Me: Of all the genderbending AUs I've read, I really liked the names 'Kise Ryouka', 'Aomine Dai/Daina', 'Midorima Shino', 'Murasakibara Atsumi', and 'Akashi Seira'. Haven't read any for Kagami but I suppose 'Kagami Taika' is fine, too. Also, apologies for the half-assed writing nowadays. I'm just… unmotivated.

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Normal POV!

"If you love someone..."

"Kise-san..."

Kise perked up, hearing a familiar voice call out her name, causing her to halt her steps as a smile crept up her face. Turning her head to meet a pair of cerulean eyes, her smile brightened as she greeted back, voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Kurokocchi!"

The other, Kuroko, frowned as he stared at the blond-haired girl in front of him, eyes searching, but expression betraying nothing.

"What are you doing here at this time of the night, Kise-san?" he asked, head tilting side-ways in question.

Kise pursed her lips, silently tucking a strand of her long, curly hair behind her ear as her eyes roamed around the narrow aisle of the convenience store.

"I could ask you the same thing, Kuroko. What are you doing here?"

Kuroko stayed silent as he watched Kise, brows furrowing at being deflected from answering, the sudden loss of suffix creating a slightly tense air around the two. There was a short pause as the teal-haired boy stopped to contemplate, before sighing as he stared at the teenage girl with knowing look.

"Kise-san, are you perhaps being followed again?"

Kise bit her lip, hand reaching up to play with her earrings out of habit. Kuroko saw right through her, as he always does. She could never hide anything from him, what with being neighbors and all.

It was a common occurrence, as unfortunate as it sounds, for Kise had a tendency to get stalked by suspicious characters – mostly due to her occupation as a model, but luckily, Kuroko seems to always be at the right place at the right time, embarrassingly enough.

Seeing that Kise was too occupied with her thoughts, Kuroko's gaze softened as he returned the items he was intending to buy in favor of grabbing the young model's hand, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Kuroko didn't look at her as he began leading the lemon-eyed female outside the store, only muttering a soft, "It's getting late, Kise-san. I'll be taking you home now."

"... you protect them."

Kise couldn't stop the blood that rushed to her face at the teal-eyed boy's phrasing, spluttering nonsense before settling for, "K-Kurokocchi! You don't have to..."

"Kise-san, you do remember that our houses are literally right next to each other, right?"

At Kuroko's deadpanned look, Kise could only blush before letting out a sign in resignation, opting to hug the man's arm, seeking warmth. She remained silent when Kuroko offered his coat to her, only looking down on the ground as they walked.

They went home together with her hand in his.

"... you make them happy."

"Oi, Tetsu!"

Kuroko sighed, wondering where the bluenette's energy come from on such a sunny day, staring as Aomine waved her hand excitedly, gesturing for Kuroko to hurry over. "What is it, Aomine-san?"

"Let's go catch some cicadas!" she grinned, pearl white teeth shining unabashedly as she lets the wind blow her unruly hair. She has always been like this, making plans without the other's consent. Aomine just does what she wants.

Kuroko only stared blankly at the tanned woman. He was woken up at six on a weekday to catch some insects? And knowing Aomine, the cicadas will be released once they caught enough for the ocean-eyed female to be satisfied.

Aomine smiled. "Please, Tetsu?"

Okay, well, that's fine too.

"Coming." Kuroko denied the smile on his face as Aomine cheered.

They spent the whole day catching cicadas, and some firefly when night came too.

"... you don't hurt them."

"–oomph!"

"Hmph! For a guy, you sure are weak, Kuroko." Midorima crossed her arms, watching the male's lithe body attempt to carry the weight of a box that was half the size of him. With thin arms like that, Midorima briefly wondered how his arms haven't broken off from the heavy lifting. "You shouldn't even be doing that, you know – not like I'm worried or anything."

Kuroko only ignored her, earning a frown from the green-haired girl as the tealnette was set to finish his task. "I can do this, Midorima-san. Believe it or not, this is the third one this day." he chuckled at the other's flushed expression. "It seems that the library is restocking their books."

Midorima bit her lip, tugging her ponytailed hair almost out of habit. As someone who had no qualms of filtering her words, people tend to avoid her because of her sharp tongue and unfriendly attitude. But this man, no matter how much she pushes him away, how much she insults him, how much she insults him, Kuroko was the only person who's never left her side. Guilty, she'd tried to change the way she treats him, but not knowing how to express herself properly, being untruthful even to herself, it never works.

"–dorima-san?"

"Yes!" she snapped, blushing right after when she realized Kuroko had been calling her for some time. Gripping her crossed arms, she glared down on the floor. There she went again, lashing out of the blue.

Kuroko being Kuroko, paid no attention to her tone. "Would you like to help me lift these boxes?"

Midorima simply blinked, surprised at the polite suggestion coming from the teal-haired boy. But she was no idiot, and she knows Kuroko was not one for asking for help, especially to a girl. No, Kuroko was probably asking because of her. Once again, he had seen through the green-haired girl, giving her a 'chance' to redeem herself, purposely opening an opportunity.

