If he were honest, with his coach and with his captain, Kise would admit his leg was hurting much worse than he let on. He wasn't honest, though, at least not about his injury. If they knew, they would worry, become overly protective. Wouldn't allow him to practice for a while, and he couldn't let that happen. Kise had a promise to keep, one he would follow through on even if it killed him.
"Oi, Kise, get up! We're leaving," Kasamatsu yelled at him.
He was sprawled out over one of the locker room benches, an ice pack on his leg and a towel over his face. "Perfect Copy" took a lot out of him, too much, but it was worth it if it helped his team win. The harsh toll on his body was a small price to pay for victory.
Smothering a grunt of pain, he sat up. "It's okay, sempai. All of you go on without me. There's something I need to do before going home anyway."
There wasn't, but he didn't want Kasamatsu or the others to see his face, not yet. Kise left the towel draped over him for that reason. He was sure pain was lining his face, shading his eyes, and he didn't need them fawning over him. Well, senpai never fawned, but he did have an iron fist of affection Kise would prefer to do without tonight.
It wasn't going to be that easy. Kasamatsu took his role as captain seriously, cared about his teammates deeply. Kise expected he was going to have a fight on his hands, and he was right.
"Don't be a moron, Kise! You aren't staying here by yourself," Kasamatsu's voice moved closer, indicating the captain was coming his way, most likely intent on dragging Kise's ass out of there if he had to. "We're not going to—."
Kasamatsu just stopped mid-sentence. Kise didn't blame him. Another person had entered the locker room. Someone whose appearance could make Kasamatsu go silent in surprise. Someone Kise had figured would come after Haizaki's antics on the court. Someone he would know anywhere, even with his eyes covered.
Because, he didn't need his eyes to feel the other's presence, so large for such a small body, at least to him, so unwavering and pure. Didn't need eyes to hear the familiar, determined gait walking toward him. Didn't need his eyes to breathe in the sweet but masculine scent that sent a hard kick of arousal straight to his lower half.
With a smile so warm, so brilliant even the sun would be jealous, he pulled the towel off his face. Kise only had eyes for the newcomer, though his words were addressed to Kasamatsu.
"See, sempai. I won't be alone at all."
The glowing lilt in his voice could not be disguised. Kasamatsu looked at him strangely, flicking a glance at the man now standing beside him, and just shook his head.
"Fine. But if you are late to practice tomorrow, I'm going to kick you."
A bubble of laughter rose to Kise's lips. Despite the ache in his leg, he was happy, and that happiness could not be contained. "You will kick me any way, sempai."
Kasamatsu's lips twitched. "Probably. But it will only be because you deserve it." Grabbing his bag, the captain strode to the door an opened it. "I meant it, though," Kasamatsu called over his shoulder, giving a hard, slightly challenging look, not at Kise but at the third person in the room, "you'll regret it if you come stumbling in late and too exhausted to practice."
Kise wondered just how much Kasamatsu knew, but as his sempai exited, closing the door firmly behind him, the question just melted away. The one person he had wanted to see was here now, and that was the only thing that mattered to him.
"Kurokocchi," he breathed his lover's name, and girls all over the globe would have killed to have him say their name like that, look at them the way he was looking at Kuroko.
"Kise-kun, are you alright?" Kuroko's pale blue eyes were worried.
"I'm fi—" he started to lie, knew Kuroko would see right through him. "Actually, I'm not doing so hot." The admission was accompanied by a wry, lopsided grin, and then he changed the subject. "But you know, you really surprised me out there. I didn't know you could shout that loud."
Kuroko dropped his bad on the floor and moved closer, until he was standing between Kise's knees.
"I didn't know I could either," Kuroko's cheeks turned rosy, as if he was embarrassed by his outburst in front of a stadium full of spectators.
He was so adorable Kise couldn't stand it. Reaching out, he pulled Kuroko in close, burying his face into the other's firm, slender chest.
"I'm glad you did, though," Kise's melodious voice tightened with emotion. "You really encouraged me. I could do my best because I knew you were watching me, cheering me on. I hope you will always cheer me on like that."
Small hands sifted through the soft silk of his hair. "Did you forget you will play us next, Kise-kun? Cheering for the enemy just wouldn't be practical."
Kise giggled, squeezing Kuroko harder, angling his head for more petting. "I guess not."
The shorter man leaned back, searching Kise's face, seeing all of the things he had wanted to hide from his teammates. "You don't have to try so hard in front of me. I can tell you are in pain."
His smile faded. "I just don't want to be a burden to anyone, especially you."
"I have never once thought Kise-kun was a burden," Kuroko cupped his jaw.
Snuggling into that strong but gentle touch, Kise closed his eyes. "I don't deserve you."
"That's what Aomine-kun told me on the phone last night."
