Chapter 11: Getting the Facts Straight
Hey everyone! I tried to update this one as fast as possible, so please excuse any spelling errors or grammar errors you guys find. I have the next chapter planned out generally because the plot conflict is going to appear. So the main concern is just finding the time and inspiration.
BZZZZT
BZZZZT
Kuroko groaned as he turned over and aimlessly smacked around for the alarm clock. Feeling the smooth texture of his round clock, he smacked the button on top. Hearing the lack of buzzing, he turned over in satisfaction and went back to sleep.
….
….
BZZZT
BZZZT
Kuroko's eye twitched in rare annoyance. He could bear comments about his physique, his lack of size, he could withstand the force of an outraged or out-of-control Kagami, and he could even endure the spontaneous violence produced by his coach. But this clock seemed to be the one thing that really grinded his gears.
….
Wait. Since when did he even set his alarm clock on? It's Winter Break at the end of January. And since when did his alarm clock even buzz? Last he checked it was a piercing shrill sound that pierced his ear drums, because believe it or not, Kuroko was not always willing to wake up and get out of bed.
Kuroko opened his eyes slowly, and winced at the sudden bright light that attacked his poor defenseless eyes. Blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to adapt to the change in light, he settled on squinting as he looked over to the side of his bed.
BZZZT
BZZZT
Even now, his phone refused to stop buzzing as the vibration produced quite the annoying sound against the hardwood of his study table beside his bed. Picking up his phone, the first thing he did was look to the corner of the screen.
6:25
Kuroko let out a sigh as he averted his eyes to the center of the screen as two words caught his attention.
Kagami Taiga.
Kuroko raised in eyebrow in surprise and bewilderment. Since when was Kagami the type to wake up so early? And moreover, why was he calling Kuroko?
Kuroko slid his finger across the screen, dragging the green call sign to the right and accepting the call in the process.
"Yes, Kagami-kun." Kuroko was the first to speak on the phone as he rubbed his left eye, which seemed to want to remain closed as if still wanting to sleep.
"Hm? Oh, you finally picked up Kuroko. What took so long, this is like the third time I called you!" Kagami complained impatiently.
"…It's 6:25, Kagami-kun." Kuroko deadpanned.
"…Okay?" Kagami urged Kuroko to continue.
"….Nothing. Is there a reason you called?" Kuroko gave up on explaining and simply went to the main question at hand.
"Ah! That's right. Coach wants us to all meet up at the Sunday Café on the corner of Hajime Street at 7:15. So I figured we should go together." Kagami explained.
Kuroko's eyes seemed to like twitching as it did so once again. He sighed dejectedly. True he loved the passion that their coach had for basketball, but certainly 7:15 on a Winter Break weekend was quite radical. Nevertheless…
"….Ok. I shall be at your house momentarily." Kuroko confirmed as he hung up before Kagami could say another word. Once he hung up, he placed the phone back down on the table and flopped onto his bed once more.
"Sigh….I'm shall miss you, futon."
"…I still don't understand for what reason could we possibly need to meet at a café so early in the morning…" Kuroko murmured to himself as he walked up to the entrance of Kagami's apartment room.
DING DONG
And so he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
After a good 30 seconds, Kagami finally opened the door with surprised eyes.
"Kuroko? You're here already? I could've sworn I called you like…5 minutes ago only." Kagami said in bewilderment. Kuroko merely shrugged off the praise.
"It doesn't take very long for me to wash up and dress up." Kuroko explained.
"Woah! You work fast!" Kagami said as he was taken back. Kuroko took a look at Kagami, who was still wearing an undershirt and a pair of shorts, looking as if he just woke up.
"…You called me and told me to get ready…yet you look as if you've just gotten out of bed….That's just not fair, Kagami-kun…" Kuroko deadpanned as he stared at Kagami, with no sign of hostility on his face or in his voice.
Kagami sweatdropped as he muttered an apology and ushered Kuroko in. Instead of sitting down and waiting for Kagami get ready, Kuroko made his way to the couch, got comfortable and laid down.
"Ummm Kuroko?"
Kuroko paid Kagami no attention as he remained on the couch, face-down.
"…I'll be done in about 20 minutes…" Kagami told Kuroko, who paid little to no attention to that either.
"That's fine, wake me up when you are ready please, Kagami-kun…." Kuroko mumbled to Kagami, before stuffing his face into one of the pillows on the couch. In a few seconds, a soft snore could be heard.
'S-So fast….' Kagami thought to himself.
"Why exactly are we meeting up at the café, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked curiously.
"Hm?" Kagami responded before his face suddenly lit up with delight and anticipation as he recalled the reason that Riko Aida provided him with.
"W-Well, Aida said that we were going to spend half of our break in the mountains training. Can't wait, I'm pumped already! Heh heh…" Kagami said as he began itching his chest involuntarily and wiping his forehead.
