A Long and Winding Road to Break Kagami's Naivety
Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke
Rating: T/Pg-15
Genre: Humor/Romance
Pairing: Kagami/Kuroko (or Kuroko/Kagami, since Kuroko is the one mostly making the effort)
Summary: …or, the ones where Kuroko tries to be as unsubtle as possible, but they still go over Kagami's head anyway. Mostly.
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke © Tadatoshi Fujimaki
Warning: slight AU-canon divergence, shounen ai, language, Kuroko's butchered personality on the inside *seriously, lol*, Kagami's exasperating denseness, language, oOC, CRACK, etc…
A/N: A strike of inspiration in the blind morning… Uh-oh, can't just let this slide. Have to write them down before they're gone *lol* (sleepless as always. I wonder if I have insomnia *sighs*).
A Long and Winding Road to Break Kagami's Naivety
©lunaryu~
I. For Kuroko, it's mostly love at first sight.
The first time Kuroko sees Kagami, the taller teen is undoing his shirt as per Coach Aida's request to all of the new recruits, so she can check out their potential one by one.
He almost literally sees stars and sparks around Kagami's stunning, well toned, proportionally built body, like a living, breathing Adonis, and if Kuroko wasn't as expressionless as he is, he'd probably drool right there and then. Luckily, that doesn't happen, because Kuroko knows he needs to be subtle about his attraction, so as not to freak Kagami out prematurely. Well, he is naturally a subtle person, that's why no one notices him if he doesn't make any effort.
Alright, I am going to try to be noticed more then—Kuroko decides. So when Coach Aida fails to see (or feel) his presence, he steps out of the line of freshmen recruits and introduces himself boldly.
Kuroko gets the intended effect of his typical surprising emergence in other people's line of vision. They freak out a bit, but he gets to see Kagami gaping at him slightly from his peripheral sight. At least he makes an impression. This way Kagami won't easily forget him, especially after he reveals that he was playing basketball as Teikou regular in his middle school. The others' skeptical looks at the news are a bit insulting, though.
However, after that Kagami doesn't seem inclined to get to know Kuroko personally since he mostly ignores Kuroko in class during the first homeroom. Or, he fails to notice that he sits behind Kagami in class, Kuroko isn't so sure. That's why he makes another effort to be noticed after the first day of school is over.
He follows Kagami's path home.
Okay, that sounds a little stalker-ish, but he doesn't intend to follow him until his house. Kuroko isn't a stalker after all. Luckily Kagami makes a stop at a fast-food joint and Kuroko frequents Maji Burger as well. So he slips inside the building unnoticed by Kagami, orders himself a glass of his favorite vanilla milkshake and sits on the chair at the only empty table near the window.
As expected, Kagami goes to that table because he still can't see Kuroko, and while Kuroko is slightly surprised with the amount of burgers which Kagami brings on his tray, he keeps quiet until Kagami sits down on the chair across of him and promptly shrieks as he finally spots Kuroko there.
Kagami makes a fuss for a moment, but then he seems a little bit interested in him, to Kuroko's secret delight, and then asks him out (to accompany him, Kuroko! Stop reading too deeply, damn, it!), after he's done eating.
Kagami brings Kuroko to an empty street ball court. Uh-oh, Kuroko's heart skips a beat at the thought that Kagami leads him to the more darkened, deserted site and expects that something amazing is about to happen between them, but he is a little disappointed that Kagami just wants to talk.
Oh, but he's curious of me—Kuroko believes as Kagami mentions his odorless strength. He's a bit weird for making a big deal about how low the standard of basketball play in Japan and how disillusioned he is after he comes back from America, but Kuroko just thinks that it's because Kagami hasn't met the right rivals yet. Kuroko can lead him to them, to his ex-teammates from Teikou. He can personally grant Kagami's wish for strong opponents, because all his ex-teammates are monsters, and honestly, Kuroko feels that Kagami hasn't reached their level yet, but he can fix that.
If Kuroko becomes Kagami's shadow, that is. But that's beside the point. He wants Kagami to be more interested in him as a person. So, when Kagami expresses his desire to 'know' how strong Kuroko really is, he takes the opportunity to show Kagami his own want and intention.
"How coincident, I also want to feel with my own body how strong you are. A one-on-one," he replies tonelessly, while slowly making a show of unzipping his gakuran and then teasingly undoing the two top buttons of his shirt. This is good. The double entendre is quite brilliant and there's no way Kagami won't read this more deeply.
Then Kuroko waits.
And waits.
And waits.
…
Uh—now he is sweating inwardly because Kagami only shows him a serious expression, apparently waiting for him to start the play. Wait. What? Why isn't he reacting?—Kuroko silently panics, but he doesn't show that on the outside because Kagami is still patiently waiting for him to start moving. Finally, Kuroko concedes and begins.
