Work Text:
“Friendship needs no words.”
-
Dag Hammarskjöld
“See you tomorrow!”
“Later!”
Teppei smiled the last of his teammates out the door before easing himself down on the nearest bench, one hand clasping his injured knee. As much as he hated it, he would have to start taking it easy soon. There were other people lined up for surgery before him because he had opted to wait until after the Winter Cup so he wouldn't even be able to start rehab anytime soon. The only doctors still available were the high-priced ones and even they would be busy at this time of year.
With a sigh, he leaned back on his hands, and then almost fell off the bench when he looked up and found a pair of blank blue eyes staring down at him.
“Holy-! Kuroko, when did you come back?!”
“I never left,” Kuroko stated flatly as he moved around to stand in front of Teppei. “I told Kagami-kun to go ahead. He was hungry.”
Teppei chuckled, recovering equilibrium. “Yeah, his stomach does seem more like a black hole than anything else.”
Kuroko didn't smile, and while Teppei wasn’t expecting him to, it was still one of the things that bothered him. No first-year should be so solemn all the time.
“Senpai, you shouldn't play on an injured knee.”
Teppei stilled and then grinned sheepishly up at him. “Ah, you noticed. I thought only Hyuuga knew, and Riko, since she sees just about everything. She’s still mad at me for keeping it quiet.”
Kuroko said nothing, only taking a seat on the opposite bench. His features were as impassive as ever but Teppei could sense the concern underneath, and the fact that the younger teen was here at all made him smile.
“There’s no need to worry,” He assured. “I just need to go through surgery and rehab, and then I’ll be back on my feet again.”
Again, Kuroko remained silent, gaze flicking down to Teppei’s knee before shifting back up again. Teppei paused, observing the teen carefully. If there was one thing he had learned about Kuroko, it was that he never did anything without a reason within a reason. That had been made clear when he had realized that Kuroko hadn't just wanted to defeat the other Generation of Miracles so they would, for lack of a better way to put it, pull their heads out of their asses. Teppei was fairly certain that Kuroko had also done it to prove his own worth with his own style of basketball.
Of course, Kuroko was also a relatively reserved person. Nothing and no one could get him to tell you something if he didn't want to so Teppei moved the conversation on to something else. Kuroko would tell him when he was good and ready.
“So I heard you all had a lot of fun over Christmas,” Teppei commented, just a little miffed that he had missed it. “And what’s this I hear from Riko that you were playing matchmaker?”
Kuroko doesn’t even blink. “She was caught under the mistletoe with Hyuuga-senpai.”
Teppei grinned. “And Riko was so sure she was pushed.”
He thought he might’ve caught the beginnings of a smug smile but it was stifled before it could fully surface. Again, he wasn’t surprised. From what he’d seen, only Kagami and a hard game won have ever been able to make Kuroko smile. And that Aomine brat of course. Teppei still wasn’t sure whether or not to be happy about that.
The sound of a phone going off cut into their conversation and the speed at which Kuroko had his phone out and opened told Teppei that this was what the first-year had been waiting for.
He didn't have long to wait before Kuroko had finished reading whatever text he had received and reached for his bag. Teppei thought it must have been Kagami texting Kuroko to hurry up but the first-year bypassed the strap of his bag and reached inside instead, withdrawing a small white card with black lettering printed neatly on one side.
Teppei blinked when Kuroko handed it to him. “What’s this?”
ORTHOPEDICS
Dr. Kazama Akihiko M.D.
Tel: 03-3350-6312 Fax: 03-3350-6344
Office Hours: 9:00 - 12:00, 13:30 - 18:30
Kurihashi Bldg. 2F, 3-14-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 150-0026
(Keio Univ. School of Medicine 1981; BICHAT-Hospital Paris, France, Orthopedic Surgery Association of Japan)
“If you don’t have anything to do on Saturday three weeks from now, Kazama-sensei can fit you in at two in the afternoon.”
Teppei was still having difficulty comprehending what Kuroko had handed him.
“Kuroko, I can’t take this,” He finally looked up, not sure whether to be shocked or embarrassed. “This doctor’s one of the best in Japan, maybe even the world. This guy’s way too expensive. There’s no way I can pay for what he’ll charge.”
