Update time: 18:00 8/27
Warning: Unbeta-ed
This was starting to taste much more awful than Kagami had thought. He hadn't seen the blond for a couple of days, hadn't even dared to look over that glass window to the blond's room. But there was no way for whoever –Kuroko and Akashi mainly- that had gone inside the room to return without a shitty mood. You couldn't even look at them when they came out of it, like even the first sight of them could kill. Even Kuroko was like that. He no more cried, but there was some darkening cloud in his eyes Kagami was afraid to face. Fuck… All that meant that Kise's attitude hadn't changed since the last time he saw him…
Yeah… The last time he saw him, three days ago. Three fucking days that felt like a whole year. He wasn't sure if he was going to recognize the boy if he was to see him again. More likely, he wasn't sure if he was going to recognize himself if he looked into a mirror or rather… the glass window to Kise's room…
If the blond looked lightless after the accident, with what he had heard, he had really turned to a lifeless body. Kagami Taiga who always cursed everything for why the universe had given him such a low intelligence, was now cursing the universe this time for giving him even that little amount. Because damn… The scenes he had never planned to watch even in a movie, were now so live and vivid in his head. When had he ever even grown such an amazing ability of remembering?
After that time, when he had seen how that pale visage had gone shocked, and how the owner of it had gone breathless, like the time had frozen all around him and Kise, Kagami hadn't dared to take a little glance at the blond. It was mostly like he was afraid that Kise would see him. Because he, Kagami fucking Taiga, had acted like a hotheaded jerk again and taken the responsibility of something without thinking for a second about the future consequences. Not that he regretted competing to be the one who is going to take care of Kise. No regrets for that. Ever.
The point was that, did he ever think that being the one to tell Kise about his family's death would change many things? The guys who had visited Kise after him told the others that all what Kise did was just… look toward the window, the one that had the view of the hospital yard. Not that Kise could see anything out there; his bed wasn't near the window, and even if it was, he couldn't sit in his bed and see the view. The guys said the blond never moved, never responded to what they asked him, never even cried. Just stared and stared, at just God knew what.
He had heard the guys when they were discussing about the possibility of Kise needing some time alone to digest the situation and the loss. But to think that Kagami himself was the one that started this thing with him, it made him fear even more…
Did Kagami ever think that telling Kise about the family death would make him hate him to no ends and never want to even see him again, let alone live with him?
Kagami deserved to be called Bakagami. For not considering the future.
And now, it was the day. It was the freaking exact day when Kise was going to be dismissed from the hospital to… Kagami's house. Taiga's dad was abroad. But he had contacted him to let him know about the whole thing and to know if he was going to allow it to happen. He knew that he didn't need to do so in the first place though. When he had told the story to his dad, Kagami the father had felt so sorry and grief he decided to return from the States to meet the kid in person. But the son had told him that he didn't need to do that for now and what he needed right now was for him to talk to the hospital director and the people from Social Service over a video chat or whatever else and convince them that they were capable to take care of the blond. And the dad had immediately called his lawyer in Japan to make everything go as Taiga had explained. Through three days, Tiaga had been wondering if it was alright to not go visit the blond. But now he knew that if he wanted to look after him, his fear was going to get in his way. The people from Social Service didn't seem to accept the Kagami family to take care of Kise at first, since the father was mostly abroad and there was no mother. So it was only a seventeen year old kid taking care of another seventeen year old one. They said that it was pretty illogical and refused, but fortunately with Taiga's dad's help and the tests and interviews they had with Taiga finally made them satisfied enough to accept. That aside, Taiga had passed over that bastard Aomine before when he tried to rival him. This wasn't about basketball, so Kagami didn't care if Ahomine was stronger than him in the sport –Not that he would ever accept-. He was going to take Kise to his house and he did as he decided.
This was the day, in which Kagami needed to wash his fears over in order to take care of Kise. The fears of Kise seeing him, hating him, and pushing him back, because he probably knew Kagami's face as a reminder to what happened to his family… He took his hands off his face and grabbed his cell phone to check the time. Nearly two hours ago, he had come into the hospital with full confidence. But when he had done the last preparations to take Kise with him, just when he had walked through that cursed corridor which ended to the room Kise was sleeping in, his legs had started to feel shaky and giving in so he had to get away. And he had spent the remained time in the waiting hall, trying to calm himself. But it was enough and actually getting late. As he stood up, he saw Kuroko walking down the stairs and toward him. He turned fully toward the bluenette, knowing those blue orbs that were informing him of some news. Kuroko approached, a bit panting.
"Kagami-kun, it's time."
"Yeah… I know." Kagami sighed, averting his sight.
