The Hot Neighbour

by touchinghearts

New Neighbours AU. It takes Kagami three weeks to move into his new apartment but only one day to start stalking the incredibly hot salaryman in a suit. Older!Aomine, KuroKaga broship, briefly implied MuraHimu.

Title: The Hot Neighbour

Giftee: Jess (jesschan6918)

Summary: It takes Kagami three weeks to move into his new apartment but only one day to start stalking the incredibly hot salaryman in a suit.

Rating: PG-15

Word count: 12, 619 words (per Word)

Notes: New neighbours AU, KuroKaga broship, briefly implied Murasakibara/Himuro, older!Aomine (not that I had time to make it matter ;w;)

.

"Kagami-kun, did you know that stalking is illegal?"

"I—this isn't—I'm not stalking anybody!"

"Tracking someone's routine without their permission or notice is technically stalking, Kagami-kun."

Kagami rears his hand back and only barely manages to stop flinging his burger into Kuroko's face. "I don't want to hear that from you," he mutters. "You're the one who keeps quiet and watches people when they don't know you're there."

Kuroko's expression doesn't change but the way he sips at his shake seems irritatingly insolent. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kagami-kun."

Kagami gnashes his teeth.

"I'm not stalking him," he reiterates, a little more forceful this time. "I just happen to see him when I come back from my morning run."

"That's all?"

Well, there're also the times Kagami is lounging in the lobby each evening, waiting for the guy to come back. And the truth is: that's how he'd seen him the first time, and then the next morning he'd started his run extra early and kept circling the building until he caught sight of the man leaving for work.

Maybe he is stalking. Just a little.

"Kagami-kun," says Kuroko. "You've only been in that building for a week."

He has on his Eyes of Judgement. Kagami hates it when that happens.

"I'm not trying to be creepy," he insists. "But you don't get it, he's hot. Really, really hot."

"It's okay, Kagami-kun, I think it's cute," Kuroko tells him. "It's the first time I've seen you with a crush."

"It's not a crush," Kagami growls.

"But you just said he was hot."

"That's because he is! Seriously, I've never seen a guy who could wear a suit that well. Each time I see him I want to peel it off."

"That's too much information, Kagami-kun," Kuroko says, wrinkling his nose. "I'd rather not imagine some random man with his hands all over you."

Kagami sputters at him; he has no words to express his outrage.

"Your stalking aside, Kagami-kun, when can I visit your new home? You haven't cooked me dinner in a while."

Kagami rolls his eyes but he doesn't have the energy to rehash this particularly old argument. "I'm not your personal chef," he grumbles, just for good measure, "and you're not coming over to my place until I've finished everything. It's a mess right now."

"I don't mind," Kuroko says.

"No, but I'm going to mind when you start moving crap around just to mess with me."

"I wouldn't do such a thing, Kagami-kun," Kuroko protests, but there's a little twitch at the corner of his mouth belying the statement. "I really think you're going a bit overboard with this; you won't even tell me where exactly you moved to."

"That's because I know you're gonna turn up even though I told you not to. And you'd bring Nigou, too."

"Kagami-kun is too paranoid."

"Shut up."

.

Kagami's crush dies an early death the first time he actually gets to talk to the guy he's stalking.

It's after the first dinner he makes in his new kitchen, which is brand new and his major reason for choosing this particular unit. He leaves the dishes in the sink for later and heads for the balcony, planning to enjoy the fresh air as he digests what had truly been an excellent meal.

It's cold, which is to be expected. His apartment is facing the side opposite from the city, so there's only an empty park instead of the noisy street. Kagami stretches his arms up over his head, savouring the pull in his shoulder muscles, and lets loose a loud, resounding burp.

"That's disgusting, man."

"Thanks," Kagami returns, satisfied.

It takes him a few seconds to realise that someone just spoke to him; he jumps, startled, and searches for the source.

The hot guy he's been not-stalking gazes back from the next balcony.

"Oh, hey," the man says, blinking lazily. "So you're the new neighbour."

It takes all Kagami has not to gape at him. Of all the whimsical scenarios he imagined for a first meeting, none of them had involved an opening scene where he belches his lungs out. He's never been more horrified in his life.

"Yo," he forces out as casually as he can. He thanks the encroaching darkness and his tanned skin for hiding what is most definitely a vivid blush.

"I've seen ya around but I never thought you were the new guy," the other man says. He's slumped in what looks to be an incredibly uncomfortable position; arms and chin hooked over the railing that seems to be the only steadying force keeping him upright. "I'm Aomine Daiki."

This isn't fair: hot neighbour has an even more attractive voice. It's a sound that could sink into his very bones, the kind of voice suited for whispers under bed sheets and between thighs.

"…Kagami Taiga." Be cool, dude, be cool. "Nice to meet you. I've, uh, I've seen you 'round, too. Downstairs, mostly."

Gah. Gah.

"Yeah, me too." Aomine Daiki slumps even further until his knees are almost touching the ground. Kagami can't help but admire the flexibility. "You make a lot of noise, y'know. When you're moving stuff at night."

Kagami makes a face. "Sorry," he says. "I didn't realise it was that noisy. I'll tone it down. I should have most of my things moved in by the weekend though."

"Cool." A pause, and then: "You need any help carrying your stuff?"

"No," says Kagami, caught off guard but not unappreciative. "Thanks, but it's alright. I've got most of the heavy-lifting done with already. I'll only be dealing with the perishable stuff after tomorrow."

"Right."

They subside into silence. Kagami takes the opportunity to surreptitiously check out the man who is apparently his neighbour. By day, Aomine Daiki's fitted suits and grumpy frowns make him hot as sin (and the star of many a stern-boss-and-naughty-secretary fantasy Kagami never thought he'd entertain). By night, however, he appears mellow. The large sweater makes him look softer, less stern, and he's clearly relaxed as he stares out over the city. Despite the low lighting, he's still gorgeous.

Kagami quickly looks away and bites the inside of his cheek.

"So, you're working?" he asks. "I always see you heading out in the mornings when I come back from my run. You usually look like you're in a hurry."

"Yeah, I hate waking up so I have to rush a lot." Aomine flaps his hand dismissively. "I work as an event planner at a fashion magazine. Sometimes I freelance, so I'm always pretty busy."

Kagami opens his mouth but words escape him. 'Event planner' and 'fashion magazine' are not words he would've associated with the man on the balcony next to him. He'd pegged him as an office worker at some kind of business company, what with those sexy yet formal suits. You can't judge a book by its cover, he supposes.

But event planner at a fashion magazine, that gets Kagami's brain racing. A job like that probably has Aomine attending a lot of dressy functions lined with the glitz and glamour expected of the industry. And that means Aomine himself must often dress up in more than his work suits: tuxedos, maybe, or one of those extravagant three-piece outfits he's seen Kise model. No lie: if Kagami ever catches Aomine in that particular fashion choice, he might end up licking him.

Damn, he's not drooling, is he?

Aomine flicks a glance at him. "So what d'you do? You move here because of a new job?"

"Me?" says Kagami, startled out of his thoughts. "No, my brother is moving in with his boyfriend and I decided to find a place of my own instead of a new roommate. I'm about to start my last year so I guess it's about time."

Aomine stares at him for a second and then rapidly unfolds from his odd position; it's actually kind of hypnotising, the way that body seems to lengthen as he straightens up.

"Are you saying you're a college student?" he asks, visibly surprised.

"Yeah?"

"Did you skip a few years or something?"

Kagami's eyebrows furrow. "What?"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I mean, you don't look like a medical student or anything like that, so that means you're doing your last year a bit late, right?"

Realisation is slowly sinking in, and indignation is quick to follow at its heels. "I'm 22," Kagami says flatly.

Aomine's jaw drops. "No way," he says, outright incredulous now. "I thought you were older than me! You don't look like a snot-nosed kid, what the hell?"

It's Kagami's turn to gape because how can someone be so rude during a first meeting? "I should be saying that!" he fumes. "You shouldn't be assuming things in the first place!"

