Regrets and Reunions
Kagami and Midorima are not exactly the best of friends.
People understand this.
You don't exactly like the team that beat you out of a tournament.
So when in their second season of high school basketball, it looks like their teams want to murder each other as they play in the Interhigh, it is considered normal.
It's the last few minutes of the fourth quarter when it happens.
Midorima is leaning back as Kagami watches, into that elegant bend that foretells one of those miracle threes to come, and Kagami just watches.
He comes to his senses as Midorima prepares to jump, sprinting across the court.
He knows that if this shot were to make it, morale would be crushed.
So as Midorima begins to make the shot, Kagami flings himself into the air in front of Midorima, eyes fixated on the ball, which is so close…!
Kagami swings his arm in a high arc, his body whacking into Midorima as he reaches.
The ball falls to the floor.
So does Midorima.
As Kagami lands, his foot connects with something that is clearly not gym floor.
Midorima suppresses a scream as 82 kilograms of Kagami Taiga land on his left forearm.
The two teams bow to each other at the end of the match.
"THANK YOU FOR THE GAME!"
Shuutoku has once more lost to Seirin.
Lost to Kagami.
Kagami feels like he should be triumphant.
Instead, he feels this strange tightness in his throat as he watches Midorima struggle to pick up his bag, refusing help from his teammates.
He reaches over, grasps the strap of the bag, and places it over Midorima's right shoulder carefully.
He cringes as Midorima stifles a cry of pain, biting his lip.
"…You should get that checked out at the hospital." Kagami blurts, suddenly.
"I know."
"Does it… hurt a lot?"
Kagami doesn't know what to say, he is pulling words at random.
They stand and look at each other, the victor and the fallen.
Midorima watches him, and Kagami lets his gaze wander over the elegant lines of Midorima's face, the deep emerald of his eyes, and the strength in his figure, only marred by the awkward way he held his left arm.
Midorima turns away in a flutter of light green, sweat soaked hair.
Kagami has been off his game for days now, struggling to dunk a single hoop.
Every time he plays, he remembers the pain on Midorima's face, the elegance that he destroyed.
Kagami sees Midorima less than a week later, at a train station with his team.
Midorima inclines his head, adjusts his glasses, and everything is normal again.
Almost everything.
Kagami sees how Midorima uses his right hand to adjust his glasses, carefully not moving his left.
"Kagami."
"Midorima."
Their teams go silent, seeing the confrontation.
"How is your arm?"
"Fine," bites out Midorima.
Kagami grabs his jacket, pulling him closer, wrapping a hand tightly around the arm he had injured a few days ago.
Midorima lets out a pained noise, snatching his arm out of Kagami's vice-like grip.
Kagami releases his hold hurriedly, seeing the grimace on Midorima's face.
He shoots an accusatory look at Midorima.
"You never went to the hospital!"
The blood drains from Midorima's face, his gaze flying to his rapidly approaching team.
"WHAT?! WE TOLD YOU TO GET THAT CHECKED DAYS AGO, SHIN-CHAN!"
"It was fine!"
"Clearly it wasn't! How did you even practice?"
"It didn't hurt that much!" splutters Midorima. "No one noticed anyway!"
"You-you went through practice with that!? Let me see."
Takao pulls back Midorima's jacket sleeve carefully.
Underneath clumsily done bandages, a series of deep bruises marrs pale skin.
"Shin-chan…"
Midorima backs away, yanking his sleeve back down.
"I had to! You wouldn't have let me play in games, I wouldn't be able to practice… We lost because of me last time, and the time before! If I can't practice, what can I do?!"
"WELL, IT'S BETTER THAN YOU NEVER BEING ABLE TO PLAY AGAIN!" bellowed Kagami.
Silence.
Heads begin to turn.
Kagami lowers his volume.
"Midorima…"
Midorima jerks his head away, looking anywhere but his team.
"Come on, let's go to the hospital."
Bad bruising of the muscle, the doctor said. Internal bleeding that had gone untreated, and a partially broken bone.
Don't exert yourself too much for a year, or the injuries and recovery time will increase.
No exerting yourself meant no games for half a year.
An anguished cry echoed down the halls of the hospital.
"Midorima."
Kagami enters Midorima's hospital room carrying his lucky item, which he places on his side table.
