A/N: Hopefully updates will continue to be quicker.
Thanks so much drumdrum for proofreading this!
Beware slight OOC Takao.
"...do...rec...l ever wi...ing..to do...o."
"...an... le...u do a...you...ease. You... de...roy...king...m."
There's one voice that Kuroko recognizes through his hazy awareness, and the other is unknown to him. After lying in silence for a few moments, Kuroko guesses that they're engaged in an argument, based upon their urgent tones.
Kuroko had woken up with a jump moments ago, and had been ready to just shoot out the door in search of Mayuzumi. That was the most likely place to start looking for the cat, given that Mayuzumi wasn't beside his feet when he woke up. There are a few bad consequences that would come with that decision; however, Kuroko had the sensibility to continue lying in bed.
As important as the argument seems—and therefore it'd probably be useful to eavesdrop—Kuroko doesn't want to risk betraying the old man's trust.
Given the fact that he woke up in the morning still safe and sound in bed, it was likely that the storm last night wasn't caused by the old man.
That doesn't stop Kuroko from fretting over Mayuzumi. He truly hopes that the other is safe. Mayuzumi is not the type to give in so easily, right?
Then again, since this is all a fictional storyline in his head, if Mayuzumi did happen to be in trouble, should he even care—
No, no. Kuroko mustn't think of that. He chases that thought away before it can take root.
He forces his attention upon the two speakers in the other room, wondering exactly who the old man is speaking with. Try as he might, Kuroko can't decipher the conversation. He at least wishes they would hurry, since he can't afford to sit around and wait when Mayuzumi needs his help out there.
He sits up, glad to realize that he's feeling less cold this morning. He looks around, expecting for books, papers, and furniture to be scattered about the room, but sees that it's neat and tidy. He then checks the window to assess the damage from last night, only to find it in a similar pristine condition.
What.
It's devoid of any damage, which makes Kuroko blink his eyes in disbelief. How was the room fixed all in one night?
Was last night all just an illusion?
A dream?
A dream within a dream?
Kuroko never knew that he could confuse himself so much.
He finds himself rethinking his train of thought and begins spacing out, until he hears a set of footsteps approaching the room he's in.
"Good morning," he greets.
The old man steps into view from the doorway, smile as jovial as ever. "Good morning, child."
"Were you talki—" Kuroko cuts himself off, as he sees another figure…float itself into the room?
His brain can't handle being muddled this much.
Kuroko isn't sure, but he believes that what he is seeing is a small, orange cloud with a grin revealing a set of sharp teeth. It possesses no other notable traits.
"Oh, ignore them, they're not important," the old man steps in front of the cloud.
The thing barks a guttural laugh, "What, not gonna introduce me to the kid?" they snicker.
"I don't think Kuroko-kun could handle meeting you right now," the old man's expression grows serious.
"'Course the kid can," the cloud floats up over the man's shoulder, "Come on, Aru. The kid didn't survive that blizzard to-"
"Quiet, you," he waves his hand over his shoulder, effectively freezing the cloud's mouth shut.
Kuroko hears angry muffled noises coming from the cloud as it panics, bouncing itself furiously upon the old man's shoulder.
The old man heaves a sigh, clearly tired of the cloud's antics. With another wave of his hand, he freezes the cloud in place, and it drops to the floor with a comical thunk.
Kuroko stares, not because he really wants to, but because he doesn't have anything better to do. At least he knows now to never get on the old man's bad side.
"Now that that is out of the way," the old man turns his attention back to Kuroko, "I'm glad you seem to be feeling better. Would you like anything to eat?"
Kuroko blinks, thinking hard about his next words. "...No thank you?"
"Why the uncertainty?" the old man makes his way over to the wooden seat next to the bed.
Unsure eyes take a gander at the still frozen block of cloud, and then switch back to the man. "Should I call you Aru-san?"
Aru's eyebrows perk up, "Oh, so you caught that," he chuckles lightly. "If you'd like to, then I'm fine with it," he seats himself.
Kuroko finds himself wanting to ask a plethora of questions, now that his head is clearer. He fidgets with the blankets, not knowing where to begin.
"I suspect that you are still puzzled, and for a good reason. Do not worry. I'm sure one of the questions weighing upon your mind is what exactly happened last night."
Kuroko nods.
"It's a long story," Aru eyes the cloud in his peripheral, "I'll keep it simple. The sprite right there, they were the one who destroyed my window last night, and caused all that chaos."
