title to infinity and beyond
word count 44O3
summary Years later, it's still you. No matter what world, universe, dimension, it's always gonna be you.— for kise/kuroko day
notes SO APPARENTLY, it was KiKuro day and I didn't find out till late last night. So therefore, this is most likely isn't going to flow well but I tried. So that counts, right?
I had originally planned for this to be a bunch of drabbles mashed into one chapter but since it's going to be long, they're all going to be different oneshots. I may continue them after all of them have been uploaded and I've started my major writing projects.
Warning: MINIMAL OC USAGE.
oneshot i :if I were a boy
The first time Kise saw Kuroko Tetsuko, he didn't exactly, well, see her. Granted, the girl was sorta, kinda, okay, she was just so overwhelmingly average. As in so plain, so easy to blend into the background that he didn't even notice her. She was the complete opposite of himself who was almost always the center of attention thanks to his athletic skill and looks. His job as an amateur model really didn't help. So, really, when he first saw her, he didn't really see her at all.
However, the first time he had met her and fully noticed her, was when she had talked to Aomine Daiki, his idol and rival(?) in basketball after practice. That day, the training menu Akashi had hosted was especially brutal due to their next game, something about facing one of the crownless generals. He and several others had collapsed after practice, choosing to laze around for a few minutes before heading to the locker room. Though, instead of going to the locker room after a few minutes of well-deserved rest, he decided to go pester Aominecchi.
Apparently, Kuroko had slipped in at the last couple minutes of the grueling practice and had waited patiently for everyone to be dismissed before making her appearance.
Kuroko Tetsuko stood in the doorway and stared around the gym, looking for Aomine. She spotted him next to a tall blond male, whining about playing one on one with the former. Aomine grunted and attempted to push him away. He was walking towards her before Kise sprinted before him and attempted to blog the door with his body.
Kuroko stumbled back to avoid being barreled into. Kise paid no heed to her; hell, he didn't even notice her so it had come to a surprise when he felt a light tap on his arm.
"Excuse me." She said, polite as ever.
Kise turned his head slowly before letting out a yelp and jumping a good foot in the air, hitting his head on the doorway. He let out a pained groan and cradled his head. Aomine was torn between laughing at Kise's reaction or yelling at the girl for shaving five years off his life; in the end, he chose laughing. Apparently, Aomine hadn't noticed the girl after all; he was just going outside to catch a breeze.
When his chuckles subsided, Aomine spoke. "Jeez, Tetsu, don't scare people like that. Not everyone's used to you popping out everywhere."
She tilted her head, "Ah, I apologize." She bowed respectfully to the fallen model before turning to the tanned male. "Would you still like to practice?"
Aomine grinned, "Sure, let's go!"
And the two leave. Kise isn't sure what the heck just happened because he's known for his exceptional observation skills and he hadn't even noticed her. She seemed so average but the way he couldn't even sense her wasn't normal. She was peculiar yet blatantly ordinary, an enigma of sorts. So he sits down and decides he'll ask Aominecchi about it tomorrow.
"Aominecchi~i!" Kise sing-songed. The blond sits next to the blue-haired boy, a bottle of mineral water in hand. "Who was that girl yesterday? Your girlfriend?"
Aomine spits out his drink and sputtered, "What?! Are you talking about Tetsu? Oh, gross, no. She's like a little sister to me. I practice with her and stuff."
Kise is surprised, golden eyes widening and all, "Really? She must be very good then!"
Aomine rubs the back of his neck, "Something like that. She's a second stringer, you know."
Kise stops, "Then why do you practice with her? If she's a second stringer, she's gotta be weak."
"You're wrong. Tetsu is…she's on a whole 'nother level." Aomine's expression hardens at his first sentence before visibly softening at the second.
Kise is about to ask Aomine to explain when the whistle blows and they're practicing once again.
The second time Kise meets Kuroko is simply by chance. Apparently, the other courts were under renovation and the girls had nowhere to play for a few days. So, they asked if they could join the boys practice till the construction was done. Akashi had agreed and they had joined the practices. That meant that the mock-matches were played with the girls too. They weren't too bad but if Kise was perfectly honest, the girls' regulars wouldn't hold a candle to the boys'. Granted, they had superior height and strength and frankly, Teiko's boys' regulars were monsters. That didn't seem to stop Kuroko Tetsuko though.
