Childhood friends. That's all they were. At least, that's what Aomine told himself.
"Dai-Chan! Can you believe it? We're graduating high school tomorrow! Aren't you excited?" Momoi exclaims, excitedly patting Aomine's arm sitting on the arm rest of the train. "Huh? What would I be excited about? It's just a stupid graduation…" he replies blankly as he turns away from the window he was staring out of and into her bright, pink eyes.
"What do you mean a "stupid graduation"? I like to think of it as the end of the chapter of the book and time to open a new one! Isn't that thought just so exhilarating to you? All those new adventures and – "Momoi stopped herself when she glanced at Aomine who clearly wasn't pay attention and had turned back around to stare out of the window as before.
He didn't understand. Why would he be excited over the end of high school? He didn't really care about Touou Academy or the basketball team. Sure, he loved basketball, but there were many times where he wanted to quit playing after graduating from Teiko. Throughout his lifetime, many things have changed; many people have come and gone. But, throughout all of that, only one thing remained constant. Satsuki. And the day after graduation, she would be leaving him to attend university while he had been scouted for an American college basketball team.
His thought process ended when Satsuki flicked him on the forehead. "Ow, Satsuki! The hell was that for?" he said incredulously. "You stopped listening to me when I was talking to you!" she pouted and puffed her cheeks out. God, does he loved how cute her face looks. Wait, love? Aomine quickly snapped out of his trance and then he looked down when he felt his phone vibrate. A message from Kuroko?
'Aomine-kun, where are you right now?'
'I'm on the train with Satsuki right now. Why?'
'I'm leaving town for a little while so I wanted to give you a graduation gift before you left for America. Do you have time to meet up?'
'Yeah, the train is almost the station. Meet you in five? The usual spot?'
'Of course.'
Aomine quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket and gathered his school bags. "Hoy, Satsuki. I'm going to meet up with Tetsu for a few so I'll see you tomorrow okay?" Although she was a little bit jealous Aomine and Kuroko were hanging out together without her, she agreed and waved him goodbye when they hopped off the train together. Ever since the end of the Winter Cup during their freshman year in high school, Aomine and Tetsu rekindled their friendship, and although not as close as before, outsiders could have never told the difference between their relationship from what it was before and what it is now.
Aomine walked down a couple of blocks and entered in Maji Burger, where he saw Tetsu sitting at the corner table with a milkshake straw in his hand, and another milkshake cup on the table.
"Hey Tetsu! Wow, way to be greedy and drink two milkshakes at once!" Aomine joked as he set his bags down and sat across from Kuroko. Kuroko, however, did not find this joke funny and frowned. "Aomine-kun, please don't joke like that. I spent my hard-earned money on both of our milkshakes, as well as your gift."
"Ah… sorry, sorry. Thanks for the shake, Tetsu." Aomine smiled and Kuroko smiled back. They made light conversation about their futures with Aomine traveling to America and Kuroko going to college in Tokyo. As they both finished their treats, Kuroko pulls a gift box from under his jacket. "Here you go Aomine-kun."
"Whoa! This box is huge! I wonder what's inside…" Aomine excitedly began to rip open the package until a small, slender hand stopped him. "Aomine-kun, it's rude to open presents in front of your guest. Please wait until you arrive back at your house to open it." If anything hadn't changed from all these years, it was Kuroko's bluntness, honesty, and his mannerisms. He sighs, but reluctantly apologizes and agrees to put the present away until he went back to his house. Aomine continued to drink his milkshake and Kuroko was working on his second when Aomine noticed Kuroko looked a little bothered. Even if Aomine wasn't Kuroko's light anymore, he and Kuroko still shared a bond and were still able to read each other's thoughts and feelings.
"Tetsu, what's the matter?" Aomine questions as he withdraws the straw from his mouth. Kuroko looks up from his shake and stares at him for a few seconds until Aomine starts to feel a little uneasy and awkward. "What? Out with it Tetsu! What do you want to say to me?"
