Kuroko was woken at four-thirty-three by his phone ringing incessantly from where he had left it on his desk and he scrambled out of bed to answer it before it could disturb his parents or his grandmother, sleeping just across the hall.
"Hello," he mumbled into the phone.
"You're awake," said Akashi-kun.
Well. Now he was. Kuroko took his head from the phone to check the screen. It did indeed say, Akashi Seijuurou, as it had for three years and through two changes of phone. "Akashi-kun," said Kuroko. Muzzily, Kuroko decided that if Akashi-kun was going to stick to facts stated in a bald tone of voice, so would he. "It's very early in the morning."
"I'm on my way to the Aida Gym," said Akashi. "I'll see you there."
Kuroko closed his eyes, then opened them. He was still here. It was still dark out. Akashi-kun's name still glowed on his phone screen. The slowly counting timer still indicated Akashi-kun waiting on the line for Kuroko's- no, he was gone. But it was such early morning that as far as Kuroko was concerned, it was still last night. Akashi-kun was supposed to still be in Kyoto.
He got up anyway. His shoes and bag were already set out for practice later at seven, and in an act of small but ideologically important rebellion, he did not brush his hair while he made and ate a small breakfast as quietly as possible.
Kuroko caught the early bus and stumbled onto the five am train, which was nearly empty. He drowsed during all the stops to Seirin, and was almost but not quite mentally prepared to walk briskly into the Aida Gym's machine room and see Akashi-kun, true to his word, running on one of the Aida Gym's treadmills.
His eyes were dark and light, and he was smiling, though Kuroko's vision might have been wavering in the early morning daze. The gym was otherwise predictably empty, and the office area through the other door was unlit. Only the weight room would be open, for those athletes with either insomnia or an overactive sense of achievement. Aida-san and Coach were likely still asleep. Kuroko envied them.
"Good morning, Kuroko," said Akashi. He surveyed Kuroko from head to toe. Kuroko wondered what he expected to find, and if his hair was as horrific as he had imagined when he left the house.
"Good morning," said Kuroko back. Akashi-kun's hair seemed to have almost entirely grown back- it looked perfect- and he was far too awake for this hour of the morning, but this was typical of him. Through training camps, away games, and all-night emergency summer homework sessions, Akashi-kun had always been the last to sleep and the first to wake, and in many cases did not seem to sleep at all. He certainly had never fallen prey to any of the (many) pranks they played on each other, but this was typical of Akashi-kun too. Mechanically, Kuroko put away his things and took out his bottle and towel and stepped onto the treadmill next to Akashi-kun's. He surveyed the dashboard of futuristic, complicated buttons more suited to the set of a science fiction show than to exercise equipment, and pressed something at random to make the treadmill start moving. Kuroko began to run, his body mechanically following the dogged discipline he'd beaten into it over three years. This was the pace he knew he could sustain, that he usually maintained through his workouts.
Akashi-kun smiled at Kuroko, then without breaking stride, hit the buttons for going faster on Kuroko's machine several times, and increased the angle of incline.
Kuroko began to run faster.
.0.
Just before Kuroko's legs would have given out and Kuroko tumbled to a quick, if painful and embarrassing, death which would have greatly inconvenienced the Aidas, Akashi-kun's hand once again shot out and reduced the settings on the machine, letting Kuroko slow down and stretch out his aching muscles, allowing Kuroko's laboured breathing to ease out into merely deep pants, and not frame-wracking shudders.
"Cool down for five minutes," said Akashi-kun. He was barely breathing hard. "Then sets."
Kuroko nodded to show he had heard. His blood was pounding through his temples and Akashi-kun had correctly surmised he was nearly at his limit. It was six-fifteen, blinking red on the wall clock. Kuroko had been running for forty minutes flat-out, Akashi-kun's idea of a brisk warmup.
Akashi-kun was also slowing, but despite the sheen of sweat over his skin and his pink cheeks, he looked wildly refreshed. The machine beeped and Kuroko stumbled off to attach his mouth to his water bottle.
"That will do," said Akashi-kun. "Weights now, Kuroko?"
"If you like," said Kuroko. Akashi-kun nodded and rattled off a series of reps Kuroko immediately failed to memorize. But he was properly awake now, and after drinking could spare the breath to ask Akashi-kun- though not in those exact words- what the hell he was doing here.
"As a condition of their athletic scholarships, Reo and the rest are allowed a break from club activities during the last holiday of the school year," said Akashi-kun. "They are obliged to take it, or forfeit their scholarships."