Aomine crinkles his nose. "Are you serious? Look at you, man. No one would believe you were still in school."

The words themselves are more presumptuous than offensive but the tone Aomine uses to deliver them somehow rubs him the wrong way. Kagami feels so insulted he's at a loss for words. "What is wrong with you?" he finally spits out. "This is literally the first time we've met and you're rude as hell!"

His neighbour frowns, apparently taking exception to his tone. "I'm not trying to be rude," he snaps back. "I'm just saying how it is! Look at you, have you seen yourself in the mirror? No college kid is this huge!"

Kagami can't understand how this asshole is the same man who offered to help him move in earlier. "Okay, you know what, whatever," he says, although he can't quite tone down the glare. "I'm going to bed, I've got class in the morning."

Aomine doesn't say anything, and Kagami gives a sharp wave goodbye before he stomps his way back inside. He yanks the curtains shut and nearly sends his phone flying when he snatches it up with a grip too loose. His fingers make loud 'tak, tak, tak!' noises on the screen as he types out an angry text.

To: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject:

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to give good looks to total assholes

Sent: 11:31am

He tosses the phone aside and rolls into bed. He stares up at the ceiling for a moment, remembering exactly what he'd been doing on these sheets for the past few nights. Annoyed with himself, Kagami drags the blanket over his head.

"Sure glad I didn't actually ask him out," he mutters.

The next morning, he wakes up to find Kuroko's return text waiting for him.

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject:

That's not a text I expected to receive from you of all people, Kagami-kun. I thought you were Kise-kun for a second.

Sent: 7:14am

And below that:

From: Kuroko Tetsuya

Subject: Lunch

I have class until 12.30pm today. Want to meet up at the café to talk while we eat?

Sent: 7:15am

Kagami shouldn't have sent that text; he truly doesn't want to discuss yesterday's encounter with the hot but unpleasant neighbour. Knowing Kuroko, he'll want to rehash every single second and Kagami has no desire to explain how disappointed he is with the fact his crush had turned out to be a complete bastard.

With that in mind, he decides to spoil himself and stay in bed a little longer. There's no way he's going to risk running into Aomine Daiki this early in the day.

.

It's a cold night but Kagami barely feels the bite. The court is smooth beneath his feet, blood racing in his veins, and his body is soaked with sweat from the exertion of the last few hours. He's been taking ten-minute breaks for every three sets but he knows that tomorrow, he's going to be feeling it. His muscles are already aching and telling him that there's definitely no way for him to do any kind of heavy work for at least 24 hours. He's going to have to think up an explanation for his boss when he gets to the fire house tomorrow because he definitely can't pick up his volunteer shift.

He could probably tell her the truth: that he can't help it. Thanks to exhaustion brought on by endless classes and the move, he hasn't played basketball in over a week. He's been itching the whole time.

He sets his sights on the basket, envisions two—no, three—opponents, and lunges forward. The world blurs around him and when he slams the ball in with an explosive dunk, he almost hears the sound of a buzzer. He allows himself to hang for a moment before landing nimbly on his feet. Thoroughly satisfied, he wipes sweat off his forehead and scoops the ball back up. Time to try for a three-pointer.

He's lining up his form when he hears the low hum of a rich voice. Abandoning it, he looks round, only to see a familiar man lounging by the gate. His mouth goes dry.

Aomine raises his hand in greeting. "I should've known you played," he says. "You have the build for it."

Kagami briefly considers ignoring him but it has been two days, and Aomine is at least acting polite. "I've been playing since I was a kid," he answers. "What about you?"

Aomine holds his hand out and Kagami doesn't hesitate to toss the ball over. Aomine catches it; without even moving from his slouched posture, he bends his wrist back and shoots.

Kagami watches with a gaping mouth as the ball sails in a clean arc straight through the net.

"I haven't really played in a while," Aomine says.

"You're a stinking liar, you just made that shot from all the way over there! You're not even standing straight!"

And he's wearing that damnable suit; it's an affront to humanity to be this hot. Kagami's not supposed to find him attractive anymore, goddammit.

Aomine tucks both hands into his pockets. "I'm not lying," he says. "I haven't played in a long time. But I guess some things you just don't forget."

Kagami stares at him, heart beating about as fast as when he'd been running around the court. "That was pretty amazing, if you're telling the truth," he says.

Aomine lifts one shoulder in a show of nonchalance. He eyes Kagami contemplatively. "You're pretty good, too," he says after a moment. "I only saw that dunk, but I've never seen anyone jump that high. You got springs on your feet or something?"

That makes Kagami snort. "No way. I'm good at jumping. People say it's my special talent in basketball."

"That so?" Aomine tilts his head. "I guess it could be, with legs like that."

Whoa, is that supposed to be some kind of subtle come-on? Kagami swallows. "You're out late," he says.

"I just got back from work. I heard someone on the court so I thought I'd take a peek to see which idiot was playing in the cold like this. Turned out to be you, though."

Kagami thinks he should probably be offended at being called an idiot but Aomine's giving him a small smile at the same time. It feels more like teasing. Maybe Aomine's trying to make up for their horrible meeting last time?

It's kind of cute, the way he's doing it.

Dammit, Taiga.

"I usually play every day," he offers in explanation. "I just haven't been this week because I'm too tired from moving all the heavy stuff in. All that's done now, so nothing's stopping me."

"Hmm." Aomine is eyeing the ball, so Kagami goes to pick it up. "I'm 28, you know," he says abruptly.

Kagami looks up, eyebrows creasing. "Alright," he says. "So what?"

Aomine takes one hand out and waves it between them with some agitation. "You said you were 22. So I'm telling you how old I am."

"Um." Kagami wonders if he's trying to start an argument, inadvertent or otherwise. "Like I said, so what?"

Aomine sighs impatiently. Kagami's about to get angry again (his temper's already spiking) but the other man speaks before he does.

Or, well, snaps. "I'm trying to apologise for the other night!"

Kagami's surprised enough that the anger flees him. Aomine is avoiding his gaze and those broad shoulders are hunched in what's definitely embarrassment. Somehow, this is even cuter than before.

"Okay," Kagami says, lips twitching. "I don't know where you went to school, but people usually say 'I'm sorry' when apologising."

Aomine looks up then and his eyes are blazing. Kagami shivers a little; he'll claim it's the cold even on his deathbed.

"Most people don't even get a sorry in the first place," Aomine tells him, sullen.

Kagami snorts. "I'm so honoured. Just like when you said I was huge."

Aomine huffs. "I only meant that you're a big guy, you know at least that much, right? You've got a great body, is what I was actually trying to…say…"

Kagami does notice how Aomine trails off but he's occupied with warding off any hint of a blush threatening to surface from the unexpected compliment. Seriously, he wishes he had a little experience with this kind of thing under his belt.

"You suck at this," he says, trying to save face.

"Shut up, I know," Aomine mutters. "Anyway, I wanted to start over. You're a new neighbour and all. I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot."

Kagami's initial impression of Aomine had been that Aomine doesn't really care either way, but he also thinks they're a little similar. At least, they're both equally clumsy when it comes to giving apologies. He'll let him off the hook just this once.

It's also because he's rather missed starting his day with the vision of a fine suit on an equally fine body.

"Sure," he says. Ball tucked at his hip, he walks over and sticks his hand out. "Let's shake on it."

Aomine blinks. "Okay," he says slowly.

His hand is warm, and his palm is calloused. Much like Kagami's.

Kagami grins at him. "But in return, you have to play one-on-one with me."

"Hah? No way! Do you know what time it is?"

"C'mon! If there's any time to get back into it, now's it!"

"Hell no." Aomine straightens and steps back. "I just got back from work, man. I'm way too tired. I don't even know why I'm still down here. It's freezing."

Kagami actually feels pretty warm. He wonders if it's his own body temperature or something else.

"Play one game with me!" he demands. "Just one. First to five points?"

Aomine flaps his hand and half-turns. "I'd rather go back to my warm apartment," he says. "There's no way I'm gonna play for the first time in forever right now."

