Observations
Taiga's silent observation is rudely interrupted by an unassuming passerby.
"Kagami, what in the world are you doing?"
Akashi's voice startles the red-haired boy who sits crouched behind a park bench. Taiga's eyes go comically wide as he slowly turns around to face him. The next second, however, he regains his composure and proceeds to drag Akashi into the dirt next to him.
"Shh!" Extremely disgruntled, Akashi listens and peers over the bench to see what has captured Taiga's attention.
The only one there seems to be Midorima, quietly humming as he sits in the field searching for four-leafed clovers.
"Are you- " He is unable to finish his sentence before Kagami clamps a hand over Akashi's mouth. A large, calloused, and probably none-too-clean hand that Akashi very much does not appreciate touching his lips. So, he does what any person would do in that situation.
"What the f-" Kagami scrambles away, nursing the bite on his finger.
"As I was saying before you interrupted me, are you watching him?" Akashi is indignant on behalf of his previous teammate who remains blissfully unaware of the confrontation going on a few meters from him.
"No, I- uh- " Kagami trails off awkwardly. "Recently discovered something."
"What, that you're clearly head-over-heels for him?" Akashi jabs a thumb in Midorima's direction.
Taiga splutters ungracefully.
"I thought as much." Akashi sighs. "It might benefit you to know that he doesn't think that stalkers are dating material."
He watches with interest as Kagami looks as though he will implode on himself with embarrassment.
"What's going on?" Midorima, having heard the rather loud protests from Kagami, approaches. Akashi heaves a long suffering sigh and stands. "Akashi?!"
Kagami makes a mad dash for it, sprinting away at the fastest he's ever run. Akashi moves away just in time to avoid the bits of turf dislodged from the ground.
"Was that… Seirin's Kagami?" Midorima is at this point, understandably confused. "Akashi, what were you doing behind that bench?"
Akashi bends over to remove leftover dirt from his pants and sighs. "Helping someone find their missing brain cells."
-LINEBREAK-
"Why did I do that," mumbles Kagami to Kuroko, who sits across from him calmly sipping a vanilla milkshake. The manager of Magi Burger is giving him a strange look, as it had been a good two hours since he had stepped in and yet he was still nursing the same burger.
"It's okay, Kagami-kun. He probably thinks you're insane now, that's all."
Kagami face-plants onto the table, promptly regretting the decision as a conveniently placed pile of ketchup finds a new home on his forehead.
"How else can I get to know him? He's unapproachable!"
"You could try talking to him without looking like you're having a seizure," suggests Kuroko.
"…"
"Or you could talk to Takao-kun. From what I've heard, he has a good handle on tolerating Midorima and having vaguely normal conversations." Kuroko pulls out his phone. "Do you want his number?"
"Much appreciated!" exclaims Kagami before yanking the phone out of Kuroko's hand and speeding out into the sunset (noon sun).
As he stumbled out of the restaurant he bumped into someone at the doorway. Not looking at their face, he hastily called out a sorry only to be yanked back harshly by his hood.
"Oi."
"A-aomine? What are you doing here?" Kagami sheepishly asks.
"I was here for food until I bumped into an idiot. What's the hurry? Come play a few one-on-ones. Kise and Midorima are at the street courts now. I was picking up lunch." Spotting Kuroko behind him, Aomine adds, "Tetsu, you can come if you want. Be aware though, Momoi will be there."
Kuroko pops out from behind the booth, takes back his phone, and exits the restaurant with them, much to the astonishment of the manager.
They happen to meet Murasakibara at the courts, and he refs the game.
The match occurs with not much going differently than expected, with the exception of Kagami's obvious distraction when Midorima's shirt rides up, when Midorima wipes sweat from his brow, when Midorima runs a hand through silky green strands of hair. As the game passes and shadows extend across the court, Murasakibara notices more and more, and by the end of the game confronts Kagami.
"What's your deal with Midorima? You keep watching him."
"Gotta go bye!" screams- no, yells, he later corrects- Kagami before bolting out of the court.
Midorima watches the boy tear across the sidewalk. "Atsushi, what'd you say?"
The purple-haired boy blinks at the place where Taiga is (was) and sighs.
"I want more snacks."
-LINEBREAK-
School's begun, and with it a host of problems that Kagami hasn't anticipated.
His team has arranged for a practice match with Shuutoku almost right off the bat, and Taiga is Not Prepared for this.
When the teams bow to each other, Kagami struggles to react normally to Midorima's scathing comments and intense gaze. It's a game, he reminds himself. Focus.
