Well, here we are at the next chapter. It uhh, is longer...than I intended... It's a date! And I somehow managed to cram a whole lot of random stuff into said date. Hope it's you know...enjoyable! **Smiles**
Himuro Tatsuya was well aware that his little brother was not known for his brains or his observational abilities. He did, however, like to think that where Taiga lacked in those particular areas, he made up for. It was because he quite enjoyed to observe when necessary, and held a subtle knack for drawing conclusions that Taiga had never quite mastered, that he had known for a considerable length of time that Taiga's and Aomine's relationship was fake.
For one thing, he'd been in on that bet at the Christmas party. In all honesty, he'd genuinely thought that Kuroko and Kise were in over their heads, and hadn't listened to Atsushi when he'd warned him that Kuroko had a sneaky way of just making things happen.
For another thing, he'd been relatively convinced that should Taiga actually enter into a relationship; regardless of gender…he probably would've received at least some kind of notification –especially since they were back in the same country again. So, when he'd found out about his supposed relationship with Aomine Daiki, Himuro had been sceptical at best. Despite himself, though, he'd found himself casually looking at some of the blogs following the scandal of Taiga and Aomine's 'relationship', and admittedly been a little intrigued.
In outward appearance, they really did seem a little like a couple. But, from what he'd seen of their interaction at the Christmas party, he could tell that holding hands, and going on dates together and actually managing to not throttle each other was a little uncharacteristic of their true relationship. He didn't believe it; neither did Atsushi, but since he hadn't heard anything from his brother, he decided to not pry for the meantime.
That being said, it had been an opportunity not to be missed when they'd been so thoughtfully invited along on a beach holiday with the other teams. Himuro had been a little nervous about going away with the rest of them, seeing as he didn't really know them, and even he could admit that Atsushi wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with. But he knew it was about time he saw Taiga, and Seirin were a nice group of people.
Nothing had ever been as cold as the look that Aomine had given him upon meeting him in the car-park outside the lodge, and it had amused him to no end. Himuro's perceptive eye had rather quickly picked up on Touou's ace's immediate hostility to him, and it had intrigued him. As far as he knew, and as far as Taiga had indicated, the pair of them were still 'together', and it had proved most interesting to watch a flicker of jealousy cross Aomine's eyes unbidden when Himuro had ever-so-lightly mentioned that he would be rooming with his little brother.
And of course, oblivious as ever; Taiga had no clue.
The rest of the weekend had simply escalated from there. The kisses were a little surprising; he'd thought that Taiga was a little more conservative than the wild thing rolling in the sand with Aomine in some kind of strange, animalistic mate-enticing ritual. That didn't mean that he didn't miss a chance to wind up Touou's ace or to make a light comment that would thoroughly embarrass his little brother. After all, what were elder brothers for?
He'd gone on that vacation, expecting to hear a confession about a fake relationship; expected to find a forced, staged act put on for the public eye.
Instead, he'd found a pair of proud, oblivious idiots in the early stages of an unacknowledged primal attraction.
Kiss after kiss; interaction after interaction –he had been forced to revise his disbelief. Their relationship might not technically be real, but the chemistry was undeniable and natural. When Kise had suggested they sneakily topple Aomine onto Taiga in the bath to embarrass them, they had of course assumed only that they would share perhaps an awkward kiss or hilarious embrace.
No one had been prepared for the intimate moment they had borne witness to.
If that hadn't been sexual tension, he didn't know what was. He didn't know about the others, but he had definitely been able to sense the lust emanating from the two aces, and in turn, seen Taiga's panic.
It was obvious, perhaps to everyone but the two directly involved in their relationship, that things weren't quite as simple as a fake relationship. That, at least, had become increasingly obvious during that holiday, and that moment in the bath had only acted to confirm such a thing. Himuro had seen the way they acted together, and he could see the happiness and excitement in Taiga's eyes; not to mention the smile in Aomine's face, which he apparently thought he was hiding.
And also apparently, Taiga had no idea of how he was acting, or of how Aomine was acting. He hadn't realised quite how dense his brother was.
Something had been off, though, when they had arrived at the bonfire. They'd sat away from each other; and Taiga had been unnaturally quiet; not to mention he had a fresh hickey or two on his throat (though it was getting more and more difficult to determine which ones were new and which were old). He'd seemed unsettled, but Himuro had decided against asking, since he hadn't seemed to want to talk about it.
After the weekend, however, he felt compelled to inquire, because, up until that point, Taiga and Aomine had…seemed to be getting somewhere.
Hey, Taiga, thanks for the invite to the beach. Atsushi and I had a great time, was what he had sent, followed by, Is everything okay? You and Aomine seemed a little tense?
It had been a while before Taiga had replied; probably wondering how best to word things. Himuro was pretty sure that his brother still thought that he thought that he and Aomine were together, and would have to reply in kind. In hindsight, he probably should have informed him that he knew it was supposed to be fake…but the thing was, he didn't believe that anymore. He believed –even if they didn't –that it was real.
Ahh, Ahomine's just being kind of weird. Well, he'd gathered that much rather easily. Then, later, almost hesitantly –if someone could be hesitant over text, he'd received another message, adding, I just don't know what's going on with him.
Taiga had told him then that Aomine was being a bit more of an asshole than normal; how he'd barely seen him all week. It had felt nice, to be a person that he was confiding in. He wondered what had happened to make the pair of them go from barely able to keep their hands off each other, to awkward and then to distant. Apparently Taiga was of much the same opinion.
…Well, hopefully he comes over tonight. I'm surprising him with dinner –Himuro had felt a rush of affection for his brother. Taiga really was too kind-hearted sometimes.
Ah, it must be six months now, right?
Yeah. I can't believe it's been that long…It's gone so fast…
What are you making? He'd just been trying to make conversation.
Teriyaki. It's his favourite. Himuro had chuckled to himself, then, because Taiga really did sometimes seem like an idiot. Celebrating the anniversary of a fake relationship was one thing, but putting so much effort into impressing said fake boyfriend was completely another. He thoroughly hoped that Aomine appreciated what Taiga was doing for him.
He didn't come.
…Apparently not.
That night, and the following day, had been filled with a mass of rather confusing, mixed-message texts that had left Himuro feeling as though he was watching some unusual teen rom-com, with alternating emotions.
First, there was, with a trace of bitterness, even via technology, I found him hanging out with chicks. We argued. I think we'll break up soon. Gaming with Kuroko and Takao tonight. Himuro hadn't known why…but he'd just felt as though Taiga was in fact, a whole lot more upset than he was coming across. Unable to shake this feeling, he'd given Takao a brief text, and been informed that his brother had been angry but vehemently denying it. He'd felt a flash of anger towards Aomine, because, well, Taiga had gone through so much effort to surprise him for their 'anniversary' and instead, he was out with girls.
Then, the next day…
Can't believe he waited up for me last night. Stupid asshole. I had to let him stay over.
The next time Himuro had called him, a few days later, Taiga had been in such a good mood that he could practically feel the smile radiating down the end of the phone. He'd then been informed that Aomine was a groping pervert –apparently he'd seen fit to indecently grab Taiga during a practice game –but Himuro had only just managed to hide a laugh, because his brother really didn't seem to have any real problem with it. In fact, he sounded a little flattered, and a tiny bit embarrassed. He'd maintained annoyance at having been manhandled, but Himuro knew that he was secretly-yet-completely-obviously glad that he and Aomine had made up and gotten over whatever it was that had been bothering Touou's ace.
But then a few weeks later: I don't want to go to Kise's dinner.
Apparently they were fighting again. Or not fighting. Or not talking. Or Aomine was being a little shit again and ignoring him. Himuro was unimpressed, and had felt a strange, protective big-brother instinct rear when he had received further texts explaining that Aomine was definitely avoiding him and not wanting one-on-ones and generally just being a distant dick.
Himuro didn't know how Taiga did it. This seemed exhausting.
