It's been too long. I'm sorry friends, followers, and reviewers. Mid-terms decided to kick my butt and I had a little trouble writing this chapter. Of course when I decided to write a fanfiction on a sports anime I realized, "Hey I'm gonna have to write sports scenes." But I did not realize how incredibly hard writing these sports scenes would be. As a result I think a lot of my frustration bled out into the characters and I full warn you there is quite a bit of cussing. Anyway, I've edited this but I do not have superb editing skills... so yeah. If I've made a glaringly obvious mistake please, please, please tell me.

Finally! Enjoy the newest chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any canon characters/events.


Teiko (Second String) VS Komagi

"What the hell was that!"

"Did you see that! That little rat!"

"I'm going to punch those smug jerks, I swear."

"Beat their ass, Uoya!"

"Oh, come on. How is the ref so blind!"

"Imamura-san," a heavy hand fell onto her shoulder and she followed its length to meet eyes with her coach. He spoke, "It's great to see your enthusiasm, as always, but please remember we do have guests."

Brown eyes were crinkled in subtle amusement and he flicked his gaze over his shoulder to the newcomers. Kise was staring at her open mouthed and edging a safe distance away from her. Kuroko was motionless beside him, but the abnormal width of his eyes gave him away.

She pouted at them both before slouching over in defeat. Letting out a resigned huff she mumbled, "Sorry, Matadusi-sensei."

He gave her shoulder a quick pat in reply then turned his attention back to the game. Her team was steadily losing points to Komagi's offense and unfortunately the score board was reflecting that number. 48-69. She'd like to think that they were losing due to the uncalled fouls, but she knew that wasn't the case. Her team simply did not have the skill to keep up with a powerhouse like this. I promised to help them succeed.

"I don't recall you being this…" Kuroko interrupted her thoughts, "vocal during our match."

She waved her hand at him in dismissal, eyes locked on the game. "I knew we wouldn't win against your team. But I had thought we'd at least stand a chance here..."

"Awh, Imamura-chan! That's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say!" Kise cried from the opposite side of the bench. She twitched and shot her eyes in his direction to give him the nastiest glare she could manage. Kise flinched.

Seconds later the buzzer rang, signaling the end of first half. Her team returned worn out and disheartened as they realized the odds of winning the game. As they all took their seats, a sweaty lump of grey hair flung itself into her lap causing her to scrunch up her nose in distaste. In retaliation, Hana poked at his forehead.

Uoya groaned and swatted at her hand, "Water."

"You gotta move then," she poked at him again and he rolled off her lap, "Good job out there by the way."

Her friend let out a disgruntled mumble but Hana ignored him as she stood to retrieve several water bottles. Passing them out to her teammates, she made her way over to Futabatei and tapped him on the shoulder. In her hand was the last water bottle and he accepted it with a silent nod.

"I was thinking," she started off warily, "It might be time to sub in Kuroko and Kise."

He flicked his eyes to her and hummed noncommittally. His gaze returned to the score board and he seemed to go into deep thought. Another hum later, "I know."

"…You know?" she deadpanned.

"It's what I intended to do," he said.

Hana stared at him and tried to stifle her temper, "That's not what you said over the email."

"Oh," he glanced at her again and she swore she saw the beginnings of a teasing smile. "My apologies."

"This is a twisted form of revenge, isn't it?"

"Go tell Kise-san and Kuroko-san that they're playing next," he returned casually, patting her once on top of the head as he walked away.

Hana glared at the back of his head before stomping her foot childishly. Heading over to the two reserve players she caught Kuroko's attention and came to stand in front of him. Far off to the side Kise perked up hoping for something to stop his boredom. He cautiously moved closer to hear the conversation.

Hana shot Kise an impatient look before aiming her words to Kuroko, "Captain told me you guys are getting subbed in next half. Hopefully we'll be able to bring the score up with your help."

She paused for a bit to mentally review the game plan, "Originally, you two weren't supposed to be subbed in until the last quarter but with how badly we're losing the plans changed a bit. Your positions are still the same from practice but you'll be playing for longer than intended."

Kuroko dipped his head in understanding and pulled his wristbands on. Looking at the manager he said, "We'll help as best as we can."