Focus falls to pieces when he catches a glimpse of toned muscle as Midorima towels off after a time-out. Focus shatters completely when a bottle of water is poured over his head, sticking fabric to flesh and leaving nothing to imagination.
Kagami swallows, forcibly turning his head away, only to meet the curious stares of his team.
Kuroko smirks, rolling his eyes. "You weren't exactly subtle."
His team is insufferable for the next week, never missing a chance to crack a joke at his expense. The next Shuutoku joint practice they have, Midorima is left speechless at Izuki's lime green wig and glasses that he insists on wearing during the game.
(What's even more jawdropping is the fact that Midorima fails to realize that it is a mockery of him. His team however, reacts accordingly. Otherwise known as with great annoyance and fury.)
-LINEBREAK-
Time passes quickly, and before Kagami knows it, winter is fast approaching. As weather slowly turns chilly, he bundles up in multiple coats and a scarf before exiting his house to get coffee.
He is thoroughly unprepared for the sight that greets him.
Soft and elegant, Midorima sits at a table near the window. His scarf hangs loosely off his figure, black coat layered over cream turtleneck covering the length of his throat.
Curled around a heavy book with a coffee and pastry next to him, he is the picture of contentment, small smile curling the edges of his mouth.
Kagami stands in the cold air outside hoping that the blush on his cheeks will be frozen away. He ends up walking aimlessly down the street, not entering the café.
He doesn't notice Kise silently smirking from his spot behind the counter as he wipes off coffee mugs.
Midorima looks up at Kise's gentle scoff. "What?"
"Nothing. Your next drink's on the house."
-LINEBREAK-
Springtime showers come on fast and rain hard.
Holding his jacket above his head, Kagami shivers as he races to the nearest overhang. Squeezing out the soggy fabric, he glances back on the empty street.
Or not-so-empty.
A single figure walks down the road, umbrella-less. The white dress shirt he has on is a mistake of epic proportions for this kind of season, and yet had he been wearing any other garment it would not have been fitting for the image he strikes.
The loosened black tie hangs around his neck as rain slides down the glasses still perched on his nose.
His strides are long and measured, even as the increasingly icy droplets plaster green strands to his forehead. Barely a splash rises even as he steps. The tie holding the bouquet of white chrysanthemums he has in hand gently loosens, dropping petals in a line behind him.
The mist in the path gives Midorima an ethereal quality, as if he is a mirage that could disappear at any moment.
Almost subconsciously, Kagami follows as Midorima walks into a nearby park and makes a beeline towards a small willow. Taiga slips away to stand behind a nearby tree.
Nijimura stands there, dressed similarly, waiting. Kagami hastily ducks away, but not before he catches the boy's eye and Nijimura shoots him a stink-eye so strong that Taiga cringes with shame.
Midorima lays the single remaining flower at the foot of the tree.
Together, the two kneel at a small stone in front of the trunk, Nijimura placing a photograph against the surface of the rock. When he arises, his shoulders are shaking with repressed sobs. Kagami's heart lurches, yearning to reach forward and comfort the pain in front of him.
The younger boy steps forwards and wraps his arms around Shuzo, enveloping his bowed head into a warm embrace. The rain traces paths down Nijimura's pale skin, washing away the evidence of his grief.
Kagami itches to know who it is that coaxes forth the rare display of emotion from the two, but out of respect, does not approach.
Instead, he watches as Shintarou calls a cab and pushes the black haired boy inside, asking the driver to take him back home. He watches as the green haired boy waits until the cab is out of sight to drop to his knees on the sidewalk, rain beating him into the ground with the weight of deep, aching sadness. He watches as Midorima finally shows his own grief, privately where he thinks no one can see him, alone with no one to comfort him.
No one to be there.
The shooting guard is so often the one to take care of others, bringing them lucky items, making sure that they are comfortable first, listening but not asking, and helping without reason. But with all of these, Kagami finally realizes something.
Midorima is so good at taking care of others that he's forgotten how to take care of himself.
The boy rocks back and forth on the pavement, curled in on himself. Kagami is torn on whether to reveal himself, but settles on making sure that he is okay. He glances once more towards the stone.
Reading the label, he wants to drop to his own knees.
Midorima Kasumi
Loving girlfriend and caring sister.
You will not be forgotten.
The picture is of a green haired girl, hair just past shoulder length, eyes crinkled with laughter.