Kuroko took notice of Kagami's reaction as he simply seemed to ignore it and continue walking.
"I see…" Kuroko responded but…
'Liar…' Kuroko's mind was saying something completely different.
"Ah, look! There's the café right there! Let's go!" Kagami suddenly changed the subject and ran off in the direction of the café. Kuroko simply stared at the trail of dust that Kagami left, before sighing to himself and walking after him.
As he entered the café, he was assaulted by a wave of confetti and a huge uproar of voices that weren't even in sync.
"HaHaHapBirtHapDay!Ay!BiHaBirIrth!" Was what had assaulted Kuroko's ears. But after putting some thought into it and tying it into the reason today was special, it was evident what this was.
It seemed that his team had found out and had thrown him a 'surprise' birthday party.
….
….
….
"Eh? No reaction? No surprise? No 'ah!' or 'woah!'?" Aida asked as they waited in vain for Kuroko's reaction.
"I realized that it was most probably to surprise me once I realized that Kagami-kun was lying." Kuroko responded.
Kagami made an 'ah!' expression as he was caught off-guard by the sudden wave of glares from the rest of Seirin.
"Pfft. What did you expect from Bakagami? You should've just left the surprise to us." A voice came from behind Kuroko as an arm was slung over his shoulder from the right and rested on his left shoulder. Kuroko looked to his right and was actually surprised by what he saw.
"A-Aomine-kun?" Kuroko said in shock as Aomine looked at him with a smirk on his face.
"On the contrary. You should leave it to me. Strategizing an actual plan to delay Kuroko's arrival is not in you area of expertise, Aomine. Rather, it seems you would've messed up just as bad, no possibly even worse than Kagami." Another voice seemed to derive from behind Kuroko.
Ignoring the 'Oi!' that Aomine yelled out, Kuroko shrugged off Aomine's arm to turn around and his eyes widened even more in surprise.
"M-Midorima-kun, Kise-kun, Akashi-kun and Murasakibara-kun? What are you all doing here?" Kuroko asked dumbfounded. The three stood right behind Aomine, with guests of there own it seems as Kasamatsu, Himuro and Takao also tagged along.
"Happy Birthday, Kurokocchi! You didn't think we'd skip your birthday did you?" Kise asked with a bright smile on his face and a nicely wrapped rectangular gift in his hand.
"…But your teams…" Kuroko could do nothing but respond in short sentences.
"Muuu~ Muro-chin made me come with him." Murasakibara looked away as he made an excuse, while Himuro simply smiled at his childish attitude.
"My team fully understood when I explained the reason for my departure." Akashi's answer was much more mature as he said it with a smile on his face. Kuroko was emotionally moved and could do nothing to stop the tears from forming in his eyes.
"Hey, hey, no need to get so emotional and everything. After all, what did you expect?" Kagami said as he came up from the group of Seirin members and walked up to Kuroko's side, slinging his arms over Kuroko as he smiled at him.
"We're family now." Kagami said with a confident smile on his face. Kuroko smiled as he wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded in agreement.
"Sigh…I should've known he would've screwed things up somehow." Aida said to herself as she shook her head. Kagami lost his composure and sweatdropped as he took a blow to his pride.
"W-Well, what's done is done. Let's just enjoy the day for what it was meant for." Hyuga said as he tried to revitalize the optimistic mood that they all shared until the upset.
Hearing the cheer coming from the rest of Seirin, Kagami smiled as he led Kuroko into the center of the café, where all the tables were set alongside each other in a square formation. The rest of the GoM soon followed after once Kuroko and Kagami moved from the entrance of the café.
"Come on! Come on! We need to sing happy birthday!" Kise exclaimed excitingly from his seat. It seemed that the members of the GoM had sat alongside each other, with Kuroko's seat seeming to be reserved in the middle of the left table. (remember, four tables are set to make a square, if that helps you imagine it.)
"Sheesh, what a kid." Kagami said as Seirin sweatdropped at Kise's immaturity. Aomine clicked his tongue in annoyance from his seat next to Kuroko. The current seating position from right to left was Murasakibara at the right end, with Akashi then Aomine next to him. Kuroko sat right in the middle with Kise beside his left, Midorima next to Kise, and an empty seat at the very left end (something that he definitely noticed).
"Tch, see what we had to deal with in Teiko." Aomine muttered in annoyance as Kise pouted.
"Mou, so mean Aominecchi. I'm not so bad, right Kurokocchi?" Kise asked, looking at Kuroko with an anticipating smile on his face.
Blink
Blink, Blink
Kuroko did nothing but look away from Kise without giving a single word of response.
"EHHH! So mean!" Kise said as tears cascaded from his eyes. Kasamatsu groaned in embarrassment from his seat across the square table as he let his face fall onto the table. Akashi laughed quietly as he watched the whole scene go down.