Hana nodded absentmindedly, then unexpectedly pulled a hand down her face. Sighing, she spoke, "You've been watching so you know that the referee isn't doing his job. Just…" another sigh, "Don't worry about anything they say. Play as best as you can. Both of you."

Kise frowned momentarily and shot Kuroko a confused look. His blue haired teammate didn't notice, too busy lost in his scrutiny of the manager. Despite not knowing Kuroko that long, Kise was fairly positive the shorter boy didn't smile often. But looking at him now he could see a tiny lift of Kuroko's lips.

"You're doing it again," Kuroko spoke frankly. Hana frowned at him, confused. Doing what?

Kise leaned closer to Kuroko and whispered, "What's she doing?"

"Imamura-chan becomes very serious on the topic of basketball. When we went to dinner the other night she did the same thing," blue eyes landed on the blonde, "I recall her referring to you as the so called 'copycat king', actually."

"Don't talk about that!" she gasped.

"Copycat king, huh?" Kise smirked at Hana's flushed face. His word's caused the blush to spread down her neck and chest, he noted.

"We're not talking about this! Go get ready!"

"Talking about what?" a new voice spoke up. Uoya appeared from behind Kuroko, head titled in curiosity.

"How much conditioner Kise uses," Hana quipped quickly, purposely cutting off Kise. The boy frowned and opened his mouth but a loud whistle silenced him. The tall blonde scowled at her, but it lacked any real heat. Kuroko let out another millimeter smile before latching onto Kise's jersey and dragging him off.

"So they're finally playing?" Uoya questioned. Before she could confirm he spoke again, "It's about time! Those Komagi jerks need to be taken down a few notches."

"That's rich coming from you."

"From me—what are you talking about?!"

Hana side-eyed him with a smirk, "I saw that cute little brunette earlier. The one with the bow?"

"You saw that?" Uoya whispered, his face paling rapidly.

"I saw it," she confirmed and brought her clipboard over her mouth to hide her grin. "I saw all of it."

"…. Please don't…"

"Hey man, she told you she had a boyfriend. Should have listened and maybe you wouldn't be so embarrassed right now."

"I didn't know he'd be that big!" he defended.

Hana snorted, "You shouldn't have pestered her. You were being an annoying little shit."

Before Uoya could respond, Hana bopped him on the head with her clipboard. The underclassman let out a soft moan and glared up at his friend, "Sometimes I swear I hate you."

"No you don't. Now go sit down and rest, you're subbed out."

"Wait! That wasn't part of the plan! I'm fine!" he protested.

"The plans changed, just take a break. Seriously," Hana grumbled. She could tell he wanted to argue. But he quickly reined it in before shooting her a halfhearted glare and sulking toward the bench. Stupid stubborn brat.

Her team was lined up into position on the court, all the players looking exhausted except Kuroko and Kise. Even from the sidelines she could sense Kise's bubbling anticipation despite his nonchalant façade. Obviously, the boy had been sitting still for too long. Hana vaguely equated his current mood to that of a hyper active puppy. On steroids.

On the other hand, Kuroko looked calm if not a little bored. He wasn't looking at the players around him and they in turn were doing the same to him. They probably haven't noticed him. That's… convenient. It was one thing watching this talent from the perception of the audience, but it was a whole other ball field watching it as a teammate. It was mildly disturbing how quickly her mind worked on a plan to exploit it.

The only other player on the floor that didn't look tired was the captain. Futabatei was standing tall with his detached face on. But Hana knew from experience not to trust him when he was like this. It was probably the scariest thing about her captain; the way he can pay attention to everything at once while simultaneously not at all. His cold gray eyes were locked on the opposing team, and Hana could feel his annoyance radiating across the court.

The other team hadn't noticed his look yet and were still chatting boisterously. She flinched when she caught the echo of their words: weak, losers, not worth our time. Her hands curled into fists, feeling a sting as her jagged finger nails dug into her palm. A quick glance at Futabatei showed that he too had heard the insults as his shoulders had tightened up. She unclenched her fists and flexed her fingers; her thoughts now a happier, more devious tone. Captains gonna kick their asses~

A whistle blew out and the incompetent referee from before walked up, "Second half begins. Ball in home team's possession."