"Surely it doesn't apply to-" said Kuroko, doing sets with the free weights.
"Oh, no," said Akashi-kun, pulling well over Kuroko's body weight up as he pressed down on the weight machine. "But since the proscription exists, and so much of the student population lives away from home, it is considered more expedient to simply give us all time off. No club or academic activities. The caretakers take the week to refurbish the grounds."
Grounds, said Kuroko's mind. "Time off," said Kuroko in real life. The word tasted unfamiliar in his mouth, though that might just have been blood. It was nothing, however, to how it had sounded in Akashi-kun's mouth: pronounced with inverted commas and a disbelieving tone, as one might speak of seeing an umbrella hopping along the road while heavily intoxicated.
"Yes," said Akashi-kun. "Apparently they have 'families' and 'homes' they wish to return to and it's 'cruel' to deny them that right."
"How deficient of them," said Kuroko. He accepted this. It suited Rakuzan High, with its habit of scouting and appropriately compensating talented players, to treat them as the professionals they would undoubtedly become. But Akashi-kun was not just in Tokyo. He was here, working out with Kuroko.
"Yes, it's very inconsiderate," said Akashi-kun. "I've been ordered to take the week off and enjoy myself."
Kuroko snorted, and had to pause mid-rep or laugh in Akashi-kun's face. Akashi-kun smiled in acknowledgement. "I spent a while riding, but then I thought I would return to Tokyo for my holiday," he said. He produced a water bottle from a mini-fridge- where had that come from?- and drank. "Catch up."
The water bottle Akashi-kun used was pristine with beads of condensation just beginning to roll down its sides. These sides were printed with the pocari logo, white on black. Kuroko recognized it as the bottle which they- which was to say, they all- had used in Teikou. Kuroko had seen Midorima-kun swigging from his during the summer camp, filled with ice and sports drink powder, had drunk from Aomine-kun's at the hot springs and tasted memory. His own was likely still in his Teikou sports bag with his Teikou uniform in the very back of his closet where he had shoved it the last day he had ever used either. Akashi-kun had been using this bottle, or one very like it, that day at the finals. Kuroko could not help but notice the bottle then as Akashi-kun drank deeply, his throat gulping and streaked with sweat, and he could not help but notice it now.
Kuroko thought he understood. Even if they could never return to what they were at Teikou, that was no reason not to try for something new.
Akashi-kun checked the wall clock. "Kuroko, you'll be late for your morning practice," he said. "If you run, I'm sure Aida-san will forgive you."
Seven ten. Kuroko had completely lost track of time. He went white and grabbed his bag.
"I'll see you tomorrow," said Akashi-kun as Kuroko raced out the door. "Have fun."
.0.
She did not forgive him. Morning practice was as gruelling as ever, and by the end of it Kagami-kun just picked Kuroko up and carried him into the club room to change for school. Kuroko thanked him in a wordless murmur that dispensed with the effort of vocalisation.
Coach followed them into the club room despite the complaints from the rest of the team about their maidenly honour. Kuroko dragged his shirt off and thought about how, in order to put on his uniform, he would have to raise his hands and take down the shirt off the hanger. Raising his arms just now seemed like an insurmountable task.
"Kuroko-kun, why are you so tired?" said Coach, frowning at him.
"I was training this morning with Akashi-kun," said Kuroko before he could stop himself.
"...we're going to need a little more than that," said Coach. Everyone in earshot had frozen in place and was staring at him. Furihata-kun was getting water all down his shorts.
"We met in your gym at five in the morning," said Kuroko. Buttons. He had once known how to do buttons.
"Oh," said Coach, as though something had just slotted into place. "Hmm. That was you two? You started early."
"We did," said Kuroko. Wait, he hadn't changed his shorts out for his uniform pants. Maybe no one would notice. "His school is on its break."
"Wait, he really came down here to train with you?" said Hyuuga-san, blinking.
"Yes," said Kuroko, neglecting to add that if he was capable of inventing such horror as a casual lie, he probably would have won several literary prizes by now.
"Well," said Coach. She surveyed Kuroko. "You'll be okay, but be careful not to push it, Kuroko-kun." She paused. "And try not to sleep in class, I keep getting funny looks from the teachers."
"No one ever notices when he sleeps in class," Kagami-kun complained. "Akashi's back in Tokyo? Why don't we get a school holiday?"