He'd managed to convince him to go, however, and Kuroko had been very thankful, though Himuro had to admit to himself that he was a little looking forward to teaming up with he, Kise and Takao once more. Apparently Taiga was quite the moper when Aomine was ignoring him, and he didn't like to hear that his brother was upset, especially because of someone who was meant to be his boyfriend.
Their teasing and combined efforts had elicited an argument out of the two aces –an argument that had rather breached the G-rated line and resulted in Aomine's ego being wounded. Taiga may have, at the time, been joking about his supposed sex-life with Aomine, but Himuro had seen the look in the bluenette's eyes; seen the effect that Taiga's proximity had on him, and known –like many of their other friends knew –that Aomine's mocking was anything but innocent.
His ass is mine, is what he had said –supposedly in continuation of a joke that had spiralled out of control –but his eyes and the way they had roved across Taiga's face and lips and down to his bared neck, had been anything but playful.
It was strange that Taiga hadn't noticed the effect he had on Aomine.
Tatsuya…can I tell you something?
That text had arrived a few days after Kise's second party –the wild, drunken one –and he had replied immediately, that it was perfectly fine for him to tell him anything –they were brothers, after all.
…Aomine and I aren't really together….
I'm surprised, had been Himuro's response, though it was kind of a lie. He was just a little surprised that for one: it had taken Taiga so long to admit it, and two: that he still actually believed that.
That's not the thing I wanted to tell you.
Hearing that Aomine had somewhat tainted Taiga's innocence (as it were), had roused that same protective instinct again, and made Himuro more than a little incensed –especially since of course, and almost predictably, Aomine had gone back to being distant.
Himuro wondered what he should say. Or rather, he wondered how much he should say.
The weeks following that vacation had been filled with texts from Taiga about how Aomine was being an asshole, but then they'd make up and he'd be so happy again, but obviously not realising how happy Aomine made him. He didn't know if maybe Taiga was into destructive relationships (he wouldn't know; he'd never had a girlfriend before) –but he was sick to death of hearing how Aomine was jerking him around. Even if Taiga hadn't figured it out, Himuro was perceptive enough to know that he harboured more-than-platonic feelings for Aomine, and it was glaringly obvious that Aomine felt the same way.
However, Aomine wasn't treating his brother right, and it made him angry. Taiga deserved better than that. He deserved someone who treated him properly and appreciated him, and who wouldn't keep withdrawing. Taiga spoke so highly of Aomine –even if he didn't realise –and anyone who listened could hear the admiration and the way his voice would just light up whenever he got onto the topic of his somewhat-boyfriend.
So, Himuro too, had heard of the hot-and-coldness and inconsistencies of Aomine Daiki, and was unimpressed.
And then came the texts that broke the camel's back; the texts that had informed him that Aomine had stayed over, and that something had 'almost' happened, in Taiga's words. It had taken a few reassuring messages before Himuro was satisfied that Aomine hadn't tried to force himself on Taiga –for which he was glad, because he wasn't too keen on the idea of jail-time –but there had definitely seemed to be something bothering his brother.
Perhaps he'd finally realised the levels of sexual tension that had been brewing between them for quite some time. Himuro knew that when it came to the pair of them, they didn't seem to be able to keep themselves in check…but then again…it could have also been that Taiga had finally stopped swimming in denial, and had maybe considered the possibility of what he actually wanted from Aomine.
Actually, it seemed to be a bit of both; confirmed by the one text that had made Himuro decide that enough was enough. He was sick of seeing and hearing about how Taiga was sad because of Aomine –his brother deserved more than that, and Aomine had no right to be playing with him. It had been that one text that had told a story of epiphany, yet confusion, and uncertainty and maybe housed the faintest traces of fear. Fear of something new; fear of rejection; fear of Aomine pushing away again; Himuro didn't know –but what he did know, was that he wasn't going to let Taiga go through any more of this bullshit.
I don't know what this is anymore.
This was all Kagami's fault.
Okay, so maybe if Aomine backtracked months and months it was indirectly Tetsu and Kise's faults. If only they hadn't tricked he and Kagami into kissing under that mistletoe because then there wouldn't have been photos that leaked onto the internet. And then that would mean that there was no reason for he and Kagami to pretend to be in a relationship…and if they had never started their stupid, fake relationship, it might never have spiralled into something that Aomine, in the back of his mind, had admitted was more real than fake.
If only things had been different. If only all of that had never happened. Then, Aomine never would've grown to like Kagami's kisses; his stomach would never have started flipping every time the idiot grinned; never would've started finding him attractive or desirable…
Because if none of that had happened, then he never would have wound up in bed with Kagami, the other ace straddling him, and Aomine unable to prevent his hips from pressing up against his firm ass.
But all of that had happened, and so had that situation. That situation where Aomine had found himself with Kagami grinding down on his lap, and him completely helpless to stop the arousal from mounting. His hands had trailed all across the other ace's body; gripping his ass tightly –god he loved the way Kagami moved and let out soft moans whenever he did that –and he had wanted nothing more than to have him naked and riding his cock like there was no tomorrow.
That being said, he had been a little…relieved when Kagami had told him to stop. In all honesty, he'd been hoping that he'd get on board with a repeat of what happened at Kise's party, but he desperately didn't want to push too fast and fuck things up. He'd seen that flash of panic –that familiar touch of panic that he'd seen in a certain bath one night when Kagami had been laid out underneath him, ready for the taking, as it were. And, when he'd seen that, it had been relief that washed over him.
Because as much as he wanted to have sex with Kagami, he'd considered himself a purely straight male for his whole life…and though he knew sort of what sex with another guy would involve…it wasn't like he knew how to do it.
And so he had sought out the internet.
It had taken a good few days for him to finally cement his resolve and find the first gay porn site he could, and once he had chosen a video, he had cursed the loading time over and over again for taking so long and nearly shattering him. He could barely believe that he was doing this; hell, before shit started happening with Kagami, he never would've even considered watching gay porn –never would've even entertained the notion of having sex with another man.
And yet, he'd sat there impatiently, fingers tapping against his mouse almost with embarrassment. Why was he doing this? If, if he ever got to have sex with Kagami –why did that always sound so fucking good in his mind, as opposed to weird –he was pretty sure that Kagami wouldn't mind if they were on the same level of clueless…
But Aomine didn't want that. He wanted Kagami a squirming, writhing, moaning mess because of him. He wanted to show his prowess like how he always did on the court. He wanted to hear him moaning his name and to make sure it was a lay that Kagami would never forget.
And…he didn't want him to think he sucked.
It was really that, more than anything, that was making him sit there, fidgeting slightly as two men wandered onto the screen. He could tell himself that he wanted to learn, to show off just how amazing he was…but really…this was for Kagami; so his first time was a good time, if it came to that.
Not that he wanted to admit that.
Things sure would've been easier if that Christmas party had never happened.
And things sure would have gone a lot better if Aomine had remembered to lock his front door that day. Or maybe he should've just googled it instead of venturing into the world of porn. But then again, porn was a lot more familiar to him than actual research, and in such a foreign setting…it was a little comforting to have something familiar.
But, in hindsight, if he had just googled, then he might not have wound up picturing Kagami's face on one of the men in the video. Then, he might not have gotten unbearably turned on at the mental image of Kagami's red head nestled in his crotch with a dick down his throat –or the thought of how he would look riding his cock –and then, Imayoshi (of all people) wouldn't have heard him moaning Kagami's name.
Aomine had been convinced that nothing good could come of his captain holding such information…and he had been right.
Go for it or get out. Stop playing around. You can't sit on the fence forever, so make up your mind, Aomine…
That was what Imayoshi had said to him. Aomine had just gritted his teeth and pretended he wasn't listening, though he had the distinct feeling that his captain wasn't buying his disinterest for a second. It wasn't as though his mind needed to be made up, anyway.
He already knew what he wanted.
Getting it, though, was a different story.
