New story is up!

OK, so a few notes on this before we begin this story:

1. this is an AU, which means I change a lot of things. And when I say things, I mean people. For one, there are no concepts of GoM in this story. There will be snippets of them mentioned and some outright talking about but Kagami and Kuroko don't know GoM (except for one but you'll understand once you read it)

2. This is a two-shot, meaning there's going to be another chapter after this one. I'm not telling you what it'll be about (it's a surprise, lol) but please await :)

3. This is a few years after Kagami and Kuroko graduate, and right now, in this story, they're 20 years old.

4. This story is angst, yes, but it's not the only thing that'll be in here. It's just my way of portraying what love generally is, so please make sure to review that part because I am so proud of it :)

I think that's all for now and I'll talk more about it after the story.

Remember to check out the poll for my A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words because I need to begin to write that and check out my other stories :)

So, without further ado, here's the story!

Kagami was happy, even though he knew it wouldn't last. He would make their limited time last forever, make the impossible possible. As he grabbed his partner's skinny hand with care, he smiled sadly and gave it a little squeeze. There was a weak squeeze back and Kagami started.

"Hey, I didn't know you were awake." He said softly as the person lying on the hospital bed opened his eyes slowly, tiredly, but with fire still left in him.

"I couldn't sleep." He answered simply and gave him a small smile. Kagami's breath hitched at the beauty of it; he remembered when his partner refused to show any emotion until he coaxed it out of him. Now, it seemed he was smiling always.

"Are you hungry?" Kagami asked and the person on the bed shook his head. "You have to eat something, you know."

"I know. But I'm not hungry at this moment."

"So, later?" The man nodded and Kagami sighed in relief.

"Good. I thought you would say something like, 'I can't eat anymore' or some stupid bullshit like that." He commented and the man shook his head.

"It is not stupid, Kagami-kun. You know there will come a day when I will no longer be able to eat." He said, staring at Kagami's smile that was slowly disappearing.

"Don't say that. You're going to get better, ok? Don't lose hope now, Kuroko." Kagami said, determined to make it all better. Kuroko gave Kagami a sad look, which he didn't catch, but then smiled and even laughed a bit before it changed into a horrible cough. Kagami jumped from his seat in shock, not knowing what to do, but Kuroko settled down and make Kagami sit down again.

"I'm fine. I choked on my own spit." He said and Kagami looked at his skeptically.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." He said and Kagami sighed. He then noticed the bouquet of flowers next to Kuroko's bed and looked at it curiously.

"Did anyone come here before me?" He asked and Kuroko nodded.

"Coach and captain came to visit a few hours back. Told me to get better so we could play basketball again." He responded and Kagami smiled stupidly.

"Are they still joined by the hip?"

"It would be surprising if they were not." Kagami laughed wholeheartedly.

"They were so awkward with each other. We all knew they could see color when they met but they pretended not to notice. It was so obvious, though." He said, recalling the past when they were still in high school and it was painfully obvious that the coach and captain had something for each other but still didn't do anything about it.

"Even Furihata-kun knew they were soulmates, and he is very oblivious." Kuroko said and Kagami shook his head.

"Nah. He didn't get it until captain asked him to get the blue cup next to him. Captain was an idiot to say blue. Furihata hadn't found his soulmate yet, so how could he have known?"

"And then coach came in, overhearing the conversation and picked up the blue cup for him. It was then that Furihata-kun knew."

"Yeah, and then he came to the rest of the team and completely blanched out about it when we all told him that we knew since the beginning."

"I admit that he can be a bit too slow sometimes." They both laughed at the memories they had together and Kuroko gestured Kagami to come closer to him. he complied immediately and Kuroko caressed Kagami's cheek delicately.

"Remember when we found out?" Kuroko asked softly and Kagami nodded fervently.

"It was a disaster. When I first laid my eyes on you -"

"You skipped over me, Kagami-kun." Kuroko pointed out and Kagami spluttered.

"That's beyond the point."

"I had to say that I was in front of you before you could find me."

"Can you blame me? I had a pyramid full of food and your presence was still weak as ever. Even now, I can't find you sometimes."

"Even though I am confined to my bed?"

"Like I said, beyond the point. Anyways, when I acknowledged your presence after you pointed it out," Kagami corrected and Kuroko looked satisfied, "and I finally saw you, my eyes burned to no end. I was internally dying from the pain of seeing colors all of a sudden after being used to seeing only black and white for so long."

"You never showed it, though." Kuroko mentioned and Kagami shrugged.

"I did, actually. I just hid my face in the burgers so that you wouldn't notice."

"Ah, that must have been why you wouldn't look at me until you finished them."