Kagami deflates. Something tells him that Aomine's a scary good player, maybe even on Kise's level, and he wants to see it proven right. But he can't force the guy to play with him, no matter how much he wants to.

Aomine glances back at him. "Hey," he says.

"Huh?"

Aomine hesitates and then exhales, shaking his head. "I was serious when I said you're a really good player," he says, a trace of a smile curving his lips. "So I'll take a rain check. See you around, Kagami."

With that and a nod, he walks off. Kagami watches him go. He's well aware that he's even warmer than before and his heart is racing despite the lack of exertion for the past ten minutes. He drags the ball, thumps it against his chest and then presses his nose against the hard rubber.

"Damn it," he whispers. He's glad no one's around to catch the smile he just can't control.

.

"Tatsuya, make sure you don't—Tatsuya! Look out!"

Kagami's heartbeat is so thunderous in his ears he can't hear anything else. He watches as his brother, carrying a box of valuable kitchen ware, utterly fails to spot the other box of items on the floor and ends up tripping over it. Kagami thinks he has a vision in that moment; of blood, and screams, and himself cowering under Alex's Disappointed Look because he'd somehow managed to destroy the crystal she gifted him. He blinks and reality reasserts itself in the scene before him, although it could've been one from television for all that it makes any sense.

Himuro seems to fall forward in an endless moment, his back remaining straight in spite of it, and then his other leg shoots forward around the box on the floor. He sways to that side and somehow uses the momentum to twirl his way back into a stable, standing position. The entire manoeuvre looks like a move from some kind of elaborate dance. Kagami hates him sometimes.

"You're not allowed to touch the crystal anymore," he growls, snatching the box away.

Himuro laughs but gives it up gracefully. "You're always so touchy," he teases. "I have it all handled, you know. I haven't broken anything."

"Nothing but my nerves," Kagami mutters, setting the box on the counter. "You're here to make things easier for me."

"I am! You're the one who flinches when I so much as stumble."

"I wouldn't if you didn't do it every time you're holding something that could break if it falls!"

Himuro shoves him lightly. "You're such a worrywart, Taiga. I'm going to get the last box from the car, okay?"

"The one with my books?"

"Yeah."

"I'm coming with you," Kagami declares. He punches Himuro in the shoulder as they head out of the apartment. "You might drop them into a puddle or something."

"I'm wounded that you think I'm so clumsy; I'm not you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

They bicker all the way down the stairs and to Himuro's car. Kagami does it with relish; it's been three weeks since they properly spent time together so he's missed his brother. They've both been too busy with their new homes but Himuro, at least, already had half his things at his boyfriend's place and took only a week to move the rest. Plus, he insisted on Kagami taking all the furniture since Kagami's the one getting a brand new apartment.

"Sorry about the mess," Himuro says, when he's opened the boot compartment.

Kagami eyes the array of baking utensils, the stack of confectionary magazines, and the odd snack wrapper strewn amongst it all.

"How's his business doing?" he asks, as he reaches for the lone box.

Himuro smacks him away. "It's doing pretty well," he replies, grabbing the box himself. "He's making preparations to cater desserts for some kind of big event in a few weeks. I think he invited me to be his plus one but you can never tell with him. I should probably ask, but I'm not sure I want to suffer finding him a tuxedo that fits past the knees."

Kagami snorts. He tries to take the box again but Tatsuya kicks him out of the way.

"You're so mean," Kagami complains as they head back into the lobby.

Ignoring this, Himuro says, "How are things going with your guy?"

"Don't call him that, he's my neighbour." In spite of this, Kagami can't quite stop the grin. "Good, I guess. It's been almost two weeks since we first met, and we talk out on the balcony every night. He's a cool guy."

"Ooooh, dates on the balcony, so romantic."

"Shut up," Kagami says, shoving him.

"I'm carrying cargo!" Himuro yelps, teetering into the elevator.

Kagami follows him in with a shake of his head. "We could've just taken the stairs, I'm on the second floor."

"Not while I'm carrying this, we're not," Himuro says. "Tell me the weirdest thing about this guy first, and then the greatest."

"I've only known him for a few weeks!"

"Don't care. C'mon, spill."

The elevator door slides open and they get off. Himuro pauses, readjusting his grip on the box, and looks at his brother expectantly.

"Ugh." Kagami thinks about it. "I found out he really likes boobs."

Himuro laughs. "That's not weird, that's normal," he says.

"No, he likes big boobs, he was really proud of it." Kagami makes a face. "And he likes gravure magazines."

"So he's a pervert, basically. What's the greatest thing about him?"

Kagami doesn't need to think about that. In English, he says: "He's fucking hot."

"Oh my God," Himuro guffaws. "You're ridiculous, is that why you've been mooning over him? You're so lame!"

Kagami shoves him again. "Tatsuya," he whines. "That's not why I like him. I'm not that shallow."

Himuro starts to make his way over to Kagami's door, throwing a grin over his shoulder. "But that's why you started stalking him, right?"

"I'm not stalking him!" Kagami barks, chasing after. Himuro dodges another hit, laughing aloud, and dances out of the way when Kagami tries grabbing the box.

Just before they reach his door, Kagami finally manages to get ahold of him, clinging to his waist with no shame whatsoever. Himuro trembles in his grip, breathless from laughter.

"You're like an eel," Kagami grumbles.

"I'm going to drop your books if you don't let go," Himuro says, wiggling. He turns to look at Kagami with twinkling eyes, but then the smile drops from his face. "Uh, Taiga."

"What?"

Kagami looks over to see that Aomine's door is open, and the man himself is stepping out. He's staring at them both like he's never seen them before. Kagami releases his brother immediately.

"Hey, Aomine," he greets, wiping his hands on his pants.

He knows he's brightened up considerably at the sight of his neighbour because Himuro is giving him a look that could rival Kuroko's Eyes of Judgement. He ignores it, though. Aomine's here.

Aomine's also not smiling back. Instead, his face is tight and tense, his eyes narrowed as he regards Kagami and his brother. It's not an expression Kagami's seen before, and he can't be sure he likes it.

He shifts his stance to wary without even thinking about it. "You just got back from work?"

Aomine nods. But he doesn't say a word.

Kagami's getting uncomfortable with the stare, and he doesn't do well when he's uncomfortable. "What are you staring at?" he snaps.

"You're being too noisy," Aomine responds, voice devoid the warmth Kagami's gotten used to. He's glaring, too, his eyes sharp and cold as they flick between Himuro and Kagami. "You said you'd stop it with the racket but it's even noisier than before."

"What noise? We weren't even moving anything!"

"No one's going to be able to do anything in peace with you shouting out here like wild animals," Aomine says, disdain dripping from every word. "I can hear your wrestling all the way through the door. It's annoying. I don't care if you want to hump your boyfriend against the wall but at least do it inside your own house."

Kagami gapes at him. Aomine's said a lot of crap over the past two weeks, not to mention the fight they had the first time they talked, but this is beyond insulting. He's never heard anything so ridiculous in his life.

But first: to deal with his brother, who has a hair-trigger temper worse than Kagami's and whose body is already stiffening.

"Tatsuya," Kagami says, "can you go inside first? I'm going to deal with him."

Aomine rolls his eyes. "You should just go in, too, dumbass, I'm not going to hang out here with you."

Himuro steps forward, clearly about to throw the box of books at Aomine's head. Kagami stops him with one hand.

"When you're inside," he continues, without taking his eyes off Aomine, "you should call your boyfriend and invite him for dinner."

Aomine frowns. Kagami takes that moment to glance at Himuro, who's observing him with creased eyebrows. Then Himuro's features lighten, anger receding in favour of realisation.

"Ah, this must be the neighbour," he says. "Honestly, Taiga."

Kagami glares at him. "Just go back inside already."

"Yeah, yeah." Himuro sends Aomine one more unimpressed look before turning away. "Don't take too long," he tells Kagami.

