small tears in his eyes. He had been told that shakes were prohibited until he was excused from the hospital, but he was practically dying to drink one. He never got to buy one the day before after all.

"Don't thank me, I'm not the one who paid," Aomine sat in one of the chairs and propped his leg up on the edge of the hospital bed. "That bastard gave me the money saying he didn't know your tastes and to spend it on what would make you happy."

"…Bastard?" Kuroko wondered which one exactly.

"Ah, you'll see him later on today if he decides to suck it up and visit. If not, he'll make some lame excuse like he had a meeting or something. That's just bull shit in my opinion."

"Dai-chan! Don't call Captain a bastard!"

"Yeah yeah," Aomine leaned backward, digging his nose and scraping it on the bed sheet.

"Gross."

"Captain…?" Kuroko asked out loud.

"Yeah! Akashi-kun! The captain of the basketball team."

Kurok remembered the red head he had met for the first time behind one of the school's many gyms. He had never met him before that. He must had been doing his rounds or something.

"Can you thank him for me?'

"Thank who?"

All three of them looked at the door where the red head stood.

"No one," Aomine shrugged.

"Daiki," Akashi glared at him, making him straighten his back a little.

"Come on Dai-chan, let's give these two some privacy." Momoi smiled and pushed the blue haired male out of the room, making sure to steer clear of his snot hands.

-x-x-

"How are you feeling?" Akashi asked after he could no longer hear the two outside bickering like a married couple.

"I'm fine." Kuroko nodded, "Ah, you can sit down if you like."

"I won't be long."

"Okay…" Kuroko trailed off, not sure what to say next. "It seems you have been saving me a lot lately. Thank you."

Akashi smiled, "There's nothing to thank me for Kuroko."

"…Tetsuya." Kuroko looked away.

"Tetsuya…?" Akashi blinked.

"For someone who saved me twice in one day, I think it's fine for you to call me by my name like you do Aomine-kun."

Akashi smirked, hiding his blush behind his hand, "Only if you call me Seijuurou from now on."

"Sei…Akashi-kun."

"Hm," Akashi walked over to the side of the bed and leaned in.

Kuroko tried not to blush, but he failed.

"I guess we'll just need to work on that, won't we? Te-Tsu-Ya?" He sounded out each syllable beside Kuroko's ear. "Ah…He fainted."

-x-x-

"I can't believe you. Now we can't visit Kuroko until he's out of the hospital!" Momoi scolded Akashi lightly as Aomine continued to poke fun at him for it.

"So what did you do? Kiss him?" Aomine snickered.

"I said his name."

"That's it?" The two blinked.

"I said it…seductively."

"Pffft!" The two tried to hold in their laughter, but couldn't.

"That's so lame!" Aomine laughed, trying to wipe the tears away, but they continued to flow. "No wonder you've been keeping your distance from him all this time!"

"Y-You really need to work on your pickup lines Akashi-kun," Momoi giggled, finally done laughing at him. "Kuroko doesn't fall easily. He barely shows any expression at all, nonetheless a flustered face."

Akashi stopped in his tracks, "…I saw him blushing though."

"Eh?!"

"Maybe there's some hope after all."

-x-x-

Thank you! I hope you liked it! Sorry it's not much…I only worked on it for an hour or two since it's late and almost the end of the month e.e So much work to do.