Archive of Our Own

I like you.

The thud of the orange ball against the concrete didn’t seem to be loud enough to silence that phrase, which kept echoing in his mind. Drenched in sweat, the tall and quite strong student kneeled down and grabbed the ball, only to leap and dunk it again. A bunch of other dunks followed and yet, none of them seemed to erase that scene from his mind. It felt as though some bastard had turned it into an animated GIF and implanted it into his brains.

“I like you.” A casual, unaffected sip on his vanilla shake. “What’s your answer?”

As if he hadn’t been shocked enough to even think about any answer. What was that damn shadow thinking, coming up with such nonsense out of the blue?

Dunk. A thud. Sweat trailing down his neck, dripping from his hair.

His answer had been the worst ever, anyway.

As if substituted by another GIF, his memories went to the following scene. His dash out of Maji Burger, leaving an unfinished pile of cheeseburgers behind. His heartbeat had been way accelerated even before the long run to the outdoor basketball court. And as much as he tried to ignore it, the heat from the exercise reminded him of how his cheeks had burned then. He had freaking blushed, like a damn high-school girl. What was he, a chick? He had chickened out, that was certain.

A missed dunk and an awkward fall. He was tired, his mind was a mess and his body, losing balance.

“What the fuck was that?!” He grunted, ass still on the ground. “‘I like you,’” he mimicked the blue-eyed boy. “Oi, we’re frigging dudes, remember that?”

That was what he should have said then, but nooo. He ran away, speechless. Such a coward.

Well, despite everything, they were friends. It would have been mean turning down him flat. But storming out of the restaurant wasn’t any better, was it? By then, the shorter boy was probably upset and thinking he hated him or felt disgusted by him, any shit like that. And no, he didn’t. As he stood up, shaking the dirty of the ground off his shorts, it dawned on him that he hadn’t felt nor was feeling disgusted by the shadow’s confession. He was just surprised and unsure of how to deal with it.

“‘I like you’... Huh.” Absentmindedly spinning the basketball on the tip of his forefinger, he let out a sigh. “Now what?”

He went for a shot and nearly missed it. Okay, time to call it a day, he thought. Maybe having some warm food and a good night of sleep would turn off the loud sound of that phrase, now an annoying echo in his head.

Lying on his back, arms stretched upwards and Nigou firmly held in his hands, Kuroko Tetsuya stared at the blue-eyed dog that his teammates said looked a lot like him. Somehow, there seemed to be some kind of understanding in those eyes that made the bluenette wonder if they shared the same kind of intuition. Nigou seemed to know that his owner wasn’t feeling exactly happy. As if to prove that, the dog whined.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have confessed just yet, right?” He asked and received a soft tail wagging in return.

Sighing and sitting up, Kuroko sat Nigou on his lap and ran his fingers through his fur, thoughtfully. The dog lowered his ears.

Being considered weak for a basketball player due to his shape and inability to actually score points, Kuroko wasn’t worried about failing or being considered bound to fail. He wasn’t scared of his weaknesses, if anything, he always felt motivated by working hard to overcome them. Also, he truly believed that as long as you put love and good emotions into whatever you applied yourself to, things eventually paid off. It wasn’t any different when it came to love and romantic relationships. That hadn’t been his first confession, but deep inside he wished that it would have been his last. And, of course, that it would end up with them actually being together and having a happy ending.

Had he been reading too many romance novels recently? People would probably be stunned if they found out that Kuroko was, besides an applied student (despite his average grades) and a more than competent basketball player, a romantic person.

He was also very intuitive and empathetic, which should have helped him know that that would be the light’s reaction. After all, he had already confessed once to somebody who was kind of similar to his current beloved one.

And that one person had been surprised, scared or both – although he was very good at disguising it, just not as good as to fool Kuroko – but in the end, he had accepted his feelings. Back then, they should have known that dating wasn’t going to work for them. For one, they were kids. Besides, they really only did get along when it came to basketball. No wonder that, when his former light kind of gave up on his love for the sport, their relationship suffered the damage as well.

Now, there was this voice inside of him that insisted that he considered whether being in love with that person wasn’t him trying to hold on to unresolved feelings for Aomine. Was he trying to compensate?

But no. He knew that wasn’t true. Although what had made him approach Kagami initially was the fact that he knew the redhead was the person who could awake Aomine’s passion for basketball again... Being teammates, then friends and then best friends with him allowed Kuroko to meet a Kagami Taiga not even his intuition could have warned him that existed.

It’s true that Kagami didn’t usually leave a nice first impression on people. Hot tempered as he was, he could be thought of as a troublemaker or rude person. At first, he had been a little selfish as well, so obsessed he was with basketball that he wouldn’t care about the team as long as he could play. Though that sounded like the Miracles’ usual behavior – an attitude Kuroko despised –, it wasn’t really what that was. Different from Kuroko’s former teammates, Kagami was truly, openly passionate about the sport. That led him to act as though he didn’t care about anything else. But, as Kuroko soon found out, he did. Kagami shared his belief, or learned from him, maybe, that one could be incredibly powerful if they relied on their friends. Improving as a team meant individual improvement as well. When Kuroko realized that Kagami did understand that, it made it impossible for him not to fall for the ace.

After all, they had more than just love for basketball in common. Hanging out with Kagami was always fun. Even at the beginning, when Kagami didn’t hide the fact that he was annoyed by Kuroko following him, it had been amusing. Kuroko could tell, back then, that Kagami was interested in knowing more about the Generation of Miracles – and who could provide him with information on that better than Kuroko himself?

The fact that Kagami wanted so bad to beat each and every member of Generation of Miracles (minus Kuroko) was thrilling. He wasn’t a prodigy like them. Still, he was somebody who had the guts to try and beat them on the court. He would work hard as much as necessary to try and accomplish that goal. As Kuroko believed hard work and love for the game meant so much more than being a gifted player, he could say that Kagami sort of fit his role of perfect player.

And then, there were all of these expectations that followed. He started thinking that maybe, since they got along so well... Well, then maybe they could be more than that. Celebrating their victories as a couple sounded so nice.

Kuroko really should try reading different kinds of Literature.

It wasn’t like him to act on impulse. Yet, he had. He was so at ease whenever they went together to grab a meal at Maji Burger that the confession had just slipped. Perhaps, he should have waited. He should have held his tongue. Maybe...

Putting Nigou down on the floor, the bluenette sighed. The puppy whined and gave him an annoyed look, obviously unhappy about having lost his comfy seat on his owner’s lap.

“It can’t be helped.” Kuroko muttered and didn’t really know whether he was saying that to Nigou or to himself.

Kagami Taiga wasn’t used to feeling nervous. Well, he got anxious before games for obvious reasons – he was always looking forward to having a good match and kicking some asses on the court. However, apart from that, nervousness was a foreign feeling to him.

On that particular Thursday morning, not only was he feeling nervous, but also uneasy. How was he supposed to face his best friend? They would ran into each other inevitably, right? The sole thought of that made him shiver.

He didn’t want to hurt Kuroko. Besides, he hadn’t the slightest clue how to deal with that. In America, girls didn’t usually confess sort of formally like that. They would make sure you knew they had their eyes set on you, and things could happen. Maybe friends would introduce you both. It was casual.

In contrast, in Japan it was common for them to have this whole ritual of asking you to meet them at some place, then saying things such as “I like you, please accept my feelings” and... It couldn’t get any more awkward than that, right? And there, they were probably too scared to approach Kagami. He had this vibe that kind of kept people away. And he was kind of fine with that.

Now, only that damn Kuroko would have the guts to confess to him like that. Straight. Out of the blue.

I like you.

Really, what the hell?

Scratching his nape, annoyed and tense, Kagami walked towards his classroom. If and when he saw Kuroko he would just go for a casual ‘good morning’ and give it his best not to make things (even more) awkward.

Resolute, he kept walking. So far, no sign of Kuroko. But then again, the shadow had this ability to just appear out of nowhere. If he did that today, Kagami wouldn’t know how to react.

Surprisingly though, he didn’t.

As Kagami entered the classroom, he let out a sigh of relief. Then, suddenly, he was worried. Would they be like that forever?

The hours passed by and the seat behind of him remained occupied by another classmate, one that usually sat on the opposite side of him. By the second half of class, Kagami was sulking. Despite what people usually called him, he wasn’t an idiot and knew Kuroko was avoiding him.

Alright, so maybe he would also avoid somebody if he confessed to them and they fled from the scene, speechless. Not that he would ever do something as embarrassing as confess to anyone! Trying to put himself in Kuroko’s shoes was pointless, because Kagami didn’t get what he was thinking. The more he remembered how his friend had thrown the bomb, as casually as only Kuroko could do it, the less he understood.

I like you.

Shit, would that annoying GIF keep on playing on his mind? Whenever he saw Kuroko, there was no way he wouldn’t remember those words. Damn.

The classes were about to finish, which meant that he was supposed to attend an extra practice soon. Coach hadn’t been giving them a break for soon they would have another important match and they had to be in shape. The dreadful training regimen that Riko was putting them to was sure to help him not to think about what had happened the day before.

