Yas so this is kinda late. Sorry.

I don't really like this chapter, it's kinda rough but meh.

Chapter Ten

When Riko yelled at Kagami for playing basketball while he was injured, the warning flags immediately went up.

I followed him out of the gym with the excuse of going to the bathroom. I'd insisted so much about him being careful with injuries, that I knew something significant must have occurred for him to disregard my warnings. "Kagami-kun. What happened?"

He dropped down from his handstand - another one of Riko's absurd requests - and walked normally besides me, shoulders hunched and hands in his pockets. "I met Aomine."

It was like a bucket of ice had been dumped on my head. I studied his face, alarmed. His mouth was a thin, straight line, his eyes unfocused. I could already guess what had happened, because he wasn't at Aomine's level yet, and he was injured - he must have lost. Quite badly, judging by his expression. "He spewed some crap about my not being good enough," he grimaced. "Arrogant bastard."

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. I didn't know what I was supposed to say.

"He was your partner, right? Tell me what happened."

So I did. Not everything, but most of it. Revisiting the memories wasn't pleasant but, I owed it to Kagami; he deserved to know after accepting my silence on the subject for so long. I also told him about Aomine's style of basketball, his agility and his formless rhythm. "He's one of a kind," I said. "He has such perfect control of his body that the stances, the balance, the timing, all those rules that restrict everyone else's ability to move, they don't apply to him. His movements are so fluid and varied that it's impossible to predict what he'll do next."

Kagami frowned thoughtfully. "And his defense?"

"It can get sloppy sometimes," I admitted. "He's lazy. But I think he'll be rather aggressive, in this game. You might still be able to break through him with brute force." I nudged his calf with my foot. "You can jump higher than him, if you manage not to make your injury worse."

I didn't tell him what I feared most; that Aomine knew me too well to fall for my misdirection, that he might not only stop Kagami, but me as well.

I woke up on the morning of the game feeling like a truck had run over my stomach, chanced a look at the calendar on my bedside and groaned.

Why did it have to be today of all days?

I brushed my teeth, eyeing myself in the mirror. I looked terrible. My face was pale and I had shadows under my eyes. I couldn't even muster the energy to tame my bed-hair, so I left it as it was, the spikes sticking up in all directions. I sluggishly shrugged into my undershirt and my basketball kit, then went into the medicine cupboard and swallowed two pills of painkillers dry.

There wasn't much else I could do about it, so I slung my sports bag over my shoulders and left the flat.

"Kuroko-kun, Kagami-kun, you look terrible," Hyuga commented.

"Shut up," Kagami grumbled. "I was so excited I couldn't sleep."

"You too, Kuroko?"

"Something like that," I deadpanned.

There was a silence in the group. "Are you, uh, okay there, Kuroko?" Koganei asked.

"I am fine." Just as I said it, my stomach cramped, and I grimaced.

Koganei gulped. "Cool," he squeaked.

On some days I really wished I was a boy for real.

The Pyramids stadium had been built only two years ago, as part of a project for Tokyo's candidacy to host the Olympics. Its bisected, curved and asymmetrical roofs made it look organic, like a marine animal rising up from the rolling hills that surrounded it. It was the same gymnasium where the middle school Nationals had been held; the last game my team had played here had been the ugliest I'd ever seen.

Every step closer was a fine edge between anticipation and dread, the indistinct sound of my team's chatter washing like a waterfall over my ears. I was going to play against Aomine. The nerves made my stomach roil worse than the physical discomfort, and I tightened my hold on the strap of my sports bag to steady myself. In the changing room, Aomine's invisible smirk dangled in front of my eyes, and I barely registered Riko's instructions or Hyuga's inspirational speech. Only seconds later, people were getting up, heading out into the court for warm-up. Where had all the time gone? I got up to follow.

I stopped just before crossing the final door to the court and swallowed. I could see Touou's players warming up through the glass, but my vision swam and I was unable to distinguish anything beyond their black kits.

A weight fell on my shoulder, startling me. "Calm down," Kagami said. He held my gaze, and for once he was the steady one.

I nodded, my nerves somewhat settled by his quiet confidence.

He squeezed my shoulder briefly. "Let's do this," he declared, and pushed the door open.

Extra: Midorima

From: Takao Kazunari

To: Midorima Shintarou

Hey Shin-chan! Are you coming to watch Seirin vs Touou? I really want to see Tetsuko-chan play again. And your other teammate Aomine too, right? I bet the match will be interesting.

From: Midorima Shintarou

To: Takao Kazunari

No.

At the time he wrote the message, he really had no intention of watching the team that had defeated him compete in the final league-

(that game should have been his. Yes, Kuroko and Kagami had the flawless chemistry, but he was the superior player with the superior team, logic and luck had both been on his side, how could he have lost? The gap in skill should have been more than enough to overwhelm their teamwork. He had spent the last few weeks thinking in circles, trying to pinpoint where exactly, at which point in the match his error had been, but every time he remembered the final score, his teeth started grinding)

-he pushed up his glasses. No, he certainly hadn't intended to show up.