“It’s fine. I’ll pay for it.”
Teppei sweatdropped at the blunt offer. Kuroko was always too straightforward. Other people might get offended. “I can’t let you do that either!”
Kuroko continued relentlessly. “Senpai, he can get you through surgery and rehab before next year’s Winter Cup. Maybe even before the end of the Interhigh Tournament.”
Teppei almost cringed at the surge of longing that came with hearing that. Kuroko knew exactly which buttons to push. “Th- That’s not the point!”
Kuroko stared at him, making no move to take back the business card when Teppei tried to hand it back. “...Then what if the whole team pitches in? We will all share the cost so that you can come back and help us win next year.”
Teppei scratched his head. “Kuroko...”
Damn, he wanted to say yes. The team would probably be all for it too. Riko would have them cleaning cars for money and exercise within an hour of finding out. “I- Well...”
“Senpai,”
Teppei glanced back at the younger teen and twitched at the large soulful eyes gazing back at him. “Kuroko...” He started warningly.
“We’re a team,” Kuroko cut in. “We need everyone to get through the tournament. We need you.”
Teppei stared at the first-year for a long minute, hand unconsciously curling around the business card. How could he possibly say no to that, especially when Kuroko knew how to wield puppy-dog eyes like nobody’s business?
“I have to talk to my parents about it,” Teppei said at last. “They shouldn't have a problem with however I go about paying though, as long as I don’t rob a bank or something. I was supposed to pay for it myself anyway, which was why I was going to wait for an open spot at the local hospital.”
He glanced back down at the card. “Are you sure, Kuroko? I mean, I still have to run this by the others but-”
A phone was thrust in his face and it took a moment to make out the words. “150000 yen?” He read aloud. “I thought the doctor rates were up to 300000 yen. At least.”
Kuroko shrugged, shoving his phone away and finally getting to his feet. “I have connections.”
Teppei blinked. That just sounded odd coming from a sixteen-year-old.
“It’s nothing illegal, is it?” He asked cautiously, only half-joking because he was starting to realize that Kuroko was the sort to go to any lengths to help those he cared about. Heck, the first-year had initially cut ties with his old teammates and then spent hours upon hours creating his own basketball style just to drag the Generation of Miracles down from their pedestals before they fell down.
Kuroko shook his head, completely serious, as if Teppei thinking Kuroko might do something illegal was perfectly normal.
“Okay then,” Teppei nodded and finally smiled again, shoulders relaxing for the first time since they had won the Winter Cup as he allowed himself to think of the possibility of playing again before he graduated. “I’ll run it by everyone tomorrow at practice.”
Kuroko nodded before bowing politely and heading for the door.
“Kuroko,”
The first-year paused in the doorway and glanced back over his shoulder.
Teppei grinned warmly at him. “Thanks.”
This time, Teppei knew Kuroko had smiled.
B.T.
Five days later, the entire Seirin team was going door-to-door selling freshly-baked cookies, muffins, pies, tarts, and anything else they could think of. Kagami-kun and Mitobe-kun had even whipped up soufflés and tortes, kept warm or cold in plastic but insulating containers that Kuroko-kun had in his house.
Riko had allowed Izuki-kun, Koganei-kun, and Tsuchida-kun to ream Teppei out after the rest of the team found out just how serious an injury the center had. She had had to hide a smile when Hyuuga-kun had clapped Kuroko-kun on the back with a fleeting look of heartfelt gratitude, but it was the way the entire team, first- and second-years, had rallied around the cause without hesitation and agreed to Kuroko’s plan with genuine enthusiasm that had made Riko want to cry.
They had needed official permission from the school of course, but after bringing home the Winter Cup, they were given some leeway and ‘raising money for the basketball team to fund next year’s chances of winning the championship title’ sounded good to everyone involved.
So, after Riko had managed to get the three first-years who hadn't seen Kuroko-kun’s house before as well as Teppei to stop horsing around and wowing at the indoor pool and court, they began cooking. Kuroko-kun had opened the second kitchen as well, which, according to him, hadn't been used in over a year. They had quickly given it a scrub-down before getting to work.
