Looking for a Miracle
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lying in Pieces

I was hoping that, as the weeks went by, things would ease up and sort themselves up.

My hopes failed me.

Things were only growing worse.

I couldn't go to a training session without holding my breath, praying that we'd get through the day without anything happening.

Unfortunately, things always did happen.

But there was one day when everything fell apart, and when everything just went to hell.

"Are you kidding me!" Aomine yelled that day, causing us to all jump out of our skins. I whipped around to see him in the face of one of the new recruits from the second string, his eyes blazing with fury. "You let me waltz right past you every damn time!"

The poor boy was quite understandably terrified.

"I'm trying, it's just that you're too strong! There no one who can stop you..."

The words were an instant slap in the race for Aomine. He stared at the boy for a moment, stricken, looking momentarily lost for breath.

"I'm out!" he yelled suddenly, turning and storming out of the gym. Momoi cried out and tried to stop him, but he strode right past her as though she wasn't even there. "I'm not dealing with this any more!"

"Aomine!" Coach Sanada yelled after him, but Aomine didn't even hesitate in his stride. Soon, he was gone from sight.

Talk buzzed throughout the gym while I stood, shell shocked, momentarily unable to breathe.

Aomine...

"The rest of you, don't stop practicing!" Sanada barked, silencing all talk as he strode from the gym after Aomine. "Continue on the two-man!"

Slowly, most people in the gym returned to practice, though with not the same intensity and focus as before - several pairs of eyes

One of those people was Kuroko, who hadn't even moved after Aomine had stormed out. His light eyes were wide, concern etched into every feature of his face.

"Kuroko..." Kuroko looked across as Sei approached. "Go after him. You're probably the last chance..."

He didn't have to say anymore, Kuroko nodded. "Understood." Face set hard in determination, he hurried out from the gym himself.

I watched him go, biting down on my lip.

Please, Kuroko. Please be able to get through to him.

*          *         *

Rain was falling thick and fast from dark grey clouds. The rain soaked Kuroko through to the bone, and every step was almost guaranteed to land him in a puddle, but he noticed none of it. There was something more important on his mind than the cold rain.

He found Aomine soon enough, sitting on a bank gazing blankly out over the river. It was almost as though he didn't notice the rain, or at least wasn't bothered by it.

Despite the fact Aomine didn't turn around, he must've heard Kuroko approach. "Tetsu?" he muttered, without looking back. "Why aren't you at practice?"

"I came after receiving permission from Akashi-kun," Kuroko responded. He looked pleadingly at his oldest and first real friend he'd made at Teiko. "Aomine-kun, let's return to practice."

Aomine snorted.

"Why? Why should I return to practice?" he muttered, leaning back and staring carelessly at the clouds. "Why, when I'll win matches even if I don't want to? Should I play at full strength like you told me to, just so I can more thoroughly crush opponents who have already lost their will to fight?"

Kuroko's heart clenched.

"I understand, but-"

"Understand?" Aomine repeated. He lurched to his feet, staring incredulously at the smaller boy. "How could you possibly understand? Tell me, how can a guy like you, who can't do anything by himself, understand?"

Kuroko wanted to answer, but he'd been rendered speechless.

Aomine smiled sadly. "You know, I wish I could have been born like you, Tetsu," he said, and Kuroko was shocked to hear the emotion in his voice. "I could've had so much more of s goal in life."

"I'm also envious of you and everyone else," the blue-haired boy blurted - he needed to say something, and now, or he'd never be able to speak. "If I could, I'd like to try dunking, making three loungers, and dribbling past my opponents. But it's no use lamenting over things I can't do. Do I'm putting all I have into my passes -"

"Passes?" Aomine laughed dryly at the word. "To who? Kise? Midorima? Murasakibara? Of, if they're for me, to what end? I can win all by myself against anyone, even without your passes."

Kuroko felt like someone had stabbed his heart. Tears mixed with the rain and fell down his face, his thin body shaking, which had nothing to do with the cold.

I haven't received a pass from you since then..." Aomine whispered, and Kuroko new what he was referring to - the day he'd played against Inoue, and realised just how strong he was. In other words, the day he lost his drive and passion for basketball. Tears now streamed from the ace's eyes. "It was only a little while ago... but it feels like it's been so long.

"I... don't even remember how to receive your passes anymore."

*          *          *

The time ticked by, but the end of practice arrived and neither Aomine nor Kuroko returned.

The coach had, with the news that Aomine was allowed to not attend practice, as long as he kept winning. I'd felt sick at the news, and Momoi and I exchanged worried glances. Her eyes were wide and terrified - I knew she was feeling a huge amount of concern for her friend.

We'd waited desperately for Kuroko, hoping he'd be able to do what the coach couldn't, but as time passed our hopes diminished.

"In the end, neither of them came back..." Midorima said quietly, as the players cleared away and gym.

"And what the head coach said after practice, about Aominecchi still playing in matches regardless if he showed up for practice or not..." Kise muttered, pausing in his act of collecting all loose basketballs. "I know Aominecchi is strong and all, but is that really okay?"

"I don't know what the head coach's intentions are, but I share your sentiments," Sei agreed.

Murasakibara ambled over to Sei.

"Hey, Aka-chin..." the purple giant started slowly. "I don't like losing, so I've kept coming to practice until now... but if we can win sigh out practice, I don't want to have to do that either... If Mine-chin can do it, I was thinking maybe I should stop practicing too."

