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Kagami didn’t bring it up. It was like his birthday didn’t exist, or maybe he thought no one knew or remembered. But Kuroko did. You don’t spend almost every waking moment with someone from tails to tushes, and immediately forget everything about them.
Kuroko banished that thought, but the fathom pain remained even after all these years. Kagami was the first person he lost, his first best friend, and perhaps it was fate or poetic justice or plain dumb luck that Kagami returned to Tokyo to help Kuroko reclaim his old Teikou teammates—his pack.
So at the end of July, Kuroko informed Seirin, who threw Kagami a surprise birthday party after practice, of course, and Coach gave Kagami the most thoughtful present ever—double suicide drills.
“You’ll thank me later,” she laughed evilly.
Midorima came with Leo’s lucky item of the day—a blackberry vine. Kise bounded into the gym, first with a glomp for “Kurokocchi” and then one of his designer outfits for “Kagamicchi.” Aomine brought himself and a “lesson,” which pretty much resulted in one-on-one devastation for Kagami before Kuroko offered a helping hand. (They still lost.) Himuro sent his and Murasakibara’s presents—a changing towel and a tangle-free leash for surfing, and a patch of jelly beans and green tea Kit-Kats. Akashi sent a new set of headphones, state-of-the-art and Kagami’s favorite brand.
Kuroko kept his own present for last—cheeseburgers from Maji Burger, a homemade cake by his grandmother, and a sleepover at his place, complete with several NBA games downloaded on his iPad and one of Kuroko’s favorite flicks. He also had a small gift in his nightstand drawer he wanted to give Kagami, if it seemed appropriate.
Kagami laughed as they settled in for the evening, lying on the futon next to Kuroko’s bed. “So dinner with the in-laws, huh? That’s the present you got me.”
Laying stomach-down on his bed, Kuroko blinked. He hadn’t thought about it like that. It was just—Kagami lived alone in that empty apartment, and though Kuroko stayed over several times a week, it was still quiet and isolating. So Kuroko thought the best present he could give Kagami was a loving family and a festive home. After all, Kuroko’s parents and grandparents loved Kagami and easily reaccepted him at the dinner table, in his room, and in their lives.
Kagami’s tail poked out of his backside, and it wrapped around Kuroko’s slender waist when he sat up. “I think it’s sweet, but it’s not what I wanted for my birthday, Kuroko.”
Fighting all his natural instincts, Kuroko uncurled Kagami’s tail from his waist, even as he took note of the ears and strips adorning Kagami’s skin. He fought the natural desire that wanted to manifest in a fierce shiver and instead pushed his back against his bed’s headrest.
He knew he would regret asking, “What does Kagami-kun want?”
Kagami’s sharp teeth accented his saucy smile. “To see your full animal form.”
Kuroko blinked. “What?”
“What? It’s not like you haven’t seen mine, and I want to see how you’ve changed since we were kids.”
Kuroko couldn’t stop the crimson from rushing to his pale cheeks. “I refuse.”
“Oh, come on.” Kagami was there then, hands on Kuroko’s knees and tail flapping behind him like the wild beast he was. “Nothing has really changed.”
“No.”
“I’m not even sure what animal you are. Wolf?”
That would have been a respectful animal, a worthy mate for an alpha tiger. “Stop.”
“Fox?”
“I will kick you off my bed.”
But Kagami rubbed the soft fur of his ears against Kuroko’s cheek, his heavy alpha scent tightening Kuroko’s jeans instantly.
“Jackal?”
“You’re not helping your cause.”
Kagami seemed to take that as a challenge, lying between Kuroko’s now open thighs and rubbing the top of his head against Kuroko’s jaw. His claws ran along Kuroko’s forearms and up to his shoulders, and okay, yes, this was helping Kagami’s cause, Kuroko hated to admit. His body seemed to come alive under Kagami’s coaxing ministrations, the tiger’s musky and wild scent defusing all of Kuroko’s arguments.
Kuroko sighed and dropped a hand to Kagami’s head, petting the vibrant red hair and scratching behind the orange and black ears. Then, Kagami began to purr, the soft vibrations tickling Kuroko’s stomach, and Kuroko came completely undone.
When had Kagami’s touch become comforting, soothing, stimulating? When had Kuroko allow him full range of his body, to hold and indulge, and when had he become the stereotypical omega, bowing to the demands of his alpha mate?
That frightened Kuroko the most. When had he accepted Kagami as his mate?
That almost forced Kuroko to push Kagami away, but Kagami hadn’t made demands of him. He’d pleaded, coaxed, and played dirty, sure, but Kagami never forced Kuroko to do anything he wasn’t comfortable doing. And he only asked to see Kuroko’s animal form, and if he couldn’t give Kagami this, then he might as well push Kagami away.
And he didn’t want to push Kagami away. Kagami had become an indispensable part of Kuroko’s life, so he leaned over, ignoring Kagami’s strained whine, and opened his nightstand drawer. Placing it by his lamp, he patted Kagami’s head, then somehow detracted Kagami’s claws from his clothes to stand.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this.
