Hello! So, I know I have another story to write, but I couldn't get this rather silly idea and I just had to type it down. I recently finished watching Kuroko no Basket and Kise ended up being my favorite character. I think he and Aomine make a really great couple, and I´d like to write something about them. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: Homecoming

He rubbed the back of his head various times, trying to loosen up the tension he´d accumulated there in the past three –almost four– weeks. He´d just returned from Milan, having just finished a long photo shoot with one of the highest and mightiest designers in Italy. Was it Lucci or something similar? Yeah, it was. Quite frankly, he´d been surprised when his agent landed him that contract. Having so many more professional models living all across the world, Kise had been surprised the designer had chosen a Japanese, nineteen-year-old amateur like himself.

It´d been great to visit another metropolis apart from Tokyo. He´d met lots of professional models, a couple of designers and three agencies who tried to have him sign with them. He´d also modeled high-couture clothes on the world´s most famous runaways, and he´d made tons of money from it.

But as fun as it had been, he had to admit it´d also been the most exhausting experience of his whole life. Each day, he´d also had a couple of hours to sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. The rest was spent either in the makeup unit, the dress-up trailer, the gym or the runway.

God, he was tired; so very tired, and yet he´d just been dragged back to Japan and to college.

Kise thought it was stupid. He´d missed the opening ceremony and a month of classes already. He should have waited until this semester was over to start attending, but no, his agent and his sisters didn't leave him alone until he agreed to come back as soon as his contract was over.

"We already enrolled you in. You did your exams and submitted your entrance essay online the third day we were in Italy, remember? We even got you an apartment already," his agent had said.

And so there he was now, walking around the street courts in campus after having left his bags in the new tiny apartment. He´d seen the volleyball court already, and he was now passing the soccer one. Right ahead he could glimpse the familiar lines of the basketball court.

He smiled. Maybe he would find a ball and play a while by himself. He hadn't managed to shoot even one basket since before high school graduation three months ago. He missed playing. He missed feeling the rubber under his palm, missed the sounds of his feet hitting the pavement, missed the sounds of the ball going into the net…

Something hard and rubbery hit the back of his head, sending him forward, stumbling.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his head and whirling to see a basketball rolling harmlessly away from him. He stared at it like an idiot, then picked it up and glanced around, trying to see who´d tossed it.

"Who…?" he began, but the words died in his throat when his gaze landed on a certain dark face and arrogant expression. He knew that face.

"Aominecchi," he whispered dumbfounded.

The former smirked, shoved his hands into his jacket´s pockets, tilted his chin outward. "Kise."

"You´re still in Japan?"

A dark eyebrow went up. "Shouldn't I?"

"No!" the blonde cried, and when Aomine raised his other eyebrow he added, "Last I heard you were scouted by two teams in last year´s Interhigh. I thought you were already in America or something."

Aomine looked comically worried. "Kise," he said again.

"Mmm."

"That was second year´s Interhigh. Third year´s Interhigh already flew by."

Kise´s mouth fell. "Oh."

"You´ve been off the radar since first year ended, haven't you? I mean, not even Tetsu knew what you were up to, and we barely saw you at games."

"Kaijou won the Interhigh on our third year," he said, but he didn't know why he was saying it.

Aomine looked even more preoccupied… or as much as he could given how expressionless he usually was.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and stepped closer.

Kise smiled his best professional smile. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You´re acting more stupider than usual is all," the brunette muttered, and even laid a hand on his forehead, surprising Kise.

"Geez, Aominecchi, are you okay?" he said. Last he recalled, Aomine didn't do stuff like that.

The latter didn't reply, only let his hand rest on the pale forehead for a couple of seconds before pulling it back.

"You don't have a fever," Aomine announced.

"Uh… no."

"Then what the hell is wrong with you?"

When Kise merely frowned he said, "I know we haven't seen or spoken to each other in almost two years, but you seem off today. Are you okay?"

"Yes." But it was a lie. He was fine for the most part, but he was tired, so very tired.

Aomine sighed, then took the ball from his hands. "Fine. Play with me then."

"… EH?!"

"You said you were fine, and I want to play with you. Sort of like a good-to-see-you-again game. Come on. I was getting bored shooting baskets by myself."

Realization hit Kise way too late. "Your ball hit me," he said.

"Only this time it was intentional. Come on, one-on-one. Move it."

Aomine jogged to the basketball court with the ball under one arm. Kise started moving, then frowned once more.

"What do you mean it was intentional this time?" he exclaimed, then took off after the smirking Aomine.

Kise collapsed onto the pavement, clawing the air for breath. His muscles were on fire, his lungs felt too small, and his head was pounding.

"For heaven´s sake, Aominecchi," he coughed out. "Have you gotten even better than before… and taller?"

The brunette´s lips quirked. He grabbed his bottle of water from where he´d left it next to his backpack before plopping down on the floor as well.

"Of course I´ve gotten better, and about an inch taller, but the problem with today´s shitty game wasn't me, Kise. It was you," he said, downed half of the water and held out the bottle.

The blonde took it and drank the rest. He gave a defeated laugh. "I´m off my game," he admitted.

"Off, hell. You played worse than Tetsu when he started. Sixty-five to seventeen. What´s up with that? I could have beaten you with both hands tied behind my back."

"… Aominecchi, you´re so mean sometimes."

The whiny tone and nickname made Aomine smile for what felt like the millionth time that day. Apart from Satsuki, Kise was the only one who gave him a nickname, and though the blonde used the "cchi" with about half the people he knew… it felt special… sort of. Not that he´d ever say such thing out loud anyway.

"So, what´s up with you? Why are you playing worse than usual?" Aomine asked.

"If I had the chance to use Perfect Copy I would have crushed you."

"But you didn't. You didn't look like you had enough energy to even run around the court." He had a moment of insight. "Is that it? You´re exhausted?"

Kise shrugged. "It´s been a long day."

"What have you been doing to take the annoying bubbliness out of you?"

It felt weird to have Aomine act in such a human manner. Kise had gotten used to "almighty" Aomine. He never thought he´d get to see middle-school Aomine again. Yet…

"Stop staring at me," the man in question said.

Kise averted his eyes. "Sorry."

"So, are you going to talk to me or not?"

"To be honest, Aominecchi, I was exhausted before playing with you. Now I feel like collapsing and not like talking."

"Collapsing? Yep, you´re acting way too un-Kise." Aomine sighed, the said, "Think a meal would help you feel better?"

"Um, I don't know. I don't feel like cooking anyway."

"No, you idiot. I mean, do you want to catch something to eat with me? I´ll treat you, since you screwed up our game so bad and also look terrible. We´ll catch up and I´ll update you since you seem to have lived in an egg for the past two years or so."

This time, the blonde nearly chocked on his own saliva. Shocked, he gaped at the brunette. "Aominecchi, are you serious?"

Impassive blue eyes met his. "Of course. I´m just glad to see you. Is that so hard to believe?"

"From you, yes."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Get up and let´s go."

Rather baffled, Kise did as he was told.

"Is there a small restaurant or something near?" he asked.

"Probably, but there´s another place even closer." Silence took over for a dramatic effect. "My apartment," Aomine declared, and those two words left zero space to complain.

Having been back only a couple of hours, and already having seen Aomine and getting what sounded like a date with him… Kise thought it was as best a welcome as he could get.

To be continued…