On the other hand, Kuroko would be there. Kagami started feeling nervous again. He was so concentrated on his own worry that he leaped out of his skin as the bells rang, announcing the end of the class.

Then, he blinked twice as he saw Kuroko coming towards him and allowing him to see that. No misdirection or anything. It was as though he was purposefully doing it as if to give Kagami time to run or ignore him, if he wanted to. He felt bad about it.

“Kagami-kun, good morning,” Kuroko said as he stopped by Kagami’s desk.

“Ah... Yo, Kuroko.”

Awkward silence between them. Exactly what Kagami didn’t want. He grabbed his things hurriedly.

“We have an extra practice today. Are you coming?” Kuroko asked in that usual calm tone of his.

“Uh... Yes. I just need uh... To check on some stuff first. You can go ahead.”

“Okay.”

Crap. Kuroko’s voice and attitude remained the same, so what was wrong with him, making up half-assed lies just so they wouldn’t go to the gym together? Kagami almost took it back, but decided to go on with his lie as his friend started heading towards the door.

It had been awkward enough to talk to him for a few seconds. Kagami definitely didn’t know how he’d endure it.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he took in a deep breath and left the classroom as well.

Being able to read people so well sometimes felt like a curse. Especially when you had to face people as transparent as Kagami. Fighting hard the disappointment and the potential sadness that threatened to rise inside of him, Kuroko walked down the stairs. That morning, as he got ready to attend school, he had decided that he would give his best friend a break. It was clear that he had been shocked by being confessed to, therefore, he probably could use some time without Kuroko around. But they had practice and none of them would give that up. First, because coach would kill them if they did. Second, because they were too focused on winning not to train hard to achieve that goal. Third, because both of them really loved basketball. That being said, Kuroko thought the best course of action was to act normally when he could no longer avoid Kagami. That wasn’t hard for him to do. Luckily, his ability to read people was as strong as his ability to hide his own emotions. If he pretended nothing had happened, the ace would be fine.

However, Kagami had been thinking about what happened. And obviously, he was worried about hurting Kuroko. Although the latter was glad about that, and it warmed his heart to realize that his beloved one cared about him enough not to want to make him sad, it also sort of made him angry as well. Kagami should trust him enough to know that he could just say it, say that his feelings weren’t reciprocal. He should know that acting all worked up near Kuroko made it hard to take.

Sighing, Kuroko turned around in a corridor and – for a change – was surprised by Hyuuga, who seemed to have suddenly appeared there.

“Hi, Kuroko! Heading to practice already?” the senior asked, walking side by side with his junior.

“Yes. Have Kiyoshi-senpai and the other seniors gone to the gym yet?”

“Yeah. You know, Ri-- coach seems to be pretty fired up today. They thought it better to warm up as soon as possible.”

“Wise decision, I suppose.” Kuroko remarked in his ever unaffected tone.

“You tell me.” Hyuuga sighed, exasperated. “Uh... And where’s Bakagami? Skipping practice, by any chance?”

The way the captain asked it showed that he didn’t really believe that was a possibility.

“No, he said he had some things to take care of. He should be there in no time.”

“Is that so...”

Kuroko nodded. They walked silently for a while and a little before they approached the locker rooms, the younger one stopped and said, “Let’s give our best today, right, Hyuuga-senpai?”

Blinking twice, a little unsure what that was about, Hyuuga nodded. “Sure! I’m counting on you, Kuroko.”

Hyuuga was no expert, neither was he as perceptive as his junior, but he knew there was something off about him today. Entering the locker room, he prayed that that wouldn’t affect their play. Riko wouldn’t be pleased by that... At all.

As expected, Aida Riko wasn’t thrilled in the slightest as she noticed Seirin’s special duo’s play was not even close to what it used to be when they joined the team, which meant is was worse than ever. Obviously, the connection between light and shadow was suffering some interference, it seemed, because even simple passes weren’t being successful. Kagami wasn’t one to miss Kuroko’s passes and Kuroko was supposed to be very accurate at that himself.

She grew more and more pissed at their performance – not to mention that she was frustrated she couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. If not for Hyuuga, who made sure her wrath was lessened a little, Kagami and Kuroko would have been in a tight situation.

By the end of the second quarter, though, she lost it.

“Kagami-kun, Kuroko-kun, just what in the world is wrong with the two of you?! Whatever is going on between you guys, I just want you to remember that we have important games coming up and I assumed you wanted to beat those monsters from the Generation of Miracles, right?” They nodded, flustered. “Then play properly or I’ll make sure you get a special menu!”

She sighed heavily as the two of them just nodded again and uttered an “okay” in unison.

“Well, you have ten minutes to rest. Replenish yourselves and don’t slack off in the third quarter. That goes for all of you!”

“Okay!” The team echoed.

“I’ll go get some air,” Kagami said and left the gym before anyone could question that.

“I just don’t get what’s the matter with them,” Riko complained to Hyuuga, who was sitting beside her at the bench.

Hyuuga was also puzzled. It didn’t look as though they had had a fight, because they were talking to each other normally. Well, as normal as one could call their strange interaction. Kagami seemed a little worked up about something and Kuroko was acting hesitantly – a behavior his teammates didn’t recognize in him.

“I wonder if it has to do with that Generation of Miracles. Although those guys usually would make them practice even harder, right?”

She was getting more and more frustrated. Hyuuga pat her on the shoulder, reassuringly. “Don’t stress over it, coach. Whatever is going on between them, I’m sure they will work it out soon.” Winning a thankful smile from her, he added, “If they don’t, I’ll make sure they pay for ruining the practice.”

Riko giggled.

“Now that’s why you’re the captain, Hyuuga-kun.”

Leaning against the wall outside the building, Kagami was mulling over something as he stared at his mobile.

Yeah, they were sucking at practice today. He was sucking. Really, being blocked by Hyuuga – though he was his senior and a good player nonetheless – was ridiculous. Kagami knew he could do better than that. He had beaten at least three former members of Generation of Miracles. He had faced way stronger opponents back in America. His Seirin teammates didn’t stand a chance against him. It wasn’t about being proud, he was just stating a fact. However, that whole situation with Kuroko was fucking with his brains and screwing up his concentration. He had been scared to get too close to his best friend during the game. He had been afraid of seeing something – disappointment, maybe? – in those usually expressionless eyes. He had been feeling down by the fact that he knew that by trying not to hurt his friend, he was doing exactly that.

And now, he was worried because he knew coach would maybe try and investigate what was going on between them. What if the team found out? Okay, Kuroko would be in a worst position than he; he had been the one to confess after all. Kagami wasn’t afraid of being judged by them, he was just way too embarrassed about the whole thing going public.

Tch. What in the world should he do? For one, he got that he had to have a talk with Kuroko and solve things. It wouldn’t be fair or nice to leave his friend waiting for a response.

First, though, he had to figure out which would be the answer.

Well, he knew what he should do.

Flipping his mobile open, he texted hesitantly. Damn. Things had gotten to that point, really? He kind of wanted to die.

Hitting the ‘send’ button before having second thoughts, the ace swallowed nervously.

We do what we have to do, right?

“Coach, I have a request to make.”

Startled by his sudden appearance, Riko gave out a low yell.

“Wah, Kuroko-kun! Don’t just show up like that, please!”

“But coach, I have been here all along.”

She face-palmed. Sure, sure... He was always there and always scared the crap out of them.

“What is it?”

“I want to switch teams during the third quarter. I know it’s against the rules, but since it’s a practice game, I suppose it would be fine. Is it okay?”

Riko considered his weird request for a while, growing worried. That meant he didn’t want to be on the same team as Kagami. Why? They were having a match with first years versus second years. His request wasn’t really reasonable, but she sure didn’t want to watch another bad performed quarter. If that worked and they got to play as they should, then fine.

“I will only accept it because I expect that will make you play properly, okay? Don’t make me regret it.”

“I definitely won’t, coach.”

“Alright. Guys, member change! An unusual one, though...” She hesitated. “Kuroko-kun will join Hyuuga-kun’s team. Izuki-kun, you’ll replace him on Kagami-kun’s team.”

Both teams gasped at her announcement. Kagami, who had just returned to the gym, threw Kuroko a confused look which was returned with a blank stare.

“But, coach...”

“No complaining about it. Now, hurry, get back to practice you all. Break is over!”

No one would dare defy her, especially when she wasn’t in such high spirits. Izuki seemed to understand the whole scenario. Switching uniforms, he commented, “It seems like the ace could use a joker. Fine, let’s do it.”

Hyuuga face-palmed at his friend’s lame joke. “Seriously...”

Both teams positioned at the center of the court. When Kuroko was face to face with Kagami, he stared at him as seriously as he could.

“Kagami-kun, I’ll play to win. Please give your best as well.”

In face of such a challenge, the redhead almost forgot how things were still a little awkward between them. He grinned.

“Oh, bring it on, Kuroko! I definitely won’t lose.”

“Same goes for me.”

“Don’t expect me to go easy on you, okay?”

With eyes that seemed to pierce through Kagami, he replied, “I don’t expect you to. Ever.”

Before Kagami could process those words, the boy had already vanished somewhere among his new team for that match.

When Riko whistled the start of that quarter, Kuroko’s team got control of the game.

