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The first time they only went to the public basketball court four blocks away from Kagami’s house, because the great luck had decided that Aomine was going to be the one making plans and everyone agreed that he couldn’t be less original or creative.
“Ah? I don’t care if ya’ don’t like it, I allways come here”
“Aominecchi, this is a special day, you’re not coming alone!” Kise started to complain following the other inside the court.
“Tch, Satsuki forced me to come, not interested”
“Aominecchi!”
“Ehh, don’t wanna play, so annoying~ ” Murasakibara mumbled dragging the feet and putting his hands in his pockets.
“There’s nothing we can do, Aomine got the shorter chopstick, nanodayo” answered Midorima, hearing the other’s complaint.
“Mine-chin can choose where to go, but can’t force me to do anything”
The taller one sat down in a bench and crossed his arms while turning his head childishly.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, Mukkun~ you being here is enough”
Momoi approached him with a smile on her face and patted him playfully on the shoulder, offering him a snack. Midorima just sighed watching the scene.
“Don’t spoil him, Momoi”
“I have one for you too, Midorin”
“I don’t want it”
She ignored him and put it anyway in the cap he was wearing that day as lucky item.
“Hey”
“Eh? Where’s Tetsu-kun?” She asked ignoring him again.
“Somewhere behind. He and Akashi said they were going to call Kagami, nanodayo”
Just as he stopped talking, they both arrived and entered the court, approaching them while Kuroko put his cell phone in his pocket. Akashi smiled politely and look around.
“A basketball court, uh?”
“It seems there’s nothing else in Aomine’s head” agreed Midorima
“And Kagamin?” asked the girl while clutching lightly at Kuroko’s arm.
“At home, he thinks we’re going to go there later and is hiding everything from us”
“I could have helped him if I had known. I got lost near his house before meeting up with you”
The three stared at Akashi.
“You got lost? But you arrived earlier than anyone of us. How early you left Kyoto, Akashi-kun?”
“… I guess I’m bad with time and distances” he answered with a slight smile.
“You’re way too formal, Akashi”
Kuroko just stared at the redhead’s profile until he noticed and glanced back at him.
“Something’s wrong?”
“Nothing” he replied before he went to meet with Aomine and Kise.
~~
It wasn’t too long before the ball ended up in the branches of a nearby tree. Kagami had arrived a moment ago and was arguing with Aomine about who should be the one lifting up the other to reach it out.
“There’s no way I’m touching that big butt of yours!” exclaimed Kagami shaking his head and pointing Aomine with one finger.
“No one said that! I told you to push me up with your hands!”
“And why me? Murasakibara is taller!”
“Ahh?~ ” protested the aforementioned “I don´t wanna. I wasn’t even playing”
“With Murasakibara’s help I wouldn’t reach the ball, but the hive that is above!”
“Murasakibara-kun, if you do it, you’ll surpass Kagami-kun” Kuroko commented innocently, as if he didn’t know what he was doing.
“Ehh~”
Without thinking it any longer, Murasakibara approached Aomine and lifted him up on his shoulders while all the other could do was just look perplexed at Kuroko, who stared at him from below with an innocent smile.
“Tetsu, you traitor!”
“Reach out for your ball, Aomine-kun”
“Oi, Murasakibara! Get me down!”
“Take the ball and I’ll do” the taller growled frowning.
“That’s not the ball!” he complained getting away as much as possible from the couple of bees that had come out from the hive.
The others laughed and watched how Aomine was trying to avoid the insects, while Momoi took the opportunity to take pictures with her cell phone. Finally they decided it was time to get Aomine down before he had a heart attack.
“… You shouldn’t have told Tetsu about my fear of bees- murmured once he was back in the ground, paler than ever.
Everyone gathered around him, mostly to annoy him, but Kuroko noticed Akashi was a little further away, leaning against one of the street lamps. He walked away from the others and approached him.
“Akashi-kun?”
He looked at him.
“Ah, Kuroko”
“Something’s wrong?” he asked, imitating what the other had told him before.
