Chapter Text
Today is a Saturday, Kagami noted. Every Saturday, he wakes up at six in the morning, prepares breakfast, takes a bath, and then jogs to the street court to play one-on-one. There, he’ll warm up, play on his own, and then wait for his rival to show up.
Aomine would probably wait today. He cringed at the thought. The guilt was eating him up. After all, I never answered his emails and calls yesterday.
Yesterday was his eighteenth birthday and he spent it with his…soul—
He probably knew—so there’s a possibility that he won’t…but the thought of not playing basketball with Aomine Daiki is too much to handle.
For the first time in years, Kagami will not show up without telling the other boy. Of course there are times before where he can’t make it, those times were rare and he made sure to leave a message or two. Just when I was sick, when I have to practice with my team, and when I’m out of town.
Today is not one of those Saturdays. He whispered to himself. But the question is will there be Saturdays like that again.
Instead of doing his usual routine, he woke up two hours earlier all thanks to the throbbing pain inside his head that almost kept him awake all night and the searing white noise that made it impossible to focus. The redhead wished he stopped Kise when he left his apartment yesterday.
In no time, he was locking his apartment’s door and dashing towards the nearest train station. I’m going to Kanagawa and I’m still wearing the clothes I wore before my birthday. I probably stink. He wrinkled his nose.
But something inside him aches to be with his soul—Kise. There’s just this addicting feeling that he felt when Kise enveloped him with his arms yesterday, something warm and contentment blooms inside.
Sooner or later Kagami will talk to Aomine. But not today. He felt his heart broke by the thought that the need to see his soul mate, there he admitted it, is much stronger that his will to explain things to Aomine.
Love of my life? He shivered at the sappy thought, the throbbing of his head worsened as if telling him to behave.
After an hour and fifteen minutes, he was standing at the Kanagawa station wondering why in the world he did such stupid thing. It’s becoming crowded and he’s becoming more and more desperate to escape the place and see that warm smile and affectionate look of his soul—
The problem is, he paled, I don’t know where exactly Kise lives. And he’s just a Tokyo-boy who never wandered around the other prefectures of Japan—in other words, Kagami Taiga is fucking lost while having an emotional constipation with an additional headaches and nauseating noises here and there.
“I’ll call Kise.” But at the same time, his phone vibrated. “Oh for Pete’s sake.” It was Aomine. Aomine Daiki was calling him at five in the morning! Three days ago, the redhead would think that only a miracle can actually wake the tan boy earlier than nine.
“K-kagami?” Aomine’s voice was full of concern and doubt. “Hey.”
“Hey Aho.” Kagami rolled his eyes. “What made you woke up so early?”
The other boy chuckled and sighed in relief. Kagami can picture the corner of Aomine’s lips lift into a soft smile. He’s rolling his eyes too. I know he’s hugging his pillow as well, and then picking his ears with his pinky.
“I don’t know.” Aomine said playfully. “Someone ignored me yesterday and—and because of that I failed to congratulate him. It was his birthday.”
“Oh—“ Because honestly, what can Kagami say? I’m sorry I was just having an emotional breakdown because I thought you were my soul mate and then I saw Kise’s kanji characters on my wrist and I just can’t accept it. I’m sorry because I was actually enjoying my time with him, though I’m also dying inside because I wanted your name to appear on my wrist! “Oh, right. Yesterday’s my birthday.” He settled for that and asked whoever out there to take the headache and white noise away for a few minutes.
“Right.” Aomine chuckled once again. “Congratulations for being born Kagami.” He said.
“I—“ But the lump inside his throat made it impossible for him to speak. He tried swallowing it but only sobs came out. He was crying again. And he didn’t care how pathetic he looks like.
“Hey…” The other boy said softly. He said it with all the understanding he can muster. “Hey Taiga, I’m really thankful that you are born.”
The redhead managed to say a whispered thank you.
“C-can I ask you for something?” The bluenette hesitantly asked.
Please, not about the soul mate encryption. Kagami prayed. “Depends…”
“Stay by my side until August 31?” Aomine said. “At least don’t ignore me.”
“I can’t promise you that.” He took another deep breath while he dried his eyes with his sleeves.
“Then…” Aomine waited. “I’m ending this call. I need to—“
“Aomine wait.” The redhead whispered. “Wait.”