On the first day, small introductions were made before training began. The training was watered down slightly so Kise was able to keep up with relative ease. During their second day of the collaborated training, Kise had learned several things. For one, "Tetsu" as Aomine would say it, was Kuroko Tetsuko, a slightly taller than average girl who was fairly quiet but was known to be passively sassy. On day three, they had a mock-match.
The teams were mashed together so that each team had a fair amount of boys and girls—three males and two females. His team consisted of two second stringers from the boys' team, a first stringer from the girls' team and Kuroko; just his luck.
The game began and he quickly learned that the two male second stringers were average at best, specializing in mid-distance shooting and were both pretty slow. The female first stringer wasn't much better, while she was quick and light on her feet; it was obvious that she couldn't shoot nor pass far from far distances. Kise found himself growing quickly irritated because of his team's lack of skill before he noticed that Kuroko wasn't seen doing anything at all. Blinded by fury, he had missed the pass coming to him from the female first stringer and their opponents intercepted it with ease, shooting it in.
Kise groaned, annoyed with how this was coming out before a soft voice rang out. "Excuse me." At the sudden sound, he jolted, turning around to see Kuroko Tetsuko in all of her impassive glory, poker face and everything. But thanks to his perception skills, he had noticed the slight perspiration dotting her face and the faint pink splashed on her cheeks from running.
"Yeah?" He asked. In all honesty, he wants to scream "WHAT?!" because he's so frustrated and tired but she's a girl and he has an image to keep up so he slips on his model façade and smiles insincerely.
She stares him with those big, ovaline eyes that unnerve him because they look like they're staring into your soul and spoke. "Kise-kun, please pass the ball to me if possible, and please pay attention."
He wants to smack her so bad at that point because how dare she, how dare she tell him to pay attention when she hasn't done a damned thing. But he keeps his cool on the outside and smiles before nodding. The girl pivots her heel and stalks to her position with Kise watching her walk away angrily. What he doesn't notice is the way she seemed to disappear.
The break ends shortly after that and they play again. It seems like a blur, yet a familiar pattern like the steady rhythmic beating of his heart—pass-dribble-pass-shoot-block-pass-dribble-s hoot. It's when they're eighteen points behind and the female first stringer has no one to pass to that Kise panics because this is the middle of the third quarter and he isn't so sure about victory anymore. He wants to help her, he really does, but he's being blocked by two players and really, even if he's a genius at copying, two people is still a challenge to shake off.
It's when the girl smirks knowingly at her side and passes that thin air that Kise notices it. That two people were guarding him and the other three players were guarding each other that Kuroko wasn't being guarded. He can't help but widen his eyes when he sees a pale hand shoot out and catch the ball.
The ball was cradled in her palms for not even a second before it was passed to the male second stringer, whose female guard was outright gaping at Kuroko for revealing her special technique. Realizing that the ball was whirling towards him, the second stringer caught the ball and quickly shot it in, closing the gap slightly to a fifteen point difference.
The game continued to go like that, the ball would be curved like a boomerang and be caught by one of his teammates who would either pass or shoot the ball till there was a mere three point difference. Kise could honestly say that he had no idea how the ball would end up in his hands or how it curved but he was winning and it had something to do with Kuroko Tetsuko.
In the end, thanks to Kuroko's steals and passes plus the overall moral boost, Kise's team had won with a visible margin of twelve points. He was about to turn and ask Kuroko what the hell she did to make them win but when he had spotted her, she was in the arms of Teiko's ace, Aomine Daiki. The latter was giving the former a hair ruffling before they walked away to do god knows what. Kise, not sure how to approach the two simply stared and decided that he would ask about the mysterious technique the next day. After all, she was kind of stuck with them.
"Aominecchi!" Kise said cheerfully, jogging over to the taller male. Noticing that a certain pale girl wasn't next to Aomine, he commented on it. "Hm? Where's Kurokocchi?"
Aomine turned, "Ah? Oh, Tetsu? The girls haven't come out. And why're you calling her that?"
"Actually, we just got out." Said a voice, spooking the two.
"Uwah!" Screamed Kise.
Aomine grabbed a fistful of his shirt where his heart was. "Goddamnit Tetsu, you almost made me go into a cardiac arrest."
"Aomine-kun knows what a cardiac arrest is? And used it in a sentence correctly?" Kuroko had the nerve to look innocently surprised, as if she hadn't just insulted the tanned male.
