Chapter Ten ~Change of Heart

(Part 1)

Akira stood in front of her piano.

Her look was empty, but her head was spinning with thoughts.

They had been crushed.

Tōō was too powerful for Seirin and no matter how much they fought, with Kagami's injury, it was just impossible.

After Aomine entered the game, an endless duel between the two aces begun, with Aomine finally being the winner.

He had his own style in playing.

He was really impressive, even managing to enter the zone.

Even Riko admitted, he was one of the best players she had seen.

She had promised to give him a good game and now she wondered if they were worthy opponets after all.

The result though, was deafeat...nothing else mattered.

They had been crushed...

She had been crushed at the competition as well.

A day filled with failures, that's what today had been.

She took the book that was on the piano and went through the pages, looking at it with hatered.

'I wasted so much time on this piece of crap' she thought, disappointed.

'I'm done' she thought and threw the book on the piano keys.

The abrupt sound of the random keys that the book hit, echoed loudly in the room, it's sound making Akira's heart break.

She put her back against the wall behind her, as tears streamed down her face. She curled her body and shoved her face in her knees, when she sat on the floor.

'Why did I even go?'

'I've failed so many times already!'

'Why did it take me so long to realise that I should have given up long time ago!'

She looked at the black polished grand piano. It has always been her love. She had spent so many hours of her life playing, it just hurt to let go.

She picked up the book she threw and covered the piano keys.

'Goodbye' she thought and a sob escaped her.

She started crying.

Her heart felt like it was shattered in a million pieces. She didn't know her failure had such an impact on her.

She thought she would have been okay with it, considering the numbness she felt earlier.

'Am I really going to quit?'

'Do I really want to? '

Her thoughts got interrupted when her phone started buzzing.

The image of her phone ringing in this same room flashed in her mind. Kagami had interrupted her countless times from practice.

A faint smile formed on her lips as she checked the caller's ID.

'Aomine? Since when do we talk over the phone?'

"Hello?"

"We need to talk..."sounded Aomine with a deep voice.

"What happened?" Asked Akira, confused, momentarily forgetting her anger and sadness.

"Nothing..." He answered, his voice calming down.

There was a pause and Akira just felt her heart pounding. She started walking around the piano in circles, again and again, to get rid of her nervousness.

"I want to see you" he finally admitted.

It felt like her heart had stopped. He knew.

He knew, but she wasn't ready yet. She hadn't figured out anything!

'What got into him!Calling me out of the blue!'

"It's almost 11pm Ahomine!" Said Akira, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"It's not like you were sleeping, you stupid" he answered, with a tone of amusement in his voice.

"You wouldn't know" she said flirtatiously.

A pause followed. Another awkward pause, at least on her part.

She couldn't meet him tonight, she had to think first, maybe talk with Riko.

The burden in her chest was just unbearable.

"Let's just meet tomorrow morning, I'll grab us some food and we could g-" he started, probably sensing Akira's awkwardness, but Akira interrupted him.

"Okay" she said before he even finished his sentence.

It felt weird talking to him from the phone. She didn't know why she had accepted. But she knew she wanted to meet him as well.

(Part 2)

"I can't believe you Akira!" Whispered Riko, after Akira told her everything.

"Don't judge me ne-san!" She silently shouted. All she wanted was to get it off her chest and maybe...some advice on the matter.

"Of all people, you chose him?" Asked Riko, rolling her eyes.

"What can I do? Its not like I wanted this" Akira complained.

It was true. She hadn't whishes for any of this but she made choices that had led to her feeling like this in the end.

That day at Tōō... It was the start of everything.

"Well, talk with him tomorrow. You need to know how he feels... and then choose I guess?" Riko whispered. She spoke calmly but her disapproval was clearly visible.

"Do you think Kagami will be hurt?" Asked Akira and covered herself in her sister's sheets.

She had missed spending time with Riko, especially talking with her untill morning light.

They used to do that when her sister was dating Kiyoshi-senpai last year.

Riko would tell her everything and even asked her for advice.

She really had missed that girl time they used to have.

"Are you kidding? He's crazy for can't know you're gonna meet him!" answered Riko and Akira's heart broke again.

"Why me?" Whispered Akira, mostly for herself

"You brought it on yourself!" Whispered Riko, teasing her.

She knew she had. What she didn't know was why.

Why did she make such impulse decisions, which had led to this situation.

(Part 3)

The sky was almost glassy that day, with no clouds, clear blue like a hot summer day.

