I said it'd be quick, but even I didn't think it'd be a week quick. (gotta love spontaneous writing sprees). Also, if you all were looking for nice Akashi... I apologize ahead of time. He's not very nice right now in canon. We'll get there ya'll. I know everyone's super excited for him to return so I hope I portrayed him well enough (honestly scared to even press publish on this chapter, but I'm going to anyway lol)
Hope you guys are enjoying November and if you're celebrating Thanksgiving, hope you have a good one!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke
Warnings: Bad language, bad editing, thoughts of violence
An Emperor Returns
She'd said it once and she'd say it again.
The Generation of Miracles is disgustingly OP.
It was only the second half of the third quarter and already, Hana was ready to call it quits. Tracking Midorima's movement was harder than she cared to admit. Her eyes were dry, the consequence of trying not to blink, and a nasty headache was creeping up her temple.
God, she wasn't even sure the payoff was worth it. Between her observations and Kagami, they'd only managed to stop about sixty percent of Midorima's plays. That was a huge gap. Hana's attention flicked toward the main offender, scowling at Takao's teasing smile as he faced off with Izuki. He'd just gotten done with a joke of a pass— hopping in the air and passing the ball behind him like an off-brand Mario.
Hana's lips curled downward. You and I are going to have issues, hawk face.
"I hope your new drive puts him on his ass," she muttered under her breath to Kuroko. The boy beside her hadn't looked away from the game once, "I'll buy you all the milkshakes in the world."
"That's the goal," Kuroko's mouth pinched into a frown, "I think I'm ready."
Thank god. Out of her control, Hana's shoulder's slumped in relief, "Good. I'm ready for this back and forth to be over. We won't get anywhere without an inside." Curiosity ate at her, green eyes twisting to Kuroko for the barest hint of a second, "What's this super-secret drive, anyway?"
"You'll see," she imagined he was smiling, but it was hard to tell, "Momoi-san helped."
"Oh, that's—" going to be a pain in the ass later, but okay. Hana huffed, keeping her thoughts to herself, "Well looks like you're up," Riko was calling Mitobe off and looking in their direction. Kuroko got up beside her, his hand gracing her shoulder as he stood, "Kick Takao's ass. I want to see him cry."
Was that too much? Oops. Kuroko blinked, pausing from his stride, "Hana."
"Yeah, yeah, don't wish mortal harm on our rivals," she waved him off with a smile, twisting her attention back to Midorima at the substitution timeout, "I was joking—"
He shook his head as he ran out onto the court, but there was a certain levity to his steps. He's confident. Hana's brow hiked in speculation as he exchanged a fist bump with Kagami, stopping beside Takao and spreading his arms wide. There were some words exchanged, too soft for her to hear, but the relaxation spreading across Kuroko's face eased her worries.
It didn't take long for her to understand his confidence.
Kagami passed him the ball, and one-second Kuroko was dribbling, and then the next—
He was gone.
"Oh, come on. That's bullshit," Hana whispered, mouth dropping open. She hadn't even seen him move, "What the hell was that?"
Seriously, this was insane. Kuroko whooshed back to life right behind Takao, taking the ball down the court like the player blocking him was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Superpowers should not be allowed in basketball! Shotoku scurried to intercept but it was too late. With a smooth pass to Kiyoshi, the ball went through the hoop and the score ticked up in Seirin's favor.
"It's his vanishing drive," Riko answered for Hana, hands propped on her waist like a proud mother hen, "He's been working on it for weeks."
"Damn," Hana whistled through her teeth, categorizing the looks of shock on their opponent's face, "Have I mentioned I'm glad I'm on his side? Because I am. Seriously."
A shiver involuntarily crested up her spine at the thought. Kuroko might not be the person people immediately thought of when they heard the words Generation of Miracles, but he was just as much of a force. In fact, he might be one of the worst. Hana had known the kid for years and she still had no idea how he managed to pull off the things he did.
The rest of the game progressed pretty evenly with Kuroko in. Seirin was still trying to fight an uphill battle to secure the lead, but the points were clicking closer. As the final quarter hit the halfway mark, they were only behind six points. It wasn't a lot, but with the way Hyuuga kept shooting three-pointers, it felt possible.
Can't count us out so soon.
Throughout it all, Hana kept her eye on Midorima. His plays were getting increasingly slower— the strain of the pace finally catching up to him. She'd been able to predict three more of his passes and one shot, but she'd also missed two. He's changing style. With two minutes left in the game and only a four-point difference, it wasn't good.
There was less predictability in his movements now, the dwindling time making him antsy.
"Careful," Hana cautioned belatedly as Hyuuga made a three-pointer, bringing the score up to 103-104. Green eyes were riveted to Midorima's frown, "He's worried. It's too close— he's going to try and shoot another shot across the court."
Riko nodded, taking the observation in, "We'll just have to stop him."
Yeah, but how? There was less than a minute on the clock and Kagami's legs were shaking like a fawn. He'd been pushing his jumps too far— surpassing his limit sometime around the end of the third quarter. It was just a matter of time before the ugly little things gave out.
During her musing, Seirin got possession of the ball. It started with a pass to Kuroko and Takao leaped to block him. A moment of stiff stillness crept over the court as the Shotoku point guard blocked his path to Kagami. The clock ticked down. Before Hana had time to blink, Kuroko moved— lobbing the ball to the right and straight to Kiyoshi's waiting hands.
The gentle giant jumped for the goal, fingers skimming the net.
Hana caught a flash of determined green eyes, dread lurching up her throat, "Riko! Midorima is—"
"Teppei!" The coach caught the movement at the same time Hana did, "Look out!"
It was too late. Midorima jumped from behind him, long arm outstretched to snatch the ball away. Taped fingers glided across the edge of the rubber, knocking it off course— but then Midorima's chest clicked into Kiyoshi's back, knocking him and earning the shooter his first foul of the game. The referee blew the whistle, allowing Kiyoshi to attempt two free throws.
"A foul," Riko breathed beside her, fingers clenched against her clipboard as the teams lined up down the free throw line, "This is our chance."
Talk about pressure. Hana narrowed her eyes on Kiyoshi's side, watching as he dribbled the ball twice on the line. Solemn brown eyes were locked on the net with lethal focus. His hands crawled toward his chest, bringing the ball to eye level before he shot. The ball swished through the net. 104-104.
Tugging her lip into her mouth, she bit the flesh hard enough to bleed.
The referee returned the ball and Kiyoshi shot again.
He missed.
