"Wow, you've got a nice place, Kuroko," Kagami said, stepping into the apartment. It was plain and simple but immaculately well-kept. It had taken an hour to get from the hospital to Kuroko's place, with Kuroko driving – something Kagami couldn't believe, and he'd clutched onto the handle of the door the whole way while Kuroko tried to reassure him he knew very well how to drive.
"You do too," he said, which seemed to surprise Kagami. "You passed your test when you were in college."
"When did you pass?"
"Last month," Kuroko replied. Kagami gripped onto the door tighter, and he was wondering how much it would hurt to throw himself out of a moving vehicle when Kuroko added, "Calm down, I'm a good driver. You even told me so."
"I did?" Kagami said, sounding confused. He hated not being able to remember things – Kuroko knew him better than himself now. Most people would know him better than himself.
So now he found himself in Kuroko's apartment. It was nice, as he thought, and he didn't understand how Kuroko could afford it.
"What do you do?"
"Huh?"
"Your job."
"Oh," Kuroko said, "I work as a kindergarten teacher."
That seemed like a weird career choice for a guy who seemed to gloomy to entertain children, but Kagami didn't think too much of it. "And what do I do?"
"You're a firefighter, but until you fully recover, you're on sick leave, so please don't worry about that."
"Please make yourself at home," Kuroko said.
Kagami stepped further into the apartment, feeling a little awkward in spite of how welcoming Kuroko was being. He was about to say something, but whatever it was was forgotten as he heard a series of barks and he turned to see a monster thundering towards him. Before he'd had a chance to react the dog leapt towards him, 200 lbs of muscle and fur, mouth agape to reveal sharp, yellow teeth; and all Kagami could think was how those jaws were going to close around his neck and he'd be dead in an instant.
The dog knocked him back against the couch. Kagami winced as he felt a jolt of pain go through him, but that was nothing compared to the fear that gripped him when… the dog began to lick his face. Frozen in terror and disgust as a big, wet tongue lapped at his face, he barely even registered Kuroko grabbing a hold of the dog's collar and hauling it back.
"Koko, get down!" The dog whined but backed off, curling up sheepishly on the floor by the couch, and Kuroko leant over Kagami, looking concerned. "Taiga, are you okay?"
There it was again. Taiga. Kagami was still in a state of shock, so he barely even heard the name. His voice came out in a rasp as he stuttered, "H-hate…"
"What?"
"I hate dogs!" Kagami forced out, looking to the giant pile of black fur on the floor next to him and attempting to inch away, but his entire left side hurt too much to make much of an escape.
Kuroko's confusion turned to concern, and he said, "Oh, right." His hands came to rest on Kagami's shoulders, "But please keep calm. Koko is just excited to see you because you've not been around in a while. I promise, I'll make sure she won't jump up again."
Kagami shook his head. He couldn't take his gaze off that thing on the floor. It was lying obediently right now, sure, but who knew when it would pounce on him again? Kuroko smiled, and said, "If it makes you feel better, I can find someone to look after her while you stay here."
Kagami nodded. That would be good.
Later that evening, they ate dinner. Kagami hadn't realised how hungry he'd been. Kuroko ordered take out, and Kagami questioned why he couldn't cook. Kuroko shrugged and gave an excuse about not usually having to, and Kagami raised an eyebrow. Who didn't have to cook? Did the other eat greasy junk food every night?
Halfway through dinner, the doorbell rang and Kuroko wiped his lips clean of sauce with a napkin and stood, making his way to the door. He glanced through the peephole then opened it.
"Aomine-kun."
Kagami looked up. That idiot Aomine?
"Yo, Tetsu," Kagami heard the other reply. Yes, it was definitely that Aomine. Kagami stood and headed slowly towards the door. Aomine looked over Kuroko's shoulder to him when he came into view. "Oh, there he is."
Kagami glared at Aomine. How dare he, his eternal rival, address him so casually? But Aomine only smirked.
"I haven't seen that look in a while," he said, "I guess you really have lost your memories."
Aomine looked much like he had in high school, save for the fact that the crease between his eyebrows had deepened and he has a layer of stubble across his chin. He rubbed his chin as he slipped a cigarette between his lips, then looked to Kuroko. "Well, I'd love to stay and catch up, but I've got to get home. I'll take the dog and leave."
"You were working today?" Kuroko asked, and Kagami noticed for the first time the other's uniform – a long sleeved, dark shirt and a silver badge pinned to the chest. No way, the other was a cop? "Sorry to ask you to do this. You're probably tired."
"Doesn't matter. If you need anything else, let us know."
