The buzzer sounds, 132 Touou, 133 Seirin. Aomine hits the floor with both feet, wiping sweat from his face, his whole body quivering and thrumming and alive. It's the best he's ever played, the best Kagami's ever played, the best Kuroko's ever played, and the last time they'll ever play each other.

He can see their faces, Seirin's team, especially those two watching him. Light blue eyes are the only ones he cares about, and they're anxious, exhausted, and elated.

Old bitterness wars with common sense, and Aomine draws a deep breath before letting it go in a sound that's almost like a laugh. "Yeah," he says quietly, a grin on his face as his blood pounds in his veins. He walks over, broad shoulders drooping slightly, and says to Kagami, "Yeah, okay."

That's all he needs to say. Kagami gets it, and at least doesn't make a big fucking scene about it, just nodding.

Then Aomine turns to Kuroko, lets out a long breath, and holds out his fist. Don't let it be too late. Not now that I finally get it.

It isn't surprise that blossoms over Kuroko's face, but relief.

He's not quite sure his smile is a steady one, but he tries for it nonetheless, even as his hand shakes when he balls it into a fist and lifts it. Okay, maybe even the bump against Aomine's is a bit lackluster, but he's exhausted, with every muscle still strung tight and trembling.

And it feels really, really good.

"You were amazing, Aomine-kun." For a minute, it almost feels like middle school again, replacing awe with a sense of satisfied respect. Of all the last games they could have played, this was the one that Kuroko wanted.

Aomine stretches his arms out over his head, the sweat-soaked jersey peeling slowly away from his belly. "Guess you and Kagami are the brightest lights on the court now," he says, shoving short hairs back from his forehead. "Shit, that was a good game. You…." He pauses, then swallows what's left of his pride. This is the last time, after all. It's way too late to make any kind of first impression, but maybe he can make a good last impression. "You guys want to go out for ice cream or something?"

"I think the rest of the team might want to do something together…" Kuroko hedges, casting a glance back. "But-ah-I'll ask, maybe, for old time's sake…" Truth be told, he really doesn't want to turn Aomine down, not when such an offer would have never come out of a defeated Aomine's mouth even months ago. "Let's line up-and then I'll meet you outside of the locker rooms, all right?"

Aomine nods briefly, lining up and shouting, "Thank you very much!" as loud as anyone. Well, not as loud as that weird second-year on Seirin's team, but no one pays attention to him anyway. He doesn't want to wait outside the locker rooms like one of the girls who waits around to get autographs and a kiss, but if it's the only way he'll get to see Kuroko one more time before he leaves….

Kagami leaves first, giving him a nod. "Sorry. No disrespect, I have plans," Seirin's ace says quietly, and Aomine nods. No matter how much they've both grown up in the last few years, he still doesn't really want to eat ice cream with the damn guy.

It's to be expected, of course, and Kuroko is quick to assure Kagami (and the rest of the team, for that matter) that he'll be there for their celebratory dinner-he just has one thing to take care of first…

It wouldn't be the first time Aomine has sort of made his plans hitch a little bit, after all.

His heart is still thudding in his chest even after changing, and Kuroko sighs, sagging forward into one of the lockers, pressing his forehead to the cool metal. Probably, it's the last game he's ever going to really play. Maybe in university, but probably not (it wouldn't be fun without Kagami, would it?) and there's no way he will end up doing this professionally, not with what he has in mind for the rest of his life…

Something less stressful, to be sure. Kuroko is rather proud of planning it that way.

He sighs contently at that thought, pushing away from the lockers and grabbing his bag. Right. Ice cream. Ice cream with the one person he's more relieved about apparently fixing than anyone else ever. That's a good way to start wrapping up the day.

Ice cream sounds really good.

Aomine tries to remember that he's thinking about ice cream, about something totally appropriate, when he sees Kuroko's limp form slumping a bit against the lockers. Ah, but Tetsu had been totally on point today, zapping around the court almost invisibly, catching and tapping passes there's no way even he should have been able to touch, shooting at way better than the average Aomine's ever seen before, leaving it all on the floor, every bit of blood and sweat and tears he's ever shown.

Aomine loves it.

He hasn't showered yet, and he's probably rank as hell. That doesn't stop him from seeing something he wants, something he's wanted for years, and taking it.

His hands are steady on Kuroko's hips when he lifts the smaller boy, turning him around to press him against the lockers, feet dangling to bring him up parallel with Aomine. He doesn't apologize, doesn't say anything, eyes dark and intent as he steps forward that last inch, pressing Kuroko against cold steel with every muscle, stealing his lips in a hard kiss.

Mine.

"Aomi-"

Kuroko tries to think of a good protest. It's on the tip of his tongue, as are a dozen things-don't, this isn't how it's supposed to go, you changed and this wasn't ever supposed to happen again, especially not now, not when I've been waiting for so long for someone that isn't you now and-

Except Aomine is solid and strong and hot, his mouth demanding and stealing his breath, and even if it wasn't, Kuroko is sure that he wouldn't be able to breathe.

A muffled squeak-the last protest he can squeeze from his throat-is lost against Aomine's mouth, and Kuroko's hands desperately reach out, grabbing at Aomine's arms, up to his shoulders, his eyes fluttering as he sinks back into the lockers with a ragged groan.

Really not according to plan. Really good, though.

This probably shouldn't feel quite so familiar.

