Notes: Gah, I'm so sorry! Honestly, it was just one thing after another this week, and I never had a minute to finish the last 300 words of this chapter until yesterday. Nothing bad happened, though! I was just unexpectedly busy.
There will be an update this Friday, so don't worry that this one late chapter will affect the whole schedule. Thanks as always for all of the reviews, faves, and follows! It really means a lot to me to hear from you guys and to know for sure that I'm doing something right with this little fic of mine!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket.
Edit: I changed a few paragraphs to fit the 'Kise is awful at school work' canon. Finally. ;D
XXVI. July 9, 2012 - Monday
Oh no. Shougo spares a moment to glare at the sky - because surely this is too much to just be a coincidence? Someone's definitely fucking with him up there - and then he turns it on Ryouta, who is grinning like the cat that ate the canary, looking way too pleased with himself as he drags a clearly reluctant Tetsuya to Shougo's table in the middle of the courtyard.
"Look who I bumped into on my way here!" The fucker exclaims, every bit the proud parent presenting his son to a damn marriage candidate or something.
Not buying that for a second, Shougo looks to Tetsuya, and seeming rather put upon, the boy clarifies, "Kise-kun tracked me down and dragged me here despite my protests."
"Hey!" Ryouta squawks, feigning hurt. "You make it sound like I kidnapped you."
"Didn't you?" Shougo chimes in, torn between exasperation and agitation. He was - apparently foolishly - hoping yesterday would be the last he'd see of Tetsuya, at least until the other boy makes first string. Should have known Ryouta would screw up his plans yet again. He lets out a sigh.
Wearing an outrageous pout, Ryouta claims the seat across from him and sets down his store bought bread and milk. "I just wanted Kurokocchi to hang out with us," he mumbles indignantly as he fiddles with his wrapper.
Shougo grimaces, disgusted and then opens his bento to begin eating as well - until he notices Tetsuya is still standing next to them, awkwardly. Rolling his eyes, he gestures to his right with his thumb, "Sit down already. I can't eat with you looming over me."
Startled (at being addressed, maybe?), Tetsuya glances at him and then to Ryouta, who is no longer sulking but watching them eagerly, and his lips curl into a small smile. "Alright," he allows, sliding in beside Shougo with his own bento.
"So," Ryouta begins, leaning forward conspiratorially. "What's Aomine-kun really like? Haizakicchi says he's the best player on the team but won't tell me anything else about him."
At the last part, he shoots Shougo a Look, which he happily returns with a glare. The hell's he supposed to say, anyway? He rarely talks to Daiki despite them being around each other so much during practice and games, and he's not sure how to jump that particular hurdle. He's hit a wall in his sappy ass friendship plan, and it's got 'you're a socially inept loser' plastered across it in bright neon letters. He's not fucking equipped for this, and it's more than a little irritating that Ryouta can do what he can't - even in this! - so easily.
He swallows down his sudden (and yet not exactly newfound) envy with difficulty and does his best to focus all his attention on Tetsuya's reply.
"Aomine-kun is amazing," Tetsuya says with quiet conviction, his whole demeanor visibly brighter. "I've never met anyone who loves anything as much as he loves basketball." Warming up to the topic, he goes on, enthused in his own Tetsuya way, "He didn't hesitate to help me achieve my goal despite only just meeting me, and he stays late with me every day to practice."
"That's... pretty cool." Ryouta matches Tetsuya's sincerity with his own, a deep sort of longing coming off him in waves despite his grin, and Shougo wonders, absentmindedly, if this is the horrifying new beginning of Daiki's own fan club. He shoves the thought away with a shudder.
"Like I said," Shougo interrupts their little happy moment gruffly, "he's a giant puppy."
Amused, Tetsuya agrees, wryly, "That is not an inaccurate description of Aomine-kun."
Ryouta huffs a laugh, and Shougo snorts. Tetsuya maintains his little smile, and the rest of the break isn't quite as terrible as Shougo had sort of half-dreaded it would be.
XXVII. July 11, 2012 - Wednesday
"There's another one?" Nijimura blurts out upon spotting Shougo, Ryouta, and Tetsuya sequestered around a table and pouring over three open textbooks in the library.
Not even bothering to look up, Shougo points at Ryouta immediately with a bland, "It's his fault."
"Wha-?!" The blond splutters, probably being pinned by sharp grey eyes. "I- I can explain!" He offers feebly, and Shougo snorts, tuning the rest of the conversation out as he fills in the last of his homework.
