Notes: Obviously, I can no longer promise morning updates, but as long as I make Friday at all, I'm content. Thanks as always for the reviews, faves, and follows! I can't say it enough, but I absolutely appreciate all the love and support you guys give me chapter after chapter! You make writing this fun and so, so worth it, so thank you so much!
Warning! In Part XXXI, there is mention of blood and an allusion to non-consensual something, and if you want to skip that, then that's fine! Just stop at It's only fair." (the end of some dialogue) and then start again at Someone is beside him. (the beginning of a new paragraph)
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket.
XXX. July 12, 2012 - Thursday
Shougo yawns and then wipes at his suddenly wet eyes irritably. He'd had trouble sleeping last night after his conversation with Shion had finally forced him to make a decision, too keyed up and nervous to really settle down, and it's biting him in the ass. He's almost dozed off more than once in class today, and it's long since started to annoy.
Without warning, hot breath ghosts on the shell of his ear, and he practically jumps out of his fucking skin - to the clear amusement of the blond fuckwit laughing at him. "The fuck," he grumbles, trying to calm the hell down. "Don't fucking do that, asshole."
"Sorry, sorry," Ryouta says breezily. He leans forward, grinning, "Why don't you take a nap? I'll even let you use my lap, free of charge!"
"Hell no," Shougo replies, instantly. "You'd probably try to, I don't know, do something to me while I'm asleep."
Ryouta snorts. "I wouldn't!" And then he thinks about it, adding, "Well, maybe..."
Tetsuya frowns at Ryouta disapprovingly. "That would be sexual harassment, Kise-san."
Moping, Ryouta implores the both of them, "I'm just kidding! You can totally trust me!" He bats innocent eyes at them.
Shougo shares a disgusted look with Tetsuya, the same disbelief and exasperation passing between them, and then he yawns again, and Tetsuya's expression grows a little concerned.
"What?" he grunts, rubbing his eye with more anger than is probably necessary.
"...I'll keep Kise-kun in line," Tetsuya promises him, apparently switching sides. Damn traitor.
"Yes!" Ryouta throws an arm around Tetsuya's shoulders and smushes their cheeks together, eyes glittering. "Knew you'd see it my way, Kurokocchi!"
"Please control yourself, Kise-kun," Tetsuya says with some dismay, as he has every time Ryouta's used him like a human body pillow. "You're disproving my point."
"Oh." Sheepishly, Ryouta backs off of him, out logic'd by their phantom player yet again. Shougo is almost envious. "Hehe, sorry."
"I never agreed to this," Shougo points out defiantly, pushing himself up in an attempt to get on his feet.
A hand clamps around his head in mid motion, pulling him back down onto Ryouta's awaiting lap with the strong grip Shougo's come to fucking despise.
Fucking face heating up, he glares mutinously up at Ryouta's cheeky grin. "Bastard," he snarls, but the fucker just laughs.
"Get some rest," Tetsuya advises, serenely eating some miso soup across from them.
"I hate both of you," Shougo tells them, but they don't take him seriously.
"Love you too," Ryouta chirps.
Shougo scowls at him and then glances warningly at Tetsuya. "You'd better not let anything happen."
"I will protect you, Haizaki-kun," the little shit has the fucking gall to say with a straight face. Ryouta laughs above him.
Turning away from that smug ass smirk, Shougo gets comfortable and closes his eyes, sleep immediately creeping up on him - as if it had been waiting for him to let his guard down. Before he goes completely under, he feels fingers carefully running through his hair, warm and familiar.
He wakes with a burst of pain, and groggily, irritably, he clutches his head as he opens his eyes, barely noticing the other cry of bewilderment. Squinting, he realizes three things in quick succession.
One: From their close proximity and clear drowsiness, it's obvious Ryouta and Tetsuya must have joined him in taking a nap, Ryouta leaning against the wall behind them, Shougo's head in his lap, and Tetsuya's face pressed into Shougo's stomach.
Two: Lunch is over and has been for a while - if the sun's high position in the sky is any indicator. The question is - did the other two actively decide to skip, or did they accidentally lose track of time? He's willing to bet the latter because-
Three: Nijimura is looming over them, a frighteningly stern expression on his face and the one who so fucking graciously woke them with his fists rather than shaking them awake like a normal fucking person.