It does, and Aomine lets out a purr deep in his throat, a heady growl that says he remembers who Kuroko's first kiss was, what he'd looked like then, how he'd panted and squirmed and blushed and wanted more. They'd been kids, but even now Aomine wishes he'd been smarter, been less obsessed, had given him all the more he could want.

He kisses Kuroko hard, using too much teeth, leaving bruises on his waist, and pulls back only to yank Kuroko's shorts down before lifting him again, groaning, "God, Tetsu-"

This is happening fast.

Kuroko swallows hard, his throat bobbing as he gasps for a full breath, scrambling to cling to Aomine's shoulders and his legs, seemingly on their own accord, squeeze and cling at his waist. "Aomine-…kun-" He tries to make it a protest. He wishes it was more of one, especially when he thinks a little frantically of the things he wanted to do after this game, of what he wanted to talk to Kagami about whether they had won or lost-

His mind sort of clicks off after a few more seconds of kissing and grabbing, though, especially when he wriggles and claws at Aomine's back and there's nothing in his nose but musky, heady male and how hot Aomine burns against him.

Kuroko tries to choke back another groan all the same, nearly impossible when his cock is so hard and rubbing against Aomine's stomach, and he shudders, eyes squeezing shut as he lets his head loll back, clanging back into the lockers.

"Should have done this years ago," Aomine grunts, leaning down and biting, sucking hard on Kuroko's neck, wanting to mark him up, show the world just who Kuroko Tetsuya has always belonged to. It's hard to remember how he'd been nervous to go beyond this, to actually touch another guy's dick, way too nervous to suck or fuck the doe-eyed shadow perched on his lap asking firmly, patiently for more kisses.

Yeah, that's really hard to remember right now.

Aomine kicks off his own shorts, urging Kuroko's legs up around his waist, spitting on his hand and slicking up the already-dripping head of his cock. He should apologize, probably, because he's too big and he's going in without any kind of prep, but there's a goddamn voice shrieking in his head that if he's not inside Tetsu soon, he might as well be dead, and he can't help but agree.

With one strong, almost brutal thrust, Aomine shoves in, a low groan ripping loose when he does, thighs tense and strong against Kuroko's ass as he hears their hips slap together. It's too fast, too much, and god, he almost comes right there.

Kuroko absolutely, one hundred percent, can't breathe.

He wants to tell Aomine that it's too fast, too much, that he can't-but the fact of the matter is that he is, that Aomine's already deep inside him with the obscene slap of skin against skin ringing in his ears, with the deep, cramping acheof being so, so full making his eyes roll back, and Kuroko knows his nails are drawing blood on Aomine's back. His teeth are, too, when he stifles something that might as well be a wail as he sets his teeth to one broad shoulder in his desperation, a sobbing, hitching breath finally drawn into his lungs as he clings, quivers, shudders around the thick cock buried inside of him, his own cock still throbbing between them, harder still with every tense slide.

I wonder if this is his first time.

That thought is almost enough to make him come, and Aomine groans, fingers digging bruises into Kuroko's sides. Kuroko's fucking tight, squeezing down on him so hard he thinks he'll pass out from lack of circulation, and that just makes Aomine want to fuck him harder.

The lockers are noisy; Aomine makes them rattle with every deep thrust, slamming inside of Kuroko with every savage movement of his hips, marking and claiming and fucking him. "You knew," he grunts, panting for breath as the sweat drips down his face for the second time today. "You knew it was always gonna be me."

"I-" I didn't, not at all, I never thought you'd even look at me like you wanted something more again, not after-

Kuroko wishes he could get at least some of that out. As it is, it's all he can do to keep his voice down, to not sob and moan and shriek when Aomine shoves in so hard and so deep that it feels like his bones turn to mush, and he's nothing but a ragdoll for the other boy to shove around and yank down onto his cock and use.

His back arches unthinkingly, and his world narrows to Aomine's cock inside him, the way his own feels grinding between them, and Kuroko trembles, simply giving in with a broken, ragged gasp, coming hard between them in shaky bursts, everything too-hot and dizzy and ah, god, he really might pass out.

Aomine sees stars. Hell, he sees colors, sunbursts, and a whole lot of shit that might be God for all he knows, his whole body gone tense and shuddering, drawing noises he's never heard from his own mouth before with every urgent thrust.

The second he starts to come down, the thought that I just fucked Tetsu, I just came inside Tetsu hits him, and he spills again, another shaky, spent little burst deep inside Kuroko, already leaking out around his cock.

Aomine slowly lifts him off, arms finally starting to give out with the effects of the game and this, but one look at Kuroko's face says he can't stand on his own. That's fine; he wraps an arm around the smaller boy's waist, holding him close, giving his hairline a kiss. "Shit."

Kuroko manages a quiet, breathy noise that might have been an agreement. His legs wobble, his face flushing hot when he feels the slick, steady drip between his thighs, everything a sticky mess. Without thinking, his face buries into Aomine's chest, his hands grabbing and clinging as he flops there. "I give up." On moving. On most everything, right then. Kuroko doesn't specify, it's all the same. "Aomine-kun is…" Is there even a word for any of it?

"Knock it off, you never give up. That's the most annoying thing about you." In spite of the words, Aomine doesn't make the slightest effort to push him away. If anything, he grabs him closer, a hand stroking up and down his spine.