“You WHAT!? Don’t you dare get all high and mighty only because you managed to win the match despite the fact that you had Furihata and the other first years in your team!”

“That’s mean,” Koganei whispered to Mitobe and Kiyoshi, but was loud enough for Riko to hear him. She turned around and glared at the three of them, then turned back to Kagami.

“The hell I am acting high and mighty!” Swallowing as he noticed her piercing gaze, he corrected himself. “I mean... That’s not what this is about, coach.”

“Then what is it about? At this rate, I can’t have you skipping practice.”

“I have an appointment... With a friend,” he explained, silently wondering if he could call that person a friend. “I’ll make up for that next week. Promise.”

Kagami had this pitiful look that made Riko almost feel bad for him. She nodded.

“Fine. I’ll prepare a special training regimen for you.”

He gulped. Well, that was to be expected.

“So,” she turned to face the other players. “Anyone else planning to skip tomorrow’s practice?”

Her eyes were searching for Kuroko, who turned out to be way closer to her than she had expected. Though he was typing on his mobile, he seemed to have noticed that the question was directed to him. Raising his head, he replied, “Actually, I may need to leave earlier. But I will attend it nevertheless.”

His teammates exchanged weird looks. Kuroko and Kagami had been acting strangely the whole time and now they both were somehow planning to miss Friday’s extra practice, either partially or entirely. Was their absence related to their unusual behavior, they wondered.

“I guess there’s no helping it. You both will get special menus. Now, everyone, you’re dismissed. See you tomorrow!”

Walking towards the door with firm steps, Riko left her tired, drenched in sweat team behind and didn’t see that they all had worried looks. They all knew what her cheerful tone meant. It meant they were all screwed up – and that was the light and the shadow to blame.

Lying down on a concrete bench, the tanned boy kept ignoring the annoying ringtone muffled by his pocket’s cloth. The song was cool and stuff – why would he pick a song that he didn’t like for a ringtone? He wasn’t stupid. Yet, it had been playing for a while now, so it was starting to get on his nerves. He had set that song for contacts he didn’t really receive many calls from, which meant it was probably okay to just ignore it. Whoever it was, since they weren’t frequent callers, they could wait for another opportunity to have their call accepted by him for as long as it took. Besides, he had the upsetting feeling that that was actually his team’s captain calling from somebody else’s phone. Sakurai’s, maybe?

Three... Two... One... And he just knew a big bobbed, pink-haired girl would appear and put an end to his peace. Tch. Those bastards didn’t give him a break, huh? Not even on Fridays.

His mobile vibrated in his pocket, notifying that he had received a text message. Ugh, fucking annoying. The boy didn’t even open his eyes. There was something in the bottom of his mind telling him that he was forgetting something. Well, if it were anything important, he wouldn’t have forgotten it in the first place.

“Aomine-kuuun!”

There came the familiar yet boring voice he somehow had been waiting for.

Panting, the girl bent forwards a little, hands resting on her knees as she caught some air after having run all the way up to where her childhood friend was.

“I can’t believe it was this easy to find you today, Dai-chan! Although... Didn’t you mention you had an appointment today? I thought you had left already.”

“Huh?”

Oh. So he was forgetting something. Just then, his mobile announced a new message. Another one. Languidly fishing in his pocket for the device, he grunted. Was it that damn hard for people to just give him a freaking break?

Before he flipped his mobile open, Aomine remembered what his appointment was. Oh... That.

“Heey, Dai-chan, don’t just ignore me!” Satsuki pouted.

He opened one eye slowly and realized he wouldn’t be able to read the messages properly unless he opened both. So much trouble.

Satsuki kept looking at him expectantly while he read the three messages – there had been a previous one he ignored while taking a nap – and found out that the missed calls were from the same person; someone who was pretty pissed by having been ignored by him, which pleased Aomine to the maximum.

He had a meet up with Kagami Taiga scheduled and he was late for that. Like, one hour late or so. No wonder the stupid guy’s last message had been “You’re not coming, Ahomine? Fine. Guess you’re just scared cuz you know I’m gonna beat you again. Whatever, beat you next time, you jerk.”

He was both amused and pissed. So, Bakagami thought he could beat him twice? What a joke. The only one who can beat him...

“Dai-chan! Enough! Are you talking to me or not?!” His friend interrupted his trail of thoughts.

“Not.”

She sighed, exasperated.

“Fine. Just at least go to your appointment, whatever that is. I can tell you’re avoiding it.”

Damn, didn’t she know everything? Aomine had the feeling that woman could even tell the color of the underwear he was wearing on that very day. It was creepy how she knew things.

And yeah, he was kinda sorta avoiding his meeting with Kagami because he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Seirin’s power forward was meaning to ask him. It was about Tetsu and it was something the redhead didn’t want to discuss over the phone. He had specifically said he’d rather talk about that during a one-on-one.

Kagami was looking forward to playing him once more, he knew it. But then again, that guy was also proud enough not to contact him directly unless it was a life or death situation. Which pretty much told Aomine that whatever Bakagami wanted to talk to him about was damn serious. And judging by the way he seemed reluctant in his first messages and kind of desperate in the latest ones... It had to be about that.

Aomine wasn’t in the slightest excited about confirming certain things. He didn’t want to get involved in that. However, it wasn’t nice being bothered by the implications of not having a talk with Kagami. If he had found out as Aomine guessed he had... Well, then maybe he would be a jerk with Tetsu. Aomine wouldn’t admit he was worried about his former shadow, yet, he was.

He wouldn’t forgive Kagami if that bastard hurt someone who used to be his best friend. Man, he would kick his sore ass so hard that damn parted eyebrows dick would have a hard time standing up.

Aomine was annoyed by the sole thought of that happening. Still, he rose from the bench in lazy moves. Yawning, he stretched his arms up and gave Satsuki a disinterested look. She was still there by the bench, observing him silently, and worried, as usual.

“What?” He grunted.

“Nothing.” She offered him a smile.

“Tell my mom I’m gonna get home a little late tonight.”

She blushed a little, but threw him a suggesting look anyway.

“Really, Dai-chan? So your appointment is a date?”

Completely offended by that suggestion, he snapped, “It’s not a date, you idiot! I’m meeting with that stupid Bakagami.”

“Oh...” She giggled.

“What the fuck? Don’t ‘oh’ me, we’re playing basketball, that’s all.”

“Never said you weren’t,” she grinned. “Then, let me come with you. I’m sure my precious Tetsu-kun will be there.”

The mention of Tetsu made him somber. Sometimes, he wondered if she knew as well. She knew so many things! Was it possible that she hadn’t realized that? Then again, some things were better off unknown.

“No, he won’t. It’s gonna be me and Kagami only.”

“Oh... I see.” She threw him a meaningful look.

“Tch. Stop creeping me out, Satsuki. I’m beating that bastard at his request. Well, not like I owe you explanations. Bye, see you on Monday.”

He waved dismissively and took his bag from under the bench. After he threw it over his shoulder, he started walking towards the street. Momoi watched as he walked away. Before she lost sight of him she noticed he had stopped and typed something on his mobile.

Smiling to herself, she shook her head. Good thing she had reminded him of his so-called appointment.

[Get ready to have your ass kicked, Bakagami.]

Kagami glared at his mobile as if it were Aomine himself. He kind of regretted having asked that jerk to come meet him. After giving it some thought, Kagami had realized that he needed help to sort things out. Unfortunately though, he didn’t have many friends he could open up about something like that. He had considered sending an email to Alex, his master back in America. Then he realized that she would make him so embarrassed he would feel like dying, thus he ruled that option out. Tatsuya would have been his first choice, but things were a little weird between then, so... That led him back to Seirin and, well, the only person he would feel sort of comfortable with was the reason why he was looking for someone to talk to in the first place. He then realized that maybe getting to understand Kuroko better would probably be helpful. For that, he would have to resort to Kuroko’s friends, and since the ones from Seirin were out of question, he ended up thinking about Kuroko’s acquaintances from Teikou. Which were mostly those ridiculous guys from the Generation of Miracles. He knew the boy didn’t actually get along with all of his former teammates. He’d dare say by then, he didn’t get along with any of them. But there had to be someone who could give him some insights on what Kuroko was thinking. Who would that be?

Ah... Kise! He was the least annoying, compared to pain in the asses like Aomine and Murasakibara. However, there was something off about the model. Oh, right. Kagami had this suspicion that Kise was actually gay, so there was no way he would ask him about Kuroko. What if they had been more than teammates back at Teikou? That would explain why the blond would always get clingy whenever he ran into Kuroko. Kagami could even picture the lighted up expression on Kise’s face as he went on calling the shorter boy “Kurokocchi” and throwing himself at him. He didn’t want to know if there was anything behind that, so... Kise was also out of question.

Then he had to consider Midorima, only to give up on that just as quick. The guy was a total weirdo who talked nothing but Astrology nonsense. Besides, he held a grudge against Kuroko, so whatever info he provided on him would be biased. Kagami didn’t need that.

As he reluctantly moved to considering Aomine, he remembered there was that pink-haired and good-looking girl he had been naive enough to believe that was Kuroko’s girlfriend. Well, she seemed to be really into Kuroko, so it would be mean getting that kind of information about him from her, right? Not to mention it would be awkward.

