More than a Kiss

Seirin watched the Kaijou VS Fukuda Sogo Match.

This was because whoever won will be their next opponent.

Kuroko's analysis was at full-go with Riko, lecturing the boys on need-to-knows as advanced preparations. They even got more wary as Kaijou IMPROVED. The Kaijou they defeated in a practice match is a far cry from this one because they were underestimated before. What they see now, is the REAL Kaijou, a National-Class School.

When Kaijou won, Kise was utterly very extremely happy and all giddy for some reason.

'That bastard is a little TOO happy.' Hyuuga noted as Kise was extremely-happy downstairs.

'Well...we made a promise after that incident.' said Kuroko. 'That must be what motivated him to show his true form just so he can collect. I daresay we benefited.'

'Sou ne, we got information like we never got before off of Kaijou.' Riko agreed. 'We can prepare for tomorrow sufficiently with this and give it all we got.'

'You mean with Haizaki?' Kagami frowned. There was no way he can forget what the hell just happened. No way.

'Un. Kise-kun said he wants to be the first to get something from me.' Kuroko explained as she stood up. 'He'll come collecting so I should be on my way. That promise motivated him against Haizaki-kun, someone just a couple notches below the Miracles. Go on ahead without me.'

'OK...makes me wonder what he wants from you though.' Riko blinked as Kuroko went away. 'By the way Kagami-kun, what happened between you and this Haizaki guy?'

'Its like this...'

By the time he was done talking, everyone's eyes bulged with good reason.

They understandably could not believe their ears.

Later, Alex vouched for what Kagami said.

By mailing Kise, she told him she'd meet him in a secluded place she found in the Gym's grounds. She instructed him to ensure nobody follows either.

She did tell him that...even though she too is ensuring there are no witnesses either. She forced the whole stadium audience to go to places they want to go after the match.

She also saw Aomine sock Haizaki in the face to protect Kise from him.

Kise was utterly excited in more ways than one when he found her.

'Kurokocchi!' he gasped out as he got to their meeting place. 'A-are you ready?' he asked her nervously.

'I'm ready of course.' said Kuroko. 'You gave your all for the sake of the promise. As your mentor I'm very happy with you.' she said with a smile that sent Kise over the moon.

He mustered up his courage as he nervously wrapped his arms around her and when he did, she gently looked up at him with a slight blush on her cheeks and slowly closed her eyes. Her lips slightly parted.

Kise took the plunge.

Placing his lips over hers, and slipping his tongue inside her mouth, going past her teeth.

Kissing the only girl he had genuine affection for, was like a dream come true.

They were doing it with tongue even. He suspected Alex had a hand in ahem, first-hand P.E as Kuroko caressed his tongue with hers, and egging him on to take the lead.

Ohhh yes he'll take the lead and kiss her senseless.

He could tell he succeeded when she moaned.

He got excited and his hands began roaming...and he could slip his hand under her skirt and gently squeeze her rear...

...to be honest, he expected her to push him away and slug his face, but she didn't!

"Does this mean she wants this too?" he wondered as they parted for much-wanted air.

'...you learn fast in kissing.' Kuroko gasped out.

'If its you, I'll improvise if I have to.' Kise told her while panting. 'Kurokocchi...you really OK with this? I was expecting you'd punch me or something when I'm really being a guy around a girl for a change...' he meant being touchy-feely with the girl he likes.

'Ehehe...I figured that when you're really happy...you really will do your best.' Kuroko smiled. 'That's why I'm letting this slide. I figure that this promise...and letting you do what you want with me...my student will shine brighter.'

'Even if it meant winning against Seirin tomorrow?' Kise asked her huskily.

'You wish.' Kuroko giggled and then snorted. 'I won't give up on everyone. And if you hold back, you can kiss this privilege goodbye.'

'Then I won't hold back. I'll show you I'm the best man in court Kurokocchi.' said Kise, planting butterfly kisses on her face while his hands now caressed her bare back since he snaked his hands under her clothes.

'...you're being kind of more touchy-feelly than you usually are.' said Kuroko in her usual face, but she was blushing. 'And I feel weird but since its a person I'm OK with, its a good kind of weird.'

'I know...I just used it as a means to tell you how much I really wanted you for years.' said Kise. 'Good enough to be everything for you. Since middle school...I wanted you to look at only me and no other guy. I want you right here and never let go.'

Kuroko being utterly floored, is an understatement.

'...that's as close as one can get to a love confession...I never expected this.'

'I'm a dork aren't I?' said Kise sheepishly.

'I never saw this coming.' Kuroko swallowed as if she swallowed a medicine ball.