"Shit!" Hana lurched to her feet, screaming along with Riko as Kagami dove for the rebound. His hand had just captured the ball when Midorima leaped up to block. It hovered in the air between them, the time clicking down, "Taiga! If you let go of that ball, I'm going to kill you!"
Her threat didn't have a chance to matter.
The sound of the final bell halted all movement. Midorima and Kagami fell back to the floor, the ball rolling between their feet and off the court. They didn't move. Behind them, the rest of their team panted— hands on knees and heads tilted back to the stadium's ceiling in exhaustion. I feel that.
"It's a tie—" Koganei whispered behind her, "Can we do that?"
Hana peeked up at the coach, waiting for her clarification along with the rest of the teammates. I swear to god, if we're going into overtime, I'm going to throw myself off the roof. She didn't have it in her for another hour of this madness.
"Normally we'd go into overtime, but since the matches are only a preliminary—" Riko cut herself off with a grin, "The tie stays."
"Thank god," Hana threw her hands up, breaking the silence on the bench as relief pressed in, "Damn, I'm so glad that's over."
It didn't take long for the bench to erupt in cheers now that the confusion lifted. Before Hana had a chance to blink, Koganei had his arms wrapped around her waist and was lifting her into an alarmingly strong hug. No, no, no! Throwing her hands out, Hana latched onto Mitobe's shoulders with a squeal— trying and failing to use the other boy as a balance.
"Riko!" Hana cursed as Koganei spun her in a circle, aided by Tsuchida's smile, "Control your team! I'm in a skirt, you idiot—"
The only sound that met her ears was a chuckle.
Trapped in the spinning hell otherwise known as Koganei's arms, Hana missed the way green eyes watched her across the court. It was a shame too. If she'd just taken the time to look up, she might have caught the way Midorima's face relaxed, a tired sigh escaping his lungs as his chest finally released the tension of the game. His fingers flexed, working out the tired joints with a pop as he observed the laughter ringing out from the opposite side of the court.
If she'd just spared just a second—
Hana might have seen the way he smiled.
xXxXx
There were very few things that helped her destress after an intense game.
She tended to default to coffee, but she'd learned the hard way that this recreation court didn't have a concession stand. It had a couple of vending machines, but the last time Hana dared to drink one of their canned coffees, she'd nearly gagged. Never again.
Unfortunately for Kagami, the best alternative method happened to be violence.
Hand meeting the thick part of Kagami's leg with a sharp slap, Hana hissed, "Sit still, you idiot!"
The sting of pain made Kagami grunt, nearly jerking the limb away from her as he sat on the bench in the dressing room. Don't even. Green eyes narrowed up on the ace in challenge, Hana kneeling against the cold laminate flooring as the rest of her team pulled on their jackets behind her.
God, she just wanted a nap. Her brain hurt from all the strain she'd put the poor thing through during the game. She'd earned it, damn it. First things first though, she needed to murder Kagami for being an obtuse asshole. Latching onto his ankle before he could yank it away, she ignored the muttering of the rest of her team to focus on his calves. And his nasty, sweaty, ugly little legs.
He squawked as she tugged the limb out from underneath him, forcing his butt to collapse back onto the bench, "Hana, what the hell—"
"We're adding extra jump training with Nuduru," she lectured, rubbing the muscles behind his shin with her knuckles, "Your puny, baby ankles are going to break if you don't quit being an idiot. I'm not dragging your body outside."
"I'm fine—" her impromptu massage hit a sore part of his leg and Kagami nearly jumped off the bench, "Oi! That hurt, you bitch!"
"Then quit being so damn stupid! We worked on this last weekend— pace yourself!"
Kagami snarled, lip curling up, "Did you want to win or not—"
"Do you want a cramp? Because I'll leave your ungrateful ass—"
Taking a sip of water, Hyuuga watched the spectacle between their two most hotheaded freshmen, "What does Imamura think she's doing?"
"I think she's trying to massage Kagami-kun's legs," Izuki blinked beside him. He'd finished putting away his gym clothes and had joined his captain in observing the current entertainment, "I don't think it's working."
"Dammit— Hana! Don't use your nails!"
From his slouch on the other end of the bench, Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath, "At least they're getting along."
Hyuuga grunted but he didn't contradict the statement, "Training together must have helped."
"I never would have thought they'd end up so close," Izuki traded a look with Hyuuga, mouth twitching as he fought a smile. He still remembered the screaming matches from the beginning of the semester, "It's almost like watching a married couple."
Izuki didn't have time to duck before Hana lobbed someone's shoe at his head. It skimmed the side of his ear, startled eyes meeting green as their manager leveled a dark look his way, "Don'teven."
His mouth jerked open in surprise, but Hyuuga took away his chance to speak, "Don't threaten your seniors, brat!"
"Don't be threatenable then," Hana grumbled under her breath, returning to her semi-torture of Kagami's legs, "Take your own advice, senpai."
Their captain's eyes narrowed, "What was that, Imamura?"
"Nothing, nothing— Ow!"
Kiyoshi chuckled again, shaking his head before running his hands through the grown-out strands of his hair. He canted his head to the left just in time to see Hyuuga pull the manager up by the back of her shirt, berating her about her attitude while Kagami took the chance to scoot away from both of them. Koganei giggled at something he said, trading a look with Mitobe, who only watched the proceedings in mute disappointment.
Behind them, Riko leaned against the doorframe. When he caught her eye, she winked.
He'd missed this. It'd been a long time since he'd felt the comfort of a cohesive team coming together after a satisfying game. Kiyoshi's hands flexed on his knees, gaze traveling down to his legs at the thought. He could only hope it stayed this way after their next game. Kirisaki Daiichi had a way of sucking the joy out of basketball and Kiyoshi couldn't stand to see his team fall like he had—
"Don't hit me! You big old—"
"Old what, Imamura?! Who's old?!"
"You! Captain grandpa!"
Kiyoshi's mouth twitched into a tired grin at the childish insults, fondness seeping into his chest and overriding the lingering tension hiding in his thoughts. As he returned his attention back to his teammates, Kiyoshi's thoughts petered away to worry, "Where'd Kuroko go?"
It was like the question summoned him. The changing room door opened a slightly ruffled head of blue hair peeped into the room with a frown. Kiyoshi's brows hiked. No one else noticed his presence or the way the smallest freshman lingered inside the doorframe.
"I'm sorry," Kuroko finally spoke, startling nearly everyone out of their skin, "But it seems we've lost Nigou."
The entire room spoke at once.
