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After their match with Tōō at the Winter Cup
The night after the intense match against Daiki Aomine along with his terrifying teammates from the Tōō felt like a fever dream to Seiren. The exhausted yawning and tired expressions wore heavily on the players.
Upon opening the door, Kagami Taiga was terrified to find most of the team dead in the locker room. Evidently, the whole building shook from his scream.
Despite likely enduring severe migraines and muscle fatigue, the familiar lively chatter and laughter soon returned to Seirin as they walked outside the great Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. It was their first day at Winter Cup and they knew they couldn't easily celebrate as they had to compete again the day after tomorrow and the following days.
Their coach emphasized good recovery and maintaining equally as good health to the team. "I say we should all eat together," Riko mused. Hyuga replied, concerned of their own pockets, "Eating out is too expensive though."
The team figured they should eat at one of their teammate's. Riko heaved a sigh, "My place is too far..."
A certain tall red-haired held his hand lazily, "Uh— I actually live nearby." The whole team stared at him for a good minute.
The team dropped their shoulder bags in surprise. Kagami Taiga was hella rich. His whole living room seemed like an entire apartment.
Koganei shouted as loud as his surprise, "It's fucking HUGE." Kuroko pouted in equal shock, "You're despicable, Kagami. I don't want to be your shadow anymore."
Junpei Hyuga, their captain, dumbfoundedly asked, "You live here alone?"
"Yeah. I was supposed to live with my Dad here—" The tall player replied.
"Well— It's hella big!" His teammates shouted.
"The furniture here is simple. Just some few dumbbells, magazines, and a basketball," Shun observed. "You really just think about sleeping, eating, and basketball," the captain heaved a sigh.
Kiyoshi entered the room, "Hey, where's the captain?"
"She's in the kitchen with the ingredients." Tsuchida innocently answered to his teammates' eventual demise.
Hyuga, Shun, Mitobe and the rest screamed in terror. They were doomed. The team, despite winning their first day, defeatedly fell to their knees infront of the glass table to be served.
Their coach, bringing her dish opened her mouth with a smile, "I made hotpot!" She lifted the cover and it... seemed normal? The players were in shock.
Before letting anyone eat the dangerous gamble infront of them, their captain spoke in fear, "Kuroko. Eat this first."
Kuroko tilted his head but agreed, "It seems nor— banana?" He lifted the fruit between his chopsticks. The boys widened their eyes.
"What the hell?" Furihata exclaimed, "Why are there fruits in this?"
The coach coughed, "Uh— It was in the plastic bag."
"I just hope you didn't put the plastic bag in..." Hyuga whispered to himself. "Heh... What did you say?" Riko muttered.
"N—Nothing..." The captain gulped.
"It's okay, Hyuga. We can just eat around the banana—" Kiyoshi was immediately interrupted.
"Eh? Another fruit?" Shun questioned. "It was also in the bag..." Riko nervously assured.
The rest of the dinner blended into fruit-fishing and interrogation from the team to the cook. Kagami let out a sigh and went to the balcony for some silence.
As he walked to the end of the balcony, he heaved a long exhale.
"Hey, Kagami." A certain blue-haired boy appeared beside him. Kagami almost screamed on the top of his lungs, "It's been a while since I experienced that... How long have you been here?"
"I've been here before you, actually." The shorter boy replied.
Kagami composed himself and leaned on the fence infront of him.
"Thanks, Kagami," Kuroko mused, "I'm grateful for everything. After the match with everyone—" He thought of his teammates behind them separated by a glass door, "I'm glad I met you, Kagami." He lifted his head to look at Kagami.
The red-haired looked away casually with a slight blush on his cheeks, "You think so? It really won't get easier from here now. You don't really get to be carefree forever," staring at the stars above. "The Winter Cup is just starting," Kagami mused.
"We'll get stronger." Kuroko firmly assured him. Kagami softly grinned and thoroughly ran his hand through the blue locks infront of him.
"Please don't do that," Kuroko glared at him with a pouted mouth.
"I'm not used to these kind of conversations. Man, you're really good at this stuff." Kagami chuckled facing his head away.
The wind in the air felt like a nice breeze.
"Uh— Kagami. Did you really mean what you said that night at the park," Kuroko precisely asked, "That thing... What you really felt about me— about us, I mean."