"Oy, I-"

After less than a second of silence, the locker room door closes loudly, abruptly. Aomine groans. He knows that voice.

The color drains from Kuroko's face immediately, and he's glad that Aomine is so tall, and he can hide his expression so easily in his chest.

This was supposed to be with Kagami-kun.

The one thing he's really thought about once high school is over, once he no longer has those exams to worry about, once the final game of the season is done is Kagami, the thought of ending up like this with him (except not quite like this-not shoved into lockers and kissed until his lips hurt and his body aches and a dozen other things).

Kuroko is fairly certain he's ruined that.

There's a lump in Kuroko's throat, and he can barely swallow. "I… think… maybe I should go…"

"Fuck that," Aomine growls, a snarl replacing the easy relaxation of a moment ago all too easily. "If he has a problem with it he can come take it up with me. Dammit, Tetsu, we're just starting!"

"Starting what?" Kuroko doesn't like how his voice shakes a bit with that question. "Aomine-kun, you didn't even… you just sort of did this and didn't even ask, you know!" If he was any good at yelling, that might have been what he was doing.

Aomine's hand hits the locker by Kuroko's head, and he leans down, looming over the smaller boy. "I've wanted you for fucking ever," he says, voice low and dangerous. "This was my last fucking chance, so I took it. I didn't hear you complaining."

"I thought you were done with me." Kuroko's voice doesn't waver this time, even though he sinks back into the lockers, still unsteady on his feet. "Maybe I wasn't complaining, but I never thought you'd want this again. Not really."

"What do you mean again?" Aomine demands, grabbing Kuroko by the chin, tilting his face firmly up. "All we ever did was make out. Come on, I got scouted, I'm leaving as soon as graduation's over. I just wanted you so bad…" Even when I couldn't talk to you, I still dreamed about you like this. You bastard.

"… I meant in general," Kuroko quietly attempts, his eyes lidding tiredly. "Aomine-kun… if you wanted me so badly, you should have done something a lot sooner. I'm sorry, but I thought for sure… nothing would ever happen between us. And since you'll be leaving, surely you know that there's not… really going to be anything."

Aomine finally pulls away, rubbing a hand over his face, wiping off some of the sweat. "You make it sound like I planned this out," he mutters. "I just...wanted you. If you don't want me, say so. I'll leave right now, shit, I'm not a fucking rapist, I don't need to be."

Kuroko's face flushes anew. "I didn't say you were that." He exhales a long breath, shifting to claw his way along the lockers toward the showers. The sooner he's clean again, maybe he won't remember how quickly Kagami left. "I just wish maybe you had talked to me about this first," he mumbles, pulling his shirt off with another wobble. "Aomine-kun can be very rash."

"You like it," Aomine says confidently, yanking his shorts back up from where they'd fallen around his ankles. "Take a fucking stand, Tetsu. You want me or not? I can come wash your….back."

The look Kuroko tosses him over his shoulder is just shy of scathing. "Aomine-kun probably needs to take a shower by himself right now."

"Fuck that," Aomine mutters. If Tetsu's going to be like that, there are showers at home, and he doesn't give a shit who has to smell him on the train. "Later, Tetsu. You're a great fuck, by the way." Shit, he was going to be nice about all of this. Not his fault Tetsu likes pissing him off so much. He could have been petting Tetsu's hair by now, telling him how good he looked on the court, bringing him home for ice cream.

Ah, now he's getting angry. "I thought you had changed, Aomine-kun," Kuroko flatly tosses back as he turns on the water. "Or was that just a lie so you could get your hands on me?"

Dark skin flushes, and Aomine's face turns into a scowl. "I didn't think I had to be someone different for you to like me, Tetsu," he says with a glare, trying not to take it as personally as it feels. "You could have stopped me at any time. I liked that a lot, and I know you did too."

"It's more like… I just wanted to see a little bit of the person you used to be. You already did enough changing for me." The words come out exhausted-and he is, with all of this, with everything, especially with Aomine, but his resolve wavers as he flops back against the shower wall and lets himself soak. "I changed my mind. It's fine if you want to come shower, too."

It shouldn't be so easy for Kuroko to ensnare him.

It is.

Aomine shucks his clothes in an instant, coming up behind Kuroko and sliding his arms around his waist. He nuzzles down into his hair, feeling the water wash over both of them. "Just because I'm leaving," he murmurs, as if they'd never fought at all, "doesn't mean this has to be over. Come live with me."

Kuroko's stomach does an odd flip-flop, all-too reminiscent of the way it used to feel during middle school, or when he was a first (second, third) year at Seirin, seeing Aomine on the court again and again and again-"I've already been accepted to a university here in Tokyo." Aomine is always so warm. How does he do that?

"So?" Aomine shrugs. "You can go to university anywhere, right? It's not like you're studying anything special." He grabs some soap, slowly lathering it down Kuroko's chest. "If you come, I'll put in a good word with the manager. Half court tickets to every game, and you can keep trying out until he gets it. Better than giving up, right?"

"… Both the insinuations that I'm 'not studying anything special' and 'giving up' are very annoying, Aomine-kun," Kuroko quietly says as he slumps back against the other boy, shutting his eyes. "I like Japan. I want to stay here."

"I meant giving up on basketball," Aomine growls. "You don't think you'll get scouted, right? Is that why you didn't even try out for college ball? That's dumb, Tetsu. Didn't you just prove that?"

