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The first time Daiki kisses Tetsuya, it’s at the end of one of their late-night practice sessions. Tetsuya’s done particularly well today, and Daiki’s trying to listen to what he’s saying, but all he can hear is the blood rushing in his ears as Tetsuya smiles at him.
Tetsuya’s teeth click against Daiki’s painfully and he can feel the smaller boy wince a little, but Tetsuya doesn’t pull away so Daiki decides that’s a good enough sign. That this isn’t completely unwanted. It isn’t some long, drawn-out affair; it’s quick and in the moment and full of some heated kind of emotion Daiki’s only felt while on the court, until now. It’s Tetsuya that breaks the kiss-- he’s still dripping with sweat, and Daiki can taste it on his lips-- and he pulls back, his expression unreadable, and goes back to putting his things away in his bag.
Daiki is almost disappointed, but then he sees the way Tetsuya’s lips curve up into that quiet smile he has for the second time that evening; he sees the way Tetsuya’s tongue darts out, licking at his lips a little.
It’s all he can do to try and pack his things away without being distracted by the beads of sweat running down Tetsuya’s neck, and Daiki thinks this could turn out to be a problem. Not the fact that he likes Tetsuya in -that- way, but the distraction. He’ll have to work on that second part. The first, he’s gotten used to.
During their extra practice sessions, Daiki takes note of the particular way Tetsuya’s fingers curve around the skin of the ball, the way his wrists turn when he passes it, or goes for a shot that will always miss. He finds himself constantly watching the other boy, noticing the most minute things about him, and it doesn’t take long for the two of them to sync their movements to each other on the court.
It’s a good thing, then, that it takes a little while for Tetsuya to make his way up to first string; they don’t have to waste time getting used to each other, or learning the way each other moves like the rest of the starters. Daiki might be a little jealous when he watches Tetsuya with the others, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. He knows, just like he knows that he’s going to be the best player on the team, that Tetsuya is his. Daiki is nothing if not completely confident in himself.
When he steps out onto the court, he’s immediately aware of Tetsuya’s presence without having to look at him. Ryouta makes some kind of comment about how scary the aura between them is, and Shintarou tells him to shut up and focus.
The way they play together is seamless; even in practice matches like these, they hold nothing back. When Tetsuya’s on the court with him, Daiki sees no one else. He doesn’t need to. Ryouta complains that he’s not getting any passes, but the others seem to more or less understand that the two of them are suited for each other completely.
Daiki thinks he’s never had more fun than when he catches a pass from Tetsuya that no one else could catch. The crowd watching them makes it even better; the look of awe and fear on the faces of their opponents makes Daiki feel invincible. And afterwards, when he waits until the others are all gone and it’s just him and Tetsuya, walking home together...
He feels invincible then, too.
“You’re spacing out again, Aomine-kun,” Tetsuya’s voice is soft, and just as calm as usual, but Daiki can hear the amusement in it. He grins, lightly tapping the smaller boy’s shoulder with his fist, and shakes his head.
“I was just thinking about the game,” he says, pulling his arm back to stretch them over his head, listening to the way his back cracks and pops. “You were great, Tetsu.”
Tetsuya doesn’t smile, but he doesn’t have to; he shakes his head, shifting his bag on his shoulder, and glances up to Daiki out of the corner of his eyes. “Aomine-kun is the one who’s great,” he says, softly, “I just happen to be your shadow.”
Daiki can’t help it; he laughs, reaching over to ruffle Tetsuya’s hair a little. Tetsuya makes a face, but doesn’t tell him to knock it off. “That again, huh? Well, I guess I can’t complain. If I’m gonna have a shadow, I can’t think of anyone who could do it better than you.”
Tetsuya turns his head to look up at him, and after a moment in which he seems to be thinking deeply about something, he speaks. “If I’m so valuable to Aomine-kun,” he says, “You can buy me a shake.”
Daiki makes a face, but they both know he’ll give in, so he doesn’t even bother trying to say no. Five minutes later, he’s spent his leftover lunch money on a large vanilla shake, and Tetsuya’s sipping at it as they walk in silence down the quiet streets. “Thank you, Aomine-kun,” he says, after they’ve been walking along for awhile. Daiki knows it’s not just a thank-you for the shake, it’s for plenty of other things as well; Tetsuya’s just that kind of guy.