Kagami froze.
"Of course. Let's just test the waters for now— Okay?" He softly answered. "Y—You do feel the same, right? Like you said—"
"I do." Kuroko smiled.
"Have you even been in a relationship before, Kuroko?" The taller player innocently inquired. "What about that pink-haired girl— Momoi, was it?"
"I never really liked her romantically. She's a good friend though," Kuroko acknowledged.
Kagami pouted his mouth. "Okay."
He then took a small plastic pouch from his pocket, "I bought us matching necklaces. Uh— do you wear ones? Ah— Sorry. I should have asked before buying it," he panicked.
Kuroko shook his head. "I'll wear it." He quietly affirmed.
Two silver matching necklaces. Kagami has a necklace wrapped around his neck with a ring, signifying his brotherhood with Tatsuya Himuro. Now another necklace— symbolizing his one and only shadow.
Kuroko smiled.
He took the necklace and casually wrapped it around his neck. He couldn't get the hook to lock behind his neck.
Kagami quietly giggled. "Here," he said, gently surrounding Kuroko's point of view with his arms as he locked it in place. The blue-haired boy felt silence fill his head; at the same time, it was deafening. Kagami swiftly flicked a finger between his collarbone and shirt, hiding the necklace behind the fabric.
Kuroko couldn't get his eyes off Kagami.
A loud screaming can be heard from inside. Kagami immediately went inside and Kuroko followed. Koga screamed with a red face.
A blonde woman with an American accent emerged from the hallway. It was Kagami's master from America when he was younger, Alex. "Oh? Kagami? You're home—" The woman ran hugging Kagami. Kagami felt a sting in his heart for someone.
Kagami composed himself and asked, "What the hell are you doing here?" He spoke in perfect American.
Alex explained she was watching her two students compete against each other. The whole room exclaimed. "You're his master!?"
Riko sat beside Alex— too close to be sitting beside her. "C—Coach! Get away from her! She is a kissing bug—"
It took a moment for Riko to realize it. But Alex already kissed her. Her whole face beamed and immediately stood away. Kagami heaved a deep sigh.
After a while of speaking, Shun realize that Alex was a retired WNBA player.
Hyuga tells Alex that they still had to win two more matches and that they were going to watch matches tonight. There were still two hours before the first match they were going to watch.
The matches they watched tonight was equally as terrifying as exciting to the team. The night ended with excitement instilled in Seirin. Kagami then bid farewell to his teammates and his master in the hallway inside Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. It was hard getting used to— walking and competing inside such a great arena. Eventually, by the time they get used to it— they're going to win.
Kagami thought he was already alone until he immediately spotted a certain blue-haired boy beside him. He jumped in surprise. "How long have you been standing there?!" Kagami inquired.
"I've been here the whole time, Kagami." Kuroko heaved a deep sigh. Kagami then remembered something.
"Hey... About earlier... My master seems a little weird at first— Don't worry, she said she was going to stay at a hotel nearby. Not at my house—"
"It's fine. You said she had this kissing problem and attachment to her students." Kuroko replied. A bit too fast.
The red-haired player felt extremely bad and tried to think of a way to make Kuroko feel better. Kagami then collected his thoughts and finally formed an idea out of it to comfort Kuroko.
He hugged Kuroko firmly and warmly. It took a lot of willpower and blush to do such an action. Kuroko was smaller than Kagami but it felt so warm.
"K—Kagami?" A small mutter under his grasp. Kuroko could feel his cheeks burning. "This is embarrassing, you know..."
"I know. But you— You really needed to feel this... I truly love you, you know." Kagami warmly.
Kuroko quietly tugged the necklace hanging from his neck. "You really are something— Kagami."
"I love you too."
Kagami has reached his limit. His head combust from blushing too hard, even fuming in heat and smoke. The red-haired player cupped the side of Kuroko's cheek, "Man... You're so damn adorable."
"Don't call me adorable." Kuroko pouted.
Kagami chuckled, "Or what?" He challenged.
Kuroko pouted even harder.
Kagami couldn't feel his sides from laughing so much. Kuroko was just too cute.
"Kuroko." Kagami then spoke after settling down.
"Yes?"