"What?!"
xXxXxXx
"I cannot believe you lost our mascot."
It was the worst time to lose him too. Once the games finished, the stadium was always packed to the brim with chaos. Between the lingering teams and the bustling audience, it'd be a miracle fresh out of hell to spot Nigou. Of course, the dog has to take after its owner. She never imagined a puppy could cause so much grief.
"It wasn't intentional," Kuroko sighed softly as they walked through the stadium halls, "He likes to wander."
Hana cut him a look, dodging past a mom pulling a screaming child into the bathroom, "That's what a leash is for, Tetsu."
"I'm familiar with them," mouth quirking in half a smile, Kuroko peered down at her as they walked toward the exit, "I'm not sure you're one to offer advice, though. I seem to recall Nuduru breaking into our gym."
She scoffed, slapping at his arm, "That was your fault, you shit! You distracted me!"
The rest of the walk through the stadium was blessedly silent. Not that Hana had anything against talking to Kuroko, but her headache was lingering. It hadn't been too bad back in the changing room, but the addition of the hallway's bright lights and loud chatter was wearing on her nerves. Rubbing at her forehead, Hana pinched the bridge of her nose and winced at the dull throb of pain.
"Do you have a headache?" Kuroko blinked at her, pausing in front of the door to the stadium's entryway, "I'm sorry, if I had known I wouldn't have asked you to come with me—"
"It's fine—" Hana waved him off, stepping past him to open the door herself, "Looks like my little prediction thing comes with side effects. It's a bitch and a half though."
"Ah," Kuroko made a contemplating noise, squinting at the sun as they stepped outside, "I meant to ask about that."
"Can't tell you much," Hana snorted, "Kind of happened on the fly."
He stopped her at the top of the staircase, blue eyes peering into her soul. There was a strange emotion creeping in, more considering than Hana would like to admit, "How do you do it?"
"Uhm—" she didn't have a good answer to the question, mind going blank, "You know how when you annoy Taiga and he's going to hit you? Like his ears get all red and his eyes do that ugly, little squinty thing?"
He blinked, "I can't say I'm overly familiar with that."
"Lucky you," Hana muttered, taking the stairs down two at a time, "Well, it's kind of the same thing except I was just looking for whenever Midorima's focus switched. It's hard as shit though because he's so damn fast—"
"I see," he scrutinized her with those fathomless blue eyes, "I didn't get a chance to tell you during the game, but it was impressive."
"Yeah, well—so was your drive thingy," Hana tried to wave the compliment off, looking anywhere but at him, "Gotta do what you gotta do."
Her face felt too hot. Was she blushing? Green eyes narrowed on a puffy cloud, mouth pinching as she mentally ordered her newly unlocked praise complex to chill the hell out. God damn him. This was not the time for compliments.
Kuroko's mouth tweaked to the side, mirth infecting the air, "My comment remains the same. I look forward to seeing how you use it."
"Don't get too excited," she snapped back, still refusing to look back at him. The low heat in her cheeks grew to an inferno, "You're the main character."
"Am I?" Kuroko blinked, tilting his head the smallest amount, "Would that logic make you the love interest?"
The what?! Hana choked on her tongue, "Dammit, Tetsuya! That's not— gah!"
This was it. This was her end. She was going to die, choking on the heat of her mortification. Some old fart of a writer would write a book about her untimely demise— she could feel it.
When she turned back to look at him, she found him stalled at the top of the staircase. That weird, penetrating look was still painting his face, but there was a ghost of a smile hiding in the blank curve of his face. Hana knew that emotion. He was amused. The little shit is getting off on this.
"It's so cute!"
Ah, that was a familiar screech. Thank god for Momoi.
Her hell-spawned blush momentarily forgotten; Hana traded a look with Kuroko. His head leaned in thought, gaze skipping over the entryway as Hana skipped down the rest of the steps, literally running away from the trauma that little conversation brought on. It's official, I'm transferring. Coming around the cement wall segregating the stadium from the road, Hana caught a glimpse of familiar multicolored hair— just in time to hear Momoi cry out.
"He looks just like Tetsuya!" The dog in question was held in her arms Simba style, Nigou's bland face looking down at Momoi in resignation as she spun on her heel, "Look, Ki-chan!"
Hana stared, face going blank as she caught sight of the shitshow in front of her. Momoi began to twirl, Nigou held up over her head as Kise cooed at the pair of him. Large palms splayed over his cheeks and there was a disturbing sparkle creeping into his eyes. Behind them both, Midorima glared— green eyes locked on the puppy with a vengeance Hana had only ever seen directed at Kagami.
"Ima-chan!" Lips pulling into a grin when she caught sight of her, Momoi rubbed her cheek in the soft fluff of Nigou's fur, "You didn't tell me Seirin had such a cute mascot!"
"Yeah, he's cute—" Hana cut the dog in question a look, taking a few steps closer to join the sudden reunion, "Now if he'd just stay where he was supposed to, we'd be good."
"You can't blame him, Hana-cchi—" Kise reached out to pat Nigou on the top of his head before turning his body to address Kuroko behind her, "He must take after Kuroko-cchi."
Told you so. Twisting her head over her shoulder, Hana quirked a brow at Kuroko, "See? Even Kise thinks it's your fault."
"Wait—" Kise balked at the accusation, "No! I didn't say that, Kuroko-cchi!"
Not letting Kuroko respond, Midorima interrupted the conversation with a scoff. He'd since lost focus on the dog and was now inspecting the cart Takao'd driven to the stadium, "Of course, the animal is as troublesome as the human."
Hana smirked at that. Midorima's my new favorite. Kuroko didn't seem to mind the insult though, watching the group chatter with his hands tucked into his pockets. Momoi continued to coo at Nigou, finally putting the puppy on the ground and patting her legs. The puppy simply sat there, mildly staring up at the manager.
"I thought Murasakibara-kun was with you," Kuroko leveled a look up at Kise instead of responding to Midorima's claim, blinking at the vein suddenly throbbing in the blonde's forehead, "Did he leave already?"
"I wish," Kise grumbled darkly under his breath before pasting on a charming smile, "You just missed him. He went back inside to get some snacks."
Thank god. Watching Nigou and Momoi play, Hana barely repressed a relieved sigh. She wasn't surprised to hear that Kuroko was right, but she didn't really fancy another meeting of miracles. One is more than enough to last a lifetime, thank you.
Midorima's head suddenly popped up from where he'd been inspecting his cart, "That dog urinated in my cart!"
