Once a Shadow, Always a Shadow

{Kuroko always said that he was just a shadow and will always be one. Aomine knew that was true.}

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke even if I want to.

Not Beta-ed

Aomine still remembered the first time he met Kuroko. It was pretty late in the evening and Aomine was walking home from school—he was sleeping on the rooftop during lunch (Momoi was nagging at him during practice so he escaped) and when he woke up it was already dark. As he passed by an empty basketball court near the park, he could hear the sound of a ball bouncing and shoes squeaking on the court.

But, when he looked, there was no one on the court. It was empty except for a ball in the middle of the court.

Aomine let out a sigh of relief. He shook his head a bit as he walked to the middle of the court. He was already there so he might as well go and shoot some hoop. After his third shot went in the hoop perfectly, a small voice from his side startled him. But, he swore he didn't scream like a girl. It took him a few minutes to calm down and believe that the pale person was indeed a person.

When Aomine had recovered, the person, Kuroko had asked once again, if Aomine could assist him in basketball. Aomine was still a bit scared so he just said 'yes' without thinking. That was when he started to know Kuroko. From then on, he would go to the court every single day to teach or play basketball with Kuroko.

Aomine figured out that Kuroko was from his school. He never saw Kuroko at school before but that wasn't surprising. It wasn't like he took the efforts to notice other peoples anyways. Well, maybe the girls—especially the ones with amazing figures. Kuroko had chuckled a bit and just said, "I got that a lot, Aomine-kun. I'm a shadow after all." After that Aomine had laughed and joked that 'he would be Kuroko's light, then.'

They got closer and Aomine started calling Kuroko by his first name, Tetsu. But, Kuroko still called him by 'Aomine-kun'. They would spend their days together, just the two of them, playing basketball or stopping by at Kuroko's favourite (kinda) place to buy milkshakes or at either of their houses just lazing around. Well, Aomine always had his magazines with him but Kuroko would take it away from Aomine's hand and hid it because he said that Aomine was 'disrespecting those women'.

Starting from then Aomine stopped reading those magazines when Kuroko was present. But, Kuroko was like a shadow, whenever Aomine thought he wasn't there, he would be there and he would take those magazines from Aomine, again. That frustrated Aomine so much he stopped reading those magazines.

So, Aomine would spend his time watching Kuroko instead. Kuroko had protested at first but when Aomine said Kuroko better let him read those magazines if he wanted him to stop. Kuroko had let him. As the time passed, Aomine noticed a lot of things that he never notice about Kuroko before like, how Kuroko pursed his lips when he was angry or how cute Kuroko looked when he smiled.

It took him like two months to figure out that he liked Kuroko, but it took him three minutes to tell Kuroko that. Kuroko was surprised at first but then he brushed it off, thinking Aomine was just joking. But, Aomine wasn't. It took him an awkward kiss to show him that Aomine was really serious. He agreed to go out with Aomine (Momoi had hugged Kuroko and punched Aomine after they told her that.).

They were happy the whole time they were together.

During high school, they made some new friends (only the sharp ones noticed Kuroko by first glance), but they still spent most their times with just the two of them. Their new friends knew and were okay with their relationship. But, one person had protested the first time they told them because apparently that certain person 'was in love with Kurokocchi the first time he met him and it wasn't fair that Aominecchi was together with Kurokocchi'. Aomine had prohibited Kise from meeting Kuroko for two months.

It's quite saddening that every good thing has to come to an end.

"Aominecchi, stop spacing out and hurry up or Akashicchi will be mad at us!" Kise pulled Aomine out of his thought. Aomine groaned as he walked behind the blond.

"Kise," Aomine started, "do you miss Tetsu?"

Kise hummed, smiling sadly. "Of course, I miss him; I love Kurokocchi after all!"

"Do you want me to punch you?" Aomine asked seriously.

"You're mean, Aominecchi!"

Aomine ignored the Kise's outburst. "I miss Tetsu very much," he said, more to himself.

"Aominecchi, I'm sure he's happy there and I bet he misses you, too," Kise went next to Aomine and draped his hand around the taller boy's shoulder.

"How are you sure he's in heaven?" Aomine inquired, surprising Kise.

"Of course, he's in heaven! Kurokocchi is a nice person, there's no way he'll be in hell!"

"He could still be here, with us—with me—for all you know," Aomine shrugged.

Kise looked at him weirdly before sighing. "You're scaring me, Aominecchi."

"Tetsu is a shadow and I am his light. When there's a light there will always be a shadow. And once a shadow, always a shadow."

"Stop it, Aominecchi. That sounds kinda creepy…" Kise nervously looked around, and then stared to his left for a while, as if sensing someone—something—there.

"What's wrong?" Aomine asked him.

Kise gulped and quickly grabbed Aomine's hand. He began walking faster and Aomine just followed him. He knew Kise was scared. Well, he used to be scared, too. But, then he got used to it after a while.

"You were looking at the wrong place," Aomine said lowly but Kise heard him.

"What do you mean?" Kise was seriously scared.

"Nothing," Aomine said as he glanced at his right. He smiled. Kuroko was his shadow and his alone. That was why Kuroko was there with them, quiet, just like a shadow. Well, the man-shaped shadow didn't really have a face but Aomine just knew that was his Kuroko.

After all, once a shadow, always a shadow.

The End

A/N: In case you didn't understand: the man-shaped shadow was Kuroko but he wasn't human anymore obviously ghost. Like, you know the shadow beings/people? The beings that mostly just stood at one corner of a room or something… I scared myself oh god. If you still don't know google it or something. I'm sorry if there are any grammar and/or spelling mistakes, I only read it twice and I'm not really good at detecting my own mistakes when writing sigh