Chapter Text
You were the Seirin basketball team's manager. Though unfamiliar with basketball, you agreed to help Riko— your close friend— manage the team. You knew Riko has so much on her plate being the coach. Once you signed up as a manager, you began to bond very quickly with everyone on the team, especially Kagami. For you, his athleticism and his love for the sport stood out the most out of everyone.
You had gotten quite close with him, finding out that you both lived in the same apartment building and take the same route to school. Often, you visited him in his apartment the most after Seirin's Inter-High game with Shutoku. On those days, you would willingly go through the process of painstakingly taping and massaging his injured legs .
One day, you caught him playing basketball with Tōō's ace, Aomine Daiki. You felt your anger bubble inside of you that day, yet those feelings were mixed with that of concern. While you knew you couldn't stop him from playing, you watched as he struggled to keep up with Aomine with his injured legs. Upon confronting Kagami after his little game with Aomine, Kagami pleaded you not to tell Riko, but you knew that she would find out either way.
Unsurprisingly, Seirin's game against Tōō ended in a sweet victory for one and a bitter loss for the other. Seirin's plays and spirit were broken, causing their succeeding games to progressively worsen. Seeing the boys beaten down made your heart ache, especially seeing Kagami so frustrated after the game with Tōō. Although the atmosphere was heavy, Riko tried to encourage and uplift everyone. This worked for a while, but basketball practices after a huge loss weren't the best. Neither did you expect that the loss would impact your recent interactions with Kagami. Not only had be been ignoring Kuroko, but you as well.
The silent treatment when you greet him in the hallways, the cold shoulder when you approach him in the apartment building, and the bitter words he utters when you try and cheer him up— it was all too much.
"Don't talk to me."
"I'm not in the mood."
"Leave me alone."
"Don't touch me."
As for the cherry on top of it all, Kagami seemed like he had been actively avoiding you in general. How long will you put up with not being able to hold a proper conversation with him, let alone visit him in his apartment like you used to do? It was only a matter of time before you snap.
Today was once again testing your patience.
You sat at the edge one of the gymnasium's benches, furiously shaking your leg. Kagami was jumping and dunking all over the place once more. Normally you'd be in awe, but today was different. Today, you didn't care. Hell, you almost felt offended at the fact that he was doing well. How dare he do well?
Your eyes were away from the players for once, but something inside you felt like it was about to break any moment now. You hated being displaced on for no reason, but you hated bottling up your feelings more. Being an honest person, you approach Riko and discreetly admitted that you weren't feeling well mentally and emotionally. Your friend read your expression, and she instantly knew what was wrong. Feeling a pat on your shoulder, she gave you permission to leave early.
"Get some rest," Riko reassures you.
Little did you know, Kagami noticed you leave the gym. With a heaviness in his heart, he was looking at you with the little time he had in between games. His expression hardened and he swallowed thickly. Kuroko saw Kagami's reactions and nudged his elbow into his side, causing Kagami to jolt.
"Kuroko, what the hell—!"
"We're in practice," The blue-haired boy paused. "Fix things with her later." he continued.
The taller boy closed his mouth, then shortly bit his bottom lip. Kagami knew that Kuroko was right. He knew that he made a huge mistake, and so he felt guilty. This same feeling of guilt had been eating away at insides for the past week. It was too much for him.
The moment everyone was dismissed, Kagami bolted straight out of the gym, hoping he could run after you somehow. He first tried searching around the school for a little while, looking for you at your most frequent spots. There was no avail. He then tried to call you two times, then progressing to five, and finally ten. His voicemails constantly showing up on your phone, repeatedly relaying messages that progressively get more and more desperate.
"Are you free? Can you come over?"
"Can we talk? Please?"
"Please.. Come over."
Kagami trembles, getting more nervous by the second.
"Please— please pick up.. I need to talk to you!"
"I— I know you don't want to see me right now or hear my voice.. but.. I— I need to see you right now."
You could hear the anxiety in his voice through your phone screen, you could feel that he was begging you at this point, and your chest felt heavy. Your heart wrenched and your stomach dropped, feeling conflicted.
Kagami, with tears forming in his eyes and a weight pressing on to his chest whispered your name into his cellphone's microphone and said: "You're the one I need the most right now. I don't know what I would do or what I would've done without you."
That was all it took for you, you couldn't take it anymore. With bitter tears streaming down your cheeks, you ran towards the elevator and jammed your finger against the button with the floor number of Kagami's apartment. When you reached the front of his door, your entire body was shaking. So many thoughts filled your head at that moment. You felt a wave of many emotions at the same time; sadness, anger, frustration, and lastly, relief.
