Warnings: AU. Short chapter.
It starts out as pure admiration.
Senpai is a 3rd year and really good at basketball whereas Kise has just got into the game and all he's good for is his pretty face (which incidentally has landed him a modelling job). He's probably annoying the hell out of senpai, at least the guy never seems too happy to see him, but he doesn't care. He's fallen in love with basketball and senpai just so happens to be the best at it out of everyone Kise knows.
(Later on he will also fall in love with senpai himself but it really does start as nothing but admiration.)
Because of his modelling, Kise has a seemingly endless amount of admirers in the school. He even tries dating a few girls but it never feels right. They're pretty, he gets along with them, even likes them, but he still feels like something's missing. Something that should be there but isn't.
It takes him a while but he eventually figures it out. Taking showers with everyone after practice is no big deal, they do it every time, but one day Kise's eyes stray off and it hits him.
His first reaction is to completely freeze. And then he wants to go back to not having realised.
Because he can't be gay, there are plenty of girls he's liked before, he's even kissed them and stuff!
(Yeah, but didn't it always feel like something didn't quite click?)
But still. He's so young, maybe he's just confused.
(Why would it be so bad if it wasn't a phase though?)
Why indeed. He has no answer to that so all he can do is stand there, in the shower room of the school gym, and hope no one notices his internal panic.
"If there's anything worrying you, you can always talk to me," senpai tells him one day. It catches Kise by surprise. Sure he's always been bothering senpai, asking him to play one-on-one after every practice and then walking home together, but he wouldn't say senpai is someone he's comfortable telling his secrets to.
"There isn't anything in particular," Kise says and hates himself for the obvious crack in his voice. He tries to laugh it off, there's really nothing wrong, but nothing he says sounds convincing, and somehow he ends up pouring his heart out to senpai. He hates not being sure about his feelings, he just wants to keep playing basketball, that's all that matters, but if the team found out about him being gay they'd kick him out, right?
Senpai doesn't tell him that he should leave the team or anything like that. He just listens, as calm as ever, and finally hugs Kise tight. "It's gonna be all right. I'm the captain, remember? They can't kick you out unless I agree to it. And I wouldn't."
"…really?" Senpai just laughs and pats Kise's back, telling him to wipe away his tears and get home already.
After that, Kise's quite convinced that he's in love with senpai.
When senpai kisses him one day after practice, Kise is happy. But also very much dumbfounded; it's so out of the blue, so completely unexpected. It's not a very long kiss either, just a quick peck on the lips, but Kise melts anyway.
"I like you too," is all he manages to say before he's crying a waterfall against senpai's sweaty shoulder. And that's how they start dating.
(The first time Kise goes to the hospital to see senpai is two weeks after the incident and he's still scared. They both are, probably. Kise himself is fine, all the cuts and bruises and fractured bones are already healing and he'll be able to play basketball again in a month or so.
Senpai tries to force a smile when Kise stops next to his bed. He fails. Kise does too.)
"I've decided to quit modelling." Senpai doesn't stop him. Maybe he should because Kise isn't really sure if he wants to quit after all. But senpai just nods, telling him it's his decision and that he can understand Kise's wish of not wanting to be in the spotlight anymore after what happened.
"Those guys would probably do their best to harm your career anyway so maybe it's better to just quit while you're ahead." Senpai's tone is bitter and Kise wonders if them going out ever was a good idea.
"Senpai… when you get released, we'll play basketball together and show them that they can't bring us down, okay?"
Senpai smiles in a way that says that he doesn't believe they'll ever get to do that.
(Kise never goes to see him again after the doctor tells that senpai won't be playing basketball ever again.)
If this is how much it hurts, I'll never fall in love again.
"Nii-san. Nii-san."
The surprise from hearing Tetsuya's voice makes Ryouta lose his balance and roll off the bed with a quiet 'oh'. As he tries to disentangle himself from the sheets, Tetsuya shuffles closer.
"Nii-san, you're going to be late." Tetsuya helps Ryouta until he's finally got the sheet kicked off of himself and back on the bed. The blond ruffles his younger brother's hair affectionately.
"You should get ready for school too, Tetsucchi. Is Seicchi up already?"
Tetsuya nods, leaning into Ryouta's hand. There's a small smile on his face. Ryouta seems to be feeling better than yesterday, and that makes Tetsuya happy.
As long as Ryouta keeps smiling, both Tetsuya and Seijuurou can be happy as well.
Ryouta checks his phone after taking a shower and changing. No missed calls, no new messages, nothing. So Kagami really just kissed him and then left him hanging. Somehow Ryouta has thought of him as the kind of a guy who wouldn't do that, but apparently he's been wrong.
Well, Ryouta's never been the type to keep crying over spilt milk, so if this is Kagami's way of saying the kiss meant nothing, then Ryouta will take it in stride and move on. That kiss will not be the thing that breaks him down. If it means nothing to Kagami, it'll also mean nothing to Ryouta.
He just really hopes Kagami won't try to talk to him and make excuses to fix the situation. It doesn't have to fixed, there are things that are meant to be broken. So what if he'll lose someone he's started to consider one of his best friends? That's how life is.
It's such a shame that the smile he sees in the mirror isn't nearly as unwavering as Ryouta's resolve.
(Honestly he does want Kagami to try and explain his behaviour because he's tired of falling in love and having his heart broken.)
A/N: I just couldn't figure out how to advance the plot so have a filler chapter OTL
Yeah so I ship Kise with pretty much everyone (oops), hopefully you don't mind this chapter…? The main pairing is still going to be AoKiseKaga ;u;
As always, thanks for all the reviews/favourites/follows! Whenever I lose confidence in my writing, I go back to the old reviews and they always manage to convince me that there are at least a few people who genuinely like this fic so I'll keep working hard for you! (^o^)/