They were sitting on Kagami's couch, leaning against opposite arm rests with their legs tangled in the middle. Kuroko was reading a book, every once in a while glancing at the game that Kagami was watching. They traded comments from time to time, analyzing the game, but spent the time in relative silence. It was comfortable, familiar. Neither felt the need to break the peace that had surround them.
The red head had just turned his head to make a comment about one of the players, but his breath caught in his throat. As the sun had set during the evening, shadows had been cast through the room. A dark shadow had fallen over the side of Kuroko's face, shading his cheek. In that instant, Kagami remembered punching that cheek. Remember the dark bruise that lasted for several days afterward. Each time the power forward had looked at it after the game, a new wave of guilt had rolled hard through his stomach.
Now, sitting in the living room far away from a basketball court, the same guilt surfaced all over again. His heart clenched painfully hard in his chest, causing a lump to grow in his throat. Game forgotten, he leaned forward. When he was close enough, he reached out a large hand to cup Tetsuya's left cheek. Blue eyes looked up, widened slightly in surprise, to stare at him curiously.
"Is something wrong, Kagami-kun?" His book was gently closed and set in his lap. His boyfriend looked unusually serious, almost sullen. His red eyes were pinched tightly, as if he was in pain. Worry laced through the blue eyed teen.
Kagami continued to pin him with a firm stare, eyes roaming over Kuroko's face. None of it was darkened with bruises now; it was pale and soft and warm under his palm.
"I'm sorry," the tall boy blurted out suddenly. Kuroko raised a brow at the words. He couldn't think of anything that Taiga should be apologizing for. He opened his mouth to ask, but Kagami cut him off.
"I punched you when we played Shutoku for the first time." His thumb brushed over the arch of Kuroko's cheek gently. Kuroko continued to stare at him, mouth opening and closing several times before he found the words to say.
"I punched you first, Kagami-kun. And you've already apologized." His tone was gentle and calming, filled with understand and affection. It was a habit of Kagami's to hold onto guilt, continue to torment himself long after and even had happened. Kagami smiled slightly at the words, but his brows were still furrowed.
"Yeah, but I deserved it," Kagami pointed out. His hand had moved to run through the hair above Kuroko's ear before moving back to his cheek. Tetsuya barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"Violence is never the answer," he countered, but he still looked down in his lap before adding, "I shouldn't have done that, but to be honest, I don't regret doing it either."
Kagami's eyes widened at the statement, his mouth turned down in a confused grimace. Kuroko sat further up against the arm of the couch, facing his boyfriend more fully.
"I was scared," the shadow admitted quietly. "As much as I believed in you, I would be lying if I said that Kise-kun's words hadn't worried me. I knew the risk involved with being your shadow, but it was still... scary."
He fidgeted with the cover of his book for a moment, avoiding Kagami's stare. He could feel it burning a hole in the top of his head.
"I thought that you were already starting to grow away from the team. I stood by and let that happen at Teiko." With a sudden jerk, he looked up to his boyfriend, eyes burning with conviction and earnestness. "I wasn't going to let it happen again."
After a moment, a soft smile spread over Kuroko's lips, curled with affection. "I regret resorting to violence, but in the moment, it was the only thing I could think to do." I wasn't going to let you turn out like them was left unspoken, but fully understood by both of them.
Kuroko lapsed into silence, having said his piece about the entire event. As the silence stretched on, Kagami understood more and more what the situation must had looked like for the shadow. Having finally found a team that he could rely on, and that relied on him, only to have his light decide to separate nearly right away. Damn right it must have been scary.
With a defeated sigh, guilt still heavy in his chest, Kagami pulled his boyfriend toward him. Tetsuya moved easily enough, more than content to be pulled into his partner's embrace. They settled happily after a few minutes of wiggling and shifting. Kuroko laid out on Taiga's chest, their legs still tangled together. He absentmindedly ran his fingers over Kagami's collarbone, sending shivers up the red head's spine.
Taiga's deep breaths moved through teal hair slowly. Kagami's weight below him was reassuring and warm. A constant that never ceased to calm the shadow. A large hand moved down Kuroko's back in slow strokes, individual fingers moving carefully over the vertebrae of his spine.
Tetsuya's book had fallen to the floor when they'd adjusted; the game had ended and the sound of announcers and sports analysts going over the game droned on in the background. Neither felt the need to change anything, content to lay in each other's arms.
The silence between them continued, comfortable and warm and sleepy. Kuroko was sure that Kagami had dozed off when quiet words reached his ears.
"I'm glad that you punched me," Kagami mumbled from above him, hand moving to run through the hair at the nape of his neck. Kuroko leaned into the touch, savoring it. He smiled up at his boyfriend, soft and bright and loving.
"I'm glad that I did too."