"Maybe I wanted to do something else." It isn't a lie. "Maybe I don't want to be scouted. I'm not like you, Aomine-kun."

"You love it." Aomine leans down, purring in his ear, and sets white teeth to tug gently on the shell of it. "I can see it when you play. Come with me. I'll treat you good."

"… Whether I love it or not isn't the issue." Kuroko swallows slowly, and he lets his elbow slide back, digging it between Aomine's ribs. "Are you honestly proposing that I go to America with you and live with you and we live happily ever after? What am I to do in the meantime, be your housewife? My English isn't good enough to get into a teaching program overseas."

"Ah, so what? I'm gonna be making enough to buy you a fucking college if that's what you want," Aomine says lazily, slapping Kuroko's arm away and slathering soap into his hair. "You've got a month to decide. Or you can go run after Kagami."

"You're doing that thing again," Kuroko calmly informs him, tilting his head back to blink up at him. "That thing where you're a jerk."

Aomine rolls his eyes. "I mean it. He's a good guy. Probably won't cheat on you or give you bruises or forget like, every important date." He looks down, upside-down at Kuroko. "But I bet he doesn't make you feel like I do."

"… I care about Kagami-kun a lot." It's best to be honest, when it comes to Aomine-blunt, too, or nothing ever happens or moves or anything. "And honestly, Aomine-kun-bruises are fine and forgetting things is fine, but if we did a relationship thing and you cheated on me, I would be very upset." It's bad, that he already feels like he sort of cheated on Kagami before anything could start.

Somehow, when Kuroko says relationship thing, it sounds really, really difficult. It sounds like all that shit Satsuki's always yammering about, dragging some poor loser to movies he hates, calling him every night to talk about feelings or some shit, planning matching outfits to school events-ugh. "Fine," he mutters, trying not to sigh. "Is that what you want? A….relationship thing? Does that mean you wanna come with me to America?"

"What did you want, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko twists in his arms to stare up at him, blinking away water from his eyes. "Because you don't sound terribly enthusiastic about a relationship thing."

"That's because you make it sound boring," Aomine says, rubbing a hand over Kuroko's head to wipe his hair into his eyes. "Just say it different. Say you'll come with me, I don't want this to be the end."

"All I said was that I didn't want you cheating on me." Kuroko frowns, his eyes lidding as he gently butts his head up into Aomine's hand. "I don't know," he quietly admits, "I didn't ever imagine you would want something like that. I need more time to think about it."

Shit, Kuroko's making a Big Deal out of it. Something deep inside Aomine tells him he wants it too, he wants it to be a Big Deal, but it's freaking him out too. "My plane leaves in a few weeks," he says, as casually as he can make it. "Guess you have until then. Fuck Kagami and see who's better for all I care."

Kuroko's brow furrows, and he turns his head, tilting it up to take a bite out of Aomine's hand. "Dis isn't abouf sex, Aomine-kun," he crossly says as he gnaws.

Aomine stares down at Kuroko, trying not to think it's cute. "Fucking knock that off," he mutters, "or I'm gonna make you suck me off right here, shit you've got a cute mouth."

"… Do you ever think about anything other than sex?" Kuroko bluntly inquires, releasing Aomine's hand with a sigh.

Aomine lets out a disappointed little noise. "Not when you're chewing on me. Or looking at me like that. Dammit, just tell me yes or no, don't fuck with me like this."

"I'm not 'fucking with you', as you put it." Kuroko shakes his head, pulling away to step out of the shower. "I'm going to go out to dinner with my team. I'll call you later, if that's all right."

"You never call me," Aomine mutters. "If you go you're just gonna think of reasons this is a bad idea, you know. You like me more when you're close to me."

"Aomine-kun overthinks things as much as I do, sometimes," Kuroko quietly notes, and turns around, stretching up on tiptoe to hesitantly brush a kiss to the other boy's cheek. "I'll call you. I promise."

Heat blooms in Aomine's chest, and he turns away, voice gruff as he says, "Shit, that's almost worth losing for. Yeah, go."

Sometimes-and really, sometimes-Aomine can be cute. Kuroko's lips twitch into a faint smile, and he hurries to dry off and get dressed, trying not to stress too badly on the issue of Kagami, and what he'd seen. After dinner-I'll tackle that after dinner.

Before Kuroko can move more than a few steps, Coach Aida bursts in, eyes wild until she locks on Kuroko. "Kuroko!" she shrieks, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground. "What did you do? What did you do? What the hell are we supposed to do now? I'm going to kill you!"

"Eh?" Kuroko blinks hard, staring at her as he dangles in her grasp. "What did I do?" he asks, thoroughly confused. "I've just been in here the whole time…"

"To Kagami!" She lifts him bodily, getting a knee into his stomach and pinning him back against the locker. "He came to get you for dinner, and then he ran back to the restaurant and told us he was leaving for America! Tonight! What the hell did you do?"

Kuroko feels as though the breath has been zapped from his lungs, and it has nothing to do with his coach kneeing him in the gut.

He swallows hard, shaking his head slowly. "I… didn't do anything. I'm sorry, I don't know what could be wrong." He just saw me clinging to Aomine after sex, that's all. Kuroko briefly shuts his eyes, trying to ignore the lurching flip-flop of his stomach, or the way his heart tries to pound its way out of his chest. "I can try and call him to see…" He's probably already on his way to the airport and wouldn't answer a call from me, anyway. I've ruined it, I've completely ruined everything.

