Looking back on the past, it seemed as though he was living in a haze. One that was induced purely from self hatred. That was until a rush of deep red had swept him away, lighting the uncontrollable fire within him once more.
At first he had felt nothing more for the obnoxious redhead lest for disappointment much like every other basketball player he had come across, confident and cocky but lacking the skill to live up to even a quarter of his expectations.
Something about him was different though, something that was still in the very process of being discovered during their first encounter.
Aomine could almost taste the potential rolling from idiot even then, but would he ever admit that?
Maybe not then. But things were different now. Everything had changed.
They had forced him to leave, the dark circles beneath his eyes and pale complexion just the beginning signs of the toll his body was taking. He hadn't left at first, after all it had only been a week since his life had taken a drastic turn the worst, their pleas went unheard in deaf ears. Time passed without pause as it always will no matter the circumstances, a week turning into two before a month passed and resisting as they ushered him to the door was no longer something he no longer had the strength for.
"Kagami-kun wouldn't want you to lock yourself in here."
He'd heard the same words over and over again, each time his reactions growing less and less hostile. He had lashed out at first, critizting that they knew nothing, they didn't understand. They never would. But even in his clouded state he could see within each gaze he met a subtle reflection of his own pain.
All those who knew the red head were suffering in his absence.
That's how Aomine found himself sitting at a park bench, one he was sure he frequented at some point in time. He couldn't quite remember how he had gotten there, his legs just carrying him to somewhere familiar. The bench was close to the basketball courts, hidden from the bright afternoon sun by a large oak tree the perfect location for a mid-day nap or the occasional brush of lips that the blue haired man favored with a certain redhead. Teasing his favorite rival to the point where those innocent sessions more often than not ended up with Aomine getting dragged home behind a flustered ginger and spending the rest of his evening, in his opinion-more productively.
There was never a moment of rest between them. Where one would give, the other would give back twice as hard. A constant battle between the two, nether backing down, always striving for more.
Just the way both of them liked it.
Conflicting lights that managed to make it work in the best of ways.
Without having realized his actions Aomine had moved, his back laying flat against the aged wood as he stared up at the leaves that clung desperately to their branches. The seasons were changing once more, the leaves taking on deep shades of yellow, orange and most prominently red.
Red. He was seeing that color a lot recently. Closing his eyes did little to rid the overbearing color from his mind.
Loud. Annoying. Memorable. So much like him.
With a scoff Aomine managed gather himself together enough and stand on weary legs once more, taking the aged cobble stone pathway that ran through the park back to the main street. Looking down at his appearance, he noted the deep cresses in his pants and vaguely tried to recall the last time he had changed. After a moment he realized he couldn't recall the last time he had eaten, let alone change his clothes or even been outside save for the occasional smoke. A nasty habit he had picked up sometime in the last couple years.
The red head scolded him countless times for smoking in the house.
Aomine's work had granted him paid leave, well aware he would be useless to the force in the state he was in. He wouldn't have went back to work even if his job was on the line. Nothing mattered anymore. The haze that had clouded his life was back once again, and more suffocating than ever.
His light had disappeared and with that, a vital piece of him did as well.
He took his time, steps echoing against the pavement at a slow and leisure pace with no real destination in mind. He let his body move on its own accord, oblivious to the way people eyed him with unease at his unkempt appearance. If only they knew he was one of the city's highest ranked officers. Well respected, the youngest to be promoted to his position. Someone with his life together. No one would even guess though with the way he shuffled along unsteadily, his eyes vigilantly staring at the ground before him. This man was a mere shell of the former Aomine Daiki. This man was weak, useless and growing more hopeless with each day that passed.
The simple knowledge should have pissed him off more than anything, he was so used to being needed. Wanted. Loved. But he couldn't find it within himself to feel anything anymore. His life had come to a numbing halt, all because of that stupid idiot.
Just how dependent had he become on seeing those fierce eyes greet him home? The smell of dinner wafting through the doorway, and those heated arguments that sometimes left him sleeping on the sofa without a pillow.
Cruel Bastard that Kagami Taiga.
Unconsciously the ghost of a smile made its way to his lips at the thought.
What he would give to be able to sneak back in bed with the redhead again, bruised ribs would a small price to pay for even a short period of time with him.
His smile slowly fell returning the scowl he had been sporting lately. Shaking his head in attempt to clear it, he reached within the confines of his pocket and withdrew the half smashed pack of cigarettes. Tapping out one of the slim sticks he pressed the filter between his lips and felt around for his lighter, growing more irritated with each pass over his pockets only to come out empty handed.
"What the fuck...?" He growled, voice rough from misuse. His lighter was nowhere to be found, just what he needed. Tearing the cigarette from his lips he threw it down at the sidewalk, grinding his heel into it as though it was the very source of all his problems.
Shoving his hands back into his pockets his pace grew more determined, heavy strides resembling a predator stalking toward his prey. Only this blue eyed predator had absolutely no idea where he was headed or what for, his vision was still fogged with red.
