Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...
It's Lucy's Wonderland Madness, chris geo - I follow the anime because I just started reading the manga :D but maybe I'll find something in the manga to use as well, Hind-x - I'm glad you think so, I wanted Mia to challenge him in some way without having her act like Momoi, DrAnime203, Horseface28 and CopraMeow, SamTsui, DBBD.

I'm glad you liked the previous chapter, it was my only idea on how those two would finally kick off to a positive start. Mia offers excitement and interest which finally gives Aomine a little challenge even though he has become so bored with the sport. So yay, bonding time.

Thank you very much for all the favorites, follows and reviews. I always love to hear your opinion and ideas. Don't expect too much romance immediately though, they've become closer but won't marry off right away, haha. More fluff, more relationship development all the way.

DAY ELEVEN

"So, you're friends with him now?"

Nanami's question forced Mia to look up from her sandwich. It was fairly obvious who she was talking about. And the orange-head hadn't seen the basketball player yet because he always seemed to skip the lessons whenever he felt like it. Today was not an exception. Slowly the girl set her elbows upon the table, her eyes fixating Nanami, before she started to speak.

"I don't know..." She mumbled quietly. Her voice lost its strength as she remembered the way they had actually played basketball together the day before yesterday. "...maybe?"

She hadn't really wanted this. The attention of the tall teenager whenever she stepped into the classroom; it wasn't bad. She had to remind herself that her fear had nearly completely left her since last week. As they hadn't known each other, she had only seen him from afar. And he had always looked so angry. Whenever their gazes had met, he'd automatically glare back.

But now, where she had actually talked with him or better said got to know him to some degree...it was hard to believe at first, yeah...but Aomine wasn't the monster, she thought he was. He still looked scary, sure, but Mia acknowledged that table neighbor of hers as an acquaintance now. Friend was too much, though.

She was to eighty percent sure, he wouldn't kill her anymore.

If that wasn't something then the girl didn't know what could be.

Nanami mused over her answer, her chopsticks picking at the tomatoes in her lunchbox with disinterest. The black haired student didn't make it clear what she thought about this whole situation, other than Mia was apparently very lucky to have somehow made her way onto the good side of their tall classmate that is. And the orange-head couldn't agree more with that.

"Nidori-san?"

Their heads turned towards a girl which stood next to their table. Neither of them could recall her name right away but their classmate didn't really give them a chance to guess it.

"There is someone who wants to see you."

"What?" Mia let her gaze wander towards the door of their class. In between the small groups of students which had gathered around some tables to eat their own lunches, she could distinctively recognize a girl standing in the entrance. The unusual bright shade of pink her hair had stood out. And after a second of surprise, she remembered the day well where it was this very stranger who had dragged Aomine away.

"Oh, thank you..." The orange haired girl nodded towards their classmate who quickly disappeared afterwards, leaving the two of them behind.

"That's the drug dealer, right?" Nanami mumbled as she glanced at the visitor.

"I thought we had agreed that she didn't look like one." Her friend replied as she stood up, putting her sandwich aside.

"You did. I always think the ones who are most innocent looking are the bad guys."

Mia couldn't help but laugh at that statement, shaking her head. "Sure." She breathed, pushing her chair back as she slowly stepped away from the table. "I'm going to look what she wants...she probably only wants to know where Aomine is."

Nanami nodded, still chewing on her meal as she watched the other one leave. Mia, on the other hand, still wondered why she would be the one the girl from the parallel class wanted to speak to. She didn't know where the giant was. He came and he went. Whenever he liked to do who-knew-what in his disappearance.

The visitor started to smile at her as the orange-head reached her, folding her arms behind her back.

"Ah, Nidori-san. I'm sorry I surprised you a few days ago."

What? Confused the girl blinked at the stranger, her mind trying to fetch the situation, she could be talking about. She certainly couldn't mean the day from last week, could she? It was a bit too late to apologize...for...well, nothing.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I have never properly introduced myself, have I? My name is Momoi Satsuki. I called you last Saturday."

"Oh." Mia breathed. Now where she thought about it, her voice did sound quite similar. "Sorry. I mean, for not remembering...I was just a bit surprised...I'm Nidori Mia."

Momoi laughed slightly, waving her arms in front of her. "That's no problem. I called you without a warning! Although..." The smile suddenly left her face, the deep rosy eyes fell to the ground in between the girls as she tried to gather the next words. "...Nidori-san...I know, I probably ask for too much...but I have another request."

"Another request?" Mia asked puzzled.

She couldn't really have been serious as she had asked her to become Aomine's friend...right?

Momoi, however, nodded. She folded her hands in front of her chest, a gesture which made her plea look a lot more desperate than it should be. "Please encourage Aomine-kun to go to practice again."

Mia could've fallen over, stunned to hear such words from a girl she barely knew. Why in the world did she expect her to do this? She didn't know that basketball player! They had barely talked to each other for a week and the most part of it was filled with fear and plans for a funeral. Her funeral. And if Mia wasn't wrong than this girl must be Aomine's friend or girlfriend or guardian, whatever - she wasn't scared of him at all. It should be her job, right?

"I..."

Ah...the girl had even forgotten Aomine's scary face for a second. The moment she had approached the topic basketball...he had looked so angry...as they were in the park, it was better. Definitely. But the way he had spoken of the tournament and how he had skipped practice without a care...and obviously he did so often as well...

Slowly Mia shook her head.

"I'm in no position to tell him what to do...sorry, Momoi-san."

"I see." The pink haired student replied disappointed. "I just thought that maybe he'd listen to you because he's so stubborn when I try."

