(A/N: Happy birthday, Tetsu! One-shot for Tetsuya~, the best shadow in the world~! This is probably going to be my ongoing fanfiction where I only update birthday fics! Disclaimer- I don't own Kuroko no Basuke~!)

Exiting his final class of the day, Kuroko walked into the gym for basketball practice with an indifferent expression, though it was quickly seen through.

"Eh? Is something wrong Kuroko-kun?" The current coach of Seirin, Aida Riko, waved her hand in front of the teal haired boy's face.

"Ah, excuse me. There's nothing wrong," he deadpanned, burying his conflicting emotions deeper into himself, covering the lid to his 'feelings jar' as Kise had once said in middle school at Teikou.

"Whatever you say, Kuroko-kun," Riko decided not to pressure one of her basketball players. She let out a huff. "Just remember that you can tell me anything, okay?" Fail. She felt a sweat drop appear on the back of her head.

"I will be sure to remember that, Riko-san." Kuroko turned away, walking towards the locker room to change. Was it that obvious? He'd have to try harder.

"Kuroko-kun, is that ringing coming from your bag?" Riko pointed to the backpack.

Well this was odd. Didn't he leave his cell phone at home? Kuroko specifically remembered placing his phone on his bedside before leaving his house. He knew that he was supposed to always carry it around, but there was no reason for him to carry around something useless. Anyway, isn't that a ringtone different from his usual one?

Ignoring his thoughts that were telling him of the many horrors that could be in the small box, Kuroko pulled out a present from his bag. Who put it in there? He didn't see anyone put it in his bag…well this is certainly odd. He opened the box and found the ringing annoyance to be a new iPhone.

"Cool!" Koganei looked over the teal haired boy's shoulder at the new device with awe and a bit of jealousness. "That wasn't supposed to be in stores for another few months! Lucky~! How'd you get it?"

The quiet shadow shrugged, though from the green wrapping paper and green box, he figured that it was probably a present from Midorima (with help- threatening- from Akashi). A small smile graced his lips as he realized that they hadn't forgotten. The members of the Seirin basketball club pointed at his face in bewilderment.

"Y-You're smiling, Kuroko!" Kagami shouted out, pointing out the obvious, though he knew he was merely saying what everyone else was saying. The power forward, truthfully, had never seen such a happy expression on his face, and it was probably due to the phone that he had in his hand. The iPhone was in a black case, and was outlined in yellow. Thin teal lines went from the top right corner to the bottom left corner; in the middle, going from left to right, was his name in red. There was a small purple flower over the last kanji of his name, and a navy blue basketball in the upper left corner. In small print at the bottom right corner was the word 'Kiseki'.

A few text messages were displayed on the screen, all addressed to Kuroko.

From: Kise Ryouta~7

To: My Kurokocchi

Subject: Do you like it?

Message: Uwa~ isn't it pretty, Kurokocchi? It even has your name on the back, ssu! Don't forget to meet us at the convenience store an hour after your basketball practice ends! Wear something warm and nice, ssu!

From: Aomine Daiki~5

To: My Tetsu

Subject: Oi, Tetsu!

Message: Dunno if ya got Kise's message or not. He's not the smartest person I know… blonde idiot… -_- I'll pick u up at ur house at 6:30, k? See ya

From: Midorima Shintarou~6

To: My Kuroko

Subject: Meeting

Message: Do not forget to meet up with us at the convenience store we frequented in middle school; Aomine should be there to pick you up and take you there at 6:30. Be mindful that you will have a few extra minutes. Ahomine is never on time.

From: Murasakibara Atsushi~9

To: My Kuro-chin~

Subject: Hi Kuro-chin~

Message: Hello Kuro-chin~. Mido-chin and Aka-chin got the phone for you, but we all got to decorate it~! Do you like the purple flower, Kuro-chin? Oh, I have some vanilla candy for you…but only if I don't eat it…

From: Akashi Seijuuro~4

To: My Tetsuya

Subject: Tetsuya.