"I needed time to adjust and eating was best way for me to do that." Kagami then stopped and looked curiously at Kuroko. "When did you start seeing?"

"Had I not told you?" Kuroko asked and Kagami shook his head.

"I don't remember your telling me."

"It was when I saw you at the sign up table, in the beginning of school."

"Wait, that quickly?"

"Kagami-kun, you know how this world works." Kagami shrugged in response.

"You never know. So, you were saying?"

"I forgot what I was talking about."

"Beginning of school, when you saw me in the basketball sign up table."

"Ah, I remember now. I was walking up there myself when I saw your hair and found myself thinking, 'that is a beautiful shade of red', and then I caught myself, wondering just how I knew what color it was. And then my surroundings contained a variety of color and I knew that you were the one." Kuroko had a wistful look on his face and Kagami ruffled his hair.

"Didn't your eyes hurt though, like when I began to see?" Kagami wondered nad kuroko shook his head.

"It was surprisingly peaceful for me."

"Bullshit. Why did I have to go through such pain then?"

"We are different people, Kagami-kun. We perceive differently, so maybe that is why you felt pain when I didn't." Kagami snorted at the explanation.

"Wait, so why did it take so long for us to be together?" He inquired and suddenly stopped. Kuroko gave him a knowing look and Kagami turned away, too pained to look at him in the eye now. They both knew why it took so long to get together.

When Kagami had confessed to Kuroko the day they won against one of the basketball powerhouses, Kuroko had admitted that though hehad felt the same way, they couldn't be together. Kagami had asked him angrily just why they couldn't and Kuroko had that same knowing look he had now.

"I am dying, Kagami-kun." Kuroko repeated, just like last time. Kagami looked at his soulmate for a second before lifting his chin upward, bringing his own face down, and touching their lips together. When they parted, Kagami looked at Kuroko, determined.

"I don't care." He stressed, quoting the same words he used when Kuroko had told him of his disease. This time, however, instead of Kuroko arguing with him as they did last time, he just sighed and smiled.

"I know. And that is one of the reasons why I love you." He whispered, touching Kagami's cheek once more.

"I love you too, idiot." Kagami responded back, kissing his forehead as Kuroko's eyes slowly closed.

"Remember when we accidentally caught Mitobe and Koganei senpai kissing?" Kagami asked as he poured water on the bouquet that the coach had brought in a few days back. Kuroko nodded at the memory.

"It was very awkward, as I recall. Didn't we go in there because we wanted to do the same thing?"

"Yeah. Turns out our secret spot wasn't so secret after all."

"I can guarantee that even the coach and captain used that room for the same purpose."

"That school really needs to make more hiding spots for couple."

"I believe the point for having such limited space is because school is not a place for couples to hide, Kagami-kun." Kagami laughed at Kuroko's horrible humor.

"Wait, now that I think about it, didn't coach and captain come in, too? They did! I remember now! It was awkward beyond reason."

"Didn't captain stutter that they were just passing by?"

"Yeah, and coach made a different excuse at the same time."

"Mitobe senpai was silently judging them."

"Hey, so were we!"

"No, I distinctly remember Kagami-kun laughing his head off." Kuroko pointed out and Kagami rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, and then coach made me run 50 more laps the next day."

"It was your fault for teasing them the next morning."

"I couldn't help it! And I wasn't the only one! Koganei did the same thing!"

"And he got into the coach's Boston Crab Hold. Mitobe senpai couldn't even help him."

"Yeah, those were the good days. But hey, today's a good day, too."

"And why is that, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked and Kagami kissed his forehead.

"Because I get to see you live another day."

"How long has it been since we've won the Winter Cup for the first time?" Kagami recalled wistfully.

"I believe it has been 4 years. Didn't we win it when we were only sixteen?" Kuroko responded and Kagami nodded in agreement.

"Wow. It's already been that long, huh? 20 years old and still rolling. And it's been 2 years since we graduated from Seirin High. How do you think the basketball team is working out there?"

"Coach made sure to get the best person for her job. I am sure the third year will live up to coach's expectations."

"Doesn't coach always pass by the Seirin gym to check up on things?"

"She does. Seirin is now known as the one of the powerhouses, rivaling with Kaijo and even Touou."

"We were good, weren't we? Winning the Winter Cup twice in a row before the seniors graduated. I wonder how Kiyoshi senpai is doing."

"Ah, he visited me a while back, when you were out to get the groceries."

"Wait, really?" Kuroko nodded. "I didn't know he came back to Japan. Wasn't he studying abroad?"

"His grandparents passed away." A silence as Kagami took in the information.

"Wait, what?" He then asked in surprise.

"He came back to hold the funeral."

"And he never told me?"

