©dwindlingflame

The quote in the summary is by Ellen Hopkins in her book, "Perfect". It had nothing to do with this fic - I just read it a bit after finishing the fic and felt that it was nice. :33

Hello fluff, fluff, and more fluff.


Five Fingers; A Love Story


Thumb

It was the start of their friendship. It happened after a spontaneous one on one match that left them both hot, sweaty, and completely fired up to see each other again. In the heat of the moment, neither of them realized what it would mean; what that one question would lead to.

"Oi, Kagami!"

His hand paused, gripping the straps of his bag as he turned his head, staring at the way Aomine stood; nonchalant, confident.

"Same time tomorrow?"

Words may not have been used to answer an innocent question, but the curl of Kagami's fingers and the extension of his thumb was.


Tomorrow repeated.

Tomorrow became weeks.

Tomorrow became months.


The progression was slow, yet sudden. Expected, yet it still took them by surprise.

"Why the hell do you want to hang that there?"

"Come on, don't you think it looks great there?"

"Yes, but why my apartment?"

Aomine stood back, bringing his hands up to his face. He made an 'L' with his index finger and thumb on both hands, holding them in the shape of a small box. He looked through them, grinning at the photo on Kagami's wall.

"It's perfect."


Because perfection was the way Aomine moved in, little by little, without ever saying so.


Index

They never realized that sexual passion would come after the innocent touch of Kagami's fingertip against Aomine's lips.

They had always touched, touched in a way that made their hearts clench and their faces burn, but never did they act on that tension building between every nerve on the surface of their skin.

Until the first night they realized that Aomine's kisses and Kagami's touches were right.

That night when they lied together, staring at a dark ceiling, talking about everything and nothing.

That night when an insult was a compliment, when a jab to the side was affectionate, when Kagami's smile became a seductress, trapping Aomine in a whirlwind of desire. Not desire for his body - but desire for him.

Aomine had him pinned for a stupid comment he made. Take it back, he said.

Kagami said no.

Aomine responded with a pillow to the face, finding joy in the way Kagami roared and struggled to get out from under the weight of Aomine and the pillow on his face. Before he could suffocate, Aomine removed it, asking if Kagami was ready to surrender.

Red cheeks and sparkling white teeth greeted him, mixing with the melodious sound of Kagami's laughter.

Aomine never thought he would ever see something as cliché as the person he loved sparkling in the moonlight. The milky rays from the crack in the curtains danced over Kagami's face, illuminating his smile, his nose, his lips, his eyes.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't breath.

Kagami's hands tangled in his hair as his laughter died down, his gaze never once leaving his face. Aomine had a feeling that Kagami knew that he was thinking. He had a feeling that Kagami was thinking the same.

His eyes had softened, his lips set in a small smile that said everything. Kagami's fingers slipped from his hair, his index finger trailing along the side of Aomine's face. It slid along his hairline, across his jaw, over the curve of his chin, and up to his lips. His finger lingered and in his eyes, Aomine could see it all.

That night Aomine's lips never left his.


His index finger was the first to enter him, the first to explore, the first to claim him as his own.


"How many do you need, sir?"

Kagami glanced over his shoulder, watching as Aomine shuffled through the kitchen appliances, the confusion on his face growing as he tried to tell the difference between two brands of coffee makers ("Why the hell is this one twice as expensive?")

He turned back to the attendance, smiling at her as she waited for his response. He held up his hand, holding up his index and middle fingers with a grin.

"Two"


Everything was two now.


Middle

To say that almost every fight between them ended with a verbal and visual "Fuck off, asshole" would be an understatement.

Usually, their fights were pointless.

They'd argue about the time it took Aomine to take off his damn shoes before coming inside.

They'd argue about the fact that they needed new furniture (the couch is too small, you see), but Kagami insisted that the couch was fine ("You just want to use the could for things other than sitting!")

Sometimes, they would even forget what they were arguing about while still arguing about it.

Despite being adults (in a loose sense of the word - age is just a number, and 23 doesn't make them any more mature than they were at 16), they always found themselves at the mercy of their stupidity.

This time, it was about the amount of time they didn't have to study, work, and still enjoy each other's company.

(Sometimes, Aomine wanted to cuddle when Kagami had no time to entertain his needs. Other times, Kagami wanted kisses when Aomine's lips were no where near him.)

Kagami was the first to flick him off. "Just shut up, asshole, I'm busy."

"Did you just flick me off?"

"Did you miss it? Want me to do it again?" Kagami stuck up his middle finger. "Fuck off."

Aomine frowned, his lips pulling back into a sneer. "Do you think you're the only one who has one of those?" Aomine flicked him off with both fingers.

Kagami slammed down his pencil, pushing his study book of rescue procedures to the side. "Oh, real mature, Aomine! Two fingers, I'm so insulted."

Yet somehow, that didn't stop him from shoving his middle finger into his ear.

"You're one to talk, you brat!" Aomine pulled at his lower eyelid with his middle finger.

Kagami's middle finger found its way up his nose before he flicked off whatever he found up there in Aomine's direction. "Goodbye."

"You're disgusting."

