I wanted to do something for Kise's birthday, but I've been sick this week. So I wrote something for Rapidity-verse, since I always said I was going to expand on it and then never did.
This chapter doesn't contain any spoilers for Sword Art Online!
Ryouta was woken to the sound of his phone chirping and buzzing, and he was wide awake in an instant.
Mostly, it was messages from some of his new schoolmates, though there was also, he found while going through them, a text from Kurokocchi, which he gave a personal response to, rather than a mass thank you text. Messages from the old Kaijou team, and the rest of the Miracles, and Kagamicchi, would probably filter through with other schoolmates messages for the rest of the day; but anyone who'd spent any time with him in the last week or so would know how Ryouta was spending his day.
It was their first occasion since their escape, after all, and Aida-san had okayed them both for it, though she'd been much more reluctant on giving Ryouta the all clear than Aominecchi.
But she'd given it, and that was all that mattered.
Ryouta pulled the blankets off and hummed cheerfully, phone in hand as he wandered towards the kitchen. Although his cooking skills could probably never be described as amazing, he could do enough to get himself by, and he was quite glad to be home where he actually could make himself breakfast.
The best part of today is that they don't even have school today – while it's nice, the normality of classes, and getting to spend the day sitting in a seat next to Aominecchi to periodically poke him awake to remind him they need to get into university to play university level basketball and get scouted, school on your birthday still sucks, and since he's become something of the face of the SAO incident (it was easy to put himself out there as the face of it, once he'd spoken a little with Yuukicchi and the others, and take the pressure off the other kids; Ryouta's been managing a public life and image for years, making him the ideal spokesperson), he's just as popular as he's always been – his modelling career has picked back up too.
His parents and sisters were working, but that was okay – his mother had left food for him, so he wouldn't have to make himself breakfast, which was nice. His plans with Aominecchi were to meet at the old park court near Teikou around eleven, which gave Aominecchi a little time to sleep in. He always was a little extra grumpy when he had to get up early, so even though it was his birthday, he was letting Aominecchi sleep a little late.
Finally, finally it was time to head out, and Ryouta couldn't help the excited jitters that coursed through him as he walked towards the basketball court.
Unexpectedly, Aominecchi was already there, and Ryouta had to take a moment to watch as, graceful and smooth and completely ridiculous as ever, he launched the ball at the hoop, and it fell neatly in.
Aominecchi saw him as he turned from fetching the ball, and he scowled. "What are you doing just standing there?"
"Mean," Ryouta whined. "It's my birthday you know, you could be nicer."
Aominecchi flushed and looked away – ah, he was so awkward sometimes, it was pretty adorable. Ryouta leaned over to kiss his cheek, which would certainly not make that fluster any better, but it would appease him for Aominecchi's gruff meanness.
"Happy birthday, Kise," Aomine mumbled, and oh. Ryouta couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face.
"Come on, you have two years worth of birthday games to play with me!" Ryouta cheered, bouncing onto the court.
Aomine laughed, and threw the ball at him.
