Chapter 11: Careless Words

When Kise returns to America, Aomine notices that the other boy becomes much busier than he was during the previous year. The number of text correspondences between the two of them decreases, and their conversations shorten in length.

However, Aomine uses this opportunity to dedicate himself to basketball a bit more and to pick up hours at his part time job. Being busier and having more money helps him transition with Kise's departure this time.

One morning in early October, while Aomine talks with Kise via one of their normally scheduled video chat times, he realizes how truly tired his boyfriend looks.

"Hey," he comments sharply. "Are you sleeping and eating okay? You look really worn out. What gives?"

Trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, Kise replies, "School is what gives. When I returned mid-summer, I only had my job to worry about. Now, I'm trying to schedule shoots, interviews, and events around classes and basketball practice. I wish I had more than twenty-four hours in a day."

"Can't you take it easier?" Aomine asks, worried.

"Nope. If I don't take advantage of opportunities while others are interested, my popularity will decrease. It's kind of one of those things that feeds on itself. And I am doing well. I sent you and the rest of the Teikou guys the picture of me next to my billboard. It's great, right?"

"Why would someone pay you to do an ad for sunglasses?" Aomine mutters. "Your eyes are one of your best features."

"Hmmmmm? I didn't know you thought that." Kise smiles sweetly, before baiting Aomine. 'You said one of my best features, what do you think is my best feature?"

"Your ass," Aomine answers without hesitation.

"I had a feeling you would say that," the blond responds ruefully with a shake of his head.

"I'm a simple man," Aomine responds with a shrug.

"Enough about me," Kise says. "How are you doing? You're not working too many hours at the convenience store are you?"

"Enough to earn what I need and to save a little."

"That's good," Kise praises with another yawn. "Maybe someday you'll be able to visit me, here."

Aomine, startled by the suggestion, hesitates before saying, "I've never thought of that."

"Not that important. Travel kind of sucks, and I'm more used to it than you," Kise responds. "Now, tell me about your day."

"It is important," Aomine says. In front of him, the blond blinks blearily and waves a hand dismissively. "I guess we can talk about it more later," Aomine relents. "So you wanted to know about my day? Actually, I had an interesting shift at the store. I caught a couple of high school kids trying to steal melon bread. It was so obvious, too. I knew they were up to no good from the moment they walked in. They sort of walked around the store a few times. The loitering was so suspicious. I stopped them at the door and—"

A dull thud interrupts Aomine's story, and when he focuses on the screen again, he sees Kise rubbing his forehead looking aggrieved.

"Did you just fall asleep in the middle of our conversation?" Aomine asks incredulously.

"I'm really sorry, Daiki," Kise groans. "I've been up since 3 a.m. I had a shoot before classes, then basketball practice after that, and then an interview after that. I think I may have hit my limit today." He shoots a sad, apologetic look.

Although sympathetic that Kise has worked himself to exhaustion, Aomine can't help but feel annoyed. Clicking his tongue, he complains, "Man, I take my eyes off you for one minute, and you're already flaking out on me."

"I'm really sorry," Kise repeats head bowed. When the blond looks up again, his eyes are filled with unshed tears. "I feel awful. I'll make it up to you; I promise."

When Kise's bottom lip starts to tremble, Aomine interrupts to comfort his boyfriend. "It's fine. We'll talk more when you have down time. Ryouta, you'd better take care of yourself."

Kise flashes one more bright smile. "You're being nice, Daiki, and I appreciate it. Love you, gooooooooood night."

"Love you, too, idiot." They disconnect from one another.

Aomine hopes that this busy period will end for his boyfriend in the next couple of months, so that their contact with one another can improve. It doesn't, and he picks up more shifts at the convenience store and begins dedicating his spare time to basketball, even more so than before, to compensate.


When Kise heads back to Japan for Christmas this year, his time is limited. While on a Narita Express train headed to Tokyo Station (and the location of his hotel), Kise pulls out his cell phone and prepares a message Aomine.

You said to let you know my schedule as soon as possible. Here goes. On December 23, I have a photo-shoot scheduled at 8 a.m., but I have to be there at 6 a.m. for hair and make-up. After that I have a fan-club meet and greet event starting at 3 p.m. I promised my family I'd spend Christmas Eve with them. Christmas day belongs to you. On the 26th, I have lunch plans with the guys from Kaijou, and then dinner plans with you and the rest of the Teikou team. I'm reserving the 27th for you, too. I'm getting breakfast with my old manager and stylist on the 28th, and then I head back to New York. I need to be there for a New Year's Event. I'll get in contact with you on Christmas to finalize meet-up plans.