The grass was tickling Akira's skin and the bright morning sun was pleasantly warming her face.

She was laying under a tree, with Aomine sitting next to her, with his back against the tree trunk.

He had his eyes closed, taking deep breaths, enjoying the fresh air.

He was wearing a grey t-shirt that made his tan skin stand out and Akira couldn't help but look at him with the corner of her eyes, from time to time.

It's been a while since Akira had felt this relaxed.

Her mind wasn't filled with thoughts of guilt or self blame and instead she felt happy and excited.

All the unnecessary stress she had about this date, was gone the moment they met.

It was like he always knew how to calm people down, with that chill vibe he gave off.

Akira stood up and sat beside him.

She wanted to initiate that conversation.

She wanted to know how he felt.

That was why she was here after all.

It felt like both of them already knew, like words were unnecessary, but Akira had much thought to do before making any more hasty decisions that would haunt her forever.

"Ahomine?" She asked, calling him by his quite offensive nickname, with a soft, teasing voice. (Aho= stupid, in hapanese)

"Mmh?" He murmured, opening his eyes, now looking at Akira.

"I wanted to tell you some things..."she started.

A flirtatious smirk formed on Aomine's lips when she paused, looking away from his eyes.

'Its Now or Never Akira!' she thought and took a deep breath.

"You see...I-" she started but he interrupted her.

"You have Kagami..."he said, his eyes focused on hers, brave enough not to look away.

Akira froze.

Her heart started beating faster and faster, untill it became quite unbearable.

"I do, but that's not what I wanted to sa-" she spoke but Aomine's hand movement surprised her.

He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. He started pressing her hand on him, while he was looking at her with a soft smile.

"You feel that?" He asked with a smirk.

She did. Under the warmth of his skin and the soft fabric of his T-shirt, she felt a fast, steady, pulse.

His heart was beating like crazy, maybe even faster than hers.

She felt her blood, climbing all the way up her cheeks, when she turned and looked him in the eyes, with a surprised look.

"I've never felt like this for anyone" he finally said, not breaking the eye contact.

"I don't give a damn about Kagami. I only want you." He said, with wide open eyes .

'He said it...He confessed...' she thought and felt a wave of relief crashed on her.

"You're driving me nuts Akira!" He said, raising the tone of his voice.

He looked at her impatiently, as his confident look disappeared and a worried one took its place.

'If only you knew, how crazy you've driven me...' she wanted to say, but the words never left her mouth.

Instead, she as well grabbed his hand and placed it on her neck.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, when he got her pulse. He didn't speak, but a smirk started slowly forming oh his lips.

"I was supposed to start talking, you know..." She said with a smirk. She complained about him interrupting her, but in truth she was grateful he had. She might not have been brave enough to confess.

"Well I'm listening..." He said and Akira started talking about all the things she had to say.

She told him that she didn't know how she felt about Kagami and that she needed time.

She also talked about her change of heart at the competition, at how she realised she had feelings for him.

Aomine smirked at her, when she admitted that she failed the competition because of him

"What are you laughing for you idiot! It was my dream!" Shouted Akira, punching him on the chest.

"If it was truly your dream, then you wouldn't have strayed apart from it for a guy like me..." He whispered, his face coming closer to Akira's.

She felt his breath on her cheeks and her heart started pounding again. She didn't want to move away. She didn't want to resist her feelings.

"Maybe you're right..." She finally said and moved her body closer to his.

He was too close. Close enough that their noses touched.

A smirk formed on Aomine's lips when Akira spoke.

"I know I said I needed time, but I don't think a kiss would hurt anyone" she exhaled, wondering how she managed to say that.

Aomine didn't speak.

He put his hand around her waist and pulled her towards his body.

'Its just a kiss' she thought, trying to make her guilt vanish.

His touch was enough to help her forget everything and his kiss was hot, like nothing she had felt before.

Her body ached for his touch and it didn't take long for her to surrender herself to him.

She put her hands around his neck and pulled herself on him, while he had locked his arms around her waist.

She didn't know kisses could be this intense.

It was nothing like the ones she had before. Aomine was in control and she was just following. With Kagami it had been the other way around.

His grip on her back was strong and the way his lips moved against her mouth and neck made her feel alive.

She soon let all of her thoughts about Kagami and all of her doubts, disappear in the fire of her passion.

She felt like her world was crumbling down to pieces...Like everything she knew was now completely different...

Like he was the one.