"Nevertheless, it would be improper if we did not sing for Tetsuya. It's not everyday that someone turns 16 after all." Akashi said, supporting Kise's wishes. Kagami jumped out of his seat after Akashi finished.
"EHHH, Kuroko's already 16? I figured he was a late bloomer and just turned 15. That means he's older than me…." Kagami said in disbelief as he continued to stare at the small 5'6 boy in comparison to his height.
"Hm? When's your birthday, Kagami?" Aida asked curiously.
"A-August 2nd …" Kagami muttered. Aomine snorted, much to Kagami's chagrin. Kagami's eye twitched in annoyance as he was about to retort, but was cut off by Midorima.
"Last I checked, Aomine's birthday was August 31st. Hmm interesting." Midorima said innocently as he averted his gaze from Aomine and Kagami. Aomine stiffened and began sweating slightly, while Kagami simply sat there for a second or so, wondering why Midorima would say something so trivial. His eyes widened in surprise as a grin stretched across his face once he realized.
"Ha! That means I'm older than Ahomine!" Kagami said as he pointed a finger out Aomine and grinned childish. Aomine got up from his seat in response and held a fist in front of him.
"S-so what?! Age doesn't mean jack shit!" Aomine said in defense as he continued to sweat. Kagami smirked at Aomine's reaction, and chose to add fuel to the fire.
"It does mean I'm older than you~~" Kagami said as he stuck his tongue out like a child at Aomine.
"Pftt…"
Aomine looked to where the laughing came from and found Riko Aida trying to cover her laugh with the back of her hand as she tried not to smile. A vein appeared on Aomine's forehead.
"I-It's not that funny!" Aomine growled in annoyance as he 'humped' and flopped back down in his seat.
"Muuu~ Mine-chin is acting like a child again." Murasakibara mumbled as he chewed on a chocolate bar. Aomine jumped out of his seat again and pointed a finger at Murasakibara.
"I wouldn't be talking if I were you! Last I checked, your birthday was in October!" Aomine exclaimed. Kagami's eyes lit up as he laughed in mirth.
"Hah, you're even younger than Ahomine!" Kagami said as he pointed at Murasakibara and laughed to his content. Murasakibara did nothing but look away with a 'hmph'.
"I'm still bigger than the both of you~~" Murasakibara said in a sing-song voice as he squeezed his chocolate bar to hold back his childish frustration. It seems even he was annoyed by the fact that he was younger than the both of them. As such, he didn't notice the satisfying effect his words had on Kagami.
"Gahh…" Kagami lost his composure. It seemed that the fact that someone younger than him was taller than him took a huge blow to his pride. He did nothing but sit back down in his seat quietly as he cried to himself.
Himuro smiled at Kagami's childish personality. It seemed that something would never change. He then looked back to Murasakibara, who was still looking away from everyone. Like Murasakibara, Himuro sat at the right end of the table adjacent to the GoM's table, such that both he and Murasakibara were together at the corner.
"Now, now. No need to sulk, Murasakibara-kun." Himuro said as he patted Murasakibara's head.
"I'm not sulking!" Murasakibara denied childishly as he swung he hands around and pushed Himuro's hand off his head. Everyone began to laugh at Murasakibara's immature attitude, much to his annoyance. Suddenly, Riko Aida made a 'hm?' expression, as if just realizing something.
"Hm? That means that Kuroko is older than both Aomine and Murasakibara, doesn't it?" Riko asked, confirming the facts as she looked at Midorima.
"Nn. That's right. Kuroko is the oldest in our group from back in the days at Teiko." Midorima said as he nodded his head. Riko smiled as she looked at Kuroko, who was smiling and enjoying the childish atmosphere in the café.
"Huh, go figure. I always assumed that Akashi would be the oldest." Aida said off-handedly.
"Actually,"
Aida turned her head to Akashi, who suddenly spoke out.
"I'm the youngest of the GoM. I was born on December 20th." Akashi said with a smile on his face as he watched Aomine and Kagami continue to bicker.
"Ehhh?! You don't say…." Aida said with a surprised tone. It seems her judgment about the order of GoM from youngest to oldest was way off.
"Neh neh! I was born on June 18th! That makes me older than everyone beside Kurokocchi and Momocchi!" Kise said as he waved his hand around to get Aida's attention. Aida just stared at him in response.
"…Impossible." And with that, she averted her gaze elsewhere as she ignored Kise's 'EHHH' and paid no attention to the tears falling from Kise's eyes. Kuroko smiled as he patted Kise's head comfortingly from beside him.
"REGARDLESS," Midorima emphasized his voice, as he got everyone's attention. He then turned to Kuroko and looked at him.
"Let's just sing happy birthday and get it over with." Midorima said as he gave a rare, genuine smile to Kuroko, who smiled in return.
Everyone smiled as they took a deep breath.
….
….
….
A minute later, everyone ended the song as they smiled at Kuroko…for a second at least until..
