Hello, guys! This is actually my first longfic ever so I'm pretty nervous! This is set around 15 years in the future, and Kuroko is a teacher and Aomine is a policeman. I'm still not sure how long it will be. Huge thanks to Meow for doing a great job as a beta! Hope you like it!

Of Memories and Music

Sometimes, Kuroko wondered why certain challenges had been put before him, why certain walls were erected in front of him, why he chose certain paths, and why he ignored others. But just like any day, he left these questions unanswered as the swirl of mundane life happenings consumed his time, leaving him with none whatsoever to think about anything.

The day it happened had been one of those days. He would have looked at his lover next to him in bed, smiling at the absolute wonder and happiness that the past ten years had brought for him. Even after the horrible pain he had to go through as a teenager, Kuroko, and Daiki with him, was standing stronger than ever.

The day it happened, he would have woken Daiki up for work, "Good morning." he would have said with that sleepy voice Kuroko absolutely loved; not only because it was sultry, but also because it was something completely exclusive to him. Kuroko would get out of bed first, and just like every morning, get into the shower, pushing Daiki out so it wouldn't lead to anything inappropriate.

He would cook their breakfast, "Boiled eggs again, huh?" Daiki would always remark, a sour expression on his face. And while he waited for the man to be done with his shower, Kuroko would write a small note for his lover, right next to his boxed lunch. 'Have a good day!'

Yes, the day it happened had been a perfectly normal day for both of them. Except perhaps when it was nearing its end, Kuroko couldn't shake off the ominous feeling in his gut. But, he was about ready to shrug it off, figuring it was just that, a bad feeling.

That is, until he got the phone call.

2:13 pm. The school day was almost over and half the teachers were cleaning up after the children that had already left while the other half was waiting for the rest of the kids' parents to come pick them up. As they worked, the shrill ringing of the phone interrupted them. Mrs. Anna was closest to the phone, so as was customary, she answered.

The blue-haired teacher ignored it for the most part, it wasn't rare for them to get calls after all; they were a school. He listened closely in case Mrs. Anna needed anything. The conversation that followed had his heart crashing down into his stomach in less than a second.

"Good day, this is Kaisei- Ah, with Mr. Kuroko?" The woman drew the last part of his name out, making him raise his head in curiosity. Kuroko let go of the toys he was holding, leaving them in an orderly bunch on the floor. He stopped dead in his tracks when the female teacher continued. "Aomine Daik-" Her eyes widened in shock, filling with fear and worry as she looked over at her colleague. She mouthed the place he needed to go to, and with a curt nod, he was off.

"Sakurabana Hospital."

When Kuroko got to the building, huffing and trembling from the effort of running for ten minutes straight, he could hear his heart thundering in his chest. Everything hurt; his bones and muscles aching from the strain and his lungs from being overworked. Paying no heed to his condition, the man rushed through the doors, darting his eyes around everywhere in less than twenty seconds. He needed to know where Daiki was, what had happened to him; anything! The pain in his chest wouldn't let up, and the teacher's breathing was out of control, not because of the exercise, but out of sheer fear.

Kuroko finally noticed the reception desk, partially hidden, by a pair of plants. Angered and worried, he quickly moved over to the counter, and in an almost loud voice for his standards, of course, begged to know where the love of his life was.

The woman at the desk gave him a warm smile and tried to sooth his nerves before answering. "That'll be down the hall to the left; A and E." Kuroko was running before she was even done, barely looking at his surroundings. When he saw the big, red flashing 'A&E' symbol, the man halted. Would he regret going in there? Would he like what he saw? Was Daiki alright? Forcing these thoughts out of his head, and with the steel determination that had gotten him through most of his hardships in life, he pushed the two doors open, readying his heart for what was to come.

Walking past the endless doors, 'Where is he? Where is Daiki?', the pale man noticed one of his lover's colleagues in the waiting area. Relieved at the sight, the policeman ran over to him, and bowed low in apology. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Ku-"

"Please." Interrupted Kuroko.

Daiki's colleague looked up, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Please." He began again, his voice trembling as he tried to calm himself. "Please, just tell me what happened."

They both sat down, the taller man fidgeting as he tried to explain the situation. The other man looked like his soul had been stolen, ripped out from his core. Steeling himself, the policeman began.