"Of course I know what—wait a minute…Tetsu~u!" Aomine pretend-growled, putting the girl in a headlock and giving her a noogie.
The two laughed it off, well, Aomine laughed it off, and Kuroko had just smiled softly which Kise guessed is laughing in her own way. The two separated and Kise snapped out of his thoughts. With a bright, albeit slightly forced, smile on his face he ran towards the girl.
"Kurokocchi~i!" Kise said.
The girl easily side-stepped the blond, having always dodging others as they hadn't seem to notice her. "Kise-kun? I wasn't aware that we were on close terms."
Kise pouted. "B-but you call me 'Kise-kun' and we played in a match together. I thought we were friends."
She tilted her head, "I wasn't aware that a suffix could imply closeness. Perhaps I should call you 'Kise-san', if you feel that 'Kise-kun' is too close. I have no relation with you other than teammates for that one game and I'd rather think of us as acquaintances."
"Wahahaha!" Laughed Aomine. "So that was the reason for your change in your attitude?"
Huh, even when she shoots someone down, she keeps that politeness is what Kise thinks as he stares at her. "B-but, Kurokocchi, adding the suffix means that I respect you and I'm a man who shows respect to those who deserve it." He whines, "Aominecchi~i, Kurokocchi doesn't wanna be friends with me."
Aomine shrugs, "If Tetsu doesn't want to be friends with you, she doesn't want to be friends with you. She's stubborn when she wants to be, and if she really doesn't want to be friends with you, she won't."
"Please stop talking as if I'm not here." Kuroko says.
Kise is about to retort when Momoi walked in. "Dai-cha—I mean, Aomine-kun! Have you seen Tetsu-chan? I haven't seen her all day—ah!" Kuroko had tapped Momoi on the arm resulting in the girl jumping slightly before turning to her. "Tetsu-chan!" Momoi exclaimed gleefully. The pink-haired girl hugged Kuroko, the former smothering the latter with affectionate hugs and quick pecks on her cheeks and forehead.
Aomine whispered to Kise off on the sidelines. "Satsuki's been obsessed with Tetsu ever since she gave her a popsicle stick that won a free popsicle. She doesn't have a lot of female friends because lots of guys confess to her. Even though I've been warding most of them off, some of them are stupidly brave. Basically, Tetsu is Satsuki's only female friend so she's upped to being her best friend."
Kise nodded sagely before he heard a burst of giggles. "I missed you so much, best friend!"
"Hey, hey!" Aomine said, "Tetsu's my best friend. I met her first."
Satsuki stuck her tongue out childishly. "Just because you met her first doesn't mean you know her better! There are some things that guys can't do but girls can, you know! For instance, we can have sleepovers and go shopping and go to the bathrooms together while guys can't!"
"Actually, Momoi-san, I'd rather not go to the bathroom with you. If anything, I'd like to do my business in peace." Kuroko stated bluntly.
Kise didn't know whether to pity Momoi due to her rejection or laugh at how frank Kuroko was about her…business. Thankfully, he was saved from doing anything when Aomine cut in. "You guys can do that stuff together but me and Tetsu are perfectly in sync in basketball, something that you can't do!"
Momoi pouted. "But I can still design plays with Tetsu-chan. And, hey! I told you to call me Satsu-chan, we're best friends, aren't we?"
"Momoi-san, I don't think that's an appropriate term for our relationship." Kuroko said, "And please, stop talking as if I'm not here. I can hear everything that you two say."
The trio kept on bantering back and forth, well, Momoi and Aomine did. Kuroko was just trying to clear up the misunderstandings and make everyone happy. Kise stood there shell-shocked, not quite knowing what to do. Practice had begun at least five minutes ago and judging by the amount of people staring, they were just as confused as he.
Finally the captain of the female basketball team, Yamamoto Hikari, and the captain of the male basketball team, Akashi Seijuro, put an end to their bickering. Kise stood their awkwardly as Kuroko and Aomine were ordered to run laps and Momoi was to bring out the equipment. Just what kind of people did he want to be friends with?
It was the fifth day, a Friday, the last day that the girls would be attending practice with the boys. Apparently, that Friday was the first of that month, signifying the reevaluations where one could be promoted to a higher string in the team or stay in their current string. Hikari and Akashi had collaborated and decided that the strings would be mashed up to further expand the possible potential within each player. The teams consisted of, just like before, three males and two females.
