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Kevin blinked once, twice, and the blue-haired figure at Taiga's left came into focus. They had all been getting better about seeing their power forward's husband since he'd begun traveling with them, but it took effort that always surprised him, even years into knowing Taiga and Tetsuya.
Today it seemed a little easier than usual, Kevin realized, and finally noticed the third figure with them - tall and tanned, with dark blue hair and a fierce grin as he and Taiga argued right over Tetsuya's head. Something about the guy rang bells in Kevin's head but it wasn't until Tetsuya's deadpan Japanese cut into the bickering with a distinguishable name that it clicked.
Aomine Daiki, power forward for the Japanese national team and a shoo-in for their next Olympic team. This was the friend whose upcoming visit had had Taiga in fits all week?
Tetsu actually smiled and Aomine could have crowed his victory to the whole damn gym.
"Fine, Aomine-kun, I suppose we can't have you getting bored. I am rather rusty, though, so Taiga and I will both play you." Kagami looked like all his dreams had unexpectedly come true at once.
"You're going down, Ahomine."
Kevin nodded when James and the rest of the team gathered nearby to watch the impromptu match between their power forward and Japan's best. He could tell they were just as shocked as he had been when an expressionless Tetsuya strode on court at Taiga's side - Tetsuya spoke knowledgeably the few times he discussed their games, but they had never seen him so much as touch a basketball, let alone show personal interest in the sport. Yet Aomine Daiki looked completely unsurprised, grinning fiercely at Taiga but then focusing all his attention on "Tetsu" for what sounded like the Japanese equivalent of pre-game trash talk.
Tetsuya's expressionless mein didn't shift, but his reply didn't seem at all intimidated.
At that moment, coach walked in with a countdown and threw the ball high between Taiga and Aomine. To Kevin's surprise, Aomine won the tip-off but that surprise couldn't compare to his shock, mirrored in the whole team, when the ball just...disappeared.
One second Aomine had prepared to drive forward, the next the ball was twenty feet away in Taiga's hands and being unceremoniously dunked. Aomine didn't even look disturbed, shouting his first English words yet at a spot just feet to Taiga's left - "Rusty, my ass!"
Slowly, Kevin realized that wasn't a random direction he'd chosen to curse at. Somehow, he had completely lost track of Tetsuya until Aomine pointed him out.
Taiga's tiny, reserved, ever-polite husband was standing on their court facing Aomine Daiki with a smug twitch of his lips and a shrug.
The hell.