"T-Tetsu!" Aomine yelled out. Kuroko sat still in his seat, twitching as his eardrums were pierced and assaulted by unsynchronized chants of happy birthday.
"Eheheh, perhaps that was a bit too much?" Aida said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Hahhh, if only Momocchi was already here. Then we could've gotten her to just sing alone for Kurokocchi." Kise said as he slightly shook Kuroko to get him out of his daze. Once Kuroko snapped back into reality, he smacked his left ear, as if trying to get it working again.
"Thank you. I am fine now." And with that, Kuroko began to look around the room.
"Where is Momoi-san actually? Is she not coming?" Kuroko asked to Aomine. Aomine made an 'ah' expression, once he recalled his recent event with Momoi.
I'll ask Tetsu about his feelings, and I'll relay them to you. And if he doesn't like you, then I'll just knock some sense into him
Recalling what he said to Momoi, Aomine steeled his will and faced Kuroko.
"Speaking of Satsuki, let's get facts straight. And no diverting the question this time." Aomine's face turned serious as he stared at Kuroko, who merely tiled his head in curiosity.
"Do you ever plan on getting hitched with Satsuki?" Aomine did not hold back as he got straight to the point. Suddenly, everyone was silent as they stared at Kuroko, who remained silent as well while staring at the floor.
"No." That was the answer that Kuroko had come to. Aomine's hand twitched uncomfortably. Momoi was not going to be happy when she heard that. Perhaps he did have to knock sense into him?
"Well do you ever plan on telling her that? How long do plan on leading her?" Aomine attacked Kuroko with a different question. This time, Kuroko did not waste a second in answering back.
"No. I can't." Kuroko responded. Aomine's eyes widened. Suddenly, the sound of a chair hitting the floor rang throughout the room.
"Aomine!"
"Aominecchi!"
Satsuki Momoi was happily walking down the sidewalk with a skip in her step as she made her way to the Sunday Café. She had chosen to come late because she wanted to spend as much time as she could to get Kuroko the perfect gift.
"Hihi. Tetsu-kun's going to love this!" Momoi giggled to herself in excitement as she dragged a wagon of gifts towards the café.
Yes, if it was for her Tetsu-kun, there was no such thing as having too many gifts. Though her father was a tiny bit suspicious when she asked for access to his credit card, he could never resist his angelic daughter's puppy face.
"Oh! Perhaps I could ask to spend the day with Tetsu-kun again like last time. That would make this the perfect birthday!" Momoi said to herself as she squealed in excitement. Once the café was in view, Momoi put in a little more effort into pulling the wagon as she used both her hands. Once she reached the café, she held the door open with one hand while pulling the wagon in, only to find….
"Aomine!"
"Aominecchi!"
Only to find everyone already sitting down, except Aomine who was standing up with Kuroko. Scratch that, Aomine was standing. Kuroko was being forced up as Aomine held onto him by the collar of his shirt. Momoi froze by the door, unnoticed, as she watched Aomine maintain his grip on Kuroko's shirt.
"What the fuck do you mean no, Tetsu? Satsuki's workin' her ass off the get you to notice her, and you won't even bother to get things straight with her?" Aomine growled at Kuroko. Momoi suddenly tensed as she realized the situation. It seemed that they had gotten onto the topic of the questionable relationship between her and Kuroko, and he had given Aomine an unsatisfying answer.
Aomine raised a fist, as if to smack Kuroko…until a hand grabbed Aomine's wrist and held it where it was in the air. Aomine turned around to yell at whoever was holding him back, until the man beat him to it.
"I would watch myself if I were you, bastard. Or else it won't be just me you're going up against." Kagami said in an intimidating yet calm voice as his eyes held a protective glint in them. It seemed that once Aomine had jumped onto Kuroko, Kagami had also jumped out of his seat in reaction, coming to Kuroko's aide. Currently, he was glaring at Aomine, alongside the rest of Seirin, who had all stood up.
"Daiki."
Aomine looked past Kagami to find Akashi, who remained in his seat, yet was also glaring at Aomine. He had his arms crisscrossed as he stared Aomine down.
"Remove yours hands off of Tetsuya. Immediately." Akashi gave no room for argument as he emphasized his last word. Aomine and Akashi continued to stare each other down until…
"Tch." Aomine let go of Kuroko, who flopped down onto his seat as Aomine did same.
"…Sorry Tetsu…Got ahead of myself there." Aomine muttered as he clenched his fist. Kuroko said nothing, concerned that the wrong move could set the Touou ace off on a rampant again.
"And the rest of you," Akashi said to the rest of Seirin, who remained standing and Kagami who remained standing by Kuroko.