Before Hana could blink, Midorima was stomping toward them. Green eyes were narrowed on Nigou with a lethal focus, wrath coasting his shoulders as he jabbed an accusing finger at the dog's wagging tail. Momoi squawked, throwing herself in front of the puppy. It didn't stop Midorima's warpath— focus solely on the dog that was suddenly looking far too pleased with itself.
"No, he didn't—" Hana swooped in, cradling the furry Kuroko look-alike to her chest. Green eyes glowered at the Shotoku ace, "It's just water. See—" she motioned to the cart, "Your water bottle fell over."
While Midorima was distracted, she leveled a look down at the dog against her chest. Swear to god, the fluffy thing was smiling. Little shit stirrer just like your twin.
There was a brief snicker from Kise at the fib, gold eyes mischievous as he watched Hana pull Nigou away from kicking distance. He turned to Midorima to tease him further, but his tongue tied in his mouth at the lack of anger on his former teammate's face. Midorima's head tilted in consideration, but he wasn't calling her bluff.
"I see," Midorima eventually trailed off, green eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at the cart, "If that's the case—"
Following the shooter's attention, Momoi sweat dropped, "No, that's definitely pee, Midorin."
Immediately, Midorima scowled. He threw his glare in Hana's direction, eyes narrowing at the subtle way she stepped away from him, "Imamura! Give me the dog!"
No way! Hana darted away from him, ducking behind Kuroko's back. Peeking over Kuroko's shoulder, she smirked at the furious blush dotting Midorima's face. It only grew as Momoi started to giggle, her pale hand coming up to cover her mouth. In front of her, Kuroko's shoulders moved like he was fighting and failing to repress his own amusement.
Unlike his friends, Kise could only stare, "Hana-cchi, did you just lie?"
"Well, shit—" Hana blinked, thinking through their conversation before she grinned, "I did! Holy crap—" she spun to Midorima, Nigou tucked firmly against her chest, "You totally believed it!"
Arms crossed stiffly over his chest, Midorima peered down at the unruly manager and scowled, "I did no such thing. As if I would believe such a foolish claim—"
"Oh my god," Hana's smile stretched across her face, so large it almost hurt. She hadn't even noticed. It'd felt so natural, "I did it."
"Are you sure that's something to get excited about?" Kise trailed off, an incredulous smile cracking at the edges.
Before Hana could think better of it, she let Nigou down and threw herself at Midorima. New favorite secured. Her arms latched around his neck, headache forgotten with the new revelation. Think of all the benefits! Kise squawked in the background, but Hana didn't pay it any mind. Her thoughts were solely on the grumpy teenager trapped in her chokehold.
"What are you doing!?" Midorima's arms flailed awkwardly at his waist, not knowing what to do at the strength of the sudden embrace, "Let me go—"
Her grip faltered as he quite literally tried to shake her off, but Hana's arms remained locked, "No way! This is going to be awesome!"
"Hana—" Midorima nearly keeled over at the strength in which he bit his own tongue, "Imamura! This is entirely inappropriate!"
Momoi giggled again, trading a look with Kuroko as she teased, "Ima-chan's going to kill him."
"It's a possibility," Kuroko agreed. His head tilted slightly as he watched Midorima finally succeed in shoving the tiny manager off, his face beet red, "If he doesn't do so first."
Unlike his companions, Kise wasn't nearly as amused. Full, pink lips pulled into a tight pout, "How'd you do that, Hana-cchi? I thought you couldn't lie to us?"
"I can't!" She laughed gleefully, dodging Midorima's swatting hand as she let him out of the death trap of her arms, "I can't lie to people who intimidate me—"
Her response only made Kise's pout deepen. Gold eyes took the scene in enviously. His mind flickered back to the conversation he had with Kasamatsu ages ago and his stare narrowed on the blushing Shotoku player. A part of him supposed it should be a good thing that Hana finally got over her fear enough to lie to one of them, but a selfish part of Kise lamented that he wasn't the one gifted the pleasure.
Unknowing of Kise's inner turmoil, Hana poked Midorima in the shoulder and grinned, "Guess that means I'm not scared of you anymore, huh?"
There was a brief moment of silent communication behind her, but Hana didn't care right now. Her mind was stuck on schemes and all the fun things she could do now with her new advantage over Midorima. Oh, Takao, you're screwed. Her grin stretched too wide, subsequently making Midorima involuntarily shiver when he caught the expression.
"It's an interesting development," Kuroko eventually offered, wide blue eyes blinking twice, "I'm curious if it has anything to do with your new prediction skill."
Momoi stared as her giggles died off, comprehension visibly dawning on her face as she put together Kuroko's point, "It'd make sense. If it's a fear-based weakness, having a defensive edge would help even the playing field."
There was probably a better explanation, but Hana didn't dig too deep into it right now. That would be a topic for her consideration later. For now, Momoi's assumptions worked. If this was the benefit of using her little prediction trick on the Generation of Miracles— oh, boy. Excitement sang in her veins. Those little bitches better watch out!
"I don't know and I don't care— I'll take the headache any day if this is the payout," nearly twitching in anticipation, Hana smirked up at the suddenly speechless boy above her, "Do you know how much fun this is going to be? I've waited years for this!"
Midorima's hand abruptly fell against her forehead, pushing her two steps back as he glared, "Don't sound so pleased."
Despite the venom in his tone, the rebuff did nothing to hide the blush that had stained the curve of the shooter's ears.
Kise whined, shoulders slumping so low his hands nearly skimmed the ground, "You're not scared of Midorima-cchi but you're scared of me? That's not fair!"
Hana didn't have a chance to respond to that accusation. Despite the blush still burning his skin a patchy red, Midorima had enough gall to sniff. He didn't look at either of them as he countered, "Clearly, the connection between water signs is superior to that of air signs."
She cut him a dry look, smile twitching. Talk about an attitude adjustment. Her mouth opened, "Pretty sure it's due to the fact I know I can beat your ass now—"
Quicker than he had any right to be, Kise moved. Hana only had time to squeak before he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his chest. Wide, gold eyes stared into her soul as he begged, "Hana-cchi! Lie to me!"
Midorima scoffed, turning his nose up, "You idiot, it doesn't work like that."
"How would you know?" Kise countered, pout growing as he glared at Midorima over Hana's head, "You don't even appreciate it!"
Shoulders tightening at the accusation, Midorima scoffed, "I never said that. Don't misconstrue things."