Kuroko hadn't expected such an outcome. When they first walked in, Kuroko had thought they were friends. Quite the weird friendship, if it could even be considered one.
However, there's a more pressing issue on Kuroko's mind, "Shouldn't they be stopped?"
Aru nods, "It's why I'm here," his smile weakens. "They don't have the best intentions, but they're not so bad once they exhaust their power. As you can see, they become a vulnerable cloud sprite."
Kuroko thinks about another question. "How did you fix everything within one night?" Aru couldn't possibly have spent the whole night cleaning everything, right?
"A magician never reveals his secrets," Aru snaps his finger, and a fireball appears in his hand.
It's just endless surprises from Aru, one after another. Kuroko is nothing short of impressed. "That's understandable," Kuroko had plenty of experience being a magician himself. Except if he's assuming correctly, then Aru had just revealed his secret as to how he fixed the window.
Aru spins his wrist over, and the flame disappears. "Now I'm sure that you want to go chase after your cat. I don't exactly know where he went off, but—"
"His expression was hilarious when he was blown out the window," out of nowhere, the cloud appears right in front of Kuroko's face.
Kuroko jolts, backing his head away like his nose was about to be bitten off.
The cloud's grin widens, snickering at Kuroko's reaction.
"Get out of Kuroko-kun's personal space," Aru stands up, using his hand to push the cloud away from Kuroko.
"You're no fun, Aru. Can't I get a whiff of this kid?"
Kuroko backs away a bit more at that.
"You don't even have a sense of smell."
"Hey, what the kid doesn't know won't hurt him."
Aru fixes a stern look at the sprite.
"Come oooon," the cloud rolls in the air. "You're always on my case about understanding humans better, but you won't even let me lick his face."
Kuroko breaks into a cold sweat. He tilts his face away, silently asking for Aru's help.
"Don't you dare try that," Aru lights another fire on his palm.
"Yeesh," the cloud frowns, his smile making a complete 180 and backing away more from Kuroko.
They turn to Kuroko, grin back in place like they never heard a word from Aru. "It's a damn shame. Your skin would've frozen upon contact."
The flame in Aru's hand grows as Kuroko shows more signs of discomfort.
"Ey, no biggie. The worst case scenario would've been severe frostbite."
"...I would've not appreciated that very much," Kuroko looks to the side.
The cloud's expression goes neutral. They become strangely silent, and even though Kuroko has experience reading people, this sprite is a difficult one to grasp. Quite possibly because they don't possess any eyes. What about his statement made it so peculiar?
"Kid, you're an interesting one, all right. Strange, but interesting," their grin reappears with ease.
"We're busy here. You can come again another time," Aru makes a shooing motion at the cloud.
"Boooorrinng," the cloud drawls, "Aru, do you just sit on your ass all day kidn—GYAAA!"
"That's enough," Aru shoots the fireball towards the sprite, setting them ablaze.
The sprite whizzes away, continuing to scream. They smack into the ceiling, then drop to the ground in a pitiful pile of soot.
Kuroko thinks he hears a measly, "That was uncalled for…" come from the black remains.
"I'm sorry, child. They're really a handful," Aru suppresses a sigh.
Kuroko tries to quell his palpitating heart, but otherwise retains his smooth visage. "It's no problem."
Aru smiles in understanding, knowing that Kuroko is only being polite. "If you're feeling better, then I'm sure you want to get going right now."
Kuroko nods.
"I will try not to stall, but I do need to give you a few things. Please wait here for a moment," Aru stands back up, his cloak sweeping behind him as he exits the room.
Kuroko blinks, not expecting Aru's generosity. Kuroko is about to voice his thanks, until he realizes that Aru has already left. Looks like his head still isn't too clear.
With nothing else to do, he takes this moment to lean to the side to examine the cloud on the ground near his bed. The sprite is now nothing more than ashes, except its mouth is somehow still intact, coughing up smoke.
"Are you okay?" Kuroko can't help but ask.
The sprite coughs more, "Okay?" cough, "Never been—" cough, "better."
This cloud sprite is more strange, in Kuroko's opinion. At least this is better than trying to survive another blizzard. Kuroko definitely wouldn't enjoy yet another journey through a snowstorm.
Aru returns, holding a long white cloak and a shoulder bag. "Take these."
"Thank you very much, Aru-san," Kuroko lifts the blankets off of him, shifting so that he can stand up.
"There's one final thing," Aru points to the cloak in Kuroko's hands.