That had left him with none other than bastard Aomine Daiki. Which Kagami was starting to utterly regret.

He threw his phone into his pocket fiercely and grabbed the basketball again. Of course, Aomine’s answer had let him fired up. He could barely wait to see his opponent sulking after being beaten by him again. Kagami wanted to feel that rush that overtook his whole being whenever he faced a respectable rival. Not that dickhead Aomine was someone one would label as respectable – he was an asshole, after all –, but his play was amazing and yes, Kagami did want to have a nice game. Maybe that would also help him sort things out. Basketball made him feel lighter, every time.

He was thinking about whether he should just ask Aomine about Kuroko on the spot or wait until their one-on-one was over to do so, when a blur that flashed past him suddenly turned into Touou’s ace. Aomine had just stolen the ball that Kagami had been bouncing distractedly, and had thrown it into the hoop with one of his formless shots. He was clearly showing off and that pissed Kagami to no end.

“Now who’s beating who, idiot? Need I remind you? The only one who can beat me is me.”

As he said so, the tanned boy grabbed the ball that was trailing on the ground and went for a dunk. Kagami moved fast and almost blocked his shot. Almost.

“Tch, can’t believe I gave myself the trouble of coming all the way here to play with a loser like you.” Aomine teased a red-faced, angry Kagami.

All that deliberation went to waste as Kagami quickly decided there was only one way to deal with that. First, he was gonna make Aomine shut up and swallow his words. After that, he would have him answer his questions about the Kuroko issue.

“As expected, coming here was an offensive waste of my precious time. Is this really the reason why you requested to meet with me? If so, I’m leaving.”

Almost sighing, the other boy kept staring at his acquaintance. He wouldn’t say they were friends, since they certainly didn’t get along. Still, that person was one of the few who could provide him with helpful insights on that matter. He knew that despite his annoyed, almost offended expression, that former member of the Generation of Miracles would say something effective in the end.

“Please, wait. You know I wouldn’t attempt to have you spend your precious time if I didn’t trust your judgment,” he praised, knowing that brushing that person’s ego would probably work. “Besides, your spiritual guide has prepared you for giving unquestionable advice, right?”

The tall boy took a sip of his beverage can. He tried to disguise the fact that yeah, he was flattered, under a veil of exasperation.

“Oha-Asa isn’t a spiritual mentor that has me going around preaching, Kuroko.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “If you are seeking for astrology-based guidance, you should just watch her forecast yourself. Inviting me here is pointless, besides insulting.”

Kuroko looked at him, blankly, and took a long sip of his vanilla shake. Although he had been the one to confess to Kagami, he soon realized things hadn’t turned out the way he had expected. He probably believed Kagami would be blunt. The flight response hadn’t been expected nor the fact that his friend was giving it some thought – apparently – and being self-conscious of him. After all, Kagami had a temper and wasn’t one to think, but rather act. While Kuroko believed his unexpected behavior showed that the most appropriate course of action was to give him some time and wait... Well, he would feel better if somebody or something reassured him of that. Not talking or hanging out with the one he loved was deeply uncomfortable.

Therefore, life had taught him that when it came to love advice, Midorima Shintarou was a surprisingly good choice, in spite of his apparent tsundereness.

“But, Midorima-kun, Oha-Asa isn’t always clear about her meaning. I suppose you’re experienced, so you could help me understand it better.”

“You really believe I have nothing better to do, don’t you?” He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

“That’s definitely not the case. I’m sure you are a busy person, so I don’t intend to steal away much of your time. A quick counseling will do.”

Eyes closed, the green-haired shooting guard sighed. “I am well aware that I’m unable to give you the advice you requested. First of all, I only check forecasts for Cancers. Aquarius is totally incompatible with Cancers, as you may be aware of. It’s no use to me to be informed of matters concerning your solar sign or you.”

“That’s unfortunate, Midorima-kun. You were my last resort. And since you helped me so much back when I dated Aomine-kun, I just assumed you wouldn’t fail this time either. I mean, your advice.”

A vein twitched in Midorima’s forehead.

“Don’t take me for a matchmaker, Kuroko.”

Before Kuroko could reply or Midorima could make further complaints, they were interrupted by a classic music ringtone. With eyes closed and a false displeased expression, the latter picked it up.

“What, Takao?” He barked into the speaker.

The hawk-eyed boy was loud enough for Kuroko to pick some random words from what he was saying. When Takao’s voice lowered to a point that Kuroko could no longer pick anything, he noticed that his former teammate had this soft pink shade on his cheeks. Midorima hang up abruptly.

“Like I was saying, I can’t help you, Kuroko. You will have to deal with whatever outrageous feelings you are carrying yourself. Now, if you will excuse me...”

“Oh, it’s fine. Thanks for showing up anyway. And please accept my apologies for getting in the way of your date with Takao-kun.”

Midorima’s eyes widened behind his glasses and the shadow of pink on his cheeks grew darker. He uttered a wordless sound. Kuroko kept staring at him flatly, though his eyes were dancing. The green-haired boy finally cleared his throat and said, “Takao and I are going on no such thing.”

“Oh, is that so?” Kuroko asked in an innocent tone. “If that’s what it really is, Midorima-kun, you should tell him so.”

“Why-- what are you trying to say?” Midorima questioned, nervously giving his shiruko can a large gulp, only to find in embarrassment that it was empty.

“What I am saying is that Takao-kun probably thinks otherwise. After all, he’s all dressed up. Also, he looks like he’s really looking forward to going to the movies with you. You shouldn’t raise false expectations on him.”

Midorima was both shocked and confused. That sly Kuroko! He had always been able to read more of the situation than it was advisable for his own good. Still, the piece of information he had given Midorima seemed to be out of place. Takao dressed up and with an appearance of someone who was looking forward to a... To something that was most certainly not a date? Though he had been loud enough on the phone, he hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort. How did Kuroko know that?

The answer came as Midorima followed Kuroko’s quick glance to the restaurant’s window. He was astonished as he realized that yes, Takao was indeed dressed up and had the rear cart parked right across the street.

The tall boy sighed heavily. He stood up before embarrassment would have him hiding under the table.

“I shall take my leave. Bye, Kuroko.”

Holding up a giggle, Tetsuya replied, “Bye, Midorima-kun. Once again, thanks for meeting with me.”

Midorima had already turned his back to the shorter boy. He wavered and didn’t turn back as he gave out, “Leos are proud. They are also loyal. On matters such as romantic relationships... It would be advisable to give them some time to think about it. They would want to give you an answer when they are certain it’s a sincere one.”

Kuroko smiled to himself. He knew he hadn’t been wrong when he decided to ask for Midorima’s advice.

“I suppose you will receive an answer when he’s ready. You shouldn’t impose yourself on people like Kagami. It’s troublesome.”

The shooting guard exited the restaurant with fierce steps, leaving an open-mouthed Kuroko behind.

What the heck is going on? , was what he was screaming inside his head as a velvet tongue imposed itself against his own in firm, dazzling moves.

Of all answers he had been expecting, none was nearly close to that. He was so shocked he just couldn’t find the strength to fight against that forced kiss. Besides, there was something about that wet touch that sent shivers up his spine and stole any support his strong legs could provide him with. He resisted hard against holding his attacker’s shoulders. Of course, that would lead the dumbass to believe that he wanted or even liked it. Which he definitely didn’t.

Summoning all the strength that was left in him, however little it was, the red-haired boy shoved his molester away.

“What the fuck, Ahomine, you damn bastard!?”

As he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand almost violently, Kagami glared at the tanned ace. He was panting and hating himself for that. He had never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. Also, what was that all about? When had he become a freaking magnet for men, especially those who were former Miracles? Not to mention that he was stunned by the fact that Aomine, of all people, was into guys. That had to be a prank.

Itching his ear with his pinkie as if nothing had happened, Aomine scowled.

“Don’t be an ungrateful asshole, Bakagami. I just taught you a technique for you to please Tetsu. You should be kissing my ass in gratitude.”

“You-- what!? I don’t intend to kiss any part of you ever again! You damn pervert!”

“Shut up. You’re overreacting like a girl. What are you, a virgin?”

Though that wasn’t true, the question sent a crimson blush up Kagami’s cheeks.

“O-of course not! I just... If it was any simple for me to go around kissing males I wouldn’t be asking you advice in the first place!” He blurted out.

A devilish glimmer lighted Aomine’s eyes.

“Oh... So that’s what you were asking me? Advice?”

“Yeah... No! I mean... I just wanted to understand what that Kuroko is thinking. I never asked you to molest me.”

He had his fists clenched, although the idea of punching Aomine didn’t really cross his mind. Kagami was too horrified to think straight, after all.

“Tch. What a pussy. That wasn’t molesting. Told you already.”

Aomine gave a few steps back and sat on the bench. He stretched up and clicked his neck.

“What I could tell you is that Tetsu hasn’t changed one bit, it seems. I hate to admit it, but apparently he’s into the same type of guy yet.”