Meanwhile, Hana struggled to free herself from Kise's hug. This is karma for attacking Midorima, isn't it? Arms perching against his chest, she pushed twice, "Let me go or I'm going to remove a very important part of your autonomy—"
"Not until you lie to me! Please, please, please—"
"I can't do shit if I can't breathe!"
Kuroko watched the struggle, head tilting as Midorima scoffed at Kise's increasing waffling. Beside him, Momoi tittered into her hand, trading a secret look with him that had nostalgia creeping up his spine. It had happened slowly, but Kuroko was finally noticing that as their emotions changed and grew, things were falling back to the way he remembered them.
Trading another look with Momoi, Kuroko's mouth tipped into a smile.
"Mura-chin," the sound of Murasakibara's lazy drawl cut off Kuroko's fond thoughts. Strolling down from the stadium's entrance, a bag of chips in hand, the tall boy stared at the sight in front of him, "I need to talk to you."
There was a quick flicker of confusion on his face as he took in the sight, but it disappeared just as fast. Ambling down the steps with lazy accuracy, the Yosen player plucked a chip from his bag and dropped it in his mouth. Kuroko's brow furrowed as he observed, catching the strange tension hiding in Murasakibara's spine, warm memories cast away in favor of suspicion.
Her happiness at her new ability against Midorima managed to temper the incoming stress at another miraculous addition to their group. Hand firmly smashed against Kise's face, Hana blinked up at the giant teen, "You do? About what?"
"It doesn't matter," in only two steps, Murasakibara was in front of their gathering. Purple eyes scanned over Midorima's blush and Kise's blabbering before he sighed, "Come on."
Kise's arms squeezed just a tad tighter, not letting her go, but Hana didn't look into the physical change of emotion as she squawked, "I'm not just going to follow you—"
She didn't catch the way Midorima straightened, gaze narrowing on the crest of Murasakibara's head, "He's here, isn't he?"
Well, that didn't sound promising. Her joy dried up faster than Kise's crocodile tears.
"He—" Hana began to squirm, dread creeping up her spine, "You better not be talking about who I think you are. I swear to god—"
She knew it would happen sooner or later, but Hana was really hoping for the latter category. Preferably never. She wouldn't be too bummed if Akashi completely forgot about her existence, actually. It'd save me from an early death.
Despite the ire directed his way, Murasakibara only shrugged, "Aka-chin wanted to watch."
"Nope, nope—" her feet kicked at the ground, but Kise still didn't let go. If Hana wasn't sure it was physically impossible, she'd say the boy turned into stone. He was that stiff. "I'm not doing this— I quit. There is no way in hell I'm dealing with his dramatic ass today—"
"Akashi-cchi?" Kise whispered, golden eyes flicking toward the building behind him, "But it's not time to meet yet—"
Kuroko took a step forward, something sharp creeping over the curve of his jaw. Beside him, Momoi wrapped her arms around her waist, frowning as Kuroko questioned, "Murasakibara-kun, are you sure?"
"Mhmm," the boy in question only drawled, pulling another chip out of the bag and plopping it into his mouth, "I just talked to him. He wants to talk with Mura-chin about something."
"Don't act stupid," surprisingly, it was Midorima who snapped first, "You know exactly what he wants to talk about. This isn't the time."
There was subtext in the statement, but Hana wasn't tracking what Midorima was inferring. She seemed to be the only one. Kuroko's spine went straight, his brows tilting into a frown as he traded a sharp look with Kise. The boy in question wrapped his arms tighter around her before he sighed, chest deflating as he dropped her back to the ground.
One shoulder hiked in a shrug, but Murasakibara's mouth pulled tight. It wasn't quite a frown, but it was close, "I'm just doing what Aka-chin asked."
"That's the worse excuse in history," Hana snapped back, twisting on her heel and glaring at the giant when Kise finally let her go. She tried to ignore the way his hand hovered on the back of her shirt, focusing on Murasakibara instead, "Think for yourself, dude. You don't have to listen to every ass backward order that leaves his entitled mouth—"
Something strange crawled over Murasakibara's face. It was almost regretful, but not quite close enough. Maybe resignation? Hana's urge to laugh only just managed to surpass her urge to scream. Too little too late, big boy!
The sound of the door slamming shut cut off her thoughts. Before Hana could really wrap her mind around what was about to go down, a slim shadow appeared at the top of the stairs. Red hair gleamed in the late afternoon sun, contrasting against the familiar pale hue of Akashi's face. Apathic, heterochromatic eyes observed their group as he descended the steps.
Someone's really worked on their villain strut.
"I see," eyes narrowing, Midorima grunted as he made his way toward them, "Hello, Akashi."
Grand entrance coming to a halt, Akashi stopped several feet away from their group, "Shintaro."
He's still on that first-name shit. Things hadn't changed a bit. Hana's teeth bared in a savage grin, fear and annoyance clashing for dominance as she chimed in, "Long time no see."
"I see your fire hasn't changed," Akashi met her stare next, dual-colored eyes clashing with green as his head tilted minutely to the left, "Hana."
He looked different. There was something dangerous hiding underneath his skin, something she hadn't seen before. He'd always scared her, especially when his orange eye made its debut back in Teiko, but this was a new level of fear. It sank into her bones and made her blood run cold. A primal warning screaming in her ears to run, run, run.
Kuroko was the first to step forward, "Akashi-kun—"
"Give us a moment, Tetsuya," Akashi didn't ask, he ordered, "I'll speak to you shortly."
Akashi walked toward them like he was a god. Like he expected everyone to drop to a knee and bask in the presence of his made Hana want to hurl.Talk about an ego complex. Her mouth twisted into a grimace as she watched his smooth stride, eyeing the distance at which he finally stopped.
Too close, too close, too close—
"I didn't expect to see you again nor to have done so when you unveiled a new talent," Akashi watched her, cataloging each of her subtle movements, "I must admit I'm surprised by your perseverance."
Akashi's ability to silence was vaguely horrifying. Despite being surrounded on all sides by former teammates, no one made a sound. Kise's hand flexed on her back before he dropped the appendage, taking a slow step back in what Hana almost misconstrued for submission. Instead, as she caught sight of Kise in her peripheral, she realized he was moving in case he needed to intercept.
Great. Hana's headache was racketing up with a vengeance. Her nerves were pricked, ready and waiting for any subtle sign of threat from the former Teiko captain. Every breath was tracked, adrenaline flooding her veins as she eyed the boy in front of her.
Despite the tension, her lip curled at the comment, "Worried?"
"Intrigued," he countered blandly. There was no infliction in his tone, only vague observance, "You've failed so many times, yet you continue to push forward. In another life, I might be impressed."