A date. Perhaps a date was a good place to start. That was what Imayoshi had suggested –though it wasn't so much of a suggestion as it was an order with a thinly veiled hint of a threat bubbling beneath his words. A date was a simple idea. Aomine knew how dates worked; or were supposed to work.
On the dates he'd been with girls, Satsuki had always made him go pick them up. It was more 'gentlemanly', she always said –followed by some rude mutters about how he was hardly a gentleman anyway. Aomine was pretty sure that on the various times he'd been on 'dates' with Kagami, he hadn't gone to 'pick him up' as it were. So this time, he decided to try that.
Also, Satsuki used to make him buy flowers.
'You take your date flowers. You just do!' was her reasoning, 'It's sweet, and shows you care!'
'I don't care,' was his standard reply, but then she'd scold him and complain and call him names until he wandered down to the florist and bought the first bouquet he saw that wasn't going to cost him a fucking kidney.
"…You don't get guys flowers…" Aomine muttered aggressively to himself as he fidgeted on Kagami's doorstep, shifting the bouquet between his hands agitatedly. "Fuck…what the hell was I thinking…" He groaned quietly in annoyance and raised his hand to knock for the third time –again pausing before fist met door and looking down at the flowers.
They were too much –definitely. What if he hated them?
This was too cheesy.
Kagami was going to fucking laugh in his face. He found himself actually blushing in embarrassment that he of all people, was standing on a doorstep like a nervous tween on the way to his first school dance.
Finally decided, have we? That was what the woman at the florist's had said to him when he'd finally approached the counter after a good forty-five minutes of browsing and skulking and hoping that he wasn't seeming too desperate to find the right flowers. Unfortunately, being a six-foot-something basketball player with unusually tanned skin for a Japanese man and blue-tinged hair, didn't much aid in helping him go unnoticed, apparently.
This is such a beautiful arrangement. Your girlfriend is so lucky, she had said with a smile. His embarrassment at buying such a bouquet had immediately melted away and he had said, almost automatically, and with a touch of coolness, 'They're for my boyfriend.'
Aomine could only cringe to himself a little bit as he recalled the way he'd said that, because Kagami wasn't his boyfriend; not really. And yet, he'd said it so easily; when had it become so easy for him to say that without feeling annoyed or angry or bitter?
Suddenly, Kagami's front door opened, and with a start, Aomine flung the tiger lilies into the nearest shrub, where they thankfully vanished from sight in a flash of orange-red; hidden from Kagami's sight. He hurriedly thrust his hands into his pockets and looked away; feigning casualness when his heart was hammering at the thought that Kagami had very nearly caught him with a bunch of flowers in hand.
How embarrassing…
"Uhh…what are you doing here?" Kagami inquired flatly, having heard Aomine lingering around the front door for a substantial amount of time, and finally gotten curious about why the other ace had just been pacing and muttering to himself and not barging in like he usually did.
"…I was in the area," Aomine lied smoothly with a nonchalant shrug, "…Thought I might as well come get you." From the way Kagami deadpanned and stared at how Aomine was actually dressed kind of well today in his black jacket with the fur-lined hood, it seemed unlikely that he'd just been 'in the area'. But he didn't press the issue, even though it was obvious that Aomine looked a little uncomfortable.
They argued the entire way to the theatre –including on the train, though that was mostly because it was rather packed for a late Saturday afternoon, and they kept getting jostled into each other. Not that either of them really minded the proximity –Kagami had felt lips brush against the skin beneath his ear a few too many times for it to have been solely due to the shoving of the crowd.
" –What are you two doing here?"
Takao grinned brightly with a wave as he noticed Aomine halting mid-argument with Kagami to glare over at he and Midorima, who had been waiting patiently for the pair of aces to arrive. It was a little refreshing to see them walking in together –and a little hilarious (if not frustrating) to see that they still hadn't decided whether to strangle or passionately embrace each other.
"Oh, I invited them," Kagami informed Aomine, a little sheepishly, wondering how it had slipped his mind to tell him that this was going to wind up being a double date. Aomine glared at the redhead.
"Why?" he demanded to know crossly, annoyed mostly because he didn't trust the mischievous little gleam in Takao's eyes. That glint was similar to the one in Tetsu's eyes, and he knew that wasn't to be trusted.
"Because they're our friends, and Takao said he wanted to see it too –"
"…Tch, you're an idiot…"
"Why does being nice make me an idiot?" Kagami growled.
"…Glad we decided to come, Shin-chan?" Takao snickered as the two of them wandered over to get their tickets.
"Not in the slightest."
A few minutes later, there appeared to be an uproar over at the counter, and Takao hadn't been able to contain his laughter at the sight of Aomine repetitively shoving away Kagami's hand as the redhead tried in vain to pay for the tickets and popcorn, apparently proclaimed, "You paid last time! It's my turn!"
"I said I'm paying, Bakagami!" Satsuki told him off when he didn't pay on the first date. But none of the girls he went out with protested as vehemently as Kagami did. And it wasn't like this was their first date or anything…
Takao helplessly fell against the wall with an unattractive snort as Kagami suddenly had a large handful of popcorn jammed into his mouth to silence his complaints. Distracted by the fact that he was choking, Kagami had to move away from the counter, leaving Aomine –panting from the brief but intense wrestle –to triumphantly pay.
"…Aomine, I don't believe it is customary to choke your date," Midorima reprimanded flatly, with a nod of agreement from Kagami as the redhead swallowed the popcorn and gratefully took in a deep breath of air.
"I dunno, Shin-chan," Takao remarked lightly, "…A couple of ours have ended with –"
"Takao, remember our various conversations regarding your oversharing?" Midorima immediately snapped, his cheeks turning slightly pink.
"Can't help it, Shin-chan," the point guard shrugged impishly, leaning on him affectionately and grinning despite the lack of amusement on Midorima's face. "Come on; the movie's about to start soon –we should go find seats –" In fact, they had plenty of time to find seats, but Takao had been most amused to spy a few familiar faces milling around in the lobby, apparently under the impression that dark glasses and trench-coats were actually good disguises.
Why did everyone he knew seem to think that putting on some glasses could hide the fact that they were often over six feet tall, or had outrageously coloured hair –or both, in his boyfriend's case. He'd seen a flash of long pink hair from the corner of his eye, and knew that where there was one curious little stalker, there were always more trailing not far behind. Actually, he wasn't surprised in the slightest that they had a few shadows –apparently Kagami had been quite excited about this date –and that was enough to rouse the interest of his friends.
That, and everyone was always so very intrigued by what Aomine would do.
"Move over, Teppei…" Riko hissed, jostling the giant further down the rows and then sinking into the seat beside him, "Where's Kuroko-kun?"
"Tetsu-kun's getting popcorn," Momoi whispered back excitedly, as she peeked out from underneath her sunglasses to sneak a glance a few rows down, to where Aomine and Kagami were apparently arguing about where to best sit their massive bucket of popcorn.
"You didn't need to get so much popcorn, Ahomine…" she could hear wafting up from the seats beyond.
" –Yeah I did. You're a black hole when it comes to food." Stupid Aomine-kun; being mean to his date!
"Am not! I eat a normal amount!"
"Yeah, for like a family of ten, or a T-Rex…"
"Like you have any idea how much a T-Rex would eat!"
She giggled to herself. Sometimes she really did love hearing their ridiculous arguments –especially since Aomine always sounded so happy.
" –Oh my god…is that Wakamatsu?" Riko suddenly hissed, nudging Kiyoshi a little too violently and making him cringe. They glanced across the other side of the theatre, and saw that indeed, that was Wakamatsu, accompanied by Sakurai; the pair of them sinking down into their seats as much as possible to escape notice. Not that Aomine and Kagami were paying attention to anyone but each other at the moment.
Kiyoshi, with a chuckle to himself, pulled out his phone and quickly sent Wakamatsu a text, saying, What are you guys doing here?
A few moments later, he received a message back.
Same as you guys.
Wanting to maybe wind the loudmouth up a little, Kiyoshi grinned and gave Riko a glance to make sure she couldn't see his screen before replying with, Oh, so you guys are on a date too?