'...I liked you for years.' said Kise, making her inwardly choke. 'I know the others did too...that's why I made a move first.' said Kise to her utter shock. 'I don't want to lose to anyone if its you we're talking about. I can accept losing to them in basketball but losing you to them is another story!' he cried, hugging her tighter. 'I don't want to lose you.'

He took advantage of her open-mouthed shock and kissed her senseless again.

'Tekka...heeeeey...' Mukuro poked his shell-shocked student. 'You OK?'

'No I'm NOT OK!' Kuroko wailed while doing spear katas in a park that night. Or so it looks like in reality when in her mind, she was wailing about her issues and sparring with Mukuro after Chrome's turn was over. 'What am I gonna do? What am I gonna say to that?! That's a freaking love confession and Kise-kun said the others too, not just him?! Huh?! What am I-EEK!' she got splashed with an illusion of cold water.

'Neesan, you calm now?' Chrome piped up, clearly the culprit.

'Not yet! This is way out of my league!' Kuroko sputtered out from being illusionarily-doused.

'Humm...perhaps its best to pay Reborn a visit my dear.' Mukuro recommended as Kuroko is utterly unable to focus on training right now. 'He'd know this best as neither I nor Chrome fell in love before, its pointless to ask us.' he told her. 'He's a known womanizer after all.'

'P-perhaps I should...' and she was gone from their world as the real her went home after a workout, unaware she was seen by Takao who yanked Midorima along...

'Holy shit Shin-chan, did you see that?' Takao croaked out, wide-eyed. 'Sooo cool!' he gushed out, amazed. 'She worked it like a pro out of anime or video game, dude!' she trained, looking like fighting an unseen enemy at that and she's damn good with her training staff.

'I-I didn't know Kuroko took on martial arts...' Midorima swallowed audibly. 'I thought she only took on coaching-nodayo!'

'That girl's pretty-much good at anything if you ask me.' said Takao wryly. 'Housekeeping, cooking, coaching and now this!' he said in amazement. 'What is she not good at?' he asked the stunned shooter who was still trying to register the image in his head, his image of Kuroko shattered by what he's seen just now.

He could not believe his eyes, thinking its his first time seeing this side of her.

If only he knew the truth...

At home...

Aomine was thinking.

Kise told him about Haizaki and what he just witnessed regarding their ex-manager whom they were fond of, and Kise, Kagami, Himuro and their mentor seeing a sliver of what she was willing to do if forced.

If it was just Kise, he'd think he was high on something(and he'd want some), but there are other witnesses.

That, and Kagami's hot teacher thought Kuroko was cool with her 'bluffing spoon technique' and Kise could tell while peeking, that their image of Kuroko was shattered forever with that stunt even Haizaki was shocked and willing to walk away without fighting Kuroko whom he thinks has a knife in possession and therefore suicidal to fight her when she had an effing plastic spoon all the time as a psychological bluff technique for self-defense.

He'd love to see that in person.

To be a fly on the wall!

That night, Tsuna's room...

Kuroko materialized in Tsuna's room where she located Reborn.

'Kuroko-san!' Tsuna gasped out as Kuroko materialized in his room. According to his studies, very few illusionists are capable of this as to materialize elsewhere without a body required a huge amount of power and strong will to keep it together.

'Did something happen, Kuroko?' Reborn asked Kuroko who looked like she has a huge problem.

'Reborn-san, Mukuro-kun told me to come to you for this since you have experience...' Kuroko gulped out.

'And?'

'Kise-kun confessed to me and he made sure he's the first one because the others are on my case too!' Kuroko wailed. 'What am I gonna do?! I've never seen them in that kind of light! What are they high on?!'

Tsuna and Reborn stared at the troubled teenager who was at the end of a love confession by Kise who was once, her Basketball Student.

'...yare yare, its that time for you mid-teenagers huh?' Reborn chuckled at the illusionist who's having a love-life crisis as she could not comprehend that the boys she grew up with are all after her in that way. 'So, who's the first?'

'I-it's Kise...kun.' Kuroko squeaked out. 'Then he said that the others are on my case too that he wanted to be the first to confess...that ulp...h-he didn't want to lose me...what am I supposed to say, do and how do I react to that?'

'So you have zero romantic interests in your boys?' Reborn asked her.

'I like them all as friends but nothing beyond that...' Kuroko squeaked weakly, red-faced.

'Well, here's a tip.' said Reborn. 'Spend time with each boy. Then whoever's presence made your face heat up and heart beat...you see, falling in love will make people awkward towards the ones they like until they have the balls to fess up, or in Kise's case, act as clingy as possible, using a front to hide their feelings while still wanting to get close to you. If in Kise's case he's so clingy and trying to get your attention, this idiot pupil of mine can't think straight when around his crush.' he said, pointing at Tsuna who went red and sputtered incoherently.