Kuroko and Aomine were put together against Haizaki while Kise had to sit out since he was an exception. He was on his way to making it to the first string and possibly the regulars so fast that he didn't need reevaluations, he was heading to the top whether he wanted to or not. It was quite, well, shocking to see Aomine and Kuroko play.
The two worked together flawlessly, like two halves of a whole, as if reading each other's minds. No, it wasn't mind reading, it was faith. Kuroko performed perfectly, zipping through players and stealing balls before disappearing from the court only to intercept passes so that they were in the hands of her teammates.
It was almost frightening to see how well they played together. Like one hearts in two bodies, an unbreakable bond with unshakable trust within counting on each other to get to the ball, to catch it, to make it in time. Never has Kise seen Aomine shine so much nor has he seen Kuroko well… so cool. The girl, in her own way, was shining on the court, but it was different from his flashy light or Aomine's overwhelming light. It was subtle, supporting Aomine's brilliance steadily and smoothly 'till he seemed like the best damned player there ever was.
He can see it in the rest of the regulars' eyes, they can see her shine, her potential, her style in basketball. They can see how much her support means to Aomine and how it makes him better, like he's unstoppable, like he can do the impossible. And Kise feels the same. She is sweaty, cheeks flushed with pink from the running, and limbs looking tired from redirecting the ball and then disappearing but there is a slight smile on her lips that makes her seem so happy.
Happy from sweating like a pig because she is playing with Aomine-kun and she's helping him. And perhaps it was his vulnerable side speaking but he wanted that subtle light for himself. Because even though he's flashy, he will never outshine Aomine's inner brilliance that seems to grow with every match.
And after the game is played where Kuroko is promoted to first string, Kise subconsciously decides that he wants Kuroko Tetsuko to be his supporter.
Kuroko doesn't know when it starts but, lately, she, Aomine-kun, and Momoi-san notice that her eyes have been following Kise Ryota. He's… special. He's like a surprise within a surprise. He's very friendly yet she can tell that he's like Aomine's frightening captain. The boy can seem so nice but she's heard his threats; the ones involving mutilation with scissors make shivers down her spine whenever she thinks of it. Kise is very kind, but he's also very cruel.
He won't reject a girl who's confessing to him, but that's the worst part because he will lead her on, break her heart, and leave her to pick up the pieces. She can see it in his eyes; the tiredness of being worshipped and his ease at beating his opponents.
She has never been in his shoes because she's fucking crawled to hell and back, losing a bit of herself in the process but reinforcing it with another. She's scraped, clawed, bled and sweated to get to where she is now and it annoys her how Kise flaunts his ease at perfecting every sport he's done. It boils her blood when she sees how easily he can master a move she took months to perfect and how condescending he is andand—a lot of things. But she can't hate him, no, never, especially when she sees the small fire in his golden eyes whenever he misses a shot or loses again to Aomine-kun.
It's the fire of hope, the same she had seen in her eyes reflected in the mirror when she had come home with bruised knees and sprained fingers. The fire ignited by loss and fueled by determination to try again 'till they make it.
And it's the determination to become better that makes her gaze shift over to him. To see his different expressions, sides he hasn't shown to others. She wants to hate him because how dare he attain everything she's shed blood for so easily yet support him because he deserves it and everyone needs someone to fall back on, just like how Aomine and Momoi were to her.
She knows that she is sick and twisted because she wants to help him yet she wants to break him but it's the irrational side of her and as long as she doesn't let it overwhelm her, she is fine.
So she continues to look at him, making sure he is fine and getting rid of the others who are just like her, annoyed at how easy Kise has it. What she doesn't realize, despite her abnormal perception is that she's noticing the little things that make her smile softly.
Aomine and Momoi watch over Kuroko worriedly because she's speeding fast, too fast towards Kise and they're nervous because what if Kuroko ends up liking Kise and he shatters her heart like he did to those other girls? They can see it in the gentle smiles, they can see that she's—no, they won't say it. It's painful because they're afraid that a ruffling of her hair and an affectionate hug won't fix her if Kise breaks her. So they watch over her, even if Kuroko doesn't know it because even though she supports them in matches, they support her otherwise.
It is right after Kuroko says that she's going on a small trip with her family and she won't be at school for a few days that Kise realizes that holy shit he's in love with her. It's an epiphany of sorts, just like in those cheesy romance movies that Aomine refuses to admit he loves where he sits down after thinking about her and how he won't see her that he notices how his world has revolved around her these past few months.