It's only when the door closes that Kagami allows the blood to go to his head. When he looks back, Aomine's expression has changed from tense to one of confusion. Kagami grits his teeth.

"Very good first impression you gave my brother," he bites out.

"Brother?"

"You know, the one I've mentioned was coming by to help me move my stuff in? That brother."

Kagami raises his eyebrows, waiting for the inevitable moment Aomine realises what an ass he's made of himself. It doesn't take long.

"Shit," Aomine breathes.

The anger is brimming in Kagami's veins; he clenches his fists against it. "I should punch you for insulting Tatsuya like that," he spits.

"I didn't know!" Aomine says defensively. "You two were groping each other outside my door, what else was I supposed to think!"

Before he knows he's doing it, Kagami swings. Aomine deftly avoids the punch but his eyes have gone wide in shock.

"Watch it," he snaps. There's more alarm than anger in his tone.

"You're an asshole," Kagami tells him. He really, really wants to throw another punch and make it connect this time, but the ease with which Aomine had moved snaps him out of it. Himuro wouldn't forgive him if he gets kicked out for fighting before he's even finished moving in.

The most annoying thing about all this is that, even as angry as he is, Kagami has now noticed that Aomine is still wearing his work slacks. The tight fabric only serves to emphasize the length of those legs and how powerful they probably are.

"Dammit," Kagami growls to himself. Now isn't the time. "Get away from me, Aomine, before I actually knock your lights out."

Aomine looks surprised but Kagami couldn't care less. He turns and makes the final few steps to his door. He has no doubt his brother is pressed up against it on the other side, listening for all he's worth. He knocks sharply to warn him away.

Aomine calls his name but Kagami rolls his eyes.

"You're an asshole," he says in disgust, and yanks his door open.

As expected, Tatsuya is standing there. He hurriedly steps aside before Kagami can shoulder him out of the way, and closes the door behind them. Kagami looks at him. He's not surprised to see a thoughtful expression on Himuro's face.

"I guess this neighbour crush you have is worse than I thought," he says.

Kagami waves a hand sharply and stalks towards the kitchen. "I don't want to talk about it," he calls over his shoulder.

"If you're sure."

Kagami doesn't bother to ask what he means by that. Whatever 'feelings' he may have started to develop for his asshole of a neighbour, they certainly aren't going to last now.

.

Aomine, as it turns out, isn't ready to let that happen.

He turns up at Kagami's door later the same night, shortly after Himuro's gone home. Kagami doesn't give him the chance to say anything before he shuts the door in his face. It's either that or another punch so really, Kagami feels he chose the reasonable option.

Of course, Aomine is also extremely persistent. He keeps knocking for at least half an hour before he starts calling by phone. Kagami ignores all of this and feels justified for it: Aomine had been a jerk, he could suffer the consequences of it. Kagami isn't going to talk to him anytime soon.

That doesn't explain the guilty feeling in his chest when Aomine gives up by ten and Kagami spots him out on his balcony, clearly waiting. Kagami doesn't join him but he stays by his curtains, watching Aomine until he goes back inside at midnight.

He goes to bed wondering if he should have gone out after all.

.

The next day, Aomine collars him before he manages to enter his apartment on his way back from a night class.

"What the hell," he tries to exclaim, but the words are muffled against the arm Aomine has around his neck.

"Shut up and come with me," Aomine grits out, and drags him off into the elevator.

Kagami doesn't quite struggle but he makes Aomine work for it; he digs his heels in as they leave the elevator and lets him take on his entire body weight when they start climbing stairs. Aomine doesn't so much falter.

"God, you're heavy," he grunts and forges on with a determined look on his face.

He releases Kagami only when they reach a rickety-looking metal door. Kagami considers running off but instead he waits, rubbing at his sore neck. Aomine jiggles with the handle in a series of odd-looking moves before he outright kicks the door. It swings open with an unearthly shriek. Kagami winces.

"C'mon," says Aomine, motioning him through the door.

Kagami glares. "If you're gonna lock me out there," he starts.

Aomine grabs him again and yanks them both through. The night sky greets them, stretching above the bright city below it and beyond what would be noticeable mountains in the daytime. The open area Aomine's dragged him into is deserted for the most part, with broken crates scattered towards the left, a few scraggly weeds growing here and there, and a huge pipe thing rooted into the ground, humming softly. The only saving grace would be the spotlights set into two corners, providing just enough light to see.

"Where the hell did you bring me?" says Kagami, looking around.

"It's obviously the roof, dumbass."

"Who're you calling a dumbass?" Kagami flares up but Aomine's moving away, heading towards the concrete fence enclosing the space. He hesitates and then follows.

"It's cold," he grumbles, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. He isn't dressed lightly but he can see his own breath form in the air.

"You want my coat?"

Kagami eyes the fashionable jacket Aomine's wearing, vacillates between feeling jealous of it and appreciating the way it accentuates that defined torso, and then shakes his head. "Hell no."

"Suit yourself." Aomine leans against the fence; it comes up to just above his waist. He doesn't look like he's in any hurry to explain why he's dragged Kagami to the roof.

"Why'd you bring me up here?" Kagami says, turning to face him. He leans his elbow on the fence and refrains from looking down.

He's not afraid of heights, but. This is a 20-storey building.

Aomine shrugs. "I needed to talk to you."

"So you took me to the roof?"

"It has a good view, don't you think?" Aomine waves at the nightlife spread out below them. "I end up here when I need to de-stress. It's pretty relaxing."

In other words, this is a private place for him. Kagami wonders what it could mean that Aomine brought him here despite that. He isn't sure he's ready to think of the implications.

"No one's actually allowed up here," Aomine mentions. "I got bored one time and broke in. Or out, I guess."

"You vandalised the door to get to the roof?" Kagami says incredulously. "What, you're a criminal, too?"

"I'm not a criminal!" Aomine snaps. "Like I said, I was bored."

"That's what they all say."

Aomine bares his teeth but doesn't deny it this time. He glares out at the lights marking the city. Kagami marvels at how, despite the shadows, Aomine's face is a work of art.

Annoyed with himself, he turns to stare at the city, too. Aomine's right, the view is pretty amazing.

"So," says Aomine, breaking the silence. "About yesterday."

Kagami grunts. He's still a little angry but most of it had faded by the time he woke up today. Missing Aomine this morning hadn't even been on purpose; he'd left earlier to meet up with his project group over breakfast at the university café.

"Sorry I was a jerk about your brother," says Aomine quietly.

Kagami narrows his eyes at him. Aomine looks apologetic, and a little cowed.

"I'm starting to think you have a trend you're keeping up," Kagami says, crossly. "First you're a cool guy, but then you do something to show that you're also a complete asshole. This is the second time."

Aomine huffs a little. "I didn't mean to," he says, sullen. "I was in a bad mood yesterday."

"Yeah, sure, take it out on the innocent," Kagami mutters. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"It was a misunderstanding! And you tried to punch me. I'd say that makes us even."

"Not if I missed," Kagami retorts, annoyed again. "You pissed me off, and not just me. Tatsuya was going to throw that box at you if he got the chance. I was almost going to let him do it; you would've deserved a concussion."

Aomine chews on his lip but doesn't offer any further explanations. He's avoiding Kagami's eyes. Kagami bristles a little.

"I can't stand assholes," he says.

Aomine looks at him from under his eyelashes. "I thought you said I was a cool guy," he says, after a moment.

Kagami stares. "Seriously," he says flatly.

Aomine sighs. "I really am sorry," he repeats. "But I can't say it's not going to happen again."

"What kind of apology is that?"

"An honest one?"

Kagami's mouth works a little before he runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You're a handful," he says. "How are you six years older than me? You're not mature at all."

"Look who's talking," says Aomine, before he presses his lips shut with a horrified expression. Clearly, he didn't mean to say that.

Kagami glares at him but his own lips are twitching. The anger's gone now in the wake of Aomine's sincerity—because he is sincere, that much is obvious. Aomine also looks like he's waiting for an ultimatum that he's nervous about. It's a surprising expression on a man whose default face, lovely though it is, turns out to be boredom most of the time.

