Kuroko no Basket x Reader One Shots

Midorima Shintaro x Reader x Tsukishima Kei [1K Special]

Friendship. Noun. The emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.

But why do we call it a friendship? Because friends make us feel like we're floating. They take us on grand adventures and show us secrets and treasures worth more than anything in the world. But once they leave us, we sink. We fall into the depths of depression and it takes us countless months to reach the surface and see the light again.

I remember when my first friendship sank.

I was seven years old when I met him. It was in primary school during recess one bright spring day. He was playing by himself on the side of the field, our classmates running around and playing tag or racing each other. But not him. He was just sitting there poking at the dirt with a stick.

Back then I didn't have many friends and I was a curious kid, so naturally I walked up to the lonesome blonde haired boy, wondering what he was doing that was apparently better than any of the games the other kids were playing.

"Hi. Whatcha doing?" I asked him.

Startling at my voice, he whipped around and glared at me. "None of your business," he snapped. "Leave me alone."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm busy."

"But what are you doing?"

He shot me a look and huffed, turning his back to me as he kept digging with the end of his stick. "I'm looking for dinosaur bones."

"That's cool! Can I help you?"

The boy was silent for a few moments before he answered. "Fine," he said, turning back to me and handing me a second stick. I beamed and sat down next to him to dig the dirt with him.

"What's your name?" I asked, realizing I had no idea who he was. He wasn't in my class, though I had seen him a few times during lunchtime or recess.

"Tsukishima Kei."

"I'm (L/n) (F/n)," I introduced myself. "It's nice to meet you Kei-chan!"

He wrinkled his nose, which only made his glasses slip down. He pushed them up before looking at me weirdly. "That sounds stupid. Don't call me that."

I giggled. "Whatever you say Kei-chan."

And that was the day my friendship with Tsukishima Kei sailed. We kept playing together after that, first just at recess and gym. Then we started to talk more and hung out during lunch, and when we were old enough we walked home together, laughing and chattering the whole way.

At the end of primary school we found out that we were going to the same junior high school as well. I was elated, him less so but I could tell he was pleased that we would be together for three whole more years. But those happy feelings would soon turn sour.

I don't know what caused us to change; what caused him to change. Suddenly we were fighting, first bickering over small things until we were shouting at each other loud and long enough that I was reduced to tears afterwards. But not him. He would go quiet and lash out one more snarky jab at me before leaving me alone.

We somehow managed to stick together, like two puzzle pieces that didn't belong next to each other forced together. It was suffocating to say the least. Things were in ashes by the start of our second year.

Finally after another painful month, he had had enough.

"We need to talk," he said suddenly, looking up from his phone. It was just the two of us in the classroom, either of us not bothering to leave or suggest a different place to go for the lunch period. That would have ended in another stupid argument.

"What is it?" I asked as I set my book down. I looked at him reluctantly, not wanting to meet his cold eyes.

"You know what's wrong." He pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at me in what I could only guess was disgust. "I don't want to be with someone like you anymore. You're so annoying and you're even worse now."

An indescribable rage took over me just then. Fed up with his words, I jumped up and slammed my fists on my desk. "Then leave already," I snarled at him. "If you don't need me then I don't need you."

Tsukishima flinched at that, surprise flashing over his face but it was quickly replaced with his signature smug smirk. "Good," he said, grabbing his bag and walking out of the classroom. Whatever we had left of our 'friendship' had now collapsed. I slumped down in my chair, my anger fading and I was left feeling weary. There was no coming back from this.

The last two years of junior high sped by, though they were bleak. It felt like no time at all had passed when we were finally graduating. He didn't even tell me which high school he was going to. Not that it mattered anyway. I had my sights set on a school in the Tokyo district. But there was something I had to say to the arrogant blonde I once called my dearest friend.

I asked him to meet me at the rooftop on our last day of junior high. I didn't expect him to come but he did. I took a moment to look at him for the last time. He was much taller now, his expression colder and his gaze piercing.

"Tsu-Tsukishima," I said boldly. Long gone were the days I called him Kei-chan. He was just a stranger to me now. My classmate at best but nothing more.

"What do you want?" He sneered down at me.

"I'm going to Shutoku High School." I paused for a moment. "This is goodbye."

He looked at me unblinking, his face betraying nothing. Maybe because he didn't feel anything towards me anymore. "Idiot, we said goodbye years ago. Don't waste my time." He turned to walk away and I sighed softly as I watched him.

I clenched my fists. I had to say it, before he left. Screwing my eyes shut I blurted out, "Thank you. For being my friend." We may hate each other now, but that didn't mean that our friendship before wasn't real.

Tsukishima stopped when the words came out of my mouth. I heard him click his tongue and he resumed walking down the stairs to the first floor. And then he was gone, this time forever.

"Hurry up. We'll be late for class, nanodayo."

An irritated voice calling out to me snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked and smiled, looking at the green haired boy whose head was turned to me, his eyebrow raised. He looked so much like the friend I lost years ago; tall and serious looking with smart black glasses. I ran up to him and he resumed walking, me by his side.

"Hey Shin-chan!" I greeted him cheerfully.

"I told you not to call me that." He grumbled. "Did you finish your essay?"

"Yup!" I answered.

"How many hours of sleep did you lose last night?" He asked seriously.

I laughed nervously. "I did my essay on time just like you told me to," I said, but Midorima wasn't convinced.

"(L/n). . ." He said in a warning tone.

"Okay okay." I sighed in mock defeat. "I only stayed up until two a.m."

He exhaled sharply through his nose and gave me another of his looks. "You're worse than Takao, nanodayo."

I just laughed at that. "But you love being friends with us."

Maybe, just maybe, new friendships are worth building. It'll take some time, but it will definitely be worth it.

A/N: This one-shot is one that I wanted to make since the end of August. When I first got the idea I thought I couldn't execute it properly, but here we are with a one-shot that I am extremely proud of because I was able to write it in a way that I liked and I was really happy that I didn't have to discard the idea. I hope you guys enjoyed this one-shot as much as I had fun writing it. It's always really rewarding to finish a one-shot and feel as good about it as I do for this one.