If Riko was bad at cooking without Kagami-kun hovering over her shoulder, then Teppei was downright dreadful. Within the first fifteen minutes, he had managed to blow up one of the stoves and had even Mitobe-kun chasing him out of the kitchen with a spatula.
Luckily, Teppei had his charm and, along with Izuki-kun, were currently in the lead for selling the most baked goods. Riko had a sneaking suspicion that Teppei wanted to do as much as possible since the money was technically for him.
Kagami-kun had the bad habit of threatening anybody who didn't want to buy anything and Mitobe-kun simply refused to talk so they had sent them both back to Kuroko-kun’s house to make more food in the end.
The rest of them weren't doing too badly either. She and Hyuuga-kun were working together with several boxes of pies in hand, Furihata-kun, Kawahara-kun, and Fukuda-kun were competing to see who would be able to sell the most, Koganei-kun and Tsuchida-kun had teamed up to take one block, and Kuroko-kun...
Well actually, she wasn't sure what Kuroko-kun was doing, exactly.
“We’re taking a break!” She hollered and there was a ragged cheer in response. They had been working for five hours now and it was long past lunchtime.
“Kuroko-kun,” Riko fell into step with the first-year, juggling with a few boxes and blushing lightly when Hyuuga-kun caught up with her and took them off her hands.
“Yes, Kantoku?”
“You've been on your phone all morning,” She pointed out lightly, not wanting to sound as if she was accusing him of not pulling his own weight. They wouldn't even be doing this if Kuroko-kun hadn't given them the option after all. “Is something wrong?”
Kuroko-kun blinked owlishly at her before showing her his cell. There was a list of text messages, all with...
“I thought we would be able to raise more money if we did delivery as well and spread the word like this,” Kuroko-kun explained. “I called Momoi-san, who ordered a lemon meringue pie, a dozen honey-glazed donuts, and a tiramisu cake. I texted Kagami-kun and Mitobe-senpai after that and they only had to make the cake since we already had the others back at the house. Kagami-kun went and delivered it before he and Mitobe-senpai started on the other orders I received. Ah, Momoi-san helped me spread the word so I’ve been getting other orders-”
He stopped abruptly when Riko threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug, trying to convey all the appreciation she felt that she couldn't put into words.
“Thank you, Kuroko-kun,” She said when she pulled back, not at all offended when the first-year didn't hug back. Kuroko-kun didn't seem very used to hugs aside from Momoi’s.
“Yeah, thanks,” Hyuuga-kun added, a rare inflection of fondness in his voice. “We thought Kiyoshi wouldn't be able to play again before we graduated but at this rate...”
Kuroko-kun nodded once, stoic as ever, before his phone rang and he quickly picked up. “Seirin Basketball Club Fundraiser, how may I help you?”
Riko had to smother a startled giggle at the greeting and listened closely as Kuroko-kun took down the order instead, pulling out a pad and pen and writing down the name, address, and list of baked goods with practiced efficiency.
“Thank you for your contribution. We will drop off your order tomorrow morning at nine.”
He hung up and immediately texted the order to Kagami-kun, who promptly sent back a confirmation text. The three of them had a whole business going and Riko hadn't known until now.
“Harasawa Katsunori,” Hyuuga-kun read out over Kuroko-kun’s shoulder and Riko did a double-take at the notebook. “Isn’t that Touou’s coach?”
Kuroko-kun nodded again, utterly oblivious to the stunned expressions Riko and Hyuuga-kun had adopted. “Yes. Momoi-san told her team. Then she called Kise-kun who told his team. Both teams told their families, and Kise-kun called Midorima-kun. From what I understood from Midorima-kun’s call, Kise-kun wouldn't stop bugging him until he told his team as well.”
“Midorima...” Hyuuga-kun repeated slowly, looking a bit dazed.
Kuroko-kun nodded. “Yes, he sounded very annoyed, but he ordered a dozen almond cookies and a torte.”
Riko couldn't help gaping a little. “Shuutoku, Kaijou, and Touou are buying from us?”
Kuroko-kun glanced down when his phone buzzed and a text popped up again. “And Seihou,” He frowned at the message. “Kasuga-san says he’ll buy five apple pies if I can get Tsugawa-kun to stop bothering him about a rematch with us.”
