The higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down.

—Unknown

14th Quarter

"Please let the time stand still.."

Kouki's life after that fateful day become even more hectic with school work and with the team's rally for the finals everyone was focus are filled with practice. Kouki hug his binder close to his chest as he stared at the certain red head's broad back talking with Teiko's former phantom sixth man ever since that day at the cafe with Nina he had limited any conversation with Kagami if possible he only talk to him if its really necessary like basketball stuff in practice and if its time to leave he had practiced the act of disappearing like Kuroko would do.

"Its better this way.." Kouki thought to himself he can't bring Kagami down with him like that he's better stick with straight and narrow than being with the boy that will only give him nothing but embarassment.

"Hey!" He gasped as he felt his upper arm being grabbed from behind looking up to his shoulder to see the certain red head visibly panting to catch up with him. "You walk too fast now huh." Kagami said but never releasing his hold on Kouki's arm.

"Uhm..." Kouki blush the feeling of Kagami's skin touching his giving him a shiver down his spine.

"Let's go home together."

"N-No..." Kouki bit his lip, damn! That sound so forceful.

"Why not?" Kagami frowned. Crap, now what? He can't think of lie on the spot. He's useless that way he can't even lie to save his life.

"I...I still have to bring the book I borrowed to the library." He bit his lip as he lie he really didn't have to bring the book back to the library and truthfully there is no book to bring back its just that he can't be alone with Kagami.

"It's already late at night." Kagami pointed out with a frown.

"Well...Asahina-san trusts enough to lend me the key to the library since I used to work there before." Kouki reasoned out meekly, please just leave me alone... Kouki thought to himself silently praying that Kagami will leave him alone already.

"I'll come with you then."

"Eh.." Kouki blinks, looking up dumbfounded at the stubborn Tiger.

"I said I'm coming with you baka~..." Kagami said poking his forehead fondly.

"O-Ouch..." Kouki winced, "That hurt!" he pouted cutely.

"That's the main idea baka." Kagami said gruffly.

"S-So you wanna hurt me then...is that it?" Kouki said his adorable pout never leaving his face.

"Never." Kagami said with his deep husky voice.

Kouki's heart skip a beat as his pair of hazel eyes was ultimately lost to Kagami's dark crimson eyes who's staring right back at him with so much intensity that he might as well get lost and never come back from its hypnosis.

"You know I will never do something that will hurt you I will always protect you."

"I..." Kouki couldn't finish what he was about to say when Kagami pull him closer from the back of his neck making his body collide against Kagami's own his face close to his chest as the fast car just drove passed them. If it weren't for Kagami-kun I will be...

Kagami pull away to look at the brunette's face both of his hand craddling Kouki's cheek, "Are you alright?" he asked his voice so husky and deep that it sent a shiver throughout his entire body making him weak in the knees if it weren't for Kagami holding him up he would've fallen already.

"I-I'm alright." Kouki stuttered, Damn it! Kouki cursed inwardly, Now I couldn't look at Kagami-kun's eyes all of the sudden! I shouldn't feel this...I shouldn't but...I can't help myself... Kouki thought to himself as he look up to Kagami once again gulping a big lump when he sees Kagami looking down to him his pair crimson eyes intently looking at him. He tried to look away but Kagami cups his cheek.

"Don't look away." And like hypnosis Kouki did as he was told.

"Taigaaa come on open up!" Nina said impatiently while glaring at her Fiancé's apartment door, she sighed heavily she's been trying to contact Kagami but to no avail his phone is turned off he's not in school when she visited earlier and now she's right in front of his house but he isn't home. Where could he possibly be? Nina growled in frustration.

"That Furi-chan better not be with my Taiga or else..."

By the time Kouki and Kagami arrived at the community library the whole building looks like it came out of some horror movie. It was dark and gloomy not only because its already nightfall but it actually started to rain and adding to the background is booming sounds of thunder and lightning in the sky.

In the dark hallways Kouki easily maneuvered himself inside (expertly) guiding himself and Kagami in the dark building without any visibility.

"Better turn that book in before ghosts comes out of their hiding." Kagami said behind the brunette making him flinch a little.

"S-Shut it!" Kouki said while expertly hiding his fear from the smug taller male.

Xxx

"Are you sure about this?" the unsure voice ask while hiding behind the shadow.

"Of course it is do not worry too much Koganei-senpai." Kuroko said next to the taller teen.

"Waah! D-Don't just pop out of nowhere Kuroko!"

"Shh.." Kuroko shush the older teen making the Seirin captain twitched in anger.

"Kuroko I should've known you're doing this on purpose..." Hyuga said while putting his kohai on a headlock.

"Itai-desu Hyuga-senpai."