"We were apprehending a group of kids. A bunch of idiots that thought 'forming a gang' would be cool. The only thing they did was beat up people." He let out a shaky breath before continuing. "We could ignore it at first because their standard for beating up was pretty low. It's quite common in high school, but then things got worse. Teenagers, mostly boys, but some girls, too, were popping up in the hospital every day. They all pointed their fingers at the same group of people, so we figured it was time to do something."

Daiki's colleague could see Kuroko's impatience, so he got to the point. "We tried to ambush them, followed a kid we knew was their next target, and waited. They got there, and we were quite surprised when we only saw three of them. Once we secured them and got them into the cars, Mr. Aomine stayed behind to get the kid to safety." Kuroko smiled in pain, of course Aomine would do that. God forbid letting the poor boy walk himself home; he shook his head in resigned acceptance and put it in his hands. "And…?"

"We were too naïve. There were four more kids waiting to ambush us. Since Mr. Aomine was the last one left, he had to deal with all of them, and protecting the kid. Did a damn good job at that, at least. We tried to help, but the brats ran away before we could do anything. Of course, we would have chased them, but one look at Mr. Aomine…" The policeman looked over at Kuroko, wincing.

"They were too many. I don't know how exactly, but they hurt his head pretty badly. Mr. Aomine was bleeding profusely, and there were a couple of blood bats on the floor." The pale man started letting out shaky breaths in an effort to calm himself down. Looking over at his lover's colleague, he took the younger man's hands in his and asked, "Is he…" Kuroko wheezed and choked on air, not wanting to finish the sentence. Liquid was starting to build up in his eyes, and the teacher wasn't even sure what to ask anymore. "Is he fine?"

The taller of the two put removed his hands from Kuroko's grip, and averted his eyes. "That's the thing, Mr. Kuroko… I don't know."

A thousand emotions surged through him in that instance. Relief, because he wasn't… He wasn't confirmed dead. He still had a chance! Worry, because he didn't know what had happened. Seething anger, at the stupid brats who had done this to the love of his life. Pride, because in the end, Daiki still did what was right and protected the poor boy. But most of all, he was overwhelmed by fear. Fear of what could happen, fear of the unknown. Terrified, because he wasn't sure what was going on. Terrified, because what if he was dead?

Scared thoughts started filling him, what if he would never hear him talk again? See him smile again? All those days they would sit in front of the TV and do nothing but hold each other; all those times Daiki would hug him closely to his chest and kiss all of his thoughts away, was that over? Was it gone forever?

Just as Kuroko was about to lose his head, somebody called his name. Shocked, with his eyes wide open, he looked for the source of the voice beckoning him. After a couple of seconds his eyes fell on a tall man. Relief filled him intensely when he saw who it was.

"Midorima." The said man cocked his head in recognition and pushed his glasses up with his untaped fingers. "Yes, it's been a long time, Kuroko." The teacher bowed. "Yes. But-" Midorima knowingly interrupted him before he had even started. "About Aomine, yes?" Kuroko nodded slowly in correspondence, hope filling his eyes as he waited for Midorima to speak.

"I have good news and bad news."

Without skipping a beat, Kuroko answered. "Good news first, please." The second part worried him, but any type of good news was almost vital to him by now.

Midorima smiled lightly, and just like any good doctor, put his hand on Kuroko's frail shoulder. "Kuroko, Aomine is alive."

It was like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, wracking sobs coursing through his body. 'He's alive. He's alive.' His trembling hands were kept close to his heart, and Kuroko couldn't help the endless stream of tears that were falling on the floor, or the giant smile that wouldn't leave his face. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness." Relief and happiness were all he felt, as a picture of Daiki's face, his smiling, glowing, absolutely perfect face filled his mind. His laughter, his voice, everything that was Daiki. Midorima was kind enough to let him finish having his little moment.

Once he settled down a bit, Kuroko tried to stand up, but his stone-heavy legs wouldn't let him, he was suddenly exhausted, physically and emotionally, but the doctor helped him up, now placing both of his hands on his shoulders, with a very severe look in his eyes. "Now, for the bad news. I need you to be calm. Can you be?" Kuroko shook his head in agreement, although he felt very far from calm.