"Akashi-kun said he's got a car ready for you to take Kise-kun. But right now you need to go up since he wants to have some words with you."
"Alright,"
"And… Everyone is visiting him. Kise-kun needs to feel comfortable with you. So I think you must go visit him as well."
"Yeah yeah… got that." Kagami groaned. Kuroko nodded, that was supposed to mean he was leaving. And it was true, but there seemed to be something else in his eyes that the red head didn't understand.
"By the way…" The bluenette started. "Haven't you seen Aomine-kun around?"
'Bull's eye.'
"No," Kagami replied, observing how Kuroko's head dropped. "Hey, is everything alright?"
"…"
"Something up with the bastard?"
"…"
The tall teen sighed for the nth time in the day. He knew it was his fault. But he wasn't upset about it. If it was about the time Kuroko had bluntly uttered his support for Kagami rather than Aomine, he couldn't be the least sad. He was indeed thankful, because it had kind of helped the situation go better for him. But to know that how Ahomine was important for Kuroko and he himself cared for Kuroko as his closest friend, he felt bad for being the reason of Kuroko's current concern.
"Have you talked to him?"
"He… kind of… avoids me…" Kuroko quietly said. Kagami did not miss the pout in his Shadow's face.
"The hell! Is he a girl or somethin'?!" Even this couldn't lessen Kuroko's pout. Kagami sighed. Again.
"Look, just talk to him. He's not an idiot. I… don't know your reasons for what you did back then, but I'm thankful. And I know you never do things without valued reasons."
Kuroko looked up.
"I just changed my mind! That Ahomine is an idiot, but not too much to avoid your reasons. He's… your first light and… best friend, right? He's not going to be a freak again when it comes to you,"
Kuroko's eyes widened.
"from what I've seen, he's not going to make the same mistakes as past, not particularly with you."
Kuroko's lips splat.
"Kagami-kun…" Kagami's eyes caught sight of Kuroko's wide ones.
"W-what?!"
"Thank you…"
Heat started finding its way to the red head's face, fluttering him so much Kuroko could laugh. But the situation didn't let him do so.
"A-Ah! Nah! Never mind! Go get his ass up there before I take Kise!" But then the red head himself was the one who ran. Kuroko smiled. Genuinely.
'Kise-kun is going to be surely alright with Kagami-kun…'
The blue head walked toward the exit. If Aomine-kun wasn't around Kise-kun's room or in the waiting hall, he was definitely somewhere in the hospital yard. The bluenette walked out , searching among the people who were passing, entering or quitting the hospital. But Aomine-kun wasn't among them. He wondered where the tanned boy could be, and remembered the type of places he mostly liked. Somewhere… quiet,… and empty…
As he thought, he found himself switching his way and walking toward another area of the hospital yard where it seemed to be less crowded. At first, he started to get hopeless because from the first sight, the tanned guy didn't seem to be there as well. But Kuroko thanked his not-giving-up-yet spirit when he saw Aomine-kun somewhere deeper in that empty field of the backyard of the hospital. Aomine-kun was there… Lying on something like a bench, his forearm resting on his forehead and eyes, and his legs spread on the bench. He walked toward his friend and stopped a meter away. Aomine-kun was probably asleep, since that was the only thing he did whenever he found somewhere quiet and empty. Was it alright to wake him up? Wasn't it going to make him even angrier?
Kuroko started to get wrapped in his doubts and nervousness when something popped in his mind and he grabbed his cell phone…
To: Aomine-kun
Aomine-kun, can we talk?
Kuroko waited. Despite him thinking that Aomine-kun was asleep, the tanned guy's hand moved to his pocket to grab his phone when he heard the notification sound of a new message. Kuroko wasn't in the Light's sight, so he didn't move and just waited to see what will the tanned guy do. Aomine-kun's arm which was hiding his eyes did not move. He just read the message the way he was lying…
"Why bother textin' when you're already here, Tetsu?"
That startled Kuroko. His presence lacked. So just how had Aomine-kun sensed his presence when he was trying to be as inert and quiet as he could while that doubled his low presence?
"The cologne you recently wear is stupidly girly, you know?" Aomine-kun said, still in the same gesture.
So that was how he had sensed Kuroko's presence? And wait, that cologne was girly?! As if! It was nearly the same as the one that Midorima-kun wore! How could it be girly?! Kuroko mentally pouted.
Aomine-kun sat up, but still refused to look at him. He leaned his elbows on his thighs, interlocked his hands together and made that gesture of thinking Kuroko didn't like. Kuroko was still standing as far as he was, not knowing whether he was allowed to get any closer.
"Damn Tetsu why are you acting like I bite?!"
The bluenette looked up at his former light, still not knowing what to say or what to do.