Ugh. Kagami won't kid himself: there is no way he can stay mad at that.

"If you're really sorry, you better play one-on-one with me," says Kagami, jabbing a finger at him. "No rain checks and no excuses."

Aomine breaks out into a smile. "I can do that," he says happily.

Kagami's heart, traitor that it is, races a little faster.

They stay up on the roof long past their balcony meet-up time and by then they've resumed their back-and-forth camaraderie. When they're back under proper lighting, Kagami has to stop himself from jumping. That jacket should be illegal, how can a constructed piece of fabric look so good on a human being? Kagami's too busy drinking in the sight of him that he almost misses the little smile Aomine offers.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he's saying, leaning against the jut of his door.

Kagami swallows. "Yeah, goodnight," he says, hoping he doesn't sound too breathless.

Aomine returns the sentiment and mock salutes him before going into his apartment. Once he's gone, Kagami spends a few minutes with his forehead pressed against the door, trying his best to calm his squirming insides. He doesn't quite succeed but isn't too unhappy about it either.

When he's done getting ready for bed, he calls Himuro to tell him what happened. Unsurprisingly, his brother starts laughing and calls him hopeless.

"I am not!" Kagami argues, just for the sake of it.

"You're completely gone for this guy," Himuro says gleefully. "Just ask him out already. It's kind of pathetic the way you're pining like this."

"Shut up, Tatsuya. I don't remember you being in any hurry to ask out that manchild you call a boyfriend either."

"That's because I was his senior in high school and it's a delicate thing."

"This is a delicate thing, too!"

Himuro laughs again. "You're just too shy, Taiga. Do you want me to ask him for you?"

"Don't you dare," Kagami sputters. "I'll blacklist your name from here if you say one word to him!"

"It's so cute," Himuro coos. "My baby brother's all grown up."

"Tatsuya!"

.

"Kuroko," Kagami says.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever met someone who keeps swaying between being the most attractive person alive and the biggest asshole to have ever been born?"

Kuroko's Eyes of Judgement turn to regard him with clear scepticism. Despite the look, he answers seriously.

"I don't know about the attractive part but I do know someone like that, yes. I've mentioned him to you before," he says. "Kagami-kun, ever since you started having this crush, you've been coming up with a lot of weird topics to talk about."

Kagami drops his elbow onto the table and buries his head in it. "That's what Tatsuya said," he moans. "I'm pathetic."

Kuroko's silence manages to be patronising. Kagami lifts his head to glare at him. Kuroko sips at his shake with sheer nonchalance.

"Are you having trouble with your neighbour?" he asks.

"I just can't tell with him," Kagami complains. "The others always talk about how complicated girls can be but I've never met someone with more mood swings than this guy. It's like he can't decide if he wants to flirt with me or just wants to continue being a complete and utter jerk."

"Maybe there's a reason why he's inconsistent," Kuroko says. "My friend, for instance, he can become very mean when he feels embarrassed or defensive. Sometimes when he's nervous, he swings back and forth. He gets like that because he went through some difficult times in high school and stopped talking to me. He only reconnected with me shortly before my own graduation. Do you remember I told you a little about it? Our other friend Momoi-san thinks he's scared of losing us both but he acts like it wouldn't bother him if we do."

Kagami wrinkles his nose at him. "That sounds annoying," he says frankly.

Kuroko shrugs. "He's getting better. He used to be a lot worse in the beginning."

"My neighbour swings back and forth, too, like a goddamn pendulum. He just goes extreme. One day he's an asshole I'd sooner punch, the next he's this really cool guy I just wanna—uh."

"Kagami-kun was about to say something perverted," says Kuroko.

"Shut up!" Kagami hisses at him. "I was not!"

Kuroko smiles around his straw. "Where is the pendulum swinging now?"

"Ugh. After he acted like an asshole to Tatsuya, he dragged me out to the roof and apologised last night."

"So you've forgiven him."

Kagami tucks his face back into his elbow and groans again in answer. "I can't not forgive him when he shows me that face," he grumbles. "I get the feeling he doesn't say sorry much."

"Kagami-kun really likes this neighbour. I'd like to meet him."

"Whatever, I don't even care anymore." Kagami settles back against his chair, rubbing the back of his head with some agitation. "I've finished with moving anyway. You wanna come over on Saturday?"

Kuroko deflates a little. "I spend time with my childhood friends on Saturday since they're always busy working during the week," he says. "The ones I just told you about. He and I and Momoi-san usually rotate between our places, but we always spend Saturday together."

"Oh, right, I keep forgetting about that. Well, no big deal. I can't do Sunday coz that's my day with Tatsuya but I think Monday should be cool, right? Our last class ends at three. You can come home with me and we can hang out until dinner."

This makes Kuroko brighten up again, which is always a sight.

"That should be good," Kuroko agrees. "I haven't had Kagami's cooking in a while."

"Good, you think up a dish you want to eat and I'll see if I can make it."

And maybe, if he's lucky, dinner will be for three.

.

The biggest selling point for the location of Kagami's new apartment is its proximity to the megamall he frequents. Aside from the wealth of clothing boutiques with their evolving inventory per week, it also hosts two departmental stores that he likes to explore in his own time.

Today, Kagami's wandering through the home section in search of rugs. Kise, as the only one of his friends who notices this kind of thing, had told him his current ones were wearing out and he should take the move as an opportunity to get something new. Kagami's not happy to take advice from an overgrown puppy but he has to admit, grudgingly, that Kise has a point.

At the moment, he's deliberating between a sensible wooden carpet that'll cover the expanse of his living room and an incredibly colourful one that will undoubtedly distract Kawahara when they're playing video games. He's close to making a decision when his ears catch the sound of a smooth voice that's never failed to send shivers down his back.

Kagami clutches at the colourful rug and peers around the display. Yup, there's Aomine in all his tailored suit glory, with one hand tucked into his pocket, and the other—

Kagami's fingers dig into the rug. He shuffles back a little, grateful for the shelving's ability to hide his large frame, and peeks again.

The pink-haired girl tucked beneath Aomine's arm is tiny compared to him, but even from this angle Kagami can see that she's gorgeous. She's clutching loosely at Aomine's wrist while pointing at various cushion covers in the basket they're hovering over. Aomine doesn't say anything but the girl nods, reaching for one.

"Oi, Satsuki, don't take that one," Aomine says, taking his pocketed hand out to smack it away.

"Why not?" the girl says. Her voice is sweet, much like the rest of her.

"It's too girly."

She immediately puffs up and elbows him. "You're such an idiot, Dai-chan," she says, snatching it up again. "I'm going to take this just because you said that!"

Kagami doesn't mean to, but his grip tightens on the shelving unit. He can't quite take his hand back.

"What, no, I was joking about it being girly!" Aomine grabs the rug. "Seriously, look at this, it's so ugly. It's not gonna match at all."

"How would you know if it matches?"

"You think I'd be shopping with you without knowing what for?"

The girl laughs and, yeah, she's incredibly beautiful. Kagami's teeth sink into his lip. He knows he's usually ignorant to this kind of thing but he can't help but notice that they're moving around each other with practiced familiarity. What's more, they make an attractive pair.

"You choose one for me, then, Dai-chan," the girl says. "I want one for my bedroom."

Aomine gazes into the bin, contemplative. "I don't think these are the right size, though. Your pillow is a little longer."

"Since I'm looking at this, I can't really tell."

Aomine shakes his head but there's a fond smile on his lips. "C'mon," he says, slinging his arm back around her. "Let's go look for the right size. How about you choose it yourself, and I'll buy it for you?"

"Yay!" the girl exclaims, bouncing and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Dai-chan's being sweet."

"I'm always sweet," Aomine protests with an offended tone, but his smile widens and he looks down at her with an affectionate look on his face.

Kagami goes home without buying a rug.

.