You were relieved and reassured that he wouldn't ignore you forever. The heavy weight bundled in your chest was lifted when you realized that you would no longer be alone. Soon, you would be in Kagami's presence. A deep sigh escapes your lips, knowing both of you would would no longer suffer because of the distance.
Your hand shakily reached for the door, anxious to see the boy who you've become attached to. As your hand was approaching the cold, metal handle of the door, you realized that you had missed him so much. This thought caused your whole body to shake in anticipation.
The front door swung open and you were instantaneously pulled inside. Two strong arms wrapped around you, and his bigger frame engulfed your smaller one. One arm was around your waist, while his other hand was at the back of your head. Your face was firmly pressed against chest, and his nose was buried at the top of your head, inhaling your scent. Kagami held you so tightly, its as if he had been starved of touch. Silently, you cried into his collarbone.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Kagami whispered.
"I forgive you," you sniffle.
Kagami hoisted you up, wrapping your legs around his hips, and proceeded to carry you to his bedroom. Your face was buried on the crook of his neck and your hands were planted on his shoulders. You continued sniffling and hiccuping from how much you cried. He ungracefully shoved his bedroom door aside, then gently placed you on his plush bed, handling you like precious cargo. He climbed on top of you, awkwardly trying to avoid having his legs crush yours because of his size.
"Taiga," you sounded needy for second and you didn't like it, but your body was reacting to his.
Kagami blushed, this was the first time he ever heard his name come out like that from your mouth. He laid down on his side, and you reciprocated. He once again pulled you close to his body, having no intention of letting you go. You missed this feeling; being tangled in his embrace, your legs interlocked, and the feeling of his heartbeat.
"How long has it been since we last did this?" You ask.
"Too long," Kagami murmurs.
There was long silence, but neither was it heavy nor tense. It was just the sound of his breathing. It made you imagine just how tired he must have been.
You slowly lifted your head and met Kagami's sleeping face. You smiled, taking in how peaceful and how cute he looked right now. The light from the window danced on his skin, so much so that it looked like he was glowing in the darkness of his room. You absentmindedly caressed the side of his face with your thumb, which caused him to stir.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" You whisper.
He slowly opened his eyes, smiling the moment he saw you.
"No, " his voice was a little husky just from a short nap.
You pulled your hand away from his face, but before you could, Kagami softly pressed his lips at the back of your hand whilst grasping it. Full of intention, he planted small, delicate kisses from your fingers, to your wrist. Kagami gazed at you, making sure to remember the faint blush creeping on your cheeks.
"What are you doing.." you lightly chuckled.
Kagami stopped, but still held onto your hand. He squeezed it lightly and pressed your palm on his cheek. Indeed, you missed this feeling, it immediately sent chills down your spine even though your face continuously heated up. His hand then traversed back to your waist and pulled you closer once again, feeling the distance between you two was getting too wide. He snuggled you close to his chest, making sure not to squeeze you too tight.
Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes to hours, the both of you held onto each other as if it would be your last. It was getting late, and your eyelids felt awfully heavy. As much as you wanted to fall asleep in Kagami's embrace, you had to return to your own apartment. Unfortunately, you had assignments that you left neglected.
You slowly sat up from his bed, taking one last look at him. He was once again asleep, or so you thought. When Kagami felt the bed dip ever so slightly in his sleep, he immediately had his long arms latched against your waist, refusing to let you go. He quietly groaned out of protest when you tried to leave.
"Taiga, I need to go—"
"Don't." The red-haired boy whimpered.
"Stay with me, please." he pleaded.
Kagami wouldn't say it out loud, but he had missed you terribly. He yearned for your attention, your touch and your presence, and so did you with him. You were a bit shocked on how vulnerable and how needy he sounds. You sighed and lightly ran your fingers through his tinted locks.
"Are some of my clothes still here?" You whisper, and he nods in response.
You took a deep breath and softly exhaled. You weren't exactly in the mood to walk all the way to your apartment. You already felt fatigued from just crying so hard, that your eyes were already puffy. Kagami's bed was plush and big enough for the both of you that it felt inviting. He was sleeping so peacefully and his embrace felt so warm and so satisfying. You thought staying with him isn't a bad idea.
"Okay."
Kagami grinned, slightly tugging at your arm, signaling you to come back and snuggle with him. Instead, you held his hand and kissed the back of it, like he did to you. Now it was his turn to blush.
"Don't wear your sports clothes to bed though," You joked, laughing lightly. He frowned, immediately sitting up and heading to his closet to get a change of clothes.
"I— I knew that!"