"Oh shut up you guys they're gonna hear us!" Riko scolded the boys.

"It's their fault for running circles around each other.."

"Why did you scream all of the sudden?" Kagami asked in irritation, he had to rub both of his ears to get the ringing sound out of his system.

"Its dark!" Kouki gulped, the light that giving them visibility went off all of the sudden. He doesn't like dark places, he has to get out of here! He reach for the doorknob but it wouldn't budge.

"What?"

"What's wrong?" Kagami asked, as he joined the brunette.

"The door is not opening..." Kouki said looking back to the red head only for them to collide to each other, thankfully the red head's strong enough to support their combined weight (if not he's sure they already crash onto the floor) but the issue right this moment for each of them is how close their proximity to each other. Kouki couldn't see Kagami's face but he's sure their faces are just an inch to each other by the way he could feel his breath against his skin.

"W-What the heck is that?"

"Uhm..."

"Careful klutz." Kagamj teased as he let him go.

"Hey it was dark!" Kouki defended himself.

"Don't panic I'm sure you just lack grip." Kagami said as he tried to open the door as well but like what happened earlier it wouldn't budge.

"So?" Kouki urged the red head to speak.

"We're stuck inside."

"No this can't be happening!" Kouki said in horror.

No no no! He can't get stuck in this very scary dark place with Kagami and the very person he was trying to avoid no less!

No frigging way!

"This sucks..." Kouki grumbled underneath his breath, its because of this stupid lie that he ended up being stuck with Kagami. So much for his luck!

At the time like this cell phone is actually a god sent gift right now he immediately fumbled for his phone only to be totally defeated when he saw the device has no battery. Why did I forgot to charge it today?

But wait I can't still lose hope.

"Kagami-kun!"

"What is it?" Kagami asked with a frown.

"Lend me your phone!"

"I left my phone back home."

"What?! Everybody bring their phone with them all the time."

"Then why didn't you bring yours..." Kagami shot back.

"I did but I don't have any battery left."

"I left it at home because a certain someone kept on bugging me." Kagami said to no one in particular.

"So..where going to be stuck here the whole night?"

"Seems like it." Kagami shrugged his shoulders.

"Uh well..." Kouki trailed off, hugging his kees close to his chest. Guess he has to endure being engulfed by darkness.

"Are you alright there?" Kagami asked the brunette breaking the deafening silence between them.

"Huh?" Kouki asked as he didn't quiet hear what he said.

"I asked if you're okay there since there aren't any light over there." Kagami asked his voice echoing throughout the room. Kouki's sitting on the floor opposite the red head's direction.

"I'm fine."

"Why are you so far away from me? Are you thinking that I might do something to you..." Kagami said in amusement his red eyes trained to his hazel eyes intently.

"O-Of course not idiot!" Damn! He stuttered. Why is he stuttering for?

Kagami sighed leaning his back on the post next to him, "Being stuck here isn't such a bad thing..." he commented to no one in particular as he play with his hair.

"W-What do you mean?" Kouki asked without looking at the red head instead he kept his gaze on the floor since for some unknown reason he couldn't face him. "I'm sure your family is worried sick for you."

Kagami scoffed, "Dad's in LA busy with business stuff while my mother.." his voice full of contempt as he talk about his mother, "She's too busy to even care about me."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to."

"I didn't ask...I should've...as your friend i should've..."

"Its not your fault they're busy do not worry yourself dummy."

"But still..."

"I-I'm..." Before Kouki could finish what he was saying, a loud thunderclap scared the hell out of him.

"K-Kagami-kun!" -Kouki bolted uptight.

"What? You're not only afraid of the dark you're also afraid of thunder." it wasn't a question it was a statement. Kouki blushed in embarrassment.

He caught him there!

"W-Well y-yeah p-please come here! Kagami-kun.." He pleaded.

"Why should I? If you're scared then you come here." Kagami teased while running his fingers on his red hair coolly, "Besides you're the one who needs me so isn't it appropriate for you to come to me instead?"

Kouki growled, this little jerk! "There's no way I need you!" He said in embarrassment and anger, but as if in cue they both heard a moaning sound as if coming from beneath the earth. Looking at Kouki's reaction Kagami couldn't help but to tease the brunette again.

"It's up to you dummy...there's a ghost next-..." Kagami couldn't finish what he wanted to say when he felt the Kouki squeezed in beside him tugging his arm with his shaking hand.

"Please let the time stand still."

A/N: sorry for late update, wrote this on my phone's word so it could be crappy all mistakes will be corrected once I got my hand to my laptop. Jimbei chan this is the update you've been waiting for! One bad news though after this I won't be able to update for 2 weeks since i'll be away for my overseas trip so see ya again folks after two weeks and one day :)

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