He was thoroughly satisfied by the aghast squawk that he heard from the direction of Wakamatsu and Sakurai, and heard a thud as the blonde probably dropped his phone. Quickly, he sent another message assuring him that it was just a joke –his speed prompted by the way that Riko suddenly twisted his ear; having seen the text he'd sent, despite his best efforts.
Kagami noted how strangely at ease he felt in the theatre at the lights began to dim and the movie started. He felt an arm land across his shoulders and automatically shifted a little closer to Aomine to get a little more comfortable. Their knees brushed against each other, but he found he liked the contact. He had been looking forward to this –they hadn't been on a 'proper' date in what felt like a really long time and…
…And he liked how 'I'm going on a date with Aomine' sounded in his head.
At some point during the movie, he felt Aomine starting to shift closer. At first, he ignored it; brushing it off as the other ace drifting off to sleep –sometimes he did that –but then he felt warm lips press slyly against the side of his neck.
"Ahomine, what the hell?" he hissed in a low tone, turning in embarrassment and trying to brush it off as annoyance. Suddenly, he found Aomine's face all-too close to his; eyes gleaming in the light of the action sequence currently in play. His lips were parted slightly, and Kagami could feel his hot breath fanning his face. Without waiting for the redhead to voice further protest, Aomine leaned forwards and closed the gap between them; seductively locking their lips together and tugging him a bit closer.
"Mmm…Aomine…there are people here!" Kagami hissed crossly, jerking back slightly. No, no, no –he'd seen too many chick flicks where people made out in movie theatres, and he was not going to be one of them –
Aomine leaned in again, tongue snaking in past his complaints and swallowing them up; fingers gripping the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Kagami let out a soft moan, kissing back and a hand hooking around Aomine's neck to fist the back of his shirt. Their lips parted and met again, and again; tongues lingering in each other's mouths as they furiously made out –Kagami's resistance having fallen completely in a matter of moments. It wasn't like he could resist the magnetism between them. Even as he tried to convince himself to pull back, he found himself shifting closer; tongue delving deeper, and lips growing ever more eager to taste Aomine.
Had there been no armrest between their seats, Aomine would've dragged Kagami into his lap; heedless of everyone else in the theatre.
It was probably good that he couldn't do that; because if he had, Kagami might have noticed the saucer-eyed expressions of his friends sitting several rows back.
"…Kuroko-kun…what are we even watching?" Riko whispered quietly as they bore witness to Aomine deepening the kiss; his tongue so very obviously trailing into Kagami's eagerly waiting mouth. She'd thought that in public, Aomine and Kagami were wild with the PDA, but even under the relative cover of movie-theatre darkness, they were as full on as ever.
"Aomine-kun is such a pervert!" Momoi wailed softly, "He's corrupting Kagamin!"
Aomine smirked as he felt, rather than heard, Kagami let out a soft moan; the hand at his neck scrabbling hungrily as the redhead's lips tore at his with the same ferocity as he was being kissed with. The bluenette's free hand snaked across to Kagami's knee, and slowly began rising higher; inching towards his inner thigh with less-than-honourable intent. He couldn't help it. He just liked hearing the shaky, hitching breaths Kagami kept letting out, and the soft, affected moans…they drove him all kinds of crazy that he had never had to deal with before. And after what had happened, or nearly-happened in Kagami's bed, he was really having difficulty keeping his impure thoughts in check.
Suddenly, as he felt Kagami shift a little so that his hand nearly made crotch-contact, he wrenched back in surprise –a handful of popcorn having been shoved down the front of his shirt. He pulled back with an annoyed growl; glaring at the redhead, who was apparently failing at trying to not look amused.
"What the fuck?" he growled in annoyance as he fished popcorn out from under his shirt, though he kind of liked the smug look that he was being given. It made him remember that Kagami never let him have anything easy –whether on or off the court. And he liked that challenge.
"Watch the damn movie, Ahomine," the redhead snorted with a smirk, shoving popcorn in his mouth and effectively indicating that there was no way Aomine's tongue was getting back in there. Aomine sighed with a glare at both the redhead and the cackling point guard who had seen the whole thing, and might've sulked, but for the fact that though Kagami had pulled back…he hadn't swatted away his naughtily wandering hand.
"Kiyoshi-senpai?" Kagami suddenly exclaimed as the four of them wandered towards the exit of the building after the movie finished. "What are you doing here?"
Kiyoshi and Riko, having been caught trying to avoid attracting attention from their quarry, slowly turned and attempted to look less guilty.
"Uhh, seeing a movie, of course," Kiyoshi replied quickly, "We were in…um…cinema four." Kagami glanced back to the signs that said what movies were playing in each theatre and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"…That…romantic comedy…?" He queried uncertainly, with a quick glance at Riko. "Oh…are you two…"
"Kagami, are you wearing Aomine's jacket?" Takao quickly swooped in to save the situation, and causing Kagami to immediately go red with embarrassment.
"…Don't tell him," he hissed, "I forgot to grab one, okay…"
"Kagami, it's his jacket. He's going to notice," the point guard deadpanned.
" –Ahh, well, it's been so surprising to run into you here," Riko laughed with exaggerated lightness to detract from how suspiciously they were dressed, and the fact that they had been trying to appear invisible behind a large pot plant, "But we have to go…grab dinner now…"
" –Oh, where are you going?" Kagami inquired curiously, "We only ever go to Maji Burger, so it'd be –"
" –I'm sure it's a surprise," Takao interrupted once more; obviously torn between saving Riko and Kiyoshi from having to explain themselves and wanting to embarrass as many people as possible. "Come on, Kagami…Shin-chan and I have to go to the convenience store before we go grab some dinner…"
Kagami's stomach rumbled, and he suddenly found himself being all but herded towards the doors by a very determined point guard.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Riko whacked Kiyoshi on the back of the head.
"I told you to crouch down! You're too noticeable!" she complained crossly, "Now, where did Kuroko-kun and Momoi-san go? I can understand losing Kuroko-kun, but Momoi-san has pink hair! If we don't find them, we're going to lose Kagami-kun and Aomine!"
"…We could've just joined them for dinner…" Kiyoshi admitted, rubbing the back of his head with a small wince.
" –Ahh, where's the fun in that?"
At Midorima's insistence, the four of them stopped off at the nearest dairy, though he refused to say exactly what it was that he needed to get, and Takao had apparently been forbidden from explaining.
Kagami wandered around the store aimlessly, wondering what exactly it was that had drawn him inside. He didn't particularly need anything.
And then suddenly, with a look of nervousness crossing his face, he slowly sauntered towards a certain aisle; acting as casual as he possibly could, so's not to arouse suspicions. Almost guiltily, he stepped into the aisle and began slowly walking along it; swallowing slightly as he tried not to look directly at the items that had for a brief moment, suddenly crossed his mind.
He had never felt more awkward than he did just then, standing in front of the condoms in a convenience store and hoping and praying that no one saw him. He tentatively reached out for a box, and looked at it as his mouth ran dry.
Ever since the other weekend –well, actually, for a while now –but that night in bed with Aomine had acted as a trigger; his mind had kept wandering to what might have happened. And he kept thinking about it, and thinking about it, and always ended up getting far too turned on by such thoughts.
Sex with Aomine.
His body wanted it. He wanted it. And he wasn't naïve enough to think that Aomine didn't want it. It was obvious enough from the way he touched him –hands running down his ass and between his legs –and just before, in the movie theatre (of course he'd noticed that; hell, he was glad he had enough self-control to decide he wasn't the kind of person to get jerked off at the cinema) –and from the way he kissed him and moved against him, that the other ace wanted more too.
Was he…was he ready for that?