She looks so much like Midorima that had she cut her hair and worn glasses Kagami would have thought they were the same person. Taiga thinks back to the lone figure on the ground nearby and runs to check on him.
Midorima has climbed to his feet and limps back the way he came from, in all appearances a wounded angel, pure heart scarred by grief.
-LINEBREAK-
Summer returns once more.
The teams get together for a summer practice camp in the mountains.
(If anyone asks, it was Riku's idea)
Unorthodox training finds Midorima hissing in pain as Aomine tries to bandage nasty bruises dotting his chest.
"What do you think you're doing, poking me? Stop- ah- jabbing the alcohol into my cut!"
Midorima is indignant, rightfully so, even if his indignation is causing more problems for Aomine as the cut reopens. Aomine groans in annoyance.
"Just let me finish! How'd you even fall out of a tree?"
"New training, passing from tree to tree to improve balance. That idiot Kagami threw completely off target."
He winces again as the final snowy white bandages are tied around his ribcage.
"Some would say that you are the idiot for actually trying to get it." Aomine begins putting away medical supplies. Midorima sighs harshly.
"The punishment for missing was not getting the next break. I would have felt guilty if I had just let the ball go past me."
Aomine levels a glare at the stubborn invalid.
"So falling out of a tree- on your back!- was more desirable?" he asks.
Midorima rolls his eyes. "It's not like I was expecting or wanting to fall out of it. The branch broke."
Kagami chooses this opportune moment to burst into the room, nearly barreling into Aomine who unceremoniously kicks him to the side. Midorima watches with amusement as the redhead careens into the bed. Taiga looks up, noting the bandages wrapped around Shintarou's torso before apologizing profusely.
A second later, he also realizes that this means that the boy's chest is bare and flushes red to the ears. Aomine observes this reaction for a minute before a slow smirk grows on his face.
He glances at Midorima before addressing Kagami. "Does everyone else know?"
"…mostly."
"You're lucky he's so dense."
Midorima grabs a spare shirt, pulling it over the bandages with care before hopping out of bed.
"What's this all about?"
"Nothing!" yells Kagami to cover up whatever Daiki looks entirely too pleased to be saying.
Midorima ponders this for a moment before shrugging and turning to head back to practice.
"Nope," interrupts Aomine. "Momoi thought you might try that but she said that you can do anything for the rest of today so long as it isn't related to basketball or physical activity."
Shintarou scowls, but pulls on a light jacket before heading outside.
Aomine sends a predatory smirk to Kagami, then turns to follow Midorima.
Kagami wants to crawl into the ground and be swallowed by the earth.
-LINEBREAK-
Summer is the season of fireworks and festivals, camping and travelling, food and friends.
Kagami spends most of it agonizing over a problem he shouldn't be having. When the generation plus Nijimura invite him to the Tanabata festival, he spends a good hour staring at the two yukatas he has in his closet. His mother eventually snaps that both look nearly identical and that he should, "just pick one already!"
He ends up going to the store for a yukata as green as the color of Midorima's eyes.
When they meet up by the Tanabata wish stand, he finds Midorima with his face knit in intense focus as he writes out a wish on a strip of paper. The entire team shoots a smirk towards Kagami as he writes out his own wish, and they send Midorima to find a good place to eat. Kagami isn't sure whether he should be scared or not, but settles for attempting to contort his face into a smile.
"Please don't try, you look slightly insane," puts in Akashi.
"What with all you've done this year or so, it seems he already is insane." Kuroko has no mercy.
"It's been so completely obvious, it's not even funny," mumbles Murasakibara around a mouthful of food.
"It's cute, but at the same time pitiful," Kise adds. "Somewhat like a puppy trailing after a master who doesn't know he exists."
"Even his team knows," says Nijimura. "He follows him too, whether intentionally or not."
"NOT!" protests Kagami.
"Whether it was or wasn't on purpose, we want to assist you in your failed romancing. Which is why we brought this person to help you." Aomine drags a girl out in front of them.
Momoi Satsuki grins at him, pink hair done up in an elegant knot behind her head. "Whatever advice or help you need, I'm here. You might want to know that he's sitting alone under that tree over there. Also for some reason there are girls."
Kagami quickly glances over, and is startled to see several girls surrounding the green-haired boy, holding out snacks. Before he is able to run impulsively over, however, Momoi slaps a can of red bean soup into his hand.
"Today is his birthday, it's on Tanabata every year. He likes shiruko. And in all actuality, he is a hopeless romantic for sweet gestures. Now go, he's waiting."
