A/N: Here's a little something I decided to write a while ago :) I'm so hooked on Kuroko no Basuke right now I haven't been able to type out much else.
Summary: Serin and the other teams are forced into a mandatory "School Bonding" in a private hotel in the mountains. Similar to a training camp, it's one week long and only a select few are chosen to participate. So that schools are able to continue being strong by learning from each other, they can keep their healthy competition while being able to stop one school from completely dominating all the others. It's one week long—one day of traveling to the natural hot springs nearby, and six days of games with one to two games a day. Those include Night Tag, Capture the Flag, Mercy tournament, Freeze Tag, Trial of Courage, Sharks and Minnows, Hiking Race, Elbow Tag, La Lou Garou, Water Balloon Toss, and Scavenger Hunt.
Pairings:
Takao x Midorima
Miyaji x Hayama
Kiyoshi x Izuki x Hyuuga
Himuro x Murasakibara
Kuroko x Kagami
Aomine x Kise
Sakurai x Imayoshi
Akashi x Izuki
Kiyoshi x Hanamiya (previous)
Himuro x Kagami (previous)
Aomine x Kagami x Kise (once)
Kuroko x Kise (previous)
Midorima x Akashi (previous)
Ootsubo x Moriyama (previous)
Unlikely Friendships:
Kasamatsu and Imayoshi
Akashi and Kasamatsu
Moriyama and Mitobe
Hanamiya and Izuki
Akashi and Himuro
Izuki and Akashi
Murasakibara and Mitobe
**NOTE: In Akashi's mind, Teppei is Kiyoshi Teppei, and Kiyoshi is Miyaji Kiyoshi
***NOTE: I know not everyone plays all these games the same everywhere, so before each chapter with a game in it I'll give a brief overview of how it's played/how to win, and who's partnered with who/is on each team.
Chapter One: Arrive!
"Woah!" Kise pressed his cheek against the glass window of the bus, wide gold eyes surveying the lush forest around them. "It's so pretty~" The forest spread out for miles, giving the mountain they were driving up a secluded, quiet feeling that was a stark contrast to the model's usual environment. Sunlight poured in through the windows, warming his face as he closed his eyes and let the calmness of his surroundings overwhelm him.
"Oi." Aomine elbowed the blond, his sharp blue eyes glinting. "Don't fall asleep!" He hoped that once they all arrived at the hotel, they'd be able to go outside and find a clearing to play basketball. After all, the whole point of the camp was to solidify each player's skill sets and confidence. He wanted a match against Kise, and it wouldn't happen if the blond became too sleepy to focus.
Midorima—the only of the Miracles to have a license—rolled his eyes and slowed down a little as they passed a road sign. "We're twenty minutes away." He informed the other inhabitants of the car, speeding up again. Dust from the dirt road billowed up behind them, but no one was willing to ask Midorima to slow down because his driving was so smooth no one noticed the speed.
"That's good." Akashi said calmly. He was sitting in shotgun with his arm propped up on the armrest, resting his chin against his fist. Dichromatic eyes lazily flicked around the scenery depicting strategies for scenarios the others were certain would never occur. However, that's why Akashi was invincible—he was prepared for everything, even the worst. "Daiki, we aren't playing basketball at this camp. Ryouta may as well sleep while he can."
Ignoring the hidden innuendo the redhead subtly dropped, Aomine grumbled, "What do you mean, no basketball? The whole point of this camp is to get better at basketball."
"Perhaps if you attended your practice," Midorima snorted, "You would remember what your Coach told the rest of your team. For improvement, there will be inter-team bonding exercises."
"Eh?" Aomine raised an eyebrow. "So no actual basketball? That's stupid!"
"I think it sounds fun." Kuroko commented from behind Aomine, accepting a chip from Murasakibara and chewing slowly. The ex-light tried to scowl, but it failed to cover his quick and innately bright smile. At least, he smiled until he noticed Kise nodding off again and pinched the model's cheeks.
"So mean!" The blond cried, startled from his rude awakening, and the others couldn't help but forge melancholy smiles.
It feels just like old times…
"Anyway." Akashi coughed quietly into his fist, and all attention diverted to him. "Shintarou is correct. There will be four rooms with five people each. The rooming situations are random," He quickly added before Aomine could even think about interrupting, "So there is no point in attempting to room with your friends. And they will not be changed throughout the course of the trip.