Kuroko frowned a little, but then decided it was better to just say what he was thinking. "Aomine-kun, are you going to confess your feelings for Momoi-san before you leave for America?" Aomine almost choked on his milkshake, gagging and clutching his throat like he couldn't breathe.
"Huh!? What are you going on about now, Tetsu? I don't have feelings for Satsuki!" Aomine exclaimed rather loudly. Kuroko didn't say a word with his mouth, but he communicated his thoughts through those huge blue eyes of his. Aomine just sighed and slumped back into his chair, rubbing his face.
"How did you know?" Aomine questioned, still hiding his face from his former shadow by burying it in his large hands. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Kuroko replied without changing his facial expression. His only reply was a sigh…but only because he knew that Kuroko was right.
"Tetsu…what do I do? What can I possibly do? I'm so screwed…" Aomine trails off and Kuroko responds by raising an eyebrow, telling him to continue his sentence. Aomine finally pulls his hands down from covering his face and quietly mumbles something incoherent.
"Momoi-san is a wonderful girl." Kuroko states plainly. A bit confused, Aomine responds hesitantly, "So I've noticed…"
"…and she doesn't deserve to get her heart broken. Do you understand me, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko bluntly questions Aomine's motives, but he never backs down from staring and reading Aomine's facial expressions.
"Tetsu, you're honestly being ridiculous. What are you trying to say?" Aomine couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"What I'm trying to say is that you have a record of ignoring another person's feelings in exchange for your own personal benefit. I don't want you to treat Momoi-san in any negative way. If you…when you… confess to her, please treat her right." Kuroko states, sincerity beaming in his eyes, and yet, pisses Aomine off.
"The fuck, Kuroko?" Aomine stood up and grabbed Kuroko by the collar of his shirt. "Why would you say that? What makes you think I would even dream of hurting someone I care about?" Aomine growled and began to raise his voice louder and louder with each word, drawing some attention from other people within the burger restaurant.
"Well, you hurt me." Kuroko's simple, yet true statement shocks Aomine and he releases Kuroko from his grip. What could he say? It was true. He abandoned his teammate, his best friend, his shadow, due to his own selfish wants and needs. It was an unspoken truth that Aomine really had hurt Kuroko.
"I'm….I'm sorry, Tetsu. I know I hurt you really bad in the past and I never really apologized for it. It was pretty selfish of me and it actually did ruin our relationship for quite a while." Aomine stared down at the table. "All is forgiven, Aomine-kun. I just want you to promise one thing."
"Sure, what is it?" Aomine perks up a little in anticipation, wondering what Kuroko could possibly ask of him. "I just want you to take other people's feelings into consideration before you act in the future." Kuroko states plainly, closing his eyes.
"Tetsu, if you haven't noticed, I've grown a lot mentally and I'm not the same person I was before and –"
"Daiki." Kuroko's eyes shot open and stared into Aomine's eyes, which were wide from shock from the first use of his first name by his friend.
"I promise. I swear, Tetsu, I'll do what's right from now on!" Aomine's voice was full of confidence and motivation, and it fully convinced Tetsu to let the conversation go. Kuroko wiped the condensation that had dripped down his Styrofoam cup from his shake and stood up. Aomine soon followed and they threw their cups away, heading out the door. Aomine and Kuroko happen to live in the same direction, so they walk home together, but they don't say a single word to each other. When they approach Kuroko's house, he quickly opens the gate and waves to Aomine.
"Have a safe trip to America, Aomine!" Kuroko smiles at his old friend.
"Yeah, you can message me anytime Tetsu. America won't change me that much. And thanks again for the present!" Aomine laughed and patted the ribboned box in his hands. Kuroko smiled and waves once more before turning around to unlock his door. Aomine turns the opposite direction to continue down to his house when Kuroko calls his name once more.
"Oh, and Aomine-kun?"
"Yes, Tetsu?" Aomine turns around curiously.
"I'll hold you to that promise."