The color was oddly calming to him.
His thoughtless wandering lead him into a tall building, past the older gentleman that opened the door for him and missing the surprised greeting that was addressed to him. He didn't take note of the way his body slipped into the elevator, pressing the number for a floor he couldn't bring himself to remember which or how he stopped in front of a door on that floor and unlocking it. Everything was automatic, things he had countless times before.
It wasn't until the door slid open slowly with the slight creak he could always remember irritating him did he became aware of just where he was.
The entry way was darkened, though the faint outlines of a coat rack hanging just beside the door, and the shadow that made up the edges of a lamp was visible. The air within the apartment invaded his senses before he had time to slam the door and run away. The scent was something unique to the two men that lived there; it wasn't a bad scent, more along the lines of some sort of spice him could remember the redhead favoring and the vague traces of mint from Aomines aftershave.
Taking his first step through the threshold of his home he slipped off his shoes and reached towards the light switch just beside the door out of reflex. Lifting the switch, his breath caught as light flooded through the apartment.
Nothing had changed since the two of them had left that evening.
He had known returning back to their home would be rough, but he hadn't expected the way his emotions seemed to slam into him without avail at the mere sight of the open space. Maybe it was the way the redhead's favorite jacket was thrown over the back of the sofa without a care, or the way the set of once vibrant orchids welted and fell to land on the counter of the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room.
The kitchen was uncharted territory for the tan man, and at this point he couldn't bring himself to peer into the blocked space. He moved slowly, almost as if it was someone else's home in which he was imposing in. But all of the things within were his, all of them reflecting his life.
Their life.
He pressed his lips together in a tight line, walking from the entry way and crossing into the living room. His dark eyes were drawn to the frames hanging along the walls, each depicting different moments in his life that once made him smile like an idiot, but now struck him with pain to the very core.
Stepping closer to further inspect a certain photo, a tanned hand raised without much thought to run over the glass incasing the image. Unnaturally bright hair greeted him at first glance and drew him in, and like that he was unable to look away.
They both were present in this picture, sitting upon a staircase somewhere outside of where they were competing in their very last inter high. Aomine with his arms slung in a playful manner over the redhead's shoulders from behind, his face buried into that pale neck, biting down on the skin with a mischievous grin upon his lips. Kagamis face always had the most interesting expressions, and there was no exception here.
His lips were tilted in something that resembled a snarl and a wide smile, a look only the obnoxious power forward was able to manage and with the way his determined eyes reflected something much deep within them as the glared back at the blue haired man. Aomine knew back then he was done for.
Lifting his hand from the cool glass as if he was burned, he turned away from the countless frames and made his way down the hallway rather than taking his time and reliving better times through those images. He passed the first few doors that remained closed without pause until he stood at the final door at the end of the hallway.
The door had been left ajar just enough for him to get the barest of glimpses inside of the dark room, and he couldn't hold back the rush of air that left his lungs once more as he pushed the door open. The scent in this room much was stronger than anywhere else in the apartment.
Everything was a mess. Or rather, the right side of the room was a mess.
Clothes littered the floor, whether they were clean or dirty was anyone's guess, magazines laid half open and the occasional crushed pack of empty cigarettes occupied the bedside table.
The left side was surprisingly clean, only a few articles of clothing were thrown about on the floor, more in haste than in an uncaring manner.
The differences between the two men who shared this room were painstakingly obvious the moment you walked in. No one else saw this space though, privacy being something the two of them favored over anything.
His chest felt heavy once more, as if someone had placed a stack of bricks on his throat, restricting him from inhaling. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the crack that had made itself known in his facade of composer he held onto desperately.
Another door stood wide open at the other side of the room, leading to a master bath and his skin crawled with apprehension. His hair was no doubt greasy with the way it clung to his forehead; his face was itchy and darkened with stubble that if he had any guess was trying to form a patchy beard now.
A shower would probably do him an admirable amount of good, and the prospect of hot water along with riding his body of who knows how long worth of grime had his legs moving on their own once more.
Clothes were shed, leaving a trail leading all the way to door of the shower until the tanned man was left in complete state of undress as he twisted the knobs of the shower to a scolding hot temperature before stepping beneath the spray. Letting out a loud, pained hiss he grit his teeth, adjusting to the temperature of the water before he tilted his head back, the water running over his hair the color nearing a black hue rather than navy as the water coated the strands.
The warmth that rushed over him was due in part to the burning temperature of the water, but also due to the memories in which his body seemed to remember just being enclosed within the small space.
His eyes fell closed as he stepped further beneath the welcoming heat, letting it cascade over his face and gathering at his jaw line flowing down in a single stream against his chest. No matter what temperature the water was, it would be nothing in comparison to the intoxicating heat of a pale completed embrace which served only for his body to crave that very touch even more.
He couldn't do much to stop it, nor did he particularly want to. The heat that traveled from his chest to gather at his hips was welcoming and the images his mind depicted for him gave him the escape from the harsh reality around him he needed.