"Also, here is to be no intercourse whatsoever during this camp." He stated strictly. Aomine gaped.
"WHAT?!"He yelled, causing Midorima to swerve in reaction and barely miss taking out a road sign.
"Daiki." Akashi threatened. The bluenette fell silent. "There is to be no intercourse whatsoever during this trip, in the hotel." Maybe it was just the way he said it—so nonchalantly and quietly that not even Aomine noticed the addition—but Midorima definitely got the feeling that the ex-Captain was planning on using that information to his full advantage. "There will be absolutely no fighting with the intent to harm another player, unless it is a specific rule in a game that requires such."
"Game?" Kuroko questioned.
"Team building exercises used to teach one another physical capabilities one might not already be familiar with. Each player will be put on a team randomly, and during the exercises there will be scores given to whichever team happens to win." More like whatever team you happen to be on. Aomine thought, but knew better than to say it out loud. "A prize will be given to the winning team at the end of the camp."
"What's the prize?" Aomine asked curiously.
Akashi's eyes glinted maliciously. "Each winner will choose one player from the losing team to do their bidding for twenty-four hours, no restrictions."
This new revelation incurred multiple reactions.
"A whole d-day?" Kise stuttered, turning beet red as he glanced over at Aomine and shuddered. Midorima understood—even in Teiko, sometimes Kise wouldn't even be able to attend school at all because of the Power Forward, and certainly that's what Aomine had in mind if his team won.
"Ki-chin," Murasakibara murmured, and Kise turned while retaining his stricken expression. "What if you and Ao-chin are on the same team?" The Center tilted his head to the side curiously and popped another chip in his mouth. This idea made Kise sigh in relief.
"Aah. Thanks, Murasakibaracchi." He smiled, wincing as Aomine jabbed him in the side.
"That won't happen!" He demanded aggressively before glaring at Akashi. "How the hell is that supposed to help with teamwork?!"
"Actually," Midorima intervened, "It's the smart thing to do. Each team will want to spread their knowledge across the others and make each player as strong as physically possible in order to win. It's their motivation to teach each other; what makes them take the camp seriously."
"Shintarou is correct." Akashi affirmed with a stately nod. "If not, the camp would only be of observation and data retention on the plays of the other teams. There would be no visible growth."
"Still…" Aomine frowned and watched Kise lean his head back against the window, eyes back on the landscape. I hope I'm on a different team than him…but being on the same team wouldn't be as bad, either. Satisfied, he leaned back in his seat and grabbed a chip from Murasakibara.
"That reminds me," Akashi said, pulling out a clipboard with a few tables on it. "You will retain and perfect your 'higher level' by the end of the training course. Each of you." His aura let the others know that he was serious. No wonder. Midorima thought. He will most likely be the only one who doesn't gain anything from this camp. We all have areas of improvement to work on, but need others to help us with it. He's self-sufficient. He needs no one's help, at least not what the other players will be able to offer him. Then again, maybe Akashi wasn't going to get better at basketball. Midorima wouldn't be surprised if he had a hidden reason for attending; his motives had motives.
"We're here." He announced as the car rolled to a stop. Immediately Kise jumped out of the car, all traces of sleepiness gone. When Kuroko stepped out, the blond wrapped his arms around the small player.
"Isn't it so pretty, Kurokocchi?" He grinned as the bluenette underneath his chin sighed.
"Please let me go, Kise-kun." He asked the same time Aomine grabbed Kise by the collar and yanked him away.
"It appears we are the first to arrive." Akashi noted, stepping out of the car gracefully and looking around. Murasakibara wandered over to him like a magnet, not saying anything but still grabbing on to the back of his shirt like a child and not letting go. Normally people weren't quite able to tell, but Akashi didn't seem to mind it. In fact, he almost smiled a bit, comforted that things hadn't changed all too much.
"Daiki. Ryouta. Shintarou." The trio looked up at him expectantly. "Please carry our luggage into the waiting room." As they worked on that, Akashi and Murasakibara walked into the hotel.
It was a traditional Japanese hotel, with floor lanterns instead of electric lights. The fresh smell of Petrichor littered the room but wasn't overwhelming, and light filtered in through the sliding paper doors. Normally, the temperatures in such a thin-walled enclosure were expected to be a sliver higher than they were outside, but the hotel was pleasantly warm.