Midorima is still asleep, afternoon sunlight illuminating the soft strands of green hair spread on the pillow.
Glasses lay forgotten, sliding down Midorima's nose. Evidently he had fallen asleep reading, as a book lies upside down on his lap.
Kagami carefully removes the black framed glasses and places them next to his lucky item.
He watches Midorima's chest rise and fall rhythmically as he breathes, his frown smoothed by sleep.
He… is surprisingly peaceful.
The white bed makes Midorima look smaller, and Kagami remembers.
FLASHBACK
Midorima had crumpled to the floor, holding his arm, and Kagami had stood there.
Staring, but not comprehending.
He looked down, and there was Midorima, looking small, and… vulnerable.
As he watched, Midorima looked up with fear.
Fear.
Of him, Kagami.
Somehow, that caused an unpleasant twist in his chest.
END FLASHBACK
Kagami carefully touches Midorima's face, afraid to wake him and break the calm scene.
Tracing the elegant cheekbones, he flits his fingertips over his eyelids before hovering near his mouth, hesitant.
He snatches his hand away as Midorima stirs slightly.
Staring at the heavily bandaged arm, he manages to mutter an I'm sorry before dashing out of the room into Aomine outside who gives him a strange look as he runs down the hallway, garnering much yelling from the nurses.
As Aomine enters, Midorima is putting on his glasses and staring at the lucky item and shiruko sitting next to him.
Midorima looks at Aomine, silently questioning.
"Not me."
In winter, Kagami catches a glimpse of Midorima entering the stadium for a match against Kaijou. He stands tall and resplendent once more with his jersey on his figure.
Kagami hurriedly checks the arm he had injured. He had not visited since that time.
"Kagami-kun. What are you looking at, we have to get seats!" Kuroko states, tugging on his sleeve.
"…Right, seats."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Kuroko frowns, but lets the issue go.
The game starts.
Midorima begins the game with his signature high projectile three, and Kagami breathes a sigh of relief.
Nothing is wrong.
Halfway through the game, Midorima has been in several one on ones with Kise, and the toll it is taking is clear.
It is made apparent when Midorima misses a shot.
It was untouched, undisturbed, and yet…
Missed.
Something breaks within Kagami, a wave of guilt overwhelming him.
"Time-out for Shuutoku High!"
"Midorimacchi, are you okay?"
Kagami is on the edge of his seat as Kise approaches Midorima, and when Midorima snatches his left arm away, he is sprinting down the stands.
"Kagami?!"
"Player substitution! Shuutoku High number 6!"
Kagami runs to the hallway behind the gym as Midorima stumbles out, holding onto his arm as though it might break. His fingers are white, and he leans on the wall before turning and sliding down to put his head in his hands.
His shoulders shake as muffled crying escapes.
Kagami steps towards him.
Midorima doesn't react.
Kagami crouches until he is at Midorima's level, and drapes his Seirin jacket over his back, enveloping Midorima in warmth.
He tentatively slides an arm over him, and when no attempt is made to shake him off, wraps the shooter in an embrace.
He murmurs assurances and apologies in his ear as Midorima buries his face into Kagami's shoulder, sobbing.
When Shuutoku find them later, Midorima is asleep, curled against Kagami with a Seirin jersey as blanket.
Kagami wraps a protective arm around Midorima's shoulders.
They find out that Midorima will not be able to play in any of the matches this year, or the Interhigh next year.
Midorima cries, but Kagami is there.
After all, they can still play next Winter Cup.
OMAKE
"Takao, I can hear you taking pictures."
"But Shin-chan, you guys are so cute! Also blackmail, and I bet our senpai who have graduated will love these as presents."
"TAKAO!"
"Send some to me."
"Taiga, you traitor!"
"You love me anyways."
~fin~
A/N:
I had intended this to be all angst. Somehow, it got a teensy bit fluffy.
I don't even know.
I got the idea for KagaMido from a fanfic called Message Received by half-sleeping. By the way, all of you should read it if you like KagaMido.
As you know, based on the fics I have written, I love injuring Midorima and writing him in angsty situations. I know, I am strange.
But you guys read it anyways.
PM me requests, preferably about Midorima! And as always, review, favorite, and follow!