Chapter Text
The whole thing starts with Furihata-kun asking him who he’s been texting this often.
“Aomine-kun.” They used to be close friends. Tetsuya missed him. It’s nice to be able to talk to him again.
Furihata-kun’s expression is strange. “… You text him often? That guy?”
Tetsuya doesn’t see what’s so strange about that. “From time to time.”
“… I see.” The following subject change is awkward, but Tetsuya lets it go.
________________
“I saw Mine-chin the other day. He seemed happier. Did you two make up?”
It’s very rare for Murasakibara-kun to bother with other people’s personal affairs. He’s probably being magnanimous because of the severe loss Tetsuya’s team has just suffered at the hands of his team. What was supposed to be a friendly match arranged by Kagami-kun and Himuro-kun almost instantly turned into a battle to the death for supremacy.
“We are talking more often lately, but I don’t think it influenced Aomine-kun much.”
Murasakibara-kun flicks him. “Stupid Kuro-chin. Of course it did.”
Tetsuya bats away Murasakibara-kun’s hand, annoyed. “Please don’t touch me.” He doesn’t address the insult. He still remembers how useless it is to argue with him, so he doesn’t even try.
________________
The unwelcome but familiar weight wrapping itself around his shoulders makes Tetsuya sigh.“Kurokocchi! Just the person I wanted to see!”
“Kise-kun came all the way to Seirin. The chances that you’re here to see me are very high.”
Kise-kun ruffles his hair and ignores him. “So, Kurokocchi, what are you doing next Sunday?”
“Why is that of any interest to you?”
“Weelll, maybe I want to spend it with you.” This, accompanied by Kise-kun’s arms tightening around him. One of the many girls that are always around Kise-kun appears to swoon, for some reason.
“I apologise, but I’m meeting with Aomine-kun.”
Kise-kun stiffens. It’s during times like these that Tetsuya sympathises with Kise-kun’s teammates from Kaijou. He can be so hard to handle. “Aominecchi! Did he already make his move? Damn it, I’m too late!”
Tetsuya tunes Kise-kun out as he continues to mutter to himself and grab his own head in… disappointment? Despair? Solace against a rising migraine? Who can understand what motivates him. He’s free now, so he just leaves. Surely one of his fangirls will console him.
________________
Tetsuya stares at his phone with growing puzzlement. What does that even mean?
“Kuroko, what the hell is so great about your phone?”
“Kagami-kun, Midorima-kun sent me a message I don’t understand. Does this make sense to you?” Tetsuya throws his phone to Kagami-kun.
About Aomine. Be safe. Never talk to me about it, either of you. Also, Takao insisted that I add his congratulations.
Kagami-kun chokes, then reddens. “You and Aomine! When did that happen?”
Tetsuya is even more puzzled. What’s with people today? “Me and Aomine-kun what? When did what happen?”
Kagami-kun looks at him like he’s crazy. “Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s perfect. Let’s do that and never mention it again.”
A new message catches his attention. Apparently, Aomine-kun received the same thing and is as troubled as Tetsuya, like the sane person he is. Tetsuya shares his confusion with him. They resolve to ignore Midorima-kun. It’s a technique they often employed when they were at Teikou, and it does have its advantages.
________________
Tetsuya wants to run. Whatever the coach wants with him, he’s not going to enjoy it, not if her delighted smile is to be trusted. “Kuroko-kun, it’s Teppei on the phone. He wants to talk to you. Here, take it!” She thrusts the phone at him.
Tetsuya takes it warily. “Hello. Kyoshi-senpai?”
“Kuroko! I heard all about it! I just wanted you to know that I support you no matter what, and I’m just so happy you could mend the broken bridges between the two of you to make something beautiful!”
Tetsuya’s eyes widen. “Kyoshi-senpai? Are you alright? Are you on medication at the moment?”
“Thank you for worrying, but I’m fine! Tell me if anything else happen, I want to know everything!”
Kuroko stares ahead, bewildered. “I don’t have anything to add.”
Kyoshi-senpai laughs. “That’s fine. You can give the phone back to Riko now.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. Goodbye, Kyoshi-senpai.”
He hands the phone back to the coach, but not before warning Riko-san about Kyoshi-senpai’s impaired state. She gives him a strange look. Tetsuya is getting used to those.
________________
“Hey, Kuroko! Your shoots are getting better.”
They have been. He’s not missing as often as he used to. It is very gratifying. “Thank you, Koganei-senpai.”