Aida releases him, stumbling back to slump down to one of the benches, chest heaving as she starts to cry. "All of this...all these years...we finally have a chance at taking Nationals, our very last game, and he pulls something like this? W-why would he do that? You know him better than anyone, Kuroko! You have to do something!"

"I'll…" What can he do if Kagami is already leaving? That being said, she does have a point-it isn't like Kagami at all just to take off. That makes it even more frightening, to think Kagami is really that upset. Kuroko swallows, steadying himself. "I'll figure it out," he quietly says, hurriedly grabbing his bag. "I'm sure it must be something else, Coach. Please don't cry, go and enjoy dinner with the rest of the team and I will take care of it." Somehow.

"You-" Aida wipes a hand across her face, summoning her fighting spirit. It doesn't stop the tears from coming, but it does make them look a bit ridiculous on her frowning face. "Okay! We'll get Kagami back, no matter what. He can't have left from the airport yet, right?"

"I'll see if I can catch him there before he leaves." This was not how he wanted to talk to Kagami about anything, but needs must… And this is my fault. Entirely.

"Here." Aida shoves a couple 10,000 yen bills at him, ushering him out the door. "He can't be that far ahead of you. Whatever you did, just apologize and I don't care what it is, okay? As long as you get him back before the game."

"Ah… yes." Please let this be a thing I can fix, please.

It would have helped if Kagami had answered just one of his calls, or told anyone on the team which airport he was flying out of.

Narita Airport would have been the logical choice. It should have been. But with nearly 45 minutes of scouring and desperately querying the staff (really, how hard can it be to miss a ridiculously tall redhead?), Kuroko realizes not everything wants to be logical today.

He should have known, really.

By the time he makes it to Haneda Airport, Kuroko considers curling up on the floor and sleeping. "The last flight to Los Angeles left about 45 minutes ago," the clerk apologetically tells him, and Kuroko definitely wants to roll over and never move again.

I'm sorry, Coach, is the text message he tiredly sends, trying to think enough to form words through the pounding of his head, and the deep, sick pit in his stomach. I missed him completely.

It's probably rude to show up at Kuroko's house at six in the morning the next day, but Aida Riko is very, very done with caring about rudeness. His mother is awake, at least, speaking in soothingly calm tones and agreeing to show her in. At least she's not trying to show off baby pictures or threatening to kill everyone like her own father.

Aida knocks too hard, refusing to take sleep for an answer. "Ooooooi. Kuroko. Open up, it's important."

Slowly, the door creaks open, and Kuroko's very tousled bedhead pokes out, his eyes still glazed from what little sleep he managed to procure. "Coach," he dimly greets. "It's very early and you're very loud." And I didn't sleep, and I'm a horrible person.

Aida smacks him upside the head-to wake him up, of course-and shoves an envelope into his hands. "We all pitched in together from our summer jobs," she explains, eyes narrowed. "We were going to buy a memorial to the first year of Seirin winning Nationals at school, but this is more important."

Kuroko blinks, still not quite connecting the dots even as he stares at the envelope. "… Pitched in? For what?"

"A ticket. I checked with your dad, he said you have a passport, and you're the only one who can get through to the big idiot." She pushes her hair out of her face, huffing. "Kagami's Los Angeles address is in there. I got it from school records. I also got you excused from school for the next three days, and your flight leaves in five hours. You should get dressed."

"Oh." This isn't going to work. Kagami-kun is angry with me, he probably hates me, I don't even know if I can face him after what he saw-

Kuroko sucks in a slow, steadying breath. "I'll get him to come back." Maybe, if I make this about the team and not about me at all...

Aida squeezes his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Kuroko. All our hopes depend on you, now. Everything depends on you."

That probably is supposed to make him feel better.

It doesn't. At all.

At the airport, his finger lingers over sending Aomine a text message-it'll be a few days, I have to take a trip, I'm sorry-before simply deleting it. This is more important right now. This is about the team, and it absolutely has to be done.

It doesn't stop him from being painfully nervous for the entire flight.

It would also be his luck that upon arriving in Los Angeles, it's a rainy mess. Bonus points for taking forever to get a cab (no one ever notices him standing and waiting, after all) and even more points for finally arriving at Kagami's supposed address and no one being home.

Ah, yes, there's that urge to simply lie down again.

Kuroko settles for sitting on the front steps, curled up around his bag, and simply waits. Please don't hate me, please.

It's well past sunset when an exhausted Kagami Taiga staggers home, face wan and pale, eyes heavily lidded as he parks the car and locks it. He rubs his eyes, walks up to the house, and sighs. "Oi," he mutters in English, "buddy, you can't sleep there. Let me give you a few bucks for a sandwich, I'll get you to a shelter."

Kuroko stirs, lifts his head, and stares up at Kagami over his bag. Somehow, even just sleeping curled up into a ball, his hair has the remarkable ability of turning thoroughly mussed. Maybe it was the rain. "Kagami-kun," he quietly greets. "I'm sorry, you probably didn't expect me to be here at all."

Kagami blinks once, slowly. He rubs his tired eyes, certain they're playing tricks on him, then falls back onto the ground in shock. "K-K-Kuroko! What-wait, where am I? No, this is definitely L.A.!"