That the thought of her small, secret smiles reserved for her team, him, Momoi, and Aomine brings a grin to his face and the small quirks about her like how she fiddles with her black sweatbands before a game oror—well, there are a lot of things and really, those are the ones at the top of his head.
And his mind slowly registers that somewhere along the gentle brushing of fingers, the fleeting smells of classic vanilla, the texts exchanged back and forth; he had fallen for Kuroko Tetsuko. Now, she isn't his first crush nor is she likely to be his last but the feeling of warmth at the thought of her blooms in his chest and he can't help but hug his body-pillow and roll around his bed, a grin on his lips.
Hours later, he decides to ask her out because, if anything, he wants her to know. He wants her to know how he feels when she looks at him with those twinkling eyes of hers or when she reassures him gently that he'll get the trick if he keeps on trying andpleasedon'ttreatmesokindlyorI'llreallyfallforyo u. Well, it's too late now, he supposes, because he's truly fallen for her and he doesn't know what else to do and what could he lose, really.
So he decides that he'll ask Kuroko Tetsuko out because then, at least he can say he tried.
It is the day right after she's come back and they're walking home in silence. Kise had insisted earlier that he walk her home since Aomine had an appointment with his dentist after school and Momoi had to discuss some plans with Akashi and really, it was just too perfect to let it go to waste. So they walk home, fingers brushing each other's as Kuroko walks home with practiced ease, dodging poles and the like all while reading a mystery novel.
"Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaims, too loud for his liking.
The girl flips a page before answering, "Yes, Kise-kun."
"I-I um…" He isn't sure how to do this because he's never been the one confessing before. Usually the women come to him.
Kuroko closes the book tilting her head up curiously at the blond and Kise thinks it's the most adorable thing ever but he brushes it off because he can admire her later, right? "Is something wrong?" She asks, worry evident in her voice although it seems as level as before.
"I just…uh…" Ah fuck it; if she rejects me at least I can do this.
He leans down, shutting his eyes as he crashes his lips awkwardly against hers. It's nothing like those cheesy romance movies that have the perfect kisses and no teeth knocking but its close enough in Kise's opinion. His teeth knock hers a couple of times and his teeth accidentally scrape her lips but she is soft against him, not responding but not pushing him away. The kiss only lasts a few seconds but it's enough to make Kise's cheeks light up red, ears as well.
"I-I like you, Kurokocchi, willyougooutwithme?!" He garbles the words up the end, mashing it together.
He can tell she's shocked by the visible widening of her eyes and then she turns her head down, her bangs falling in her eyes. Oh shit, he's made her cry because he stole her first kiss and she hates him andand—suddenly he is yanked down by his tie.
The same soft lips he felt pressed against his own brushes his cheeks, pecking it lightly and Kise understands. It is the unspoken words that speak levels to him when he feels thin fingers brush against his and they intertwine. The two don't speak for the rest of the walk home but the silence is enough for the two.
The day after he and Kuroko Tetsuko started going out, is the day Kise fears for his life. Because he remembers that Kurokocchi's self-proclaimed best friends were Momoi Satsuki and Aomine Daiki, two of the scariest people he's ever met. While Aomine calls Momoi annoying from time to time and disagrees with Kuroko about subjects other than basketball, he knows that Aomine actually really cares for the two. He would even go as far as to say that they were like his little sisters.
So when Aomine confronts him about him dating Kuroko, Kise stands firm. "I love Kurokocchi and she likes me!"
And Aomine is speechless at Kise's words while Momoi smiles softly. "Yes, we know."
Aomine grunts angrily and they both retreat. Kise can't help but think that what're the odds that the girl he falls for has two people who are so protective yet so supportive of her.
"Kise-kun." A voice snaps him out of his thoughts.
He looks up and sees Kuroko Tetsuko in all of her sweaty glory. The girl had come from her side of the gym and brought a drink for the both of them. They don't talk after that, but anyone looking in their direction could see their fingers intertwined with another, the soft smile on Kuroko's lips, and the wide, sincere grin on Kise's face.
notes Late, but~t yaay! I wrote something. :'D Reviews, likes, tips would be loved. I wrote it different from canon since I don't think that Kuroko would participate in the boy's basketball team if he were a girl. I probably made everyone OOC but I don't think I did terribly bad? Ahah. Thanks for reading!