Kuroko unfolds the cloak, noting that it appears similar to Aru's.
"Mayuzumi-kun led me to believe that you two didn't intend to end up on this mountain."
Kuroko's movements slow, putting more focus into listening. If Aru asked about his origins, he couldn't possibly conjure a sufficient enough lie.
"Relax, child," Aru sits back down. "I then came to the conclusion of preparing something more useful for your journey. I hope it will benefit you."
Kuroko slips the cloak over himself, finding that the fabric lining the inside is soft and warm. "What is it?"
"Don't let anyone else take the cloak from you. It'll put more power in your movement. You will be able to travel greater distances and scale greater heights with ease. I suggest you jump from cliff to cliff this way, then gradually make your way down to the kingdom below."
Yet again, Aru proves to be on top of everything, which Kuroko is admittedly a bit envious of. "This is very useful. You're quite the magician, Aru-san," Kuroko gives a tiny smile.
"Thank you, child," Aru begins to make his way over to the door. "Come, I'm sure you need to get going at once."
Kuroko throws the shoulder bag over himself, following after Aru.
Aru pushes open the cabin door, the fresh, cold air blowing in a few stray snowflakes off the ground and into the home.
Kuroko steps out, realizing that he had no snow boots to wear. He refrains from letting displeasure show upon his face, as much as he hates the cold. He wouldn't dare ask Aru, since the man has already done so much for him.
"If you lie low, I'm sure your destination will come sooner than you know it."
That's never a struggle with Kuroko, even if he appreciated how his basketball teammates were now more aware of his presence.
"But I warn you," Aru's voice and expression grew dark. Kuroko feels something in the air shift, making him uneasy.
"Many of the people in the kingdom are not to be trusted. There are many out there who want to hurt you, Kuroko-kun."
Kuroko nods, hanging onto every word.
"Do not fret, child. I believe in you," he switches back to his usual demeanor and beams, "I'm sure that your judgement won't steer you wrong," Aru reaches a hand up, gently ruffling Kuroko's hair.
Kuroko returns the smile, highly appreciative. "Thank you very much, Aru-san. I'm truly grateful for everything."
"Of course, child. Now get going, your feline friend is waiting for you."
Kuroko nods, resolute. He takes a step back, then bows down low. "Goodbye, Aru-san."
The old man waves as Kuroko pulls up his hood, who then takes off across the snowfields.
Aru stands there and watches as Kuroko soars away, a forlorn look in his eye.
"Sure you're fine with letting him go like that?"
Aru turns a deaf ear to the other, not willing to show his distress.
The sprite laughs; a nasty, grating sound. "He'll get slaughtered out there."
"No," Aru's voice is firm. "He won't."
Takao glides across the clear sky, enjoying the cold wind upon his face as he holds the cat in one arm.
Mayuzumi, on the other hand, is about to hurl at this rate. He can't handle this fancy spinning that the winged boy enjoys. No way he's letting Takao continue with this. "Takao put me the fuck down!"
The winged boy disregards the other, continuing to laugh without a care in the world.
Oh god. Mayuzumi could feel himself getting more nauseous by the second. Did he even have anything in his stomach to heave? Or is he just going to puke up stomach acid? Do cats have stomach acid like humans?
Takao does another loop-de-loop in the air, and Mayuzumi swears that if he weren't incapacitated right now, he'd be clawing Takao's face off.
Mayuzumi feels his stomach churn. He lets his claws latch onto the arm holding him against Takao's chest.
Takao dips sharply in his flight, but continues to fly without trouble, "Hey wait, put your claws away—"
If he's going down, he'll take this bird brained idiot with him. Mayuzumi digs his claws farther into Takao's flesh.
Takao lets out an ungodly screech, "I give, I give! Uncle!"
He lands upon the nearest cliff he can find, dropping to his knees as Mayuzumi jumps out of his hold and finds relief in the steady ground.
"Jeez, you're such a killjoy," Takao cradles his arm, inspecting to see if Mayuzumi had broken the skin. Thankfully, he hadn't.
"I wouldn't be if you were less annoying."
"Well, we have to travel by air either way. I'm not walking all the way home!" he stands up.
Mayuzumi narrows his eyes and flattens his ears against his head. "You're taking me to your house? I told you I needed to go back to a cabin."
"You did?" Takao laughs, "Oh yeah, you did!" he pretends to remember, laughing more.