Message: I am assuming that the other four have texted you, correct? Do not be late to our meeting; I will make sure that Daiki is not late when he picks you up. Dress warmly, Tetsuya, for it will not be good if you catch a cold during the play-offs in your district area.

Kuroko and his team read each of the texts, the other team members laughing as they watched Kuroko's face go from it's usual white to a dark red color as his embarrassment grew. He ignored their comments for the rest of practice, though Hyuuga and Izuki were wondering why the Generation of Miracles were all suddenly gathering together. Yosen and Rakuzan were both far away from Touou, Shuutoku, and Kuroko (Seirin), so it would have to be very urgent for Akashi and Murasakibara to come to Tokyo. Oh well, they could ask Kuroko later on, when the younger male wasn't trying his best to ignore them.

As he was leaving, Kagami cut his partner off, "Happy birthday, Kuroko." He thrust the well-wrapped present at his shadow before running away quickly. Sure, sometimes he could be compared to a fierce tiger on court. When it came down to the simple things in life such as giving presents to other people, or to cooking for someone else, he was hopeless. Sometimes, he could be compared to Midorima in terms of how tsundere he could be.

"I-IT'S KUROKO'S BIRTHDAY?" Riko screeched to no one in particular, leaning against the bleachers for support. "He didn't tell me." Her bipolar side roared to life, scaring the first year trio.

Kiyoshi gave them a sympathetic look. "I would run guys…" Without a second thought, the three ran for their lives, not once looking back at the gym they were running from. "Riko-chan, I think you've scarred them for life…"

Kuroko threw open his closet door, digging through the few outfits he had that weren't basketball clothes. Not surprisingly, he was at a loss for what he should wear. The teal haired boy bit his lip as he stared at his useless array of school uniforms and basketball jerseys/basketball practice clothing. Finally, he found something that stood out to him. He settled for a pair of black pants, black boots (that came up to the middle of his shins), a black long sleeve shirt, and a teal tie. He wore a teal scarf as well, and a heavy, red jacket over everything. Just as he figured out his outfit, the doorbell rang.

"Oi, Tetsu! You ready yet?" Nodding to no one in particular, Kuroko grabbed his wallet (and new cell phone) and opened the door.

"Hello, Aomine-kun."

"Let's get goin', Tetsu."

"Yes." A few minutes into the car ride, the silence got awkward. They hadn't been keeping constant contact, so it made their presence around each other uncomfortable.

"Thought we forgot, didn't ya?" To say that Kuroko was shocked would be an understatement. Where was the aho that he had attended Teikou Middle with?

"…"

"Tch, m'not stupid, Tetsu."

The teal haired boy raised an eyebrow, "Could've fooled me, Ahomine-kun." Kuroko smiled genuinely, making the Touou ace blush slightly.

"Tetsu!" He pointed at his partner, completely caught off guard by the adorable look that his shadow was giving him at the current moment.

"It would be smart if Aomine-kun paid attention to the road before he kills us both." And there went the totally captivating smile and endearing mood. Bye bye~!

The 'ganguro' turned his attention back to the road just in time to avoid the oncoming traffic. "An earlier warning would've been nice, Tetsu!"

Said shadow shrugged impartially, "…I was not the one that was distracted," He deadpanned.

"You were the one distracting me!" Aomine sighed, running a hand through his hair to calm down. "Geez, Tetsu."

And thus, it was like old times again- the shadow and the light conversing casually, without need for questioning anything. It was times like this that made Kuroko wonder how everything changed so drastically, and how they became separated. Had the Generation of Miracles not changed (or rather, had Aomine not changed), Kuroko found himself thinking that he might've actually stayed with them. Then again, had it not been for Seirin, he wouldn't have found a need for the invisible drive, phantom shot, ignite pass kai, or any of his other moves that he improved. A few minutes later, after more bickering (though it was Aomine that was actually shouting), they arrived at the convenience store, where they saw the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

"Kurokocchi, ssu!" The blonde announced as pulled the string of the yellow party popper he held in his hand. The other members of the GoM around him (excluding Kuroko) did the same, bringing Kuroko into a dysfunctional group hug. The reason it was dysfunctional? Midorima and Akashi are quite awkward when it comes to embraces and all that, so it took Murasakibara and Kise to convince Midorima, and a happy Kuroko to convince their captain.