"… The team paid for my ticket to come." Kuroko slowly picks himself up, dusting himself off. "If you want me to leave, I will. But… I'd like to talk to you first, at least a little bit."

"Jesus, you're soaked." Kagami pulls out his keys, opening the lock and ushering Kuroko inside. "Come in, god, you came all this way, did you think I'd make you sleep on the street?"

Maybe. If you were angry enough. "Considering how quickly you left, I…" Kuroko swallows, anxiety returning in a rush. It's about the team, not you. Don't bring any of that up, don't try to explain it, just-

Kagami's house is enormous as far as Kuroko is concerned, and the floors a little slippery and sort of startlingly polished. Those are the odd things one notes when they're in the process of just flopping down and kneeling with his forehead pressed to the floor. "Please allow me to deeply apologize. No matter how upset you are with me, please do not let it sway your judgement regarding the team. Everyone has worked so hard, and I don't want to see any of them punished because of my actions."

"Kuroko…"

Kagami stares down at the smaller boy, at the kind of bow he's only seen in movies where someone's accidentally murdered his boss's wife or something. "Kuroko, what the hell?" he asks, flopping down into a chair with the last of his strength. "Did-did you think this was about you?"

He stares, stunned realization slowly dawning. "Did no one get my message? I left the Coach a message from the taxi, I-"

He reaches out, grabbing Kuroko by the arm and hauling him up. "Oi, my dad got hit by a car a couple days ago. He's in Intensive Care. I've already got my ticket back to Japan tomorrow. You really think I'd miss our last game?"

Kuroko blinks rapidly, staring up at Kagami with too-wide, confused eyes. "… No one got a message from you," he weakly says, unsure if he's starting to wobble from relief or how tired he is. "I thought… everyone thought, from how fast you left after going to get me for dinner that you were upset with me… and so…"

Kagami stares at him, dragging him to the sofa instead so they can both sit down-god knows they both need it. "You mean about you and Aomine? Shit. I-I didn't know, but you think that would make me walk out on Seirin?" He shifts, rubbing his eyes, and they burn from lack of sleep and stress. "Can't say I was too happy about it, though," he admits. "I think you deserve better."

Kuroko's face burns, and that just makes him feel more tired and lightheaded by the minute. Talking about this at all when they're both exhausted is probably the worst idea ever, but when else is he going to be able to?

He also tries not to be upset in some odd, silly way, that this wasn't about him, and that Kagami isn't angry with him (no, not angry, he doesn't want that, he wants jealous, maybe, just a little).

"It's not… we aren't… together." That makes it even more embarrassing. Kuroko's voice drops to another, quieter level. "But he wants us to be, and for me to move to America with him. He got scouted, you know."

Kagami swallows. That's nothing like the future he'd envisioned, with them sharing an apartment and going to school together, and him at least having Kuroko for the next four years. It's nothing like the future he wants, either. "I'm….probably the worst person to ask for advice about that," he says quietly. Don't ask why. I'll probably just tell you. I'd have done it after the last game, anyway.

"It's okay. I don't think I want to go, anyway." Kuroko slumps back, drawing a knee up to his chest. "I had other things in mind. Lots of them. And Aomine-kun is… I don't think he'd be as happy with me as he'd like to think he would be."

"He looked pretty happy," Kagami says under his breath. That's a hard image to get out of his mind, Aomine sated and content, Kuroko shaking and relaxed, curled up against his broad chest. Even the thought of it makes him want to punch something. "I didn't….think you were that kind of guy, you know."

That's a loaded response if Kuroko has ever heard one. He slinks down, hiding partially behind his own knees. "I'm not. I mean, I'm not the sort of person that does things like that in locker rooms after games. Or anywhere public. Or at all, prior to then…"

Kagami blinks. "You-oh." He runs a hand back through his hair-definitely time to cut it-and slumps back onto the couch. "You're lucky it was just me. Most guys would think different about you, you know? I just want to punch Aomine."

"… Why?" Kuroko's eyes peek out over his knees. "You said you weren't upset about it…"

"Well, yeah, I'm not mad at you or anything." Kagami feels the heat rising in his cheeks, and he looks away, focusing on his dad's big screen plasma TV, the very few family photos, too many of them containing a strange blonde woman. "I just….ah, forget it. You don't need me saying stuff like that before the game. I was gonna wait until after."

"I really might need you saying stuff before the game." Kuroko's voice is still quiet, but a little less nervous, and just shy of hopeful, no matter how his heart beats too-fast in his chest. "I was going to say things to you, too, but I thought… you were angry with me."

Kagami gives him a side-eye, not entirely sure if Kuroko's saying what he thinks he's saying. This isn't a conversation he'd expected to have here, of all places, and it makes him a bit uncomfortable. "I….shit, don't-look, I saw you two, I know you're a thing even if you didn't plan it. Or you're just-just doing him, and that's-" I can't want you if you're with someone else. I'm not sure how I feel about you sleeping around, and I'm not sure which is worse.

"We aren't a thing," Kuroko protests, that little bit of hope wavering already. "We aren't a thing, and I'm not… just… doing things with him. I didn't plan on that at all, it just sort of happened and I'm not sure if I even want something like that with him, but Aomine-kun… he's…" Kuroko sinks back again, biting his lip. "After you and I graduated," he finally, quietly says, "I wanted us to be a thing."