The thank-you isn’t surprising; Tetsuya is one of those oddly-polite types, and Daiki’s already used to it by now. The surprising part comes when one of Tetsuya’s hands, the one not holding the shake, reaches out to grab Daiki’s arm. He stops, turning and blinking down to the smaller boy, just as Tetsuya leans up and in and presses their lips together.
And so, the second time they kiss, it’s Tetsuya who initiates it; his lips taste like the vanilla shake he’s been sipping at, and Daiki can’t help it when he presses his tongue past them and into the smaller boy’s mouth so he can taste more. This kiss is deeper than their first one, more deliberate; they’re out on the sidewalk, where anyone could see, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is Tetsuya’s tongue moving against his, Tetsuya’s fingers gripping his jacket like a lifeline, like if he lets go he might disappear. Daiki knows this is another kind of thank-you, and he definitely doesn’t mind at all. Their bags are awkward over their shoulders, making it a little difficult to get the right angles to be completely comfortable, but it doesn’t matter.
He’s not sure exactly when he closed his eyes, but when Tetsuya breaks the kiss, he opens them slowly and takes in the look on the other boy’s face. That hand is still gripping his jacket, but he’s standing flat on his feet again instead of on his toes. Tetsuya studies him for a long moment, and then his fingers loosen on Daiki’s jacket and he lets his arm fall to his side, starting to walk again. “When will Aomine-kun take me on a date,” He says, sounding thoughtful, and Daiki blinks, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Huh? A date?” He thinks his face must look pretty priceless, because Tetsuya laughs-- the sound of it is just as quiet and reserved as his normal voice, but there’s something special about it that Daiki can’t put his finger on. He’s pretty sure he’s never heard Tetsuya laugh before, if he thinks about it.
“Aomine-kun,” he says, taking a sip of his shake and then licking his lips before speaking again, “It isn’t very polite to kiss someone if you don’t have the intention of taking it seriously. I think Aomine-kun isn’t like that, though. Or have I misjudged you?” He says it with a completely straight face, but Daiki can read the amusement in it.
“Tetsu, you’re a real piece of work. You know that, right?” Daiki says, fixing his bag on his shoulder.
“I was being serious. Aomine-kun should take me to see a movie,” Tetsuya licks at his lips again, looking thoughtful for awhile. “You could stay the night at my house, afterward.”
It’s funny, Daiki thinks, how someone so quiet and reserved as Tetsuya can be so blunt and forward about things in conversation. It’s a quality he respects; he knows Tetsuya won’t hold anything back when it counts. He’ll always speak his mind. “Fine,” Daiki mutters, never one to back down from a challenge. “But we can’t let any of the other guys find out beforehand. We’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Kise-kun will be upset,” Tetsuya nods, and Daiki makes a face, rolling his eyes.
“He’s always upset about something. You can make it up to him by passing the ball to him a little more in the next game, just this once.” Ryouta’s a good guy, and Daiki likes playing against him. He’s determined and eager to learn, and his copying skill makes him a great asset on the court. He’s another thing that will make their team unstoppable, and Daiki respects him. It doesn’t make him feel any kind of remorse, though, for monopolizing Tetsuya; why should he? Tetsuya is -his- shadow.
When he leaves Tetsuya at his house, the smaller boy holds his cup out, staring up at him blankly. “You can have the rest, Aomine-kun,” he says, “You bought it, after all.” Daiki closes his fingers around the cup and blinks, shrugging a little.
“Yeah, well. You deserved it, for playing so well.” He says, taking a sip absently and fixing his bag over his shoulder. “You’d better be ready for practice tomorrow, Tetsu! I won’t go easy on you even if you’re tired from the game.” He grins, and Tetsuya blinks, lips turning up into a faint smile.
“I promise not to go easy on you either, then,” he says, reaching to unlock the small gate in front of his house. “Goodnight, Aomine-kun.”
Daiki blinks, and Tetsuya is gone, the lights switching on in the front window of his house. Sometimes, he could swear Tetsuya’s actually a ghost. He sighs, shaking his head, and turns around to head back home.
It’s completely out of his way to walk the other boy home, but Daiki never minds it. If he’s supposed to be Tetsuya’s light, it’s just another thing that’s natural to him; he doesn’t think twice about it, he just does it. Besides, the extra walk keeps his muscles from cramping up after practice or a game, and it gives him time to think over things. Usually, it’d just be about the game, but tonight he’s got other things on his mind. More important things.
...Just what the hell is he supposed to do on a date, anyway?