"Sit down why don't you all, you're making this situation tenser than it needs to be." Akashi reprimanded. At that note, all of Seirin sat down slowly, while Kagami warily walked backed to his seat and sat down. Once everyone had settled down, Akashi looked back at Tetsuya
"…Now Tetsuya. Why don't you elaborate on why you refuse to tell Momoi about your choice of rejection?" Akashi encouraged Kuroko to continue speaking.
At the sound of the word 'rejection', Momoi, who still remained unnoticed at the entrance, nearly gasped aloud as she covered her mouth while her eyes widened. She felt tears threatening to appear. It just didn't make sense to her.
'Why?' Momoi thought to herself.
'Why? Is it because I'm annoying? Why wouldn't he tell me at least? Does he think I'm not strong enough to handle it? Why Tetsu-kun, why!' Momoi felt a teardrop fall from her left eye, and she quietly wiped it away before it could fall.
"It's because I'm not rejecting her." With the one sentence, Kuroko sent literally everyone, even Momoi who just got there, into confusion.
"Wah?"
"…Ok, someone just explain everything to me once it's all cleared up because I'm already lost."
"What the hell is going on…"
"It's probably something that only the GoM would really understand. They've spent the most time with Kuroko after all." Kagami reassured all of Seirin. Aida nodded in agreement as she followed up.
"Yeah of course! This must be Kuroko's way of saying something else, like a riddle or some sort." Aida said as she put a finger to her chin, as if in deep thought. The shock on all of the GoM only helped to support their theory as all of Seirin, alongside Kasamatsu, Takao and Himuro, looked on in anticipation at them.
….
….
"…I don't get it." Kise said as he shrugged.
"Bullshit." Midorima said as he 'huffed'.
"The hell you sayin', Tetsu?" Aomine asked in confusion.
"Kuro-chin is too complicated~" Murasakibara chanted as he munched on yet another chocolate bar.
Everyone sweatdropped as even the GoM were unable to decipher the meaning behind Kuroko's words. Akashi did nothing but frown at Kuroko.
"Tetsuya. Did you, or did you not say that you did not intend to accept Momoi's feelings?" Akashi asked, straightening things out. Kuroko did not respond as he suddenly found newfound interest in the eating utensils laid before him on the table.
"…It's not that I don't wish be her boyfriend. I like Momoi-san. A lot. Enough to even say I love her." Kuroko worded out his feelings straight, no riddles, no confusion. Momoi found herself blushing as she continued to listen from the entrance. On a normal occasion, she would've attacked Kuroko with a bear hug and lay a wave of kisses on Kuroko's cheeks, marking her man. Yet the situation called for a more serious approach.
Because all in all, there was still one question on everyone's mind.
"Wait, if you like her, then why the hell are you two still frikin' apart?" Aomine asked in frustration. To him, this was absolutely absurd. This wasn't some cliché where two lovers were unaware of each other's feelings. Kuroko…hell EVERYONE knew about Momoi's infatuation with Kuroko. So there shouldn't be anything stopping him from getting together with her.
"Is it because Kurokocchi doesn't know how to tell her? Because I'll do it for you!" Kise volunteered happily as he put an arm around Kuroko. Kuroko imagined a scene where Kise was confronting Momoi for him.
Scene 1:
'I love you!' An energetic Kise told Momoi, forgetting to mention that this was a message from Kuroko.
Scene 2:
'Kurokocchi wants you to have his babies!'
Scene 3:
'Kurokocchi likes you!' An optimistic Kise told Momoi, unaware that it sounds more like reassurance than actual facts.
Kuroko let out an involuntary shiver as he shook back into reality. He then turned to Kise and gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Kise-kun. But telling her isn't my problem." Kuroko said. Kise's happy mood deflated as he pouted.
"….Then what's the problem already?!" Kagami complained, getting impatient.
"…I don't have the qualities and traits required of a man in a relationship." Kuroko said depressingly as he looked at his hands. While a majority of the audience fell into confusion again, some merely frowned in response.
"What the hell are you talking about now, Tetsu?" Aomine asked Kuroko, who never took his eyes off of his hand.
"…I realized it during that time that Momoi-san had asked me out during our days in Teiko." Kuroko explained as he finally looked up.
"I…I don't know how to show my feelings for her. I don't know how to act on a date, or how it's different than any regular meet up. That date…it looked like just any random day spent with a friend." Kuroko explained. He then gave a pitiful smile as he gave a wry laugh.
"Not to mention publicity. I highly doubt anyone would accept me as the boyfriend of someone so amazing. Rather, I doubt anyone would actually bother to notice my presence, rather focusing on Momoi-san." Kuroko said as he laughed quietly.
Akashi raised an eyebrow at Kuroko as his arms remained crisscrossed, with an unimpressed look on his face.
"So you just intended to let Momoi smother you. It seems more like you're playing with her feelings." Akashi commented on his perspective of this complicated relationship. Kuroko's eyes widened as he heard the conclusion that Akashi had come to.
"No, of course not." Kuroko said vehemently for once as he jumped out of his seat. He then sighed as he sat back down and looked at his hands again.