"Yet you're still here."


Whether Kagami meant here in their room or here in his life didn't really matter, Aomine knew he would never not be here, wherever here was.


Two fingers were Aomine's favorite. Whenever Kagami had his middle and ring fingers curled inside him, pressing against him, into him, exploring him, he could always feel his body burning and his stomach churning.

And Kagami always knew how to use those two fingers.

He pushed and prodded, opening him up for more every time.

All Aomine could do was tell him what he wanted in the form of shaky moans, breathy sighs, and a gasp of "Don't stop."


"Don't stop loving me," is what he meant.


Ring

It was awkward, scary, and heavy.

The weight of the ring in his palm was weighing him down, slowing him down, making it harder to approach Aomine who sat on the couch after dinner, watching TV, completely unaware of the thudding in Kagami's chest.

It was weird.

Kagami knew he had no reason to be afraid. In the days and nights he's spent with Aomine, bickering, laughing, loving, he's come to realize that all of those kisses and gentle caresses of the skin were leading to this moment. Each part of their puzzle came together and created a picture of perfection, only needing one last piece to complete it.

That piece was a simple gold wedding band with two thin strips of silver along the edges.

Kagami knew that Aomine wouldn't reject that piece. It's been 9 years since they met and 7 years since everything changed.

It was time to change again.

That's what he told himself, but Kagami still couldn't stop his knees from wobbling as he stumbled over to the couch. He couldn't stop his heart from stopping when Aomine glanced over to him, his eyebrow raised.

"You look like shit."

Kagami felt like shit.

As he rounded the couch, Kagami tried to remember what needed to be done.

Get on one knee.

Check - sort of.

Kagami tripped, actually. He tripped over his own two feet in front of him, landing on all fours with his head down and his shoulders shaking.

"Woah!" Aomine brought his feet to the floor (bastard, why must you put your feet on the couch…) and cupped Kagami's cheek, tipping his head up. "Are you sick?"

Kagami stared into his eyes, watching the confusion and worry swirl through them. He opened his mouth, trying to find the words but he couldn't really remember, not when his body and heart wanted nothing more than the melt into Aomine's warm touch.

Ask the question.

"Marry me, dumbass!"

Check - sort of.

Aomine's hand froze.

Kagami's world froze.

He fucked up.

Kagami began sputtering on nothing, watching as Aomine's face changed with each passing second as the information processed.

Red was a beautiful color on Aomine's skin.

"Ah…" Kagami sat back on his heels on the floor, holding up his fists to Aomine's face like a child who found the coolest looking bug in the park after school. He opened his palms, revealing that promise of eternity that he wanted Aomine to accept, to believe.

Aomine stared at him, the ring, him.

Kagami lowered the ring to his lap, caressing it with the tips of his fingers, "I… I want you to be with me, Aomine. And I want to be with you…" Kagami wasn't sure what kind of smile he had on his face, but for some reason, it felt really pathetic.

"Idiot…" Aomine dropped his face into his palms, repeating the word like a chant.

Was this bad?

Aomine's left hand fell to his knee where he rested his forearm and subtly extended his hand. He said nothing more. He didn't look up again.

"Is that a yes…?"

"What do you think, asswipe?"

Kagami couldn't see his face and Aomine couldn't see his.

Maybe it was for the best because at that moment, Kagami didn't think he could feel happier than he did that night. Tears prickled the corner of his eyes. He choked back a sob with his laughter, wiping that bitch of a tear that tried to slide down his cheeks.

He took Aomine's hand into his own, guiding forever onto his fourth finger.

A perfect fit.

He held Aomine's hand in both of his own, stroking the length of Aomine's fingers while the other male still refused to look at him.

He almost thought that Aomine would spend the rest of the night hiding his face but when that hand finally moved, Kagami felt himself melting into his palms when they cupped his jaw.

The ring was cool against his cheeks and Aomine's lips were hot against his own.


Some say that forever is a long time, but forever wasn't long enough for them.


Kagami lied when he thought he couldn't be happier that night Aomine said (theoretically) 'Yes'.

He was happier on their wedding day. In the eyes of their friends and loved ones, they shared that vow that meant more to them than anyone could really understand.

He was happier on their wedding night, the night when making love was redefined as a connection between heart and soul, where their physical connection paled in comparison to what they felt.

And then, he was happier the day they became whole.

The day their angel was born.

The day their daughter came into their lives.

The day they stood in the hospital, watching her sleep after her journey into the world.

Aomine stood across from him, staring at her rosy cheeks and cute little lips. His finger made trails along her skin gently. "Quick, lets take a picture." Aomine reached into his pocket, searching for his phone.

Kagami grinned, leaning his head over the little crib where she slept in the hospital, not yet ready to go home. He dipped one hand into the crib and Aomine did the same. They brought their heads close, trying to set the entire family into the picture.

Just as Aomine snapped the picture, Kagami felt it; soft, fluffy fingers moving against his own, wrapping around his pinky and ring fingers. The shock on his face was mirrored, Aomine's eyes meeting his before looking back down.

Small, dark eyes looked back at them through slits, seeing but not.