"He didn't tell any of us, Kagami-kun. Apparently, he was planning on leaving to the States incognito when he accidentally met with captain. They literally bumped into each other in the streets because Kiyoshi senpai saw coach from a distance. After that, Kiyoshi senpai had to tell captain everything."

"Why did he want to keep it a secret, coming back to Japan?" Kuroko stared at him before Kagami could get it.

"Wait, are you telling me that our hunch was right?"

"If by our hunch you mean Kiyoshi senpai being able to see because of captain, then yes, our hunch was right."

"Wow. What are the odds? I never expected to see a love triangle like this." Kagami muttered and Kuroko nodded. "Does captain know?"

"He had no choice but to tell him. Captain was close to ripping Kiyoshi senpai's head off if he didn't."

"So, how did captain react?"

"He wouldn't tell me."

"So he just came to you and told you pretty much everything else?"

"It was more like ranting." Kagami laughed at the mere thought of his former captain going red in the face and screaming his head off.

"His clutch time mode never really disappears, does it?" Kuroko smiled.

"It would seem so."

"I heard from Koganei senpai that Tsuchida senpai just broke up with his girlfriend." Kagami said as he entered Kuroko's room. Kuroko looked startled.

"Really? Wasn't it because of her that Tsuchida senpai could start seeing?"

"That's what I thought, too, but that's the reason why they broke up. Both admitted that they saw no color when they were together. They called it off because they wanted to find their true soulmates." Kagami explained and Kuroko hummed.

"I never would have imagined something like this to happen, the possibility of being together when you are not with the right person."

"It really is strange, saying it like that."

"Do you think at some point, they did see color but it slowly left as time passed?" Kuroko suddenly asked and Kagami's eyes furrowed.

"You think there could be something like that? You said so yourself, that's not really how the world works." Kuroko was silent for a moment, pondering in his thoughts, leaving Kagami to wonder the same. Was there such a possibility?

"I do not know anymore." Kuroko finally answered. "As I get closer to death, I find myself wondering about the loopholes that come with falling in love."

"Hey, don't say that." Kagami growled and Kuroko looked at his soulmate curiously.

"Say what, Kagami-kun?"

"That you're going to die. You're not going to die, understand?" Kagami said loudly, though his voice cracked at the very end, and the tips of Kuroko's lips lifted.

"Of course, Kagami-kun. It was a stupid thing to say."

"So, I was passing by a magazine stand when I saw your middle school friend on the cover. Kise Ryouta, wasn't it?" Kagami said as he settled down in his seat. Kuroko looked distant for a while, probably reminiscing his days in middle school. It seemed so long now.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. He got caught on another 'scandalous event', as the title said." Kagami said, obviously unimpressed with the horrible heading.

"What did Kise-kun do?"

"Got caught with another girl when he was already dating someone else." Kagami stated and Kuroko sighed.

"It seems Kise-kun still doesn't seem to get it."

"Was he always like this in middle school?" Kagami asked and Kuroko pondered about it for a minute or two before answering.

"He was definitely happier in middle school than he appears to be now, when he was only working as a part-time model."

"What happened?"

"I believe he got tired of girls only looking at his face and falling in love. Even in middle school, many claimed to see color because of him. At first, he believed them and they had even persuaded him that he would be able to see color as well if he dated them long enough, but after 10 or so 'disaster dates', as he called them, he stopped believing in love completely."

"That's a bit too dramatic, isn't it?"

"For you, it may seem so. However, after the same thing kept happening to him, he realized that they only cherished his face, not his personality."

"Did you confront him about it?"

"I did. I think it was a few days after our first Winter Cup win. I was walking and saw Kise-kun's picture on the cover of a magazine with the same heading you saw today. When I asked him what was wrong on the phone, he responded that he just gave up on finding the right one."

"Really? He gave up, just like that? He's not even going to try anymore?" Kagami asked incredulously and Kuroko nodded forlornly. "But he should at least find someone who can make him see color! Why would he sacrifice such a thing?"

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko said and Kagami stopped at mid-rant to look at the smaller boy. He had a somber look on his face and Kagami's shoulders dropped.

"Yes?"

"Kise-kun hates love. He wouldn't want to see even if he could. That is the price of living in a society where looks are emphasized most. Fake love turns into hatred, Kagami-kun. It is impossible for it not to turn so."

"I got a call from Tatsuya today." Kagami brought up and Kuroko took some time before he was able to open his eyes and face his way. Kagami was worried; it looked like he was getting thinner every minute.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, he's telling me he's doing fine and asking if you're doing ok too."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him life was still as colorful as ever." Kagami smiled tenderly and Kuroko took Kagami's hand that was on top of the bed. There was a comfortable silence enveloping them before Kuroko broke it with a question.

