Blissful Memories
Midorima Shintarou was an organized type of guy. The only thing that could stop him from cleaning was his busy days as a new doctor. Now that he had his day off, he would certainly be productive. Their basement have been sealed off for months, maybe even a year already, so he prioritized cleaning it for the day. After having his pretty late breakfast and taking a bath, he readied the broom, mop, feather duster, even a cloth and a basin of water. He then retrieved the key from his room.
The spectacled man descended the flight of stairs leading to the basement. He inserted the key he was holding into the keyhole and twisted, the door creating a creaking sound as it opened.
Midorima frowned at the sight of the room, which was in a state of disarray. The first thing he noticed was the settling of the dust, random things strewn around, the piles of boxes, and oh...
Was that a basketball?
He went towards the orange ball and picked it up.
It was worn out and deflated, but the texture, the roughness, was familiar to his touch. Suddenly, he was reminded of his middle school and high school days. He was one of the popular Generation of Miracles, the miracle group who has members with unbelievable basketball skills. They separated after middle school, and went to different schools in high school, where they battled it out along with their new teams in the Inter-high and Winter Cup.
The rift that managed to get between them also disappeared, and they managed to be friends again. Midorima might not have properly admitted it, but he was happy when the Generation of Miracles finally settled everything.
Midorima met new people as well.
Shutoku was a happy place: he didn't like the carefree atmosphere at first, but he saw how hardworking the students there are, especially when they're doing what they like the most. His seniors were strict, harsh even, but they unknowingly motivated him to try harder and reach higher. Shutoku made an impact on him, and he was happy that he went there .
(And then there was the certain hawk-eyed, carefree, happy-go-lucky boy that messed up his life.)
Midorima smiled softly, but the curve on his lips disappeared just as it appeared.
'I'm here to clean,' he reminded himself, setting the ball aside and getting up to examine the other boxes.
He coughed upon setting the boxes one by one on the floor, breaking the pile. The dust that gathered was thick; he wrapped a handkerchief around his nose and mouth and tied the ends at the back of his head.
This'll take long.
Midorima opened one box. It was full of Christmas decorations: balls, candy canes, angels, and the like. He decided that it was properly sorted, so he set it aside. After opening the other boxes, he noticed that almost all of them contained his lucky items over the past years. It was time to sort them out and decide which he'll be needing and throw away those that are useless. He wasn't as obsessed as before, after all. As he journeyed through life, he realized that it wasn't just about luck or fortune.
Life wasn't as shallow as that.
After a long time of sorting out the boxes, throwing the trash, and scrubbing and mopping the floor, the basement finally looked tidied up and as good as new. Midorima stared in satisfaction at the great job he's done. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something he saw awhile ago that he wanted to see. The green-haired man went towards the box at the corner and opened it.
Sitting at the bottom was a small, rectangular, wooden box labeled "Memories".
He removed the wooden box from where it was staying, and finally left the room. He decided to take a shower, as he was already smelling funny, and ate lunch.
He plopped on the couch and decided that he would put off reading his new book later.
The wooden box was now situated on his lap; it looked rough and wrinkled, and some bits were already peeling off. Midorima guessed that it was from a long time ago.
He opened it and saw two DVD cases.
When did we...?
One case was labeled "Shutoku: Video Compilations" and the other one had no label or any marking.
Midorima finally remembered the former; it was a small gift from the basketball team fans and their coach to them. It contained all of their gimmicks, best plays, even their random shenanigans when they were in their third year in highschool. It was so hilarious; he even fought the urge to smile at some parts when they watched it for the first time.
He plugged in the DVD player and inserted the old disk. He tapped his fingers while waiting for the video to load, eager to rewatch the video.
3...2...1...
"Shutoku: Video Compilations!" a high-pitched female voice said. Midorima couldn't remember the owner of the voice, but he remembered the hardcore fangirling of the woman to him and Takao. He smirked; what could that woman be up to now?