Mayuzumi glowers up at Takao. He's a bad liar, that's for sure. "So? Where is it?"
"Where's what?"
There's a pause while Mayuzumi tries to decide if Takao was more of an idiot than he had thought. "The cabin, dumbass."
"Oh," Takao eyes light up in recognition, mellowing out in the next second as he contemplates. "Err...don't get me wrong. I'd love to take you to that cabin," Takao shrugs, "I mean, I can and I totally would, but…" Takao trails off.
"What?" Mayuzumi demands.
"I wouldn't go back there if I were you."
"Well, I have to."
"For what?"
"Ugh," Mayuzumi's patience is thinning. "It's a responsibility I need to take care of. Just take me back there."
Takao laughs nervously, "No can do," he averts his eyes away from Mayuzumi's accusatory ones.
"Why not?"
"No reason," he says a bit too quickly. "Just don't go back. Not necessary, nope."
Takao might just be one of the worst liars that Mayuzumi has come across. After a moment of determining whether it's worth it to press the issue further, Mayuzumi relents. "Whatever, forget I said that," Mayuzumi sighs, and Takao visibly relaxes as well.
Mayuzumi tries a different approach. "You at least know Kuroko, right?"
"...Who?" Takao looks more lost than before.
Oh great. "Y'know, the phantom sixth man."
Takao tilts his head, "What kind of name is that?"
Mayuzumi face-paws, losing his cool. No fucking way. Takao has to know who Kuroko is. Kuroko has surely mentioned Takao before.
"Look," Takao raises his hands up in a placating gesture, "I can tell you're tired, so whaddaya say that I just take you back to where I live?"
Mayuzumi remains dubious. "I need you to take me to that cabin."
Takao ignores that request. "I'll even fly normally," Takao added.
Mayuzumi growls, inching away when Takao lowers his hand down to pat him on the head.
"Good kitty, nice kitty…"
Mayuzumi swipes his claw at the offending hand. Takao lifts it away before that happens, giving a small phew in relief.
Takao is behaving too suspiciously. Mayuzumi won't accept Takao's behavior without batting an eye, but he's got no efficient method of transport without Takao.
He flattens his ears, weighing his options.
Takao takes this chance to grab Mayuzumi by the scruff of his neck.
"Wha-"
And with a beat of his wings, Takao takes off.
"Goddammit, let me go!"
"Just past a few more peaks, you little scaredy cat."
Mayuzumi flails, clawing at Takao's arm before giving up and growling once more.
It isn't the easiest.
Jumping from one ledge to another that is.
Kuroko is glad that no one is around to watch him as he faceplants for the fourth time. He stands up with no effort, brushing off all the snow as he keeps moving.
He's improving, at least. This may be the fourth failure out of five tries, but he didn't win the Winter Cup by giving up.
His first try was to test the waters, since he hadn't the slightest idea as to how much easier it was to maneuver with his cloak. It's likely that he wouldn't become a master, since there's no time for practice, but he hopes for proficiency.
He discovered that he can pull off a running jump of about twenty feet into the air with little effort. The sheer height felt exhilarating, and yet terrifying as well. A powerful surge of adrenaline coursed through him at the peak of his flight, but the view from up above scared him out of his wits.
His first landing was not a pretty sight.
He lied on his back in the snow, heaving in pain as his heart drummed in his ears. His eyes were wide from thrill as he tried to regain his composure.
He won't lie. Jumping that high was awesome, but that landing was horrendous. His knee could attest to that.
He scrambled to continue traveling, not letting the adrenaline in his system go to waste.
He might be getting the hang of it now. Sixth jump wasn't all that good, but he nails his seventh landing.
That wobble doesn't count.
After a few more attempts and failures, he stops to sit and rest on flat, stable land. He feels the cold pricking at his cheeks and hands, so he brings his hands to his face to recover lost heat.
Some gloves would have been useful, but Kuroko is more than happy with what he's got, considering that he gets to experience a running speed on par with Aomine in the zone. He still has energy to spare—which never happens in reality—so he's indulging in this opportunity. Traveling this quickly and leaping so high into the air, Kuroko couldn't help but daydream (could he even call it that?) about shooting down a basketball court as this speed. All his talented friends wouldn't hesitate to tell him how cool he is.
Hey, he can dream, can't he?
It's all thanks to Aru's cloak. Now if only he could have more control in the strength of his jumps. Kuroko believes he now understands how it felt when Kagami jumped headfirst into that basketball hoop.