“...Huh?” Riko asked intelligently.
Kuroko-kun glanced at her. “Tsugawa-kun has wanted a practice match between our schools ever since the Winter Cup finished. Should I accept?”
Riko recalled the smart-mouthed brat who wouldn't shut up back during the Interhigh Prelims. Judging by the glint in Hyuuga-kun’s eyes, the captain remembered as well.
“It’s five apple pies,” Kuroko-kun reminded them helpfully just as Riko was going to give a resounding no.
“...Fine,” Riko agreed grudgingly. “But make it six. I’ll schedule something with their coach next week.”
Kuroko-kun nodded and dutifully sent off the correct text. The answer was prompt.
‘Agreed. Iwamura and I can take some time off our studies. Can we come too?’
Riko read the message and shared a confused look with Hyuuga-kun. “‘Come too’? Why wouldn't they?”
“Kasuga-san and Iwamura-san retired after the Interhigh Preliminaries,” Kuroko-kun revealed. “They decided to concentrate on getting accepted into colleges. Tsugaawa-kun told me in one of his texts,” He added when Riko opened her mouth to ask.
“Tell them yes,” Hyuuga-kun approved. “It’ll be fun to play them again.”
Kuroko-kun nodded once more and sent off the affirmation.
‘Great. See you then. We won’t lose this time.’
Riko smiled at the reply as Hyuuga-kun smirked in anticipation. That was the type of answer all of them wanted to hear.
The house had come into sight before Riko remembered something. “Kuroko-kun, did Aomine-kun order anything?”
Kuroko-kun glanced over at her before the faintest of smiles graced his features. “Aomine-kun was the one who got all the Touou regulars to buy something.”
As Kuroko-kun headed up the steps and into his house, Riko and Hyuuga-kun exchanged a glance.
While neither of them had anything against Aomine-kun personally and, of course, Kagami-kun was Kuroko-kun’s Light now, they couldn't help thinking back to the easy camaraderie between the two former teammates during Christmas. It wasn’t something that construed as a real threat but what if...
What if Kuroko-kun wanted to go back to playing with Aomine-kun one day?
B.T.
Tetsuya couldn't understand why he had received so many hugs from Aida-senpai lately. Not as much as Momoi-san would give him back in Teikou and even now but more than usual, which was... actually zero. One after the Winter Cup, with a kiss to the cheek thrown in, but she had done that for everyone.
Hyuuga-senpai didn't seem to mind either so Tetsuya shrugged it off and stood through the hugs with his usual indifference.
Other than that, the team was relatively the same, perhaps even closer than before as they spent most of their time together. Practice before school now, then classes, lunch which was also spent together most of the time, especially the regulars, and then heading over to his house after school to continue their fundraising venture.
While he was content to blend into the background and keep himself company, Tetsuya had to admit it was... refreshing to walk into his house and find his teammates lounging on a couch or cooking dinner in the kitchen or playing basketball on his court. They never made him feel as if they were only there because of his money either; the ingredients to any meal they ate at his house, courtesy of Kagami-kun or Mitobe-senpai, were always paid for by the team, and when Aida-senpai’s father’s gym had to close for renovations for a few days and they had had to move practice to his house (something Tetsuya had had to volunteer), Aida-senpai and even Hyuuga-senpai had asked repetitively the first day if he was sure he didn't want to charge rent. Tetsuya had had to put his foot down and adamantly refuse the money they had tried to give him.
Most of all, he was glad to have friends over, and his house was nowhere near as empty as it used to feel.
At the moment though, two and a half weeks after they had first started the fundraiser, the team was gathered in Tetsuya’s house, going through all the money they had gathered.
“148200 yen,” Izuki-senpai announced happily. “Almost there, and we’ve still got four days before Kiyoshi’s surgery.”
Tetsuya, along with their coach and captain, had already accompanied Kiyoshi-senpai to the hospital for a full medical check-up two weeks ago. He had stayed outside to wait for them, not wanting to bump into the very doctor he had recommended. He hadn't been kidding when he had told Kiyoshi-senpai that he had connections. It would only be a matter of time before his team found out though.