"I just…I was just hoping that she would get over it eventually. After all, high school infatuations don't last forever…I just don't have what it takes to be the man that she deserves and needs." Kuroko muttered to himself.
SKID
Everyone's eyes went to Kagami, who once again got out of his seat. Their eyes followed him as he made his way to Kuroko. Once he reached him…
GRIT GRIT
Kuroko flinched as Kagami roughly placed his fist on Kuroko's head and began giving a harsh nuggie. (You know where you rub your fist against someone's hair. Sorry didn't know how to spell it.)
Another 'skid' was heard as Aomine jumped out of his seat again as well.
"Oi! You bast-" Aomine was cut off as Akashi grabbed onto his arm and held him back. Akashi stared down Aomine and shook his head before speaking.
"We do not have the right to get in between the light and his shadow. Not even you, Daiki." Akashi reminded Aomine, who simply gritted his teeth. Several seconds later, Aomine reluctantly sat down and watched on warily with a glare directed at Kagami.
"Kagami-kun….that hurts. Ouch, ouch…" Kuroko muttered as he squinted his eyes shut and twitched his hands. Kagami did not let up as he 'hmphed'.
"That's the idea. I'm trying to knock some sense into you, idiot." Kagami said with a harsh tone as he applied more pressure. Everyone sweatdropped at what seemed to be an abusive relationship.
"You see what you've done to this team…." Hyuga mumble to their coach Aida, who blushed in embarrassment as all of Seirin directed their eyes on her.
"You talk about your inabilities to be the man she needs as a boyfriend, but do you really believe she is expecting you to change anything about yourself?" Midorima questioned Kuroko with a raised eyebrow.
"The way I am now…I can only…act as a….Kagami-kun, I understand why you needed to hit me, but is it necessary to continue?" Kuroko mumbled out short sentences as he continued to struggle under Kagami's harsh nuggie. Kagami's eye twitched as a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Consider it payback for hitting me during the Winter Cup. I'm not some punching bag you know, you bastard…" Kagami growled as he a vein popped out of his forehead comically.
!
Suddenly, the pain began to linger and fade as the fist was removed from Kuroko's head. He looked up to see Aida dragging Kagami, who was temporarily unconscious, back to his seat. Taking a deep breath, he continued.
"They way I'm treating her now can only be classified as a friend. If I don't change that, do you really think I can confidently say that we're in a relationship?" Kuroko provided a question to everyone in the café. Momoi, who was still at the entrance, decided now was the right time to make her presence aware as she chose to answer. Yet before she could reply, someone beat her to it.
"Ooh! Ooh! I can answer! I know what to do!" Kise said fervently as he turned Kuroko around to face him.
"Of course you'd know…"
"Just how many girlfriends have you gone through?"
"Damn beautiful bastard…"
Kise paid no heed to their words as he focused on Kuroko. He stared directly and pointed a finger as if expressing 'as a matter of fact' at Kuroko, who returned his gaze.
"None of that should matter in a relationship, Kurokocchi! What matters is that you're both aware of each other's feelings throughout the whole time. As long as you spend time together with the thought that 'you two are spending time as a couple', then that's what it'll feel like!" Kise said to Kuroko as he smiled encouragingly at him.
"Nn! Momoi is the only one to decide whether your fit to be with her or not. And if she ever starts to doubt your relationship, then just remind her. Tell her you love her, take her out, buy her a gift!" Aida advised Kuroko, who turned his head to her.
"And I do believe that they have a term that described married couples in America. I believe it was called 'high school sweethearts', no Kagami?" Akashi asked to Kagami, turning his head to Kagami's seat, only to find…
"Gahhhh" Kagami was still out cold as his eyes were egg white and he slouched on the table. Aida, who sat next to him, groaned in embarrassment at her teammate. She grabbed onto the collar of his team jacket with both her hands.
"Wake up, you damn idiot! Wake up!" Aida whispered as she shook him back and forth repeatedly. Akashi sighed as he turned back to Kuroko and smiled again.
"If you truly feel that these conflicting thoughts are what is holding you back, then this is something you must converse with Satsuki about once you get your feelings across to her. Regardless of her response, you have all of us supporting you, Tetsuya." Akashi said to Kuroko.
"But nothing will change if you do not take the initiative and you will regret your reluctance. And only when she does move on will you realize this. Understand?" Akashi ended with that as everyone looked at Kuroko.
Momoi remained frozen at the door as well. Now was the climax of the moment, whether Kuroko would decide to act, or to hide. Kuroko continued to stare at Akashi, until a small smile graced his face.
"Nn. I'll confess to her the next time I see her." Kuroko said with newfound determination and a nod.
….
….
"Speaking of which, where is that woman? We can't serve the cake without her." Midorima asked aloud in annoyance. He put a hand on his forehead and sighed.
