(ENG) KUROKO NO BASKET ONESHOTS

KAGAMI X READER - LEAVE YOUR LIFE PART 1

"Tai-chan!" – you say running to hug your boyfriend.

"Hi (Name)!" – he greets you as he enters your house and returns the hug.

You sit on the sofa and chat about anything and everything, as you always do when you meet: just catching up on each other's lives and about what happened during your day. As the pleasant spring breeze blows through the window, a thought makes its way to your head.

"So, second year is starting soon." – you say, with your mind already facing the future.

"Yep. Time really flew this year..." – he answers with a note of sadness that your fine ear doesn't miss.

"Awww, do you miss your club mates already? You really are a sweetheart!" – you tease him, repeatedly nudging him with your elbow.

"No I am not!"

"Oh yes you are." – you say with a smirk. You love to make your hot-headed boyfriend admit that deep down he's tender at heart.

"Mmmmh!!! It's just that..." – he replies, getting suddenly serious.

"That what?"

He takes a deep breath.

"(Name), there's a thing that I should tell you about."

You stare at him puzzled for a while.

"...Ok, then. What is it?"

"Alex got in touch with the principal of a prestigious American high school, that's known for its basketball club. They would like to make me play in the team to give me an actual chance to play in the NBA."

Opposing feelings fight in your heart: the American high school offer is incredible, one that occurs once in a lifetime to one in a million guys. But you immediately realize what it implies.

"I'd like to go, but I don't want to leave Seirin and you alone. Especially you, actually." – he admits, his face going red – "So I want to know what you think about it, I don't want to leave if you're not happy."

You look at your boyfriend wide-eyed, still letting the new information and his unexpected matureness sink in.

"I think you should go, Tai-chan. NBA has always been your dream, I already knew that when we got together, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that you wish to go abroad. Plus America is your second home, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. I've lived there for a long time and I know NY like the palm of my hand. But are you sure that you'll be fine? We'd be far away for months and..."

"You must go. You can't stay when you have such an opportunity. The Seirin guys will get by even without you, and you and I will have no problems. Of course it will be hard to handle the long distance, but with a bit of compromise and a lot of understanding I think that everything will be alright." – you say with teary eyes but a smile on your face.

As they say, when you love something you need to be willing to let it go. Yes, this sentence is the queen of banality, but this doesn't mean it's not the truth.

"Thanks, (Name). I feel lighter now that I have your support." – Kagami replies hugging you tightly.

"Always."

***

(Timeskip)

You turn again and again in your bed without managing to find a second of peace; Kagami is sound asleep but in spite of your efforts you can't sleep. You tried everything: counting sheep, blinking fast for a minute, doing that respiration trick... but obviously none of these techniques were of help. Tomorrow morning you and Kagami will go to the airport and in a few hours your red-haired boyfriend will get to the Big Apple with his ex teacher. You've always been very enthusiastic about his decision and you couldn't wait to see him happy in his home country, every day closer to the world's highest basketball league; nonetheless, now that the moment has come, anxiety tortures you and you're one with restlessness. Without managing to hold back your tears, you silently sneak out of bed to avoid waking Kagami up and you head to the bathroom, you close the door and let all the tension out. You're crying because you already know how much you will miss that knucklehead, you know that your days from now on will be deprived of their best moments; and you feel tremendously guilty for these emotions. You look in the mirror and you see a horrible girlfriend, that can't feel only joy and enthusiasm in her heart for her boyfriend's departure. You feel as if your love weren't enough and this sensation is rending.

"(Name)? Are you ok?"

You startle and freeze at the sound of his voice. You take a deep breath to calm down and answer.

"Y-yes, it's alright."

Oh, come on! Was stuttering that necessary?

"I don't think so... can I come in?"

There, of course he noticed. You wouldn't want him to see you in this state, but knowing how stubborn he is he would never leave you alone before knowing the truth.

"Ok." – you whisper.

Kagami slowly opens the door and sees you curled up with swollen, red eyes.

"(Name), what happened?!" – he asks sitting beside you and wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

You can't possibly answer him: the only thing you can do is hold him tight and whisper his name.

Even though Kagami is usually dumb, when it comes to you he manages to understand everything in an instant.

"I figured you would be worried for tomorrow, but I didn't think that it would make you so sad."

"I'm sorry, Tai-chan! I'm happy for your departure, believe me! But if I think that I won't be able to see you for all that time, I just..."

You leave the speech unfinished, drowning it with tears.

"Listen, I don't have to leave. If you tell me that it's too hard to bear it and that you want me close to you, I'm calling Alex and making her call everything off."

You look at him in disbelief.

"Of course I would do it, baka." – he adds, reading your mind – "How could I possibly leave for the US knowing that you're in so much grief?"

Although these words warm up your heart, they still worsen the situation: seeing how much your boyfriend loves you and is ready to do anything to make you happy in a heartbeat without thinking twice makes you feel even more guilty for not being able to do the same. Especially after promising him that he would always have your support.

"I want to be like you, Tai-chan. I want to be a supportive girlfriend and make you happy. But for some reason I can't remove that wave of sadness when I think about you leaving my side. Why?! Why can't I do this?!"

"It's alright, (Name)."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not!"

"Want to have a stubbornness competition? You know that I'm winning this, right?" – he states with a snooty aura that makes you laugh – "Listen, it's easier for me than for you. It's true that I can't meet you while I'm away, and I'm really sad about it, but I'm leaving to make my wish come true and to live in a place that feels like home as much as Tokyo. You, on the other hand, have to stay here without me but have nothing to balance this pain with, nothing to make it easier for you. Understood? It's normal for you to feel this way, you're not a bad girlfriend because you know you'll miss me."

"Tai-chan, are you alright?" – you ask him placing your hand on his forehead – "Are you sure that you don't have a fever or some sort of disease?"

"Oi!" – he screams slapping your arm away.

"Sorry, sorry. Thank you." – you reply with a smile.

His words hit you and you feel the weight on your heart become lighter, as another laugh makes its way to your still tearful face. You would never have imagined that you would be receiving such emotional support by your boyfriend, Kagami Taiga. But that's another reason why you love him: every single day he surprises you and gives you a piece of his heart. Letting him go tomorrow won't be easy, you already know that. During his stay in America there will be thousands of painful moments, but you will bear it for his sake. One day you'll meet again and you'll be a couple with even stronger roots, that will truly understand the joy of being together after the long and hurtful period of distance.

Song used in the title: Leave your life - Ed Sheeran