"Can...can I ask why you think he'd listen to me? I barely know him."

Momoi nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Since last week he had been in a better mood...only a bit. But anything is an improvement for Aomine-kun. And yesterday, he actually showed up at practice." Her rosy orbs lit up. "He only came to fetch his stupid magazine and a basketball. But when we asked him why the ball, he said he'd play a bit with a girl...it was the closest thing to actually practicing he has done since the start of school."

That guy really never trained, did he? How come he was so fast anyway...

"...I see, why you'd ask me, Momoi-san." Mia replied carefully. "But honestly...I don't think I can make him go to practice."

"Well...it was worth a try." The female student laughed, but the sound ended in a sigh. "All he does is sleeping on the roof...I wish he'd show more passion again..."

The roof? So that's where that guy hid all the time.

"Sorry." Said Mia instead which made Momoi smile at her warmly.

"No problem, thank you for listening to me. I really do hope you'll become his friend, Nidori-san. I can't always look after him...not while we're in different classes anyway." Quickly the pink haired girl bowed lightly, expressing her gratitude a bit too much to Mia's liking. She didn't really do anything except saying 'no' anyway.

"See you then."

That was all she heard before Momoi had already disappeared, returning to her own classroom before the break was over. Mia still stood at the entrance, her mind taking in all the information she received. Momoi Satsuki seemed to be really worried about this guy while being unable to keep him completely in check. It was hard to look after a person like Aomine when you were in different classes.

All the more if it was Aomine.

The orange-head found herself hesitating. Her feet were glued to the ground, not moving or turning around to walk back to her table. It wasn't her business. It really wasn't. But after a handful of seconds, only standing there on the spot, she finally came to a conclusion on what she should do. Swiftly she looked back to Nanami and called out.

"I'll be back in five minutes!"

Quickly Mia left the room and started to jog down the corridor.

The small, soft object landed on his stomach with a thud. The movement didn't wake him from his slumber, he felt barely disturbed by it to be exact. Only the foot which nudged his leg with caution did the trick and forced his eyelids to open.

Still tired, his eyes moved towards the rustling plastic bag on his chest. His sight was a bit fuzzy after the short nap, but it didn't take him long to realize that it was a bread which had been bought at the cafeteria. His flat stare flickered towards the pair of legs in his view, snow-white socks which clung to pale thighs. A familiar black skirt and a fitting black sweater followed suit, until his blue eyes reached the face of no one else than Mia.

The girl bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure how he'd react when he was awoken, but after her conversation with Momoi there was no way she wouldn't feel some kind of obligation to help out.

"Ah, Nidori..." Aomine murmured before he shortly afterwards yawned. "I'm tired...what do you want."

"Class starts soon." The girl replied. "You shouldn't skip too much, you know. The final exams are coming up."

A lazy grin pulled at his lips, his body slightly turning away from her to escape the sun which was still shining brightly above them.

"Who cares..."

I don't know.

That's what she wanted to say so badly, but the words just wouldn't leave her lips.

Very carefully, the girl brushed over her skirt, holding onto it behind her knees as she crouched down next to the tall teenager whose legs looked even longer when he was lying across the pavement. His gaze wandered towards her as she moved, their eyes locked as the space between them became a bit smaller.

Finally, he twisted his body back into her direction, his hands still supporting his head as if they were a pillow. He looked bored. And boredom was something Mia could handle. She believed that the second he would get angry or moody, all courage would leave her body. So as long as she dared to speak up, she would.

"Your marks do." She finally replied half-hearted instead.

"Mh..." For only a second he looked away, watching the bread which had fallen off his chest onto the ground next to him as he had moved. "...and why the spicy bread?"

"...it's bribery."

Aomine laughed slightly, the sound rich enough to make her ears vibrate. Mia could feel the blood rush into her head, she felt embarrassed but it had been the truth. She was childish enough to believe that this damn thing was enough to conquer him. Or at least something like that...and it didn't help that she was so close to him, it felt like she could hear every breath he took.

"I'll just sleep on my desk then." He argued, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

Oh, great. He had noticed her flushed face, of course he had, and now he was making fun of her. Further embarrassed the orange haired girl broke their eye contact and looked towards her right. Away from him and his damn face, her mind hissed as she pursed her lips.

"...that's good enough." She mumbled.

Aomine blinked at her profile, the sun was shining on it from an angle which made it a bit hard to make out what her expression was. But his eyes could see the way she grimaced slightly, her eyes betraying the defeat of her emotions. He sighed deeply, his muscles stretched and flexed as he suddenly chose to sit up. A movement which startled Mia so much she nearly fell backwards.

But she caught herself and found the basketball player on her very eye level now where he had sat up.

"I'm not cheap." He said.

The girl swore her face was on fire, he was too close, way too close to her face but if she now backed down, she'd never hear the end of it. Her body became stiff, freezing into place as her hands held onto her legs to find halt in something else than the ground beneath her feet.

"...then I'll buy more bread."

Her classmate shook his head, a sinister grin creeping onto his lips.

"How about you finally make a good shot?"

His words forced her head to turn towards him completely. She was actually brave enough to narrow her dark eyes at him, staring him down with determination even though the embarrassment still clung to her ears. Just because she wasn't able to make a single shot that day!

"Fine. Fine, I'll do that."

"Oh, really?"

"You'll see." Mia grumbled, quickly standing up to escape the personal space he had already invaded again. "I'll make one."

The basketball player looked up at her, his eyes roaming her expression and body language - or at least that's what she believed, before he grabbed the spicy bread and stood up. His height was exposed once more to her and Mia was forced to crane her neck to see his face properly.

"Deal."