Takao continued texting him relentlessly, although Midorima hadn't replied anything beyond that initial No. He kept sending selfies in the basketball team's van every five seconds and also unrelated pictures of baby ducks, to the point that Midorima considered throwing his phone out the window just to make the buzzing stop.

At the same time, it would be petty to miss a chance to scout just because he was sore about his loss. It was Aomine and Kuroko. The more he sat there contemplating it, the more intrigued he felt by this match.

Curiosity, cat, he supposed.

But there was no way he was going with his team. They might get the wrong idea and think he actually cared. They'd start to pester him with their misplaced attempts at friendship again. His lip curled in distaste. Fortunately, Cancer's lucky charm today were sunglasses, and Oha Asa claimed that the item would make him look like a "different person," so maybe he'd be able to avoid them.

The Pyramids had a seating capacity of more than five thousand people, but there were barely a tenth of that milling about on the lowest level of the stands, nearly all of them from the schools or families of the players. Still, it was an impressive crowd for a high school game - all drawn there by the prospect of seeing Aomine in action, no doubt. Midorima remained a shady figure at the top of the stands, trying to pass unnoticed.

"Midorimacchiiiiii! This is a huge problem, help me!"

A pink magazine was shoved in his face. He startled and pushed it away. The model of the Generation of Miracles was standing next to him with a pathetic kicked-puppy expression on his face. "How did you know it was me?" Midorima asked.

"Why wouldn't I know it was you?" Kise replied, uncomprehending. "Take those glasses off, they look ridiculous. And help me!" He opened the magazine to a particular page and pushed it in front of Midorima's nose again.

Midorima sneered and took a step back, removing the sunglasses, since there was no need to actually wear the lucky item as long as he had it somewhere on his person. He slipped it into one of his front pockets.

He hadn't seen Kise since the restaurant (luckily). Midorima didn't care much for the ditz; he was loud and infantile and liked to act even dumber than he actually was. However, he also acknowledged Kise's talent and dedication to basketball; in Teiko, he'd rarely skipped practices, even in third year when Akashi sanctioned it. Unlike, for example, Aomine or Murasakibara, who could only be bothered to show up maybe once a month. Kise had often shared Midorima's half of the gym, practicing his dribbling or playing imaginary one-on-ones against an absent Aomine.

That didn't erase the fact that he was Annoying.

Midorima glanced at the page just so Kise would stop trying to smother him with it; like the cover of the magazine, there was a lot of pink, as well as pictures of shirtless teen male models. A bar graph was on the side of the page and it seemed to rank the candidates in various fields.

Midorima recoiled in disgust. He'd never felt curious enough to pick up a magazine aimed at the opposite sex and this just went to prove how right he was in keeping girls at arm's length. Did all of them read this kind of thing? It was repulsive.

Kise's finger was pointing insistently at the graph so he made an effort to decipher the flowery writing. Apparently, the basketball player was ranked first in the category of 'Guy you would have a hot make out session with' with seventy-three percent of the votes. "This is revolting, get it out of my face."

"No, look at this!" Kise pointed at one of the smaller bars. He was ranked last in the 'Guy you would enter a long term relationship with' category with only one point two percent of the votes.

"So?" Midorima said, straightening up and turning towards the court so he wouldn't have to look at the offensive pink monstrosity. Touou had started doing layup rounds, but Aomine wasn't there.

"What do you mean, so? One point two percent! It's a disaster!" Kise wailed. "I'm not that bad at relationships. Do girls really think I'm that bad?"

Midorima grimaced to himself and didn't deign with a response, altogether unsurprised. The day's horoscope for Gemini had been You will have mixed luck today - brace yourself for surprises, both good and unpleasant.

"Hey, Midorimacchi," Kise mused, "is Kurokocchi the casual type or the long term relationship type? I've never really thought about it before, but maybe she prefers casual-"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Midorima snapped.

Kise slumped on the railings, pouting at the bar graph and wallowing in self-pity.

Midorima ignored him. In the scale of Annoying People, Kise was a solid nine out of ten, but thankfully the blonde's attention tended to wander away from him if he remained silent for enough time. (How pleasant life would be if such a tactic had worked with Takao. The point guard smashed his own record on the scale every day - he was currently an unparalleled twenty-seven). As if summoned by his thoughts, familiar laughter wafted over to him from the entrance to the stands, over on his left.

Oh hell no.

Midorima looked around for a place to hide. He slid his glasses back on and headed to a different exit, but before he could get there, Takao erupted onto the stands, cackling to himself about something on his phone. Midorima's phone beeped, and the noise drew Takao's attention. A large, gleeful grin spread on his face. He was in Midorima's personal space instantly.