"Skipping again, Haizaki?" Nijimura says, crossing his arms and frowning. "This is the fifth time this year. Not that I care, but as captain, I've got some responsibility for my players, and you should know better by now. So... Fifty laps before practice."
Scowling, Shougo sits up and argues, indignantly, "It wasn't my fault this time!"
"Doesn't matter," Nijimura shuts him down harshly. "Any other player would have already been punished, so don't start whining now, idiot." He slides his sharp, reproachful gaze over to a strangely silent Ryouta. "And you. I can't give you laps, but don't think you're getting off the hook. Skip again, and I'll make sure you get detention."
"I understand," Ryouta says, chastised. "It won't happen again, Senpai."
"Good," Nijimura glares down at them for a few more seconds, and then- he sighs, dragging a hand over his face in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you guys?" He asks somewhat jokingly, effectively breaking the tense atmosphere.
"You could stop acting like our mother," Shougo mutters and then scowls, looking off to the side when Nijimura raises an eyebrow at him. Louder, he says, "What are you doing here anyway?" He gets to his feet with the help of the wall, sort of glad they'd had lunch on the roof today and as a result were only caught by his captain.
Nijimura frowns again. "Obviously I came looking for you. Anami-sensei asked me to find you after you missed her class. Didn't expect to find this dope up here with you." Ryouta's face scrunches up, offended, but neither of them pay him any mind. "Come on, school isn't over yet. You can still make your last few classes."
"Wait, where's Te- Kuroko?" Shougo demands, only just realizing the other boy hasn't been a part of the shitty lecture from the beginning - and almost slipping up with his name, damn it. "He was here too."
Nijimura's eyes widen in surprise, and Ryouta's light up with realization as he glances around the roof for their missing first year. "Kurokocchi was just here!" And then he gasps, unnecessarily dramatic, "Is he using his powers for evil?! No fair!"
"I've been here the whole time," Tetsuya pipes up quite calmly as the rest of them flinch back in shock. At least Ryouta's screams are more like yelps now.
"Ow," he says, monotone, when Nijimura slaps the back of his head.
"Speak up next time, damn it," Nijimura tells him, irritably.
"Yes, Senpai," Tetsuya replies, even though he clearly wants to argue. Probably with his lame 'you didn't hear me' defense.
"And don't you skip anymore either," Nijimura adds.
"Yes, Senpai."
"Don't let these two corrupt you."
"Yes, Senpai."
"And put a bell around your neck or something."
"That would be demeaning, Senpai."
Nijimura clamps a hand on Tetsuya's head, fighting a smile. "Don't sass me, first year."
"I would never, Senpai."
"Yeah, I bet." Nijimura gives in and ruffles Tetsuya's hair, and when he steps back, the sight is actually pretty damn hilarious. Tetsuya's hair is sticking up at odd angles, and the displeased expression on his face makes it even better.
"That was mean," Tetsuya says, almost pouting, making the second year huff a laugh even as he apologizes.
Ryouta tries to muffle a laugh of his own behind his hand, grinning like the awful person he is. "That was so cute."
Rolling his eyes, Shougo glances at his phone pointedly. "Class has already started, you know."
Nijimura curses and then begins herding the three of them towards the door, grumbling about troublesome first years.
XXXI. July 13, 2012 - Friday
The next morning, Shougo stakes out the gym that the third string practices in and hopes Tetsuya spots him because like fuck he's gonna be able to do it. First string has the mornings free now that they're halfway through inter-high, but third string doesn't really have anything to do but practice. Okay, so most of them have given up playing in an actual game and are only fooling around, but even then, there are still drills and practice games.
Knowing how hardworking and determined Kuroko is, he's definitely going to be here anyway.
"Haizaki-kun," a mild voice calls out to him, proving him right and also scaring ten years off his life.
"Gah, stop that," he growls, and then he clicks his tongue when Tetsuya only looks even more amused. "You're a damn menace."
"Why are you here?" Tetsuya asks, ignoring his very valid complaint. "First string doesn't have morning practice."
Here's the fucking hard part. Fidgeting - just a bit! - Shougo manages to get out, "Kise said you had a reason for wanting to be on first string."
"I do," Tetsuya agrees, pleasantly surprised. He tilts his head to regard Shougo thoughtfully, but he doesn't say anything else.