At least his cloak is enough against the chilly environment. It's warm and fuzzy, like Nigou. Now that he thinks about it, he realizes he misses his dog. Luckily, Nigou is currently at Mitobe's residence, being spoiled by all his siblings. He's glad Nigou doesn't happen to be with him, since it's not his parents' responsibility to take care of the dog.
And as much as he likes Mayuzumi as a cat, his woes couldn't be cured by a grumpy feline from his imagination. Again, Kuroko wishes that Mayuzumi could be more affable.
Speaking about the cat, could Mayuzumi fit inside of Kuroko's bag? Now that he's thinking about it, he realizes that he hasn't checked the bag that he's been carrying.
He opens up the bag to examine the amount of space, expecting just enough empty space for Mayuzumi to lie comfortably in, but instead discovers something handy.
Oh.
Talk about serendipity.
There's a pair of gloves and a few loaves of bread sealed in plastic wrap within the bag. Aru truly never fails to remember every detail.
He slips the leather gloves on, enjoying the soft fabric inside as he stands up.
He takes the map out of his pants pocket and unfolds it to inspect it.
Aru's house is done. Next is another mountain peak, which has a ring of clouds surrounding it.
Could Mayuzumi possibly be there?
Kuroko peers around, admiring the scenery as he checks each peak for a match.
He spots the peak he's searching for, which appears quite far off from where is currently standing.
He doesn't know if it will work, but maybe…
If he channels all of his focus into tracking Mayuzumi down, he might be able to find the other. However, he might also mislead himself somewhere off over the rainbow, which will cost him valuable time. Neither of which sounds like the best course of action.
Kuroko absentmindedly kicks some snow off the cliff as he stews this over.
No, he shakes his head. He must do this. Kuroko pockets the map.
He closes his eyes and searches, picking up any sense of Mayuzumi's presence.
After a spending a good few minutes, he believes he has pinpointed something familiar. It's highly questionable, but Kuroko has no other leads.
Time to get going. Mayuzumi has never been the patient one, after all.
Kuroko clenches his fists, places a foot back behind him, and then leaps off the edge of the cliff to another one down below.
"We're here!" Takao kicks the door open to his house, trailing the snow on his shoes inside. He doesn't seem to mind, since he has no welcome mat to wipe his shoes upon. He drops Mayuzumi down to the ground.
Never mind that he has no mat, his floor and ceiling is just the unpaved surface of the earth. The occasional rock or two peaks out, as well as a few insects that crawl across the walls.
Mayuzumi certainly didn't think Takao's house would be a mansion, but he also didn't expect this.
The house is tidy, there's nice furniture, and plenty of light that filters in from the windows, but…
Takao's house is undoubtedly a cave.
Mayuzumi hates his house already.
He scoots back against the door to avoid a cockroach that crawls towards him. Oh God get that grody thing away from him.
Takao flutters (curse his ability to fly) off to another room "You hungry?"
Mayuzumi sniffs in distaste at the environment around him. He follows after Takao to the room he's in, which he assumes is the kitchen. "No."
"Shame, thought that you could join me for some grub, cause y'know…"
Mayuzumi stares at Takao as he opens his fridge (how did he get the electricity to run it?), letting him continue.
Takao looks down at the cat. "You'll be staying here."
Mayuzumi is dumbfounded. Did Takao just ignore everything that he had mentioned earlier? He scowls. Takao in his dreams is no more useful than an airplane. Hell, even a plane would be more useful. Whether he could fly a plane is another issue. "No I'm not. Haven't you been listening?"
"Well, yeah," Takao shrugs, then reaches into his fridge to grab something. "You want milk?"
"Don't fucking change the subject. And I don't like milk anyway."
"Eh? I thought all cats liked milk."
"Get me back to that cabin."
"No, no. You've gotta eat something," Takao closes his fridge.
"Takao," Mayuzumi warns, crouching lower into a defensive position.
"Hey, don't be so upset. Here, if you stay and eat, and maybe let me pet you a little—"
Mayuzumi hisses, revealing his fangs.
"All right, no petting. Got it," Takao reaches up to his cabinets and pulls out a can of tuna. "Want this?" he shakes it a little to see if he's stolen Mayuzumi's interest.
Mayuzumi's stance loosens. "You'll take me to the cabin as long as I stay for now?"
"Yeah," Takao squats down, "I'm a bit tired from flying, so could we rest?" he smiles and reaches for Mayuzumi, but the other backs away. "Where is the knife that I had you hold for me?"