Pushing past the awkwardness, the party continued. Somehow, Akashi had gotten a hold of the best vanilla milkshakes in the world, and Kuroko was currently in heaven. The normally emotionless eyes of the passing specialist were shut as he savored the treat. Akashi, Murasakibara, and Kise were taking pictures one after the other, none of them wanting to miss anything. Kuroko opened his eyes and saw the cameras. "What are you three doing?"

Aomine shrugged to answer for them, though Murasakibara interrupted him. "Me and Kise-chin were taking pictures of you. I'm not sure what Aka-chin was doing…I think he was calling someone."

"Oh, okay." Kuroko resumed drinking his shake, though he saw his boyfriend as of a year handing the purple haired giant a piece of candy. Well, he could get an answer later. Deciding to make conversation, the shadow of the Generation of Miracles swallowed whatever vanilla shake was in his mouth. "So, how is it going between you two, Kise-kun? Aomine-kun?"

The two in question stared at each other and then at Kuroko. "S-So forward, Kurokocchi!" Kise whined, though he was more than happy to reply. "Aominecchi is really sweet and nice~ and all~," the other people around him raised their eyebrows in question, "but he can also be such an idiot sometimes, ssu!"

"W-What? Kise!" Aomine spluttered, glaring at his boyfriend. "You ain't perfect either, Kise."

Kuroko smacked the aho on the head. "You aren't supposed to tell Kise-kun that."

"Indeed, Daiki; do not go around insulting people. It makes me look bad." Akashi glowered as he thought of all the times the ace had brought down his reputation.

"How do I have to do with anything?"

"Hey, isn't that Aomine Daiki? Yeah, that's the ace of the Generation of Miracles! Did you hear that they lost to some no-name team like Seirin?" The heterochromatic redhead began to simulate conversations he'd heard over the years.

"I heard that too! Maybe that Akashi Seijuuro guy isn't so 'absolute' after all. I mean if he's absolute and all, then his players shouldn't be losing their games! I heard that Yosen, Kaijou, and Shuutoku have at least lost once to Seirin!"

Another conversation began, though this time Kuroko decided to join in as they acted out two girls that went to Touou. Kuroko doubled up and played the part of Aomine.

"A-Aomine Daiki…look at him! He's even hotter in person!" Seirin's number 11 clutched the sides of his face in mock awe, bringing a darker blush to Aomine's already dark complexion.

"I-I know what you mean! He's coming this way, Haru-chan! Don't make us look bad!" Deciding to let go of his pride for a second to entertain Kuroko, Akashi pretended to dust off his clothes as if he were prepping himself for the arrival of a certain basketball player.

Kuroko walked towards Akashi with a 'totally-bored-outlook-on-life' face, smirking as he caught sight of 'Akashi'. "Are you stalkers?"

Akashi mocked embarrassment, shaking his head slightly. "We-We're not stalkers!"

"Tch; like I'd believe that. Better leave before that Imayoshi weirdo gets here. Friggin' pervert." And just like that, Kuroko walked off, casually waving the 'girls' off with his right hand, not even bothering to give them any sort of reassurance.

"I-I hate him!"

"That stupid jerk!"

"Those stupid Generation of Miracle freaks!"

"And that stupid, short captain of theirs! He's the creepiest of them all! I swear he's some kind of control freak!"

"Why would you say that, Kimi-chan?"

"Because look at that stupid Aomine! It takes a freak to know a freak, and a control freak to control another one." By this point in time, Akashi was shaking slightly in anger, before Kuroko placed his hand on Akashi's shoulder.

"Now do you see, Aomine-kun? Your reckless and stupid actions make us all look bad." Though he knew he should be feeling remorse, the amused fire of emotions dancing in Kuroko's eyes made the embarrassment (for Akashi) worth it.

