Work Text:
When I woke up this morning
The first thing I thought of was you
I made up my mind, and cut my bangs short
Just so you'd ask me "Why?"
Kise had it bad . He’d woken up that weekend morning, brushed his teeth, done his skincare routine, and looked at himself in the mirror. He was supposed to have a meeting with the ex-members of the Generation of Miracles later that afternoon, to catch up and play some ball. Although, all he could think of was Aomine . You could say he’d been harboring a bit of a crush on the young man, despite everyone he’d told (aka Midorima, the only person he could trust to be rational with this information) expressing they didn’t feel as if Kise was in the right state of mind.
Still, he had a predicament in his hands. He liked a guy, and said guy was probably not into him. That, however, did not make his determination waver. He still wanted to make Aomine like him, damnit. So, every day they met up, he worked extra hard on his appearance. This day, though, was special. Kise was tired of Aomine not noticing his advances, so he decided for something a bit more…daring.
He had never tried to cut his hair at home before, really, but that’s where his copying ability came in handy. All it took was a couple of videos and he had himself a pretty decent haircut, if he dare say so himself. His heart was beating with anticipation, waiting to see Aomine’s reaction to it. Would he even notice? He rarely notices when Momoicchi cuts her hair…
Arriving at their usual street basketball court, he found only Midorima waiting for him there. It seems the excitement had gotten the better of Kise and made him hurry up more than he actually needed to. Midorima’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Kise, but he quickly ushered him away and handed him a hamster charm. It was cute, and tiny enough it fit in Kise’s pocket without drawing much attention. Kise laughed, but he grabbed it anyway.
“What’s this supposed to be? Wait, let me guess. Is it my lucky item?” Kise caught on to what was happening almost immediately.
“Yes, it is. Gemini’s lucky item for the day is a rodent charm. I am quite fond of rodents myself, but that’s getting off topic.” Midorima gave Kise a death stare. “What did you do to your hair? It is preposterous that you think he’ll suddenly fall for you after you change your physical appearance ever so slightly.”
“It wasn’t for him, Midorimacchi!” Kise lied through his teeth.
“Oh, really?” Midorima saw right through his bullshit.
“Ahahaha…anyways, what I do or don’t do with my hair is none of your business, Midorimacchi!” Kise replied, somewhat flustered.
“It may be none of my business, but I'm still going to be concerned when you do sudden things of that caliber, you imbecile.” Midorima stated as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
“Midorimacchi, you care about me!?” Kise feigned shock, looking up at Midorima with puppy eyes.
“Silence, Kise.” Midorima, having only now realized what he said, looked away while blushing slightly.
“Oi, what are you two on about?” As Kise turned around to face whoever interrupted their pleasant conversation, he was surprised to see Aomine.
“Oh, hi, Aominecchi! Nothing much, we were just-”
“Kise, did you cut your hair?”
?!?!?
“Yeah…yeah! I did it myself, do you like it?” Before he even realized it, Kise was stuttering and blushing somewhat.
“Mhm, looks good on you. Wanna play with me, one-on-one?” Aomine promptly brushed him off with a compliment, and stared at Kise’s unmoving figure for a couple seconds before calling for him again.
“I believe he needs a second. He was, ah, a bit sleep deprived before coming here and I am certain it is getting to him now.” Midorima not-so-discreetly elbowed Kise on his ribs.
“Midorimacchi! What was that for?!?”
They did play one-on-one, and the rest of the Miracles arrived one after the other. Still, all Kise could think for the rest of the day was Aomine’s off handed compliment. His words played back on Kise’s head again and again, like a broken record. Maybe he should’ve cut his hair sooner.
Melt! I feel like I'm gonna melt away
I can't tell you I like you, but then I…
Melt! I can't even look you in the eye
I won't fall for love, not me
But…I really do like you
Kise came home from a particularly tiring day. He had school, then a get-together with Kuroko and Kagami (he was a literal third wheel when he was with them, but he loved them both to death so it was fine), and then a shoot. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement. Still, he was a diligent model, so he almost mechanically followed along to his skincare routine, which gave him time to think.
While chatting with Kagami and Kuroko earlier, the topic of Kise’s very bad, not good love life came to light. Kise was, of course, very adamant to entertain that thought for longer than needed but Kuroko insisted it was fine, that he wouldn’t be judged no matter what.
“I may or may not be into Aominecchi!” Kise blurted out suddenly.
“Huh?! You like that idiot?” Kagami was a bit shocked, to say the least.
“That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it with you!” Kise whined, covering his face in embarrassment.
“It’s fine, Kise-kun. I think you two are great for each other, even if Taiga-kun doesn’t really agree.” Kuroko reassured him.
“You really think so?” Kise’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, I do.”
“Still, what do you see in him?” Asked Kagami, genuinely curious.
