Kagami couldn't keep the promise he made for himself. He was so sure that he'd never visit Tetsuya's place again, but how could he have been able to resist his invitation, when he looked at him with those big, blue eyes of his? No, he just couldn't say no.

He'd rather suffer from anxiety with that dog being in the same room as him than see the disappointment and sorrow written all over his face.

Often he tried to come up with some valid reasons to get Kuroko to his place. He promised to cook him whatever he wanted (usually all Kuroko wanted was just a homemade vanilla milkshake. It always filled his eyes with happiness and pleasure), recommended some new books to him or just simply said that he wanted to be alone with him, not willing to have even a small dog interrupting them. Of course, saying the last one was always so embarrassing for him. The color of his cheeks always matched with his hair when explaining his will.

Tetsuya always agreed. He didn't care where or when they'd be. It'd be fine just as long they could spend their time together.

Many times they just walked around the town, visiting shops and coffee houses, maybe even restaurants sometimes if Taiga was willing and able to pay a meal for both of them. The redhead always wanted to drive from a place to another, but Tetsuya often refused. He wanted to get some fresh air and use his own body. And Taiga never said no. How could he say it to those big, blue eyes?

They did whatever Tetsuya wanted. He had the might to make Kagami do whatever he wanted.

But he didn't actually even realize it. And so couldn't misuse it.

Once again they were spending their Friday night at Taiga's apartment. Tetsuya had had a rough and busy week at work. To get some excessive money to be able to offer the redhead a meal or something else someday, had he stayed at cafe Timeless for a few hours longer that he should have. Those extra hours cost him his good nights sleep and most of his free time. No, he hadn't been even able to take his little pet for a long walk even once during that week. Nigou had always had to be satisfied with just a little round around the park right next to their home.

That day, all he had had time for before heading straight to Kagami's apartment, was changing his clothes, taking Nigou for a 10-minute walk and pouring him a large portion of dog food and filling his water cup. He wasn't sure when he'd come back, so he wanted to make sure that his baby wouldn't starve during the time he had to be alone in the dark apartment, where just a silent sound of radio would bring some voice.

Kuroko felt the soft scent of miso soup from the kitchen when he was laying on the couch, reading Angels & Demons for the fourth during his life. The scent disconnected from the book for a few seconds, made him raise his gaze from the black font to the kitchen, gentle smile on his pale lips.

Taiga looked good wearing his deep red apron. He looked like a guy who could be the perfect father. He looked like a guy who'd love his child no matter what, who'd do anything for him or her, who'd always be there for his child, who'd take care of the home.

The bluenette couldn't help but smile when those thoughts were still filling his mind as Kagami walked to him to the living room, still wearing his apron, carrying two steaming cups in his hands. You could read from his face that those cups were burning the skin of his palms, and he did his everything not to spill the soup everywhere around him.

He closed the book and slowly put it down as the other male placed the cups on the glassy little table in front of the white couch. He sat down, right next to him, not turning his gaze away from the shorter one even for a second.

"I'm really sorry for not being a good company for you today. I completely forgot what a mess my house was, and yet I invited you here," he apologized silently, apologizing that he had been cleaning the rooms of his apartment during the whole time Tetsuya had been there.

But Kuroko just smiled gently while picking the cup to his hands.

"Don't apologize. I've enjoyed my time. Just being here like this with you hustling around makes me feel really relaxed somehow," he said quickly, silently.

The other male just smirked gently, closing his eyes, letting himself focus on the soup.

"I bet you'd be a great father," Kuroko mentioned, not being able to keep his thoughts just to himself. He made the redhead almost choke on his food with his words.

"W-what? Where did that come from?" he asked immediately, with some blush on his cheeks. He had never heard anything like that, and neither had he even thought about building a family. He didn't know what to think about his compliment.

Tetsuya didn't give him a straight answer. He just smiled mysteriously for a few seconds before closing his eyes, filling his mouth with the taste of miso soup.

"...You really are a strange one...," Taiga whispered silently, letting a complete moment of silence fill the room.

When the cups were emptied, the longer male stood up and walked back to the kitchen, letting the other one to focus back on the book.

He turned on the radio, letting it play its silent sounds as he continued cleaning up his apartment.

Bedroom, change the sheets, kitchen, do the dishes, bathroom, put things back on their places. Open the windows to let the fresh air in.

In a few hours, he was finished.

Kagami took off his red apron, put it finally back in the hanger in the kitchen.

Now he could spend the rest of the night with his visitor.

