As Time Passes Us By
as time passes us by, moments like these exist
AN: A series of drabbles involving the interactions between characters in Kuroko no Basket. For now, just the members of Kiseki no Seidai. May involve other characters in later chapters.
Title: I don't hate you
Starring: Midorima, Kuroko
Summary: "I don't agree with your way of looking at things." The silence between them seemed to stretch for eternity. "But that doesn't mean I hate you."
Set somewhere in the time after Kise joins the team and Kuroko addresses a question that has been plaguing him ever since he joined the team.
Midorima let out a breath in a huff. Kise and Aomine were fooling around during practice. Again. For the 32nd time this week. And if Kise wasn't anything but persistent, Midorima would have hit him over the head for being such a stubborn fool. It wasn't like he was going to win anyways.
"Minecchin wins again."
Murasakibara announced monotonously from the sidelines. Midorima wasn't even sure how Murasakibara got wrapped up in this whole thing. Though he supposed the large bag of the supposedly "rare" Super Deluxe Haribo Triple-Sized Gummy Bears© Murasakibara was now sporting in his bag that wasn't there a second ago helped. Vaguely he heard Kise start arguing with Aomine although Midorima classified what Kise was doing more as whining than anything else, wanting another game. Aomine agreed, the beads of sweat rolling off his face.
"Bring it, pretty boy."
"Mou, Aominecchi, don't be mean!"
Aomine laughed, taking off with the ball and wholly ignoring Kise's shouts of "Aominecchi! That's not fair!" Midorima couldn't help but snort.
Since when has Aomine of all people, been fair?
"What's the point of continuing if you know you're not going to win?"
Midorima muttered under his breath.
"But's that what exactly motivates him."
Midorima jumped. Unbeknownst to him, Kuroko had been standing right next to him. He hadn't yet gotten used to Kuroko's disappearing act. Kuroko's constant appearance and disappearance greatly amused Akashi though, whenever the other shorter player would turn up and scare the member's out of their skins.
"I was here from the start."
Midorima huffed.
"I know."
Kuroko threw one of his rare small smiles at Midorima. Midorima coughed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The two watched the small game before him in an amiable silence. Midorima voiced out his thoughts as he watched Kise lose to Aomine for the 33rd time in a row.
"I don't understand."
Kuroko looked at him.
"Kise-kun keeps playing because he wants to win."
Midorima scoffed.
"What's the point of empty wishing? If you play, you play to win."
"Because that's what makes it fun."
Midorima comes closer to rolling his eyes than Kuroko has ever seen.
"That's why he's weak."
"Kise-kun isn't weak."
Midorima deems that this doesn't need an answer. The silence between them seems to stretch on forever. Then Kuroko asks a question that startles him.
"Do you hate me, Midorima-kun?"
What kind of question was that?
Midorima stares at Kuroko. Kuroko shrugs indifferently, but it is a gesture that almost looks like fidgeting and Midorima knows how uncomfortable he is. Midorima heaves a sigh.
"I don't agree with your way of looking at things."
Kuroko stands there impassively.
"But that doesn't mean I hate you."
Kuroko smiles wanly, almost with a tinge of relief and unexpectedly, warmth. Midorima relaxes as he leans into the bleachers. The two continue to watch silently as Kise falls to the ground trying to stop Aomine. This time the silence isn't as cold as it was before.
Owari
