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"Kise-kun, if you had to assign each of us a planet that represents us, what planet would you pick?" Kuroko asked out of the blue while they were having lunch one day.
"Hm?" The blond uttered questioningly, turning his head to look up at Kuroko who he was sprawled beside on the grass. "Planets? Why do you ask, Kurokocchi?"
"Curious," Kuroko provided, his blue eyes gazing steadily down at his friend. "There was a program on planets and the corresponding gods in Greek mythology last night."
Kise laughed, stretching his arms above his head as he looked towards the sun. “So that’s why you were late. Mmm, why don’t you tell me what you think?”
The slighter boy pondered for a moment, chewing his bread thoughtfully as he watched the students go about around them on the school grounds.
"Aomine-kun," Kuroko began slowly. "Wouldn’t be a planet. He would be the sun." The reasons were so obvious that even Kise did not feel the need to ask; only looking away from the pure blue sky to the equally blue colored boy beside him as Kuroko continued. "Murasakibara-kun would be Jupiter because it’s the largest planet in our solar system. Midorima-kun is Saturn since its rings remind me of how he tapes his fingers to protect them. And Kise-kun…"
Here, Kuroko looked down at Kise, his unblinking blue eyes seeming as if they were searching deep within Kise. “Kise-kun would be Mars because it most resembles Earth. Akashi-kun isn’t a planet, either. He’s the entire Milky Way, leading us through space.”
"Kurokocchi," Kise interrupted, turning onto his side to give his teammate his full attention not that Kuroko never had it in the first place. "You forgot to say which planet you resembled."
And Kuroko hardly hesitated, not needing to even think, when he answered, “Pluto.”
Kuroko didn’t give his reasoning, but Kise understood perfectly.
Settling down onto his back once more with his arms cradling the back of his head, Kise smiled. “Ah, those are good choices, but I find myself disagreeing with a few of them! For instance, Amoinecchi wouldn’t be the Sun. He would be Earth because Earth is the only planet in our solar system that we know of so far that can sustain life!”
"Then would that make you the Moon, Kise-kun?" Kuroko interjected curiously. "Constantly revolving around Aomine-kun."
"That’s harsh, Kurokocchi! I don’t revolve around him! I admire him! There’s a big difference!" Kise whined, giving the smaller boy a wounded look before he continued with a sniff. "Anyway, Murasakibaracchi and Midorimacchi are perfect as they are and I agree with Akashicchi being the Milky Way. As well, I’ll take Kurokocchi comparing me to Mars as a compliment because isn’t he the God of War in the Greek Pantheon?"
"If you’re going to look at it that way, then my compliments towards Murasakibara-kun ranks much higher than you since Jupiter is the top Olympian."
"E-eh, anyway. Those are good choices, but I disagree with you being Pluto." Kise carried on, trying not to let his ego get wounded too much. "Though I can see why Kurokocchi selected that planet for himself because Pluto is the furthest planet, isn’t it? And he is the God of the Underworld, shrouded in darkness while the others roam above in the skies. But don’t you think that’s too harsh, Kurokocchi? Do you really think you resemble a god of death?"
Kuroko did not answer the question, though his eyes looked away from Kise’s at his inquiry. “It’s not that.”
"Hmm," the blond smiled as he unfolded his arms from under his head to reach up towards the sky. "Well, to me, Kurokocchi is the vast space in-between. Ah, more than that, you’re something that holds it all together. In short, Kurokocchi is neither planet nor star: you’regravity. You’re everywhere, but no one notices you because people do not think about what’s keeping them safe on the earth and that’s what makes you amazing. You’re the force that is strong enough to keep all the planets in rotation around the sun because the sun cannot pull objects towards it on its own without your help.”
Pushing himself up and turning to Kuroko, Kise grinned kindly. “Kurokocchi, you keep usgrounded. Put things into perspective otherwise we’d all drift around.” Leaning in close, he pointed to himself. “But if you’re determined to be Pluto, then I’ll be your Persephone!”
"I respectfully decline." Kuroko bluntly answered his face completely blank.
His expression dropping, Kise pressed closer. “You can’t decline! That’s not how it works, Kurokocchi!”
Unmoved by the wide golden eyes wavering above him, Kuroko leaned away slightly. “If I remember correctly, Persephone was taken against her will. She didn’t offer to go with Pluto.”
“This one does.”
"I take back what I said about you being Mars, Kise-kun, you really suit Venus better."
Years later, when the scientific community officially released their statement that they no longer considered Pluto as one of the planets, Kuroko received cards from each of his former teammates, each declaring in their own way that they still did with Kise still offering to be Kuroko’s Persephone.