His math grade has gone up - something he'd be pleased about except it's middle school math - but history has always given him trouble, and even with future knowledge, it's kicking his ass. Luckily, Ryouta managed to con Tetsuya into joining their tutoring sessions, and Shougo is taking shameless advantage of the phantom player's weirdly thorough grasp of Japanese history. In return, he's helping Tetsuya with English, which is Shougo's best subject.
Ryouta is surprisingly awful at everything - meaning the little shit was actually telling the truth about needing help and wasn't just trying to be a nuisance as usual - and one would think this would be fucking hilarious to Shougo, Ryouta's usual victim, but he's been tasked with the job of helping the moron, courteous of his own hardass tutor.
"You're the one who brought him here, brat. You teach him." - the cold, cruel words of his sadistic captain. As if Shougo wanted Ryouta here! Ugh. At least Ryouta is a willing enough student. This would be doubly annoying if he didn't pay attention and listen to Shougo's explanations.
He could do without all the touching, though.
He writes down a rather lackluster account of Oda Nobunaga's death in answer to the last question, and then he peers over Tetsuya's shoulder to check on his work. "Oh, you picked it up pretty quick. Good job."
"It's because you're a good teacher, Haizaki-kun," Tetsuya says, his expression giving off a happy vibe despite being mostly blank.
"Ugh," Shougo groans, half-heartedly. "Didn't I tell you to drop the -kun?"
"You did. I simply chose not to listen," Tetsuya responds mildly, inclining his head with an almost smile, and Shougo grins despite himself.
"You little shit," he says, and it's amused more than anything. God, it's almost terrifying how easy it is to like this kid. He lures you in with his good manners and humor, and next thing you know, you're making long, impassioned speeches about friendship and teamwork. He saw it happen to the Generation of Douchebags when they were at their worst, and now he's being sucked in too. It's worrying that part of him doesn't even mind.
Nijimura takes up the space on the other side of Ryouta, regarding Tetsuya thoughtfully. "What's your name, Blue?" He asks, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.
"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya," he says, a little nervously, likely unsettled at being given the third degree by his captain.
"He's on the third string," Shougo pipes up, shifting the attention away from a shaky Tetsuya to himself. He withholds a laugh at the other boy's obvious relief. "I'm... helping him work his way up to first string," he says, surprising everyone at the table, including himself.
Just when the hell did he decide he was going to continue coaching Tetsuya?! That was supposed to be a one time thing! Shit. ...But as Tetsuya turns shocked, hopeful eyes on him, and Ryouta beams proudly at him, he realizes that, okay, yeah, things had been heading this way since he first bumped into Tetsuya, since he decided things were going to be different this time, damn the consequences. Maybe even since a tiny slip of a boy got his soul crushed by his so-called friends and then spent an entire year beating sense into their talented asses only for Shougo of all people to be the one sent back in time.
Nijimura scrutinizes all three of them, considering, before leveling Shougo with an unreadable stare.
Uncertain, Shougo scowls, "What?"
"No one's ever done it before," he points out, addressing both of them, and it's not condescending so much as stating a fact.
Spotting the determination written all over Tetsuya's face, Shougo snorts, smirking. "So? He'll be the first."
It's easy to be certain when he knows that it's possible, knows that Tetsuya has done the impossible over and over again, and unlike with Ryouta, there's no deeply hidden (almost forgotten) resentment or envy. And maybe the others can sense his sincerity because Tetsuya's smile grows and his back straightens, and Nijimura's eyebrow quirks up before he smiles too, shaking his head.
"Good luck," is all he says, and then they turn their attention to the reason they're all at school at this godforsaken time of the morning.
XXVIII. July 11, 2012 - Wednesday
"Shooooougo~!" The purr sounds ominously from down the hallway and is only growing louder.
Confused, Shougo looks over his shoulder just in time for a warm body to collide with his, sending him sprawling to the floor and on his ass - with a lap full of a blond idiot. "The fuck?!" He grunts, instantly pissed. "Get off."
He's tempted to complain about the use of his first name, but he barely managed to get the idiot to agree to only use it when they were alone - which, okay, arguably makes the whole thing more intimate, but! It's better than the alternative. Even so, every uttered 'Shougo' sends a thrum of- something through him, something not entirely unpleasant, so he does his best to ignore it entirely.