"Kagami-kun, has there ever been a time when you thought you found your soulmate and wondered why you still saw black and white?" Kagami raised an eyebrow at Kuroko. He was getting too philosophical these days.

"You mean like what happened with Tsuchida senpai? Why do you suddenly ask?" He inquired and Kuroko made a strenuous effort to shrug.

"A bit like it, yes. And I am only wondering because you and Himuro-san seem to have a close relationship is all." Kagami smirked at the comment.

"Is someone jealous?" He teased and Kuroko gave him an annoyed look.

"Kagami-kun, don't diverge from the question." Kuroko deadpanned and Kagami laughed. Then, he got serious on the question.

"So you're pretty much inferring whether I once thought Tatsuya was my soulmate?" Kuroko nodded and Kagami sighed.

"I'm not really sure. It was at a time when we were still really young and my parents didn't explain the concept of love well to me. I think there was really a time when I did think Tatsuya was the one but after a while, the thought just disappeared. You know you're not in love when you forget that feeling, you know?" Kuroko nodded and hummed for a while.

"Did Himuro-san find someone yet?" Kagami scratched his head for a bit before shrugging.

"I have no clue. That guy has such a good poker face, you just can't know what he's thinking. He's kept so many secrets from me that I can't really say for sure whether he's found someone or not. Might be the tall guy he's always with, though. Remember the purple haired guy who gave us major trouble at our first Winter Cup?"

"Ah, yes. I believe they called him Murasakibara-kun."

"Yeah, him. They seem close enough, don't you think? But then again, they just might be really close friends. I mean, we thought Kawahara and Fukuda had a thing for each other before they found boyfriends of their own."

"Are they happy?" Kuroko asked, referring to their same aged friends, and Kagami nodded.

"Yeah, they are." He responded and Kuroko smiled.

"I am glad our friends are doing so well. Seeing color truly is a blessing, isn't it?" Kagami took hold of Kuroko's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It sure is, Kuroko. It sure is."

The moment Kagami got off his phone, his legs started moving unconsciously and he soon found himself in front of Kuroko's bed, out of breath and looking as though he was about to cry. Kuroko, not expecting Kagami to come so early to visit him, looked at him with startled eyes. He then noticed small tears that were trailing down his cheeks.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, agitated because Kagami wasn't one to normally cry. "What's wrong?"

"I - I just got a call from coach. She - Kiyoshi senpai. He -" Kagami tried to explain as coherently as he could but the words wouldn't come out. Kuroko's eyes, which were wide already seemed to get even wider.

"Kagami-kun, what is it? What happened to Kiyoshi senpai?" He begged, wanting to know what happened to his senior, his friend. Kagami, who was looking away, turned around to face Kuroko and his knees collapsed. He grasped the edge of the bed it was like he was close to ripping it apart, and he started cursing at the world that was just too cruel.

"They found him in front of the 20 story building." He choked out and Kuroko covered his mouth with his hands in complete dread.

"What?" He whispered in horror, unable to understand what Kagami had just said to him.

"He - Kiyoshi senpai jumped from the roof. They tried to save him but his head was too damaged by the time the ambulance came in. He… he's in a vegetative state now. The doctors say that he may never wake up and they'll give captain a choice to pull the plug or keep him just barely alive." Kagami strangled to say but his tears mixed in with his already struggling voice.

Kuroko was unable to grasp the information he had just heard. How? Kiyoshi was one of the happiest people he had ever met, satisfied with everything and always making sure they all made their greatest effort to achieve what they wanted. It wasn't possible. Kiyoshi couldn't have, not now, not when he himself was at the brink of death.

For the longest time, the two soulmates could do nothing but cry together, mourning for not only the loss of one of their closest friends, but for theirs as well, because they knew fully well that Kuroko's time was going to come, too.

It was some time before the two could stop. Tears still covered their faces but at least now, they had some self control to hold it back.

"Did - Did coach explain why he did such a thing?" Kuroko whispered and Kagami shook his head.

"She was blubbering so much, I almost didn't understand myself." He answered and Kuroko closed his eyes in defeat.

"Do you think captain knows?" He then asked and Kagami shrugged.

"I haven't had a chance to call him."

"Can you do that now?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because I need to know why he would try to take away his life like that when I'm here, struggling to hold onto it." Kuroko stated and Kagami had no choice but call.

He tried several times before the other end of the line picked up.

"What?" A raspy voice answered and Kagami knew that Hyuuga was not in the mood to talk. But Kuroko looked determined to know, and Kagami was to make his every wish come true.

"Captain, I'm sorry to bother you when Kiyo -"

"Don't you dare say his fucking name to me, understand?" He cut off and Kagami was taken back.

