Author: fullmoon'11

Title: Blind

Summary: He wakes up in darkness, and Kuroko's not there.

Warnings: Implied AkaKuro, contains one swear word.

- Where is that line break button -

Blind

It's dark.

I can't see.

Someone, turn on the lights, please.

"Ah…"

"He's awake, guys!"

"Is that you, Kise-kun?"

"Hai! You're finally awake…"

He could hear the trembling of his voice.

"Hm? What'd you say?"

"Aomine?"

"Holy shit, you're awake! I gotta go tell the others."

The sound of a door opening and closing. Footsteps down the hall.

"Why am I here, Kise-kun?"

No response. Then a slight noise of… sniffling?

"It was terrible. When Ao got there, you were… you were… and he was…"

A cold, sinking sensation.

The door slid open again.

"I've brought the others."

"So you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Midorima. What's happened to me?"

"A skull fracture, a broken arm, small cuts and bruises."

"Ah."

Lost in thought, he almost didn't catch the next comment.

"He's also here."

"He is? Where is he?"

No response.

"Let me see him."

Still no response.

"Why is it so dark in here? Is it night? Someone turn on the lights, please."

They stopped breathing.

"The light is on. It's 12:40 pm. Your window is open, and the sunlight is streaming in."

No, it can't be.

"I'll check again, just to make sure."

Midorima's voice, ever confident and self-assured. The rational voice of reason. But this time, it shook just a bit.

"Can you see the light?"

"What light? Where?"

Midorima snapped off the small flashlight.

"It may have been caused by the skull fracture. It must have damaged your optic nerve."

No, this isn't happening.

"I'm sorry."

Why me?

"You're blind."

- I can't find the line break button -

The next time he awoke, it was still dark.

Ah, right, I'm blind.

Someone was munching away on a bag of chips.

"Atsushi?"

"Ne, do you want some of my snacks too?"

"It's fine."

They sat in silence for a while longer.

"What time is it?"

"4:39 pm. It's the 24th of August."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Fourteen hours, more or less. Midorima said you needed rest."

"Ah."

More silence.

"Where is he?"

No response.

"Atsushi."

The crunching stopped.

"What happened to him?"

A swallow.

"Akachin…"

"Where is he? Atsushi, tell me."

"I'm sorry, Akachin."

"No. Not him as well."

"Akachin, he's not here anymore."

"No. No, that can't be true."

Not you. Anyone but you.

Not you, Kuroko.

- What happened to the line break button -

"Hello, Tetsuya. Did you miss me?"

There is no reply.

"It's been a year since then. How have you been?"

Still no reply,

"Even now, it's still a surprise to me. How did it all happen? I remember the car accident and all, but why was it you? Why did it have to be you?"

He puts the flowers down in front of the headstone he can picture in his mind. White, with a single name engraved on it.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

"I must look pretty pathetic now, huh. Having to make my way around with the help of Nigou. Did you know, Kagami lent him to me after hearing that I was blind? I never found a chance to return it, because he kept telling me to keep him."

He smiles sadly.

"We had so many plans for the future. For my future. For your future. For our future. But now you're gone, and I'm alone."

There is, as always, no reply.

"Goodbye, Tetsuya. I'll see you again next year."

His steps crunch in the autumn leaves scattered all around as he leaves.

Goodbye, Akashi-kun.

He whirls around.

"Tetsuya?"

A wind blows, scattering the fallen leaves. For a moment, he feels a phantom touch on his closed eyelids, then nothing.

He smiles and leaves.

[End]

- Line break button... where are you -

I'm sorry.