“I really appreciate this,” Kiyoshi-senpai spoke up from his spot on the couch. Even the nurses had been reluctant but they had agreed that he could spend his time outside of the hospital if he stayed off his knee, and Aida-senpai had risen to the occasion wonderfully, keeping the restless center either on crutches or in a wheelchair ever since.
“WE KNOW!” Most of the team called back. Kiyoshi-senpai had been repeatedly thanking them with the sort of dedication reserved for priests for weeks now.
“Drop it, Kiyoshi,” Hyuuga-senpai advised. “We’ve been over this. Besides, this is just as much for us as it is for you. We need you on the team with us. Those Generation of Miracles will be stronger than ever next year.”
“We’ll beat them,” Kagami-kun said confidently, spinning a basketball on one finger. “’Specially that Akashi bastard.”
Tetsuya glanced sharply at his partner. “You know by now that Akashi-kun is the smartest of the six of us. He will not be easy to defeat again.”
Kagami-kun shot him a cocky smirk. “Oh c’mon, Kuroko. You and I can do it. No matter how strong he gets, we’ll blow past him with our basketball.”
Tetsuya couldn't help smiling at these words. He quickly lost the smile and winced when Hyuuga-senpai whacked them both upside the head.
“Don’t make it sound like you're the only ones who are going to take him on!” Their captain lectured, sounding equally annoyed and exasperated. “Seriously, what are the rest of us? The cheering squad?”
“Well,” Kagami-kun eyed him with barely concealed amusement. “I don’t think they have a dress your size, Capta- ow!”
“Shut it, first-year!” Hyuuga-senpai whacked him again, but even he was smiling.
“We’re not gonna be first-years for much longer,” Kagami-kun muttered, rubbing his head.
“And by that time, we’ll be third-years,” Hyuuga-senpai retorted. “So you’ll still be bossed around.”
The other senpais laugh and even Tetsuya gets a playful elbow in the ribs as Izuki-senpai declared that they’d all still be used to fetch lunch for the seniors.
Tetsuya listened to the jokes and banter as calmly as he always did but wondered, privately, if Aomine-kun or Murasakibara-kun or Akashi-kun would willingly sit with their team and just have fun. He was fairly certain Kise-kun did, or at least he did now, and Midorima-kun had Takao-kun to drag him everywhere, but the others-
“Kuroko, you’ll be coming with us when we go with Teppei for moral support, right?” Aida-senpai was asking, and Tetsuya nodded. He grimaced inwardly when he remembered just who he would probably have to speak to come Saturday.
B.T.
They arrived early, and while Kiyoshi was being prepped, the rest of the team gathered in the waiting room and made themselves comfortable. Junpei, having gotten used to keeping half an eye on Kuroko whenever he was present just so he wouldn't lose him, immediately noticed the way the first-year seemed to be fading into the background even more than usual.
Before Junpei could do more than throw a suspicious glance in the teen’s direction however, Kazama-sensei appeared, exchanging a few words with a nurse before nodding once and sending her off.
For a forty-something-year-old man, the doctor looked surprisingly young, barely any visible age lining his features. He had a shock of white hair that reached his jawline and vivid green eyes that conveyed genuine kindness. The man had easily put Teppei at ease when they had gone for the check-up a few weeks back.
“Hello again,” Kazama-sensei nodded at them, looking to Junpei and Riko first before his gaze swept the whole group. “Kiyoshi-kun has a lot of friends. Don’t worry; the surgery is fairly simple, and I’ve done it several times before. He’ll be back out with all of you in a few hours, and then it’ll be keeping all that energy he’s got reigned in while he goes through rehab that will be the hard part.”
Junpei grimaced at the very thought. Kiyoshi liked to be on his feet, especially when it came to basketball. Keeping him off his feet, especially after the surgery, was going to be a chore and a half.
“Thank you, Kazama-sensei,” He said out loud instead. “It must have been hard fitting him in so quickly.”
The genial smile faltered a little and the doctor glanced around again. “Ah yes, it isn’t often Tetsuya asks anything from me. I couldn't refuse. I'm surprised he isn’t here though. He must care for Kiyoshi-kun very much to have asked me at all.”