Futabatei caught the ball easily and retreated to behind the line, Iseri-san in front of him waiting for the pass. It began quickly, Futabatei passed it to him hard and the echoing smack rang in her ears. Iseri-san moved just as fast, dribbling to the half court line and twisting to avoid a messy block by one of Komagi's players. Another opponent appeared on his left and he was forced to pass the ball to the closest player, who just so happened to be Kise.

In shock of the rapid change of pace, Komagi couldn't defend against Kise who quickly moved toward the goal and dunked the ball into the hoop with little trouble. The blonde didn't seem surprised in the slightest and nonchalantly tossed the ball to the opposing team before retreating to the other side of the court. Hana appreciated the vindictive smirk that spread across her face.

Komagi didn't take Kise's success very well. Like Futabatei, they passed the ball in quickly and sprinted toward her team. The brown haired offensive player, Hana hadn't bothered to memorize their names, shouldered past Iseri and Futabatei. Iseri was sent to the floor by the impact, but Futabatei stood strong and attempted to block the opponent's advancement. His hand barely connected with the ball when a quick elbow jab sent him stepping backwards.

"Foul!" Hana screamed, "That was a fuc-!" A hand pressed over her mouth cutting her cursing short. She shot Uoya an unimpressed look over her shoulder.

The referee didn't even glance in her direction and he most certainly didn't call the foul. The brown-haired asshole was smirking as he dribbled the ball closer to their net, weaving in and out with ease. Kise had moved forward to deflect him but stopped suddenly. At first Hana didn't understand why, but unexpectedly the ball was stolen out of the player's hands by a pale blur. With practiced ease Kuroko, passed the ball to a now standing Iseri who in turn raced down the court.

Iseri was quickly blocked off and the ball taken from his possession. The Komagi player was back to their goal quickly and jumped up to shoot the ball in, but a long arm stopped its entry. Kise was faster than expected. As soon as the ball was in his possession it seemed he was at the opposite goal in seconds. Despite his quick feet, Kise wasn't prepared for the two defensive players awaiting him.

They quickly blocked him in, moving closer and closer to the overwhelmed blonde. The two opposing players were pressed shoulder to shoulder with the blonde and were pushing manically. Eventually the jostling became too much for Kise and he began to twist around to find a way out. The other two players were jeering, but Hana couldn't hear them from the sidelines. Obviously, whatever they were saying was upsetting Kise and he struggled harder. Just as he was about to free himself the whistle rang out.

"Foul! Unnecessary contact, home team!"

Kise shot a disbelieving look at the referee. He ignored the hand that patted his shoulder, still in shock over the terrible call. This isn't right… he thought angrily.

"The ball is now in possession of the guest team!"

"You idiotic, sadistic, little twerp of a man!" a high-pitched shriek followed his declaration. Kise looked to the side and almost smiled at the sight of the manager struggling furiously in her friends hold. Her friend, he thinks his name was Uoya, was trying to cover her mouth but she kept evading his hand and occasionally snapping her teeth at him.

His attention transferred back to the game at the sound of the whistle. The same brunette player from before was dribbling down the court and Kise was righteously annoyed. As the player got closer, Kise stepped out of his position and stole the ball. He ignored the muffled curse from the brunette who was trying to get the ball back. Copying the move Kise had seen Iseri use earlier, Kise twisted around the Komagi player and rushed toward the goal again.

It was like deja-vu as two more Komagi players blocked him off. Kise grit his teeth and barely restrained the urge to lash out. The one to his left pushed into his side hard, shoving him into the player on his right. He could hear their voices talking, the tone sarcastic and mean but he paid them no mind. His attention was focused on trying to find a way out of this situation. He couldn't see anyone open and the oppressive feeling of being closed in was making him freeze up.

"Kuroko! Pass to Kuroko!" he couldn't tell who was speaking and he barely caught the words at all. They registered in his mind shortly after being spoken and he flicked his eyes across the court in search of the phantom player. There!

The blue haired boy was standing a few feet away in front of him, completely unguarded by the opposing team. His hands acted out of instinct and he passed the ball automatically. As the ball hit Kuroko's hands it was quickly directed to another player near the goalpost, who in his shock, shot it straight through the hoop.