Blinking in confusion, Kagami asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re damn slow, Bakagami. You’re Tetsu’s dim light, right? Just as I was his real strong light.” He teased, even though he knew it was the other way around.

“Meaning...?”

Aomine face-palmed. How dense was that guy?

“Meaning I was Tetsu’s first love. And either he has moved on or not... Now he’s into you, who resembles what I would be like if I were a loser.”

“SHUT UP, you idiot!”

Kagami’s first reaction was to move towards Aomine, intending to smack his face. However, as he processed his rival’s words, he stopped.

“So... He was in love with you and... Uh... Did he confess?” He asked uncomfortably, to what Aomine nodded. “Then what?”

“We dated. Then we broke up. End of story.”

Kagami’s eyes widened. Kuroko had dated that bastard? Were they... Gays? He didn’t have anything against it, really. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He did have a lot against the fact that the couple included Aomine. But he was fine with the fact that they were both guys. Just as he hadn’t felt disgusted by Kuroko’s confession nor by Aomine’s kiss. He was just really, really shocked.

“Does that mean you’re a homo?”

“I’m not!” Aomine retorted. “I’m just sort of fine with some dudes.”

Some dudes probably included Kagami himself. He didn’t want to think about it any further.

“And here I was thinking Kise was the gay one.”

“Hey, were you listening, asshole? I’m not gay.”

Kagami went silent for a few seconds; everything he had learned so far about Kuroko, Aomine and even himself dawning on him. They had played for a long while before he had the courage to bring up the subject they were supposed to discuss. In fact, he had been beaten by the third time in their always entertaining one-on-ones when, out of an impulse, he had let out, “Kuroko confessed to me. What am I supposed to do?”

Coming to think about it, he should have given it some thought before saying it. The way he had phrased it had led that smug-faced idiot to kiss him. It still pissed him to no end.

But now, a little less nervous and thinking somewhat straight, he realized things were, if anything, awkward. And he still had no idea of how to get out of that one.

“Nah, Ahomine. Don’t you feel, you know... Bad about it?”

“What? About shoving my tongue into your mouth? Damn yeah I feel, you’re far from being soft and cute like girls... Or Tetsu.”

“Cut it out! That’s not what I’m talking about, dumbass. I’m asking about the whole Kuroko being into me thing. After all, you’re his ex.”

Kagami looked really sorry and even worried about his rival. It almost made Aomine smile.

“Worried about my feelings, are we?” He got an angry, red glare in return. “No, I don’t. Me and Tetsu... Ours was a childish thing. And well, it’s not like we agreed on anything but basketball anyway.” Aomine seemed lost into his memories for a while. Then he gave his rival a serious look. “But I won’t forgive you if you ever hurt him.”

Kagami was surprised by that. He had never expected Aomine to actually admit he cared about Kuroko. Not to him, anyway.

“I... That’s why I’m...” words failed him. It was hard saying it out loud, saying that the fact that he didn’t want to hurt his friend – that he wouldn’t forgive himself either if he did – was what drove him into trying to figure out his own feelings as well as trying to understand his shadow better before he could give him any answer.

Yawning, Aomine stood up.

“That’s it. I’ve had enough of your ugly face for an entire year. Bye, Bakagami.”

“Wh-wait... What?”

Throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder, the tanned boy approached his opponent. He looked into his eyes as he would if they were in the zone. It was a deep, threatening glare.

“Tetsu can be a hell of a nice boyfriend. It will be your loss if you let it pass.”

He left Kagami blinking as he walked out of the court, fast enough to allow any more questions.

Sometimes, it takes absence for one to realize how important some things are to them. Kagami was used to being a loner, after all, it had taken him a while to adjust in America, back when he was a kid. If it weren’t for Tatsuya, he guessed he would have been seen as a weird, lonesome child for way longer than he had. Unfortunately though, when rivalry got in the way of their brotherhood, he had somehow gone back to a solo lifestyle. Though he may not be aware of that, the fact that someone that he cared so much about had come to – perhaps? – hate him made him afraid of connecting with people. Especially when it came to teammates. What if they eventually became opponents on the court and it screwed up their friendship? He didn’t want to go through that again, so for a long while he had thought it better to just enjoy the game by himself. He would always find opponents and teammates. And he didn’t need to become friends with either of them to play basketball.

But then he entered Seirin and met Kuroko and the others. And before he knew it, he had made friends with them. How could he not? Their senpais were skilled and fun to play with. Besides, they were going through so much in order to be the best in Japan. They still had a long way to go, but Kagami knew that their bond was what made them invincible. He truly believed that as long as he had their support, he would make it. He would beat every arrogant bastard from the Generation of Miracles. Also, he knew that the one who had led him to see things from that new perspective was Kuroko.

It takes absence for one to realize a lot of things. It was weekend and although they didn’t have classes or practice, usually he would wind up meeting his best friend anyway. It was funny that though Kuroko was so invisible at times that it scared the crap out of him when he realized the boy was around, now that he really wasn’t, Kagami could feel it. He could tell the difference from when he was just being misdirected by a certain presence-lacking shadow. And it bothered him. He had suddenly realized that Kuroko played an important role in his life. He couldn’t even recall the number of times they would go to streetball matches on Sundays, or Kuroko would crash at his place, or they would just hang out at Maji Burger after school or on weekends.

I like you.

Thinking about the fast-food restaurant the both of them enjoyed so much, he couldn’t help but to remember what happened on Wednesday. That was when things started to get like this, right? He wished he had responded differently. He wished he had responded at all.

You’re not soft or cute like girls... Or Tetsu.

As he recalled Aomine’s words, he flinched. Okay, so Kuroko could be seen as ‘cute’, though only by people who didn’t really know him. After all, that shortie could be a hell of a stubborn brat. And the way he would punch or poke Kagami whenever he was mad at him wasn’t cute at all. But then again, he was a guy. There was no way he would be simply cute. However, the redhead was okay with that. He even liked the fact that Kuroko was a guy, because that meant they could play on the same team. And they got along about many things, so he was happy he had gotten to be friends with him. At first he had been annoyed by the way Kuroko kept following him. Not to mention that he was disappointed as he learned that that boy who couldn’t even shot had been part of the famous Teikou basketball club along with the Generation of Miracles no less. Before he knew it, though, everything had changed. And now he was really missing his friend.

In a shock, Kagami realized that the game he had been watching on TV had already resumed. Lost in thoughts, he had barely paid attention to the intervals. He threw his mobile a glance, still hopeful that a message about that very game would pop up. Even when they didn’t meet up on weekends, they would send emails to each other, mostly to discuss things related to basketball. But no, that wasn’t happening today. He had been stupid and he didn’t want to make it worse. He knew he would be a real jerk if he texted Kuroko like nothing had happened. Things would be like that until he made his mind about his answer.

It sucked.

Tetsu can be a hell of a nice boyfriend. It will be your loss if you let it pass. Again, the awkward talk he had had with Aomine came to his mind. Well, Kuroko was a wonderful person and he knew whoever had the chance to be with him would be lucky.

Could he be the one, though?

He recalled the way shithead Aomine had kissed him and wondered how nice would it be to kiss Kuroko like that. A sudden warmness rose to his cheeks. With damn Aho that had been only physical, and Kagami was still pissed by what he classified as nothing but molesting. But when it came to Kuroko... The thought of doing that with him gave him butterflies in his stomach. He noticed in amazement that his heartbeat was no longer steady.

I like you.

How would it have been like if instead of fleeing, he had smacked the shadow’s lips with his own? Not that he would have done such a thing in public. They were both guys, after all.

But would he have liked it?

A loud cheer from the crowd brought his attention back to the TV. He was spacing out during the broadcast of an NBA match and that was definitely not like him.

I like you.

Damn. What if he felt the same?

Waiting is tough.

It didn’t matter how right Midorima was, and Kuroko knew he was, it was still hard to deal with that waiting game. As the days passed by, he got closer to being on the verge of regretting his confession. It would be better if he and Kagami remained friends, wouldn’t it? Even if they dated, they could always find out that they didn’t have that much in common anyway and that their relationship wouldn’t work.

Except that they had a whole lot more in common than Kuroko and Aomine ever did. And something inside Kuroko told him that Kagami was meant to be the one, no matter how cheesy that sounded like. He was a romantic, after all.

It’s no wonder that spending the weekend at home, not making any attempt to get in touch with his beloved one tested his endurance. He decided to dedicate most of his days off school studying. Exams were around the corner, so using that time to focus on being prepared to the tests seemed like something proper to do. He hoped that would keep him from thinking about his ace, even if just a little.

The study sessions did help him. However, as he allowed himself to catch a break and watch the Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls match on the Internet, he found himself drowned in thoughts about Kagami.

It started with that natural impulse to text him about the game. He was certainly watching it. Kuroko even flipped his mobile open, but decided against doing that right away. Kagami was feeling uneasy, he could tell. And he didn’t want to push him.

So he tried to direct his attention back to the match, only to find himself wondering silly things such as how nice his precious one would look like if he wore the Bulls’ uniform. It would blend well with his skin tone and match his hair color. As Kuroko pictured it, he smiled.

I have really fallen for Kagami-kun, he thought.

There was nothing the boy could do now but wait.