'Reborn!'

'Point taken.' said Reborn flatly as Tsuna flinched, as if struck. 'For girls...out of observation, a small percentage are brave to confess while aware of what awaits them is either reciprocation or heartbreak. A bigger percent go tsundere on the object of their affections. But a bigger percent...when girls hit puberty, their emotions go unstable as suddenly, boys around them feel like alien existences to them and become very sensitive to male gestures. Especially towards boys they have strong feelings for.' he explained. 'Both boys and girls fall in and out of love and grow up until they find someone they truly love.'

'Kise already decided you're his girl since Middle School. Look back to how boys around you behaved around you. You'll then piece out who has romantic feelings for you...and then you should do a little self-re-evaluation. This time, who are you in love with? Reflect on that.'

'O-oh...'

'You're 16 now Kuroko.' Reborn told her. 'Hibari may be 17 but he's an emotional retard and Mukuro is even worse and its unlikely if they'll ever hit puberty but you civilians are different. You are growing up. You must make a choice that will not hurt anybody, especially yourself.'

'Thanks.' Kuroko smiled shyly. 'I'll reflect on this at home.'

'Do that.' said Reborn as Kuroko disappeared while looking nervous.

'Falling in love, huh...?' Tsuna mused thoughtfully.

'As for you, listen to what I said too, idiot.' said Reborn. 'You only like Kyoko-chan because she was the only person kind to you in your no-good days but that's it. Look back on the times you interacted. Look back if she ever has interest in you. Once you determine the truth, you can then keep looking. Looking for a girl who actually has feelings for you back.' he advised. 'Any girl would be lucky to have you as you're a type of man who would never hurt people, more so than anyone else in regards to feelings. And also, you cannot force people to love you. Nobody likes that kind of person. You should love those who loves you back. That's a healthy, ideal relationship. And now that you're unsealed, let your Hyper Intuition guide you. Love must never be one-sided nor you should have delusions about it. That's just pain incoming and that makes you the biggest idiot in the world and even moreso when you miss a real treasure. The song 'it's sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along' speaks true. So instead of investing all your time on one girl who would possibly never love you back, explore other options until you hit the jackpot.'

'Oh...OK...' said Tsuna glumly. 'It'll be hard but I gotta do it.'

'That's the spirit. Now let's go back to where were we in lessons...'

At home...

Kuroko was reflecting on what she got wind of that night while having a late night light dinner.

Her mind was on the kisses, that confession, and rough hands roaming her back and her butt out of desire.

She pictured all boys she knew who could possibly do what Kise did and see who made her heart pound.

She hardly knows Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara. She was far closer to Aomine, Kise, Momoi, Kagami and her current club. Mukuro was more her Master in Martial Arts and Illusions(moreover while he claims not to know what love is, he clearly likes Chrome more than her, he just doesn't get it) so she began thinking.

Aomine...nope. She remembered when he kissed her forehead...nothing at all. What he feels for her, no idea.

Kise...he made it damn clear who he likes. He freaked her out(and they parted awkwardly after the conversation) she had no idea what to do when she sees him again. It'll be damn awkward when before, she sees him like her students.

Kagami...he was yet another guy she was close to because she personally tutored him. He clearly feels nothing for her other than respect. Otherwise, being an american boy, he'd have made his move ages ago.

For Furihata, Fukuda and Kawahara, she's just their Coach. She wasn't THAT close to their senpai at all.

She'll see tomorrow.

At Kise's house...

He kept replaying the night's events.

His prize for winning against Haizaki without incident, was his first kiss with his beloved mentor he wound up doing more than just a kiss since he really likes her for years.

He physically and verbally spoke his intentions and she allowed him to, thinking its simply natural for a boy close to her to do so(but she admitted had it been a boy she's not close to or doesn't like, she'd have slugged them). She just didn't expect him to say 'I love you' to her in his own way that her normal expressions contorted into shock, and disbelief.

He kept repeating in his head until his face went red, and smoke came out of his ears.

He looked at his hands shakily.

The hands that cupped her soft bottom and her smooth back. Her front being pressed against his body, he could feel her breasts against his lower ribs as her face was on his chest.

He took cold showers that night but because of love, he couldn't get the feel of her soft lips(her usual lip gloss was off that night) and soft skin off his mind.

He wondered what tomorrow will bring since they'll be fighting each other in their own way. Her students will be fighting each other and she won't forgive him if he held back just because of his feelings, being more interested in his growth.

"So to show my feelings...I'm not holding back."

Even if it meant trouncing those freshmen guys she's looking after now.

After all, he is her best protegee and he's gonna show it!