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Under the covers, Kuroko breathes out carefully, willing himself to be as calm as the quiet morning. Jumbled scenes of last night’s dream sway in his head. To make sense of it all, he thinks back to the first thing he remembers - Kasamatsu asking if everything’s all right: “You’re out of it today, somehow.”
He opens his mouth, but his legs answer instead, taking off, unwilling to stand in the gym any longer. Before the captain can react, another sprinter follows. “Not you too,” he sighs. Although if anyone should go after Kuroko, it might as well be him.
Kuroko runs on a path, watching how the sun spreads its light on weary roads and bounces off the roofs of cars passing. Kuroko’s head is patted by this brightness and the wind joins in, humming encouragement in his ears.
Not good enough, Kuroko thinks, and just as he is about to raise his pace, someone bumps into him.
"Funny," - Kise, who else - "running into you here." Kuroko chooses not to respond and they run and run, listening to their shoes beating down the concrete.
They arrive at a field. They throw themselves on the earth, grass blades gently pricking their bodies. Breathing hard, Kuroko finds himself hugging a basketball to his chest. It came out of nowhere, maybe from his heartbeat, since it pulses through the ball to his fingertips. He can hear the faint shrieking of children chasing each other around at a nearby park. It’s too bright and noisy, so Kuroko closes his eyes.
“I’m so tired.” Hands folded behind his head, Kise squints at the sky. “But in a good way, you know? Like if I fell asleep right now, it’d be the best nap ever.”
“We should get back.”
“It’s fine, practice will be over by then.”
“So you’ll stay here?”
Kise laughs. “Maybe.”
He says this like he doesn’t care what’ll happen to him and the thought dazes Kuroko, planting within him a tiny fear. Letting the ball fall to his side, he reaches out to Kise. He seems far, not unlike when they were running together. As Kuroko’s hand grazes his cheek, he expects Kise to seize the chance to pull him closer but all he does is snuggle up to Kuroko’s fingers, rubbing his cheek in the cup of his hand. He’s still talking, going on about a seat change which will take him away from his spot beside Kurokocchi and a play he wants to try using Kurokocchi’s misdirection, and so forth, coating Kurokocchi, Kurokocchi, Kurokocchi over the rich summer sounds.
And then Kise asks him a question, and if Kuroko hears it, he doesn’t say anything. He looks away, not at anything, just elsewhere. He concentrates on grounding his body in the damp earth, afraid of melting and floating away, of giving himself up to the sluggish air.
Kise sits up, holding his hands out and smiling. “Pass it here.”
And that blinding smile, with the kind crease in the corner of his eyes, is the last thing Kuroko sees as he jolts awake. It’s too sudden, he was just there, and now he’s here. He blinks and wraps the covers around him tighter. The scenery is starting to blur in his memory, but a warmth lingers, a remnant of the dream to ease in the new day. He rubs his eyes, puzzled. As if playing for Kaijou would be that carefree. It’s like he’s seen a Kise he wants to get to know better, and care more about. The softer sides to Kise were - what exactly? Just as full of energy and affection?
Before the dream slips away, Kuroko gets up, stretching both arms out. “Kise-kun, it’s funny.”
And a little strange, falling in love.