Ryouta pulls back a little, just enough to look him in the eye. He's grinning smugly, and Shougo only just resists the urge to shove him off. "I'm so impressed, Shougo! I mean, I already knew you were gooey and soft on the inside, but I thought I'd have to push more before you would agree to help Kurokocchi! What made you-?"
"Shut up shut up shut up!" Shougo presses his hands to his ears, closing his eyes and drowning out the embarrassing words of this flashy bastard with his mantra. He's not fucking soft! He's an asshole! A selfish asshole! He's violent and rude and is only doing all this for his own ends! He mentally repeats this to himself several times, and it's a small comfort.
After a moment, he stops talking, and when silence greets him, he cautiously opens an eye. Ryouta is way, way too close to his face. Before he can reel back, the fucker darts forward and plants a kiss on his nose - for the second fucking time! What the fuck!
He shoves a smirking Ryouta away irritably, snarling, "Kiss me again, and I'll end you."
Not even pretending to be intimidated, Ryouta crosses his legs and watches Shougo scrub his face with amusement. "How would you go about 'ending me,' I have to wonder?"
Glaring, Shougo scoots away from him and mutters scathingly, "I'd break that cocky face of yours, for starters."
"Eh? But you even said yourself that this face was beautiful! How could you even joke about hurting it?" Ryouta whines, but he's still smiling.
"Fuck off. I said it was 'pretty," he hurriedly talks over Ryouta when the other boy opens his mouth, probably about to spout more bullshit, "and it was a fucking joke! But whatever! You're obviously good looking! Otherwise, you wouldn't be a model."
"Shougo thinks I'm pretty. I can die happily now," he swoons, cupping his face and generally being a fucking annoyance.
"Whatever! We're missing lunch because of this," he grouches, pushing himself to his feet, and Ryouta obligingly follows, graciously shutting the fuck up.
They head toward the end of the hallway, which was Shougo's original destination before he was tackled to the fucking ground.
"Kurokocchi was pretty excited, you know," the other boy says out of nowhere. He smiles, and Shougo decides to hold his tongue and allow him to continue. "He told me why he wants to be on first string so badly, and well, I'd like to help him out, too - if I can."
What, he had reason? "Other than just wanting to play in games?" He asks, actually bewildered.
Ryouta shoots him a secretive grin. "Mou, you'll just have to find out from him yourself!"
He rolls his eyes, and Ryouta changes the subject. But he can't stop thinking about it. Because, well, he honestly doesn't know? It's strange, but he'd sort of assumed he knew everything there was to know, everything he needed to know about this disaster of a team. This is just a much needed reminder that Shougo was not as close to the fall out - to the team - as he would like to think, and that though he had been there from the beginning, he'd never actually spent much time with his teammates.
It's a similar situation to now, actually, because here Shougo is, still awkward and stubborn and dawdling, unable to make friends on his own and unwilling to even try, too afraid to step out of his comfort zone and actually make a change. It's... pretty pathetic.
He doesn't have much of an appetite after this revelation, and he spends the entire break distracted, despite Ryouta's and a few of Tetsuya's attempts to make conversation.
XXIX. July 11, 2012 - Wednesday
"You look constipated," a chipper voice observes from his bedroom door.
Shougo, limbs sprawled out around him on the bed, turns his head to give his brother the glare that comment deserves. "Get out," he grumbles, without heat.
Shion smirks and comes into the room anyway, plopping down on the edge of the bed like he owns the damn place. "What's up? You've been moping around since you got home, and while I'm not one to judge you for your edgey teen phase, you haven't been like this in weeks."
"Shut up," he growls, but the words strike him as a surprise - although, they really shouldn't. If Nijimura, who has only known him - the other him - for two months, could tell something was different with him, then surely his family would have noticed. Still, the fuck is he supposed to tell him? 'I'm actually from the future, and I'm angsting over my inability to do anything right?' As if.
Shion watches him for a moment, and Shougo struggles for something to say. Finally, Shion prompts, "Is this about your boyfriends?"
Shougo freezes, every thought and possible response he could have uttered stalling at the asinine statement.
"I mean, your friends," Shion says belatedly, and Shougo feels like he can breathe again. "Although honestly, with the way they both look at you, I wouldn't be surprised if-"
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! Just shut the fuck up!" Shougo yells, ears burning and heart thundering in his chest. From rage, probably. Not that he would acknowledge or allow for anything else.
"Knew you'd see it my way, Shou-chan," Shion says, wearing that smug ass smirk that always makes Shougo want to fucking deck him. And the fucker knows it, too. "So what's the problem?" He asks, seriously.