"The grounds need to be refurbished," said Kuroko. He looked at his shoes. Maybe he needed new shoes. Maybe he would get new shoes.
"Ours is in two weeks from now, Kagami-kun," said Coach, but she still looked doubtfully at Kuroko. "Alright, everyone off to class. Bell's about to go. Kagami-kun, help Kuroko-kun get there."
.0.
The next morning, Kuroko was surprised, but not inordinately so, to emerge from his running trance and discover that the gym was full of his teammates, making pointedly nonchalant noises and failing not to stare at Akashi Seijuurou in a long-sleeved pink shirt sweating like a human being.
'Oh," said Kuroko. "Good-morning, sempai."
'Oh, you guys were in here?" said Koganei-san, in well-acted tones of surprise. "Wow, that's a shock. Hi there, Akashi…-kun! Nice to see you. Been a while!"
"We're just here to train," said Izuki-san." Don't let us train on your parade! Ha ha."
"Shut up," muttered Hyuuga. Coach emerged from the darkness, bleary-eyed and dressed in home clothes, mouth pursed in a way that promised trouble. "Riko! Hey, morning. Hope you don't mind us starting early for practice today."
"Excuse me," said Akashi-kun in tones of the mildest outrage. "I do mind. This is my private time with Kuroko and I have booked this space for the next two hours."
Hyuuga-san's eyes slid across to Coach's, who shrugged. Now Kuroko had his answer for why no one had interrupted them mid-workout to give Kuroko a moment's respite to expire tidily behind the free weights.
"Why did you book out this place at all?" demanded Hyuuga-san, though he knew he was losing ground. "Don't you fancy rich boys all have your own private gyms?"
"Well," said Akashi pensively. "When I moved to Kyoto to continue my schooling I had my personal gymnasium shipped to the branch house and now there is nothing at home for me to use."
"You did not," said Hyuuga, involuntarily. Mitobe-san blinked in surprise.
"Yes," said Akashi-kun calmly. "That was a jest. I had the staff purchase an entirely new set for that house. Consequently, the first set is now outdated and unsuitable for use."
Silence greeted this remark. Kuroko, who perfectly remembered Akashi-kun's devoted attachment to even Teikou's most worn or pathetic equipment and was looking straight at Akashi-kun's Pocari-branded water bottle, maintained a disbelieving silence. Akashi-kun's eyes darted to Kuroko's, carefully blank, and then Akashi-kun flashed a quick sideways smile, perfectly intimate and inviting Kuroko to share in the excellent joke.
"Very... funny?" said Izuki-san, summoning up his pride in jokes. "Um, it's all dated but this is still a good time for datin-"
"Alright, alright," said Coach, smacking her hands together to attract their attention. "Since, um, Akashi-kun is perfectly in his rights to consider all of you idiots as trespassing on his booking, which he's paid for-"
"At a premium price for booking the whole week in a block," Akashi reminded her blandly. "In cash."
"Yes, that," said Coach, with a look that said paying customer or not, Akashi-kun was not as funny as he obviously thought he was. "I'll bring you guys elsewhere now. Get out of here."
"Where to?" said Koganei-san innocently, as though this would stave off her wrath.
"Anywhere," said Coach. "Kuroko-kun, we'll see you later at practice."
"Pleasure having you," said Akashi-kun, still smiling.
"Oh," said Coach, just before leaving, "Akashi-kun, I know this is an imposition, but I've been worried about Kagami-kun's knees, so when he comes, please let him use the elliptical?"
They matched stares for a long, tense moment.
Riko-san smiled at Akashi-kun. Flowers sprouted in mid-air and Kuroko tried to make himself as invisible as possible. Akashi-kun smiled at her, an appreciative gleam in his eyes. Kuroko hoped that Momoi-san had thought to arm Coach against Akashi-kun's myriad charms, or the next year was going to be very bad for Seirin. Their babies would have x-ray vision. "Of course, Aida-san," he said. "How could I refuse such a polite and reasonable request?"
"He's coming down the street right now," said Coach sweetly, then escaped.
Akashi-kun kept looking at the spot where she disappeared, just in time for Kagami-kun to walk through the door and receive the full effect of Akashi-kun's gimlet stare.
"Good-morning, Kagami-kun," said Kuroko. Kagami-kun was Kuroko's friend and precious partner, and did not deserve to have been pitchforked into this.
"Hey," said Kagami-kun. "Um, hey."