"….Did you really mean it?"
Kuroko's eyes widened as everyone was caught off-guard by the familiar female voice that derived from Momoi. Kuroko's head snapped to the entrance of the door, alongside everyone else, as they all stared at Momoi who remained standing where she was with the wagon of gifts forgotten.
Akashi looked between Momoi and Kuroko, who were simply staring at each other. Realizing that this would be getting no where, he sighed before choosing to take the initiative.
"Don't you have something you want to say her, Tetsuya?" Akashi raised an eyebrow at Kuroko as he reminded him. Kuroko blinked as he realized the situation. He looked at the ground and began clenching and unclenching his fist repeatedly.
"…I didn't think I would have to say it so early…um…" Kuroko began scratching the back of his head uncomfortably, trying to figure out how to word it. Momoi merely stood there in anticipation. Even though she had heard the whole conversation, she would wait until she heard the very words from Kuroko himself.
THUMP
"Just go on and say it alre-Gphwaa!" Kagami was cut off as Aida slammed his head into the table and put a finger to her lips. Everyone looked back at Kuroko, who did not even bother to turn around.
"Momoi-san." Kuroko called out her name as he looked up to her, steeling his nerves. He took a deep breath and gave her a small smile.
"I like you. A lot."
….
….
….
"Yes, so do I. And so does Kise and Midorima and Akashi. Do you love her?" Aomine groaned in annoyance as his eye twitched. Kuroko stiffened. Who knew that the Phantom Sixth Man of the GoM had so much trouble confessing his feelings?
"Nn. I do." Kuroko said to Aomine. He turned to Momoi and repeated.
"I…I love you, Momoi-san."
Momoi's eyes widened as a huge smile fell on her face. And in less than a second, she had dropped the handle to her wagon and tackled Kuroko in a hug.
"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi said as she gripped Kuroko in a tight hug and rubbed her cheek against his, disregarding the tears in her eyes and the camera flashes from Aida going off.
"I love you! Love you Love you Love you Love you!" Momoi repeatedly said so as she disregarded Kuroko's slowly growing blush. She then proceeded to make him blush even more as she threw his face into her chest and squeezed.
"Momoi-san…I…I still need…to tell you something." Kuroko said in a muffled voice as the rest of the players sat there awkwardly. Momoi did not let up as she shook her head.
"I already heard everything!" Momoi said as she smiled at Kuroko, who still couldn't see from his position in her chest. But she felt him suddenly stiffen up. She loosened her grip so that Kuroko could lift his head up and look up at her.
"…All of it?" Kuroko said in a quiet voice as he sweated slightly in embarrassment. Momoi just nodded her head and threw his head back into her chest.
"Nn! All of it! And nothing you can say is going to stop me now! You're going to be my boyfriend no matter what!" Momoi said as she laughed. She could feel Kuroko smile in her chest and she lifted his head up. She then proceeded to kiss his cheeks repeatedly.
Kuroko froze and his eyes widened as a full-blown blush appeared on his face.
"M-Momoi-san, everyone's looking at us." Kuroko said. Momoi froze and looked around. Much to her embarrassment, everyone was staring at her, or at least her and Kuroko. Seirin was currently either giving Kuroko glares, or comforting each other, Aida had flowers around her as she held her cheeks and muttered 'moe moe moe'. And much to her chagrin, Akashi was smirking at her from the GoM.
Her face turned a bright red that put Kuroko's to shame as she stood back up at stood by Kuroko's chair. Kise's eyes widened as he realized the issue at hand. He suddenly got up and pulled his chair out.
"Neh neh, Momocchi! Here, sit here!" Kise said with a smile as he pointed at his seat that was to Kuroko's left. Momoi looked up and smiled at Kise, seeming to revert to her normal behavior.
"Thank you, Ki-chan~" Momoi said as she sat down and dragged her seat so she could sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Kuroko. She wrapped her arms around Kuroko's left arm and smiled at him as he looked at her. He returned the smile and looked away to hide the blush. Even though she was always this clingy, the fact that this was now done as an actual couple seemed to set off the constant blushes.
"Well finally! Can we take out the cake now?!" Kagami asked to no one in anticipation. Everyone cheered in agreement as one of the servers went behind doors to retrieve the cake.
Kuroko turned to look at Momoi, who was laying her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed. He tapped her head gently to get her attention.
"Hm?" Momoi hummed a question as she raised her head and stared at him with infatuation and a heartwarming smile.
"Since you know the problem I was concerned about, I have to ask….what…what do we do now?" Kuroko asked. Kuroko had no idea what to do now that they were a couple. What changes between them exactly?
Momoi tapped her chin with her finger as she looked up in thought. Truth be told, she had fantasized about the things they would do; some sweet and others eccentric and some….well some were rated mature to speak of. Because all-in-all, Momoi was still a young, hormonal teenager. But she would leave those for when they were older, or at least until Kuroko was comfortable with ideas like that. For now, they would take it slowly.