The first scene was introducing the starting five of the basketball team. Midorima and Takao were the first ones to be introduced. "These here, my friends, are Shutoku's light and shadow, Midorima Shintarou and Takao Kazunari!" The videos were snippets of the different plays they made, which looked very nice judging from the smooth transitions. Their skills were also stated, as well as their likes, dislikes, and distinct characteristics. The next to be introduced was Ichijou Riku who joined the club when they were in their second year. The two others were Akita Akiteru and Shibisu Mochizou, second year and first year, respectively.
Midorima could remember that year to be very fruitful because they won second place in the inter-high and champion at the Winter Cup, defeating even the former champion, Rakuzan. The video showed some parts of the plays they did during both Inter-High and Winter Cup, and Midorima's body tingled with excitement and pride.
'Akiramekirenai koto wo
Nageite wa mukiaezu ni '
Waratte saigo mukaeru nara
Boku wa mou machigawanai darou
Sumiwataru kono basho de
Sora e mau tori no kage ni
Kidzuki hajimeteta nda'
"The Shutoku Band! All students are cheering for them! Woooh!"
The next scenes were parts of the different things they did as a club. The video showed the things they did during Intramurals, the outreach program they have joined, even the basketball club's adventures selling stuff at the school festival. There was one where they needed something to uniquely introduce their club during Club Introduction Day, and one teammate suggested that the starting five give a performance. Their skills were perfect for a band: Midorima could operate the keyboard, Ichijou the electric guitar, Akita the drums, Shibisu the beatbox, and Takao could be their vocalist.
'Tatta hitotsu no koto
Meikaku na kioku e to kaete ikeru'
"Go Takao-kun! Kyaah!"
The camera zoomed on Takao who winked at the crowd.
'Kagayaku hibi no naka de bokura wa
Kawaita iro wo tashikamete iku
Kazashita saki no asu ni mukaeba
Wazuka na nozomi no kizashi e tobikonda'
The song they performed was Dried Up Youthful Fame by OLDCODEX, and made the whole crowd cheer. A good lot of people joined their club, but some others only wanted the fame and were not actually good. That was the downside though, Midorima thought.
"Look guys, here is a rare sight of a sleeping Takao Kazunari." The camera shifted to a Takao who was almost falling off the bench, sleeping. Midorima could remember that they've been practicing for hours that time, and the raven had some sleepless nights. It was inevitable that he slept. Unfortunately, the others wanted to prank him.
"We have here a permanent marker," Ichijou said, showing the marker to the camera. "Using this, we will draw on our sleeping beauty's face. His reaction will be hilarious."
A short laugh escaped the doctor's lips. That time, he was embarrassed about what happened, but now, he could only feel like laughing.
Ichijou outlined the raven's eyes with black, and drew whiskers on his face. Takao eventually shifted and woke up, and panicked when he saw his face in the mirror.
"What..." Takao started, cupping his cheeks. "Why..."
The cameraman turned around to include all the people who were laughing. 'You'll seriously feel guilty afterwards,' Midorima thought, lightly chuckling.
"Oi, are you crying?"
When the camera turned back to Takao, his eyes were already brimming with tears, and his face twisted in anguish. He buried his face in his palms and grossly sobbed.
"H-Hey, we're sorry, Takao..." Ichijou said softly. "They're the ones who told me to do it!" He pointed at the crowd of the underclassmen behind him.
"E-eh?! D-Don't lie, senpai! It was you who started it!"
"Right, right!"
The whole court was as noisy as the people in the wet market until they heard the crying Takao mutter something. "Shin-chan..."
"Shin-chan? Oi, Shin-chan, come here! I can't believe you're practicing your threes in this crucial moment!"
The camera shifted to Midorima who was ignoring the whole situation. All the students were already crowding near Takao, and he was the only one left practicing.
Midorima saw himself sigh and go towards the Takao on the video. Immediately, Takao wrapped his arms around the bigger boy's waist and continued to cry.
"Takao! What are you...!"
Midorima knew how embarrassed he was that time, yet he can't help but just laugh.