He stared at the box in his hand, wondering. Things were escalating. They were always escalating, and Kagami knew that sex was kind of where this…whatever this was, was headed. He didn't want to seem too presumptive…but he'd rather be prepared, should anything get out of hand…
What to do? Why did he feel so nervous? What if Aomine saw? Would he take that as an invitation –which it certainly wasn't…or would he think he was getting ahead of himself…
Was it really so strange that he was thinking like this? He'd long ago accepted that he liked Aomine's body and admitted that his own reacted rather…strongly to him –so, in retrospect, it wasn't so difficult to believe that he was now faced with the possibility that he might, just might, sleep with Aomine Daiki.
…How the fuck had things spiralled into this?
This was never supposed to have happened.
But, it had, and now there he was, standing in a convenience store, gritting his teeth and trying to figure out how to buy condoms without anyone seeing, just in case –just in case –he wound up in bed with Aomine again, and wanted to take things further.
And there was really no denying that he kinda wanted that.
Should he say something to Aomine? What would he even say? How did people go about putting that sort of conversation on the table?
…I want to have sex with you.
He shuddered in embarrassment and covered his mouth at the very thought of saying something like that directly to Aomine's face. He tried to imagine what Aomine's expression would look like after he said that, but instead, he found himself imagining Aomine's face slowly leaning forwards towards him with a predatory look in his eyes. He could practically feel the heat radiating from him as he moved in; locking their gazes.
…Have sex with me...Kagami, he heard the mental Aomine murmur in a sultry hiss, and the very thought of such words leaving those lips with such promise of sin sent a shiver of arousal through Kagami's entire body and made his face light up in a deep blush all over again.
Holy shit…how was fucking everything about Aomine so…hot sometimes?
"Kagami?"
At the sound of his name, Kagami practically let out a shocked, strangled noise and let the box fall to the floor with a soft thud. Instantly, he kicked it into hiding underneath the nearest shelves and spun to face the direction of the voice. It was Takao who was standing there at the end of the aisle, looking at him rather quizzically.
"Are you getting something?" the point guard inquired politely.
"Uh…" Kagami fumbled, and caught sight of something else sitting on the closest shelf –something non suggestive –and practically lunged for it. "…Plasters. I needed…plasters."
"Oh, fair enough," Takao shrugged, "You and Aomine do tend to get a bit rough…"He chuckled as though sharing a hilarious joke with himself, "…On the court, I mean." Kagami scratched his neck awkwardly, and shifted his weight. Takao felt bad for the guy. He wasn't that gullible. He knew exactly what Kagami had just been looking at.
" –Something bothering you?" the point guard inquired, genuinely a little concerned when it really did look like there was something playing on the redhead's mind. Playfulness was set aside and seriousness took over as Kagami seemed to fight for the right words.
"Hey, uhh, I was just wondering," he began awkwardly, "You know…how did…how did you, uhh, ask out Midorima?" Takao blinked a few times; a little surprised by the question, and perhaps also by the fact that this was the first time Kagami had put that sort of question to him.
"Well…" he mused, "I…We were kind of blackmailed into it, see? Shin-chan was going to get his selfish act allowance decreased, and he was super-embarrassed about what happened at the Christmas party, so I confessed first to save him the trouble." He shrugged, and chuckled a little again. Kagami looked more than a little bewildered.
"Why?" was his immediate reaction, "No offence, but Midorima doesn't even seem to like you half the time…how'd you know he wasn't going to, like…"
"…Reject me?" Takao raised an eyebrow, but just laughed a little, "Oh please, Kagami. Shin-chan's been rejecting me for so long that I'm used to it."
"…Then why would he agree to go out with you?" Kagami deadpanned.
"…Because he likes me," he replied, matter-of-factly, "Why else?"
"How do you…how do you know?" Kagami inquired, apparently trying to not sound too invested in this sort of conversation.
Takao almost laughed. How did he know that his Shin-chan liked him? To him it was easy to tell, even if his boyfriend tried to hide it. It was in the soft way he sometimes spoke, and the tender way he'd hold him during the nights (though that was usually when he thought Takao was asleep), and the way he said his name –even when he was angry with him –and how he worried, and how he always kept his promises and always came when he called. His affection was in the small brushes of contact; the soft kisses, and the trust he had in him, and the way he could deny him nothing.
But he couldn't say all that to Kagami.
" –Well, for one thing, he hasn't dumped me," Takao chuckled, after a moment of musing, "And, I don't know…Shin-chan isn't as public with his affection as some people –" His pointed look at the redhead was ignored. " –I don't mind. His weirdness is kinda cute –but don't tell him I called him that –and I wouldn't have him any other way…though I wouldn't complain if he was a tiny bit more affectionate…" he added in a slight grumble.
"So you kinda just…know if a person likes you back?" Kagami remarked casually, and tried to tell himself that his voice was remaining even.
"…Usually there are signs," Takao admitted flatly, "Sometimes they're subtle, like with Shin-chan, and sometimes they repetitively smack you in the face with giant glowing signs with the accompaniment of a fucking brass band."
"Really?"
"…Yeah, believe me," the point guard deadpanned, "…And even then, sometimes people just don't pick up on it."
"How can they not, if it's that obvious?"
"I dunno," Takao replied sarcastically, "It's just so crazy…anyway, why the questions? Is there someone you like, Kagami?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Kagami immediately denied, though his cheeks were burning with the heat of a liar, "I was just…curious..." Apparently realising how unconvincing his stammered reply had been, he immediately stalked off towards the counter with his box of plasters, leaving Takao standing in the aisle with a fond, but exasperated smile touching his lips.
"…You are literally the worst liar ever."
And then the imp in him suddenly woke, and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he had a rather amusing idea.
Aomine yawned as he leaned against the wall of the convenience store in disinterest. He hadn't particularly needed anything from inside and knew that if he went in, he'd just wind up buying food because he was starving –and there was no point in that since they were headed to get something to eat anyway. Bloody Midorima; this was probably something to do with those stupid lucky items he always carted around.
His phone suddenly started ringing; a rather grating noise. He sighed and let it ring for a bit; it was probably Satsuki anyways, probably wanting to know how the date was going –it'd be just like her…
But whoever was on the other end of the line didn't hang up, and eventually, and with a great deal of sighing in annoyance on his part, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and tugged his phone free.
He didn't recognise the number.
"Yeah?" he rudely answered.
"Aomine Daiki?"
"…Depends who's asking."
" –Ahh, so I did get the correct number. Perfect."
"Who is this?" Aomine demanded, recognising the voice and suddenly having a rather dark, unpleasant feeling run through him. He didn't like the tone of the man on the other end of the line.
"You always do forget me…" He sounded like he was laughing, "This is Himuro Tatsuya; Taiga's brother."
Ahh, that explained the mutinous feeling.
"What do you want?" Aomine inquired flatly; not particularly caring how rude he sounded. He didn't like the guy. "How did you get my number?"
"Atsushi was kind enough to give it to me," Himuro replied lightly, and then suddenly, his tone changed, and became rather serious, "I'm calling, because I think that you and I need to have a little talk."
" –If this is about Kagami –"
"Of course it is," Himuro interrupted, and Aomine found himself resisting the urge to hang up on him. "…And about the way you've been treating him."
"This is none of your business," he snapped, and heard a sigh from the other end of the line.
"Taiga's happiness is completely my business," Himuro informed him coldly, "I only want what's best for him."
" –And you think you're what's best for him? Is that why you're calling?" Aomine growled coldly, " –To tell me to back the fuck off?"
"Aomine, I don't know why, but you appear to be under the impression that I have some kind of romantic interest in Taiga," Himuro remarked, "And I must inform you that you are mistaken. He's my brother."
"What do you want, then?"
There was a short pause.
"…Taiga has been looking forward to tonight," Himuro began ominously, "He always looks forward to seeing you, Aomine –I can't think why. From what I hear, you are a complete jackass to him a considerable amount of the time." (Himuro knew he was being a little harsh, but he knew that if he wasn't, Aomine might not listen).
"Who'd you hear that from?"