Akashi-kun lifted an eyebrow. Kagami-kun shifted uneasily.
"I... thought we were meeting here," said Kagami-kun. "Um, buses don't start until- too early."
"Go work on the stepping machine, Kagami Taiga," commanded Akashi-kun. "Good-morning."
"Okay," said Kagami-kun. He produced a massive pair of headphones from his bag, settled them on his head, and started on the elliptical machine.
Akashi-studied him for a moment, then apparently decided that there were no adjustments that needed to be made to Kagami-kun's workout regime and returned his attention to Kuroko. His full attention, which was a little disconcerting and wholly awkward.
"...my apologies," said Kuroko. The machine Kagami-kun was using groaned a little under his weight, and the music leaking from his headphones seemed to consist mostly of a thumping bass line and the occasional English profanity.
"Doubtless, curiosity got the better of them," Akashi-kun remarked. His gaze drifted sideways again. "Kagami Taiga is no trouble."
Kuroko begged to differ. Just the presence of Kagami-kun in the room seemed to Kuroko to create an opposing gravitational field to that of Akashi-kun's- two lead weights on the rubber sheet of existence, tumbling inexorably together. And Kuroko, surplus to requirements and light as air. Their awareness of each other permeated the air, or possibly that was the smell of their combined body odor and deodorants. To Kuroko, feeling faintly sick, it was hard to distinguish.
Akashi-kun glanced back at Kuroko. He frowned. "Tetsuya?" he said. "Your condition is lower than expected. Take a break."
Kuroko shook his head. There was only fifteen minutes left on the treadmill; he had worked through worse. He concentrated on the burn in his calves, how his lungs wanted to crawl out of his body and deflate on the dashboard of the machine, possibly all over Akashi-kun's immaculate shoes, all over his own. It helped.
Akashi-kun ran looking forward, not speaking to either of them.
Kuroko finished his run and stumbled onto solid ground to stretch out. They both watched him, Akashi-kun with the abstraction of a raptor and Kagami-kun with the abstraction of a guinea pig. "Oh yeah," said Kagami-kun, cracking off his headphones. "Kuroko, you still going to pick up shoes later?"
Akashi-kun looked at Kuroko's shoes. "Really?" he said.
Kuroko didn't have to take this. Not from anyone, not from Akashi-kun. "We have another uniform," he said with dignity. "I need a new pair to match." Kuroko had taken a dent to his savings to buy the new pair he had just gotten for the Winter Cup, but with his new year's money, Kuroko could manage another pair, for use in matches; he was already thinking about how much more running he would need to do in the coming year, how far his style had yet to go. And while he loved Teikou's shining whites, had kissed his shoes superstitiously like all the rest of them at the first unboxing, it was time, perhaps, to move on.
Akashi smiled. "That sounds nice," he said. "I'll join you, if you don't mind. I could use a new pair myself."
It was Kuroko's turn to look down at Akashi-kun's shoes. They were slightly worn, but still immaculately clean. Akashi was capable of wearing his shoes to rags with his practice load, so they must have been relatively new; they weren't even the same brand Akashi had favoured for his practice shoes back then.
"These old things?" said Akashi. His eyes gleamed as they caught and held Kuroko's. "Another pair of match shoes would be perfectly in order, Kuroko."
Kuroko knew his duty. "Kagami-kun?" said Kuroko, loudly. It would have been rude not to invite him, anyway.
"Well uh," said Kagami-kun. "Um."
They both turned surprised gazes onto him. Kagami-kun blushed. "I'm meeting Aomine later," he said. "I, uh, I owe him for the shoes, so he's been demanding interest and we're- we're meeting later. Burgers and streetball."
"Charming," said Akashi-kun. His voice was curiously flat; Kuroko could not read the lack of expression on his face.
"I told him that you might want to go shopping for shoes, but he didn't want to go," said Kagami-kun.
Kuroko and Akashi-kun both stared at him. Kagami-kun coloured even more.
"He's on some kind of shoe fast," Kagami-kun hurried to explain. "Blew all his money on five pairs, needs to pay Momoi back for a couple of months. Doesn't want the temptation."
Akashi looked faintly amused at the idea of anyone going broke from buying five pairs of basketball shoes. Kuroko had gone broke this summer buying five basketballs.
"Well," Akashi-kun said. He looked at Kuroko. "It seems it will be just us."
"It seems so," Kuroko said, cautiously. "I hope you have fun," he added to Kagami, trying to convey with his face how disappointed he was that Kagami-kun was failing him like this.