The raven was finally pacified after a long time, and the basketball team learned not to prank him when he's tired.
Their senpai from before also had cameos.
"Why are you filming this, Otsubo?" Miyaji Kiyoshi complained. They all decided to have a small chat at Kimura's store after not meeting for a long time. The younger brothers weren't there, as they were all super busy in their first year in college.
"We could use this in the future you know?"
"Hmph. By the way, guys, I have something to show you!"
Otsubo filmed the reactions of Takao and Midorima who looked curious.
"I've got a driver's license! Do you know what this means?"
"What?" Midorima asked cautiously.
"This means I can finally run people over with Kimura's truck if I want to!"
"Oi! We can't afford to have blood smeared on the front of our truck, you know?" Kimura said jokingly.
"Hahaha! This was my dream!"
Midorima just smiled softly at their craziness.
At the end of the video, the whole basketball team offered their thanks to all the people who supported them till the end. The scene was so heartwarming; you won't remain a highschooler forever after all. Everybody in the video gave their best smiles, even Midorima.
"Thank you for watching!"
The green-haired man got up and stretched shortly after he finished the video. The CD surely was a great device to reminisce on the past. At the end of the day, he didn't regret coming to Shutoku High. It was a great place, and he certainly learned many things from it.
Midorima was pulled back from his reverie when he realized that there was still another CD waiting to be watched. The man didn't recognize the case, and can't seem to remember anything from it.
He opened the DVD case and saw the disc with a label in neat handwrtiting: "To Midorima Shintarou".
What...?
Midorima immediately replaced the DVD earlier with the new one. What could this be? he thought, and played the video.
The contents of the video were not what he was expecting.
At the center of a white room was the lone figure of Takao Kazunari. He was sitting in a high chair, and was wearing a baby blue v-neck shirt and skinny jeans. His hair was pushed back by a white hairband. The boy looked nervous, which was rare due to his sunny nature.
Wait... Midorima narrowed his eyes at the television. That room is...
"Um... I don't really know what to say," Takao said, scratching his nape. "When our coach told us to each make a thank you message to someone who has greatly inspired us, I immediately thought about you. Yes, I'm talking about you, Midorima Shintarou."
His full name uttered from Takao's mouth had a foreign feeling to it, but that wasn't Midorima's greatest concern at the moment. He finally remembered about that time when their coach told them to make a thank you message to their chosen people. The coach reserved the filming room for them to make their job easier. The spectacled man made one; however, he was too embarrassed to give it. The plan was an utter fail for everyone. Maybe they were also embarrassed to show their chosen people their videos.
To think that Takao chose him... He acted like he didn't care about who Takao chooses, but he admitted to himself that he won't really mind if he became the raven's recipient.
He was more than happy right now.
"I know that you have heard my whole life story already, but that should be the start of a message right? It should start from when you first entered my life. You defeated our team during middle school, and I was so irritated. I ached to beat you all and prove my worth, but just imagine how defeated I felt when I saw that green hair of yours on Shutoku's basketball team."
"I kept on asking the world why it happened to me, of all people. But I guess that's just how the world works. It was just another obstacle to overcome. Instead of wanting to defeat you, I wanted you to acknowledge me. I practiced late with you everyday, and still can't help but be amazed everytime you make those perfect shots of yours."
Midorima could feel his cheeks heat up by the compliment. He slapped his cheek. 'Shintarou, you're already 26 years old.'
"At first, I only befriended and stuck with you just because I wanted you to see me. But gradually, as I spent more time with you, I felt that I wanted to see more of you too."
Takao made a sour face.
"That came out wrong, haha. But what I meant was: I wanted to know you better. People view the Generation of Miracles as inhuman and perfect creatures who could never be defeated. But you were far from perfect." The raven hung his head low and giggled, adjusting his headband after it threatened to fall.
"So much for a thank you message," Midorima muttered under his breath.
"You're always so grumpy, you have an unhealthy obsession on Oha-Asa, you're arrogant and sometimes-no-always rude, your mouth's unfiltered even when you're talking to your seniors, you have a hard time expressing your emotions, hence a tsundere,"
"I'm not a tsundere!"