She made an 'oh' expression as she smiled at Kuroko from her seat and tilted her head adorably.
"Take me out on a date!"
"…where?" Kuroko asked dumbfounded. He never planned to take her anywhere. Hell he never even planned on getting together with her today. HELL he originally never intended to get together with her AT ALL.
"Anywhere. We'll walk around and do as we like!" Momoi said happily as she got up and spread her arms wide. Kuroko frowned as he thought about it.
"…Are you sure that's romantic though?" Kuroko asked disbelievingly. Momoi tilted her head with a 'hm?' expression on her face, before giggling. She went on to hug Kuroko again as she smiled.
"It doesn't need to be, silly Tetsu-kun. As long as I know it's a date between you and me, then it's all I need!" Momoi reassured Kuroko, who smiled in relief. He nodded once he made up his mind. Momoi let go of Kuroko as she stood straight and clapped her hands in front of her.
"So! Let's go on our date right now!" Momoi said excitedly as she grabbed Kuroko and dragged him out of the café. Aida noticed the birthday boy leaving and her eyes widened.
"Eh, wait! We still haven't eaten the cake…." Aida trailed off as everyone watched Kuroko disappear out the door. Silence ensued afterwards.
….
….
"…. So does that mean we're not getting cake?" Kise asked innocently.
An ecstatic Momoi was pulling a silently happy Kuroko, who had a smile on his face. Momoi's face lit up as she found something for them to do together. She looked back at Kuroko, who was unaware of what was going on as he looked around.
"Neh neh, Tetsu-kun! Let's go to the arcade!" Momoi said as she pointed to the arcade up ahead and pulled him. Kuroko smiled as he allowed her to bring him along. The two of them had spent the next 2 hours enjoying themselves together in the arcade, ranging from dancing games to virtual shooting games, and to even a crane game, one that Kuroko excelled at.
~2 hours later~
Momoi hummed to herself as she hugged both the stuffed penguin and panda in each of her arms, both being animals that Kuroko had won for her in the crane game. Kuroko followed after her slowly, looking down as if deep in thought. Momoi, noticing that he was lagging behind, turned around to look at him. She could tell that her sweet Tetsu-kun was still being tortured by the doubts in his head.
She stopped walking and stood still, as Kuroko continued to walk right into her.
"Oof!" Kuroko stumbled as he ran right into her. "S-Sorry, Momoi-san. What is wrong?" Kuroko asked Momoi. She did nothing but smile as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
Kuroko stiffened as he felt his right cheek, where Momoi's lips last touched him. She smiled as she stood up straight again.
"That'll be our reminder every now and then. So whenever Tetsu-kun feel like this isn't a date, then he should do the same, ne?" Momoi told Kuroko, who nodded shyly. Slowly but steadily, Kuroko leaned forward and placed a kiss on Momoi's right cheek.
Momoi froze as her eyes widened and she dropped her new plush toys. She simply stood there as Kuroko stood up straight again and looked at her concerned.
"…Momoi-san. Are you alright?" Kuroko asked, waving a hand in front of her. Perhaps she didn't plan on him kissing her cheek yet? Momoi held a cheek to her right cheek, where the touch of Kuroko's lips still lingered.
'Tetsu-kun kissed me. He kissed me. His lips touched my skin. I….I….I can't take it~' Momoi thought to herself as she collapsed onto Kuroko. Kuroko blinked as Momoi lay in his arms. He looked around to see if they had caused a commotion, and well enough, a good number of people were staring at them…no…Momoi-san in concern.
"Everything is alright. Nothing to be worried about." Kuroko reassured them. He looked back down to Momoi, who had a smile on her face as her eyes resembled that of flowers. Every now and then, she would mumble: 'Tetsu-kun….lips….so soft….kyaaa…'
Kuroko smiled to himself as he laid her on the ground and set her plush toys on top of her stomach. Once everything was set properly, he bent down and lifted her up bridal style with the plush toys on top of her. It was at this time that he thanked his coach for all the harsh trainings she put them through, otherwise, it would've been a difficult trip home.
Home.
Kuroko's eyes widened as he realized yet another problem. It had just occurred to him that during all his years in Teiko up until now, the GoM had never shared their addresses or spent time at each other's residences, well as far as Kuroko knew.
So where does Kuroko bring Momoi exactly?
Kuroko shrugged as he carried Momoi to his home. They were in a relationship now, so it was ok right? It's okay if he brought her to his home.
Right?
So? What did you guys think? I figured I should spend a chapter dedicated to their relationship to get rid of any doubts of whether they would actually be paired up or not.
Also sorry if Kuroko's excuse sounded lame or dumb. I didn't know how to word it but I wanted to express how in the eyes of a random person, Kuroko may not seem fit for someone like Momoi.
Please comment and review!