Impatient, Shougo shoves his hands in his pockets and barks, "Well? What is it?" Belatedly, lamely, he adds, "...Not that I care. I'm just- curious." He grimaces, and Tetsuya's smile edges annoyingly toward a smirk without him ever moving a muscle.
"My childhood friend and I made a promise that we'd play against each other in an official match," Tetsuya explains, fond and with that fire in his eyes that always surfaces when he's talking about basketball. "I intend to keep it."
"Oh..." Something about this sparks a memory, and despite the bad feeling it's giving him, he asks, "What school does he go to?"
Unaware of Shougo's concerns, Tetsuya tells him easily enough, "Meiko Junior High."
Shougo feels dread pooling in his stomach as the pieces finally fall into place. The Teiko-Meiko game in their third year... Despite his bitterness and anger toward the Miracles - or maybe as some twisted form of punishment - he'd forced himself to attend most of their games, sitting as far away from the court as possible and leaving as soon as the games ended, and then. Well, it became a sick source of entertainment, the way they trampled all over their opponents, knocking them down physically and mentally, carelessly cruel in the way children tend to be.
It had been satisfying because their pretend friendships had been so obviously in tatters, and their skills and talent - the very reason Shougo's spot had been taken - had only succeeded in alienating them from each other and making them miserable.
(Shougo will fully admit that he was worst sort of jackass back then, and he's never been more glad for the fact that he's not that person anymore.
Not glad for the catalyst, never, but then people usually don't get to choose what changes them - only how. And he chose to be better.)
Third year was easily the year they did the most damage, and now that he's actively thinking about it, Shougo remembers that joke of a game clearly. Teiko was leagues better than every other team, and everyone knew it. But that game was different because Tetsuya didn't play at all - had been injured in the previous match - and the Miracles rigged the game, made the score 111 - 11 in true asshole-ish fashion.
But what he's getting at, the thing that's making his gut twist unpleasantly is what happened after. Tetsuya running out onto the court, realizing what his douche-y friends did, and dropping to his knees as he cried his eyes out. The Miracles walking away, everyone in the stands gossiping or tutting in concern but not fucking doing anything, and Tetsuya slumped over like the world had just fallen at his feet.
Even Shougo, who - at the time - had been a grade a asshole, had hesitated upon witnessing that train wreck, more so because he'd never seen Tetsuya look so small than any kind of latent compassion. He'd hesitated, genuinely considered going down there and- doing something, but in the end, he'd just stalked out, not once glancing behind him as he left. He'd thought it had been awful without knowing anything, but with this new information, the guilt squirming in his chest is threatening to eat him alive.
"Haizaki-kun?" Tetsuya tries to get his attention, concern lacing his words. "Are you alright?"
No, he thinks, shaking. "Yeah," he says, distantly surprised his voice comes out even. "Yeah, I- Tutoring," he grunts, only just recalling the fact that - even if Tetsuya can't make it - he's still meeting the others in the library this morning. "I'll see you later."
"See you, Haizaki-kun, and good luck," Tetsuya smiles at him, turning to head toward the gym doors as Shougo steps around him to head the other way.
He nods his thanks and walks away as quickly as he can without making it seem like he's running, and he has absolutely no intention to go to tutoring with this weighing so heavily on his mind. He rounds the nearest corner and then leans back against the wall, sliding to the floor when his legs threaten to give out and burying his face in his knees.
Fuck. He groans.
It's not just that something so awful happened to someone he now - however reluctantly - considers a friend. He can console himself with the fact that it hasn't happened yet, that he hasn't let this Tetsuya down, and that makes it better.
But this- it's the tipping point, right? Tetsuya quit the team after that game, and it's no coincidence. Shougo doesn't have anything beyond a vague idea when Daiki cracked and even vaguer guesses about the rest of the team, but he can pinpoint the cause of Tetsuya's redemption warpath, what made him finally realize those arrogant fucks weren't going to go back to how they used to be without some world toppling. Or maybe that came later, and what came first was betrayal and heartbreak, giving up on them entirely.
Fucking regardless, what all of this means, what it's making him think... is stupid and fucking ridiculous. Miracle levels of arrogance. Impossible, probably, with his luck. Because he had the errant thought, for a moment, that he could stop that from happening. It's a dangerous thought because this whole changing things business is a slippery damn slope, and he's fallen right into every damn time travel story's bullshit trope - thinking he can actually make a difference.