"I want to kiss you." Kagami didn't asked— He softly declared. Kuroko had no chance of reacting immediately.
Kagami pressed a gentle nibble on his lips. It was unlike his powerful plays in the court or terrifying jumping power. It was soft— gentle and assuring. It was loving. He was Kuroko's.
Kuroko didn't even notice Kagami already pulled away from the kiss. He was squinting his eyes too hard, wanting to savor all of it. Kagami witnessed this and laughed.
"You want more?" Kagami uttered, anticipating his answer.
"Can I?" Kuroko innocently requested. It was one of the times he wanted to be selfish. He wanted all of Kagami. He loves him— his light.
"You can have all of me. I'm yours, Kuroko. And you're mine." Kagami couldn't have said it better. His eyes were now relaxed— as if it wasn't always like that when he talks to Kuroko. He was his whole world.
"Um... Do you want to sleep at my house tonight?" The red-haired player softly muttered. "It's already late to commute at this time." Kagami commented, concerned.
"Huh... Oh, yeah. I don't think my parents would mind. I'll text them right now." Kuroko rummaged through his shoulder bag and opened his flip phone.
Kagami was positively surprised. A sudden heat suddenly struck through his head. Ah... He had forgotten he has only one bed. It feels wrong for him to let Kuroko sleep on the couch. He did invite him over.
"Whatever... I'll figure it out at home." Kagami uttered.
"Hm?" Kuroko had finished texting his parents a while ago. "Let's go," Kuroko expressed.
Kagami sighed, "You act like you invited me over..."
Kagami dropped his shoulder bag on the floor inside his room and laid on his bed. He basically is the size of his bed.
Kuroko glared at him, "You think... We can fit on there...?"
Kagami blinked his eyes, "I mean... I can scout near the wall a bit... You'll fit here fine."
"Alright... You didn't forget to lock the door right?" Kuroko reminded Kagami. He did not like the accidental implication of that.
Kagami awkwardly laughed, "I live here alone... Of course I wouldn't forget to lock the main door."
Kuroko tilted his head. Of course he meant the door in the living room. The extra word wasn't necessary.
"Where was your bathroom again? Oh yeah— I need to borrow your clothes." Kuroko shyly requested. He knew he was going to look tiny in Kagami's clothes.
The red-haired player pointed at the closet. "Borrow any from there. It's pretty cold tonight so better wear a hoodie. I've got a lot of 'em."
His mind flickered to a small Kuroko wearing his huge hoodie that would seemed normal on him but humongous on Kuroko. He softly giggled, thinking how ridiculous and cute he would look. He would love teasing Kuroko about it.
A faint shower rain was heard outside the room. Kagami simply hummed as he waited for Kuroko. His mind went blank for a second. He really was going to sleep with Kuroko— on the same bed.
It made him kick his feet like a little kid and also have heat pooling in his stomach.
The door abruptly open. "Kagami, your doorknobs are terrible. Why are they so hard to turn..." A familiar voice whined. His blue locks were still moist.
"Maybe, you're just turning them wrong." Kagami annoyingly replied.
"Hmf." Kuroko complained. He was wearing one of his large dark grey hoodies draped across his torso and grey sweatpants that reached the floor. Kuroko was always smaller than the rest of the team regulars but he always did look more handsome than them.
He sat on Kagami's bed with a puff, drying his hair with a small towel.
"You took the extra towel, right?"
Kuroko went silent.
"You d—didn't." Kagami stuttered. He smacked Kuroko's back.
"Owh." He caressed his own back. "How was I suppose to know? You didn't tell me." Kuroko reasoned.
"Who the hell just use a towel in a house you've never been to before?" Kagami mused.
Kagami heaved a sigh and laid on his back. "Let's go to sleep." He tiredly uttered.
"Yeah."
"Uh..." Kuroko awkwardly crawled on the bed and laid beside Kagami who had his back facing him.
"Kagami." He whispered. "Face me."
Kagami felt his own cheeks flush but answered his demands. "Fine, Kuroko."
He returned around and faced Kuroko with red cheeks. He opened his eyes to find Kuroko soundly asleep. Adorable... he thought. He gently traced his bottom lip with his thumb.
"I love you, Kuroko."
"I love you too."