Chapter Text
Taiga slept like shit last night, the same as before every big game. He'd been tossing and turning, eyes wide open, imagining getting to play Touou again. How he'd stop Sakurai's threes, how he'd face Wakamatsu, how he'd go toe-to-toe with Daiki and win. That's the important one, obviously. How will he cope with seeing him in an official game again, now that they're dating? It'll be fine, right?
School dragged. It always does before every big game. He slept during the breaks, and sometimes during class, and went the extra mile to conserve his energy at lunch. Every so often, his hand absently toyed with the ring on his chain. He thought of how he had hurt Tatsuya by going easy on him. It took years for them to recover from that mistake. He wouldn't, this evening. That's a promise. He'll go all out, and if Daiki had a problem with that— no. Daiki won't. That's what he wants too.
He said so himself. They had called before bed to discuss the game, and how they both expect to win. It'll be fun. Whatever happens. This is the consequence to dating your rivals, and they sure as hell won't be breaking up just because Touou loses the Interhigh Championships this year. Fuck that.
As the team are on the bus over to the stadium, Taiga sits with his headphones on, and the world drowned out around him. He's focusing. He will enter the Zone, he will support his team as he did last year during the Winter Cup, and he will win. And Daiki will love him anyway. He'll love him just the same. That's what he said. That's what Taiga said to him, too. This is the point in time where the story starts. It's not yesterday, it's not at the very second the game begins. It's now, while he's grounding himself. Kuroko sits beside him, similarly quiet. They make eye-contact just as Taiga is reaching for his necklace again, and he thinks that Kuroko understands what he's worried about. He keeps to himself, but their shoulders make contact reassuringly.
Taiga gets a call through his headphones, and swipes on his phone to answer it.
"Hiiiiiiii, baby," Daiki's low voice drawls in all its noise-cancelling, bass boosted glory. "You on your way already?"
"You're awake this time. That's a good start."
"D' you sleep last night?"
Ummmmm. Uhhhhh.
Daiki sighs. "Go figure."
"Your parents still coming?"
"Don't think about that, it doesn't matter."
"I want them there, D—" ha, not gonna call him Daiki in front of his team! Nope. He's not chatting to today's rival ace! He glances at Hyuuga and the other upperclassmen. Maybe he shouldn't call, after all. "Can't talk right now, I'm tryin'a get into a good headspace for later."
"Hold your horses, McQueen, I wanna talk about that."
"What the fuck's a McQueen?"
"Kachow?" ???
"What?"
"Nevermind." ?????
"Kachow?" Taiga grins. "That's fuckin' stupid. Say it again."
"No."
"Why'd you say it like a question, like that would help me figure out what the fuck you're talking about?"
"If you were smart, you'd know what I was talking about," Daiki drawls, "cultured. You were raised in America, and he's an American legend. You literally have my racing jacket at yours right now."
"I'm wearing it, actually,"
"You're a fake fan. Fucking embarrassing."
"He's a Ferrari guy? The hell was I supposed to know that!! I dunno shit about racing."
"You don't know shit about a lotta things."
"Calling me stupid?"
"Maybe, you gonna do somethin' about it?"
"Yeah, bitch. Gonna wipe the floor with you."
"Bitch? You're the bitch! The fuck do you think you're calling a bitch?"
Taiga's heckles raise, "don't be mad at me! It's just trash talk!"
"I call you baby and you call me bitch. Fucking unbelievable."
"Oiii! Five KP own basket."
"Own basket? You're supposed to want to kiss me, y'know."
He's fine. Chill out. Taiga's blushing, even though he knows nobody can hear the conversation.
"What'd you wanna say?"
"Don't just change the subject,"
"Don't rile me up about non-game shit, then!" Taiga pouts, glaring out the window. "I need to focus."
"So serious. Fine. I just wanted to remind you that I'll never forgive you if you fuck around today. Even if something happens, if there's an injury or some shit—"
"Are you hurt? You're telling me now?"
"No. Well— I'm taped, but—"
"Fuck, is it your arm?"
"It's just my shoulder,"
"Your shoulder?"
"It's nothing. It's literally nothing. I'm just warning you 'cause I know you're gonna get all in your head about it when you see. It's just sports tape, anyway, not like bound up or anything. Looks kinda cool, actually. Like a tattoo or something."
"Can you be serious for a second? You're fucking injured?"
Daiki huffs. "Don't be weird about it. I couldn't hide it, so I wanted to tell you before you saw me. I got it in my game against four eyes the other day."
"I didn't realise that hurt so bad,"
"Yeah. So, what'd I just say? Gimmie a recap of our agreement."
"You're injured."
"No,"
"Don't fuck around or you're— I dunno, you didn't say."
"Don't fuck around. I didn't say anything else." Wasn't it something about… never forgiving him? It's probably for the best that he's taken that back. "We're cool. It's just a game. Taiga, I'm serious. Don't lump me in with shit your brother did years ago."
"D—" don't call him Daiki! "Yeah. I know all that already, you said this yesterday."