When has he ever not just made everything worse? He's like a fucking disease, or maybe Tetsuya's power of friendship shit has infected him, made him want to do stupid shit. Didn't he already decide he wasn't going to fix anyone else's problems? He's got his own damn to do list, and it's taking up all of his time all on its own. He can't be a damn therapist or whatever to these messed up kids, especially when he's barely got his own shit together.
It's a horrible, terrible idea, and even despite all of his musing, he's still thinking about doing it.
He spends another few minutes going in circles before deciding judiciously to shove the problem under a mental rug to be dealt with later. It's not his fucking problem right now, so fuck it.
He pulls out his phone, which has been vibrating obnoxiously since he sat down, and ignores the call before sending a message to Ryouta. Can't make it today. Overslept.
With only fifteen minutes until school officially opens to welcome students, Shougo gets comfortable against the brick wall, resting his arms on his knees as he opens Neko Atsume to tend to his cats.
XXXII. July 13, 2012 - Friday
Bemused, Shougo leaves the gym ahead of everyone else, newly showered and dressed in his uniform again, and as he'd expected, Ryouta and Tetsuya are just outside waiting for him, both smiling when they catch sight of him.
"Haizakiichi," Ryouta chirps, apparently overjoyed to take up even more of their time today. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," he grunts, shouldering his bag and falling into step with them as they leave the school. He glances at Tetsuya, confused by this turn of events but not willing to ask about it.
At lunch earlier, Ryouta had made a big deal about not seeing Shougo and Tetsuya at tutoring and had whined about how scary and intimidating Nijimura had been without his - in the idiot's words - favorite player there, and though Shougo had told him to suck it up, Tetsuya had uncharacteristically suggested the three of them hang out after practice to make up for it. (Shougo had just been shocked Tetsuya hadn't ratted him out.)
Ryouta had fucking jumped at the chance, and Shougo had immediately turned it down, especially since practice has been ending as late as five thirty these days. But under the combined force of their damn pitiful faces (and still guilty from today's revelation), he'd caved embarrassingly quickly.
His one stipulation had been that Daiki and Momoi not tag along or even know about it, and Tetsuya had agreed without comment. Shougo's got a plan involving those two - well, just Daiki, but you get one, you get the other, yeah? - and that does not involve impromptu outings for ice cream.
Practically buzzing, Ryouta admits, "I've never done this before!"
Snorting, Shougo asks, "What, gotten ice cream?"
"No! Okay, well, obviously I have, but never with friends! This is exciting!" Ryouta exclaims, and Shougo can almost see the exclamation points fluttering around him.
"I've come here with Aomine-kun and Momoi-san a few times," Tetsuya reveals, also weirdly happy as the convenience store comes into view.
They turn to look at him expectantly, and he bristles. "I have too, ya jerks."
Not with what he would call friends but- acquaintances. People to fuck around with doing stupid shit, like under aged drinking and then going off to clubs when they were of age.
Ryouta laughs. "No need to be offended, Haizakicchi!" He pats Shougo's cheek affectionately, and Shougo slaps it away, rolling his eyes. "Guess this is just new to me then!"
The doors open when they get close enough, and they step inside the fucking freezer of a building, get the cheap ice cream, and then get out in just under ten minutes. Shougo's got a chocolate cone, Ryouta's tearing open a basketball-themed Popsicle, and Tetsuya's is rocket-shaped and watermelon-flavored.
They're walking aimlessly down the sidewalk, listening with great amusement to Ryouta's account of his harrowing experience with Nijimura as they enjoy their treats, and that's when it happens.
"-not lying! He was glaring holes into my head the whole time! Oomph," Ryouta grunts, accidentally bumping into some guy who was standing just around the corner. "Oh, sorry about that."
Ryouta moves to go around the guy, and Shougo, who was already watching him closely, tugs him out of the way when the fuckwit takes a swing at him. "Whoa!"
"Back off," he snarls, and there's nothing playful or harmless in his body language now. He keeps Ryouta and Tetsuya behind him, eyeing the three other guys who have noticed this little exchange and are coming over.