"But -"

"If this is why you called me, I have nothing else to say to you." Hyuuga said coldly and was about to hang up when Kuroko asked Kagami to put it on speakerphone. Then,

"Captain, please do not hang up." Kuroko pleaded and there was silence before Hyuuga answered.

"What do you want, Kuroko?" He sounded tired, his voice cracking.

"I apologize that we are asking this too soon but I must know. Why did Kiyoshi senpai do what he did? What happened?" Kuroko urged.

"When did you become so nosy, Kuroko?"

"Captain, please tell me."

"Can't you see that it's too early to think about this, Kuroko? I can't talk about him, not now, not when it's my fucking fault he did this!" Hyuuga yelled, his hoarse voice cracking at every word he shouted. Kuroko and Kagami couldn't say anything, not when he had just confessed something like that. "And now the doctors are giving me a choice whether to keep him alive or just let him die in peace. How can I do such a thing? How?" He demanded but the two just couldn't give him an answer.

Then, there was a dejected sigh and Hyuuga's voice came in a whisper.

"The day he told me I was his soulmate, I couldn't take it. I thought I was the only one who was delusional, thinking he didn't think of me as I did of him. I tried to forget him and then Riko came in and made my life better. And when he confessed to me when I accidentally met him in the street, saying I was his soulmate all along, I just didn't know what to do. I ended up telling him it was too late before running away like the fucking coward I was. Next thing I know, he asks me to meet him on the roof of the 20 story building a few weeks later and he jumps off. I - I didn't know what to do. I was running to catch up to him but I was a second too late and I found myself seeing blood instead." There was a pause and Kuroko was covering his mouth again, eyes closing and tears threatening to fall.

"He told me he loved me. He told he fucking loved me. And then he jumped off. I - I -" Hyuuga started stuttering and didn't seem to stop. Then, he took a deep breath and finally whispered,

"His exact words were, 'I love you, Junpei.' And I couldn't even answer him back. If I had answered that I loved him too, this would have never happened. If I wasn't such a fucking idiot, he never would have jumped. I - I never even had a chance to call him Teppei, you know?"

There was one more pause before the duo could hear their former captain's voice again, completely and utterly broken.

"I'm sorry. I'm hanging up now." There was click and the speaker let out a horrible flat tone. The room swirled in silence afterwards.

"Do you ever regret choosing me as your soulmate?" Kuroko suddenly asked, disrupting the quiet and making Kagami widen his eyes in shock.

"Why would you ever think that?" He retorted, getting slightly angry. If Kuroko could sense that, he didn't look like it. He was closing his eyes this time, not looking at Kagami. Hyuuga's story echoed in the smaller man's mind and when he opened his eyes once more, he made sure to look straight at Kagami.

"Because you just caged yourself with a lost cause." At that, Kagami felt himself stand up in rage, hearing that phrase before.

"Don't you ever think that, Kuroko. Ever." He growled and Kuroko looked slightly taken back by the hardness in his voice. Kagami didn't care, however, because there was no way he would ever let Kuroko think like that.

"You're not a lost cause, ok? You're still here with me, aren't you, even though you told me you were diagnosed 4 years ago. And that was a long time. There's hope, ok? There's still hope." He stressed and Kuroko closed his eyes slowly and nodded.

"You're right, Kagami-kun. I am sorry for saying such a thing." He replied calmly, ignoring Kagami's everlasting anger.

"Oi, look at me." He ordered and Kuroko took some time before he could open his eyes again and turned his head to look at the red-headed man.

"Yes, Kagami-kun?"

"You're not leaving me just yet, understand?"

"I thought I already said yes."

"I know you too well, Kuroko. You never look at me when you lie. Look at me straight in the eye and tell me you'll never think like that again. Tell me." The two soulmates gazed intently at each other before Kuroko sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if it was a mistake to get you so close to me. It seems you can read my every move now."

"Yeah, well, that's what I get for being with an idiot like you."

"It is not nice to insult your partner, Kagami-kun."

"Don't ignore the topic, Kuroko. Tell me. Look at me and tell me you're never going to think like that again." A reticence fell upon them for a few seconds before Kuroko responded, looking at Kagami straight in the eye.

"I won't think like that ever again, Kagami-kun." He responded solemnly and Kagami sighed in relief, taking his seat again.

"Good." He said and left it at that. An almost comfortable silence surrounded them, which the two of them spent just looking at each other.

"Why are you looking at me so intently?" Kagami then asked and Kuroko lifted his hand to run it through Kagami's locks of fiery red hair.

"Your hair is still vibrant as ever." Kagami smiled at the comment.

"Heh? Really?" Kuroko nodded and toyed with one of the strands.