What he saw in him…back then he’d been too embarrassed to reply and he just changed topics as fast as he could. Maybe it’s the way Aomine’s eyes lit up when he played against a stronger opponent, or maybe it was his smile, his genuine enjoyment when he played against Kise himself. His passion for basketball could be it, but it could also be his carefree personality. Perhaps also how he treated Kise as an equal from the moment he met him, not as someone different for being a model.
Whatever it was he saw in him did not take away from the fact that Kise was surely in love with Aomine. His knees felt weak just by staring at his eyes, and even when he wasn’t standing he struggled to maintain eye contact solely due to the fact that he got so overwhelmed with emotion, looking at those beautiful blue orbs. And that is without mentioning all those times Kise felt as if he was melting every time Aomine hugged or touched him.
Even so, Kise couldn’t afford to let those feelings get the better of him. He had a career to keep, a reputation to maintain, and he certainly couldn’t allow himself to confess at a time like this. He wrapped things up in the bathroom and headed for his bedroom, where he jumped straight into his bed and hugged his pillow, throwing one of his legs over it.
“I like you, Aominecchi. I really do.” He inaudibly whispered into his pillow, hugging it tighter.
The weather report lied
It's pouring down
My umbrella still folded in my bag won't do
So I gave a sigh
"I guess I'll have to let you in"
Beside me you say, laughing
Kise found himself at Maji Burger after a shoot, and after finishing his meal he was surprised by the downpour outside the establishment. He checked his bag, and was disappointed by the fact that his disposable umbrella was broken. Kise sighed, considering his options, before deciding that running to the station was not quite as bad as it seemed.
“Oi, Kise! Fancy meeting you here.” He recognized that voice immediately, given that its owner has been the object of Kise’s affection for the past couple months.
“Aominecchi! What are you doing here?” Kise asked, shocked by finding Aomine of all people at that place. Although, now that he thought back on it, maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised.
“I was eating, dumbass. Anyways, it doesn’t look like the rain will stop anytime soon.” Said Aomine, pulling out his own, working umbrella. “Do you have an umbrella?” Aomine then pretended to sigh in annoyance as Kise gave him an apologetic look, showing him his broken down umbrella.
“I guess I don’t have a choice.” Aomine feigned annoyance again, gesturing with a smile on his face for Kise to come over to his side and he only opened the umbrella as they both exited the building.
“Is it really fine, Aominecchi? Will we both fit…?” Kise inquired, somewhat unsure.
“‘S fine, really, stop thinking too much about it. Also, even if we don’t fit, we can always just squeeze in a bit closer, right?” Proposed Aomine as if it was nothing, offering Kise a toothy grin, and the blond was slightly taken aback by his suggestion.
“What do you mean, squeeze in!? And besides, even if we did, wouldn’t at least one of us get wet?” Kise whined, getting more and more flustered by the second.
“I said it’s fine, so it’s fine! C’mon, let’s go.” Aomine insisted again gesturing for Kise to follow him. He did as told, following behind Aomine like a lost puppy and settling beneath the umbrella.
Melt! I can hardly breathe
My hand, touching yours, is trembling
My heart is racing under this half of the umbrella
If you should stretch out your hand to close the distance, what'll I do…?!
My feelings will reach you
The walk to the station was relatively peaceful, with Kise chatting about his day or his job and Aomine actually listening, for once. As they were both holding the umbrella, Kise couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander. Sure, he managed to put up his usual act so far, but he hadn’t been able to look Aomine in the eyes once, and his face was heating up, and his knees were starting to feel weak and they were so close so close so close too close-
“Kise?”
“Hm?”
“Your hand is shaking.” Aomine stated matter-of-factly.
“Oh, haha, is it?” Kise blushed even deeper, his flustered reply fooling no one and his heart hammering harder than ever in his chest.
“Kise, you bastard, I’ll kill you if you’re sick and didn’t tell anyone because you ‘didn’t think it’d be that important.’” Aomine said, although they both knew those were empty threats.
“No, no! It’s not that, I just…” Kise hesitated.
“I don’t believe you. Let me check for a fever, dumbass.” Aomine gently put his forehead on Kise’s. The blond squealed as he pulled back, letting go of the umbrella in a panic to cover his very embarrassed face.
“What…what was that for, Aominecchi!?” Kise stammered, the words barely audible to him over his rapidly beating heart. Aomine was holding the umbrella over both of them now.
“Wow, you’re burning up. Are you sure you’re feeling ok?” Aomine inquired with a knowing look in his eyes and oh .
“You…know already, don’t you?” Kise asked, defeated.
I wish time would stop, I feel like I could cry
What shocked Kise the most is that Aomine did not say anything, as he chose to remain silent. Thoughts filled Kise’s head, ranging from oh God he hates me now to fucking hell he’s known all this time? and before he knew it, he was tearing up. He struggled to breathe properly as his lungs were filled with too much air and his thoughts were just too loud and he wished it would just stop and since when was Aomine so close?