“Hmmn?”
“About today’s one-on-one.”
“Ah, well too bad Bakagami. I’m going to sleep all day so you don’t have to go to the street court today.” Aomine whispered back. “I haven’t slept since yesterday asshole.”
“What?!”
“Relax.” Aomine’s tone implied a smirk. “I’m sleeping all day! Plus, it’s already summer break, we can play as much as we want.”
“Alright then.”
“Alright.”
Kagami waited for Aomine to end the call but a minute passed and he can still feel the bluenette listening on the other side. Instead of pushing the red button, he listened to the soft breathing and dared not point out about the sobs from time to time.
“Hey Aomine…are you sleeping?” He whispered once again.
“I can’t.” Aomine answered, voice trembling.
“Aomine—“ His brain told him not to say the words—but. “I loved you.”
There was a gasp, Aomine was laughing and choking and he’s not making any sense but he said “I love you Bakagami, I still do” before finally ending the call.
The redhead felt like he just cheated. Which is true stupid. He told himself. The headache and white noise increased, almost unbearable and the only thing that sticks to his mind was I probably deserve this torture.
Kise was able to live with the pain for a month now. He figured out that the best thing to do when it’s too much was to think of the days he spent with his soul mate. It never went away but it’s the only option he had.
Now, because of what happened yesterday, he was able to sleep in peace. Finally! And even though it was hard to pull away and leave the redhead alone in his apartment, he had to. He knew his limits. It’s not selfish to comfort my soul mate right? He felt like an asshole, yes, but he has the right to claim the redhead.
Not until he’s ready and accepted me. He said to himself for the hundredth time.
He was mildly irritated when his phone rang. He knew he set his alarm off…no school and no work—and someone’s bothering me this early? After more than a month I already slept in peace and dreamed about my Kagamicchi—
“It’ll stop.” He tried to picture his previous dream and ignored the call. “Think about Kagamicchi.”
His phone went off once again and he was too pissed off to focus thinking about the redhead and the way Kagami succumb to his arms yesterday. He was half way saying “It’s too early-ssu, call me after two hours” when the only voice that can calm his head and heart down caught his attention.
“Kagamicchi?” With an odd expression, he checked the caller ID and oh it is Kagamicchi.
He can hear Kagami’s sigh of relief. Of course. Kise thought. He should’ve told the redhead that one way to ease the annoying pain is to think of their time together if they’re distance from each other.
The blonde even forced Kagami to let him sleepover in his house for a week the moment Kise saw Kagami’s name on his wrist. It’s hard but you’ll get used to it. He said yesterday. But I don’t want Kagamicchi to feel that torture—
“Kise.” Kagami took a deep breath. “That’s better.”
“Remember that time when I forced you to let me stay at your place?” The blonde chuckled.
“Y-yeah.”
“Do you want me to do that again?” Kise asked.
“Huh?”
“You know Kagamicchi—force you to let me stay at your place. It’s summer break anyway. You can invite the others too. Kurokocchi and some of your teammates.” Now that they both know they’re soul mates, Kise didn’t have to pretend that he’s still rooting for Aomine and Kagami to be together. That’s why he didn’t mention his name.
“I guess that’s a good idea.” Kagami said. “Kise?”
“Yes Kagamicchi?”
“Well I have a problem and I need your help…” He trailed off.
At that tone, the blonde can’t really help the concern build up inside him. He immediately stood and headed to his bathroom. He put the speaker mode on so that he can talk with his soul mate while he brushes his teeth and washes his face. Something tells him that he needed to be beside the redhead as soon as possible.
“I will. Just tell me what was wrong Kagamicchi.” He almost growled.
“About that, you see—I woke up so early.”
“And?” Kise started to brush his teeth, wanting to shout at his soul mate and urge him to be honest. But he needed to be patient.
“I—without taking a bath and eating breakfast…I rushed to the train station and here I am.” Kagami shyly explained.
“Where?” Kise stopped moving and waited. “Exactly.Are.You Kagamicchi?”
“Here at Kanagawa Station.” Kagami must be blushing right now! Kise chuckled as he thought about it. Wait!
“What?”