Shougo glances away from Shion's genuine concern, uncomfortably reminded of the way Shion and their mother had both worried after Shougo had been kicked off the team in his second year, when he was even more violent and angry but with no real outlet, so he stayed out late and skipped school and turned his own basketball into a shitty joke of a style. He doesn't like to think about it.
He hates the kid he used to be, but is he really any better now? Ugh. "What would you do-?" he blurts out, irritated with his own weakness and uncertainty, but that's not quite right. "How do you...?" He tries again, but that's not it either. Frustrated, he snarls, "What if I fuck everything up?!"
And... Shit, that's not what he meant to say - even though that's what's really bothering him. He chances a glance at his brother, mortified, but Shion is only staring steadily back at him, neither mocking nor judgmental.
"What do you mean?" He asks and then adds, "Like, a potentially life changing fuck up or this next year is gonna be really awkward kind of fuck up?"
Biting the inside of his cheek, Shougo sits up and shimmies over to sit closer to Shion. Despite Shougo being much older mentally, his big brother is still a solid source of comfort and likely always will be, no matter their ages. "I wanna say the first one, but it's probably the second one."
Scratching his cheek, his brother chews on that for a minute or so before advising him, cheerfully, "Then don't fuck it up."
"What?" He growls, immediately backtracking on all the good things he was thinking about his brother. "The fuck?"
"You heard me." Shion smiles at him, brimming with certainty. Where the hell is that confidence coming from?!
"That's useless! That doesn't help me at all!" Shougo says, incredulous.
Shaking his head - as if Shougo is the one who's being unreasonable! - Shion assures him, "If it's such a big deal, then make sure you don't fuck it up. Of course, I'm assuming this is related to you making friends - which, for the record, Mom and I are super proud of you for - and if you're actually freaking out about it, then you must be doing something right, yeah?"
He nudges Shougo with his shoulder, smiling softly, "You're not completely terrible, Shougo. Don't worry so much."
"Thanks," Shougo manages after a while, somehow feeling reassured despite all of the rambling. Maybe... it is that simple. How can he change anything if he doesn't even try, after all? And well, he might be a lot things, but Shougo's no coward. He returns the small smile. "That actually helps."
"Of course it does." Shion's own grin grows mischievous as he says, "I'd say you're gonna give yourself gray hairs if you keep stressing so much, but - you know." He gestures to their hair.
Shougo snorts, ruthlessly pushing Shion off the bed for the stupid joke, and he goes down with a high-pitched yelp. From there, a pillow fight ensues until Shougo accidentally breaks the lamp in his room, and they both swear each other to secrecy on the matter before their mom gets home.
That night, he goes to sleep feeling both lighter and more determined.
End Notes: To be honest, I'm dying to write a few key scenes (probably even some you guys have suggested!), but since we're following along a real calendar here, I also don't want to skip a whole week just to do stuff on the weekend! Like the photo shoot and such. So do you guys have any suggestions for just little stuff that these boys can do before, after, and/or during school? I'd love to hear it! And honestly I love being able to run wild with your suggestions and then see your adorable reactions in the reviews! (Yes, I'm talking about those of you whose ideas I've already used. ;D)
Also: Any Haizaki head canons? Or ideas for some of the Miracles' families? Fye made a great point about their families being something I could play around with, so if anyone has head canons about them, please let me know! Fye is also the reason I had Shion refer to Nijimura and Kise as Haizaki's boyfriends, so thank you for that. ovo
Review Replies:
Fye: Ha, yeah, I definitely find it amusing that Haizaki's the youngest. Kise's affectionate touches are honestly so fun to write, especially because it's not clear whether it's platonic or flirtatious. Thanks for pointing that out about their families! I'm so excited to write him meeting them now. I was certainly happy to have a flustered Kise for once! "From holding hands to petting, you gotta work fast Kise, before sempai notices Haizaki. (;" - I love you for this comment. I... I have to have him find and shelter a kitten in the rain now, don't I? Thanks again for the lovely review!
Guest 2: Thank you~! I really enjoyed writing the twins. Hehe, Kise is either really into cuddling or a sly little fox, and Nijimura can't quite decide which one he is either. The thing I like about limiting this fic to Haizaki's pov is that he's definitely going to be oblivious to any crushes on him, so we won't find out about any (even if we pick up clues!) until they practically shove the truth down his throat. ;D The first name scene was a must once I thought of it. It's really too cute. Thanks for another wonderful review!
