Kiss 000

Junior High, first year.

. . .

Kuroko Tetsuya was happy.

This was really the best time of the day, when the sky outside was darkening and everyone had left the basketball club to go home—everyone but for him and his new friend.

Kuroko watched the boy with the midnight blue hair dribble the ball across the court. The speed he was hitting was extraordinary, the movements becoming blurry as he passed under the hoop; only to score randomly from a position Kuroko previously had not thought it would be humanly possible to score from.

That was, before he met Aomine-kun.

Ever since the boy from the first string joined in on his late practise sessions, basketball had become even more fun. Most evenings, Kuroko did not feel like going home at all, and just wanted to stay and play all night. It was really like time and space ceased to exist once they got into it, and it did not matter that there was an evident gap between their basketball abilities; because they felt the same about the game.

Aomine Daiki was a little like Ogiwara-kun. Although he had a somewhat fiercer edge to his play and general personality, Kuroko recognised a similar warmth in him. It was bone-chilling and heart-warming at the same time, being in his presence. Aomine-kun loved basketball, and when he smiled even the dark side of the world was flecked with sunrays. Or at least, Kuroko thought so.

He did not think Aomine-kun was aware of this himself, though. He was a dumbass, after all.

A dumbass with unnaturally long legs.

Kuroko regarded them interestedly. Once moving, those legs were quite captivating; well-defined calves and lean thighs, all shapely by muscles playing under the dark skin. Although the shorts covered the upper parts of his thighs, Kuroko imagined they would look just as smooth and strong up under there. He cocked his head to the side, wondering whether or not it would be strange to ask if he could have a peek.

The sound of a basketball thudding against the gym floor just next to him redirected his mind back to the present.

"Oi, what's the matter Tetsu?" Aomine called as he walked up to him, a slight scowl applied. "That was a perfect pass!"

Kuroko stared numbly at the ball on the floor for a moment. Oh right, they were in the middle of practise. Picking it up, he felt a little stupid for getting caught up in reveries.

"I'm sorry, Aomine-kun," he said serenely. "I was distracted."

For a second, the dark-skinned boy's scowl deepened in mild puzzlement and he looked as though he wanted to ask something. In the next however, he seemed to have thought of something better, as his face was split by a wide grin. Before Kuroko had a chance to marvel at this properly, a pair of lips was abruptly pressed against his.

It was vaguely awkward, and at the same time, very, very nice. Kuroko liked this entirely new sensation, how close Aomine was to him and how his lips tasted a little like cinnamon. He did not know why he felt so warm, but the gentle touch of lips was very exciting and he thought Aomine-kun was really amazing to be able to make him feel so much. His head was spinning, even.

"There," stated Aomine, sounding pleased with himself as he withdrew, casually taking back the basketball which Kuroko unconsciously had been gripping rather hard. "Now we can play."

Kuroko blinked. For some reason, his cheeks still felt very warm, and there was a foreign ticklish sensation spreading under his skin. What was more, he could not control his heart at all, which troubled him a little bit. It was pounding way too hard seeing how he had not even been running or anything. It was really strange. Chewing thoughtfully at his lip, he glanced up at Aomine from under his bangs.

"Why did you kiss me, Aomine-kun?" he asked. His voice came out a little subdued, oddly enough.

Aomine looked at him for a beat, seemingly surprised that he had even asked, as his eyes widened a little. Then, he shrugged in that familiarly carefree manner of his, offering the smaller boy a lopsided grin.

"Didn't you know, Tetsu?" he said lengthily, the smile colouring his voice warmly.

No?

Without admonition, Aomine raised his arm and sans breaking eye contact, he nonchalantly threw the ball behind his back. Kuroko was half-aware of the way it flew in a wide curve through the air. He was admittedly having troubles focusing on anything besides the playful sparkle within the pools of dark blue. He only distantly noted how the ball fell through the hoop without so much as touching the net.

"Kisses cure distraction."

A/N: The end! (It just felt like the right thing to do, letting chibi!Tetsu have his say and POV-chapter all of his own, before ending this). Thanks again to everyone who read and commented along the way, and particularly to EudaimonArisornae for being endlessly helpful during this entire process! I'm so very grateful and happy~

For those liking this story: I'm writing a sequel (title: None the wiser) :] It won't be T-rated, but the structure in general will be similar.

. . .

'When I first saw you

I knew that you had a flame in your heart

And under our blue skies

Marble movie skies

I found a home in your eyes'

~lyrics from 'Daniel', by Bat for Lashes (source of all my trembling AoKuro feels! give it a listen, if you don't already love it!)