“Is it because of Aomine? Does he help you out more now?”
“He does. Aomine-kun can be very helpful when he wants to be.” They play frequently. Tetsuya is still not, nor will he ever be, near Aomine-kun’s level, but it doesn’t stop him from enjoying it.
“Oh really. Kuroko-kun, do tell us more.”
“Laps for everyone. Now.” That’s the captain, who’s angry at Koganei-senpai if the vein beating near his forehead is to be believed.
Koganei-senpai doesn’t approve. “But, Hyuuga! Mitobe is also curious, isn’t he?”
Tetsuya can’t tell if that’s the truth. It doesn’t matter anyway, because the captain isn’t. What he wants is them running laps. It would be nice to know why.
________________
He has become increasingly wary of answering his phone when somebody other than Aomine-kun is calling, but this is the one person he knows better than to ignore. “Akashi-kun, hello.”
“Hello. Kuroko, something has been bothering me. Since when are you dating Aomine?”
Tetsuya chokes. “Akashi-kun! What nonsense are you saying?”
He can hear Akashi-kun taking a deep breath. “So Kise was wrong. As I suspected. We should all know better than to believe him by now.”
Tetsuya is going to find Kise-kun and extract his revenge. He doesn’t know what it will be yet, but he’ll make him regret doing… whatever he did. “What did Kise-kun say exactly?”
“That you rejected him to go on a date with Aomine.”
So many things start making sense now. “That is not what happened. I had another commitment with Aomine-kun, but it wasn’t a date, and if that’s what Kise-kun calls an invitation to a date, he really needs to do better.”
Akashi-kun laughs politely. “If I were you, I’d tell Aomine about it. No doubt he had his share of strange inquiries.”
“I will, thank you. Goodbye Akashi-kun.”
He hangs up. His fingers rest on the keys, hesitant to select Aomine-kun’s number. How does one reveal to someone else that everyone thinks that they are dating, never mind the part where Tetsuya bears some part of responsibility for that rumor? Aomine-kun will probably be offended. His tastes are known. Tetsuya doesn’t exactly conform to them. That’s why he never did anything about his attraction to him, so obvious to others it became common knowledge.
Postponing the call won’t help. Aomine-kun has the right to know. He dials.
“Hey, Tetsu. Hi. What’s up?”
“Aomine-kun, hello. I have something to tell you.” Tetsuya gathers his courage. “Do you remember Midorima-kun’s message?”
“That weird thing? Yeah.”
“Did other strange occurrences happen?”
“Now that I think about it, Kise has been sulking. Do you know what’s his problem?”
Right at the heart of it. “Kise-kun has misunderstood something I said. He is under the impression that we are a couple.”
He can hear Aomine-kun’s breath catching, his tone weak. “What! Why, why would he think that? Hah, that’s funny.”
This is painful. “Don’t worry about it. We can just set everyone straight.”
“… I’m sorry.”
“What about?”
“For making them think that.”
Tetsuya does not follow. “Aomine-kun didn’t do anything. If someone is responsible, it’s me.”
“Yeah, right. Have you ever been attracted to someone?”
Tetsuya frowns. “I don’t see why that would be any of your business.”
“That’s what I thought. Look, it was my fault, I’ll be more careful.”
Why does he keep insisting? “I’m a specialist at observing people. If you had done something that would have demonstrated an interest in me, I’d have noticed.”
“No offense, Tetsu, but you’re completely oblivious to things like that. How long did it take you to realise that Satsuki was into you? Did you even catch that Kise has a huge crush on you?”
“He does not.”
“That’s what I meant. He does. It’s really, really not subtle.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is I’ve wanted you forever and you never got a clue.”
“… What.”
“Forget about it.”
“Wait, Aomine-kun. What.”
Aomine-kun’s sigh is loud enough to eclipse everything else. “I’m going to use simple words. I. Like. You.”
“Aomine-kun… likes me.”
“Yes, Tetsu.”
“You really do.”
“Yes, Tetsu.”
He bites back his laughter. Murasakibara-kun was right, he is stupid. “Let’s not tell anyone anything.”
“Now I’m the one who’s confused.”
“Let’s go on a date, Aomine-kun.”
There is silence on the line, until. “You’re not fucking with me, are you?”
“No, I’m not. I, too, have liked Aomine-kun for a long time.”
“… How about next Saturday?”
Tetsuya smiles, even if Aomine-kun can’t see it. “That would be fine.”
“See you then.”
“See you later, Aomine-kun.”