"It still is a beautiful shade of red."

Sometimes, Kagami was glad they lived in this kind of world, a world where they could figure out who their soulmate was with just a glance. He never would have been with Kuroko if that signal wasn't there.

Yes, seeing only black and white for 16 years was tiring for him, wanting so badly to know which color was on which object, which hair color this or that person had, or what eye color he himself had, but he was immensely glad that he waited this long. Had he been able to see color for the day he was born, it would have taken him much longer to figure out his feelings for Kuroko.

He walked along the pavement, glancing at the red roses whose petals had droplets of rain on them, glistening as the sun hit it at the right angle. He saw couples walking around the street as him, staring at each other lovingly, and he wondered whether they saw color as well. He then glanced at the single people whose faces were unreadable. Were they still waiting for their hues to show, or did they already see but didn't show it?

His mind slowly went back to his soulmate who was subtly getting weaker everyday. The conversation they had when they both had confessed came back to him in a flash, with Kuroko's shocking disclosure, his refusing to believe it, and their eternal fighting until he finally convinced Kuroko that he really didn't care and all he wanted to was to spend Kuroko's limited time together.

A child ran towards him and accidentally bumped into Kagami, making him almost lose his grip on the bag of groceries he had. He wanted to make something special for Kuroko, as their 4 year anniversary was today. The kid didn't bother to apologize and kept running for his life. Kagami tsked before another boy clashed with him soon after. This time, he did lose his grip on the bags, not expecting another kid to do the same thing, and the fruits and vegetables that he bought tumbled out and onto the pavement.

"I'm sorry, sir!" The boy yelled as he kept running, presumably to catch up with the first boy he encountered. Normally, Kagami would have chased after them and would have taught them a lesson or two on etiquette, but today was a special day. He had to make the food as quickly as possible and celebrate their day as much as they could. Just thinking about it made him so happy. It had been four years since they met and found that they were meant for each other. Kuroko was dying, yes, but he lived through those four years perfectly well, going so far as to playing basketball as his shadow and becoming one of the strongest teams in Japan. If he could achieve that, then there was no telling what he could do next. Kagami was sure Kuroko could outlive death himself.

But then, his eyes prickled.

And then he felt as if he was on fire.

He grabbed his eyes in utter pain and forced down a scream that was forming inside his throat. Bystanders glanced at him and some even huddled to see what was going on. The pain increased significantly, which Kagami didn't think was possible, and this time, he couldn't force the scream down.

He collapsed on the cold, hard pavement, trying to make the pain in his eyes disappear, and screamed as if there was no tomorrow. He felt the vibrations of people surround him, asking him what was wrong, but he didn't have the consciousness to respond back. All he wanted was the pain to disappear.

And after a few minutes, it eventually did. He then hesitantly dropped his hands from his face and carefully opened his eyes, not wanting to feel that horrible sensation again.

But when he saw a glimpse of the scenery from the slit of his eye, he begged the gods to bring that pain back because there was a more devastating pain crashing down on him, this time not in his eyes, but in his heart.

As he fully opened them, he felt his heart stop. He glanced at the rosebush he saw earlier, at the nearest civilian who had a worried look on her face, and at the tainted fruits and vegetables lying on the ground, forgotten.

It couldn't be happening. Not now, not when it was their anniversary, not when he wasn't even there to see it happen. Kagami was panicking terribly and suddenly grabbed the nearest person he could find.

"Why can't I see anymore? I can't see any color anymore." He whispered in complete panic and the woman's eyes widened.

"Oh, no. Oh my goodness, no. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry." She said in horror, covering her mouth, just like Kuroko had done when they had heard about Kiyoshi.

"Why can't I see anymore, lady? I just saw that rosebush and the red rose petals. I just saw that apple with a lighter red than the rose. Why is it that I can't see that anymore? Why?" Kagami was sure he was yelling now. More people huddled around him and the woman, but that was least of his worries. He just needed this person to give him another option, not the one he was holding dreadfully in his heart.

"Tell me, why? Why can I only see black and white again? Why?" He kept asking, pleading the woman to give him another reason as to why all the color was gone. As long as that possibility was never mentioned, it would be fine. It would be all fine.

Wouldn't it?

The woman hugged Kagami tightly and Kagami stood frozen, shocked by the sudden contact. He felt a wet patch forming on his shoulder and could only deduce that the woman was crying.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, I really am." She sobbed and at that, Kagami felt himself crash down onto the woman's back and curse the world for being too cruel.

The world was always too cruel.

Especially when they took away your soulmate from you.

"Kuroko, I need to talk to you." Kagami said as the last of his teammates left the locker room, leaving only him and Kuroko in there.

