Title: Nepenthe

Writer: Amariys

Words count: 1236 words

Fandom: Kuroko no Basket

Pairings: Ao/Kise (this chapter), Kaga/Kuro, Taka/Mido in later chapters.

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basket is not mine. No trademark infringement or profit taken from the writing of this story.

Rating: T

Summary: Of feelings and things that can make them forget any grief or suffering.

Phase 01: Kise Ryouta.

Kise's admiration to Aomine was not a secret for anyone else. Every member of Teikou Middle School Basketball team knew the blond man started basket purely because he had seen Aomine's play. Even when they both entered different high schools, it didn't take long for both the Kaijou and Touou Basketball Team members to realize the model basket ball player was looking up at the troublesome Touou's ace.

Truth be told, Kise's admiration had ran deeper than what people thought. At first, yes, he was just dazzled by Aomine's play. For someone who could pick up any styles in sports as easily as he was, almost nothing could excite Kise anymore. He had never understood people's enthusiasm in sports, until he met Aomine. The ace of Teikou was the first person Kise saw who really played basketball with all his heart. Kise was charmed from the first sight, more so when he realized the exceptional skill Aomine had. For the first time in his young life, Kise felt challenged to actually try copying someone else's play style.

Two years Kise ran after Aomine's back, failing each and every time to catch up with the other man. Two years Aomine gave the blond an arrogant smirk while extending his hand, picking Kise off of the ground over and over again. Two years were a long enough time to change Kise's admiration into something else; something deeper, more intense and more frightening than anything Kise had ever felt before.

Two years were enough time for Kise to realize he loved the man he once admired.

If someone asked what had actually changed the admiration into love, the blond would need to take some time to ponder his answer. There were so many things—too many things about Aomine that Kise noticed. Small things that made him adored the man more and more with every passing seconds. Nevertheless, if he was asked, Kise would surely try to answer, a nostalgic, loving smile already morphing his lips even without his realization.

The first thing that actually Kise noticed was Aomine's intense navy blue eyes. Those eyes were always shining with excitement, with so much love and happiness whenever they were having one-on-one. Those navy blue orbs would shine with intensity whenever a game turned difficult for them, reflecting the sharpness of the man's mind while strategizing the moves he would take—or listening to Akashi's instructions very closely. However, Kise was hooked for the first time when that amazing navy blue irises glanced at him, just for mere seconds, with warmth and hints of smile still lingering inside.

It was the beginning, but it didn't stop at that.

Once he was hooked by Aomine's eyes, Kise's treacherous mind started to take in the other small details about the tanned man. It was such small things, like how Aomine's hand felt so warm whenever they engulfed his paler one as he helped Kise standing up just when the small forward was feeling so tired already from his failed attempts in catching up at the taller man. Aomine's hand was gentle yet firm and they lingered for moments even when Kise was already standing in front of him, as if telling Kise to not stop trying. It was Aomine's way of saying he would keep waiting for Kise to catch up with him and Kise hated him more for making his feeling for the other man ran even deeper.

It just got worse after that.

Kise couldn't look away from Aomine after that. He couldn't even count how many time he caught himself looking at the tanned man after and in between practice, with his feelings shown to everyone else who cared to see. Kise always berated himself whenever he found himself doing that, hastily turning his face away from the tempting image of Aomine Daiki wiping at his sweat with his tank, showing hints of tanned skin from where the tank had ridden up without a care in the world. Of course, it only worked for few minutes before Kise's treacherous honey brown orbs shifted back to Aomine's form, watching as rivulets of sweat trailed ever so slowly down the man's neck, pooling on the junction where neck met shoulder. Kise always had to gulp down the saliva suddenly gathering in his mouth after he saw that.

It had gotten so bad until finally Kise couldn't handle himself anymore.

When he started to stare at Aomine's red lips, moist and glistening from the popsicle the Teikou's ace had just eaten, and had to hold in his desire to steal a taste of those delicious looking flesh, Kise knew this obsession he had was getting out of his hand. He hastily stood up, surprising both Aomine and Kuroko, before stammering out an apology and feeble excuse as he left his teammates. Kise's heart was beating very loudly in his chest, it almost felt they would burst without notice at any moment. Kise's face burned, even without looking he knew he was blushing red.

Kise was losing his mind. He just couldn't get Aomine out of his head and it became even harder when Aomine started to invade Kise's dreams, kissing and caressing the blond until Kise woke up with a hoarse shout, sweat and other body fluids dirtying his pajama. It was at that moment Kise knew he had to do something about his problem.

It almost felt like walking towards his own execution when he finally approached Aomine in the locker room once the other members had walked home. Kise couldn't even look at Aomine, afraid the man could read his expression as easily as an open book. The loud beating of his heart sounded deafening to Kise's ears and he had to remind himself to just keep breathing in and out steadily.

The confession stumbled out of Kise's lips in a rush. He was almost afraid Aomine couldn't understand what he had said. The tense silence settling down in the room after seemed to proof his worry. Kise took a deep breath, readying himself to act like nothing was wrong, to cover his awkwardness and true feelings with a laugh—like usual. But then Aomine walked towards him, gently lifting Kise's face with his fingers and then kissed him.

Kise's eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time he had ever kissed someone with eyes wide opened, but he just couldn't close his brown orbs, afraid the soft, moist touch of Aomine's lips on his was only a figment of his imagination. Once the taller man broke their kiss and stepped back, Kise finally realized he was not dreaming. His lips still tingled, nerve endings alive with sensations he had never felt before. However, the one thing convincing Kise he was not dreaming was the light red blush decorating Aomine's face. The ace of Teikou was blushing. Aomine never blushed in Kise's dreams. Not even once.

Then Aomine's arms worked their way around Kise's shoulders, pulling him into an awkward yet warm hug and Kise finally reached his decision: Out of all the things that made Kise adored Aomine, it was the warmth of his hug he loved the most. Because once he was blanketed so securely in that warmth, Kise knew nothing would ever matter anymore. As long as he had that warmth, Kise would be able to smile, no matter what kind of problems he might have to face later on.

xXXx

Next—Phase 02: Aomine Daiki.