It ends in a disaster because Kuroko is never good at playing basketball one-on-one. It isn't his specialty after all. Damn it. Gone is Kuroko's chance to impress Kagami, because he seems dissatisfied and resigned that Kuroko is actually a lot weaker than him in playing basketball.
Then, Kagami starts to dismiss him, which pisses off Kuroko slightly because he hates being ignored despite his thin presence, especially by the person he likes. Kuroko throws another his charm point at Kagami by being mysterious and tells him that he is a shadow.
Kagami seems perplexed for a moment, but there is an immediate glint of curiosity and awareness in his crimson eyes, so Kuroko counts that as a win, especially for a first day of meeting. He still can't believe that Kagami hasn't realized that Kuroko is flirting with him, though, even though Kuroko has made a lot of effort at several attempts to entice him. Kagami possibly thinks that it's all for basketball purpose.
Very well, if that's how you want to play this game, Kagami-kun, I'll show you what I can do in basketball then.
~0~
The next day, there's a mini basketball match between sophomore and freshmen in the training session. Kuroko barely moves, only observing his teammates' dynamic on court in the first minutes, but mostly, he's inconspicuously staring at Kagami's fluid motion and his delicious, hot, sweaty, arousing bod—oops.
Alright, Kuroko is distracted and he makes a few mistakes, but who won't when they're faced with such gorgeous sight? Though, Kagami is so amusingly hot-headed. Plus they way he's mad at everyone when they're trying to give up the match (after Kagami's movement is sealed by their seniors' triple-time defense) is very cute. Kuroko can't resist teasing him a bit by kneeing the insides of Kagami's knees when he's yelling at their teammates. Kagami, of course, explodes and tries to punch him after yanking Kuroko's collar so he can lean into him closely and send him his murderous glare.
Kuroko can't help staring at Kagami's beautiful, fiery eyes deeply while he's explaining in deadpan that being angry won't help them win. He's sort of proud of his own self control (not to kiss that tempting, alluring pouty mouth) because he doesn't sway at all despite feeling weak on his knees. Kagami's intensity is very amazing and Kuroko is fighting his aroused blush harder than he thinks he is, while their other teammates try desperately to stop Kagami from throwing that punch.
Finally though, Kuroko gives up his pretense and thinks of impressing Kagami to make up for his blunder of being distracted earlier. He asks Fukuda for a pass. The following moment is… well. It's like a magic show for everyone in court. In the last minutes of the match Kuroko successfully awes his teammates by demonstrating his invisible passes all around the court, causing general confusion and bringing his team to victory.
Now, Kagami can't dismiss him anymore after he dunks in the ball that Kuroko passes him via bouncing it on the rim of the ring. Moreover, the taller teen must have been quite impressed because at MajiBa after that, Kagami treats him a burger (from his own pile).
Kuroko is very happy with this development. Though, Kagami is acting like a tsundere, trying to mostly argue with him every other chance and Kuroko entertains him by countering back with dry, witty comments, since he still wants to flirt with the red head even though it most likely goes over Kagami's head.
Kuroko sort of realizes it after the first try that Kagami is probably very naïve.
At the end of the day, when they are going home together (Yes! From a pair of strangers to going home together only in two days!—Kuroko's inner self bounces joyfully), Kagami asks him about Kuroko's ex-teammates, and he answers him honestly in spite of knowing that it will annoy Kagami. Of course, Kagami is still unbelievably dense because he doesn't catch any innuendo at all from their banter that day, to Kuroko's slight frustration.
In the end, Kuroko decides to give him an ultimatum. "I will be the shadow to your light and I will make you a number one in Japan."
There, he says it. This time Kagami should understand that Kuroko plans on staying beside him forever. Kagami will be the most important person in Kuroko's life, his number one. He must at least know that 'light and shadow' are inseparable, right? Besides, Kagami widens his eyes, looking absolutely stunned, so Kuroko is very sure that he gets the message crystal clear.
…
…
He can't be more wrong, apparently, because Kagami only smirks at him innocently and says "Ha, nice words there," as if Kuroko were jesting. Kuroko is totally serious, damn it!
Kagami-kun! How much more dense can you be?!—Kuroko almost protests, but before he can voice it out, Kagami already tells him to do whatever he wants, so Kuroko only replies with "I will do my best." If his tone is rather resigned, Kagami doesn't seem to notice. Kuroko just can't help it, though… because in that moment, he comprehends that that day marks the day.
The starting day of Kuroko's long and winding journey to break Kagami's thickness and naivety, and of course, to win Kagami's heart for himself fair and square, that is…
~End~
A/N: I'm sorry I'm not sorry at all *grins*. This plot bunny refused to leave me alone despite my desire to update my other on-going story. Anyway, I mark this fic complete for now, but if another plot bunny strikes me, I'll add the chapter. It's not a promise because making Kuroko like this is interesting only once in awhile XD. What do you think? Con-crit is always welcome!