'That Ahomine is an idiot, but not too much to avoid your reasons…'
That was an answer. The Shadow walked closer and stood right in front of his tanned friend.
"Aomine-kun,..."
Aomine looked up. Tetsu's head was dropped. But he seemed to be fidgeting to say something.
"I'm truly sorry!" Tetsu said, and bowed as deep as he could.
"W-What the hell Tetsu?! What is this for?!"
Tetsu said nothing, he just kept on with the posture.
"Stop it…" Aomine talked again, his head dropped as well. Tetsu finally stood straight. But his face wasn't expressionless as ever, it was full of something like… sorrow? The hell was up with Tetsu?!
For the passed few days, since when the battle happened between Kagami and himself, this has been something going on between the two. Like, Aomine had acted like Tetsu was a stranger, and Tetsu had acted like he feared Aomine. But non of them ever started to talk… until now. Aomine was regretful. He had acted stupidly and gave the right to Tetsu for not being the one to start talking. However, it had ended up with Tetsu trying to solve the situation any way.
"I'm the one that should apologize."
While saying that, Aomine was looking at his shoes, but it didn't mean that he missed how Tetsu got surprised. "I was being stupid and… you know… everything."
This time it was Aomine's turn to get surprised when Tetsu knelt in front of him. When their eyes met, the tanned guy couldn't read what he saw in the baby-blue eyes. Just that… they were calm. So calm it made his knotted eyebrows disentangled. He sighed.
"Can I explain now?"
"Huh?!" Heat rushed to his cheeks. He averted his eyes. Tetsu was a bastard who liked to watch people suffer the embarrassments he himself caused. Aomine made sure to pay him back later.
"Back then…" Tetsu started, but his head was dropped again. It wasn't fair, not when Tetsu had caught one of Aomine's most embarrassed sights by kneeling in front of him. Now he didn't have the right to hide his own face. The tanned boy's hand reached to move the Shadow's head the way he could see his face, but before his hand reached to the target Tetsu's head was back up, big blue eyes looking straight into his own eyes.
"When I said I was going to support Kagami-kun… I had a reason…"
The knot between Aomine's eyebrows returned.
"Kagami-kun was… mentioning the past. When… you weren't like now, like the first years of middle-school. I couldn't blame him. He was angry and… wasn't aware of it, nor did he understand you. So…"
Tetsu's head tilted to the side, Aomine's eyes seemed to be putting a great pressure on him.
"I… didn't want you to remember those days, because it wasn't entirely your fault. I didn't want you to feel guilty about it like how it was eating you up after the Winter Cup. I just… wanted it to finish there, without you or Kagami-kun being hurt. And that was the first thing I thought of that could stop both of you…
"I didn't mean to disqualify you or… anything like that. I just didn't want Kagami-kun to speak of something he didn't know. I didn't want him to insult you… hurt you more. But it seems that what I did just made everything worse with you. I'm… sorry…"
That was all… for him?
'Don't be ridiculous!'
Aomine's eyes were widen. The pain in them made him realize this. But damn, was he just imagining them to get wet?
'What are you, Tetsu?! After all those mean things I did to you since middle school… You still do stuff just for me?!'
Through the layer that was blurring his sight, Aomine saw Tetsu's hand raising up and then he felt it on his nape, pulling him down, until he felt his forehead touching the soft fabric of Tetsu's t-shirt against it.
"That's right… Before, when you left Kise-kun's room, I wasn't with you. Kagami-kun cried here, it wouldn't be fair if you don't…"
…
Kagami ran. But after a few seconds, his pace reduced little by little. After all, he was running to where Kise was, and that meant that he needed to get ready for any reactions the blond was going to show. Kagami had just told him the news, what anyone else could possibly be doing instead of him. But he chose it to be himself. Because it was going to end up with Kise. So this was worth everything. Kise could probably show any kind of emotions, like, cry, scowl, scream and whatever like those just by seeing the first strings of Kagami's weird hair color, but Kagami wasn't going to back off at this moment. He had done the worst part and had told the blond about his family, so this wasn't something he couldn't handle.
With steady steps, shield chest and firm look, he walked up the stairs…
But… Wait a second… Why did he choose the stairs in the first place when there was an elevator for non-patience and staff he could use?! Kagami ran a hand on his face. This reminded him of when Shrek was going to save the princess on top of the tower, and was the beast nervous about how the woman was going to react when seeing a monster coming to save her?!...