"What is the matter, Kagami-kun? We should get going before coach and captain get angry at us." Kuroko said, packing his things up. They had just won against one of the best powerhouses in Tokyo and coach decided to treat them to a special dinner for their accomplishment.

"It'll only take a second." Kagami assured and walked up to the smaller person until they were chest to chest. Kuroko looked distinctly uncomfortable as was close to pushing the red-haired away from him.

"Kagami-kun, you're making me uncomfortable. Please move." But even as Kuroko said it, Kagami didn't look like he had the intention to do as he said. He looked very determined but still a bit insecure. Kuroko tilted his head in confusion.

"Kagami-kun?"

"You're my soulmate." Kagami blurted out and time seemed to stop as the duo stared at each other intently.

"Excuse me?" Kuroko asked in haze, unexpecting this.

"I see color because of you. You're my soulmate." Kagami repeated once more and Kuroko looked at him panickedly.

"I'm your soulmate?" Kuroko asked hesitantly and Kagami nodded. What Kagami didn't expect, however, was Kuroko bend over and cover his face.

"I'm your soulmate." Kuroko whispered to himself and when he looked back up to meet Kagami's red eyes, he found himself crying. Kagami didn't know what to do and crouched down in panic.

"Kuroko, I just, uh, said it because I wanted you to know. Don't cry!" He tried to soothe awkwardly and Kuroko felt himself laugh in what seemed like years.

"Kagami-kun, I am your soulmate." He repeated again and Kagami nodded, a bit more hesitantly this time.

"Yeah, you are." At that, Kuroko had no choice but to let himself go and let more tears fall from his face.

"You are my soulmate as well, Kagami-kun." Kuroko confessed and Kagami's face brightened immediately and hugged the phantom man.

"Thank god, oh, thank god." Kagami murmured, relief washing over him. Kuroko, however, didn't feel the same way. He got all his strength and pushed the bigger man from him, making Kagami startled by the sudden rejection.

"Kuroko?" Kagami asked hesitantly and Kuroko stood up, using one of the benches for his support.

"I am so sorry Kagami-kun, but I cannot be with you." Kuroko said, not being able to look at him, and Kagami blanched.

"What?"

"I cannot be with you."

"Why?" Kagami asked desperately. Why couldn't they be together, when they were both confirmed of who their soulmate was? Kuroko still couldn't look at him and only more tears seemed to the ground. Kagami was getting impatient. Impatient and insecure.

"Why?" Kagami demanded. "Kuroko, look at me. Tell me why we can't be together!" And then, after what seemed like years, Kuroko finally let his gaze fall onto Kagami and in strong whisper he said,

"I am dying, Kagami-kun."

Time stopped as Kagami took in Kuroko's words. There was no way Kuroko was dying. It didn't seem possible. But looking at the phantom man, he slowly began to see the signs. The everlasting thin body that was beginning to turn almost unhealthy, his paleness that glowed in the moonlight, and his eyes that seemed so deprived and hollow. Kagami took all that in, but that didn't mean he was going to just let it slide.

"I don't care." He stated and Kuroko looked at him with disbelief.

"What?"

"I said, I don't care. All I want is for us to be together. You told me you were soulmate and I said the same thing. What's wrong with that?"

"Kagami-kun, you are just going to cage yourself with a lost cause. I don't know when I will die but it will be soon." Kagami snorted.

"And you think that's going to stop me? You're here right now, aren't you? You're still alive, living and breathing, and right now, you're living and breathing with me."

"But -"

"If you don't have time left, then why not start now and live your life to the fullest? We have so much to go through. Why do you sound like you're giving up now?" Kuroko was silent, unable to answer Kagami's question, and he took that moment to hug the still crying Kuroko.

"I love you. If you're dying, then it's all the more reason to live now. Why waste such precious time?" He whispered softly to Kuroko's ear and he felt Kuroko gripped his uniform.

"I don't know what to do, Kagami-kun. I really don't."

"Then leave it all to me. I'll help you get by it, ok?" as Kagami waited for an answer, Kuroko decided that he needed more time to think. He pushed Kagami off him and stood up, getting his things and walking to the door.

"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. I need to think about this more. Please excuse me." He bowed and silently left the locker room, leaving Kagami alone.

Their days went on like this, with Kagami trying to persuade Kuroko and Kuroko always bickering with him that he shouldn't tie himself down with a dead man like him. Then, the day came when Kuroko realized that as long as he had Kagami, he would never feel as though he was actually dying. It was a few days before their final match with the king of basketball, Rakuzan High that Kuroko called up Kagami and told him that he wanted to be with him until the end.

"I love you, too, Kagami-kun." Kuroko murmured as Kagami pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you, thank you." Kagami muttered in joy, relief, and complete and utter happiness.