God, Kagami's way too tired for this. His heart is supposed to be thumping at this, and it makes a weak effort, overcome by the fact that it's been about three days since he's slept properly and not in a hospital chair. He turns, cupping Kuroko's face in two large hands, and lays his forehead against Kuroko's. "Be sure, okay? Be more sure than you are about Aomine. I-I want you," he admits, and it feels like a thorn finally being pulled out of his foot, "but not if I have to share you with him. Or anyone."

Kuroko isn't sure who he should be more angry at now-himself, or Aomine.

Myself, he wearily decides upon, because this shouldn't be a choice at all, not when Kagami is saying exactly what he wants to hear, and his hands are big and warm and everything about him is exactly what he wants and wishes Aomine would be but isn't.

You're just gonna think of reasons why this is a bad idea.

Isn't that sort of the point? Kuroko huffs out a soft breath, and tips his head forward, nudging his nose gently against Kagami's. "I don't want to be shared, either," he quietly admits. "I never thought anything would happen between Aomine-kun and I. I just wanted it to be us."

Kagami breathes out a sigh, relieved as he just sort of nuzzles his nose against Kuroko's. "I never thought you'd really say that," he admits. "You're so normal, you know? And I know it's a really big deal in Japan, but I bet we can make it work. If you really want to, I mean."

"… Kagami-kun is more normal," Kuroko calmly points out, eyes lidding. "I always thought I was a little strange. And… it isn't a big deal if no one knows about it. It isn't as if we have to go around waving banners-they do that in America," he hushedly adds. "Americans are strange."

"I don't go around waving flags," Kagami says hastily. "God, my dad would kill me. At least in Japan it's more normal for two guys to live together to save money. No one's gonna think that's weird, if we….I mean, if you wanted to. I do."

"I already found a few possible apartments." Kuroko at least has the decency to look a bit embarrassed about it. "I thought… definitely, it would happen."

Kagami grins, cupping Kuroko's head and gently stroking his hair. "I'm glad I'm not the only one." His face falls a little, and he adds, "Though….if you wanted that, and planned on it….why Aomine?"

"… Aomine-kun is good at messing up plans." Kuroko sags forward, hooking his chin over one of Kagami's shoulders. "I didn't think he'd do something like this," he says with a soft sigh. "And I certainly would have even considered him at all if you hadn't walked in… and then left like that. I thought for sure Kagami-kun was angry and hated me."

"Don't be dumb," Kagami mutters. Kuroko feels ridiculously light in his arms, and he pulls him a bit closer because of it. "We weren't dating or anything. You can do whatever you want to, even if he's a giant dick." He sighs, closing his eyes, and ahhh, that feels way too good. Might not open them again, maybe ever. "Don't really like thinking about him touching you, though."

Kuroko flops, giving into the urge to finally lean entirely against Kagami and curl up into his chest. "Didn't want my first time to be in a locker room with him," is the huffy admission into Kagami's neck. "Wanted it to be you. Can I call for a redo? When we aren't this tired, of course."

"That was your-" Kagami's words trail into a growl. "Now I want to punch him even more, shit. No one's first time should be in a locker room. Jesus."

"No punching. That'll just make it worse." Kuroko buries his face into Kagami's shoulder. "Just a redo."

Kagami's hand comes up, gently splaying out across Kuroko's back. "It won't be the same," he promises quietly. "And if it is, I'll make it better. You can tell me what to do. I mean, not that I don't know, but….you know. Whatever you want."

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko lifts his head, just enough to stare up at him. "It wouldn't matter to me if it was the absolute worst in the world," he bluntly says. "But it won't be, because it's Kagami-kun."

Kagami's voice sort of stops working, and he puts his whole hand on Kuroko's face, gently shoving him back. "You're going to give me a complex," he mutters, face bright red when he turns away. "We don't have to do that right away, though, right?" I'd like to wait until I can stop thinking about his hands on you.

"We don't ever have to if you don't want to, though that seems unnecessarily cruel," is Kuroko's muffled response into Kagami's hand.

"Idiot. Of course I want to." Kagami hesitates, then removes his hand, replacing it with his lips for a brief second. "After the game, okay?"

That's a much better kiss than those rough, heated ones from Aomine that completely took him by surprise. Kuroko nods slowly, and promptly curls himself into a ball once more against Kagami's chest. "After we win," he quietly amends. "But until then, can we sleep a lot?"

"I'm already mostly asleep," Kagami admits. "Come on, no one else is home so you can sleep in my bed. Or on the couch, if you want," he adds, not wanting to sound like he's planning something when all he's planning at the moment is how many alarm clocks he's going to need in the morning.

"Kagami-kun's bed sounds very good." Kuroko flops his arms around Kagami's neck, holding as tightly as he can manage right then. "Let's curl up and never move."

"Gotta move at five am," Kagami mutters, hauling Kuroko to the bedroom and setting his alarm to the loudest setting, then backing it up with his American cell phone. "My dad goes in for surgery at six, they need me to sign in case of any complications."

"Mm. I'll set my alarm, too." Kuroko somehow fishes it out of his pocket to do as much before flopping down bonelessly. "I hope your father will be okay."

"Me too." Kagami's throat locks up, and he flops down next to Kuroko. "I'm glad you're here," he mutters into the smaller boy's neck. "I know you only came because you wanted me back for the game, but I'm really glad I'm not alone tonight."