“Kise, calm down .” Said Aomine, calmly but assertively. Upon seeing this method was most definitely not going to work, Aomine tried a different thing.
“How old are you, Kise?”
?
“...Sixteen.”
“What color is your hair?”
“Blond…”
“Who am I?”
“Aomine Daiki.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Kind of…?”
“That’s good. Is it ok if I touch you?” Aomine inquired. Kise could only nod.
Aomine leaned in, one hand holding his umbrella, and wrapped his arms safely around Kise. He used his free hand to pet Kise’s blond locks in a reassuring manner, whispering kind words from time to time.
They eventually broke apart from the warm embrace, and Kise offered Aomine an apologetic smile.
“Sorry you had to see me like that, Aominecchi! But thank you so much for helping me calm down, ahaha.” Kise laughed awkwardly.
“T’was nothing. If anything, I should be sorry for making you go through that.” Aomine replied, looking down.
They were silent for a while, both avoiding each other's gaze.
“Well, why don’t we head to the station now?” Kise gave Aomine his best model smile as he proposed that and the bluenet had no right to refuse him.
And walk they did. For a whole five minutes they walked in uncomfortable silence as neither of them dared to meet the other’s eyes. The rain was insatiable, and the smell was pleasant enough not one of the two dared complain about it, nor did they talk about anything else. As if he were possessed, Aomine abruptly stopped in his tracks. Kise was shocked enough to stop too.
“Kise, I like you.” Aomine said, suddenly full of conviction.
“What.”
“I said I like you.” He looked Kise straight in the eyes.
“I heard you perfectly fine, I’m just baffled. ”
“Ok, so?” Aomine said, probably a bit more aggressively than he intended.
“What do you mean, ‘so’?”
“Like, how do you feel about it…and stuff.” Aomine blushed slightly, but it was hard to see due to the grayish atmosphere. Kise’s eyes widened, and he felt his face heat up.
“I’m still processing the information…I think.” Kise’s voice was small.
“‘S ok. Take as much time as you need.” Aomine offered him a reassuring smile, as he gestured for him to keep walking towards the station.
Melt! Pulling into the station
The end of the line for us, so near, so far
Melt! I want to hold your hand in mine
Do we already have to say goodbye?
I want you to take me in your arms!
The closer they got to the station, the more anxious Kise felt. They walked together under the umbrella in a comforting silence that neither of them wished to break, the raindrops making for a pleasant source of white noise. But still, something felt amiss. It was as if something wasn’t right. Kise didn’t like that feeling, that offputting sensation. Why’d something feel so…off?
They kept walking in silence, with Kise feeling more and more restless every step they took. They were going to be separated as soon as Kise left. Who knows when they'd see each other again. Who knows if Kise's feelings got across properly. With only Aomine's hand holding the umbrella, Aomine's own shoulder was getting wet.
Aomine switched his umbrella from his left to his right hand, blocking the raindrops from falling on his own shoulder. Kise, though, was getting wet. The feeling of wet cloth was everything but pleasant on his skin. He was about to ask Aomine to switch back, until he felt a small nudge on his wrist. When he looked down, he saw Aomine offering his hand to him. He stared back up at Aomine, as if he was offered the world, and took his hand in his, holding it tightly.
They kept walking, with Kise playfully swinging their hands back and forth from time to time, his heart thumping in its cage nonstop.
…
After walking for shorter than anticipated they finally reached the station, and Kise had to admit he was absolutely spent. Having an attack was most definitely taxing and keeping up a front of being his usual happy-go-lucky self was also not doing wonders for his exhaustion. He just wanted to get home, remove his makeup and sleep.
Luckily, everything went just fine. Kise allowed himself some time to breathe some of the cool nighttime air before they went down the stairs and into the station, successfully arriving at their destination.
“Well, this is your line. Mine is not too far from here, but I s’pose this is where we get separated.” Aomine said, offering Kise a laid back smile.
All of a sudden, Kise got overwhelmed with a strong sense of dread, as if the moment he parted ways with Aomine he would never hear from him again. He knew it was a stupid feeling and probably just him overthinking things, but he’d never risk it, not for Aomine. So, he took the gamble. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he called for him.
“Uh, Aomine…cchi, wait a bit!”
After Aomine turned to face him, Kise gave him a short peck on the lips. Aomine’s eyes widened, and even with the subpar subway lighting he was visibly blushing.
“Let’s go out sometime!” Said Kise, holding back a giggle at Aomine’s astonished face.
“For sure.” Aomine said, recovering quickly and gesturing for Kise to walk into his embrace. He squealed and did as told, inhaling Aomine’s homey scent and giggling like a schoolgirl in love. They only parted ways as they heard Kise’s train come closer.
Ah, Kise thought, maybe liking Aominecchi wasn’t so bad after all.