It couldn't last.

It just couldn't.

Kagami didn't know how he got to the hospital after his fit but he soon realized that he was at the entrance. He rushed forward and pushed anyone who was in his way, regardless of whether they were healthy or not. Maybe it was the fierce look on his face, or his bloodshot eyes, but when the nurses saw him approaching, they blocked him from moving any farther. Did they think he dangerous? A madman trying to kill someone in the hospital? Had he looked at himself in mirror before coming here, he would have guessed as much.

"Sir, you can't pass." One of the nurses said and Kagami glared at the person. She gulped loudly and hesitantly stood her ground. Another nurse came to her aid.

"Get out of my way." He growled but the nurses, no matter how scared they were at the moment, refused to leave their spots.

"Get out of my way!" He roared and was about to push them out of the way when a doctor ran towards them from the hallway.

"What's all this ruckus about?" The doctor, a middle aged woman who had hairs flying out of her once perfect bun, asked in annoyance. She looked like she had no sleep in days and she seemed way too haggard to even be standing.

"Doctor, this man. He's -" The first nurse tried to explain but the doctor glanced at him with wide eyes.

"Kagami Taiga?" She asked, startled, and he himself looked at the doctor with confusion. And then it hit him.

"You're… Kuroko's doctor, aren't you?" He asked, his voice cracking at the mention of his name. The doctor examined Kagami before nodding hesitantly.

"Please tell me he's alright. Please." He begged, still unable to get used to the black and white he kept seeing. The doctor looked away from him and ordered the nurses to let him in.

"But Doctor!" One of the nurses tried to protest but the doctor gave her a hard look. She had no choice but to comply.

Kagami entered the hallway with the doctor and they walked slowly, in an unbearable silence. Then, Kagami had to ask again.

"Please, tell me he's fine. Kuroko's fine, right?" He choked, still holding onto the small hope that it was all just a stupid mistake and the universe was playing around with him. Kuroko's doctor bit her lip but said nothing. They then stopped in front of a door which Kagami knew so well.

She opened the door that revealed machines that were no longer functioning and a bed that only had a white sheet. Kagami falteringly moved forward and soon enough, he was running to get closer to the pearl white bed. He felt himself finding it harder to breathe as he arrived and saw the outline of a familiar body.

"No." He whispered as his hand crawled under the white sheet to find Kuroko's hand. When he did, it was as cold as ice.

"It can't be." He said unbelievingly while the world got darker and darker. He then looked at the doctor who was standing in front of the door.

"Did he - Was it painful?" He asked with, barely having strength. The doctor had tears in her eyes as she spoke.

"He left the world peacefully, Kagami-san." She answered and Kagami hung his head down. Then, she spoke once more before leaving him with his lost soulmate.

"I'm sorry if this is too early to say but he seemed to be thinking about you before he passed away. He kept murmuring the name Taiga." And with that, she left the room.

Kagami waited until the door closed to let himself lose control. He curled his back and started sobbing, tears falling to the ground and to the once warm hand of Kuroko Tetsuya.

"I'm so sorry." Kagami repeated. "I'm so sorry." And as he sobbed, he remembered the doctor's comment. It hit him then that Kuroko's last words were none other than Kagami's given name, Taiga.

There was nothing else he could do but to mourn.

"Tetsuya, I'm so sorry for not being there for you when you needed it most."

So, how was it? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the reivews!

That was the end for part one! I'm really proud of this story and I hope you liked it too.

I got the idea after being on tumblr for a really long time, and I'm sure most who also have tumblr will have seen this post somewhere before. It's pretty much an AU where you see color where everything is black and white until you meet your soulmate. ADDITIONALLY, when your soulmate dies, everything turns back into black and white. And below that comment, it said something like how awful it would be if you were just out shopping when everything turns colorless.

For some who might be confused with the KioHyuu pairing, it goes a little something like this: when Hyuuga and Kiyoshi bumped into each other (like in the manga) both knew they were soulmates because they could color. The only problem was Hyuuga was raised in a household where homosexuality isn't tolerated. So, as a result, he had to act like he hate him, making Kiyoshi believe that maybe it was just one-sided. Hyuuga still could see color because of Kiyoshi but after meeting Riko, he felt that same kind of connection he had when he met Kiyoshi. That's why he and Riko are a happy couple (until that whole scene happened, but that's beyond the point.) I hope that clarified something :)

Also, I do not know the specific disease Kuroko has (or had, I guess.) I wanted to make another disease up but I decided not to, because I did't have the creativity for it lol.

Anyways, that's it for my talking and please await part two of this two-shot :)

Peace,

FlyAndDontLookBack