"… I came because I just wanted Kagami-kun back in general," Kuroko quietly says, and he wriggles closer, firmly latching himself to the other boy. "You shouldn't have to be alone, and I won't let you be."

Kagami opens his mouth to say something.

It's still open when he wakes up, alarms blaring at him from everywhere, making him wonder how the hell they'd all malfunctioned at once.

He grabs and dismisses them, stumbling out of bed and peeling off yesterday's clothes, almost falling over when he climbs into a fresh outfit and throws the old ones into the hamper. "Go back to sleep," he grunts, tugging a t-shirt over his head. "I'll be back around noon."

Kuroko sits up on instinct, hair in absolute and complete disarray and eyes rather glassy before he just sort of nods, tilting over and hitting the bed with a solid thump. "Good luck with the thing," he says, or tries to, his voice mostly muffled into a pillow.

Kagami barely remembers the drive to Kaiser Hospital, or the next several nerve-wracking hours. He sits in the waiting room for most of it, feeling vaguely guilty for how his mind turns immediately to Kuroko instead of to his father in the operating room. He's thought of nothing but his dad for days now, and it isn't as if thinking about him now is going to help, right?

He hopes not. Kuroko's lips are entirely too distracting for that. And he'd touched them. With his own lips, no less.

It's barely noon when he gets home, knocking on the bedroom door. "Oi, you up? I have news. And lunch."

Slowly, the door opens, and Kuroko blinks up at Kagami, still a little bleary-eyed and not quite awake. Close enough, though, especially when he focuses a bit more and tries to function among the world of the living. "Good news?" he hopefully says, and he stumbles out. Ah, jet lag on top of already not having any sleep is no fun at all.

Kagami drains the last of a massive coffee, tossing the cup into the garbage. "Surgery went great," he says with a grin. "He's got all the shrapnel out of his abdomen, and he even woke up for a little and told the nurse she had a nice ass. In Japanese, thank god. Here, I got you a vanilla shake and some coffee. It's good coffee."

"Kagami-kun's father also sounds very American-but I'm very glad the surgery went well," Kuroko says, flopping down onto the couch as he gratefully accepts both drinks. Coffee first seems like a good choice, and one sip makes Kuroko's eyes widen. "… That's coffee?" Huh. Maybe America does have a few perks.

"Yeah. Only stuff I drink. And it keeps you awake about a hundred times better than Japanese coffee." Kagami stretches out with a groan, flopping down next to Kuroko. "I still can't believe you're here. That's a really really long way to go because of a basketball game."

"The whole team pulled together to pay for the tickets." Kuroko takes another, long sip from his cup, and curls up around it protectively. "But… I would have wanted to come even if there wasn't a game."

Kagami snorts. "Even if you knew I was coming back in a few days? Jesus, Coach needs to update her phone, this isn't the first time one of my messages has gotten lost."

"Well… not if I had known you were coming back in a few days," Kuroko admits. "But I thought you had left because of me. The whole team did."

"I'm not that petty." Kagami flashes back to how Kuroko had looked, held up by Aomine's arms, trembling and satisfied against the lockers. "I'd just have punched him or something, not run off with my tail between my legs, shit."

"Mm. That's what I had wanted to think, but…" Kuroko shrugs. "I'm self-centered sometimes, I think. I'm sorry. I'm glad it was something else… not that your father got hurt like this, of course, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah." Something Kuroko had said occurs to him, and Kagami frowns. "What do you mean, everyone thought it was because of you? Does everyone know about you and Aomine?"

"No, not at all," Kuroko hastily dismisses. The thought makes him shudder a bit. "They just assumed… because nothing else really makes you upset like I do, apparently, and you left right after you came to find me for dinner."

Kagami breathes out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I was gonna be really pissed off if you told everyone but me. And that would have been kinda alarming, you know, for us after school."

"There wasn't anything to tell, anyway," Kuroko protests, frowning. "Not until the other day. I mean… in middle school, we had… a sort of thing, but it wasn't like… the locker room thing."

Kagami tries not to growl. "Yeah. I always figured there was something back then, between the two of you. But….I mean, that doesn't matter to me. I've had things too, that's fine."

"Most people do." Kuroko finishes off his coffee with another, slow swallow, and promptly moves on to the milkshake. "I didn't think anything would ever happen again, though. I was sure Aomine-kun was through with me entirely, and that was fine. He had changed so much, after all."

"But he bumped your fist after the game," Kagami points out. "Is that what all that was about?"

"I thought maybe he wanted to be friends again… for whatever that was worth, considering he's leaving in a couple of weeks," Kuroko says with a sigh. "What's the saying… 'too little, too late'?"

"Mmm, he got drafted into the NBA, right?" Kagami snorts. "He's gonna have a hard time adjusting to America. Hey, I have some free time this afternoon. When's your flight back?"

"Aomine-kun seems to think he's going to enjoy it." Kuroko takes a long sip from his shake. "And my flight leaves very early tomorrow morning."

Kagami droops over onto Kuroko's shoulder. "I swear I'll show you some stuff," he mumbles, "but maybe I need like….an hour of sleep first. Just while you drink your shake and stuff."

"It's fine, Kagami-kun." Kuroko leans his own head forward, gently butting it against the other boy's. "You can sleep. I don't mind."