Kuroko calls twice before Kagami finally picks up. He doesn't really want to talk to anyone but particularly not his best friend who always, always, manages to know when something's off.

Kagami's convinced that Kuroko calling now is just testament to that fact.

"Hey," he greets, as normally as possible.

"Kagami-kun, what's wrong?"

See? See?

"Why do you think something's wrong?" Kagami replies, scowling to himself.

"You don't sound fine," says Kuroko, his own voice doubtful. "You answered quite politely; it's unlike you. Usually you just say 'what' or 'what do you want?' when you're talkative."

Kagami can feel a vein throbbing at his temple. "You bastard," he growls.

"That's better," says Kuroko. "Why did it take you so long to answer, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami swipes a hand over his face. He can't exactly tell him that he ignored the previous calls on purpose. "My phone was in my room," he says instead.

"I see. Kagami-kun, you sound a little lacklustre to me."

"I'm fine, Kuroko. What do you want? You called a few times."

There's a pause. "I just wanted to talk to you. I saw you at the mall today."

Kagami straightens at that. "What? When was that?"

"This afternoon. I was with some friends, and I saw you. For a second I thought you saw me, too, but you left quite quickly."

Kagami tries to remember but he knows he won't recall seeing Kuroko at all. Even when he's standing right next to Kagami, he's still hard to notice.

"Sorry, I didn't see you," he says. "I would've said hi."

"I'm sure you would have," Kuroko agrees, before his tone shifts. "Kagami-kun…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry for asking again, but you really don't sound as excitable as you usually are. Are you sure you're alright?"

Kagami knows he isn't going to get out of this. "Man, you're so persistent," he grumbles, falling back onto his couch. "Fine, I'll tell you. I'm just a little depressed, I guess."

"Did something happen?"

"It's kind of stupid."

"I wouldn't judge you, Kagami-kun."

Kuroko sounds so sincere that Kagami sighs, giving in.

"I think my neighbour has a girlfriend," he says.

Kuroko is silent for a moment. "I see."

Kagami shifts, resting his head on his elbow. "I told you it was stupid," he grumbles.

"It's not stupid, Kagami-kun. I was just surprised. I thought you said he was flirting with you."

"I should've known I was imagining it. I feel like an idiot."

"Kagami-kun, this isn't something you should feel stupid about," says Kuroko. "I don't think you misjudged anything. In my experience, you're the kind of person who either misses it completely or you understand in one go. It's more likely he was giving you mixed signals."

"Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? He's got a girlfriend, so whatever thing we had going on isn't happening. I'm not going after a guy who's taken."

"I know you wouldn't," says Kuroko with a sigh that gusts over the line. "Are you okay, Kagami-kun?" he asks again.

Kagami bites his lip. "No," he says. To his annoyance, his voice is small.

"Do you want me to come over and keep you company? Or maybe Himuro-san?"

"I'd rather be on my own, Kuroko," Kagami says. "But…thanks. You know."

"You're welcome." Kuroko is quiet for a length of time before he says, in that gentle way of his: "I'm sorry, Kagami-kun."

"Yeah. I'll see you during lunch tomorrow."

Kagami hangs up and tosses his phone beneath his pillow. He glances at his clock and tries not to think about the balcony, where he usually is at this time. Call him a coward, but he doesn't want to talk to Aomine right now. It's going to be a while before he can get the image of him and his girlfriend out from his mind's eye.

.

Since he went to bed way before his usual time, Kagami wakes up early and completes his morning run half an hour before he's supposed to start it. He makes a big breakfast and eats it slowly past the time he knows Aomine is leaving for work. For a second, while he's doing his dishes, he thinks he hears a soft knock on his door. When he turns off the tap, he hears nothing else.

He assumes he imagined it, possibly from thinking about Aomine (and today's suit, he's given up on being ashamed about that), but when he opens the door, he's surprised to find something barring his way.

There's a wrapped item sitting on his threshold, sizeable and oddly-shaped in bright pink packaging. There's no card but Kagami already knows whom it's from. He hesitates but picks it up. It's light despite its size and soft beneath the paper wrap. He sets it on the table and leaves for the day. He'll deal with it when he gets home.

As it turns out, the present stays on his mind for the rest of the day. Kuroko leaves him alone for the most part, fending off their puzzled friends, and Kagami's grateful for it. He's even more grateful Kise isn't popping up today because Kuroko's a worrier but if that one catches wind of Kagami's quiet attitude, he won't let up until he's learned when, why, and how.

He begs off dinner and silently apologises to Kuroko for the interrogation he'll no doubt be subjected to once Kagami's gone. The thought of the gift sitting on his entryway table has haunted him all day and he can't wait anymore.

Kagami doesn't even take his jacket off before he's ripping it open. He's maybe rougher than he should be, but the pink reminds him of the girl Aomine had been with and that's still a sore thought. Whatever it may be, he hopes she hadn't been the one to wrap it, even though he can't imagine Aomine being able to do this so neatly.

He freezes when the last of the packaging is peeled away. Gravity has the rug unfolding on its own from where he's clutching the other end; it's the size of a welcome mat and is a cluster of colours not too different from the carpet Kagami had seen yesterday. 'WELCOME' is stamped across it in big block letters. When the mat has unrolled completely, something white flutters to the floor. Kagami snatches the note up instantly.

Homecoming gift for you. You mentioned that you were looking for new rugs, right? Noticed you didn't have one for your front door.

Aomine Daiki

Kagami crouches and sets the mat in front of his threshold. Then he heads for his bedroom to punch his pillow a few times and maybe cry a little.

.

This time, Kagami's out on the balcony before Aomine is, having cut his usual basketball time short in favour of a shower. He waves uncertainly when the sliding door opens and Aomine steps out; the man is clearly surprised to see him judging by how he pauses before making his way over.

"Hey," Kagami says awkwardly.

"Hey," Aomine returns. "Glad to see you out of your natural habitat."

"Shut it," Kagami grumbles. He shuffles his feet a little. "Uh, sorry for missing yesterday."

He hasn't come up with an excuse besides the truth so he doesn't offer one. Aomine seems to notice and waves his hand dismissively.

"It's fine, you probably had something going on," he says. "At least you're out here. I was a little worried when I didn't see you this morning."

"Aomine Daiki was worried? I should write that down somewhere."

Aomine snorts at him. "Whatever. I thought about calling but I figured I'd wait 'til now to see if you'd come out."

Kagami definitely hadn't planned on it, not until he opened that present.

"Uh, thanks for the rug," he says.

"You like it?"

"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen," Kagami tells him frankly.

"I know, right," says Aomine. He looks absurdly pleased. "Tell me you're using it."

"I put it in front of my door," Kagami admits. "I almost bought one a lot like it for my living room."

Aomine barks out a laugh. "Seriously? Cool, we've got the same tastes." He sets his elbow against his balcony rail and wiggles his eyebrows. "My friend Satsuki was helping me choose and she almost convinced me to get a nice one but I gave into my instincts instead. Glad it worked out."

Kagami feels like someone's just slapped him. "Your friend Satsuki?" he repeats.

"Yeah, have I mentioned her before? Ahh, I don't remember. She owns the magazine I work at. We went to the mall yesterday to have lunch with someone and I asked her to help me pick a good rug out."

Kagami isn't sure what his heart is doing but it's definitely not natural.

"Who's she exactly?" he asks, because he needs this cleared up now.

"Huh? She's my childhood friend. We've known each other since we were babies. To be honest, she's like this bratty sister who won't stop nagging me. I almost regret asking for her help yesterday. She was really pissed when I chose that one instead of the others. She'll flip when she hears that you liked it."

Aomine looks extremely satisfied; in contrast, Kagami's mind is racing. He tries to remember what he saw yesterday and can't think of any instance that gives lie to the childhood friend story. Then he thinks about how Aomine had assumed Himuro was Kagami's boyfriend, and realises he's the same brand of idiot Aomine is.

"Shit," he says, aghast. He can't believe how stupid he is.

"What?" Aomine says, blinking at him.