"Should be," said Kagami-kun, utterly failing to take the hint from Kuroko's lack of expression. He was still pink, and not just from exertion. He swung his bag over his shoulder. "See you in a bit, Kuroko," he said, "er, in class. I mean practice." Then he escaped.
Akashi-kun looked at Kuroko. Kuroko looked back at Akashi-kun.
"Well," said Akashi-kun. It might have been Kuroko's imagination, but Akashi-kun seemed… expectant. As though something had not quite gone exactly to plan, and Kuroko would have to take up the slack.
"I hope they have fun," said Kuroko, a little severely. He felt sick again. Two days of extreme exertion.
"I hope we have fun," remarked Akashi-kun, putting Kuroko in his place. "I'll email you our meeting place later in the afternoon, Kuroko. See you there."
.0.
Akashi-kun observed the Maji Burger with interest. Since Kuroko knew for a fact that Akashi-kun had eaten fast food before- at the behest of Nijimura-san during vice-captainly meetings, as everyone had been informed by Teikou third-string gossip- he was inclined to pull no punches. "Will you find a place to sit, or shall I?" he inquired.
"We'll be able to find a table in good time," replied Akashi-kun. Kuroko supposed that this was true. If nothing else, Akashi-kun would only have to want a table and doubtless the restaurant would instantly clear. "What would you recommend I order, Kuroko?"
"They do a vegetarian patty substitution," said Kuroko. "I"m getting a vanilla shake."
"Empty calories, Kuroko," said Akashi-kun. The cashiers all stared besottedly at the graceful line of his pale and perfect throat. "I'll have one as well."
"As you like," said Kuroko. He ordered and paid- not without considerable difficulty in attracting the cashier's attention- and they sat down to eat.
"This is terrible," said Akashi-kun, chewing grimly through his burger.
"I'm impoverished," said Kuroko. This had not been a good idea. The thought had emerged when he had arrived at the meeting place to find Akashi-kun for once, and incredibly, early for an appointment. He was dressed immaculately and stylishly, and the intervening year had been kind to him; he was as attractive as he had ever been, even from when before Kuroko had ever set eyes on Kise Ryouta and Himuro Tatsuya, and Akashi Seijuurou had been the most perfect boy he knew, in a thousand unfortunate ways, still was. Now his mistake stuck in his throat, and he struggled to swallow through it. "And I like the milkshakes."
"That may be so," said Akashi-kun. He ate a French fry and appeared to find it less offensive. He ate another. "What pair do you intend to purchase?"
"I'll know when I see it," said Kuroko calmly.
"Ah," said Akashi-kun. "Obviously I greatly admire this approach."
Kuroko narrowed his eyes at Akashi-kun. Akashi-kun appeared not to notice, examining his apple pops for signs of actual fruit.
.0.
The next day, Kuroko rolled awake at four am to concede that the previous night had not been a success.
Sure, he had been grumpy from two days of reduced sleep. Certainly, Kuroko had been in no mood to entertain Akashi-kun's whims of the moment, to serve as entertainment while Akashi-kun killed some time. Kuroko had been tired, and defensive about his basketball shoes, and wondered all the time if they shouldn't have thrown it in and met Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun instead, and not particularly wanting to, because of all the above, but most of all because of Akashi-kun, because Akashi-kun kept looking at Kuroko, and smiling at him, and again, as ever, Kuroko felt himself straining to produce for Akashi-kun anything that his former captain wanted, without knowing what Akashi-kun even wanted, without knowing why, and barely knowing if Akashi-kun did want anything from Kuroko at all.
But it was true that Kuroko could have chosen to spare himself all this pain by refusing to train with Akashi-kun at five in the morning everyday. He could have slept in an extra two hours, undisturbed by anyone. He could have joined the literature club in Seirin, or back at Teikou. He could have listened to Fujiwara-sensei when he had advised, so gently and so cruelly, for Kuroko to quit because, to anyone's eyes, he had no talent and no prospects, nothing to show for his love but his fruitless effort.
That was a choice Kuroko could have made, and no choice at all. And Akashi-kun had not been just anyone, and would never be.
Kuroko considered his options, and made a few calls.
Well. One call.
.0.