Turning away from the shorter man, she pouted, mind too scrambled to form an insult. Silently lifting the other end of the box, Midorima stared at anywhere but Kuroko. She took it back. This man was not weak for being able to withstand her bullet-like words. No matter how much it hurts, he'd always find it in his heart to forgive her.

Maybe one day she can be honest with herself too.

Midorima pretended not to see the smile Kuroko tried to hide behind the box. She had one too.

"... you care for them."

"Kuro-chin…"

Kuroko hummed as he shut his book, turning to face his purple-haired cousin as she laid on the couch, lazily sucking on an ice-pop, slouching. "Yes?"

"I want some cake."

Kuroko only sighed, used to the other's bizarre cravings despite the hot weather. "Murasakibara-san, lunch will be made soon. Please refrain from eating until then."

"But Kuro-chiiin…" whining, Murasakibara slumped as she rested her head on the smaller male's lap, hugging his stomach as she grumbled to him.

Kuroko only patted her head. The lavender-eyed girl loved eating sweets and Kuroko was starting to get worried with how much she ate unhealthy snacks on a daily basis. He hated taking away her food, but he was just worried for her health. "No means no." he sighed as he felt her bury her face harder. She was clearly upset. Fine, he'd relent. "Fine," before the girl could shoot up to cheer – "But, you will eat whatever I cook for you at lunch."

Murasakibara slumped. No doubt it was something healthy and filling. "But Kuro-chiiin…"

"Deal?"

She pouted. "Deal."

Kuroko smiled. He'd deal with the other's whining later.

"... you fight for them."

"Akashi-san."

Akashi startled at the sudden presence of another under the bus stop. Usually, she'd be able to detect the other by his footsteps, but today's rain was particularly heavy and she was too busy thinking how she'd get home without her phone to call her chauffeur. "Tetsuya."

Kuroko adjusted his umbrella as he nodded to acknowledge her greeting, stopping beside the red-haired girl without facing her. "What brings you here?"

"Is it wrong to visit Tokyo once in a while?" the dual-eyed girl chuckled, earning a frown in return. "I was looking for you, actually."

Kuroko turned to her briefly before looking back at the road again. "In the rain?"

"Heard from Satsuki you'd been asking her for some advice." Akashi gazed at him trying to make eye contact, but he wouldn't look her way. "Imagine how the others will react once they find out you're out to pursue someone romantically when they haven't even confessed yet."

Kuroko's lips twitched, but still stayed looking forward. He was not dense. He knew what the others felt for him, but it wasn't as if he could change the way his heart beats for someone else. It wasn't like he could make everyone happy, he understands that, but he still hoped to. "I know, but…" handing his umbrella to Akashi, he sighed, "I think I love her."

A bus stopped in front of them. Akashi watched as Kuroko got ready to leave, heart aching to reach for him. Snatching the others hand, she was disappointed to see him not look back. "I haven't given up, since that time." she closed the distance between them, prompting him to look at her. Staring deeply into his eyes, Akashi's lips trembled but stayed her ground. "Not yet."

Her lips met his cheek, but it was gone in a second. It was not goodbye nor was it a sign of defeat, knowing she was determined to fight for him despite his developing feelings for someone else. Nodding along, he turned to mount the waiting bus, leaving the red-haired girl alone.

Akashi clutched the black umbrella in her hand, looking down helplessly on the wet pavement, but she hoped.

"... you make them feel loved."

"Kuroko!"

Kuroko continued sipping on his milkshake as Kagami smiled, chewing her food as she stared at him and his shake, making him wonder if the maroon-haired teen wanted a drink. "Hai?"

"Is that all you're gonna eat?" taking a large bite of her burger, an affirmative hum was her only response. "That's not enough, you know." gulping, she threw a burger at the other, not looking to see whether he caught it or not.

Kuroko only sighed before complying, unwrapping the meal before noticing something red on the corner of the other's lips. "Ah," it was ketchup. "Kagami-san, don't move."

Kagami barely hummed in question when Kuroko wiped her face with a napkin causing her face to redden instantly. "Oi!"

Kuroko only sat back down, staring blankly at Kagami. "You had ketchup on your face." he shrugged, leaning forward to rest his left cheek on his knuckle as he continued slurping his shake as though he did nothing wrong.

Kagami spluttered. "You can't just do that! People might get the wrong ide–?!"

"Kagami-san?" Kuroko asked in concern as the female basketball player started coughing. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he offered his shake. "Need a drink?"

"You–!" Kagami choked, blushing in embarrassment but took the offered drink anyway, gulping it down. "I hate you!"

"I like you too, Kagami-san."

Kagami groaned at the blunt answer. "Damn you Kuroko!"

He meant it though.

"... but no one can love you like I do."

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Me: I had plans, but I ended up not following it and lost the plot. This is the last time I'm ever gonna write a gender-bender. Bye!

~~~CHAO!~~~