Taiga walked slowly back to the living room, gentle smile on his lips, going through the things they could still do today - watch TV, play some board games, maybe with cards, they could listen to music or just talk.

He walked back to the living room just to find that Tetsuya wasn't anymore awake. He had fallen asleep on the couch, the book resting on his chest. Eyelids closed, a calm expression on his face, breathing slow and silent.

The redhead stood next to him for a while, just looking at him, head tilted gently to the right, examining his face.

...He looked so calm.

...So beautiful.

He couldn't wake him up. No, he couldn't force him to be awake, if he was that tired.

No, he just couldn't.

He couldn't just shake him back to this world to tell him to get back home.

No, he just couldn't.

He couldn't even force him to walk to the bedroom.

Kagami let a silent, deep sigh out of his lungs, a gentle smile taking over his lips. As gently as he could, he placed the book on the table, picking him up to his arms. Slender, relaxed body close to his core. The bluenette was so light.

Trying his best to not to wake him up, he took slow steps towards the bedroom, placed him on his bed, covered him with a soft blanket.

And the other just continued dreaming silently.

...How could someone be like that?

"...Good night, Kuroko... I'll sleep in the living room. I don't want you freak out when you wake up next to me," he whispered, mostly to himself, before heading out.

...He could make it through the night without eating - or actually drinking - proper food. Blood.

He didn't want to wake him up by slamming the door. He didn't want to left him alone for even a while.

He could make it.

The rays of light filtered through the curtains, finding their way to Tetsuya's eyelids. The amount of light forced him to wake up at last. He slowly opened his eyes a bit.

For a while, his mind was all blank. He didn't recognize the place around him. He had no idea where he was. It wasn't his own bedroom. Even the bed wasn't his own one. It was way softer than his.

How did he get here? Where was he? What had happened?

After a few minutes of silent thinking he finally remembered. He had lost his consciousness while reading. He had closed his eyes for a few seconds and never actually opened them. He had never left Kagami's apartment.

This was his bedroom.

But it was empty, excluding him.

Where was Taiga?

The bluenette forced himself to sit up. Sleepiness was still effecting on his thinking, not letting the thoughts move quick. He placed his bare feet on the cold floor, rubbing the corners of his eyes with his palms, trying to get the sleep out of them.

He carefully left the bedroom behind him, closing the door silently after himself. He glanced around, sneaking to the living room on his tiptoes, finding the redhead there, finding him asleep on the couch, clothes from the last evening resting on the back of the sofa, wearing only his black boxers, not having any blanket protecting his body.

His breathing was slow. Lips gently parted. You could find no negative thoughts or feelings written on his face.

He looked so relaxed Tetsuya didn't want to wake him up.

He'd let him sleep there until he'd wake up.

He'd prepare some breakfast for him, so he could eat right after he would wake up, so he didn't have to spend his time doing breakfast.

As Kuroko glanced at the clock, he knew he couldn't stay for much longer. He had to go back home, back to Nigou as soon as he would've been done with the breakfast.

Not willing to waste any more time, he headed straight to the kitchen, trying to make his every move as silently as he could.

"Mmh..." Taiga moaned as he finally got himself back to the reality. Still feeling really tired, he just turned on his other side, turning his back to the windows of the living room.

...It was so warm...

...So soft...

...The blanket was so soft...

...Wait.

The blanket?

He didn't remember taking one.

Kagami sat up immediately, opening his eyes. His muscles were stiff and not willing to move.

When finally standing up, throwing the blanket off his body, he started taking short steps around the living room, without a proper destination, just listening to the silence.

...No sounds. Nothing.

But his nose reached a gentle scent of boiled eggs.

...It couldn't have been anyone but Kuroko. It couldn't have been anyone but Kuroko who had given him a blanket.

Wearing only his boxer shorts, he walked to the kitchen, black and red hair being a pure mess, eyes still filled with sleepiness.

He walked to the kitchen to find a plate with two boiled eggs and three pieces of bread on it, with a white paper placed next to it.

The male gently picked the note in his hand, bringing it closer to his face so he could see through his sleepiness what was written on it.

"Good morning, Kagami-kun.

I'm sorry I had to leave so early, but my dog is waiting for me. I didn't think I would stay for a night, and I'm afraid he's starving.

Thank you for everything.

I prepared some breakfast for you, so you can spend your morning doing something else.

Call me again someday.

~ Kuroko Tetsuya

PS. I'm sorry. My boiled eggs are so hard they're not from this world.

I did my best "

The message brought a small smile on Kagami's face. He gently put it back on the table, letting himself sit down.

"...Thank you... Kuroko."