Akashi-kun consented to come out with Kuroko once again after school, and this time showed up dressed down considerably, which simultaneously relieved Kuroko's mind and made him feel unaccountably guilty. Akashi-kun was obviously exerting effort in some direction, and Kuroko should be trying harder to prove himself worthy of that effort, that trust. Akashi-kun even trusted Kuroko enough to follow him quietly without asking where they were going.
"A streetball court?" Akashi-kun asked Kuroko, inclining an eyebrow. "Kuroko, you should have told me. I would have brought my basketball."
"I am confident that one has been provided," Kuroko said.
"-Kichan had some kind of make up study," Momoi-san was saying. "He couldn't come, but he's very sad!"
"Fucking great," said Aomine-kun, his deep tones carrying through the air. "Now how are we going to do this with uneven sides? Does Tetsu only count for half? Are you going to count for half? I mean I know Kagami here only counts for half-"
"Oi," said Kagami, a reflexive grunt-
"But you got so worked up over getting me down here, both of you-" Aomine complained, in just as much of a reflexive action.
"Halves would leave us uneven, Aomine-kun," said Kuroko calmly. "We wouldn't want that."
All three of them jumped. Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun both swore, though only Kagami-kun choked himself off, glancing at Momoi-san, and then Akashi-kun.
Momoi-san's face turned towards them and then she lit up from within, her joy rising and warming incandescently, as if barely daring to believe what she saw.
"Tetsu-kun! Akashi-kun!" she said, and this was worth it, all of it, not just for the look on her face or the sudden light in Aomine-kun's eyes but also for the way Akashi-kun said, "Hello," in the manner of a man who has had all his expectations out of life fulfilled, and smiled at them all impartially.
Aomine-kun sat up.
"Akashi," said Midorima-kun. He had his uniform jacket unbuttoned, and was holding his can of air freshener in his hand.
"Midorima," said Akashi.
"So, you," said Aomine-kun. His eyes flicked to Kuroko, and back to Akashi-kun. Akashi-kun was ignoring him to study Takao-kun, who had tucked himself behind Midorima-kun and was having either an orgasm or a heart attack.
"You never listen," said Momoi-san, reproachfully. 'I told you he was back."
"You didn't."
"I told you Midorin had met with him!" she said. "Two days ago."
Kuroko hadn't known that. But it made sense.
"You think I listen to you?" said Aomine-kun. He endured her kicks to his shin because he was too lazy to get up and dodge them. "Three-on-three? How long've we got?"
Kuroko looked at his watch. "Do you need to go home tonight?" he said, and was rewarded with Aomine-kun's slow sweet grin, the laugh which rippled across their group.
"I need to go home tonight," said Midorima-kun.
"My home's pretty far from here,' said Kagami-kun.
"It was a figure of speech," said Kuroko. He glanced sideways at Akashi-kun, who was smiling at Midorima-kun with plenty of teeth. Yes. This had been a good idea.
"So," said Takao-kun, apparently recovered. "How're we gonna split this up? Please say I don't get red fish, blue fish here again, I've already had enough of that."
.0.
"Wanna do anything else tonight?" said Kagami-kun. He rolled back his shoulders and looked around at all of them. Tired but happy, they were gathering their stuff up to leave. They could have kept going, but they had to end it or miss the last trains. As Midorima-kun kept pointing out acidly, some of them had school tomorrow.
"Go for ice cream," said Aomine-kun immediately. "Tetsu wants that too."
"Ice cream would be nice," said Momoi-san, and smiled at them all brightly.
Midorima-kun muttered something Kuroko chose not to pay any attention to, but he fell into step with them, and when they reached the combini, he came in with them instead of standing around outside, judging them.
"My treat," said Kuroko to Akashi-kun. Akashi-kun smirked.
Aomine-kun perked up.
"Not you," Kuroko said.
"What kind of cheap date do you think I am?" demanded Aomine-kun. He looked at Akashi.
"No," said Akashi, browsing the freezer calmly over Kagami's shoulder. One hand kept the bigger boy bent over so as not to obscure his vision. Kagami-kun seemed to mind this not at all, plucking out a handful of ice cream cones in chocolate.
"Geeze, fine," said Aomine, frowning at Akashi, whose fingers splayed, long and graceful, over Kagami's shoulder. "Satsuki, wallet."
Momoi-san, browsing the drinks with Midorima-kun, ignored him.
"I could cover it," said Kagami-kun, still being held down by Akashi. He turned his head to peer up at Aomine. "What d'you want?
"This doesn't count towards your interest," warned Aomine-kun, but he smirked at Kagami-kun and his eyes lost their harsh slant. "Grab me the cherry. Actually, three. Tetsu, you're a cheapskate."