The heated water that rushed against his skin made way into corded limbs that pressed against him from behind, defined arms which held a fair amount of strength slid from the small of his back slowly brushing upwards in a teasing manner. Finger tips danced along his sides and across his abs, surprisingly gentle for just how rough they appeared.
He peered down at the way their skin stood out against one another, his own tanned skin seeming even darker against the red heads pale hands. They somehow complemented each other though, making them appear even more incandescent when paired together.
But those hands were moving too slow, and he knew it was only because the other was well aware of just how irritated he grew at such light treatment. He let out a small growl in warning, his own hand moving to brush against a powerful hip, drawing the two of them close. He could just barely hear the rumbling groan that came from deep within the red heads chest, his hands beginning to pick up pace and press harder against bronzed skin.
Aomine let out his own sound of approval as the others hands moved further down, still slowly but in a much preferred manner as he felt the subtlest sting left behind from blunt nails digging into his skin, drawing more heat to gather at his hips.
He was painfully hard now, and was in no mood for teasing. Gripping the pale hip his hand merely rested on he pressed their hips together roughly, well aware of the paler of the twos growing erection as well as he ground himself back against the other.
The sharp sound the blue eyed man let out was heightened by the way it echoed off the marbles walls of the shower, sending both of them into a state where neither could deny each other's needs.
Aomine groaned low in his throat at the contact his throbbing cock was now given, pushing his hips forward to seek more of that blissful pressure that wrapped around him.
"S-shit..."
His voice was thick and laced with desire as his cock was stroked in slow, lingering movements. Each time calloused fingertips brushed over the tip, paying extra attention to the slit, teasing it with feather light touches before tracing the sensitive skin with the intent cause the blue haired mans undoing before it would drift back across his heated length in a tight fist.
The way he pressed his body back against the man behind him had them both nearly panting, and Aomine yearned for nothing more than to reach back and fist his hands into that mess of red and draw his rival into a searing kiss. But something within him told him not to, to instead keep his eyes securely closed and enjoy the feelings that washed over him.
So that's what he did.
He savored the way the paler man held him so tightly he felt as though he couldn't breathe. The sounds of their voices coalesced in muffled sounds of pleasure. The way that tightly closed hand moved across his length, bringing him nearly to his peak before slowly down drawing an soft groan of frustration from the blue haired man.
A breathy chuckle sounded from behind him, and he fought the urge to pry his eyes open and glare back at the redhead before showing him who would soon be laughing but that heat around him grew tighter than ever. His head fell back against a broad shoulder, his lips parted in muffled groan.
He thrust his hips in time with each stroke that the other made, his body screaming for more because that just wasn't enough. His own smirk lifted as the ginger was never one to disappoint, and answered to his unspoken demands with a small nip at the darker skinned mans shoulder. Reaching around with the hand that wasn't occupied with stroking Aomines cock for all it was worth, it slipped between them to brush across the curve of tight muscle that lead to soft cheeks.
A single fingertip ran along the center of the blue haired mans spines, his body shuddering with anticipation as it neared the rise that gave way something much more pleasing. Pushing towards the hand stroking his cock he gritted his teeth together letting a hiss escape as his ass was parted and a rough, slickened fingertip circled his entrance.
He waited impatiently, the heat that tried to consumed him growing almost unbearable as the hand wrapped around him wasted no time in bringing him closer to his own release. The finger that ran across his entrance stilled with little hesitation before pushing forward without warning, knuckle deep and withdrawing without pause.
Just how Aomine liked it, just how Kagami always did it.
The two sensations together send his body into over drive, making every touch that much more unnerving. His body moved forward, eager to press for more of that intense heat and friction, while the finger within him moved at a fast pace drawing out long pants from the tan man and fogging his thoughts.
Withdrawing once more, the finger slipping in and out of him coupled with another had him nearly gasping as they curved in just the right fashion to coax another groan from him. His legs shook, as he tried to hold off the fire that was licking at his spine aching to be relieved but the way familiar touch moved over him it was impossible. Not when he felt a rush of breath fan across his cheek and a deep wavering voice whisper to him.
"Cum for me, Daiki."
No one else but one person could have that effect on him with a single demand.
Not even minutes later was he gasping out the red haired man's name in a half growled tone, his cock pulsing as it shot thick streams of his release across his torso and hand. His entire body shook with the force of his undoing as he stood there slowly returning back to reality.
The water that beat across his back had lost its heat the ice cold temperature rising the fine hairs along his body. He was leaning against the marble of the shower wall for support, both hands now rested flat against the light stone, white coating his solid chest and abs, stubbornly clinging to tanned skin as it slid down to the shower floor.
Only his breathing accompanied the loud rush of the shower, the heavy warmth that had been wrapped around him gone.
Dazed and full of regret he came to the realization that he was the only one within the shower. Within the bathroom. Within the apartment.
Incapable of grasping a hold of his last shattering bits of composer for the first time since the accident Aomine Daiki, a strong and alleged unbreakable man, fell to his knees and cried.
"T-taiga…"