At first the score didn't register for Kise, who was still fuming over the poor playing style of the opposing team. It was the loud whoop of excitement that caught his attention and he snapped out of his inner thoughts. Imamura-san was laughing on the sidelines, but he couldn't figure out why she was so happy. A quick glance at the rest of the players on the floor showed that they shared the same confusion.

"We're gonna kick their asses! Did you see that!" Hana yelled out giddily, "Kise! Keep passing to Kuroko! Kuroko! Keep doing that thing you do!"

"That thing he does?" Kise frowned to himself. What thing? His misdirection?

As if hearing Kise's thoughts, Hana spoke again, "That ghost thing!"

Kise let out a strangled half-choke, half-cough. The boy she was talking about was sending her a very unimpressed look and Kise scarcely controlled his laughter. Kuroko shot him an equal look but then his attention turned to the left of Kise. The same hand that patted him on the shoulder before abruptly did it again, but this time Kise payed attention to it.

"She's right," the captain spoke, "You're the fastest one in the game right now. If we want to win, you need to keep charging and pass to Kuroko-san if you get blocked. Iseri, Kajiwara, and I will be under the net to shoot."

Kise offered him a quick agreement and the satisfied captain continued on his way. He looked toward Kuroko and tried to catch his eye, nodding when blue eyes met his own. Kuroko offered him a simple dip of the head but it was enough to know his message had been understood. We'll work together and we will defeat these guys, Kise promised silently.

The third quarter only had 40 seconds left for play and in that time the ball was stolen from Komagi and had stayed in Teiko's possession since. Kise and Kuroko were working together perfectly, already scoring four more points before the end of the quarter. It was about to be six more points but the whistle distracted Kajiwara, who was attempting to shoot, causing the ball to miss the hoop and bounce into the sidelines.

The players made their way to side for the quick break, gladly accepting the water bottles offered by an energetic manager. Futabatei began to discuss the rest of the game plan with the coach while Kise looked away uninterested. His attention landed on Kuroko and he zeroed in on the boy's sweaty face. He doesn't have the best of stamina, Kise mused, But I guess he's not a terrible player.

His thoughts were interrupted, again, by a water bottle flying toward his chest. He fumbled to catch it but ended up dropping it to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, he looked at the smug manager in front of him. Her green eyes were positively glowing and frankly Kise didn't think that was a good thing. As he straightened back up, and opened the now slightly beaten water bottle, he offered her a practiced smile.

"Did you see us, Imamura-chan?" he barely resisted pouting at her lack of reaction. It was so much fun to tease her, especially with how much she blushed.

"You guys did great!" Kise almost choked on his tongue at the honest admission. But the black-haired girl just kept grinning, "We're going to destroy these guys and I'm going to relish in it."

"You're very cruel, Imamura-chan," Kuroko spoke out from beside Kise. Hana pretended not to see the blonde teenager jump. He was helping her team win, she could let him keep his dignity. For now.

"These guys ruined us last year. It was 28-74, in their favor. I'm just enjoying some well-earned revenge," Hana smiled darkly but faltered at Kuroko's raised eyebrow and Kise's slightly scared expression. She pouted minutely, "Do you understand how many drills we had to do for losing last year? Like 100. Even I had to do them!"

"Futabatei-san made you do drills?" Kuroko questioned incredulously. Kise was gawking in the background. He couldn't imagine forcefully making Momoi-san do their drills.

"Ehm, no. Futabatei wasn't the captain last year," Hana replied but she refused to answer any more on the subject.

Kise looked pensive for a moment, "Is that why your punch hurt so bad?"

"Maybe," she smiled at him, "Want to find out for sure?"

"No thanks!" Kise stepped back quickly. Unbeknownst to the bickering pair, Kuroko rolled his eyes.

"Breaks about over," Hana mused, "You guys better go back out. Keep up the good work!"

Kuroko wanted to deny how happy her encouragement made him feel, but he was never very good at lying to himself. He eyed her for a moment, surprised by how different she looked with such a large grin on his face. A quick inventory of his teammate confirmed his opinion; Kise was looking at her strangely too.

"You're being surprisingly nice?" it was Kise that offered the confused statement.