Nijimura pats him on the back perhaps a fair bit harder than necessary, but Kagami grins and bears it.
He races over; hastily waving the can around, yelling something about needing to talk to him when all that's going through his mind is how the soft light of the lanterns makes Midorima's eyes reflect golden sparks.
The girls scatter, and he sits down beside Midorima with a sigh. The boy sitting next to Taiga raises an eyebrow.
"So what did you need to talk about?" Midorima inquires. Kagami presses the can of shiruko into his hand and doesn't let go once Midorima grasps the can.
Midorima looks at him questioningly. "Is something wrong? Are you alright?" He fumbles in his pockets. "The lucky item for Leo today is a white candle… give me a moment…-!"
Before Midorima can speak again, Kagami cuts him off by pressing his lips against Shintarou's. The kiss is everything Kagami could have imagined and more, and Kagami feels as if he is floating when Midorima tentatively kisses back. Kagami grasps the green haired boy's shoulders, pulling him closer into an embrace.
"What did you write as your Tanabata wish?" breathes Shintarou into Kagami's ear.
"To be with the one who my heart beats for." Kagami's words are shameless, spoken loud and clear. Midorima flushes a deep crimson, before initiating his own kiss. Kagami's eyes briefly widen in surprise before relaxing into a smile against Midorima's lips.
Petals suddenly rain down in them in copious clumps, accompanied by snack wrappers.
"That's not how you're supposed to do it, you idiot, now look what you've done!"
"How was I supposed to know that? And the wrappers aren't even my fault."
"I was hungry…"
"You're not supposed to chuck fistfuls of flowers at them, just make it look romantic! Why are you throwing them?"
"I am absolute."
Midorima and Kagami separate in surprise before looking above them.
Their friends sit perched messily in the tree, rose petals in baskets next to them. Even as they watch, a basket tips over, dumping the entire quantity of petals into the ground alongside the straw container.
Midorima coughs awkwardly.
Kagami is not sure whether to laugh or to yell, but settles for a long sigh.
"You're welcome," prompts Kise. Aomine whacks the back of his head. "Hey!"
Nijimura smiles. "Nice to formally meet you, Kagami-san. I'm Nijimura, their previous captain. Please make Midorima happy." Nijimura pauses to flex his fingers. "Or else."
Midorima lets out a strangled laugh, before being tackled by Kagami into a third kiss.
Kagami whispers, "Happy Birthday" into the kiss, tangling his hands into locks of green hair.
Aomine wolf whistles while Nijimura hastily covers Kuroko's eyes. Akashi smirks.
"Guess his missing brain cells were with his other half."
Kagami watches Midorima as he smiles and laughs, as he cries and mourns, as he hurts and screams. All facets of this being are beautiful, he thinks. Not just the happiness but also the flaws, the blemishes, which only serve to enhance the boy in front of him. Kagami reaches forward to take Midorima's hand, and is rewarded with a smile so bright it outshines the pale moon illuminating the path in front of them.
Observations only lead to so much; the rest must be discovered through experiencing it for oneself.
A/N:
This was supposed to be crack. It isn't anymore? Well, if you look hard enough there are bits of humour. I thought I was funny. To be fair, I am not the best judge. :\
In case you missed it, Akashi's last words are related to what he says in the first little snippet after Kagami fled.
There are also some things I made up. Midorima's older sister, for one. A female Midorima would have been the perfect personality to offset Nijimura's hotheaded loyalty without reason, and she would have been an amazing girlfriend to him. However, I killed her off (sorry!). She would have been so pretty too… But I ship Nijimura with Mayuzumi more, so even if fem!Midorima is amazing the relationship was more to demonstrate how Midorima deals with grief.
I wanted to show that Kagami had seen all facets of Midorima and only loved him more for it, which is why the generation accepts his courtship. Also, I wanted to show how each person discovered Kagami's pining with Midorima himself being insufferably dense. These idiots cannot comprehend how to flirt like normal people so they resort to chucking flowers and hiding behind benches.
This A/N is getting a bit long, so I'll end it here. However, I plan on doing more KagaMido, so if you enjoyed this stay tuned for a secret agent AU where Kagami and Midorima are a top team consisting of a sniper who specializes in hacking, poison, and explosives and a combatant who is excellent on the ground dealing with problems on the fly.
Then again, school's starting soon, so maybe not. I'll try my best!
If you actually made it through the whole gosh danged A/N, kudos to you. Please favorite, follow, and review, and I'll be back as soon as I can with the next KagaMido fic!
-WorTri