This is a translation from my own fic in Spanish, with the same name, so I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket

Shin-chan let it slip during a friendly match against Seirin, around the last months of our third year, shortly before graduating. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I had spent the whole prep in love with that green-haired giant, eccentric to the marrow, who had 'tsundere' as a lifestyle, and around that time I was desperate for something to happen, to not stay as old friends from highschool. I wanted to go to the same university as him, even if we didn't go for the same degree, just to be close to him, and my parents had been witnesses to the incredible rise of my marks with said purpose. I remembered that day for that particular reason. shin-chan was bored, and he wouldn't concentrate. I saw is as if he had a sign on his forehead of 'Not my day'. His lucky item was a ring, which he had hanging on his neck so it wouldn't make it hard to play, and his lucky color was orange, so that was not the problem. Plus, his rank had been three, not the highest, but a good one no doubt. I didn't know what his problem was. He lingered looking at the others playing, he got my passes wrong, looking at me instead of the ball... he got more than one scolding for that.

By the time we finally knew what was wrong, it was half the last quarter. The difference was of two points, we just needed one of his shots, but he was so distracted that passing him the ball, with Kuroko around (because marking that bug was very difficult to do while coordinating the rest of the match and stopping your ace from fucking thigs up, let me tell you) would have been suicidal. I remember I had the ball when he said it. Actually, I was just going ot shoot, a try from the third point line. It wasn't my speciality, but we needed it, and now. I saw him, of course I did. He was just behind me, staring at me. He was, actually, almost too close. I jumped, it didn't matter where Shin-chan was when it was me shooting anyway. I found the posture. I remembered the gesture I had to make, I had seen Shin-chan do it millions of times, uncountable times. More than any sane person would think someone can see the same moevement. My sync was perfect, it was in, I was sure. I did the shot.

"Takao, I believe I love you."

That was the end of the match, at least it was for me. I saw the ball go through the ring, and bounce on the floor like the inert object it was. I saw how the whole Seirin team turned around. I saw how the whole Shuutoku team also turned around. Everybody turned to me, except Shin-chan, who was already looing at me. For a moment, so much blood went to my face that I thought I'd faint. He seemed to be very focused on something, as if he hadn't said a words. Maybe, I remember thinking, maybe he hasn't realized he's spoken out loud. It didn't matter if he hadn't, I thought, everyone was going to remind him of that til the end of his days. But he didn't seem off, just focused on something else. Of course, the ball was not that thing. I felt my face hotter than ever, and I raised a hand to my head. I didn't have anything to say, all I ever thought of saying was gone. I fiddled with my hair a little.

"Shin-chan..."I started, my voice strangled with embarrassment "If you ever get distracted during a match for this again, I swear I'll kill you myself... Can't we talk about this later?" was what I ended up saying.

I couldn't have predicted his reaction. He blinked, surprised, that made sense. Then he burst out laughing, like no one present had ever heard him laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until Serin's couch had to stop the timer because everybody was standing, staring at us, and the ball had been long forgotten in a corner, no one reaching for it. The blush wouldn't go away, and he finally stopped laughing, maybe three or four whole minutes later. He took off his glasses to wipe the tears his laugher had made him shed, and, still smiling, he disheveled me.

"Of all the cheesy stuff I thought you'd say, I have to admit that you never fail to surprise me, Takao. Okay, someone get that ball. We have a match to win, nanodayo."

He was still laughing between words, and his mood didn't change in the 15 minutes of game that were left to play. We finally won, by four points. It wasn't much of a difference, but I have the feeling the whole Seirin was too shocked to move properly. In one occasion they even ran into someone of their own team.

After the match there was a pretty pregnant silence, only disrupted by the efforts of our coaches for a normal end of a match after the unpredictable moment when Shin-chan had... confessed to me... All of a sudden, my heart was beating too fast. I remember fearing it had been a joke...

However, once we had a moment after changing in the most uncomfortable of silences in the locker room (though Miyaji-senpai almost throws a pineapple so we would say something), Shin-chan dragged me to the ricksaw to play rock-paper-scissors, and I had no other option but to follow him. Before he got in (because he won again, of course) the cart, he said in my ear:

"Go to your place, pick your stuff, tell your parents... stay at my place tonight. There's no one there, my parents went to Tokyo with my sister for a drawing contest and won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

I couldn't do anything but nod, I still hadn't had the courage to say a single word after what I said during the match.

As soon as I got home, still somewhat in shock, my parents noticed there was something wrong, and when I explained in low and trembling voice why was Shin-chan waiting for me outside, they laughed at me and sent me to face my fears. I was lucky I had understanding parents, but that didn't cross my mind then, to be honest.

We finally got to his place. It was empty, as he had promised, and I couldn't do more than sigh and face him. I hugged myself, suddenly drawing a blank. I had spent the trip thinking of different ways to ask him if he meant what he had said, but now they didn't seem appropriate. He smiled, and enigmatic half smile that would chase my dreams since then, making me blush even more. It shouldn't be allowed to be so beautiful...

Then he pulled me to him, catching me by surprise even though we were two steps apart, and he pushed me to his body. He touched my hair, almost nervous, undecided, and finally made me look at his face.

And kissed me without a word.

I remember returning the kiss, ad I remember that, somehow, we got to a tacit agreement that our feelings were mutual. I remember that, after so much time wanting that, we didn't want to wait to take our relationship to the next level.

I remember a lot of the stuff that happened after that. What I don't remember is how I managed to survive the three years it took that greenhaired tsundere to decipher his feelings.

Well, how did you like it?

Please read and review!

~Lena Lawlipop