What many of the current ambitious young basketball players seem to forget is, that the Generation of Mircales were not just a bunch of ridiculously talented solo players that decrimated their opponents, although that is true too, they were also a bunch of ridiculously talented kids that trained together for nearly three years. They might not have been friends, but they knew each other better than anyone. And, even though some (all) of them might deny it, they cared.
For their High School Teams as thus, it comes as a surprise to see the whole Gerneration of Miracles interact as peaceful as they do during the dinner organised by some Tournament Sponsors. They have never seen all of them together either, only ever two or three at most.
It takes barely ten minutes for the former Teikou Team to abandon any seat assignments and drift to a corner table claimed by Rakuzans captain. The reactions are mixed. Some mutter angrily (Wakamatsu), some shake their heads in amusement (Kiyoshi), but most watch the spectacle unfold with silent astonishment.
Akashi is sitting in the middle of it all, calmly eating and flanked left and right by Midorima and Kuroko, both of whom have dragged their current partner with them. And around them reigns chaos.
Aomine is sitting across from Kagami and they continously snipe at each other, with the occasional bit of flying food, their rivaly apparent in the growing piles of empty dishes. On Akashis other side, Takao and Momoi have their heads together, whispering to each other and once every few minutes one of them would lift their head and look up, focusing on someone in the room and giggle omniously. More often than not that someone happens to be Midorima, who does not react much. Apart from the slowly developing tick under his left eye.
Kise on the other hand does not seem capable of sitting still, he is flitting around their table like an overexcited child. Sometimes whispering with Momoi, sometimes poking Midorima or hugging Kuroko or leaning over Kagamis shoulder or nearly falling into Aomines lap, when he stumbles over Murasakibaras long legs, who is stretching arcoss two seats. Murasakibara for his part seems content to sit comfortable for once and just wait for dessert to come around.
This is where the whole thing goes from suprising to downright weird.
It starts like this.
Akashi looks up and the indulgent smile he has been wearing for some time now gets wider.
„Atsushi, do eat up properly."
Murasakibara pushes a few sprouts around on his plate, but does not lift his chopsticks. Akashis smile grows wider, showing the first hint of pretty white teeth. Midorima pushes his glasses up in a gesture his current teammates recognize as a sign of nervousness.
„He is correct Murasakibara-kun. A diet consisting of only sweets will not support your body" is Kurokos quiet interjection. Midorima nods.
„I agree. And Oha Asa predicted a confrontation with long lasting effects for you if one does not take special care of oneself today."
„Ah...But sweets are tasty" is Murasakibaras unhurried reply. Akashi nods, still smiling.
„Indeed Atsushi. Now, eat your vegetables." He turns back to his own meal, but the groups dynamics have changed subtly.
Kise is now finally sitting down between Aomine and Murasakibara, attempting to steal bits from the latters plate, which the tallest one defends with a surprising focus against the blonds assault on his food. The dishpile between the tanned boy and the redhead grows at a slower pace than before and Midorima actually shifted to put himself between Akashis line of sight and the still whispering pair of Momoi and Takao. Only Kuroko does not seem to do anything different to the casual observer (which by now includes just about anyone in the restaurant). But they also do not notice a sudden increase of sprouts on Murasakibaras plate.
When Akashi stands up, the table freezes and the everyone keeps their breath. But he only enters the bathroom.
Murasakibara for his part suddenly smiles, unusually deviant expression on his face, and bites with relish into a piece of carrot. It doesn't even take him a minute to clear his plate and he leans back again.
„I see, you started eating even the sprouts" is Kurokos quiet and seemingly uninterested observation. Murasakibaras answer is a non-commital noise as he steals a stripe of meat from a gaping Takao, skillfully manouvering around Momoi. The blond next to him snickers.
„That reminds me so much of our Middle School trips! Murasakibaracchi always refused to eat any vegetables at all, ne? One time, Akashicchi even threatend to ban dessert for the whole Training Camp, remember?" He gives the tall boy a sly look but before he can continue, he is interrupted by Midorima.
„That would be be the one memorable Training Camp where you managed to faint in the pool, no?" Glasses glint omniously, even though their wearers lips twitch into a grin. Across the room Shuutokus jaws hang open. They have never seen their ace joke around before, never mind hearing him so obviously tease someone.
„I didn't faint! I … just got a tiny bit dizzy!" Strangely enough, both Kise and Aomine blush at that. Tohou joins Shuutoku in staring.
Midorimas glasses slide further down and Momoi bites into her hand to keep from giggling (too loudly).
„Ah of course, my mistake. You were red enough and shakey on your legs. It absolutly must have been the hot water. How fortunate that Aomine was conveniently around or you might have drowned." The insinuation is about as subtle as a pink elephant and near the bar sounds a lound 'thunk' as Kasamatsu smashes his forehead onto the table with a defeated whimper.