"Yeah, fine, alright," he sighs, "annoying. And I know you focus by thinking about how much you hate the other team, but I'm kinda getting a kick outta thinking you're getting riled up like that about me again. You hate me, Taiga?" He sounds so sly, it's awful. "Do I make you mad? You gonna sit there and hate me for the game?"
That… doesn't sound good. He's making it dirty, he just knows it. Taiga closes his eyes, deeply embarrassed. "You're makin' that so easy right now."
"I ain't scared of you, tiger cub."
"That's worse than bitch,"
"Fuck you,"
"Fuck you," Taiga's smirking as his eyes reopen.
"Ahh, gotta go. Love you, dumbass. See you on the court."
"Ditto."
Daiki hangs up. This weekend, they'll go to Maji's after a one-on-one, and things will be normal. Tonight, he's going to set aside that Daiki is his boyfriend. He's going to set aside that the Aomine parents are both at the game, and banished from his mind are the messages Momoi passed on from them about how they'll be cheering for them.
Seirin arrives at the stadium, and head straight for the locker rooms. People are expecting them to win, because they did last year. They're also expecting Touou to put up a nasty fight about it. That's what Taiga wants. It's no fun otherwise.
He refocuses by thinking of his team, of the pillars of Seirin counting on him for their victory. Unfortunately, his mind turns to the successes of last year. The differences then, to now. The complication of dating someone on a rival team. He feels reassured by the stupid phone call that Daiki doesn't hate him now, and won't hate him later. Hearing love you still makes him nervous and sweaty in a good way. The best possible way. Yeah. They'll be fine. It'll be like their one-on-ones (that Taiga rarely wins). But… what if they lose the game? What if they lose, and the one difference between beating Rakuzan in the finals last year, and playing the Interhigh this year, is that Taiga's dating a rival? That's a surefire distraction. He is fuelled by anger, but he's also fuelled by the love for his team, and the sport. What if he's distracted by other things going on?
And if they do lose, and it's Taiga's fault, what then? What the fuck then?
Having no answer to that question, it takes root in his mind. It festers. Loud music doesn't help to distract him, and team chatter doesn't help as they finish getting ready. Kuroko grounds him enough to get him on the court, but he feels all… gross. He isn't stressed about Daiki. He isn't. He's stressed that he hasn't been able to beat him enough in one-on-ones. He's stressed that his team don't know they're dating, and what if they find out, and what if something bad happens, and what if they all blame him for their loss — if they lose today?
"Kagami," Kuroko says out of the blue, once their warm up begins, "we'll win."
"Yeah,"
"You spoke to him on the bus,"
"Yeah,"
"And he reassured you?"
"He started talking about race car drivers, or something."
Kuroko looks disappointed. "What a waste."
"He also said some stuff like that. It's fine, I ain't worrying about him. It's me."
"We believe in you, Kagami. We'll carry each other to victory, just as we did last year."
It's hard not to listen when he looks at you like that. Kuroko is made of steel and determination, blood, guts, and fury. He's every bit as driven as Taiga is, more so even. He's the razor's edge. He's the love of the game. They fist bump.
Touou enter the court. Knowing full well that the eyes of the refs, and most likely the audience, will be on them, Taiga jogs over to talk some serious trash at the person he loves most in the world.
"Yo,"
"Long time no see, Kagami," Daiki smirks, holding his hand out. Taiga takes it in a casual handshake, palms pressing together, thumbs upward, fingers dragging across fingers as they disconnect.
"Where's your mom?"
"Don't freak out about this, dude," he sighs, "I told 'em not to come."
"Where is she?"
Daiki gestures to his left, above the main entrance doors. Taiga cups his hands around his eyes to shield himself from the bright lights overhead, and sure enough, he notices someone in the audience waving. She's got darker skin than Daiki, and long blue hair, and she's sat next to a big dude with dark hair. Bingo! The Aomines.
Taiga waves, they both raise their hands, then he points at Daiki, and draws his thumb across his own throat. He can't see them that clearly, but they clap, and he's pretty sure Mr Aomine gives him a thumbs up. Was that woo! from Mrs Aomine just now?
"Don't involve them in your fucking trash talk!"
One of the refs jogs over. Shit. They're kidding around!
"Good luck, man," he says, "you're gonna need a hug from your mommy after you lose today."
"Good grief," he should have known Daiki wouldn't wish him good luck back! "You talk so much shit," Daiki turns his back, and returns to his side of the court. Ha! He's alright. If he's gonna sulk, that's for the best. He's definitely sulking, Taiga can hear him muttering expletives as he wanders away.
"Kise's here today," Kuroko says as soon as Taiga has returned. "He texted me this morning."
"I know, texted me too. He nearly kicked our ass last time. I can't wait to see him again."
"Can you two idiots stop daydreaming about games we haven't even earned yet?" Hyuuga bounces a basketball at them. "Time to get serious!"
Yeah! Taiga's always been good at compartmentalising, right? (No.) He can totally disconnect how he feels about losing with the game at hand. He'd always feel bad about losing, whether his opponent is his boyfriend or Kise, or Tatsuya. It's all the same. They're all guys he's beaten before, and guys he'll beat again.