"People. And I've had enough disappointed texts from Taiga to confirm that," he continued in a cold tone, "He's a very trusting person; with a kind, forgiving heart, and I don't want to see him being jerked around by someone who doesn't appreciate that, and him. He's a person, with feelings and isn't someone to just play with until you're bored. Believe me, I have no problem with you –you're an exceptional basketball player and not a bad person, but when it comes to Taiga; if you fuck things up with him…"
"…Are you threatening me?" Aomine drawled icily, scowling into his phone and clenching his fists tightly. Who the fuck did Himuro think he was, saying this to him?
"Don't misunderstand," Himuro's voice softened slightly, but still felt unbearably sharp, "…I'm not calling to tell you to stay away from him; that's the opposite of what Taiga wants and I don't want him to hate me. I'm simply calling to tell you that you better not hurt him."
As Midorima left the store, he heard Aomine's voice. The bluenette had his back turned towards the shooting guard, and he appeared to be on the phone to someone.
" –Why does everyone keep saying that?" Aomine snapped with a sudden burst of anger; sounding probably the most bitter that Midorima had ever heard him sound, "Does everyone think I want to fuck things up or some shit? Tetsu, Satsuki, even fucking Imayoshi –they say that I better not hurt Kagami; that I better not just get rid of him when I'm bored –why does no one ever think that maybe he might get sick of me?"
Midorima had never heard Aomine sound as vulnerable as he did with what he said next.
"…What would I do then?"
It was then that he suddenly realised how much Kagami had come to mean to Aomine.
In Kagami, he had found the kindred spirit that he had been subconsciously seeking. Even before all of this had happened, he had found the rival he was so longingly searching for; an unyielding equal on the court who could renew his love of the sport again and again.
But slowly, without either of them realising, Kagami had gone from simply a rival, to a friend; beginning a friendship that Aomine desperately needed.
And Aomine had just admitted, probably without knowing, just how much that friendship had spiralled out of his control. It had started as the rivalry he couldn't stand to lose…but now…
Midorima's expression softened with the wilt of Aomine's expression as he morosely hung up. Perhaps their friends truly had been too harsh on him. No one had really considered the possibility of Kagami being the one to tire of Aomine and cast him aside. Aomine had had girls galore; none of them fascinating him as much as Kagami did –and he had lost so many rivals that why would he carelessly toss aside the one who could give him the exact rush he wanted?
"What are you thinking so hard about, Shin-chan?" Takao suddenly chirped from his elbow.
"Nothing."
" –Oi, Aomine; what's up?" Kagami inquired, appearing beside the point guard, apparently having immediately noticed the unusually sombre look on the other ace's face.
"…Nothing…" Aomine grumbled. Kagami and Takao exchanged glances at their boyfriends' lack of answers, despite the fact that both had been locked deep in thought up until only a few moments before. Kagami scoffed at Aomine's suddenly plummeted mood, and stalked over to him; slinging an arm around his shoulder as the four of them began walking off in search of food.
"…What the hell…Bakagami, is that my jacket?" Aomine growled crossly; struggling to keep his annoyed mask intact with Kagami's infectious grin in his face. He hadn't intended to say such things to Himuro –hadn't expected that phone call in the slightest...but those words had just come blurting out and he hadn't been able to take them back.
"'What's yours is mine' goes two ways, Ahomine."
Himuro had been pretty quiet after he'd said all that –as though hearing some different, hidden meaning in his words, and Aomine had had plenty of time to say that he didn't mean what he'd said…but he held his tongue, because it was the first time he'd ever voiced aloud such an insecurity. He'd lost interest in his first girlfriend pretty quickly; lost interest in the girl he lost his virginity to even quicker. He didn't want it to be like that with Kagami –
…Did Kagami just kiss him?
Aomine blinked stupidly for a long moment and then looked across to where the redhead was rolling his eyes. He licked his lips –he could definitely feel the heat of his lips still lingering there.
"What's got you looking even sourer than usual?" he snorted, and Aomine saw that Kagami's cheeks were dusted slightly red from the soft gesture. His expression mellowed out again, and he slyly slid a hand around Kagami's waist and tugged him closer as they walked. Kagami seemed perfectly happy with this arrangement –his own arm still hooked around Aomine's shoulder –but the bluenette, shameless as ever, let his hand slink lower, and into the back pocket of Kagami's jeans.
Kagami let out an embarrassed growl and glared over at him hotly.
"Bastard! We're in public!" he snapped aggressively. Aomine just gave his ass a cheeky squeeze, cocking an eyebrow and retorting, "…You like it…" Kagami just let out an aggrieved huff…but didn't tug away from the slight molestation. Aomine snickered to himself; amused by the redhead's embarrassed pout and finding his mood immediately beginning to lift.
As long as we understand each other…good luck, Aomine.
Takao stared up towards the pair of aces a little wistfully and shifted so that he was walking elbow-to-elbow with Midorima. He felt his boyfriend glance down at him, but just pouted a little as he saw that Aomine's hand was rather comfortably sitting in Kagami's back pocket –probably not behaving itself, if the glares from the redhead were anything to go by. Shin-chan would never do something so shameless with him, he knew…
" –Oh, why hello Aomine, what a nice surprise," a voice commented lightly from up ahead. Takao sniggered to himself at the way that Aomine offered up only an annoyed grunt in greeting as Kagami hurriedly wrenched his hand away from his ass, flushing and trying to avoid eye contact with the captains of Touou and Seirin that had caught sight of them.
"Ahh, Hyuga…" Kagami greeted awkwardly with a small cough, noticing that his captain was carrying a selection of bags and apparently wearing a jacket that definitely didn't look like anything he owned.
"Good date?" Imayoshi inquired sneakily.
"Until now…" Aomine snapped sourly, Takao and Midorima catching up and Takao accidentally jostling Kagami as he appeared.
"Ahh, Imayoshi…Hyuga…always nice to see you two," the point guard remarked playfully, "What are you two doing out so late?"
"Takao, it's like seven o'clock," Hyuga informed him with a raised eyebrow, "I was going to get some new gear with Kiyoshi, and he invited this guy along…and then decides that he's too sick to come and asks me to pick up some crap for him. Typical." He glanced across at Imayoshi, who didn't look in the least bit worried that Kiyoshi was 'sick'.
"That's weird?" Kagami frowned in confusion, looking to Takao and Midorima for support, "Didn't we see Kiyoshi with –" Takao kicked him in the shin as subtly as he could and the redhead swore violently.
"Takao, what was –"
" –Imayoshi…why's Hyuga wearing your jacket?" Aomine inquired flatly. Hyuga made an annoyed noise and averted his eyes as Imayoshi let out a chuckle and replied, "Lost a bet."
"Ahh, of course," Takao remarked dryly, because he'd seen the look in the eyes of Touou's captain and knew better than to say anything. He liked to think that he and Kuroko and Kise were pretty highly ranked in the mischief games…but Imayoshi was in an entirely different class sometimes.
"Don't let us interrupt," Imayoshi snickered with that wicked smile he always seemed to wear.
"…Stop smirking like that; it's annoying," Hyuga snorted in irritation, "And it's creepy."
"…And here I was starting to think you were finding it endearing."
"You're barely ever tolerable, let alone endearing," Hyuga sighed in exasperation, "I can't believe Kiyoshi's making me put up with him."
"I bet this is just some elaborate scheme of his to try and get you to get along with me," Imayoshi commented lightly, and Takao had to chuckle to himself even though Midorima rolled his eyes and even Aomine seemed to get something out of that statement.
"That sounds like Kiyoshi," Hyuga deadpanned, "I don't know why he'd bother. Any bonding experiences all our teams have seem to end up backfiring –"
"I don't know…the beach vacation was…enlightening," Takao commented with an innocent glance over at Aomine and Kagami, and was subsequently elbowed in the gut by an annoyed Midorima.
" –And it seems a bit underhanded for Kiyoshi," Kagami admitted with a shrug. Takao resisted the urge to facepalm. Hyuga seemed to consider this for a moment, but just sighed and shrugged as his stomach growled angrily.