"Alright then." Midorima made sure to sit the shorter man in one of the seats, Daiki's colleague next to him. "His head was beat severely. Blunt trauma, and while we've managed to clean and close the wound, there was brain damage." Kuroko breathed in, his body trembling once again. The alleviation he had felt just seconds ago was swept away in a torrent of renewed fear. Midorima sent a pitying glance at him before continuing. "The damage was mostly done to the back of his head, a very sensitive area, and we honestly can't tell what's going to happen. There are endless possibilities, but I'm not sadistic enough to sit you through all of them."

Kuroko let out a tiny laugh at the comment, even if he wasn't really up to it, good ol' Midorima to cheer him up in the strangest of ways. The doctor motioned Kuroko to follow him, now that he was calm. "We moved him to another floor while you arrived. He's been here for some time, and should be resting. In all honesty, Kuroko," Said the doctor in a very somber tone. "he's very lucky." They walked down the hall and then into an elevator, floor seven which read 'Traumatic Brain Injury.' As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Midorima spoke again. "Both of you are. I don't believe in such things as god, but I'd dare call his survival a miracle." He then shrugged. "Well, today was a good day for Virgos."

The 'ching' of the elevator announced they had arrived, and the door opened soon after. Midorima picked up the pace and walked them to the room at the end of the hallway, with a tile at the side reading 'Aomine Daiki.'

With his heart in his throat, Kuroko opened the door, not knowing what to expect. The room was blindingly white. There was a big window on the wall farthest from him, and a bed with several little machines near it. On the bed, was Daiki. With a bandage covering most of his head, his eyes closed and countless machines connected to him, but nonetheless, Daiki. Kuroko had never felt so relieved just from looking at the color of his skin or the size of his hands, knowing perfectly, that this was indeed his lover. Alive, breathing, here.

There was a chair next to the bed, and the teacher immediately sat down on it, touching Daiki's hand and holding it tightly in his own. He let his other hand rest on the unconscious man's face, caressing it. Standing at the door, Midorima cleared his throat in embarrassment, but Kuroko couldn't care less. He kept at it until the doctor got over it. "Alright, then." Began Midorima. "Let's get down to business."

Kuroko stood up from his chair, and both men shared a heavy look. "The injury was serious, so recovery, if all goes well and there aren't any unexpected inconveniences, should take around six months." The shorter man gasped. "Six months?" The doctor nodded. "If all goes well. There have been some cases where recovery takes less, but far more where it takes longer."

Kuroko sighed disappointedly and waited for Midorima to finish. "We'd like to keep him here for some time. Of course, only if it's what you want, and you'd have to sign a few forms. Do you have insurance?"

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Alright, then." The taller man pushed his glasses up again, checking Daiki's vitals. "He's stable now, but to have him completely recover we need to see the damage first. Aomine's definitely going to have to stay overnight, and probably until he wakes up. It shouldn't take too long. Once we see if he's had any… severe consequences due to the brain damage, we'll act accordingly." Kuroko wasn't exactly sure, but he was too scared to ask what these 'severe consequences' were.

"I'd recommend you go home for today, Kuroko. Get some rest. I don't think Aomine would like to wake up to you overworked and burned down to your wits from the worry." The teacher agreed, he was exhausted and could use some sleep, not to mention he had to go to work tomorrow. But he didn't want to leave just yet. Kuroko informed his old teammate he would stay for a few more minutes, and Midorima left them to spend a few minutes alone. Complaining about how Kuroko never listened to his sound advice.

Once he was gone, Kuroko sat down again, dropping his chest and head on Daiki's bead, careful not to hurt him. Holding his hand tightly, Kuroko started talking. "You scared me so much." He moved his thumbs soothingly over his lover's, chanting a chorus of 'I love you's. Kuroko stayed like this for ten minutes, and after looking at the clock, decided it was time to go home.

Just as the man was about to leave, he looked back one last time at Daiki mouthing 'Please, be okay.'

Kuroko tried to work as usual, being very dedicated to his job, but by the time the first day was over, he had messed up at least fifteen times, and he knew no one scolded him because he was in a difficult situation. This only increased his already numerous guilt-trips. The teacher would visit Daiki in the evening, staring at his unmoving form for hours on end, and only leaving once Midorima asked him to go home, once visiting hours were over.