This polite, helpful version of Aomine was freaking him out! It just… wasn't right! He'd rather have the other sneering at him and calling him an idiot than smiling pleasantly and looking like an upstanding police officer and civilian. But nothing changed as Kuroko thanked him and he left, and Kagami felt a little more relaxed knowing that that thing was out of the apartment (the dog, BTW, not Aomine)
That night, Kuroko handed him a bag of clothes, and Kagami looked at him oddly. "It's your things from the hospital. What you're wearing now are spare clothes I got from your place," Kuroko explained, and he went on before Kagami had the chance to ask: where is my place? "I'll wash your clothes if you leave them out for me, but for now, why don't you have a bath?"
Kuroko's place had a nice bathroom, with a shower and a large bath that could accommodate even Kagami. As Kagami ran the bath he looked through the bag he'd been given. His wallet was there, and he raked through it to find it disappointingly empty. Sure enough, there was a driver's licence in there – his picture was as unflattering as most of his ID seemed to be – and some cards to stores he didn't recognise. He placed it back in the back then had a look through it. There was soap and deodorant and shaving cream and razors (Kagami was still in a state of shock that he'd have to shave every day now) that he was sure he'd used in hospital, but nothing much more interesting… that was, until he sat the bag down on the floor and heard a loud buzzing.
He didn't know much about the future, but buzzing bags didn't seem to be a likely invention. He picked it back up and looked through it more carefully – and this time, he found a phone.
It was a touchscreen, unlike the chunky flip phone he'd had back in high school, but it wasn't like it was hard to use. There were a number of icons lit up, and he could figure out by the icons representing them what they were – missed calls and text messages. He hit missed calls first.
Two from his mom, two from Kuroko. One from an unlisted number. One from someone he didn't recognise. Three from a contact named 'Work'. Two from a contact called 'Home'. He tapped on home; the number began with the area code that he was in. So what did that mean? He lived near here?
None of them seemed like anyone he wanted to call back. He moved into text messages.
The last message was from the person he didn't recognise, sent this morning. He opened it.
Shit man, sorry, I didn't know. You'll pull through, right? Everyone at the station is thinking of you. Let us know when you're feeling better.
He was a little confused. He read the message before that, sent thirty minutes previously.
Kagami, are you going to Takano's leaving party on Friday? You gotta let me know ASAP.
He exited those messages. The next ones down were from Kuroko.
Taiga, are you okay?
There it was again. This time, though, he couldn't even wonder if he'd misunderstood and picked the other up wrong. His name was there in black and white, written on the screen.
He scrolled back.
Are you out of work yet?
I'm worried.
He guessed these last messages were from the night he had his accident – he'd been told that he'd been run over by a drunk driver and rushed to hospital immediately; the fact that it had happened in a crowded public place and he'd been able to get help so quickly was probably the reason he hadn't had any major problems, the doctors had said. It made sense that Kuroko would be worried, but… why was he worried enough to send seven text messages (Kagami scrolled back and counted). And… why was he the person who came to the hospital to collect him, and offered him a place to stay?
It wasn't like Kagami wasn't glad to find out he was still friends with Kuroko at this age. But the fact that he didn't seem to have any closer friends… or a girlfriend? hell, a wife? he was getting on now, after all… was a little confusing.
He scrolled back. Most of the texts were boring (it seemed Kagami had a habit of texting Kuroko when he was bored at work and when the station was quiet; it also seemed that Kuroko almost invariably replied with 'I'm busy at work, can't talk').
He came across something interesting, though, from almost a week before.
Maybe interesting wasn't the right word – scary was probably more like it.
A picture of Kuroko, naked – or, well, it was off his head and shoulders, but he didn't have a shirt on! Scandalous! – with wet hair and water dribbling down his pale skin. Kagami gawped at it. Had Kuroko sent this buy mistake?! But there was no denying it when he read the caption.
Just had a shower. What do you think?
Kagami balked, but he felt even more sick when he read the reply below.
I think I can't wait to get home.
Followed, a little later, by: Happy birthday.
The bath was overflowing.
And then: I love you, Tetsuya.
His feet and the bottom of his jeans were wet now. His hands shook as he hit reply and he texted, his mind racing. What the hell is our relationship?
He was frightened of what the reply would be, and yet when he got it, he read it immediately.
I see you found your phone.
a/n: hi, minna-chans! ヽ(' ∇' )ノ first of all, thank you very much for your reviews, follows and favourites! i was very pleased to see such a positive reaction to the first chapter, and i hope this doesn't disappoint, though i'm not really a fan of it myself. i wanted to update this and my other kuroko fic over the weekend, but author-chan has been sick-san! (x_x) i'll update both at least once over the next week, though. thank you for reading, and have a great night! (^v^)