Hana didn't breathe as he took another step closer. He was only about three feet away now. Far too close than she ever wanted to be with the unpredictable captain. Behind her, Kise took another subtle step ahead, moving from his position behind her to stand at her side. Great, even he feels the tension.
Akashi caught the movement. His head tilted as he met her stare and Hana swore he was tasting her fear in the air, "But your influence grows grating."
"Influence?" Hana made a sharp, cutting little noise, "What influence? I'm a manager, I can't do shit against you and you know it—"
"That's what I initially assumed, yes," Akashi interrupted, eyes flat as he observed her sputtered indignation, "I'm not proud to admit my calculations were wrong. I wasn't aware how much power you still possessed—" he cut his gaze to Kuroko, mouth pinching flat, "I shouldn't have underestimated you."
His stare flickered over the rest of the attendees, face otherwise bland except for the tight pinch of his mouth. Kise shuffled behind her like he didn't know what to do with his hands, while Momoi tucked her own hands over her chest, tilting her head down to avoid Akashi's gaze. Midorima and Kuroko were the only ones to stand tall— silent observation dotting their faces.
"We made an oath," he didn't look at her, addressing the still forms of his former teammates instead, "Do not forget what you promised," his gaze narrowed, singling in on Midorima, "I won't allow it."
"It hasn't been forgotten, Akashi," Midorima greeted his gaze head-on, "Winter Cup hasn't even begun."
Cruel orange and red eyes met green, "You almost lost today, Shintaro. A tie is not victory."
That sentence made the taller boy cringe, shoulders curving in before Midorima twisted his stare to a point over Akashi's shoulder. He didn't speak again.
Way to kick him when he's down, dick. Hana nearly snarled, but it caught in her throat. "You've got to be kidding me. You made an oath? To what? Kick each other's asses?"
She blinked at the hush that met her. You've got to be freaking joking. Akashi was the only one who met her gaze head-on, Midorima's and Kise's sudden silence at the question telling. An oath? Her mind couldn't wrap around that, not expecting something so stupidly binding from the Generation of Miracles.
"You're shitting me," she eventually scoffed, "That's it? That's what you're so worked up about?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You were always willingly obtuse," Akashi merely watched her, his insult ringing in the air, "We vowed to face each other at our fullest strength to prove our individual talent. You've interfered."
She sneered at the accusation, "I haven't done anything—"
Akashi's mouth twisted into the faintest taint of a frown, eyes going hard as he cut her off, "You make them weak."
She didn't have a retort for that. The venom in his tone cut off her air supply and wrung her lungs dry.
"It's the only explanation for your new talent," he continued like he hadn't just shoved a knife into her chest, twisting it deeper as he finished, "Your influence makes them vulnerable to you."
"It's not like that, Akashi-cchi! Hana-cchi can help—" Kise started, but a swift look from Midorima cut him off. His hands fell awkwardly to his waist instead, long fingers fiddling with the seem of his jacket.
Akashi took in the exchange, stare growing flat as he observed the new dynamic between his former teammates. He didn't smile despite his victory, "You've proven my assumptions correct. I'm disappointed in you, Ryouta."
It said something about his familiarity with his old teammates to be able to know what words would cut the deepest. Kise's face blanched at the reprimand— chest heaving inward with a deep breath. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Akashi's words hurt. Her eyes narrowed on the egotistical red-haired tyrant, fury blooming in her chest at the emotional toll his careless words took on Kise.
"Why is that such a bad thing?" Hana finally snapped, taking a brave step forward to meet the captain eye to eye, "People can be friends, Akashi. I'm not doing anything wrong—"
"You're inserting yourself into a dynamic you have no part in," Akashi cut her off, stare still flat, "There is no use for you here."
Ouch. Her lip curled, trying and failing to hide the stab of pain that little jab left her with. She shouldn't have been surprised— Akashi always had a barbed tongue, but it didn't make it any easier. Especially since she knew he was aware of the strength of that comment. He knew she struggled with valuing her personal identity in the sense of being useful.
He just didn't care.
"That's enough, Akashi-kun," Kuroko stepped forward as he met the sharp stare of his former captain, "You don't need to continue. You've said your piece."
Akashi's head tilted, the light from the afternoon sun catching the orange gleam of his right eye, "You believe so, Tetsuya?"
Hana wasn't about to let him treat Kuroko to the same pain. Before he had a chance to deliver another crushing blow to his former teammate's morale, Hana took a step forward. This close, she could see the faint ring of yellow dotting his orange eye.
"Yeah, I think I get the gist of it," Hana snarked back, capturing his attention away from the phantom player. She wrapped her tongue in sarcasm to combat the lurch growing in her chest, "I'm being a pain in the ass, got it. Nothing I haven't heard from you before."
She didn't have a chance to blink before he moved. One second, he was a foot away, and then the next— they were face to face. She wanted to flinch— she wanted to move, but it was too late. A slim hand reached out to her face, orange eye gleaming as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture would have almost been thoughtful, if not for the malice in his stare.
Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!
"Mind your tongue. I'm no longer amused by your insolence," Her heart beat too hard, the sound of blood rushing almost drowning out Akashi's warning, "You need to be broken in. It's clear you've been allowed too much reign."
Thin fingers dragged through her hair, pushing the long strands over her shoulder with a deceptive gentleness. In any other boy, it would have been gentle. Soothing. Except, Hana couldn't breathe. I'm going to die. This is it—
When he finally smiled, it was a terrifying thing. Lips too thin, curling into what a mimic might attempt to show amusement, "When you heel, I look forward to seeing you crawl."
Fury trumped fear. Her lips peeled back, snarling at his gall, "That'll never happen, you son of a—"
Cutting her breath short, Akashi's thin fingers snapped to her chin.
"Enough," he squeezed just hard enough for her mouth to click shut, "We'll finish this conversation at a later date. Atushi," he didn't let go of his hold of her face, turning just enough to spare the silent boy behind him a look, "It's time to return."
His hands were still tucked safely in his pockets, but Murasakibara's shoulders were stiff as he nodded. Lilac eyes watched their former captain almost warily, that strange emotion of not quite regret pulling his lips down into the smallest hint of a frown. As Hana watched, she realized he'd taken a step forward— shoulder's primed to move.
Akashi didn't pay it any mind, turning his attention back to her. Dragging a thumb down the curve of her jaw, he made a considering noise in the back of his throat before he let her go, "Don't test my patience any further. It won't end pleasantly."