"What?" Kise's head jerked up, eyes wide.
A small smile actually curved Kuroko's lips. "I told him if he kept it up I would have Momoi-san hide all of his porn magazines."
A laugh escaped Kise's lips and then his blond eyebrows drew together. "Hearing the word porn come from your mouth makes it sound a hundred times more obscene. Don't say it in front of Aominecchi again."
Kuroko sighed. "I've told you before that Aomine-kun has Kagami-kun. There's no need for you to be jealous."
"I don't care," Kise pouted. "Aominecchi is such a pervert I don't know what he might do."
"I think you're the perverted one," Kuroko replied, lifting his shirt to show Kise the purple love bite that hadn't faded yet.
The sight of his mark on Kuroko's pale, smooth skin made Kise's golden eyes darken. Leaning forward, he placed his lips over the spot, kissing it softly.
"You shouldn't have shown me that, Kurokocchi," he whispered against Kuroko's chest.
The other man inhaled sharply. "I didn't come here for this."
Kise smiled at the reaction, as always both stunned and delighted that it was he and no one else who could make Kuroko react this way. "But touching you takes my mind off of the other, painful stuff."
"Then should I make you feel even better?"
The low, husky question had Kise looking up in surprise, and then he was looking down because Kuroko was suddenly kneeling in front of him.
Swallowing hard, Kise grabbed the bench, curling his fingers around it for support. "What," he had to clear his throat, "what are you doing?"
"I'm going to kiss the pain away. Isn't that what you do when someone is hurt?"
"I guess," Kise answered weakly, watching as Kuroko took away the ice pack and removed his shoe and sock.
The first touch of cool, soft lips on his ankle made him jerk.
"It's a bit swollen," Kuroko murmured. "Haizaki-kun went too far. The next time I see him …"
The threat wasn't voiced, but the fury in Kuroko's quiet voice was palatable. Kise wanted to feel sorry for his middle school teammate because an angry Kuroko was something to be feared, but couldn't. The bastard had almost ruined his promise with Kuroko. He could forgive Hazaiki for deliberately trying to injure him, but not that. Just the thought of it filled him with rage, too.
And then he wasn't thinking anything. Kuroko gently lifted his injured leg and kissed it again, and again, and again, the sweet, butterfly caresses trailing up from his ankle to his knee and back again.
"I'm all sweaty," hecompalined, but the kisses didn't stop, love and comfort washing over him with each touch of Kuroko's mouth.
The back of his eyes burned and he had to blink several times to keep the tears at bay. When Kuroko placed his forehead against Kise's leg and held it there, as if he were a supplicant praying to a higher power for Kise's well-being, he almost lost it.
"Kurokocchi," the hoarse whisper was torn from his throat, "I love you."
Kuroko tilted his head back and met Kise's gaze, his eyes glowing with emotion. "I love you, too, Kise-kun. Please don't scare me like this again."
"I won't," Kise promised, letting go of the bench so he could grasp Kuroko's shoulders and lift him up, placing the shorter man on his lap.
"Your leg," Kuroko started to protest, but Kise pressed a finger to his lips.
"It feels a million times better, thanks to you, but another part of me is feeling lonely now."
Settling into his lap, Kuroko peered up at him, only a bit suspicious. "And what part is that?"
Kise pointed to his mouth. "Here."
"You're such a handful," Kuroko grunted, but dutifully leaned in. Kise met him halfway, brushing his lips across Kuroko's once, twice, before deepening the kiss.
"Come home with me?" he pulled way long enough to ask.
"I thought your captain said not to wear yourself out." Kuroko was breathing a little fast and Kise could feel the pounding of his heart. It drove him crazy knowing Kuroko wanted him just as badly.
"As long as Kurokocchi can control himself, it should be okay."
He got an elbow in the stomach for that. "Kise-kun is the pervert, not me."
"That's right, but just for you."
"Of course," Kuroko agreed matter-of-factly.
Kise had to squeeze him again for that, for being so damn cute. "Then you'll come?"
"That depends on your technique, doesn't it?" There was a sly note in his voice, and he hopped up before Kise could respond. Grabbing his bag, he looked back at the other man and lifted a pale eyebrow. "Well?"
Closing his mouth, because his jaw had nearly dropped to the floor at Kuroko's sexy retort, Kise hastily put his shoe and sock back on and sprang to his feet.
"Kurokocchi is so naughty!"
"Only for you," the other man repeated Kise's declaration.
Dazzling smile back, Kise grabbed up his own belongings and slipped his hand into Kuroko's, so happy his pain and exhaustion just melted away, healed by the magic that was his Kurokocchi.
And when he went to practice the next day, beaming and glowing and so bubbly it was downright irritating, Kasamtsu kicked him not once, but twice.
the end