There was a shocked silence and Junpei had to tell himself to stop staring stupidly at the doctor. “Wait, Kuroko called you?”
Another half-hearted smile. “No, he texted me. Tetsuya isn’t one for talking.”
Another heartbeat passed before Riko spoke up from beside him, already looking around. “But Kuroko-kun is here. Did anyone see where he went? Kagami-kun, wasn’t he with you?”
Kagami shrugged, frowning down one of the hallways. “He said he had to go to the bathroom.”
Junpei glanced back at the doctor and did a double-take at the hopeful look on his face.
“Tetsuya came?” There was almost an eager note in the man’s voice.
“He came last time too,” Junpei volunteered slowly. “He waited outside though. We just thought he didn't like hospitals. You know him?”
Kazama-sensei ran a hand through his hair. “You could say that,” He sighed when his pager went off. “Alright, it’s time for me to get back to work. Leave Kiyoshi-kun to me. He’ll be just fine.”
With a last nod, the man turned and disappeared through a nearby door, white coat flapping behind him.
“Is Kiyoshi-senpai entering surgery now?”
The entire team let out a yell and jumped a foot in the air at the unexpected voice as their eyes immediately snapped over to where Kuroko was once again standing next to Kagami.
“Kuroko-kun!” Riko rounded on him, eyes narrowed. “You didn't tell us you actually knew Kazama-sensei!”
Kuroko blinked back, as impassive as ever and Junpei honestly wondered where he had learned it.
“It wasn’t really important,” Kuroko said.
“Well, who is he then?” Kagami asked, peering down at Kuroko, and Junpei was glad it was the power forward who had posed the question. Kuroko rarely avoided answering his partner.
“...A close friend of my father’s,” Kuroko revealed, and then paused before adding quietly, “Also my godfather.”
“EEHH?!”
Junpei raised an eyebrow as half the team exclaimed their surprise. He can’t help studying the first-year even closer. For the first time since Junpei had met Kuroko, his kouhai looked... uncomfortable. Just a little, and largely unnoticed but he could tell that Kagami had seen and was frowning even more heavily now.
“Well, he’s fixing Kiyoshi-senpai up right now,” Kagami said loudly over the babble of voices. “The doc said we’re probably gonna have a hard time forcing him to take it easy during rehab though.”
And again, Junpei only caught the sliver of relief that flickered, lightning-fast, through Kuroko’s eyes because he was looking for it. He glanced at Kagami and snorted mentally when he found the tall first-year scowling at him. The brat was ten years too early to be ordering him around.
Nonetheless, Junpei took one last look at Kuroko before throwing in his two cents about the issue Kagami had brought up and warning everyone that Kiyoshi would be ridiculously hard to handle.
Riko shot him a knowing look but didn't call him out on it. Kuroko didn't seem too happy talking about his godfather or anything parent-related either, and it was the least they could all do to avoid the touchy subject.
At least until Junpei thought it necessary to step in. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kuroko’s so-far-nonexistent mother and father didn't make the best parents in the world.
B.T.
The surgery was a success, and while Kiyoshi-senpai slept off the last of the anesthesia, the rest of the team went out to hunt for food.
Tetsuya, on the other hand, knew he couldn't put off at least dropping a word to his godfather for doing this for him so he headed to where he knew Hiko-san’s office was, only to be stopped by the secretary. He was fairly certain he could’ve slipped past her without the woman being any the wiser but the office door was locked so he wouldn't have been able to get in anyway.
The woman was irritatingly stubborn about appointments and schedules and Tetsuya had just begun talking himself out of this whole course of action with a perfectly plausible excuse in place when the very man he was asking to see came out with a clipboard and a sheaf of papers in one hand.
Their eyes met and both of them froze so it was the secretary who stridently told Tetsuya to leave.
“It’s alright, Aizawa-san,” Hiko-san interrupted, not taking his eyes off Tetsuya. “He can come in. In fact, Kuroko Tetsuya is allowed access to my office at any time, whether or not I’m in. Understand?”
Aizawa-san looked a bit put out but nodded grudgingly and sat back down again as Tetsuya breezed past her and entered the office.
“So it’s... been a while.”