“…Kuroko?” Kagami murmured, his tail still waving back and forth in anticipation. He knew what Kuroko was doing. He had to, if that shit-eating grin said anything.
It wasn’t indecent, per se, to shift into animal form, but it certainly made an omega uncomfortable. Alphas had it easy, all that muscle and strength, but animal forms made omegas vulnerable, easily harmed and easily mounted. But Kuroko didn’t fear Kagami. Kagami was kind and generous and patient with Kuroko, so he turned to meet Kagami’s captivated gaze and then shifted.
A Shiba Inu wasn’t the fiercest of animals, and even in terms of dogs, Kuroko wasn’t the biggest. He was still growing, a teenager, but his coat was pure white and soft, his tail curled and bushy. His pointed ears immediately heard Kagami’s ragged breaths, and Kagami’s strong scent became even more pronounced through Kuroko’s dark-tipped snout.
Kuroko waited, calm on the outside with a slight ruffle of his tail but fidgeting on the inside as he watched Kagami’s eyes widen. Yes, he was a dog. Nothing fierce. Nothing powerful. Nothing unique, though his breed was known to interact particularly well with cats. But still—he was an ordinary dog without anything to offer an alpha mate.
But Kagami was smiling, not that devious grin he wore earlier but a fond, eager expression, and he shifted into his tiger form, all fierce and agile. Kuroko didn’t shy away as Kagami climbed down, a strong alpha approaching a lithe omega. He trusted Kagami, and when Kagami neared him, the glint in his eyes stole Kuroko’s breath.
Kagami looked at him with nothing less than pure affection and pride.
He bowed his head lower than Kuroko’s, as if to ask permission to continue, and then sniffed him twice before licking the very edge of Kuroko’s nose.
Flinching, Kuroko snapped his jaws in a response that made Kagami’s laugh. Kagami rubbed his head against Kuroko’s jaw and tentatively slid his head down Kuroko’s neck, purring with every caress. The warm sensations spread from Kagami’s body and through Kuroko’s, tingling his skin and urging him to greet Kagami’s advances with his own.
They panted and explored, licked and discovered each other’s bodies with innocent but memorable touches, and when Kuroko’s mother checked on them sometime later, she found them lying on Kuroko’s bed, their animal forms entwined, Kagami’s head on Kuroko’s back, Kuroko’s tail brushing against Kagami’s snout.
When Kuroko went to put on a NBA game, he realized he couldn’t shift back into his human form—or some aspect of it—and nipped Kagami’s front paw in desperation. It stopped Kagami in mid-huff, and the alpha shifted into human form, though he still laughed—until Kuroko bit down on his fingers.
“Hey! Hey! Hey, now! Don’t bite the alpha—ow! Stop that!”
Kuroko released Kagami and let out a low growl, making sure to bear his sharp teeth.
“Hey! It’s not my fault you can’t—okay, it’s not entirely my fault you can’t change back.” Kagami didn’t sound sorry at all as he brushed Kuroko’s hair with soothing touches, and Kuroko jerked his head until he got Kagami’s hand where he wanted it to be. “Look, it’ll wear off by tomorrow morning, probably. It’s natural for an omega to stay in his animal form longer than an alpha, so don’t—Oh, hey. I forgot about this.”
Kagami picked up the small box left on the nightstand and gave Kuroko a sideways glance, as if asking if he could open it. Kuroko sighed and dropped his head to Kagami’s thighs, whining his approval.
And Kuroko reveled in the look of absolute pleasure when Kagami lifted up the pet tag that read, “Taiga. If lost, return to Kuroko Tetsuya.”
He’d meant it as a joke, but now, with his new revelation, it seemed to take on a deeper meaning, a promise between them.
Kagami ruffled the top of Kuroko’s head and pressed a gentle kiss to the soft fur. “So does this mean I can mark you with my scent now?”
This time, he didn’t wait for permission and shifted into his animal form to smother Kuroko, kneading his alpha pheromones through Kuroko’s fur and down to his skin. Despite the utterly pleasurable sensations that came from Kagami’s assault—it was a very attentive massage, working out the tension from Kuroko’s tight muscles—Kuroko nipped him every so often because Kagami shouldn’t always get his own way.
“What do you want on?” Kagami asked ten minutes later, back in his human form plus ears and a tail. He still flatted Kuroko to the bed but flipped through the iPad’s downloaded media. “Do you want an NBA game or…hey, what’s The Sixth Sense about? I don’t remember seeing that movie.”
Kuroko licked his partner’s hand, so Kagami hit on the movie, shifted back into his tiger form, and snuggled against Kuroko’s back.
Kuroko didn’t regret downloading the movie, even after Kagami’s claws all but skinned him. The alpha bastard deserved to watch all the ghost movies Kuroko could find.
The End