For once she didn't have anything to say. Rubbing a hand over the lingering heat of his flesh against her skin, Hana took several steps back, standing beside Kuroko. His hand immediately latched onto her own. She didn't miss the way Akashi followed the movement. Red brows tilted down the fairest hint before he canted his head.
"Enjoy your defiance while it lasts," he turned on his heel, giving her his back as he began to leave, "When the Winter Cup arrives, you'll understand the power of subservience."
Yeah, right, asshole. Her eyes narrowed on his back, but Hana wisely kept her mouth shut. Kuroko's thumb rubbed over her wrist, silently signaling his support as he watched his former captain leave. Murasakibara followed in his stead, trailing after Akashi in what Hana might call hesitance. As they moved down the sidewalk, Murasakibara peered back at them over his shoulder, a restrained frown pulling at the thin lines of his face.
Her face flushed in fury as she watched them finally leave. Go choke, you kinky bastard. It took less than a minute for the duo to disappear down the sidewalk, but in that span of time, Hana refused to breathe. The only thing keeping her grounded was the continual motion of Kuroko's thumb on her wrist, a faint swipe of sweat the only clue that he was as nervous as her.
"Jesus Christ," Hana scrubbed at her face, suddenly exhausted. She never wanted to do that again, "No wonder you guys are so screwed up. Who needs daddy issues when you have a captain like that?"
Momoi was the only one who managed to force a reply, "Ima-chan? Are— are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Hana countered, twisting her attention back to the rest of the party, "It's nothing I haven't heard before. He's always hated me."
That wasn't strictly true, but she didn't want to think too hard about it and risk misreading the past.
"Akashi-cchi went too far," Kise responded, gold eyes narrowed on the street they'd walked down, "I don't understand—"
Yeah, things weren't really computing for her either. She'd known since day one that Akashi wasn't going to be happy with her presence in his former teammates' lives, but she didn't think he'd hold that big of a grudge. Flicking a glance toward Midorima, her brows furrowed. Unlike the rest of the group, there was a subtle comprehension dotting the line of his frown. He knows something I don't.
Trying to force a levity she didn't feel, Hana shrugged, "Probably needs to get laid."
"What?!" Momoi choked, pink eyes going wide, "Don't say that—"
"It's true! That—" Hana motioned toward the area they'd vanished, "Is a casebook example of blue balls."
The comment made Momoi balk, "Ima-chan!"
"He told me to crawl! That's the kinkiest shit I've heard all year!"
"Akashi-kun isn't like that—"
"Look me in the eye and tell me he isn't a sadist—"
Meanwhile, Kuroko continued to let his thumb travel over her wrist. Blue eyes watched the two girls chatter, but his focus was far away, trapped in memories of the past. Trying not to draw notice at the movement, he traded a glance toward his right. Kise and Midorima were quietly discussing something with one another and when they caught his eye, Kise smiled wanly.
It didn't soothe everything, but Kuroko was pleased to see the silent support.
"Hana," he interrupted another crude comment about his former captain's sex life, raising his brows when she turned to him, "We should probably catch up with our teammates before coach notices how late it is."
Green eyes blinked at him, comprehension sinking in slowly, "Shit. Think we're screwed?"
He didn't like the way she hesitated to respond. It was a brave front, but it was clear her interaction with his former captain had left her rattled. His fingers curled into loose fists before he sighed, tucking his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Hopefully not," Kuroko offered blandly instead, catching sight of Nigou finally crawling out of his hiding spot underneath Midorima's cart, "That is, if we hurry."
It was just the warning needed to get Hana moving. With a stifled goodbye to Kise and Midorima, she let Kuroko drag her back toward the stadium, Momoi following shortly after with the promise of coffee. The sound of their conversation grew loud, Kise's sharp focus not straying too far from the manager duo. He wanted to smile at the echo of Momoi's laughter, but it didn't come.
The last two members of the group were unnervingly stiff as they left, silence soaking the air between them. Sometime during the confrontation, the sun had skipped down the horizon, faint traces of orange and yellow lighting up the western sky. A crow cawed in a nearby tree, the sound breaking their hushed concentration.
Shuffling on his feet, Kise broke the quiet when he turned to Midorima, "Do you think he knows about yesterday? Is that why he was so angry?"
"No," green eyes were still locked on the path the rest of their group had vanished down, Midorima's mouth pulled tight, "He would have mentioned it. It isn't like Akashi to look past things of that nature. Murasakibara must have decided not to tell him."
Nose scrunched, Kise made a strange sound, "Then why—"
"You know why," Midorima cut his glare to him, "Don't be a fool. You know exactly what this is about."
"But at Teiko, he said—" Kise didn't finish. Gold eyes flicked toward the stadium once before he put his full attention back on Midorima. His hands were sweaty as he finally managed to utter, "He said that it was okay."
"That was then," Midorima frowned, not quite subtle in the tensing of his shoulders, "Things change."
After several seconds of silence, Kise was unnaturally subdued when he questioned, "What are we going to do? I don't think I can go back now. Midorima-cchi, I like her—"
He scoffed, turning his head up to the sky and glaring at the clouds that peppered the horizon, "You're an idiot, Kise."
Despite his rebuff, Midorima found himself detesting the idea of turning back almost as much as the blonde. There was too much history, too many emotions entangled with Seirin's manager. He could understand Akashi's hesitance and his desire to grasp the dwindling string of control he once had in regard to the manager, but he'd failed to interfere in time.
Judging from his attempt at provocation, Akashi realized the same thing.
It was too late to change what fate had set in motion.
xXxXx
It was Wednesday afternoon, two days away from their game against Kirisaki Daiichi.
Hana would have preferred to do this during the weekend, but well— she had an egotistical prick she needed to prove wrong.
The imposing height of Teiko Middle School cut across the horizon ahead of her. Students bustled out of the large building, the familiar white uniform blending together into a sea of cream as the tiny middle schoolers peered at the strange group hovering on their front steps. Hana couldn't even blame them for their suspicions. Good situational observation, kiddos. She knew she looked a sight— and her companions didn't look much better.
Beside her, Furihata was shivering, "Imamura-chan… why are we here again?"
She cut her head over her shoulder, catching sight of his ashen face as he gaped up at the school. Still dressed in his standard black Seirin uniform, Furihata and the rest of the freshmen trio stood out like a black hole. Hana at least had the foresight to change into something more neutral, but she couldn't really blame them for their lack of planning.
Technically, she had kidnapped them.