„Ha, if we're talking old stories, don't forget that time Tetsu licked the vanilla sauce of off you 'cause Satsuki made the pod explode – again." Aomine seems to have recovered from his bout of speechless embarrassement and now it is Midorima who turns bright red. Takaos suddenly intrigued look burning into the side of his face is not helping him regain his composure, either.
Kuroko for his part just shrugs and helpfully claps a coughing Kagami on the back.
„At least it was not wasted."
Somewhere behind him, Hyuuga is nearly crying into Kiyoshi's shoulder from the sheer embarrassement of having to listen to this.
„Ahh... I think chocolate is better." All eyes turn to Murasakibara, surprised he would actually contribute. Most of Yosen watches from a corner, terrified what their teammate would add to the on-going weirdness. They know Murasakibara is prone to random whims on the best of days and their captain is already hiding his face in his hands at the very thought of what he will say now.
But back with the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko finally shows a different emotion and pins a disapproving look on the giant.
„And why exactly would chocolate be better than vanilla?" he asks in a very, very controlled voice, the disbelieve perfectly obvious to all. Back near the entrance Coach Aidas eyes gain a calculating hint and after one look at Riko, Seirins captain copies Kaijous and proceeds to bang his head onto the table.
Murasakibara does not seem all that impressed, but he does sit a bit straighter. He leans onto the table to answer seriously.
„That's because vanilla loses flavor when you lick it from the skin~ It doesn't taste as good, you know?" Kuroko looks like he is seriously contemplating the argument, while Kagamis face gets closer and closer to his haircolor.
„Eh, for real!?" but the sceptical question comes from Aomine, who doesn't even bother to lean over and just flops across Kises lap. Kise too seems much more interested in the answer than the fact that he has Tohous ace lying across his tights. Somewhere in the room, someone makes a dying noise.
„Suuuure..." the violet haired boy nods. „Kurochin looked like he enjoyed eating vanilla of off Midochin, so I... ahhh... wanted to try too~ And I ate vanilla pudding from skin but it tasted reeaaally stale, so... I tried with chocolate sauce like Akachin told me, and it was muuuuch better. Easier to lick too..." A high-pitched squeak pulls all eyes to a slightly dazed looking Momoi.
„Kyaa! Did you really eat chocolate of off Sei-kunsbare skin Mukkun?!" When Murasakibara just hums her eyes glaze over a bit more, but she is not the only one. The previously quiet Rakuzan table is now deathly still.
Both Aomine and Kuroko look contemplating, while a manically grinning Takao continuously pokes Midorima. Momoi grins like a shark, while Kise smears some sauce on himself and curiously licks it from his forearm. Kagami gives a pitiful whimper and most of the room has stopped caring some time ago and just kind of blankly stares at the table or the wall or anything that is not the supposed Generation of admirable geniuses.
This is the situation Akashi returns to.
The occasional whimper of fear is ignored when the redhead raises an eyebrow at the spectacle his former team has become and just... sighs.
„Honestly." he shakes his head, smiling again that indulgent smile he wore most of the evening. „The vanilla incident again? Are you still fourteen and need to compare candy canes?" At these seemingly innocent words the whole table suddenly blushes an alarming shade of red. Shouts of 'Akashi!', 'Akashicchi!', 'Akachin!' and 'Akashi-kun' sound in protest, filled with utter mortification.
Kagami looks hopeful for this to end, until his self-claimed brother takes pity on his naivety and leans over to whisper into his ear what kind of 'candy sticks' exactly Akashi is referring to. Himuro grins sheepishly and Kagami sinks down onto the table with a choked noise, proceeding to die of embarrassement.
Omake:
All teams are leaving, some more traumatised than others. Hyuuga for one is pulled along by Kiyoshi and Sakurai actually has to be reminded to blink. One of the last to leave is Akashi, since he was still having a few words with the organisers regarding next years tournament.
When he finally steps out of the cozy little shop, he almost immediatly spots Murasakibara still waiting. It is hard not to, since the other is standing straight and snacking on some american sweets his teammate must have given him and he easily towers over every one around him.
But Akashis eyes turn to the smaller figure beside Atsushi and a slight movement beckons him closer. The darkhaired boy obeys with a smile and nods in greeting.
„Himuro Tatsuya." the redhead returns with an expectant look and Himuros smile gets sharper. „I hope you were successful in your endevour?"
„Oh, I certainly believe so. However, the final selection will be your choice Akashi-san." Looking very, very self-satisfied Himuro hands over a small digital camera which is accepted with an answering grin.
Another nod and the darkhaired boy takes Murasakibaras arm to pull him along in the direction of their station, intent on getting them both home. Rakuzans captain pockets the camera, full of secret recordings of the evening and turns into the opposite direction to leave.
„Oh, and Akashi-san?" He stops and barely moves his head to show he is listening. „Atsushi and I tried a few... things to get used to the camera. I didn't delete them..."
Akashis smile would have scared both the cat and the canary.