My heart stopped.

Murasakibara, stop talking now.

I tried speaking the words, but they died from my lips when I caught the expression on Sei's face.

"Don't say such ridiculous things," Sei scoffed. "There's no way I could permit that."

"But I just feel like there's no way I could lose right now... and you know, the reason why I've been following you all this time is because I felt like I could never win against you..." Murasakibara glared at Sei, "But recently I've felt like maybe that isn't the case. I don't want to listen to someone weaker than me."

I gulped. My heart was going wild, and I wouldn't be surprised if I had a heart attack. 

Sei's eyes had turned dangerously cold, and lines were etched deep into his face.

"What did you say?" he seethed.

By now, everyone had stopped and was watching the confrontation unfold.

"Stop!" I screaming, jumping between them. I looked at them beseechingly, terror gripping my heart. "You two, stop, please! You can't be serious, either of you!" My voice was high pitched and strained.

I hand was placed on my shoulder - a familiar hand, Sei's hand. I relaxed, thinking he was going to reassure me that yes, everything was okay, and I had nothing to worry about.

I had the shock of my life when Sei used that hand to push me away.

"Out of my way, Akane," he said lowly. 

I stumbled, stunned, and forgetting how to function. Momoi had to pull me back because I was still trying to understand what had happened. Sei had never spoken to me like that, ever!

If he was talking to me like that... I shifted closer to Momoi and watched Sei advance of Murasakibara, cold dread in my veins. This was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"I won't let that slide, Murasakibara." Sei's voice was quiet - dangerously so. "The captain does not necessarily have to be the strongest player on the team, but it's a different matter when you're speaking so openly against me."

I gripped Momoi's hand instinctively, and the two of us exchanged anxious looks. Next of us, Midorima and Kise watched on apprehensively, along with all the others gathered.

Sei grabbed a basketball and glared at Murasakibara with such force, the extreme height difference between them momentarily appeared not to exist.

"If you will only listen to force, then force I must use," Sei said coldly. "A one on one. The first to five points wins."

My heart lurched as the two took their place on the court. "Sei..." My voice was too quiet for anyone else but Momoi to hear, who squeezed my hand.

I was worried. Beyond worried. I knew nothing good would arise from this. I felt Momoi wince beside me, and I glanced down to see I was gripping her hand so tightly I had cut off all blood circulation to her hand, and my fingers were digging deep into her wrists.

Sei started with the ball and, when the match commenced, I was left standing in shock.

I'd always thought Murasakibara and Sei were on a relatively even playing field skill wise. But within five minutes...

The score was four - nil.

Four - nil.

One more goal from Murasakibara, and it was over. It was terrifying to watch the force Murasakubara played with, and his skill - from his jumps to his speed to powerful dunks and his overwhelmingly large defensive range.

Sei had no answers for anything.

"Mukkun's overwhelming him," Momoi whispered, staring at the score.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. "This isn't good..."

"I thought you'd be harder to beat... but I guess that's it?" Murasakibara proclaimed lazily. "Honestly, I'm a little - no - really disappointed. I don't think I can listen to someone this weak. Nope..." He sighed. "Once I get this in, it's my win. Just like we promised, I'll be able to do whatever I want from now on..."

Sei was bent over double - I could see the crazed look in his eyes, feel how lost he was. If he lost now... it would be the first time he'd ever lost at something. Thanks from his father he'd been taught all his life that losing at anything - absolutely anything - was unacceptable. 

The damage from losing would be terrible, especially since he already felt like he couldn't keep the team together.

Murasakibara went to make his move, and suddenly a chill filled me eyes. Sei and muttered something - I hadn't heard what it was, but I was feeling cold, powerful waves coming from him.

Something's very, very wrong. My stomach twisted horribly and I suddenly wanted to turn away, because whatever was about to happen next was going to be horrible.

Murasakibara moved to go past Sei, and for a moment, I thought he was going to get past.

But then the ball was out of his hands.

I gasped, and so did many of the others. Without even having moved his feet, Sei had intercepted the ball. It now rolled in a corner, and was as still as the entire room. All eyes were on Sei, and it felt like the room was holding its breath.

Cold sweat broke out across my body. What had just happened? 

A large part of me didn't want to know the answer.

With his back to everyone, Sei strode to the ball, his every step made with deliberation.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Atsushi."

My blood turned cold.

Atsushi.

He'd called Murasakibara as Atsushi.

Sei had never called anyone but me by their first names before.

And he's spoken it so coldly, his authoritatively... he'd sounded like a different person.

Oh no.

My eyes flew open. My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was about to faint.

"No," I croaked. My breath was coming to me in ragged gasps as I sent every prayer I had to the heavens that my assumption was wrong, so very, very wrong. "Please, no, don't let this have happened..."

But he turned, and if my throat wasn't dry as bone, I would've cried out. Instead, a small whimper escaped my lips.

One of his eyes were now gold.

I knew what that meant.

And with that, he destroyed Murasakibara with ease - victory, once again, came as easy as breathing.

------------------------------------------------------------
we all knew it was coming.... everything just gets worse from here

aomine and kuroko scene included because we all need our hearts broken that little bit more ;))))

why do i love the teiko arc so much when it only causes me pain idk

there's seven chapters and the epilogue left now.... hope you're all ready for what's to come!