He just wished it didn’t take forever.

Monday turned out to be tough on the duo just as the previous days had been. They ran into each other at the school gate, and Kuroko was surprised to notice a faint blush on his friend’s cheeks as Kagami replied to his polite ‘good morning’. What was he blushing for?

During classes, he kept his distance from Kagami. Again, they were supposed to attend practice after class, so there would be plenty of opportunities for them to spend time around one another. For now, Kuroko wanted to give his beloved one as much space as he may need.

Meanwhile, Kagami was struggling. Classes were usually a pain for him; but on that very day, they were barely unbearable. He couldn’t concentrate, for his mind was going at full speed. His heart had beaten fast when he saw Kuroko that morning. For a second, he thought he wouldn’t be able to greet the boy without having his voice tremble. What the heck was wrong with him?

No good could’ve come out of asking that Aho’s advice. Kagami had been feeling weird ever since and it was getting harder and harder for him to recognize himself. Those fresh feelings were scaring him a little. And his reaction when he met his best friend earlier sort of made him dread attending practice in the afternoon. How would it be like? Would Kuroko still keep his distance?

Although a flood of foreign emotions were rising inside of him, Kagami wasn’t one to chicken out. Not often, anyway. He would face Kuroko. And soon enough, he would sort things out.

“Kagami-kun, don’t get your hopes up. I didn’t forget about your special training.”

The ace gulped as a threatening coach stared at him.

“Fine. I mean, it’s fine, coach. Just tell me what to do... Please.”

Many pairs of pitiful looks were thrown at him. Kagami soon found out that even though Kuroko had left early on Friday’s extra practice, he didn’t get a special training regimen today. Which meant Kagami was the only one being punished for being absent.

Whatever. Let’s do it, he thought exasperatedly.

While the rest of the team was practicing shots and passes, as well as trying to brush up their individual techniques, Kagami’s menu included running around the court, lifting weights and – since Aida wasn’t that ill-humored today – practicing a few dunks.

Kagami being separated from the team gave both him and Kuroko room to breath. Which lasted until practice was over and every one but the two of them left.

A few dunks wouldn’t do, so Kagami was still practicing by himself. He was startled as Kuroko, already back in his school uniform, called him.

“Kagami-kun.”

“Oi, Kuroko! Would you stop doing that?”

“Sorry.” The shadow replied and cast him an angelic look. “Are you staying? Aida-san gave me the keys to lock up here, but if you’re staying I’ll have you do so, is it okay?”

Because, apparently, they weren’t heading home together as they usually would.

“Yeah, okay. Just leave it to me.”

Kuroko nodded and found the keys inside his pocket. He left them by the bench, near Kagami’s stuff, and walked towards the exit. He was about to reach the door when the loud sounds provoked by both the ball hitting the floor and Kagami’s sneakers scraping it fell to a silence.

“Nah, Kuroko...” Kagami broke the quietness, and the blue-eyed boy gave it his best to keep his blank expression and hide any hope he was feeling as he turned around.

“Yes?”

Kagami lowered his head. He should just say something. The answer was becoming clear to him, but it was so hard to put it into words.

“Ah... That is... Take care on your way home. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

He sounded almost hopeful as he asked that. Besides, it hadn’t escaped Kuroko that he had been on the verge of saying something else, perhaps, of giving him an answer.

He still had to wait, though.

They would want to give you an answer when they are certain it’s a sincere one.

“Yes. See you tomorrow, Kagami-kun.”

Kuroko left, a thin smile drawing on his lips.

Maybe he was right. Maybe, Kagami could really be the one.

“I like you.”

The voice echoed, but he couldn’t find the source of it. He looked around, feeling slightly annoyed by the fact that the phantom boy was using his misdirection to trick him.

“Where are you? Don’t just appear out of nowhere and scare the shit out of me, will ya?” He shouted, looking around. They were in an empty street and, for some reason, that place reminded him of America’s west coast.

“I like you. What’s your answer?” This time it sounded louder, as though Kuroko was speaking through a megaphone.

“Oi, don’t fuck around!” He wanted to say, but found himself muted.

Darkness surrounded him and he leaped out of his skin as a strong hand grabbed his arm.

“If you ever hurt him, I’m telling you, Bakagami... I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your shitty life.”

Why... Where had that bastard come from? Besides, he would never hurt Kuroko. After all, he...

“I like you, Kagami-kun.” Aomine’s lips were moving, but the voice was that of Kuroko.

Kagami blinked twice and started running aimlessly, after breaking free from the tanned boy’s grasp.

“Where are you, Kuroko?”

He ran, faster and faster, feeling as though his heart would burst out of his chest.

A forest appeared in front of him. It was surrounded by cherry trees. The air was chilly and the wind made the flowers swirl and shower him.

Just then, as if summoned by the nature, Kuroko appeared right in front of him.

“I like you. What’s y--.”

He leaned in close, close enough to brush his lips on the shorter boy’s own.

The alarm clock rang loud and woke Kagami up. He was sweating and feeling his heart thudding against his rib cage. He sat up and breathed in, slowly.

It was a dream.

And that dream managed to escalate things.

First, paying attention to the teachers during classes was deemed impossible, despite his best efforts. During the break, he escaped and sought refuge at the school’s roof. Then he decided to stay there until classes were over, because that was when he would have to head to practice. They were having a joint practice with students from a school based on a nearby district. That meant skipping practice was out of question. As if he ever would skip a basketball match anyway!

So when the time came, he went to the locker rooms and soon realized things were getting out of hand.

“What’s wrong, Kagami? Do you have a fever or something? I mean, your face is kinda red...” Koganei commented in his loud tone, which attracted the others’ attention.

“Aren’t you feeling well?” Kiyoshi asked, worried.

The fact that the whole team seemed to have their attention directed to him made Kagami even more flushed. The cause of his heavy blushing was standing a little farther and seemed to be smiling.

The ace didn’t have a fever or anything like that. He just had a good memory, good enough to bring scenes from his dream back to his mind the moment he spotted Kuroko in the locker room.

“I’m alright. Cut it out, you guys!” He replied dismissively.

His annoyed tone was enough to make his teammates realize he was fine. They resumed their preparations for the practice and eventually started leaving the room. At some point, it was less crowded, though it still had most of the juniors plus Izuki. It was then that some sort of weird magnetism directed Kagami’s eyes to Kuroko, who was still undressing. He almost gasped as he saw the way his friend was slowly pulling the white t-shirt up his head. It looked like he was stripping, so languorous his moves were. Soft, white skin made itself visible as the shirt was thrown over the nearest bench. Kagami had the insane thought he was doing that on purpose. Since he was sitting down, his eyes were on the level of the boy’s thorax; and, as it turned out, blinking wouldn’t make the image go away. Kuroko seemed to be so smooth...

Unable to take it any longer, he bent down and double-tied his already tied sneakers. Then again, magnetism acted and he sneaked a glance at Kuroko. The boy was now putting on his shorts. Feeling sweat trailing down his forehead, Kagami stood up in a hurry and dashed out of the room.

“Is he really okay?” Furihata asked, worry stamped all over his face.

“Oh, he’s probably just turned on... By the idea of playing.” Izuki, whose eagle eyes weren’t necessary to notice the obvious, remarked in a casual tone.

Kuroko exchanged a look with his senior. “He really looked excited, didn’t he?”

Since he didn’t expect Kuroko to be almost blunt about his apparent teasing, Izuki returned the look, slightly wide-eyed. The first years were oblivious to whatever was going on. Then, way quicker than he had been doing it while Kagami was around, the shadow finished putting on his training uniform and also left the locker room.

He had been holding up until now, but since his beloved one kept giving clues that he was finally aware of him and that maybe he stood a chance... Well, then he would make sure his light was properly pushed into giving him an answer.

Hopefully, the answer Kuroko was longing for.

“Kagami-kun.”

Once again startled by the sudden presence beside him, Kagami jolted. He realized right away that not only was Kuroko beside him, but they were in close proximity to one another, closer than the barely empty bench required. Their bare arms were almost brushing and so were their legs.

“Are you sure you don’t have a fever? You’re sweating and your face looks really red.”

Kuroko’s tone was his usual and didn’t give anything away. That got on Kagami’s nerves.

“I don’t! It’s nothing like that, i-it’s just hot in here, okay?”

Riko was standing a little far from them, discussing strategies with both Hyuuga and Kiyoshi. But it turned out that she was partly aware of what was going on around her, for she turned to the duo, hands on her hips, as Kagami spoke.

“What!? Don’t tell me you’re sick, Bakagami!! You’re grown up enough to be able to take care of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I just said I’m not freaking sick!” He shouted and regretted it the second a killer glare was thrown in his direction. “I mean, I’m okay, coach.”

“He’s probably just lovesick,” a third voice added.

Kagami turned on his back to glare at Izuki, who had just joined them on the court. The mischievous look was almost imperceptible, but Aida and Kiyoshi noticed it. Hyuuga remained clueless. As for Kuroko, he fought hard not to chuckle.

“Oi, what nonsense are you saying, Izuki... senpai!?” Kagami uttered through gritted teeth.

“Not one of your awful puns again, Izuki.” Hyuuga sighed.