"Are you indirectly calling me a bitch, Kise-san?"

"…Nope! Not at all! See ya later!"

Kuroko watched as his teammate quickly retreated. A look at Imamura-san made him tilt his head slightly. Her eyes were narrowed on the blondes back, but he swore he could see a hint of a laugh wanting to break out.

"He is right though," Kuroko mused aloud, "Most comments you make about our success are backhanded. It's odd to hear you speak so genuinely."

For her part, Hana looked slightly chastised. Narrowed green eyes regraded him for a moment before speaking, "I owe you guys for this. The least I can do is acknowledge your skills, especially with how much you've helped today."

Kuroko wanted to respond, but Imamura-san was looking away from him almost bashfully. He blinked at her before lowering his head with a small smile. He needed to return to his position anyway.

The final quarter began with a flourish. Kise started right off the bat, quickly leading the charge against Komagi's defense. Futabatei, Uoya, and Iseri were positioned around the goal just as quick and Kuroko could pass to them without problem. It seemed Komagi was still trying to force their score through fouls, but they were quickly realizing that style of play was no longer working.

When Komagi gained possession of the ball again, they upped the factor and began to play rougher. Hana winced at the sound of an arm connecting to Iseri's gut; that poor boy was going to be black and blue by tomorrow morning. This realization only made her fury grow.

"That was a foul! This team is a bunch of dirty cheats!" she screamed. Briefly, she toyed with the idea of launching her clipboard at the overly aggressive opposition but a sharp look from coach stopped her. Unfortunately, her coach was not the only one to hear her words.

A boy with a shaved head was in position near their side of the bleachers and he shot her a smug smirk, eyes dancing in sadistic mirth. She glared at his red and black jersey, mentally setting the self-righteous prick on fire. With a quick glance around for anyone watching, she smiled sweetly at the boy before lifting her hand up in a rebellious f-you. His smirk was quickly replaced by narrowed eyes.

"Better stay in your place bitch," his surprisingly deep voice warned her. In response, she stuck her tongue out. She didn't care if it was childish if it got the response she was looking for. Which it did.

His teammate passed him the ball, but since his attention was on the infuriating manager in front of him, he didn't notice and Uoya was there in a flash to intercept it. The boy looked shocked for a second before turning accusing eyes on the foul black haired girl.

"I'll get you for that," he promised before returning his attention back to the game and racing toward a defensive position.

"I'll get you for that," Hana mocked in a high-pitched voice. Feeling a heavy gaze on her right she turned to them only to blush at the droll look on Kajiwara's face.

"He started it," she defended. The blonde upperclassman rolled his eyes.

Iseri had scored another goal with the help of Kuroko by the time she looked back to the game. The score was two points away from being tied and the final quarter still had six minutes left. They can do this! We can do this!

Kise was cornered again, this time three players surrounded the overworked blonde. Two were situated on each side of him and the boy with the shaved head she'd mocked earlier was standing in front of him, arms wide. It was beginning to look like Kise was going to be fouled out again, but he passed to the right underneath the defensive reach. It seemed like the pass was directed to empty air, but Kuroko was suddenly in place and caught it quickly. With the most speed she'd seen Kuroko use all game, he was dribbling past another guard and the ball was passed to Futabatei, who shot it straight into the net. 74-75. Only one more goal! Three more minutes!

"Come on guys! Come on!" Hana shouted, "One more!"

Komagi was fast, pushing their players to the limit. The brunette from before was weaving in and out of her teammates, occasionally pushing them to the side in his haste. Uoya was an unfortunate victim to this as the offensive player shoved a palm into his back and pushed him away. Kuroko tried to subtly steal the ball before the player got to the hoop, but the brunette was lucky and managed to avoid Kuroko's hand. It was at the last second when the Komagi player jumped up to dunk and a tan hand slapped the ball away. Kise landed in front of the brunette breathing heavily. The tension was palatable as the two players stared each other down; Kise's gold eyes were burning into the other teen.