Sleep was minimal and precious when he did get it, as worry overtook his being at night. He would finally fall asleep at dawn, only to have the alarm clock wake him five minutes later.

The second day wasn't any better, Kuroko's sight was blurry, and his eyes were puffy. He would forget things and his appetite had gone down the drain. The teacher was dismissed early from work that day. A part deep inside him was relieved because he could take it easy, but the rest of him was disappointed with himself. He should be able to work, it was his job. Later in the day, once with Daiki, Kuroko also noted it served as a distraction; one he needed very much.

Just as the previous night, Kuroko stayed until the visiting hours were over, but this time he was woken up by Midorima. Strangely enough, his own bed left him restless, even if it was much more comfortable than the one in the hospital.

The third day was just as terrible as the others, barely able to function from the lack of sleep, the children gave him strange looks. He decided to go the infirmary and maybe rest for an hour, but Mrs. Anna informed Kuroko of an urgent call just as he was about to leave the classroom. Midorima had compelled him to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, and had even gone as far to call him from his private cell phone. The teacher didn't know if he should've been excited or scared, but moving his doubts to the back of his mind, he ran for Sakurabana.

By now, he knew where to go, so when he arrived at the building, Kuroko glanced at the receptionist and nodded as a greeting. On the elevator, he urgently pressed the big fat button that had a '7' on it.

Down the corridor, and with shaky hands, the pale man pushed the doors to Daiki's room open, his eyes zeroing in on his lover immediately.

Kuroko's hands dropped to his sides, and his mouth was wide open in shock. Tears filled his eyes to the brim, and the man was helpless to stop them from falling, only wiping them away with his sleeves once they started accumulating uncomfortably on his chin. He was grinning like an idiot, but Kuroko couldn't care less, heck, even Midorima was smiling at him.

Daiki was awake. His eyes were open, perhaps a bit sluggishly, but open nonetheless. His mouth was moving, and making sounds.

He was going to be okay. Daiki was going to be okay.

The doctor left the room, trying to give them some space, only pulling Kuroko away to quietly tell him he shouldn't 'ask too many questions at a time' or 'flood him with emotions.' The teacher easily agreed, eager to just be able to talk to Daiki, to hug him, feel him, and put his hands over his chest and feel the living heart beneath beat.

Once Midorima was gone, Kuroko took the seat next to Daiki's bed and smiled at him. The taller man didn't smile back, and refrained from any type of contact with him. When he tried to hold Daiki's hand, the policeman just avoided him and glared. Kuroko stopped trying to touch him, after all, Daiki had just woken up. The teacher figured it was because he had just woken up, and was still disoriented.

But Daiki became angrier, and Kuroko's confusion increased, too. Beginning to get hurt, he was about to speak, but the mocha-skinned man beat him to it.

"Where's mom?" Kuroko's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then furrowed in confusion, momentarily forgetting his hurt feelings. Last time he had checked, Daiki and his mother had been fighting for the better part of twelve years.

The policeman wore an increasingly panicky expression, starting to fidget and look around the room, apparently expecting someone who wasn't his lover to appear.

"Where's dad?" By this point, Kuroko was just angry. He had gone through hell on Earth just worrying about him, not sleeping and barely being able to work, and Daiki dared pull a such a stupid joke on him? Now? From the stories the younger man would tell him, it would seem he and his father had been fighting since he was a fetus.

Just as Kuroko was about to lash out, it dawned on him, hitting him like a ton of bricks. Shocked to the core, and unable to move, he was about to ask the question that would confirm his suspicions. But just as Daiki shook his head and muttered 'whatever', his world came crashing down.

"Anyway, who the hell are you?"

I don't have a lot to say about this.. I may change the name of the fic later. I'm not too sure about it, since I know where this is going but naming things is possibly the hardest thing for me to do. Also, the ending is so cliched I could cry. I wanted to write more so I could prove the story itself isn't as cliched as it seems, but yeah...

First chapter and so much angst already! I'm a sucker for angst, so I'm sorry. (Just not really.)

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

Tats, SW.