"You can have it after we eat."
"Fine. Give me the tuna."
Takao's smile turns into a frown. "I'll only give you the tuna if you let me hold you."
Mayuzumi's back arches as the fur upon it stands on end. Letting Takao touch him? He almost wants to laugh. Kuroko isn't even fit to touch his magnificent fur.
Okay, that one time is an exception. Still doesn't change the fact that Takao isn't allowed to.
Takao holds the tuna can in front of him, enticing him. "You want it?"
No. Mayuzumi will not give in. He bares his teeth at the can.
"Waaant it?" he teases.
No. It's not even quality tuna.
"You know you waaaant it," Takao's eyes crinkle in a teasing grin.
No. No. No, no, no, no—
Before Mayuzumi can rattle off another no in his head, he finds himself now sitting in Takao's lap, eating a plateful of tuna. Takao sits upon his couch, eyes glued to the television that is playing some game show while eating a baked yam. One of Takao's hands is scratching him behind his ear, subduing him.
God. Damn it.
He's a weak man. Weak for canned tuna that he would refuse to eat if he weren't a cat.
Mayuzumi wants to scream. He holds back from doing so only because he's got dignity to uphold. If he didn't, he's sure that his suffering would leak out in the form of a strangled yowl.
Thank God that Kuroko is nowhere nearby. If the other sees Mayuzumi like this, Mayuzumi wouldn't think twice about clawing the other's eyes out.
Then again, if Kuroko's around, then he'd be able to get him out of Takao's grasp, and feed him better tuna while he's at it.
It isn't unrealistic. Kuroko should be more than capable of catching a tuna in a dream. Or maybe Mayuzumi is putting more faith in Kuroko than is befitting.
As Takao continues to pet him on his head and back, Mayuzumi finishes off the last of the tuna on the plate.
He's so comfortable that he doesn't resist the feeling of sleep pulling at his eyelids. As much as he doesn't want to take a catnap, he didn't sleep well last night. Takao had carried him throughout the night, stopping once in awhile in random caves to rest and catch a few z's for himself.
With the feeling of gentle scratches on his ear, he lets slumber claim him.
Here.
Kuroko is just about certain that Mayuzumi is in this house built into the side of the mountain. He can feel a strong, familiar presence from inside. He stares at the door, noting the peculiar lack of a door handle to it. Does this person not need a lock on his house?
His believes that his instincts were right. This house lies upon the mountain with a ring of clouds surrounding it, which took him a few hours to arrive to. He probably would've been able to reach this peak faster, but even with the cloak, Kuroko doesn't think he has the capacity to jump a canyon that is over hundreds of feet wide. He releases a short sigh of relief.
What kind of person lived at this home? Kuroko hopes that they're nice, at least. If they aren't…
Well, if it boils down to that, then Kuroko could probably handle a fight or two, as long as he has this cloak.
He pulls his hood down, then knocks.
It's not a long wait, but when the person from within opens the door, the last person he expects to see is Takao.
Kuroko stares. He almost crosses the line of being rude, but the other forces him out of his shock with a greeting.
"Hi! I don't think I've seen you around. Is there anything you need?"
Kuroko feels like Takao had just thrown a snowball straight into his face. He's startled to see the other, caught off guard by how Takao speaks like they're unacquainted, and honestly, a bit offended. Regardless, Kuroko introduces himself.
"Hello. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to meet you." he bows.
"Oh," Takao bows as well. "Likewise. I'm Takao."
"I am wondering about a lost pet of mine. He's a grey cat, have you seen him?"
Takao places his hand upon his chin, racking his head for an answer. "Hmm, no, don't think I have. Sorry!"
That's strange. Is the familiar presence actually Takao's presence? Kuroko has difficulty believing that, for why in the world would he seek out Takao's presence?
"Is that all?"
Kuroko would ask to enter the other's home, but he doesn't believe he has a good enough excuse to.
He studies Takao's eyes, detecting any traces of a lie. Kuroko should have no qualms about the other's answer, but something...doesn't feel right. Albeit, he can't distinguish if Takao is lying or not.
Oh well. "Yes. That is all. Thank you very much," Kuroko pulls his hood back on.
"Anytime. See ya later!" Takao waves.
And then Kuroko turns away as the door shuts.
A/N: Hoo boy. I think that was enough suffering. For now, at least.
Yet another cliffhanger lol.
Thanks for reading guys!