"You can't even cook eggs properly-"
"Why the hell was that included?!"
"And you're too tall-"
"How is that even a flaw?! Urgh-" Midorima calmed himself down, as he saw no point in arguing with a person in a video any further.
"Even so..."
Midorima leaned over.
Takao smiled fondly. "You have your industriousness and determination to make up for it. You wouldn't be that good even if you have the potential. Even if your arms are sore, even if your knees are already screaming to give up, you still shoot your magnificent threes over and over again, without tiring. That's when I thought: I'll never be able to beat this man. You encouraged me to always do my best, to reach higher and higher. You helped mold me into a stronger person."
"I saw you for who you truly are, Shin-chan. I know that beneath that cold facade is a caring and determined soul. That's why, I'm very happy that a person like you acknowledged me, chose me to be by your side. I'm grateful that you put your trust in me. That you received my passes. That you saw me as a friend-" Takao's voice broke at the end of the sentence, and he quickly wiped the single tear that ran on his cheek. "That you always believed in me."
"Thank you for the three years, Shin-chan. We may part, but I'll never forget everything you did for me. You've done more for me than you could ever imagine. I hope that I've done things for you as well. Ne, Shin-chan, I could still remember that time when I saw you practicing late for the first time. I didn't see a person practicing his threes at first. I could only see a lonely back."
"But Shin-chan, three years after, when I looked again, you were still there, but I was there beside you, as well as Ichijou and our other friends."
("Shin-chan, you're not alone anymore, right?")
Midorima willed himself not to cry, but his own eyes betrayed him. Tears gathered at the corners of his emeralds, but he wiped them away immediately. He caressed the CD on his hand before returning it to the case.
These things will not go anywhere near the basement again. He'll keep them safe, treasure them, because they are his most precious memories.
Suddenly, he remembered something, and rushed to his room.
Midorima opened his eyes upon hearing footsteps. He was currently in the basketball court, sitting on a wooden bench, a ball on his lap.
He set aside the ball, rose from the bench, and met the silvery-blue eyes of his significant other.
Takao Kazunari stopped in front of him and stared at him in the eyes.
"Hello," Midorima greeted, smiling down at his partner. "How was work?"
All of a sudden, Takao hugged him, his shoulders trembling. Figures, Midorima thought, wrapping his arms around the smaller male's body and nuzzling his head. He didn't know why Takao liked strawberry-smelling shampoo, but it doesn't smell so bad after all.
The raven's soft cries have not stopped, and Midorima started to worry. What he showed Takao was not worth crying at all, but the man was a very sentimental person.
"You still kept that? After all these years?" Takao asked softly.
Midorima smiled. "I should ask you the same. I saw yours first."
"I thought I lost it."
"It was in the basement, inside a wooden box along with the compilation videos."
"Oh." Takao's eyes looked glossy as he looked up. "Now I remember."
"So it was me you chose. Why didn't you give it?"
The smaller male peeled himself off from Midorima. "I chickened out. I don't really know why. Why didn't you give yours to me?"
"Same. It felt... embarrassing."
Takao chuckled. "Knew it."
The silence was comfortable between the two of them.
"Shin-chan, I love you."
Midorima gave his softest smile and pat the head of the man in front of him. "I love you too, Kazu."
"I'm happy I met you."
"Me too."
Tears were threatening to fall again until the raven swiped the basketball off the bench. "So, let's play, like the old times?" He ran off, dribbling the ball, a grin splattered on his lips.
Midorima gave a grin of his own as he ran after his lover.
"Bring it on!"
(Thank you for staying by my side. I have never doubted your passes, not even for a second.)
(I never expected to be anybody's best friend, but you saw through me, befriended me, changed me.)
(Thank you, Kazunari.)
(I'm not alone. Not anymore.)
A/N: Just a small appreciation fic for MidoTaka. My love for this ship's still getting stronger!