"Wha—nothing! It's nothing. I was just going through some things today."

"Yeah? You, uh, wanna talk about it?"

"No," Kagami says immediately. He's touched by the offer though, awkwardly given as it is, and adds, "I want to talk about what I could give you back as thanks for the rug, though."

"It's a housewarming gift. You're not supposed to give something back."

"Oh, right. Thanks."

"You already said that, idiot."

"Don't call me idiot!"

Aomine laughs. Kagami's anger deserts him immediately. He feels better; the heavy feeling that's taken residence in his chest since yesterday afternoon is gone now, chased away by Aomine's unthinking assurance.

Kagami makes a decision. He's well and done with this pining crap. He's going to ask Aomine out and settle this once and for all.

First thing's first. How to do that?

"You look like your brain's gone on vacation," Aomine tells him. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Why are you such a jerk?" Kagami replies.

Aomine grins, eyes shining even in the darkness. Kagami beats back the urge to launch himself over the partition between them. Date first, and then he can negotiate the otherthing.

But damn, Aomine's looking good today, too. It's nearly midnight and it's not fair to look so attractive in a pair of pyjamas, no matter how nicely-cut they are. For that matter, who keeps giving him these figure-hugging clothes that show off those shoulders and the long arch of his neck? If it turns out to be the childhood friend who owns a fashion magazine, Kagami isn't sure if he wants to strangle her or thank her profusely.

Date first, Kagami reminds himself sternly.

"Hey, so…" Aomine starts, scratching the back of his head in what would be a nonchalant way, except he's staring really hard at a random spot on the wall. "I've been meaning to ask this. Do you want to go to dinner with me sometime?"

Kagami stares at him. It can't seriously be this easy, can it?

It's only when Aomine's expression begins to tighten that Kagami remembers to answer.

"Sure, yeah, definitely," he says, knowing he sounds like an overeager idiot but lacking the ability to care. "I was actually going to ask you, too. We should have dinner at my place. I can make something."

Aomine's face lightens like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. "You can cook?"

"Yeah. People say I'm good at it." There might be some boasting there but if the skill allows him to sweeten the deal, so be it. Kagami's now set on getting Aomine over to his place and eating his food.

"I definitely hit the jackpot, huh?" says Aomine, his smile crooked. "Go me."

Ugh. He's definitely an idiot and Kagami likes him so much.

"You got plans tomorrow?" he asks, leaning forward.

"Tomorrow's Friday so I should be back a bit late. Is eight okay?"

"Sounds good to me. Any requests?"

Aomine grins. "You sure you should let me decide? I could ask for something ridiculous."

"Everything out of your mouth is ridiculous," Kagami says, rolling his eyes again. "It's dinner, Aomine. If it's too hard to make, I'll do something else."

He probably wouldn't. He's going to make whatever Aomine wants to eat no matter how many ingredients it needs or how much time it takes.

"Well, if you say it like that." Aomine leans forward, too. His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles. "Then surprise me. We have the same taste in home décor, so I'm sure I can trust you to come up with a good menu for our first date."

Kagami's stomach makes that whooping sensation. He knows he's blushing; the good thing about it is that, though Aomine's trying to act cool, the way his fingers keep moving restlessly is proof enough how nervous he is.

"You're an idiot," Kagami tells him.

"I'm an idiot for you."

Kagami is startled into laughter and he can't stop when Aomine hides his face, clearly regretting it.

"I can't believe you said something so lame," Kagami manages through heaving breaths. "You're supposed to be older than me!"

"Shut up, I don't do this kind of thing a lot!" Aomine snaps with visible embarrassment.

Kagami presses his hands against his cheeks but the grin won't go away. "You don't have to drop lines like that," he says. "I already invited you over to my place."

Aomine peeks through his fingers and there's no mistaking the smile he's trying to hide. "In that case," he says, "I can't wait."

Kagami goes to bed with anticipation brimming in his veins. Naturally, it keeps him up, and he entertains himself with thoughts about how tomorrow evening is going to turn out. He has another project group meeting so he'll miss seeing Aomine in the morning but maybe that's a good thing. He probably won't be able to control himself as it is; it had taken a ridiculous amount of time before either of them could leave each other to go back into their respective homes.

He thinks about what to cook, wonders if Aomine likes fish or meat, and decides against adding dessert for now. He suffers a brief moment of panic when he realises he'll have to dress up if it's a date but then he remembers that it's going to be in his own house, so he can be casual about it.

He hopes things go smoothly tomorrow. If the 'trend' continues and they end up in another fight, that pretty much proves it's not going to work out, right?

Kagami groans into his pillow. It's not like him to worry over nothing; what happens tomorrow will happen, regardless. What he does know is that he's going to do his damn best to make it a good date and nothing's going to stop him.

Mind made up, Kagami rolls over and goes to sleep. Things will turn out okay.

.

Dinner turns out to be a success and all of Kagami's fears about getting into another fight remain unfounded. Aomine comes over earlier than planned, so they bicker over who gets to plate the food (Kagami wins), and then they bicker over who sets the table. Aomine, the bastard, cheats and does it while Kagami's busy with the food.

Kagami feels his face heat up when Aomine pulls his chair out for him with a smirk.

"My lady," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Do you want food or not?" Kagami threatens, kicking at him.

Aomine laughs and heads for his own chair. Kagami watches him go, trying not to salivate. He doesn't quite feel shabby in comparison but there's no denying that Aomine looks far more lickable than usual. He's changed from work clothes into informal slacks that hug his legs in all the right ways, and a shirt he's neglected to properly button up. Kagami's been getting tantalising glimpses of that collarbone and it's honestly driving him nuts. It's definitely on purpose, too, because when Aomine catches the way Kagami's eyes are lingering on him, he offers a wink.

Kagami has to hide in the kitchen for a minute and practice the breathing exercises he learned at the fire station.

As they eat, Aomine is charming, sweet, and a little bit of an asshole, which is apparently the way to Kagami's heart. He feels almost light-headed the entire time. Aomine's obviously trying hard because he's paying rapt attention to every reaction he garners, and he gets a little smug smile every time Kagami laughs. Kagami thinks it's adorable. His heart beats faster each time Aomine himself laughs, because his face is open and beautiful, a sight to see in the comfort of his own home. At one point, he temporarily loses the ability to speak when Aomine reaches to brush something off his cheek. He only regains it when Aomine glares at his plate, clearly as affected.

Kagami needs to write down how he made tonight's dinner; for some reason, it's the most delicious he's ever had.

After a good-natured argument over who washes the dishes, because Kagami's not keen on letting the guest do it, Aomine wins with just a few simple words:

"But I'm more than just a guest, right?"

Kagami puts him on drying duty. Aomine's body is warm by his side but this time he doesn't feel like he's about to do something stupid. It actually feels a little domestic, doing the dishes together as they banter and talk. Aomine teases him about his apron and Kagami, thoroughly tired of being the one fumbling for words, retaliates.

"If that's your thing, I could wear this and nothing else," he suggests.

To his amusement, Aomine sputters and looks away, rubbing dry the dish he's been handed with more vigour than it warrants. Kagami laughs and pokes him. Aomine immediately pokes back. By the time they're done, there's more water on the two of them than in the sink and they're practically leaning into each other, giggling all the while. Kagami only tears himself away to get them both towels and then shoos his date out into the living room once they're both dry again.

Aomine flops onto the couch with a gusty sigh.

"I'm kind of torn between being in awe of your stomach or your cooking," he praises. "You're a man of many talents."

Kagami hovers at the side. He wants to join him but he isn't sure how long his control is going to hold out now, not after the dishes debacle.

(Aomine isn't wearing anything under that shirt and Kagami had considered taking up religion when he caught a glimpse of a dark nipple through wet, see-through fabric.)

"Thanks," he says. "Although I guess I tried harder than I usually do. The amount I eat is normal, though."

"It is not normal," Aomine counters immediately.

Kagami fidgets. "Do you want a drink?" he asks, backing up. "I'll make coffee or hot chocolate. Tea, maybe, if you want that instead."