"Come on Imayoshi, I'm hungry; leave them to their date," he huffed weakly.
" –Oh, I was just going to go home for something; those new shoes were more expensive than I thought they would –"
"…Well, it's nice to see that even you miscalculate sometimes," Hyuga sniffed, "I'm not carrying all of Kiyoshi's stuff by myself. I'll shout you this once, okay? See you for practice tomorrow, Kagami." And on that note, he nodded in acknowledgement and began heading off down the road; expecting Imayoshi to drop into step with him. Aomine, thankful to be away from his scheming captain, dragged Kagami onwards; the redhead not protesting because he was starving. Midorima saw the sly wink that the two point guards exchanged, but decided against lingering around to hear their conversation.
" –Imayoshi?" Takao frowned, before Touou's captain could wander off. Imayoshi inclined his head quizzically, "Ahh, is there any reason why Aomine has been, uhh, more hostile towards you than usual this week?"
"Ah," Imayoshi sniggered, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, "I well, you know last week how Aomine arrived late to help paint that infernal wall?"
"Yeah?"
"…When Momoi sent me to fetch him, I may or may not have caught him (slash, overheard him) doing something that he would be…highly embarrassed of if, say, Kagami were to find out," Imayoshi replied simply, and then his lips twitched slyly, "…He was perhaps moaning a certain ace's name –and not his own, if you get my meaning…"
" –Got it," Takao assured him; used enough to oversharing that he understood exactly what it was that Imayoshi had overheard. "And Aomine –"
"I may have informed him that if he doesn't stop dragging his feet, Kagami's going to quickly discover exactly how Aomine views him," Imayoshi shrugged, and then added in a mutter, "…Though I don't know how it's possible that Kagami doesn't know anyways –"
"Wait…you're blackmailing him?" Takao hissed, eyes widening.
"Blackmail is such a dirty word –"
" –Seriously?"
" –What? When has a little bit of blackmail caused us any problems?" Imayoshi chuckled.
"Um, always!"
"Imayoshi!"
"Coming, Hyuga! Always nice to talk to you, Takao."
Takao gaped after him for a moment before sighing helplessly and jogging to catch up with Midorima, who looked at him warily.
"…Imayoshi's blackmailing Aomine…into moving things along with Kagami…" he muttered, not sure whether to sigh in disbelief. To be fair, nothing surprised him anymore with that guy. Should he text Kuroko and tell them that they had a new player in the game? He could probably use some warning. That, and Sakurai and Wakamatsu might want to split off and tail their captain, even though Aomine was usually the more interesting quarry…
"Does he not remember that that is the exact reason for all of our problems?" Midorima deadpanned, "…I told him not to interfere…Where are that man's morals…"
"Uhh, Shin-chan? He's kind of dating a guy without him knowing. I don't really know if he has morals."
Takao had to admit that it had been an interesting dinner. They'd found a nice diner-esque place that they all agreed on (though Midorima had taken some convincing), and it made a nice change from a burger joint, even if that was pretty much mostly what Kagami ordered anyway. It had been funny for Takao mostly because he was thoroughly aware of Riko and Kiyoshi doing ever-so-casual walk-bys when they thought no one was watching.
Oh how everyone loved those two aces –or at least seeing their interactions.
He was pretty sure he saw Wakamatsu actually enter the diner and have to dive under a table when Aomine looked up. That had gotten him escorted from the premise, and it had taken all of Takao's distractive capabilities to keep Aomine and Kagami from noticing such a ruckus.
Though, as usual, they were so wrapped up in one of their arguments as per usual that their teams could have been packed into the diner and they probably wouldn't have noticed.
It was nice to see them, though, he had to admit. He'd never thought he'd be jealous of how unbearably cute they were together, in an unconventional kind of way. Aomine had a way of jamming food in Kagami's mouth when he least expected it, and though the redhead kicked up a fuss about it, he'd always end up laughing.
There were smiles in their eyes and laughter in the corners of their lips, even if they tried to hide it. Sometimes, both when they were arguing and when they were sitting in silence (because really, there wasn't a lot of in between), they would sometimes just exchange looks, and he would chuckle to himself, because sometimes, if he was lucky, he would catch his Shin-chan looking at him like that.
And maybe Midorima had picked up on the fact that maybe Takao was a little envious of how they behaved in public, because after dinner, he had placed his hand over the point guard's, and leaned in and kissed him on the edge of his lips.
"Takao…what are you smiling about?" Midorima inquired quietly as he pressed hot kisses in a line down his boyfriend's throat. Takao's eyes widened innocently as he leaned up and wrapped an arm around Midorima's neck, pulling him in for a brief, open-mouthed kiss as he felt a large hand slid down the smooth skin of his bare back.
"…Nothing," he snickered, peppering kisses against the shooting guard's chin and then seductively catching his lower lip between his front teeth. He sensed, rather than saw, Midorima's eyes narrow suspiciously.
"…What did you do?" he asked flatly, pulling back and sitting on his haunches between Takao's legs, letting the point guard flop to his back on the bed, breathing slightly laboured. "What are you up to?"
"Why do I always have to be up to something?" he inquired, propping himself up on his elbows and feeling lithe fingers pry his legs apart a little wider. He could feel the heat of Midorima's arousal pressing against his own, and he let out a soft murmur of approval.
" –Because you are," Midorima replied matter-of-factly, one of his hands laced with his boyfriend's. Takao just snickered knowingly and winked wickedly. "…Did you get more?" the shooting guard inquired, deciding to drop the subject for the meantime. It was exhausting keeping up with Takao's mischief sometimes. The point guard averted his eyes innocently, but looked a little disappointed.
"…I forgot," he admitted quietly.
"You forgot?" Midorima repeated, "You said –"
"I know I said I'd get them, but I forgot," Takao muttered, almost morosely, pouting and turning on his side as best he could with his legs spread to either side of Midorima's form. "...I got plasters instead..."
It was quiet for a moment, and then he felt his boyfriend shift against him, and heard some strange mumble.
"Huh? Shin-chan, did you say something –"
Suddenly, Midorima's face was very close to his; green eyes lidded with desire as he kissed Takao deeply and pressed his tongue between his silenced lips. Takao let out an aroused moan as he felt fingers ghost across his nipples, and felt the pressure of still-clothed hips moving slowly but suggestively against his ass.
"I said…we can…do it without one…" Midorima murmured in a husky tone, and Takao's eyes widened in shock at Midorima making such a suggestion, "…If you want…" A shudder of want ran through the point guard's body as he felt his underwear being dragged slowly down his thighs.
"S-Shin-chan…" he whispered, though he'd meant to say 'are you sure?' Midorima's eyes glinted in a far too erotic, dangerous way, answering that unsaid question.
"Well, Takao?"
"…Y-yes…"
It was a nice evening, and Aomine felt like the walk. At least, that was the excuse he gave to Kagami when it came to the pair of them parting ways with Midorima and Takao after dinner. Kagami had asked if he wanted to play video games, but Aomine had declined. He said it was because he had practice in the morning –which was a reasonable excuse…but it was mostly because staying up late playing video games would probably turn into Kagami offering him a bed for the night…
…And he didn't want to get carried away. Everything –just everything about Kagami was even more inviting than usual, and he didn't want to run the risk of 'fucking things up' as Himuro –and a variety of other people –had warned him against.
"Aomine?" Kagami suddenly remarked, as they pulled up to the redhead's front door. Aomine made some kind of noncommittal noise of acknowledgement as Kagami seemed to frown to himself, unlocking the door. "…You've been weird tonight."
"…Hah? Weird how?" Aomine drawled in disinterest as the redhead leaned heavily against the door, but didn't go inside. Kagami shrugged, as though it was something he just couldn't place. It had been bugging him a little for the entire date. There was something…different about the way Aomine was acting. It wasn't bad, and he didn't mind it…but he just didn't get it.