"Anyway, why don't we play a game of basketball? Three-on-three. Shintarou, Atsushi, and I will be on one team. Daiki, Tetsuya, and Ryouta will be on the other. The first team to gain 100 points will be declared the winner, and will have their choice on how to torture the other team. Does that sound fair?" The other five nodded their heads before separating into their teams.

"Let's get 'em, Tetsu." Aomine held out his fist, watching as Kuroko bumped his fist. The shadow seemed to be the same, but his entire being was happier. It was as if the only thing that could make Kuroko happy was playing basketball. Looking over at the scheming blonde, the two shared a smirk.

"Hey, Kurokocchi! Aominecchi! We should try that thing from middle school! You know what I mean, ssu!"

"Well, it's definitely been a while," Aomine stretched out, knowing that this game wasn't going to be a push over. In terms of strength, the other team had the perfect shooter, best defense, and the absolute emperor. On the other hand, they had the ace, the copycat, and the passing specialist. Some would immediately place their bets on the team that had Akashi; he never loses, so why should they assume any different? For those people that had played against the Generation of Miracles in middle school, they would know to pick the team that had Aomine and Kuroko- the invincible duo.

Kuroko threw the ball into the air as high as he could, watching as it disappeared from their line of sight for a few moments. Calculating where it would land, Akashi began to give out orders to his team. "Atsushi, take four steps to the right. Stay there and jump when you hear the ball drop onto the court. It'll be too strong to catch right away."

The teal haired boy, on the other hand, anticipated this as well. "Aomine-kun, Kise-kun. Please be ready." And so, the game commenced.

Both teams were definitely evenly matched, and before they knew it, the score was at an even 97-97. All the prodigies were sweating heavily, their expertise, strength, and stamina being put to the ultimate test. Before they knew it, Midorima was setting himself up for a full-court shot. Sharing smug looks, Team AoKiKuro (as they dubbed themselves) put their plan into action. Kise put up as tight defense on Midorima as he could, Aomine was standing beside Murasakibara, and Kuroko was being followed by Akashi. Perfect.

"Now!" Kuroko ran towards Midorima, using both he and Kise as a screen. He ran down towards where Midorima would be aiming to shoot, before launching himself at the kneeling Aomine. Closing his eyes to allow the feel of the ball to take over, the glasses wearing basketball player sighed, dribbling a little before he shot.

"Shintarou! Don't shoot!" Akashi shouted, though he knew they were too late. Kuroko lunged towards Aomine, who stood to full height, sending his partner flying into the air. It seemed that they hadn't lost their touch as Kuroko hit the ball towards where Kise was. The blonde scored the final three-pointer, making the game their win.

"Good job, Tetsuya, Daiki, Ryouta." The redhead congratulated, before his face turned serious. "Now, what 'punishment' have the three of you decided upon?"

Kise was the first one to start laughing, followed by Aomine, and then quietly by Kuroko. "There's no punishment, Akashicchi!"

"It was a fun game, Akashi-kun." Kuroko and Aomine were standing side by side, their smiles brighter than any light Kuroko could outline. "Everyone…"

"Yes, Kurokocchi?"

"Tetsu?"

"Kuroko?"

"Kuro-chin?"

"Tetsuya?"

Tears were gathering in the teal haired boy's eyes. "I thought you all forgot…" Gaining sympathetic looks, the Generation of Miracles smiled at their phantom player.

"You're too important, Kurokocchi, ssu!"

"Trust us more, Tetsu. We're not that stupid!"

"Kuro-chin is Kuro-chin. We can't forget Kuro-chin, no matter how invisible Kuro-chin is."

"Not to be rude, but isn't that a stupid assumption, Kuroko?"

"How could we forget your birthday, Tetsuya?"

"…Thank you, everyone." The six gathered together as a single team, (most of them) smiling at each other. "Let's become the Generation of Miracles again."

(A/N: I hope that was satisfactory! I promise that the chapter for my other story is on its way, and Shizuka has edited it a little as well! There's definitely a sequel to this, so keep on the look out! Thank you all for reading this and please review, follow, and/or favorite!)