'At least I'm not a beast…'
Before he could go any more of getting prepared, he was walking through the corridor that Kise's room was in. And then he saw a couple of colorful heads, which meant the GoM weren't in the blond's room. Fuck… Everything was just pushing him to Kise's door. As he walked closer seeing Aomine nowhere around, Akashi noticed his arrival and turned to face him. Honestly, Kagami was happy to face Akashi this time. It was way better than the pressure of visiting Kise. Akashi splat form others and before Kagami could get any closer, Akashi was standing in front of him, making a barrier.
"Kagami Taiga."
Kagami did not flinch, nor did he tense. He had been around the captain for the last week and was now used to being called by him like that. Also, Kise and meeting him was on top of all the thoughts in his head. So he simply stood against the captain, and waited to hear what Kuroko had told him the Rakuzan captain wanted to say.
"I believe you are now intending to visit Ryouta,"
"I was, before you popped up." The taller dag his hands in his pockets.
"I am not going to stop you, but, there are things I want you to know after you met him and before taking him with you."
Kagami just nodded, and then Akashi smoothly slipped aside from his way. The door to Kise's room now seemed very close. But Kagami had decided and he had no doubts left. From now on, he was going to face Kise in anytime and anywhere he walked in his house. So it was time for him to make things go easier between them.
He walked and passed the GoM and the Kaijou members, then stopped in front of the door. He didn't want to see Kise lying on his bed through that window, because he knew it would just discourage him. He grabbed the knob, and entered the room.
'I fucked up! Forgot to knock!'
Kagami observed the figure on the bed. Kise's body didn't seem as tensed as before, meant that his body had healed with a great speed. That was good;
However,
However… Kise made no move since he had entered the room. Kagami couldn't see his face because he was staring at something at the window toward the hospital yard, though could he see anything from the distance his bed had from the window?
'Just as what others has described…' Kagami thought.
He closed the door behind him, but didn't walk toward the bed. He waited a bit longer but…Kise still made no move. Kagami now started walking, but he still kept mute and quiet. The only injuries Kise now had were his broken left arm, the scars on his arms and face –And probably his body since he was wearing a shirt and Kagami couldn't say–, and… his disability to walk.
'That one's going to disappear soon as well…' Kagami wondered.
"Oi," Was all Kagami could say. But much to his surprise, Kise tensed, and that made Kagami tense up too. But that was all, and Kise made no more moves. Was his voice too loud it feared the blond? Did he say anything mean? Wait he hadn't even said anything yet! Kagami mentally slapped himself.
"You, Kise brat. I'm talking to you." He tried a lower voice. But Kise still made no reactions.
Kagami found himself in desperation. He didn't know what he had to do next.
"Hey, sorry…" He dropped his head. He wanted to take care of Kise no matter what. But maybe this wasn't a good idea in the first place. If he was too weak to be able to communicate with an injured Kise, how was he even going to make him go through the pain in his heart? What was his use when he made Kise hopeless?
His thoughts stopped for a second as he heard the short and low sound of something rustling against the sheets. He tilted his head up,…
…to meet with Kise's deadpan eyes.
For a second, Kagami thought he saw Kise's eyebrows twitch, but he wasn't sure if he saw it because Kise's head returned to the same position, his eyes staring out of the window. It encouraged him a bit, like, it was said that the blond made no reactions no matter what anyone who visited him did. Kagami dared and walked closer so then he was now standing near the bed, his hand fidgeting near Kise's broken arm. He raised his hand very slowly, and landed it on the blond's head. There was no reason for him to do that, but there was always this… feeling sparking in his hand and heart whenever Kise was around. It was kind of like the time Kagami had taken the first step toward taking care of the Kaijou ace. But last time, Kise's eyes were close and he leaned in the touch. This time, the blond just closed his eyes. His expression was still empty and soulless.
"We'll be going soon, get ready."
With a last ruffle to the blond locks, the red head returned to see Kuroko and… Aomine standing in front of the window. Kuroko was looking at him, his face full of satisfaction and pride. Kagami averted his eyes, embarrassment rising up as well as the heat in his face.
But then suddenly out of blue, Akashi was standing beside them. And the smirk on his face was something pissing off Kagami to the verge of breaking the glass window with a punch in his face.
'Fuck you Akashi! And fuck what you wanna tell me!'
A/N: Hello guys! I hope this chapter had made up for the previous saddening ones. I deeply apologize to people who got bothered by the last few chapters! And am very sorry for the like-always late update!
As you have seen this story contains mistakes. I need a beta reader for this work so to any of you who can help me with it, please PM me and let me know!
Please accept my sincerest thanks:
snow . x . fairy, AlexCub, , TheOtakuMageofAwesomeness, StarlightKat, , Sayounara Watashi, Victorious-Mind, Prettylittlelier, guests and all the other kind guys who honored me with their reviews!
Until next chapter!
