Warnings: somewhat AU, Fem!Kuroko, KiseKuro pairing, Akashi and Kuroko are twins (so Akashi!Tetsuya :), sometimes out of character acting, spoilers.

Disclaimer: it's a pity, but I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.

Prologue

"The song of midnight cried out

And from that day on, I've truly…

After the twilight turned a translucent red

The stars lay in the sky and played their twinkling sounds

Without even being told to be more open

Already my tears brought my feelings along

And became a small sea at my feet

The song of midnight cried out

I truly hate being alone more than anything

And from that day on, I learnt the hard way what was important

Ah, all I need is being able to scoop up happiness with a tiny spoon

As long as I have someone to share it with."

[…]

- Mayonaka no Orchestra (Translation), Aqua Timez

When the first child came, he cried as if demonstrating his vivacity. He was held by one of the medics and did not stop until his twin sister was put beside him. Even then, there was no doubt: the Akashi twins took a breath at the same time and started living.

They had nothing and everything in common.

Seijūro was the older one. His creamy skin was very much like his sister's and they shared the same face's shape. A tuft of red hair sat atop of his head while he slept in the hospital. Next, there was Tetsuhi. She was slightly smaller and had tiny hands curled into fists. Her hair appeared to be less because of its light color – powder-blue.

From the very moment they were taken home, Seijūro and Tetsuhi were together. The former was a quiet baby and the latter, an energetic one. When they were old enough to play with their toys – together and sharing, of course – the red-haired was always the one to take care of his cheerful sister, simply because she never stopped to take a nap and rest.

Their father, Akashi Seitarō, was a busy man as he had an entire company under his command. The twins didn't let it affect them too much, becoming used to seeing their father only at night or just feeling him briefly kissing their forehead when tucking them in bed.

Their mother, Akashi nee Kuroko Ayūmi, was a sweet and caring lady. She was the one who taught them how to read and write, and was always free to play with her children. Ayūmi was kind to everyone – the twins, her husband, the maids and butlers, even the fishes the family once had.

Tetsuhi and Seijūro were five when she died from severe pneumonia.

The younger sibling had cried for weeks and the only one who managed to calm Tetsuhi down was Seijūro. Not that the red-haired boy wasn't feeling sad – he was. Extremely so. But his once cheerful sister suddenly couldn't stop sobbing and having nightmares about their mother's final moments in the hospital.

Seitarō had no idea of what to do and became even more distant. Not to say that he didn't love his children with all his heart – he, of course, did. But Ayūmi had been much better at parenting than him. The chief-maid, Rin, started to look after the twins during the day while he was working.

Suddenly, Tetsuhi went from energetic to quiet. Her blue eyes – so much like her mother's – were too big on her face while she cried and Seijūro couldn't bear this new personality of his sister. She was supposed to be the light, the sun. He was older and more responsible – the reasonable kid, full of abilities and charisma – while she had been the one to bright his day.

Tetsuhi became a silent shadow, fading to the back. She could make her presence so weak that even their father had trouble finding her when she didn't want to be found. As usual, her twin was the only one who could accomplish that.

During their elementary schools days, the Akashi twins weren't seen apart once. They liked to walk holding hands and talk peacefully. They could complete each other phrases and understand what the other was feeling with one look. They improved their skills and acquired new ones together.

As time went by, Tetsuhi stopped having her eyes full of tears and her nights full of bad dreams. Seijūro started to grow taller than her by their eighth birthday whereas until then they had the same height. As they became pre-teens, the twins could be mistaken for older and younger sibling. The heterochromatic-eyed boy had wider shoulders and longer legs, while the teal-haired girl had tiny fingers and waist-length hair that only appeared to make her look shorter.

They stopped taking baths together – not because they were embarrassed about seeing the other, but simply because Takahiro, their butler, had deemed them too old for this. Seijūro and Tetsuhi tried to ignore, but the old man was adamant about breaking this habit - though not even Takahiro could stop them from sharing the same room.

When the time to enter a middle school came, they both decided to go to Teiko Middle School. Most would think that it was because of the curriculum or its sports distinction – but they'd be wrong. The Akashi twins went there because it was near their home. People tended to assume that they were scary and/or manipulative. Actually – well – they were right… They both were owners of brilliant minds. But not everything was done with cruel intentions.

Being so, the twins were more than ready for the start of their middle school life.

Seijūro knew with no doubt that he'd be walking with his sister to their school while holding her hand. Some would think of it as weird, but since when did either of them care about it? And Tetsuhi knew with no doubt that her brother would be beside her, calling her his "Tetsu-hime" and playing her hair as he always did. In fact, the small girl never made a ponytail herself, Seijūro always made it for her.

It was a sweet side of him that nobody could see. Only her.

The same could be said about Tetsuhi's smiles. Only Seijūro saw them.

And, really, they were happy like this – merely breathing together was enough.