Tetsuya nodded stoically as Hiko-san closed the door behind him and circled around to stand beside his desk, a tentative smile on his face.
“How have you been?”
“Fine,” Tetsuya replied mechanically. “And you?”
A flash of frustration crossed Hiko-san’s features. “Come on, Tetsuya, don’t do this. I’m not your mother or father. You don’t have to-”
Tetsuya had heard it all before and he had no desire to hear it all again so he interrupted with uncharacteristic rudeness, “I just came to thank you for fitting Kiyoshi-senpai in on such short notice.” He sketched a respectful bow. “Thank you very much. It means a lot to senpai and the team.”
Tetsuya considered turning and walking out now but if there was one thing his parents had drilled into him when he had been younger and didn't understand that being paraded in front of crowds of wealthy elite didn't mean that his parents were proud of him, it was manners. Interrupting was bad enough; simply walking out without a word of farewell wasn’t something Tetsuya was willing to do.
Hiko-san didn't say anything for a long moment, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he had created his own poker face to deal with all the guests at his parents’ parties by the time he was six (unsurprisingly, that had also been the time when his parents had slowly stopped showing off their kid), he would have started fidgeting under his godfather’s gaze.
“You’re welcome,” Hiko-san finally said, followed by a heavy sigh. “I’m glad I could help. They’re your new basketball team, right?”
Tetsuya nodded silently.
“They seem like good kids,” His godfather tried again. “You did very well at the Winter Cup.”
Tetsuya was about to nod again but when the words registered, even he couldn't stop himself from freezing.
“...You were at the Winter Cup?” He asked at last.
Hiko-san nodded earnestly. “Of course. I've been to as many of your matches as possible. You and... Kagami-kun, was it? You two make a good team.”
Tetsuya didn't know what to say so he went to his default reaction and said nothing, waiting out the silence instead.
“...How was your Christmas?” Hiko-san ventured, obviously seizing onto another topic when the first one ran its course prematurely.
Tetsuya tried not to frown. “It was fine. I spent it with my team.”
“Ah, your parents didn't-”
Tetsuya turned away sharply. “I should go,” He said curtly. “My team will be waiting for me.”
“Tetsuya-” Hiko-san stepped forward so quickly he tripped over one of the legs of his desk and the paperwork in his hands fluttered to the ground.
They both stared at the ground for several seconds before Tetsuya bent down and gathered the sheets at his feet. Hiko-san did the same after a moment and they worked in awkward silence until they were standing again.
“My door is always open, Tetsuya,” Hiko-san said when Tetsuya made to turn away again. “I’m sorry I didn't tell your father-”
Tetsuya really wanted to leave, wanted to get out, and as if on cue, there was a commotion outside, the secretary’s voice rising to a shrill yell before the office door burst open. Hiko-san must have forgotten to lock it again.
Tetsuya’s eyes widened when he found Kagami-kun standing there, eyebrows twitching with annoyance as the secretary continued trying to get him to leave the premises but focusing on Tetsuya after a dismissive glance over at Hiko-san.
“Oi, Kuroko, we’re leaving,” Kagami-kun said in his usual brisk way. “Kantoku’s threatening you with more planks if you don’t hurry up.”
Maybe some of the gratitude he was feeling managed to surface on his face after all because Kagami-kun’s expression darkened with a scowl and he shot a borderline accusing glare at Tetsuya’s godfather before reaching in and hauling Tetsuya forward.
“Let’s go,” Kagami-kun nodded tersely at Hiko-san, who looked mildly stunned at the sudden turn of events, before dragging Tetsuya away without a backwards glance.
“You're an idiot, you know that?” Kagami-kun berated him as soon as they cleared the office area and could no longer hear the secretary. “If you don’t want to talk to the guy, then you shouldn't have gone in the first place.”
Tetsuya squirmed in his partner’s unrelenting grip. “I was thanking him.”
“Then you should have thanked him in front of that banshee and left while you had the chance,” Kagami-kun grumbled, finally releasing him as they turned a corner and their team came into view.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Aida-senpai waved them over. “We were just going to send someone to find you.”
Tetsuya blinked and then turned an enquiring look up at Kagami-kun. His partner was staring off to the side, hands in his pockets and his signature frown on his face as his lie was discovered.