“Actually, it makes sense. Kagami-kun has been blushing a lot lately. Besides, he even skipped last Friday’s practice,” Kuroko remarked.

Flabbergasted, the redhead stared at his friend. He was lucky the shock made him think twice and keep himself from saying out loud, “Now whose fault is that again?”

“Never knew Kagami was capable of love,” Kiyoshi admitted.

“Wait-what? What does that even mean?”

Before anyone could give the ace an explanation, Tanaka, the opposite team’s coach, approached Aida. He was a bald, tall guy in his forties. Tanaka had this paternal vibe and gentle tiny eyes. Since he was acquainted with Riko’s father as well as with Seirin’s principal, it had been easy to get in touch with him and make the arrangements for that joined practice to happen.

“Aida-chan, my boys are ready. We’re waiting on you. Just tell me when you’re okay to start, please.”

“Oh, sorry, Tanaka-san. We’ll be ready to go in a minute.” She turned to her team. “Listen up, everyone. We’re an attack team and that’s how we’re playing today. Last year’s match with Suzaku High was a tough one, but both us and them are aware we’re on a different level now. However, that doesn’t mean we should take it lightly.”

Receiving a glance from her, Hyuuga continued from where she had left off, “That’s it, guys. We’re playing to win by an unbelievable margin. We’re gonna make them cry hard, you hear me?”

“Now, you don’t need to be that cruel.” Smiling awkwardly, Kiyoshi pat the captain on the shoulder.

“Alright! Let’s go for it, guys!” Their coach cheered them on. “Also, Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun... I want you both to give it your best today.”

“Yes!” They replied in unison.

On their way to the center of the court, the bluenette said in a voice only Kagami could hear, “Let’s play like we’ve become one today, Kagami-kun.”

Something about the way he said it, despite the fact that his tone remained unchanged, sent a shiver up Kagami’s spine.

He was doomed even before the buzzer sounded.

Everyone knew whenever Aida Riko was upset. She would have this frightening vibe around her and their captain would have worry stamped all over his face. This was one of those occasions.

Although they were winning by the end of the second quarter, it wasn’t by a large margin and all of them knew they wouldn’t have lasted were they playing against one of those Generation of Miracles monsters.

They also knew that even though Kagami had been responsible for a considerable amount of their score, he was far from being in his best shape. And something between Kuroko and him was still off. There was no way they would achieve their goal like that.

Nothing got Riko more frustrated than realizing it.

“I have no words to describe how mad at you I am. Aren’t you taking this seriously?”

Kagami had his head down. He seemed to be truly sorry and, to his defense, it was obvious that he had been trying to catch up during the second quarter. Kuroko was benched by then and, for some reason, the ace appeared to be doing better without his partner. Which wasn’t entirely helpful, considering different game scenarios they were bound to face.

“I am! And we’re winning, aren’t we?”

Hyuuga rushed and put both hands on her shoulders, trying to calm the girl down. He knew when rage was about to boil inside of her. He also knew some volcanoes were better not erupting.

“I’m sure we’ll do even better by the second half, coach. Leave Bakagami to me.”

Kagami couldn’t help but glare at his senior. The captain returned it with an even uglier glare and the ace just swallowed and lowered his head once again. That was when he was elbowed on his ribs.

“Ouch--! What’s the big idea, Kuroko!? Is this how you treat someone you li--”, he caught himself just in time and shut his mouth.

“If they’re being stupid and not giving their best at basketball, then yes.”

Kagami looked right at Kuroko and tried to glare at him, but failed. The moment he saw those blue eyes, he felt that familiar heat threatening to rise from his neck up to his cheeks. Damn, not again, not now. He fought hard not to blush and turned his face with a scorn, hoping that would help.

He was overconscious of Kuroko and that was what was screwing him up. Even when the shadow was subbed by Koga, he couldn’t help but throw glances at the bench and feel all weird as his eyes met Kuroko’s.

While it had been easier than having the boy on the court, when he would walk past him and brush the sides of their arms slightly or throw him incomprehensible looks, being aware of how Kuroko managed to mess with his head didn’t help much during the time his partner was on the bench. Kagami had never felt that way, and he found it hard to deal with. He just didn’t know how to behave, it felt as though his whole being was betraying him.

And then there was everyone stepping on his toes. He wasn’t at fault – not entirely, anyway.

Riko decided to give the boys some space, since they still had about five minutes before the start of the second half of the game. She left the locker rooms and was followed by Hyuuga, Kiyoshi and Izuki a couple of minutes after.

It was about time to go when Kuroko stood up. By then, the other ones had just left, meaning that he and Kagami were the only ones behind, as usual.

“Kagami-kun, it’s time to go.”

The redhead nodded, absentmindedly, and stood up as well.

“Your basketball is amazing,” Kuroko remarked as he stepped by the door. “And I believe in you. I know we’re gonna win by a large margin, even though it’s just a joint practice. So... Let’s give it our best like we always have, okay?”

The blue-eyed stare, and the way Kuroko said those words; Kagami knew no one understood how he felt about basketball as Kuroko did. That was why it worked so fine when they joined their strengths. They had so much in common and even though he couldn’t say he actually understood his friend a hundred percent, he knew that he hadn’t been that close to someone since Tatsuya. Also, his relationship with Himuro didn’t compare. They were brothers, after all. And that was definitely not how he felt about Kuroko. While he was still unsure of his answer, he was slowly coming to understand what the boy meant to him.

So he took a step closer to Kuroko and gave him a broad smile.

“Yeah! Let’s show them what we’re made of!”

Naturally, unconsciously even, they went for a fist bump and laughed. Nothing seemed to have changed between them. They were still friends, first and foremost.

I like you. A faint echo on the back of his mind as they both stepped out of the locker room.

Well, if that was how Kuroko felt, then Kagami was a lucky bastard.

They won. It was a spectacular victory and felt as though that had been an official match. During the first half, Seirin couldn’t ignore the disappointment look in their opponents’ faces nor the whispered comments. Their rivals were wondering how they had managed to beat Shuutoku as well as other famous schools. That Seirin was better than the one they played the year before, but not nearly as good as they had expected. They were even dismayed by their ace’s performance.

Of course, it all changed on the second half. To both their opponents and their teammates’ surprise, Kagami and Kuroko were back to their old selves – or so it seemed. They played hard and encouraged their friends to do the same. By the end of the match, despite the fact that they were sad about the loss, the opposite team expressed their gratitude. They were glad for the opportunity of playing ‘the new Seirin’.

And since things seemed to be back to normality, Kagami’s teammates decided it was a nice occasion for them to go to his place and have him cook to all of them. They should celebrate, they said, and the ace owed them that one. He had been slacking off recently and that wasn’t fair. It was time for him to make up for that.

Unable to argue against that bunch of people, Kagami found his cozy apartment crowded by his friends. Luckily, they had Mitobe, so he didn’t have to cook for everyone on his own. Riko offered to help more than once, and was refused and held back by her team more than once as well.

Finally, they were all eating and chatting, and it felt good. They were in high spirits, and Kagami realized he enjoyed that more than he would admit. That is, until they brought that subject up.

“I’m still confused,” Hyuuga admitted. “You were acting really weird, Kagami. What was the matter?”

Kagami threw a lot of food on his mouth, hoping that would save him from answering the question. To his panic, Kuroko did.

“Kagami-kun was confessed to a few days ago. It has been on his mind, so that’s probably why he was acting up.”

“Whaaat Kagami, you lucky bastard! Who is she? Is she pretty? I’m so jealous!” Koganei cried.

“Don’t be,” Kiyoshi murmured.

Riko was muffling a giggle and Izuki was giving Kuroko side glances, amazed by the turn of events. By then, even Tsuchida and Mitobe were aware of the situation. Furihata had probably noticed it too. Only Koganei and Hyuuga remained clueless.

Kagami kept chewing, fighting hard not to choke. His cheeks were covered by a trail of pink that both Riko and Kuroko found adorable.

“Have you accepted her feelings?” The coach asked, feigning innocence.

The ace started coughing. He wanted to vanish.

“No, he hasn’t given them an answer yet. Kagami-kun can be quite dense when it comes to these things.”

“Oi, enough with this talk, you guys! I have made my mind, okay? I just... Didn’t have the opportunity to answer... Properly.”

As he said so, he realized that hell yeah, he had made his mind. He knew. Although he wanted to kill Kuroko for putting him on the spot like that, well, he... He wanted to give him an answer. The answer.

“Oh, is that right?” Kiyoshi expressed their surprise.

“How come somebody would fall for Bakagami?” Hyuuga seriously wondered out loud.

“Oi!?”

“Bites me.” Kuroko smiled.

Girl intuition told Riko the pair could use some time on their own. She stood up.

“Okay, guys! We already punished Bakagami, so it’s time for us to go.”

“Really? What about Mitobe’s dessert? I wanna try it!”

“Next time, Koganei-kun.” Riko gave him her best threatening smile.

Blinking in amazement, Kagami watched as everyone but Kuroko thanked him, waved goodbye and left. Before he knew it, he and his best friend were alone.

“I’ll help you wash the dishes,” Kuroko deadpanned.