'Four and a half days before I have to get back on a plane,' Kise thinks miserably. The length of his trip seems so short, especially when taking the long flights into account. Although grateful that he has work lined up, he's exhausted and a bit worried that Aomine will gripe about his busy schedule.

'Daiki has been struggling with me being practically unavailable.' Kise acknowledges this fact for the first time. 'What can I do for him?' These thoughts haunt him as he poses and smiles charmingly through December 23 and while he exchanges gifts with family members on the December 24. When Christmas day rolls around, Kise hasn't quite figured out a solution to his question and decides to let his time with Aomine play out naturally.

Kise leaves (as early as his family will let him) on Christmas day for Aomine's apartment. Once there, he dials the code to Aomine's room.

"Ryouta?" Kise hears crackling through the intercom.

"It's me, Daiki. Hurry up, and let me in. It's cold."

The door buzzes, and Kise heads to Aomine's room, his insides practically bursting to see his boyfriend. When Aomine's door yawns open in front of him, Kise allows his overnight bag to drop to the floor and extends his arms for a hug. However, Aomine tugs him in by the collar, shuts the door behind them, and crushes their lips together even before the blond has a chance to take off his shoes.

Kise adapts allowing his boyfriend to press him against the door. He feels the other boy's eager hands working to rid him of his winter coat. The hunger behind Aomine's kiss has his head swimming and his insides churning with desire.

'Any more of this, and I may just melt into a puddle on the floor,' he thinks, reaching out and using Aomine's shoulders as support for his shaky legs.

"Best greeting ever," Kise manages through ragged breaths, when the couple finally breaks apart.

"Hell yeah," Aomine says echoing the sentiment.

"I thought we were going to have a sweet reunion, hug, eat, and catch up. Now that's shot to shit."

Aomine quirks an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

The question sounds innocent, but the look in Aomine's eyes, as if he wants to devour Kise whole, sends a shiver down the blond's spine. Memories of Aomine's touch run rampant in Kise's mind: the feel of Aomine's muscled body pressed against his, the feel of those dark fingers tortuous on his skin, and the feel of heated flesh buried deep inside him. He shoots Aomine his best sultry look in hopes of encouraging the other boy.

"You are so fucking sexy," Aomine breathes pulling the blond to him once more until they are little more than a tangle of entwined limbs. The couple manages to stumble the short distance to the bed. Once clothing is discarded, they have heated, passionate sex, until both are satiated.

The rest of Christmas day passes pleasantly putting Kise in good spirits. Just being close to one another allows the couple to reconnect on a fundamental level.

When Aomine pulls out containers of prepared food from his tiny fridge and pops them in the microwave, Kise claps his hands together blithely. "This year you remembered that most restaurants are closed Christmas day!'

With a sour expression, Aomine says, "Of course I remember. Last year was enough warning. You turn into a whiny, petulant child when you're hungry."

"Hey, nobody likes being hungry," Kise protests. "And, just for the record, this isn't your cooking is it?"

"No," Aomine retorts. "I'm trying to be nice here, not subject you to my first attempts to cook."

"So it's not from Momocchi either?"

"That'd just be cruel. If you must know, I bribed Kagami to make stuff."

"Bribed? How?" Kise asks, curious.

Aomine shoots him a flat look. "You'd rather not know."

"Okay," Kise concedes traces of laughter on his lips.

The light-hearted mood continues until nighttime leaving Kise in awe at how when they're together nothing seems awkward. Everything feels comfortable and right. The following evening, when the couple meets up with the rest of their middle school basketball teammates, Aomine appears to be in an especially good mood, engaging the others in conversation. Kise notices how his boyfriend's behavior seems to bring forth a collective sense relief from the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

This aura of blissful calm dissipates on the last full day of Kise's visit. During dinner, which the couple enjoys in Aomine's cozy home, Aomine asks, "So, when is the next time you're coming home?"

Kise freezes, unsure of what to say. If things keep on going well for him, he would potentially be bouncing from job to job in the summer. Preliminary plans already place him in Europe for a few weeks. With a heavy sigh, Kise admits, "I don't know."

"You don't know? Aomine repeats, tone sharp. "What do you mean you don't know?"

Kise cringes at the harshness in his boyfriend's voice. "It means that I'm busy, and I just don't know what my schedule will be for the next few months. I don't want to make promises I can't keep." When he meets Aomine's gaze, he sees darkness brewing in those deep, cobalt eyes.

'This is it, isn't it?' Kise thinks. 'The conversation we should have had months ago, where Daiki finally tells me what's bothering him. I might as well get it over with.'

After taking a deep breath, Kise prods, "Is there something else you want to say?"