The redhead smiled knowingly.
“Nothing”
“Akashicchi! Kurokocchi!” Kise shouted as he trotted towards them “We’re going to Kagami’s apartment, you coming?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. Actually, I should get going now” Akashi apologized.
“What, really? Your duties must keep you truly busy”
“… Yes”
Kuroko watched the corners of Akashi’s mouth move slightly downward for just a moment before he regained his usual expression. He frowned and kept staring at him intently, but the other didn’t seem to notice. Finally, the redhead turned to say goodbye to both of them and turned around to go after giving Kuroko a brief look. He followed him with his eyes until the other turned a corner and couldn’t be seen anymore.
~~
The second time it was the same.
Anyone else could say that it was totally different and that the water park that Momoi took them to had nothing to do with the basketball court, but Kuroko could only notice the things that were the same. Akashi. He, again, arrived before anyone else and he left before anyone else. The others didn’t seem to notice anything strange in this, but Kuroko wasn’t content with the answers "his obligations as heir keep him busy" or "probably we don’t do the kind of things he founds entertaining" that satisfied others. Because he still could see how Akashi's lips were still tilted more down than up.
~~
The third time, Kuroko got the short stick and didn’t think more than two seconds before choosing the small Kyoto festival, that way Akashi couldn’t use distance or his obligations as an impediment. That day he left home early to take the first train and arrive before the time agreed by everyone. The night was just beginning to fall when Kuroko finally stopped in front of the entrance to the festival, and technically there was still almost an hour left until the others began to appear, but it wasn’t a surprise for him to find a certain redhead turning his back on him while admiring a sakura tree that was beginning to bloom.
He approached in silence and smiled when he realized not even Akashi noticed his presence if he really proposed hide it. He waited a few seconds, two steps away from him, and then spoke.
“Akashi-kun”
Almost everyone would have said that the other didn’t react at all and that there was not a trace of surprise on his face when he turned his head, but Kuroko didn’t miss the slight and brief flinch of his fingers and the slightly faster way in which he turned around, almost imperceptible movements to anyone who had not observed Akashi for years and who wasn’t used to his façade of perfection.
“You’re early. I guess you’re bad with time and distances even in Kyoto, Akashi-kun”
“I suppose I am” he answered with a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Kuroko cut the distance that was still between them and stood beside him.
“A few years ago, you told me I could take advantage of my abilities for whatever I took interest in” he began, with his eyes fixed on the tree “and that not only did work for me in basketball, you know?”
He could feel Akashi's gaze on him, but still he kept looking straight ahead as he spoke.
“I’ve always been good in being an observer, but I only do it with what I really care about and what I think is worth it. So basically I've been observing you for years, Akashi-kun. Because I care about you and I think you’re worth it.”
Kuroko bent to pick up a small red flower that was next to the tree and offered it to Akashi, finally turning his eyes towards him.
“You don’t have to be apart from us or leave soon because you think that you bother us, if we invite you, it's because we want to be with you. Every time you keep your distance I feel as if you’ll walk away like before, and to live that again is the last thing I want. Don’t do it, Akashi-kun. We absolutely don’t hate you, nor did we do it during Teiko's last year, we like you ... I really like you, and that's why I'm here. So let me show you how important you are in our lives, and that we are part of yours as well.”
Akashi stared at him slightly astonished for a few more seconds in silence and finally sighed with a smile on his lips as he took the flower from Kuroko's hands.
“ ... When I’m with you I'm definitely an open book, right?”
“More like a gameboard with the pieces exposed”
Akashi looked at Kuroko and then at the flower in his hand, spun it between his fingers a couple of times and then reached out to put it in the other’s hair, above his ear.
“Sometimes I observe too. And I've always believed the red suits you”
“Then we match” Kuroko replied without hesitation and looking straight into his eyes.
Neither of them said anything more that day, but at that moment, while they waited together for the others to come, Kuroko was sure that the red of Akashi's ears was not his imagination.