"Ohoho, look who it is," the ring leader says, leering at Shougo unpleasantly. "You're the fucking brat who put Toshi outta commission a while back, ain't cha?"
"I don't get the names of all the dumbasses stupid enough to pick a fight with me," Shougo bites back, pushing Ryouta behind him again when the idiot tries to step forward. He doesn't know any 'Toshi', and he hasn't fought anyone since he came back. Must have been his younger self. "You gotta be more specific."
"Yeah, it's you, alright. Grey hair, ugly mug. Fucking middle schooler," the asshole puffs up, and his cronies crowd around him, around them. "I got to pay you back for what you did to him, you know? It's only fair." And then his creepy ass gaze moves past Shougo. "Or maybe this pretty little thing can do something for us."
He chuckles, and his buddies join him, and Shougo sees fucking red. The mere idea-! The fucking audacity-! Like he would allow-!
With a wordless snarl of rage, Shougo lunges forward, jabbing the guy in the throat, and when he drops to his knees, choking, Shougo smashes his face with his own knee, and the guy goes down. After that, the other fucks finally get their asses in gear, but it's too late. Shougo's already punching fuckface number two and then mercilessly kicking him in the dick.
After that, the fight is a blur. Someone gets him in the face at one point and busts his lip, and there's definitely going to be bruises on his side, maybe on his arms. He only really comes back to his senses when the gross fucking douchebags are long gone, running away with their tails between their legs, and he's kneeling on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth and boiling beneath his skin.
He digs his fingers into the cement, head bowed and breathing harsh, and then there's a cautious call of his name.
"Haizaki?" Ryouta or Tetsuya or maybe both, more than once.
He doesn't answer, still trying to calm down, and there's shame now too - because he's violent and rude and still the same no matter what he likes to think. And he'd do it again. And again and again. Fuck that guy, fuck all of them. Daring to even- to even imply that they would- He exhales, inhales, and he's shaking again.
Someone is beside him, close, arms closing around his body, warmly, comfortingly. Another body, behind him, more arms circling around. Soothing murmurs and encouragements.
"I'm okay," he grumbles and means it. He's fine. They're fine anyway, so he did what he meant to do. Protect them. "Let's go home," he says, tiredly.
Tetsuya and Ryouta share a look above him - he can feel it - and they must agree on something because Tetsuya says, firmly, "We're going home with you."
"Yeah, it'll be like a sleepover!" Ryouta chimes in, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. "I've never been to one of those either."
"Okay," Shougo says, not having the energy to argue - and kind of relieved.
They help him to his feet, and then they slowly make their way to his home, somehow keeping up fairly lighthearted chatter all the way there. His mom takes it all in stride - since this isn't the first time Shougo's dragged himself home after being roughed up - and is more than happy to have his friends stay over.
Dinner is lively and fun, and Shougo sleeps soundly between Tetsuya and Ryouta that night, despite the fact that they had futons laid out for them and Shougo was on his bed.
End Notes: No chapter will ever be this long again, so enjoy it! dragonwings307 asked for "bad boy haizaki in action," and hopefully, I have delivered! Fights scenes are awful. 0/10 would not recommend. I've been wanting to write that nap scene for ages! Somehow Niji was walking in the halls (maybe on his way to gym?) when Anami-sensei saw him, shh. Also, Fye suggested they go for ice cream, which was wonderful. Thanks for everyone else's suggestions as well! I cannot wait to use them! ;D
Review Replies:
Fye: Thank you - both for the kind words and the head canons! Kise is the personification of a golden retriever. I can't unsee it. Trash son unfortunately thinks he is trash in a bad way. Even with this chapter, he's still not the badass he thinks he is, lmao. He's way too insecure/unaccustomed to friends to realize 'hey, maybe this isn't friendly behavior' and when he finally does get it... ;D I've based Shion off my own brothers, and this is definitely something that has happened before. Glad you liked it! About the cat scene... That is so good. I'm dying to write it, god. Soon, I promise!
Guest 2: Ugh, I didn't know that! Can I hopefully pass it off that he's like me: smart but still ended up cramming before tests? Just to be sure! Or maybe, he just needed to properly study, and then things got really easy? Either way, thanks for pointing it out and still letting me keep it in! ;D Shion is the blunt yet caring older brother we all need.
Guest: Thanks~!