"Aw, Shin-chan, you came! I knew you loved me after all." At this point Midorima had been conditioned to automatically flinch at the drawling tone. Yes, it was that obnoxious.

"It has nothing to do with you. I came to watch my old teammates."

"Ouch! That hurts my feelings," Takao whined, dramatically grasping his shirt over his heart. He glanced at Kise. His sharp blue eyes flashed. "Hey. I remember you from the restaurant. Kise Ryouta, right? Another one of the Miracles."

Kise had lifted his eyes from his magazine and was watching their interaction with raised eyebrows. "I used to be, but I play with Kaijou now," he said lightly.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Takao Kazunari. I heard you also lost against Tetsu-chan."

At Kise's questioning glance, Midorima pushed up his sunglasses. "He knows."

Takao grinned. "Shin-chan couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"Don't lie. You wouldn't stop nagging me."

"Hey, we can call ourselves the People Who Lost To A Girl club!"

Midorima made a strangled noise of distaste, and Takao chuckled. Why. Why was his life's mission to find the worst ways of embarrassing Midorima in public? It was sickening.

They watched as Seirin arrived. Kuroko was last, and she blinked around in surprise for a few seconds before Momoi stalked closer and explained something. Kuroko nodded and joined her team for the warm-up without a word. Midorima's lips thinned when minutes passed, the starting whistle blew and Aomine still failed to make an appearance. Social consensus dictated it was extremely rude to arrive late to a match; rude to the opposition, to the referees, to the spectators and to one's own teammates. To Midorima it was not a matter of upsetting people's sensitivities so much as respecting the sport; he believed that if one could not be bothered to arrive on time to a game, then one should not play basketball at all. In this case, though, given what he knew about Aomine and Kuroko, the insult was twice as severe, and he wondered if it had been deliberate.

"Jeez, I go through all this trouble and the Aomine guy isn't even here. That's kind of disrespectful, isn't it," Takao commented.

"Considering their history, yes," Midorima answered.

"You mean the light and shadow thing, right?" Kise asked.

"In part." Midorima wondered if he should say the rest or not. He decided not to. It didn't concern him.

Kise straightened. "Don't just stop there. What do you mean, in part?"

"It's none of your business."

Kise grabbed his arm, oddly serious. "What history?"

Midorima pulled away with a tch. Might as well say it, he supposed. Kise looked like he was determined to find out and even Takao had cocked his head in interest, and he didn't think he'd be able to survive both of them nagging him at the same time. "Kuroko liked Aomine romantically, but he turned her down."

Kise let him go, shocked. Midorima turned back to the game, not interested it whatever personal tragedy he was going through.

Seirin wasn't playing their best. They weren't making any major mistakes either, but they'd been taken off-guard by the skill of Touou's regulars and were taking too long to respond appropriately and ramp up their game. While the basketball Touou played was ugly, and the coach was content to allow a single player to carry the ball all the way from the baseline to the basket without even one pass, it was also brutally effective, given the difference in skill on a one-to-one basis. Kagami was the only one who could defend somewhat decently. Midorima grudgingly acknowledged that the players in Touou were vicious and would probably give his own teammates a run for their money.

Or rather, he thought, eyeing the pink-haired figure sitting on the bench, it's because of her.

"Romantically... How do you know?" Kise asked quietly.

"I was training late and overheard the conversation," Midorima replied without lifting his eyes from the game.

Seirin's coach switched their defense to zone. A good call in his opinion, given the situation. It was a strange zone, like a box-and-one but where was Ku- ah, there she was. The configuration was designed to let her steal without compromising the basket.

"And the guy couldn't even be bothered to show up?" Takao's usual smile had vanished. "You miracles are all kinda jerks, you know that? Poor Tetsu-chan." His eyes followed Kuroko intently, sparking when she did steal and transitioned into a pass in the same smooth motion. "Jeez, she's so good. I really want to play her again." He chuckled, his fingers twitching on the railing, restless. "Dammit. Shin-chan, we should have been the ones down there."

Midorima returned his gaze to the game, feeling a bitter tug in his gut. He wholly agreed with the sentiment.

"When was it?" Kise asked. "The thing with Kurokocchi and Aominecchi. What happened?"

"It was at the beginning of last year. I assume Aomine hadn't been expecting it. She confessed her feelings and he didn't react very well, but given that he's a brute, that's not surprising. I don't know more details because I left when I realized the conversation was private." Unlike some people, Midorima didn't go around sticking his nose into others' private lives.

Kise's hands were clenched on the railings. "Gah," he spat at last. "Come on, Kurokocchi. Smash this game on that idiot's face."

But at half-time Seirin still hadn't managed to pull ahead despite Aomine's absence, and Midorima sneered. If he'd known the team that had defeated him would make such a pathetic showing, he wouldn't have come to watch.

It should have been Shutoku on that court.

He'd make sure it would be, next time.

A.N. Well, um. Sorry for the wait, and I hope you liked this chapter.