Chapter Text
It’s amusing , Kagami thinks.
Staring at the court in front of him, watching children no older than twelve, pass and dribble the basketball without a care in the world, Kagami’s heart felt tight.
At some point in his life, that was him out there with two healthy legs, playing his most beloved sport with his friends. And yet, life was too cruel.
Bright memories of his time in high school flashed before his eyes before he shooed them away. That life of his was over. It was far too painful to think of.
Chuckling bitterly, Kagami gave another glance at the court, this time with blank eyes, before rolling away in his wheelchair. His emotionless eyes looked on ahead of him as his hands rolled the wheels.
He didn’t know why he tortured himself like this.
Knowing very well that he could never stand on the court again with two working legs…knowing that his dreams of joining the NBA could never be fulfilled…he still came to this court every single day and watched others play with jealousy. It became a habit at this point. One that couldn’t be changed so easily.
Perhaps it was the hope that one day, a miracle would happen and he would magically stand up on his feet again.
Alas, no such miracle has occurred for him.
Kagami suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket.
Stopping along the sidewalk, he pulled out his cell-phone and looked at the caller ID.
[Tatsuya. H]
Briefly contemplating whether or not he wanted to answer, Kagami eventually tapped the ‘Answer’ button.
“What can I do for you, Tatsuya?” Kagami asks, tiredness lacing his voice.
“Taiga…I’m just calling to see how you’ve been doing,” Himuro Tatsuya, his used-to-be brother, replies with underlying concern. “I wanted to visit you-”
“Today’s not a good day,” Kagami cuts him off coldly.
“I was gonna say tomorrow,” the other continued.
Kagami swallows a lump in his throat and says in a strained voice, “Tomorrow’s no good either.”
There’s silence before Himuro responds with a hesitant, “...I understand. You…you know we’re worried about you, right? Alex, Kuroko-kun, your old teammates…and me.”
Kagami’s fist curls around the edge of his wheelchair as he fights the oncoming tears. Clearing his throat, he replies, “...I know. I just…I don’t feel like seeing anyone right now.”
“Taiga, it’s been a year already,” Himuro says with sadness. “We just…we just want to see you.”
“...I’m sorry.”
On the other side of the line, Himuro Tatsuya lets out a soft sigh. It’s not like he couldn’t understand what Kagami was going through but it really hurt that the redhead refused to let anyone in. He cut off ties with everyone and closed himself up even when so many people were desperately reaching out to him.
“Taiga, you know I’m always here if you want to talk, right?” Himuro says softly.
“I know, Tatsuya,” Kagami pauses briefly before saying, “I’ve got to go now. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay…goodbye Taiga.”
Kagami hangs up the call and leans his neck back, staring up at the darkening sky. There’s unshed tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat as Tatsuya’s words pass through his mind.
“We’re here for you…”
“...our precious friend…”
“Taiga, we miss you…”
He felt so shitty. Kagami didn’t think he deserved the friends he has. With how cold he’s been to them, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they decided to ignore him for good.
He was afraid to meet them. He didn’t want to see the pity in their eyes as they stared at his broken form. He hated feeling weak and helpless.
Withholding a sob, Kagami began rolling his wheelchair back home.
—
“I’m so sorry son. I know I was supposed to make dinner tonight but it looks like I’ll be held up with a last minute meeting. You’ll be fine though, right? There’s a bit of ramen in the cupboard if you’re hungry.”
Kagami’s grip around his cell-phone tightened as he heard his father’s words. Holding in his anger and hurt, he replied, “That’s fine dad.”
“Good. That’s my son - so mature. I promise I won’t be too late,” his father’s cheery voice says. Kagami doesn’t say anything more and hangs up the call.
What else should he have expected?
Even after his accident, his father still has no time to spend with him. He thought he should be used to it by now considering how was able to live by himself in Japan for a while but Kagami - no, Taiga couldn’t help but feel pain in his heart.
Maybe if his dad had spent more time with him and comforted him like a proper parent would after his accident, he wouldn’t have this inner turmoil and torment by now.
All of a sudden, Kagami’s anger flared and he threw his phone at the opposite wall, smashing it in the process. He hunched over and collapsed in erratic sobs.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why did this happen to him of all people?!
What kind of sin did he commit to have his dreams stripped away from him?
Why did the accident leave everyone else unscathed but him?
Was he just unlucky? Was that it?
As his sobs grew louder, Kagami covered his face with his hands.
If only…if only a miracle would happen. If only he could go back in time and avoid this tragedy before it happens. If only…
… he had his legs back .
—
When Taiga opened his eyes again, he noticed something strange.
Since when did we have a brown wooden ceiling? He wonders.
And then, there’s a sharp pain in his head that has him gasping. He curls up his body, turning on his side and holds his head as the pain spreads.
A groan escapes his lips before a single tear falls down his cheek.
What’s with this pain?
The sudden pain passes and Taiga is left panting for air, cold sweat coating his back. He feels like a storm just passed through him and it takes him several minutes to regain his bearings. Once he does, he realizes the extra information inside his brain.
Then he takes a moment to scan the room before glancing down at his legs under the covers of a sheet.
“Impossible…” he mutters with disbelief.
He notices that he can ‘feel’ his legs and toes. So he attempts to move them.
It works.
His legs…were working again…
Taiga suddenly sits up and pinches his forearm. His lips tremble as he does so and tears are threatening to fall. He had to make sure this wasn’t some dream or hallucination.
The pain from his pinch causes him to hiss.
His eyes widen in shock and disbelief.
This wasn’t a dream. It was all real.
He got his legs back.
“Heuk!”
A cry leaves his mouth as his fists clench around the sheet. Not wanting to descend into another sob session, he forces himself off the bed and onto his feet.
He felt like a new born fawn that was standing up for the first time. It felt scary yet absolutely exhilarating.
He could stand again.
And then he took a step forward…and another…and another…right up until he was in front of the mirror where he looked inside.
“Holy crap,” he breathes.
What stares back at him is his thirteen-year-old self. His thirteen-year-old bright self with eyes full of life and a stature full of youth.
“Time travel,” he mutters.
Yes, Taiga wasn’t the brightest of the bunch but even he could understand the current situation. Besides, the information in his head told him so.
He was given another chance.
As his eyes turned red, Taiga couldn’t help but smile.
Damn, I gonna start crying again, he thinks. When did I become such a cry baby?
And then his eyes land on the object lying in the corner of his room. Orange, black, and round. It's a basketball.
Without a moment’s waste, he walks over and picks it up, feeling its coarse, bumpy surface. His heart begins fluttering and a familiar thrilling feeling fills his chest.
“I can play again,” he says.
Right now, there is nothing else on his mind except heading straight to the nearest court and dribbling the ball to his heart’s content.
Which is exactly what he does. His previous feelings, his trauma, his pain; all of that is forgotten as he runs out of his apartment and onto the street. The familiar sensation of running brings a new round of joy in him and he can hardly wait to get started.
This time, he thinks. This time, he was going to reach the top.
The best basketball player in Japan; he wanted to claim that title once and for all. And after that, he was going to join the NBA.
That incident that caused him to lose his healthy legs will never happen again.
He would make sure of it.