“I was about to go to your place since this stupid headache won’t go away. The next time I blink I was already riding the train to Kanagawa, you are in Kanagawa right now right? And then I was standing here for almost half an hour and now I’m hungry and my head still hurts—oh wait not anymore since I heard your voice. I just can’t help it! Stupid, you should know how this works so don’t you dare laugh or snort at me I’m your soul mate!”
“That was the fastest and the most half-assed confession I’ve ever heard in my life Kagamicchi.” Kise deadpanned. He said soul mate! Kise can’t help but to smile at that.
“It’s not a confession.”
“Aw, don’t pout Kagamicchi.”
“I’m not.”
“Really?”
“Shut up.” Kagami snarled. “Just—where are you?”
“Right right. So demanding!” Kise washed his face. “I’ll head out as soon as I finish washing my face.”
“How long will it take?”
“Ugh wait—just look for a café nearby and email me the exact location and name of the café.” The blonde explained, already changing his clothes.
“Okay—“
“I’m hanging up now Kagamicchi—“
“Wait!”
“Hmmn?”
“You see, can you keep talking?”
The model ordered a breakfast meal and ten cheese burgers at the nearest Maji Burger while Kagami borrowed his shower. When he arrived, the redhead was already dressed up in his clothes and god he looks divine! There was a tinge of pride that spread through his chest when he saw his soul mate wearing his clothes.
“Kagamicchi, let’s eat!” He called out as he prepared their plates.
“Kise can I just stay here?” Kagami deadpanned. “Well since you also live alone, your parents are in Tokyo right? And I don’t really want to be around other people right now. They’ll just annoy me.” The redhead was carrying a sad and guilty look as he said that but the blonde let it slide.
“Of course Kagamicchi.”
“By the way, I already told my dad—well he called me yesterday, just when you left and told him the details.”
“Really?” He was more than shocked. Kise thought it would be Kagami who’ll insist on keeping it a secret. “I thought—“
“Just my family. I haven’t told anyone besides my father.” He averted his gaze and grabbed a burger.
“That’s—“
“I’m…what I said yesterday—I’m just being an asshole.” Kagami explained. “But we can try to work it out. Or you can help me try to work it out.”
“How about Aominecchi?” Kise frowned. He’s not blind, and he knew that the redhead cannot just forget about that one person he loves the most within a day.
“He’ll—Kise you know that I’ll always love him. But you and I—”
And the food tasted bitter for the both of them. The blonde glared at him, though Kagami can understand why. Saying that, after all, is too much. “But I’m choosing you.” He immediately added.
Kise continued eating while he narrowed his eyes. If it was him who talks about Kagami being in love with someone else, it’s bearable. But when he heard the redhead said that himself, bullshit you’re mine, he screamed inside.
“No, I’m sorry.” He tried to shake away the sudden possessiveness. “Kagamicchi, I know your feelings towards him. And I’m the one who even opened the topic.”
“Let’s not talk about him…”
“We can’t do that.” The model countered. “Because as much as we both know, you still want to choose him—“
“No, I’m choosing you.” Kagami tried to compose himself.
“Sure you do.” The model rolled his eyes.
Kagami snapped at the sarcasm his soul mate implied. A moment ago they were doing great, he was feeling great, and now they’re fighting. “He asked me dumbass. He asked me to stay with him and not ignore him until his birthday and I said I can’t promise him that.” He glared. “And I’m planning to keep it that way because the moment I saw you, I wanted to spend the rest of my summer break here with you, away from them…from everyone else. Juse besides you.”
“Kagamicchi—“
“And I know I’m not making sense but being with you feels…right. And this is so stupid but I can’t help but to succumb into it!” Kagami was shouting now. “I wanted to be here!”
Instead of shouting back or arguing that he doesn’t believe a single thing the redhead said because he probably said that because he can’t bear the torturous pain of being away from his soul mate, Kise took quick steps and held the other boy in his arm.
“Kise…”
“Ssh,” he patted the back of Kagami’s head and then hugged him tighter. Both of them sighed in relief. “I’m here Kagamicchi.”
“Stupid.” Kagami rested his head at the corner of Kise’s neck and took another deep breath. “I don’t know what to do and what’s going on in me.”
“We’ll figure it out together.” Kise promised.
“Together.”
They stood in the middle of Kise’s dining room for a long time just hugging and comforting each other. No matter what happened, Kise thought, I don’t think I can give this up. Not anymore. And especially not to anyone.