"Hey, no, c'mere and sit down." Aomine pats the spot next to him. "I want you."

Kagami's chest squeezes a little at that. "Uh," he says, nervous. "I'm not sure I should."

Aomine shakes his head with a little laugh. "This isn't a big deal. You offered to get naked for me, remember?"

"That was a joke!" Kagami squawks.

Aomine holds his hand out and beams up at him. Kagami feels powerless to resist; he takes the hand and sits down.

"See," says Aomine, leaning in, arm over the couch back behind Kagami. "Wasn't so hard."

Kagami can't take it anymore.

He's saved from actually pouncing by Aomine, who does it himself. He lets out a grunt of surprise when he's shoved onto his back but the lapful of attractive male he gets in return is more than enough apology.

Aomine kisses like he's trying to eat him. Kagami moans at the thought and winds his fingers into dark blue hair, yanking Aomine closer. It's as if Aomine is trying to inhale him but he's ridiculously good with his tongue so Kagami's not about to complain. He feels even better, that tanned skin warm over powerful muscles, and just a hint of fat below his stomach. Aomine squeaks into his mouth when Kagami runs a hand over it; he's ticklish. Kagami feels a thrill run through him when Aomine pins him flat, fitting their mouths together in an even better angle. He's exuding confidence and it's obvious in the way his hands grips Kagami's chin and hip, like he knows Kagami can't move.

To prove him wrong, Kagami pushes him away and bites his ear. Aomine groans but doesn't miss a beat; he goes down and starts dropping kisses beneath Kagami's jaw instead. It feels way too good for Kagami to move again so he lies there, his fingers roaming that exposed collarbone and down his chest. He grazes one damnable nipple and jumps when Aomine bites him.

"You're pretty good at this," Kagami says, hissing as a hot, wet mouth covers the same spot. Aomine sucks a hickey with ardent vigour and it takes everything Kagami has not to wrap his legs around him.

Aomine draws back to survey his handiwork. The way he pants, his ruffled shirt, and the slight tint of red on his cheeks make for one gorgeous specimen of a man. Kagami slides a hand down that chest again, dizzy with how great it feels.

"You're not bad for a kid," says Aomine, leering.

Kagami raises an eyebrow at him. "You're lucky you're anywhere near this young piece of ass, old man," he retorts.

Aomine laughs, his eyes brighter than before, and kisses him quiet.

To be honest, Kagami would like nothing better than to drag Aomine into his bedroom and finally find out for himself what those figure-hugging clothes are hiding. But for all his rough edges, he's a good kid and Alex taught him better than to fuck on the first date. So Kagami settles for touching the bits of skin he can reach, gropes a little, and lets Aomine go home an hour later.

Aomine presses a scorching kiss under his ear, apologises for the fact that he has to leave, and promises to make up for it on their next date. It's with a great deal of reluctance that Kagami finally releases him.

"Next time, you should come over in one of your suits," he says huskily. "They've been driving me crazy."

Aomine sucks at Kagami's bottom lip for a moment. "I noticed," he says, with a decidedly wicked smile. "You think I risk being late to work every morning?"

The bastard. He should've known.

At the door, Aomine asks: "Do you go running on the weekends, too?"

Kagami rests his shoulder against the wood, cocking his hip provocatively. "You saying you don't know?"

The grin spreading over Aomine's swollen lips is predatory. He leans forward and kisses Kagami again.

"I'll see you," he murmurs, and leaves.

.

Aomine doesn't show himself during Kagami's run, but he appears at Kagami's door shortly after, demanding breakfast. Kagami bitches and rolls his eyes but he lets him in and pretends he hasn't made twice as much food in the hopes of inviting Aomine over in the first place.

Afterwards, Aomine drags him over to the same couch to continue what they were doing yesterday. It's a bit early but Kagami's happy to oblige. They only surface a while later when the strict demand for unhindered intake of oxygen forces them apart. Panting, Kagami wraps his arms around Aomine's waist and wonders if it's possible to do this every morning.

"My kid brother is coming over today," Aomine mumbles into his neck.

"You have a kid brother?"

"Well, we're not blood-related but he might as well be, I guess. We always hang out today, with my also not blood-related sister, Satsuki."

Kagami laughs softly. "Dude, what the hell?" He pushes Aomine off him, as reluctant as Aomine is in actually moving away. "That sounds so weird, you know."

"You have one, too."

Kagami smiles up at him. "You're right."

Aomine rubs their noses together and sighs contentedly. They both startle when something makes a tinkling noise. Aomine sits up, tugging his phone out of his jeans (his well-cut, utterly sinful jeans).

"Speak of the devil," says Aomine, reading over the text. "Tetsu's on his way."

"Noooo," Kagami whines, feeling childish.

Aomine lays his palms flat on Kagami's chest. "Well, we have a few minutes. Let's make the most of it."

Kagami eagerly pulls him down. The phone makes a few more tinkling sounds but they only tear themselves from each other when it actually rings.

"Shit," Aomine mutters, climbing off Kagami, much to his disappointment. "Hello? Hey, where are you? Crap, you're already here, uh. Okay, wait a sec, I'm at my neighbour's. No, you just wait there, I'm coming out right now."

Kagami grumbles but gets to his feet, allowing Aomine to herd him to the door.

"Am I supposed to meet him?" he asks.

"Do you want to? He's about your age, so I don't think it'll be a big deal."

"Maybe some other time," Kagami decides. He opens the door, letting it swing out. He doesn't see anyone so the kid brother must be waiting in front of Aomine's place. "You should tell him about me first."

"I was planning to." Aomine grins at him and gives him a kiss goodbye.

Kagami is aware that he's pouting when he draws away. Aomine chucks his chin with a chuckle.

"Yo, Tetsu," he greets, stepping out beyond the door. "Sorry I'm late, I just—"

Kagami suddenly decides he hasn't had enough of his boyfriend just yet. He sticks his arm out, confident with the knowledge that 'Tetsu' can't see anything else on this side of the door, and grabs Aomine's t-shirt. He reels him back in with a wink at Aomine's surprised face.

"Not so fast, lover," he whispers teasingly.

Aomine almost trips but catches his balance with no fanfare, swinging around to gamely wrap his arms around Kagami's waist. Kagami laughs again and leans in to press his lips against grinning ones. Aomine pecks him once, instead, and then again before he actually concedes to the kiss he's been pulled back in for.

Kagami isn't sure he's ever felt this playful and happy before.

Naturally, it's a short-lived feeling when an all-too-familiar voice calls out: "Daiki-kun?"

Kagami jerks his head back immediately. Apparently oblivious to the shock Kagami is feeling, Aomine makes a face.

"I forgot he was right there," he says.

"Daiki-kun," the voice says again, this time a little more annoyed. "Please tell me you're not harassing your neighbour."

Kagami gapes. Aomine only laughs, still clueless as to why his boyfriend suddenly looks so horrified.

"I'm not harassing anyone!" he hollers back, sounding comically offended despite the grin on his face.

He releases Kagami, touching his cheek briefly before moving away to actually greet his visitor. This time, Kagami follows with dread pooling in his gut.

It would be hilarious how wide Kuroko's eyes become when he spots Kagami but Kagami himself is far too appalled.

"Sorry, Tetsu," says Aomine. "It's a little hard to pull myself from—hey, Kagami, I thought you said you were going back inside."

"Oh my God, Kuroko," Kagami says.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko returns, similarly confounded.

Aomine's grin disappears and he glances between both of them. "Why do you know each other's names?" he says warily.

Kuroko's gaze switches to him. Abruptly, his pale skin turns pink as he connects the dots.

"No," he says faintly.

"Yeah," Kagami tells him, apologetic.

"What?" Aomine demands.

"Daiki-kun," Kuroko says reproachfully. "How could you?"

"What are you talking about? Tetsu! Explain it to me!"

Kagami hides his face into Aomine's back and reflects that his Monday plans might have to accommodate one more, after all.

END