In the meantime, Uoya had grabbed the ball and was racing down the court. He passed to the left and Kuroko caught it and continued the sprint before passing it to Iseri. Iseri jumped for the goal but he couldn't make it. The ball bounced along the hoops ring three times before falling off into the greedy hands below. A Komagi player had it in one palm when another larger palm ripped it out of his hands. Futabatei landed below the hoop with the ball securely held in his hands. It was almost poetic when he shot the ball and it swooped straight through the hoop with an audible swoosh. 76-75. One minute left.

"Don't let them through!"

It was the boy with a shaved head this time. He led the charge of Komagi's offense with a finer hand then the brunette before. The boy with the shaved head avoided everyone without physical contact, making stealing the ball even harder. Uoya reached him a few feet in front of the goal but the other boy passed the ball behind him to a black-haired boy. The new guy wasn't as fast as the others but he was a much better shot. 30 seconds. The ball floated through the air, a bright orange flash. Kise jumped from his position but couldn't reach the ball with its current arc. Uoya and Futabatei both raced toward the hoop, along with the rest of the Komagi team.

Uoya jumped and his fingers grazed the ball, knocking it off its path. It hit the hoop and bounced into the backboard before rolling off to the left side. He stumbled to grab it but couldn't manage. 20 seconds. The ball landed behind him and it was a race between the two teams to catch it. The troublesome brunette was the first to grab it. Fifteen seconds. He took the shot from his current location and the ball bounced off the backboard without connecting to the hoop. Ten seconds. The two teams struggled against each other to snatch the final rebound. Shaved-head grabbed it between his hands, but Iseri jumped in front of him with a palm outstretched and stopped his shot. Five seconds. The Komagi player growled and passed the ball to the right roughly. He had been aiming toward his own teammate but that wasn't who caught it.

Kuroko stood in front of his teammate, orange ball held firmly between his hands. He didn't attempt to move because, not even a second later, the final buzzer went off. Blue eyes were blazing with unsaid victory.

Game over.

"Yeah!" Hana screamed with the buzzer unintentionally grabbing onto Kajiwara and pulling him to his feet, "We did it!"

It was heartwarming watching the happy grins simultaneously spread across her teammates faces. Uoya let out a loud woo-hoo!, that set everyone off. Suddenly every member of her team was cheering, except Futabatei and herself. Her captain was looking at his teammates fondly, lips curling into a reluctant grin. He glanced over to sidelines and offered them all a proud nod. Meanwhile, she felt a hand tussle her hair before catching the sight of a suit covered arm moving on to congratulate the rest of the team. Finally, her eyes landed on the two reserve players.

Kise and Kuroko were looking at each other and seemed to be in a semi-serious conversation. Both had tired smiles on their faces and Hana suddenly felt an intense fondness for the two boys that helped her team succeed. Looking back on her actions, she would most likely feel embarrassed but that didn't stop her as she marched toward them.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought, Kurokocchi!" Kise spoke happily.

"…Please don't call me that," Kuroko deadpanned.

Kise noticed her first, surprisingly, and shot her a wary slash excited grin. Kuroko followed his teammates gaze and offered her an exhausted twitch of the lips. Hana didn't even think about her next actions. One minute she was walking toward them then the next she had pulled both boys into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered into the boy's chests.

Meanwhile, Kise shot Kuroko a terrified look over her head. Kuroko, himself, was out of his element too. He returned Kise's look with slightly wide blue eyes and shook his head slowly. Thankfully, the surprise hug was over quickly and the two boys traded more confused looks when the manager wouldn't make eye contact with either of them.

"Uhm," she coughed, "Thank you for helping us today… Ah, I'm just gonna go now? Yeah… I'm gonna go."

"Wait-"Kuroko started, but Hana was already walking away.

"What was that?" Kise spoke slowly, still in shock that the abrasive girl had hugged him. Willingly.

"I believe she was thanking us," Kuroko responded. His eyes were trained on Hana's back as she was unwilling tugged into a group hug between her teammates.

Kise followed his teammates gaze and tilted his head. He could hear her shouts of protest as her friend tickled her mercilessly, "Do you think we should tell Akashicchi about the game today or wait until practice?"

Kise paused when he didn't hear a response. A quick glance over his right shoulder confirmed his fears as the blue haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Kurokocchi…" he whined, fake tears coming easily.

He pouted mentally, Now I'll have to be the one that tells Akashicchi.