Again, Kagami was aware. He was aware of everything: Kuroko’s presence, the fact that the two of them were alone, and the fact that he still owed the boy an answer.

I like you. What’s your answer?

Well, about that...

“Nah, don’t worry. I’ll do that later. Those damn teammates... Usually they stay and help us clean up, right?” He grunted.

“I’m sure they have their reasons not to have stayed today.”

“Yeah,” Kagami replied, also aware of the fact that maybe they had done that on purpose. So, people knew...?

He shook his head unconsciously and sighed. Damn Kuroko and his confession. It kept getting embarrassing.

“So, Kuroko. You up for a one-on-one?”

The bluenette blinked. Kagami really did only think about basketball, didn’t he?

“But, Kagami-kun, we’ve played hard today. I’m not sure I’d endure a one-on-one, specially not against you.”

“Well, you can help me practice a bit more then. Since you don’t want to lose.”

“I wouldn’t lose.”

“Ha, as expected of a former member of the Generation of Miracles. You’re all proud and stuff.”

Walking towards the door, Kuroko remarked, “My style is different from theirs. You know that.”

Kagami followed him. “Yeah, yeah, I know that.”

And that’s why I...

Was he aware of that, now!

The open court was lit by a beautiful orange full moon. Luckily, they had found the place empty. That was what Kagami had expected. He wanted to play and, well, let basketball work as a therapy and help him put all those embarrassing feelings into words. He wasn’t good with words, but he would try to say them. Kuroko had been amazingly patient, after all. He deserved this much.

First, they did play a bit of a one-on-one. Despite being tired, Kuroko put a lot of effort into it. However, doing that not long after a tough joint practice took its toll on his body. So now he was sitting at the bench and watching as Kagami graciously played by and against himself. There was this fire when it came to Kagami and basketball, so the shorter boy just observed in awe.

After a short period of silence cut through only by the sound of the basketball hitting the ground with every bounce, the redhead started, “You know, Kuroko... When you said that it really shocked me. Not in a bad way, I mean... I was just really surprised.”

He shot and turned to face his friend just as the ball pierced through the hoop and hit the ground once again.

“I can imagine. I’m sorry for that.” Though he wasn’t really sorry he had confessed.

Kagami caught the ball and started bouncing it again, jogging around the court, and avoiding Kuroko’s gaze in that process.

“You shouldn’t apologize. Although it was really awful, okay? That is... What you said wasn’t awful. But, well, things were really awkward between us and it sucked.”

As he recalled it, Kagami realized how hard it had been trying to realize his own feelings while he gave it his best not to hurt Kuroko.

“But then again,” he continued. “I just didn’t want to be an idiot, you know? You guys are always saying I am one... But I would be really stupid if I treated that lightly.”

He didn’t notice how Kuroko smiled at that, since he had his back to the bench. He dunked, then turned around and faced the boy for a slight second.

“So I tried to understand it. I even asked that damn Ahomine to meet up with me. I thought he could help me get what was going on your mind a little better.”

“Did he?” Kuroko asked, surprised and worried at the same time. His beloved one asking his ex for insights on him? Talk about awkward.

Kagami hid the blush by turning his back to Kuroko again. Thankfully it was dark enough so he probably wouldn’t have noticed the pink shadow anyway. Mentioning the whole meet up with Aomine thing brought back memories of that stolen kiss and, of course, there was no way he would ever mention that to anyone, especially not to Kuroko.

“Not exactly! That bastard is a good for nothing, after all. I still can’t believe you dated that jerk!”

“Aomine-kun is really stupid sometimes, but he’s not that bad of a person.”

“Oi! Don’t go around defending that dumbass!”

Kuroko felt his heart soothe at what he believed was a jealous Kagami. He was jealous of him. Nothing could have made him happier, except for what the light said next.

“He’s idiot enough to tell me he wouldn’t forgive me if I hurt you. Like hell I would! I’d rather die than hurt you, Kuroko.”

The meaning of his own words only sank in after he said it. And so, Kagami tried to disguise his uneasiness by bouncing the ball, switching it from one hand to the other, as he imagined an adversary in front of him and rehearsed a fake.

Kuroko was speechless. He had never expected to hear such a sappy yet sincere line from his best friend. Even if Kagami rejected him after that, even if he said he wasn’t ready to give him an answer, it was fine. He mattered to Kagami. Kagami did care about him.

The silence that followed made them all the more aware of the power of what had just been said. And Kagami knew he couldn’t back down now. He had to man up and go on.

“So yes, I guess you could say I’m an idiot and a little bit slow, but... In the end I did realize that aho was right.”

Kagami was now holding the basketball in his hands. He still didn’t have the guts to face the boy. It was embarrassing, after all. He had never talked so much about feelings, let alone his own. So he kept his head lowered as he went on. “He said it would be my loss if I let it pass. The chance of being with you, that is.”

The last few words were mumbled and barely audible.

Kuroko couldn’t take it anymore. The boy he had fallen so hard for was standing in front of him, so flustered it was adorable, so unlike the usual Kagami. He was showing Kuroko a side of him that, chances were, nobody else has ever witnessed. Kuroko knew it had taken his beloved one a lot of effort to admit all that. And while he wanted Kagami to be the one to give the first move after his confession, he also knew he would have to take the lead at least this once. He was the one who couldn’t let it pass, not now.

So he stood up and walked towards the redhead, calm and resolute. As he stopped right in front of him, he looked into Kagami’s eyes, taking advantage of the fact that he was shorter and that his friend had been looking down. He saw the crimson trail that covered Kagami’s cheeks and fought hard not to grin.

“I like you so much, Kagami-kun. Will you go out with me?”

The tall boy jolted. Then he swallowed and tried to relax, throwing away the ball he had been awkwardly holding.

“Oi! Don’t be so straightforward!” He hissed.

“But I have to. You’re too slow, Kagami-kun. It took you almost a week to figure out your own feelings and you even had to consult Aomine-kun for that. Who knows what will happen if I let you loose.”

“Let me what!? Listen, it can’t be helped, okay? Besides, it’s your fault I was confused, you should have had me prepared before saying stuff like that out loud and out of the blue no less!”

His peculiar eyebrows were furrowed.

“Kagami-kun.”

“What?”

“Please, stop avoiding my question.”

“Shut up! I’m not avoiding anything!”

Kuroko smiled. He couldn’t help it, the more embarrassed Kagami was, the more he felt like touching him. So he did.

“If that’s what it is, excuse me, but I’ll take it as a yes.”

Kagami trembled all over as arms wrapped around his neck and soft lips glued on his own. Kuroko was tiptoeing and holding him firmly not to fall, but also not lo let him break the chaste kiss.

So, instead of shoving the boy away, he accepted the kiss and awkwardly wrapped his own arms around Kuroko’s waist, pulling him closer. He wanted it as well.

He liked him as well.

When they parted, Kagami was sure he would find a smiling Kuroko caught in his embrace. He was certain because he could barely keep a smile off his face himself. He had never felt this happy, his heart was racing and he was stunned by the fact that a single brush of lips like that was able to rise so many unknown sensations inside of him. Therefore, he was surprised when he opened his eyes and met a pair of serious blue ones staring at him.

“Kagami-kun.”

“Yeah…?” He wavered at the even more serious tone in Kuroko’s voice.

“I thought I was okay with that, however, I’m not.”

Kagami froze. What was that? Had Kuroko regretted it already? Had he hated the kiss? Maybe he realized he had misinterpreted his own feelings. But then, what would happen? No, that just couldn’t be! There was no way Kuroko would make him feel that way only to say he regretted it. Only to reject him afterwards.

Unconsciously, he let his arms loose, releasing the shorter boy from his hug. Kuroko blinked.

“What I mean is, that just won’t do.” Kuroko deadpanned and noticed right away that Kagami was oblivious to the meaning behind his words. “I want to hear your answer, Taiga-kun.”

A mix of emotions took Kagami over. He was astounded by the intimacy of being called by his given name and relieved as he realized Kuroko didn’t regret what had just happened between them. It took a few seconds for everything to register. When it did, he lowered his eyes and looked away as he muttered, “Me too.”

Smiling, Kuroko pressed him further. “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you please say it again?”

Despite the darkness of the court, it was easy to notice that Kagami’s face was as crimson as his hair. That made the blunette want to kiss him again. But he wouldn’t, not until he had a proper answer.

“I like you, too! Alright?! Do you get it know!?” Kagami snapped.

“Yes.”

“...”

Hesitantly wrapping his arms around Kuroko’s waist again, Kagami asked, “Why are you giving me this weird look?”

“I’m just happy you finally said it.”

“It’s kind of a weird look, you know.”

“Yes, you just said so twice. I’m sorry.”

They lost themselves in their gaze for a second. Then, Kagami broke the silence.

“So, uh… can we uh… do that again?”

“Sure.”

They got close to each other until their lips were barely touching.

“And, Kagami-kun...”

“Huh?”

“Make sure you use your tongue this time.”

I like you.

The message on his mobile was a treasure he kept. Eventually, he would check on it just to be reminded of that. It felt good.

I like you, too.

He knew Kuroko probably kept his and treasured it too.