Akashi-kun let Kagami-kun up to go pay, and Kuroko moved into the vacated space to pick his own snack, though Kuroko knew exactly what he wanted. "Kuroko is very generous," Akashi-kun said. He watched Kuroko make his choice, and then mirrored it, looking at the popsicle with interest.
"Have you ever had one of those before?" asked Takao-kun, coming to make his pick now that there was room.
"What peculiar notions you have," said Akashi-kun. "Of course not."
Midorima-kun snorted, dangling his usual can of Shiruko from his bandaged fingers as he used his other arm to reach past all three of them and pick the same treat as he always did, as he always had. "We shouldn't be eating frozen things in this weather," he complained again, inconsequentially, as he always did. As they always would, everyone ignored him. Kuroko smiled at Midorima-kun. Some things did not change.
"Hey, Shin-chan-" started Takao-kun.
"No," said Midorima-kun. He edged past them and headed for the counter.
"This really is a cheap date," said Takao-kun, and followed him.
"It's the thought that counts," remarked Akashi-kun, taking Kuroko's ice cream while Kuroko fumbled for his wallet to pay.
"Some of us have more thoughts than others," said Kuroko, stung, but Akashi-kun was looking at Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun swapping flavours outside the combini, and did not answer.
"Were they always like this?" said Takao-kun to Midorima-kun.
"It was unbearable," Midorima-kun replied.
Kuroko took it back. Midorima-kun was the unbearable one.
Akashi-kun stepped outside with the rest of them and examined his ice cream. "Open it from the-" Takao-kun offered.
Akashi-kun raised an eyebrow like unsheathing a knife. "Takao-kun, please."
Midorima-kun dragged Takao-kun away, rolling his eyes while Takao-kun laughed in his face.
Akashi-kun stayed by Kuroko. "Your idea," he said to Kuroko, eating his ice cream.
"I also wanted to break in my new shoes," said Kuroko. "I- I thought you would enjoy it."
"I did," said Akashi-kun. He looked over at the rest of them and then paused. Kuroko followed his gaze.
He was looking at Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun. How they were standing, Kagami-kun standing in front of Aomine-kun, who was perched on a roadside pylon. Kagami-kun was talking absently to Momoi-san, and Aomine-kun lounging on his seat with his feet tangled in between Kagami's legs, looking up and laughing as he ate popsicle after popsicle, the cherry making his mouth very wet, and very red.
Kuroko looked away, and found himself looking at Akashi-kun again. Akashi-kun was not looking at anything, especially not at Kuroko.
They walked on to the train station in silence.
"Kuroko-" said Akashi-kun when Kuroko was about to leave him, and it was the note of his voice that stopped Kuroko as much as anything, angling himself back towards Akashi-kun like a string of paperclips does towards a magnet. "Thank you," he said. "I enjoyed myself very much."
Kuroko nodded, tried to say something- and then closed his mouth, and went home alone.
.0.
On the morning of the fourth day Kuroko walked into the Aida gym and hit STOP on Akashi-kun's machine. Akashi-kun stopped running, and stared at Kuroko.
"I bought you ice cream," Kuroko said. It was brazen, very brazen: he half-expected to be scorched from the earth for his temerity. "It's my treat," he said, "again."
"It's six in the morning," said Akashi-kun.
"So?" said Kuroko. "Though we will have to go outside to eat them, there's no food allowed in the gym." Fear of Coach loomed larger than any other fear, even now.
Akashi-kun raised an eyebrow, but followed Kuroko outside and unwrapped his treat without any further questioning of Kuroko's value system.
"This must be quite unhealthy," observed Akashi-kun.
"We deserve it," said Kuroko with conviction.
"No doubt," said Akashi-kun.
"Why are you here, Akashi-kun?" said Kuroko.
"To spend time relaxing," said Akashi-kun. "Which, by extension, means I intended to spend time with you."
"Er," said Kuroko.
"I didn't decide to spend my mornings at the Aida Gym as part of some convoluted plot to attract Kagami Taiga, or to poach Aida Riko, or to obtain a game against Aomine, or to menace Midorima and his new partner, or to play streetball late into the night with my friends- though obviously that was very thoughtful of you and I greatly appreciate it, as I told you," said Akashi. "I came to spend my time with you."