Tetsuya turned back and hid a smile. He’d treat Kagami-kun to as many burgers as he wanted tonight.
B.T.
The practice match against Seihou brought a crowd and a half and by the end of the game – 112-98 to Seirin – Riko was pretty sure she had seen even Aomine-kun hanging around at the back. The word had somehow gotten out and it was good publicity so the school had opened the doors to the spectators.
What Riko was most taken aback about was the way half the Seihou regulars – or temporary regulars in Iwamura-kun and Kasuga-kun’s case – came over to talk to Kuroko-kun, who was mostly quiet on a good day. Thinking back, the match against Seihou during the Interhigh Prelims had been at least half Kuroko-kun’s game. They would never have won that one without the first-year’s delayed pass at the end of the game, as well as all the other invisible passes he had dealt from behind Seihou’s defense. Tsugawa-kun had even sought him out after the game, if only because of his hurt pride, but if Kuroko-kun was in contact with one of them, then it wasn’t so surprising that he would be on friendly terms with the others.
That didn't stop her from eavesdropping though and Riko sidled over and pretended to go through her bag as she listened to the conversation.
“That was a good game,” Kasuga-kun was smiling, towel in hand. “Kagami went easy though.”
“We’re out of practice,” Iwamura-kun scowled. “And your senpais have gotten even better as well.”
Riko had to fight down the reflex to chuck something hard at the first-year Seihou brat as he blurted out, “Damn it! I was so close to beating you, Kuroko! And without that center, Seirin’s got to be weaker! One more game-”
Kasuga-kun slapped him upside the head. “Filter, Tsugawa,” He reminded before turning back to Kuroko-kun. “Thanks for the game. It’s nice to be back out on the court.”
Kuroko-kun nodded. “How are your studies coming along?”
Kasuga-kun offered a half-smile, half-grimace. “It’s coming. Quite busy though. And the grades needed to get into Todai are pretty high.”
“Fortunately, I’m not aiming for Todai,” Iwamura-kun said ruefully. “So I don’t have to pull as many all-nighters as Kasuga to catch up with all the work we’ve put off since the tournaments.”
“It’s not fair that you can’t do both,” Tsugawa-kun complained. “The new regulars are pathetic-”
This time, Iwamura-kun picked the first-year up by the back of his jersey and proceeded to haul him off. “’Til next time,” The second-year called back as he dragged Tsugawa-kun away.
Kasuga-kun just sighed before clapping Kuroko-kun on the shoulder. “See you later, Kuroko. Drop by sometime when you’re free. You can help me study.”
With a last passing grin, the second-year ducked into the visitors’ changing room after his teammates, bag in hand.
Riko had to remind herself to concentrate on packing up again as Kuroko-kun made his way over to do the same. For someone with such a weak presence, Riko had always thought that, besides the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko-kun only had the team to hang out with. It never really occurred to her that the other teams would even remember him much less want to befriend him as well.
Which was pretty mean of her, Riko admitted with a wince.
“Kantoku,”
Kuroko-kun’s voice made Riko start and she hastily turned her attention to the first-year. “Yes, Kuroko-kun?”
There was a stilted pause before Kuroko-kun forged on. “My birthday is next week. I would like to treat everyone to dinner. I have already asked Kagami-kun and the other first-years and they have agreed to come. So have Koganei-senpai and Tsuchida-senpai. Will you be free on Thursday?”
Riko stared for a frozen moment before diving into her bag and digging out the file that she kept all her players’ info in. There it was: January 31st, Kuroko-kun’s birthday. She could’ve slapped herself.
“Yes, yes, of course I’ll be free,” Riko assured sheepishly. “But shouldn't we be treating you?”
Kuroko-kun shook his head, the faintest of smiles on his face. “No. This is what I prefer.”
With a nod, Kuroko-kun hurried away, making a beeline towards Hyuuga-kun, Izuki-kun, and Mitobe-kun on the far side of the gym.
Riko watched him go with a fond smile. The others teams may be encroaching on Kuroko-kun’s time, but it had undoubtedly been Seirin that had started drawing Kuroko-kun out of the shadows.
~Fini~