Her little fingers danced over his ring.

Aomine broke the silence, his voice trembling (he would later deny that he was emotional), "She's got a strong grip…"

Kagami laughed (Nah, he wasn't crying), "What if she never lets us go?"

The corners of Aomine's mouth turned up. "I wouldn't mind."


Actually, she really didn't want to let go, and when her tears started when they had to leave, Kagami realized that he didn't want to let her go either.


Pinky

She was the one who taught them this silly little pact.

It was the first time they fought in front of her.

They managed 7 years of silent bickering and waiting for her to be in school before they started another screaming match.

Kagami couldn't remember how it started - but it was work related, and her.

It wasn't anyone's fault, honestly. It was life.

Busy, busy, busy life.

Aomine couldn't get off work early enough to pick her up from school but that didn't stop Kagami from nagging about his responsibilities.

Kagami couldn't get the morning shift so they could be a family at night but that didn't stop Aomine from accusing him of not caring enough.

They didn't know she was home - she was supposed to be at school, practicing her dance routines for the upcoming performance (which they both already took off work for). But she was, dropped off early by her instructor who waited for them as long as he could but had to leave her knowing she was inside and locked away safely.

It was when their silent bickering became an all out war that she opened her door, storming out of her room yelling "DADDY!"

They both froze, staring at her like a deer caught in headlights.

Her glare was strong and Kagami wondered where she got such mean eyes from.

"Apologize!" They were silent, watching as she crossed her arms. "You aren't supposed to fight! Daddies don't fight when they love each other, so apologize!"

Kagami's flame extinguished, his anger long since forgotten. Aomine's shoulders slumped, a small smile forming on his lips as he watched her.

Kagami was the first to make amends. "I'm sorry, princess."

"No, say sorry to daddy."

Sighing heavily, he turned his gaze to Aomine who watched him with his nose turned up playfully. "I'm sorry - asshole…" The last part was whispered.

"Apology accepted."

Kagami waited.

"Daddy!" She slapped Aomine's knee, turning her dramatically scrunched up glare on Aomine.

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry, Kagami."

She smiled and reached forward, grabbing both of their hands. She was lost in them. "Now you have to promise to stop fighting, okay?"

They knew their promise was a lie.

"Pinky swear?" She latched on to their little fingers, pulling them apart from the rest. She pulled them together, trying to forcefully hook their fingers together.

Kagami looked at Aomine and Aomine looked back.

A stupid grin broke out onto Aomine's face first, the same grin he threw at him when they were teens and he knew he was in trouble.

"I pinky swear." Aomine hooked his finger first, waiting for Kagami to do the same.

As Kagami followed his example, voicing his agreement quietly, he knew that, in a way, they were sincere.

Their promise of forever and the creation of their family came with ups and downs.

Kagami could feel it in the way that Aomine tightened his grip on his finger and held his pinky hostage that they would try their best, for her and for each other.


They fought the next day she went to class, but this time, it was about who was going to shower first (in the end they showered together - with interest).


"We did good, didn't we?"

"You think so?"

"Yeah… I do." Kagami nudged Aomine with his shoulder, flashing him that smile.

"You think she'll be okay?" Even as Kagami moved back to his spot, Aomine shifted closer, keeping their arms close.

The back of his hand touched Kagami's and Kagami's pinky slowly wrapped around his own.

She was leaving, putting away books and stuffed animals on shelves, slowly decorating her dorm with what made her unique.

"She'll be fine. She's your daughter, after all." Kagami grinned, turning his nose towards Aomine's cheek. He rubbed the tip of his nose against his skin just as Aomine hooked their ring fingers together.

"I don't know… I was a mess at 18…"

Aomine turned to him, their noses brushing.

"True. You were helpless without me." Slowly, Kagami's middle finger snaked around Aomine's.

"Rude - I was not helpless." Aomine's index finger rubbed against Kagami's teasingly, "I just chose not to do anything since you would do it for me."

Kagami glared, angling his hand until his wrist twisted and their palms touched. "I'm not cooking for you anymore."

Aomine's grip tightened. "You've said this before, yet I still have your dinner each night."

"Are you guys going to just stand there and flirt, or are you going to help me?"

Even now, she still had the strongest hold on both of them.

Their daughter, their baby girl, their world, she was all grown up.

Kagami sighed, taking a few steps forward into her room. Aomine stopped him with a small pull on his hand, making him wait as she went back to unpacking.

Aomine kissed him, his cheek, his knuckles, his lips, him.

"I love you."

Of all the places where Aomine could have said that, he decided to say it here…

That's okay though.

"I love you, too."


Aomine said it again on the drive home, after they left her.

He said it again in bed when Kagami lay beneath him, red and receptive.

Kagami said it back, again, when Aomine buried himself deep, deep into his body, deep into his heart.

No matter how much the fought, no matter what struggles they faced, Aomine has come to realize that he'll always say it.

And as Aomine nestled himself inside, filling every empty hole in him, Kagami has come to realize that he'll always say it back.


Fin. I left the creation of their daughter open. Mpreg, surrogate, adoption: It's all up to you. ^^;