"Oh," said Kuroko. Of course Akashi-kun would so calmly, so clearly, dissect and expose all of Kuroko's worries, no matter how fleeting, how ungrounded, and how well-meant. "I thought that you... might," said Kuroko, inadequately.
"I make every allowance for your natural partiality," said Akashi-kun dispassionately, "but this is going too far."
"You were not clear in the least," said Kuroko.
"I thought we would be doing things we both enjoy," said Akashi-kun. "In proximity. I hadn't fully anticipated…" Akashi-kun trailed off. "Still, you did not disappoint."
Kuroko felt an important clarification had to be made before things went any further. "Weight training is what you enjoy, not me," he said.
In answer, Akashi-kun flexed his bicep. It resulted in a noticeable bulge through two layers of clothes and a thrill of annoyance and excitement intertwined that ran down the back of Kuroko's spine, blazingly electric. Akashi-kun smirked. "If you continue to follow Aida Riko's regime, your condition should also improve," though not as much as you would with mine, Kuroko felt, was unspoken, "she's very effective."
"Obviously she was effective," Kuroko pointed out. Kuroko had a trophy to that effect. He felt at once off-balanced and on eminently sure ground.
Akashi-kun cast him a lazily tolerant look through fine lashes, his eyes dark in parts and light in parts and laughing.
Kuroko smiled at him too. Perhaps it was time that Kuroko, lived up to his own words and his own dreams, and tried to take what he wanted before deciding he wasn't worthy of it.
Akashi-kun was holding his ice cream with his right hand. Kuroko reached out, and took Akashi-kun's other hand. Kuroko instantly regretted not having wiped his hand down on his shirt before reaching out, thereby subjecting Akashi-kun to the moist warmth of Kuroko's palm. Kuroko also regretted the slightly awkward angle at which he was now obliged to stand maintain contact. If anyone was out at this obscene hour, there was no way that they could avoid seeing Akashi and Kuroko's linked hands, and Akashi-kun wasn't reacting in any visible fashion.
Kuroko heard a noise and flinched, moving to pull his hand out of Akashi-kun's.
Akashi-kun tightened his grasp, and continued to eat his ice cream. A car passed, too quickly to notice anything.
Kuroko stayed silent while he finished, and then while Akashi-kun was licking his lips clean he stepped forward and pressed his mouth to Akashi-kun's, a clear and definite declaration of intent.
When he stepped back, Akashi-kun smiled at him, and seemed unsurprised, but pleased.
"I had a wager on when you would," said Akashi-kun.
When, noted Kuroko, not if.
"With who?" said Kuroko.
Akashi-kun smiled, and his eyes were light and dark and the air was very sharp. "With myself," he said, letting that hang in the air between them before adding, "Tetsuya."
"Who won?" managed Kuroko, through a mouth gone dry with anticipation and desire. A little terror.
Akashi-kun smiled deeper. His eyes were lighter than ever, and his smile was wider than Kuroko had ever seen it. "I'm sure you can find out."
Kuroko leaned forward and raised himself a little on his toes. He slipped his hand behind Akashi's head and pulled Akashi down towards him. Akashi let him, so that when their lips met it was in the exact middle, and Kuroko saw galaxies, spiraling swirls of stars and light. Akashi-kun's hand closed on Kuroko's free wrist and held on, as awkwardly as he held hands, as desperately and tightly.
"Me," said Kuroko, when they parted. He breathed it onto Akashi-kun's lips. Now, both their breaths came faster. "I won."
"If you like," conceded Akashi-kun. He smiled again, sweet and secret.
"Tonight," said Kuroko. "Can we-"
"I actually can't," said Akashi-kun, sounding truly regretful. "I'm having dinner with my father tonight." He paused. "And then tomorrow, I go back to the branch house so that I'm not rushed when we return to school."
"Oh," said Kuroko.
"You could come with me," said Akashi-kun, a plan for every contingency. "There is more than enough room for guests and you can be back by Monday."
A suspicion crept into Kuroko's mind. "Your teammates wouldn't be returning over the weekend as well," he said. "Would they."
"I have every confidence you will find yourself equal to the situation," said Akashi-kun sweetly.
Kuroko felt the faint itch of an impulse to punch Akashi-kun painfully in a limb, and the stronger impulse to lean in and kiss him again, the second of which he obeyed as the far more ultimately satisfying option. "I'll see you there," Kuroko said, when they parted, an echo of all the promises he had made to Akashi-kun over the years, and Akashi-kun tipped back his head to laugh.