"I don't know," he admitted flatly, "…Coming to my house earlier? Walking me home again? Paying for everything –seriously, you could've let me pay for dinner –are you sick or something?" He refrained from mentioning the fact that they'd made out in a movie theatre, and that Aomine's hands had definitely been suggesting more. He might've let him too, if they hadn't been in a fucking movie theatre.
"No," Aomine scoffed, rolling his eyes, and then looking away. "I just…wanted to try something different." There was a pause as Kagami raised an eyebrow; not understanding the comment.
"Why?" he finally snorted with a shrug, "…How you usually are is just fine." Aomine's eyes widened slightly, and Kagami swallowed sheepishly at how corny that had just sounded. He toyed with the handle of the door again –an action that was not lost on the bluenette. He could practically hear Satsuki's voice in his head.
If the date goes well, you should kiss her goodnight!
'…Yeah, and get slapped?'
Stupid Aomine-kun! You'll know if she wants one!
Slowly, Aomine took a step forwards, a hand languidly reaching up to slip behind Kagami's neck. Automatically, Kagami's chin began to tip upwards expectantly, his eyelids sinking to half-mast as Aomine's face closed in.
Do things right, Himuro had advised.
Almost gently, Aomine shifted forwards, and his lips pressed up lightly against Kagami's. A small shiver ran through his body at even that soft action, and his eyes began to smoulder as he felt a hand grip the hem of his shirt tightly. He kissed a little harder, but not demandingly; lips parting only slightly but not seeking to ravage Kagami's mouth.
It was soft, and simple –a goodnight kiss –and it left Aomine with strangely weak knees and a thudding heart. He felt Kagami kiss back, chaste and slow; reading the mood and not seeking more. The redhead could feel the warmth of Aomine's tanned fingers caressing the back of his neck, and the sensation sent a tingle down his spine. Their lips pressed together intimately for no more than a few long, timeless seconds before Aomine drew back with a final kiss placed against Kagami's waiting, shaking lips.
"…Night Kagami…" he murmured quietly; a little surprised with how he managed to keep his breath steady. He withdrew slowly; blue eyes still locked with red, as intense as ever, but soft.
Hell, he was so screwed if even a kiss like that could melt him.
Stupid Kagami.
"…Night?" Kagami remarked in a slightly confused tone, though his voice came out softer, and a little happier than he had intended. He watched Aomine leave with mixed emotions.
What was that?
He was so used to the tongue-ravaging, domineering, borderline erotic make-out sessions they seemed to share, that something so simple and undeniably sweet seemed rather foreign. It took a few moments, and the buzzing of his phone, to realise that he was almost shaking.
The text was from Himuro.
How was the big date? He chuckled to himself and allowed himself a smile. He'd had a good time –eaten way too much, because he hadn't realised that Aomine was paying until after he'd ordered enough to 'save a third world nation from starvation'. He texted back a quick reply, still standing in his doorway in slight hope that Aomine might come back.
And Aomine thought about going back. He thought about going back, and slamming Kagami against the door and kissing him hard and deep. He thought about charging on into the apartment and tearing off his shirt as he pushed him down onto the couch. He thought about how he could do that; could settle between Kagami's legs and grind down against him and kiss all down his throat and chest and hear him moaning beneath him.
But the goodnight kiss had made him happy enough, and he decided not to do that.
He'd never felt like this after a date.
Aomine-kun, you don't push for that sort of thing on the first date! He could hear Satsuki telling him time and time again. Otherwise it seems like that's all you want!
'…I don't see the problem.'
Can't you at least pretend to care?
'I am pretending to care.'
Ugh. Aomine-kun, you're hopeless! One day, you're going to find someone you really, actually care about, and you're going to have to use my advice or you'll wind up doing what you always do and being full of regret!
Well…it wasn't like this was their first date, but…
Aomine sighed, gritting his teeth to push back a grin as he tucked his hands into his pockets and began the walk home. It wasn't a particularly warm night, but for some reason he felt warm enough, despite the fact that Kagami had neglected to return his jacket.
"…Tch…I hate it when she's right…"
Kagami shrugged to himself as he realised that Aomine wasn't going to turn around and come back. He didn't mind. He knew he'd be back tomorrow, or the next day –or some time –because he'd promised a one-on-one, and they were both already excited for it.
He was just heading inside, blushing from the soft way he'd just been kissed, when he noticed something bright poking out from the shrubbery near his apartment door. With a frown, he leaned over to inspect whatever it was, and his eyes widened in astonishment as he drew back clutching an impressive, but slightly crumpled, bouquet of red-orange flowers.
For a moment he just stood there, holding it in one hand. Then, wordlessly, and still staring it, he turned and headed into his house.
Flowers.
Someone had chucked a bouquet of flowers into his –
Wait, there was a card.
Kagami.
That was all it said. That little yellow card had his name printed on it in elegant handwriting –an elegance that matched the beauty of the flower arrangement. He swallowed hard as he slowly set the flowers down on the coffee table.
…Aomine?
At the very notion of Aomine Daiki buying him flowers, he found himself going red all over again. That idiot! Who did he think he was? Stupid bastard, going and doing something cheesy and…oh shit…was that his heart making that horrific racket?
"Oh shit…" Kagami whispered, unable to stop a small smile and a chuckle from escaping his lips. That must be why Aomine had been lingering around on his doorstep for so long earlier this evening…probably more embarrassed with giving flowers than Kagami was with finding them.
He'd never been given flowers by someone before…
He wasn't sure if guys gave other guys flowers...but he was a little…touched…and it made him wonder. Was this Aomine's way of trying to be…sweet? It was a little grossly sweet, but he found he appreciated it…
It felt like he sat there, staring at the flowers for a very long time.
His phone buzzed again, and he checked his messages. It was another from Tatsuya.
I'm glad you had a good time.
Kagami chuckled, sending back, Really? I thought you didn't like him?
It's him that doesn't like me, the message back read, And if he makes you happy, then it's fine.
Another message, directly after that one:
Does he make you happy?
Kagami paused, his expression softening as he looked up and saw that bouquet of unbearably cheesy flowers sitting on the coffee table. He remembered how he was wearing Aomine's jacket, and of how comforting his lingering scent was. He thought of the kisses, and the fighting, and the basketball –so much basketball –and of Aomine.
Yeah, he replied after a moment, yeah…he does, I guess.
He paused again, swallowing nervously as his thumb hovered over the buttons of his phone. Maybe right now…maybe this was…Well, he was pretty sure now...
Fidgeting, he felt the uncomfortable edge of a cardboard box prod into his abdomen, and he remembered that he'd bought a box of plasters to hide his embarrassment from Takao earlier that evening. Swallowing, and wondering if he should really say something, he began texting back another message.
Tatsuya? I…I think maybe I might actually li…
But that text wasn't meant to be sent, it seemed. What Kagami had to say obviously wasn't meant to be said just then, to Himuro, because it was as he was tapping out that message with his nerves running high –not because he was worried about what his brother would think…but because he knew for certain that it was true –that he pulled that box from his pocket.
Shocked and aghast, Kagami let out a horrified yell and sent both his phone and the box flying across the room. The phone snapped shut, closing the unfinished message and preventing its incriminating words from escaping from Kagami's thoughts and into reality, but that was completely forgotten as the redhead stared, aghast at the box of condoms that was now currently lying on his floor.
What the fuck?
Oh god no. Oh shit. He could've fucking swore that he actually bought plasters.
There was only one possible explanation…
"…Takao!"
Oh my god, that was such a long chapter. Gosh. It's not like I need sleep or anything (lol). I swear, this time we are nearing the end. I know a lot of kind of random things happen in this chapter; just bits and pieces, but I liked how it worked out; Aomine trying to be a good date and just actually making a bit of an effort...and my attempt at a somewhat then/now date contrast... And Takao is literally the cheekiest little bastard out there and I love him.
Hope you liked it!
Aomine and Kagami are managing to restrain themselves for the meantime -but they've always been pretty intense...so who knows... Much love, see you next chapter!
xx K