A dangerous light flickers in stormy eyes. "I've only seen you three times in the last year and a half, and you've been distant lately."

Kise averts his gaze. "That certainly is the truth, but I'm not trying to be distant. I'm busy."

"I know that," Aomine responds. "But, I still miss you when you're gone. Isn't that natural? Do you miss me at all?"

Surprised, Kise's attention snaps to his boyfriend. 'I chased you for years from middle school to high school trying to win your affection. I can't count how many nights I cried myself to sleep thinking I didn't stand a chance. I don't remember how many times I thought my heart would shatter during those days, because I was convinced you'd never see me as anything but an unworthy, stupid boy. I never imagined that you would come to feel so strongly about me. And because I know what it's like, and because I'm just as in love, I want do right by you, Daiki. The only thing I can think to do is to build distance between the two of us, so you can get used to it. This way, our time apart won't hurt as much. It'll be better for the long run, even if it doesn't seem like it now.'

A sad smile curling his lips, Kise replies, "Of course I miss you. But it's just hard, since I'm no longer here." He lowers his head, his gaze trained on his food as if it's the most interesting thing he has ever seen. When he speaks again, his voice is no more than a strangled whisper, "Maybe we should stop seeing each other exclusively."

Aomine doesn't respond, but Kise feels the unhappy energy radiating next to him. "Daiki, please say something."

"If you're going to break up with me, then the least you can do is look at me," the other boy commands in a voice tight with emotion.

Kise shifts his gaze, guilt filling the pit of his stomach when he takes in Aomine's expression – halfway between pissed-off and melancholy. Trying to clarify his position, he says, "I'm not trying to break up with you; I'm just being realistic. Our current relationship isn't working for you. It's my fault, and I'm sorry." Swallowing the lump in his throat, he tries to prevent the tears from surfacing.

"I don't want your apology!" Aomine explodes slamming his fist against the table.

Kise jumps at the sound and tries to get his point across once more. "'I'm just trying to say that it may be the best for us to agree not to date each other exclusively. It's okay to be together when we're near one other, but it may be a good idea to date people who are more available. I think it'd just lessen the burden."

"Burden," Aomine repeats the word dangerously, his eyes narrowing and brows drawing downwards. A dark aura envelops the blue-haired boy as he clenches his fists in anger, a fine tremor running through his arms. "You think I'm a burden?" Aomine spits out, the full extent of his fury focused on the blond.

Kise immediately regrets his careless words. "I misspoke," he tries to placate. "I should have never used the word burden. It's my mistake. I'm sorry."

"I already told you that I don't want your fucking apology," Aomine snarls. "You're so goddamn selfish, Ryouta. Everything has to be on your terms, doesn't it? You want to go on dates with other girls, and I'm supposed to be fine with that. You want to stop being exclusive, and I have no choice but to accept it. This isn't a relationship. This is bullshit!" He actually screams the last two sentences and sweeps his arm across the table, the motion sending his dinner flying.

With the sharp sound of ceramic cracking and chopsticks rattling against the wooden floor, Kise winces and instinctively raises his arms to protect his face. A pained look crosses Aomine's features at the blond's frightened reaction. The rage dissipates from Aomine's eyes, and Kise observes how incredibly young and tired his boyfriend looks.

Letting out a shaky breath, Aomine says, "My anger may have gotten the best of me, but I would never hit you. You can relax."

With that statement, the tension leaves Kise's body, and he allows himself to breathe regularly again. He tries to get Aomine to understand his position once more. Tentatively, he says, "Even though I'm no longer here, it doesn't mean that you can't be happy. I want you to be happy, and I'm sure you can find the right person here to do that. When that time comes, we can decide what to do about us."

"Ryouta, are you suggesting this because there's someone you want to see as well?"

'No,' Kise answers silently. But he knows that telling the other boy the truth would only be counterproductive, so he decides to deceive his boyfriend.

"Yes," Kise whispers burying his face in his hands, because he knows if Aomine can see his face, the other boy will be able to read through the lie.

Aomine doesn't speak. The silence drags for such a long time period that Kise can't help but look up. The broken look on his boyfriend's face causes his heart to constrict painfully. Unsure of what to do, Kise simply rests his head on the table and sobs while repeating the words he knows Aomine least wants to hear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

Author's Note: I'm sure everyone is just as excited as I am about season 2 of KuroBas starting! It made me want work on this fic at the right time, because I was starting to get a little intimidated at how long this will eventually be. (I have loose plans in my head, and we're really just getting started...) Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed. (I think that fight has been a little overdue.) As always, feedback is much appreciated.