Akashi was happy with it, and that was all to be said. He lead Murasakibara down the hallway and noted the paper taped to each door. A list of five names was on each paper, dictating who would room with whom in swooping calligraphy.
"Hm." He brushed his fingers over the first paper. Kise, Izuki, Takao, Aomine, Miyaji. Shun wouldn't get bored, to say the least; after playing against one another several times they'd become close (and secret) confidants, emailing each other constantly. Shun enjoyed playing Shogi and listening to Akashi lecture about philosophy, and Akashi enjoyed Shun's naturally docile and content nature and ability to speak without being too polite or too rude. He would have to check up on them each night and make sure they weren't bothering the Eagle-Eyed teen (although there was absolutely no doubt Shun could take care of himself, Akashi didn't want to be forced to apologize to him upon Aomine or Kise's actions).
He stepped over to the next door and scanned the list. Kuroko, Kagami, Himuro, Hanamiya, Imayoshi. It seemed whoever had created the lists were determined to incur trouble. After all, no sane person would room Tetsuya and Taiga simply due to their relationship (the same could be argued for Daiki and Ryouta), nor put Tatsuya with either. Perhaps, he thought, it was a chance to ease the friction between Tatsuya and Tetsuya. Or perhaps sharing a space with Makoto would give them a common enemy.
He looked across the hallway at the third door and immediately spotted his name. Peering closer, he nodded approvingly at the list. Akashi, Sakurai, Kiyoshi, Hyuuga, Kasamatsu. All admirable, or at least tolerable, however he would be curious as to see how Teppei and Junpei interacted. According to Shun the two had an arguably increased animosity towards one another (Akashi had a good idea of why, but Shun had yet to notice).
The next—and last—door was the room Akashi felt would be the noisiest, save for possibly Ryouta and Daiki's room. Moriyama, Murasakibara, Mitobe, Ootsubo, Hayama, Midorima. No doubt Atsushi and Rinnosuke would be near silent; it was the last three names that made Akashi paranoid. Unlike Yukio's valiant attempts at borderline-subtly protecting Ryouta's nonexistent virtue, there was an undisguised 'iron curtain' Ootsubo used to protect his own teammates. Specifically, Kiyoshi and Kazunari, both of who were advanced upon by Shintarou and Kotarou. This would undeniably cause a deep-riveted source of opposition among the room.
"Oi," Aomine burst into the hallway with bags strapped to his back, slung under both arms and one balanced on his shoulder. Kise and Midorima stepped in behind him, both carrying nothing. Kuroko was the last to squeeze into the hall, still reading his book and chewing on a potato chip. "Where the hell do I put these?!"
"Set them down." Akashi ordered, and when that was done and Aomine sagged to the ground, looked to the others. "Find your name on the lists. You may take your own luggage. You have five minutes to unpack, and we will reconvene in the lounge room."
"Kise. We have five minutes. Let's go." Aomine didn't even grab his luggage, just threw open the first door he saw, grabbed Kise around the waist and hoisted him into the air, and then ran into the room while slamming the door shut behind him. Luckily, it was the right room—the others shuddered to think about the pair doing it elsewhere.
Ignoring the sounds of Kise struggling and calling for help, the other Miracles picked up their own luggage and began to head into their separate rooms. However, before Akashi could fully exit the hallway, Murasakibara grabbed the back of his shirt.
"Atsushi," Akashi said patiently after being held on to for over a minute. The purple-haired Center looked down at the redhead blankly, still not letting go. We're not in the same room… He thought. Before they graduated to high school, whenever they went on field trips and camps Aka-chin would always make sure Murasakibara roomed with him. The redhead seemed to realize this fact despite the vocalization of it.
"I will see you in three minutes." He announced dismissively, although Murasakibara could tell that he was hiding the assuredness from his voice more than anything else. Grudgingly he let go, allowing his ex-captain to close the door behind him.
"Murasakibara." Midorima said, pointing to their room. He still had his bag slung over his shoulder, revealing that he'd waited for the Center to finish whatever it was he did. "Hurry, or you won't have time to put anything away."
"Ah." Murasakibara nodded, and maybe things wouldn't be so bad because even though Mido-chin was mean he was also cute since he tried to hide that he cared (at least, that's what Muro-chin said), and that would be enough.
And while each of the miracles most definitely had their own agenda for the trip, they all thought the same thing. This is going to be interesting…