"Blame Riko. Apparently, I have to have an escort until the Kirisaki Daiichi game," she rolled her eyes at the reminder of her team's sudden surge of overprotectiveness, "Don't stress, this will be good for you."
To be fair, she wasn't bitching much. She got where the team was coming from— especially with Akashi's Oscar-worthy performance last weekend. Between him and Hanamiya, she wasn't planning on complaining too loud about her new buddy system. If I graduate high school without a hernia, I'll call it a win.
"You haven't even told us what this is," Fukuda muttered under his breath, brown eyes scanning over the middle school kids hesitantly, "I thought we had practice tonight?"
"You do," Hana agreed, lips twitching into a smirk as she caught a familiar figure stepping out of the front doors, "Just not with our team."
Kawahara stared at her, "I don't know if I like the sound of that—"
"Hana-chan!" Uoya's cheery greeting cut off the rest of their worry. One lanky arm waved in the air as he took the steps down two at a time, "You made it!"
The man of the hour finally appears. As Uoya made it down to them, she grinned up at him, and up, and up—
"Holy shit," she blinked twice, "You're tall. What the hell, man?"
Hand coming up to rub at the back of his grey hair, Uoya managed to shrug. There was a sheepish smile on his face and if Hana didn't know better, he almost looked proud, "Yeah, I had a bit of a growth spurt."
That was the understatement of the year. While Uoya wasn't Murasakibara tall, he'd give Midorima a run for his money. His height wasn't the only change. He'd let his hair grow out a bit, grey strands ticking the bottom of his chin and fluffy bangs had been traded for long strands tucked behind his ears. Oh my god. Is that stubble? Due to Torio's interruption at his game, Hana hadn't had a chance to really see the changes up close and personal, but there they were.
My little minion is becoming a man.
Hana didn't have a chance to reply. Fukuda suddenly gasped, finger-pointing accusingly at the boy in front of them, "It's you! Imamura-chan's boyfriend!"
Are you kidding me? She twisted her head over her shoulder to glower at him, "He isn't my boyfriend, idiot. That's like incest."
"From the Too game?" Kawahara gaped, clearly ignoring everything she said as he took a step back, "You go to Teiko?"
"Okay, let's now say that out loud," Uoya winced, glancing warily at Hana before admitting, "I really don't want to deal with the Miracles if they hear that kind of rumor going around."
Here we go with that again. She really needed to stop filling him in on all the new dynamics between her and their former acquaintances. Hana's eyes rolled back into her skull, "Oh, grow a pair."
"I had enough of Akashi-san to last a lifetime, thanks," Uoya cut her off, brow hiking as her mouth snapped shut, "He's your problem now."
She blanched, "Back the hell up— I'm not talking about him—"
"They're a package deal, Hana-chan," Uoya merely tutted, "You should know that by now."
Hana threw her hands up, "There isn't a package! There isn't anything! He literally threatened me—"
"Well, it is Akashi. Maybe that's how he shows he's interested?" Uoya winced, rubbing the back of his neck, "You know, Kitano's got a bet going—"
"A what?" Before Hana could think better of it, she lunged. His squawk of pain rang out as she pulled at his hair, "Kitano's got a what?!"
"It wasn't my idea, Hana-chan! Wait—"
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Ow, ow, ow—"
"So, this is Teiko," Fukuda muttered, eyeing the bickering pair with something like awe, "Is everyone from here so strange?"
"I think so," Kawahara whispered in agreement, Furihata nodding along to his observation, "There has to be something in the water. You met Kise—"
Before they could dive deeper into that train of thought, a throat clearing cut them off. When the trio turned back to the duo, they were greeted by Uoya's arm wrapped around Hana's neck in a headlock, his hand firmly over her mouth as he grinned, "I wouldn't say we're that strange. There's just a lot of big personalities here."
"Right," Fukuda stared, words failing him as their manager started to claw at the boy's arm, "That makes sense— I guess?"
"Don't think about it too much," Uoya continued to smile despite the introduction of teeth into the meat of his hand, "You'll get to see it in a minute."
Furihata was the only one brave enough to question that statement, "What does that mean, Uoya-san?"
"You'll see," a cunning grin cut through his cheeks, one they'd seen too many times grace the face of their own manager, "Now come on," he began to walk, heaving a flailing Hana behind him, "Practice is about to start."
Without further ado, he tugged their manager up the staircase and through the doors.
The three freshmen stared at each other before repeating in tandem, "Practice?!"
Ten minutes later, the freshmen were standing in front of Teiko's first-string basketball team. The dark black of Seirin's uniform stood out like a sore thumb as the three eyed the wall of middle schoolers in front of them. Furihata hadn't stopped shaking, his hands rolled up in a ball in front of his chest, wide brown eyes scanning over the group.
"I don't know about this," he whispered, eyeing a particularly tall middle schooler, "This seems a little scary—"
"They're middle schoolers," Fukuda deflected, pulling on a pair of wristbands with unnecessary bravado, "We play with Kagami! This will be nothing!"
Kawahara didn't share the same opinion, "We're going to die."
Tucked against the wall of Teiko's gymnasium, Hana watched as the first-string coach blew the whistle to start the skirmish. Black and white blurred into one, Seirin's freshmen trio working defense against three other offensive players from Teiko's team. Immediately, the difference in skill became apparent. Sorry guys, promise it's for a good cause.
"Don't kill them," Hana warned, rubbing a hand over her mouth as she caught Uoya's cat-like grin, "They're growing on me."
"It was your idea," Uoya teased, nudging her with his shoulder as Fukuda squeaked in alarm, "It'll be good for them. I know how it feels to miss out on the training you need when your team has frontliners."
"Still—" Hana winced, watching Furihata stumble through a shot, "My coach will kill me if they come back broken."
Uoya only hummed in amusement, "They've got to get stronger somehow."
Okay, Akashi-two-point-oh. Calm down a bit. Hana threw him a dry look, "Looks like you got an attitude with the promotion to captain, huh?"
"I learn from the best," a hand came out to roughly rub at her hair, Uoya grinning as he danced out of her retaliation, "Now come on, we can sneak into the locker room before coach notices."
Ah, yes. The whole reason for this little field trip. Taking another wary glance at her teammates struggling on the court as they battled the middle schoolers, Hana took a steadying breath before motioning for Uoya to lead the way. Ducking past the storage room, he pushed the metal door to the boy's dressing room open and held it open for her to sneak through.
It was exactly as she left it. Lockers lined the wall and the bench she'd spent so much time plotting out schemes was covered with tee shirts and half-empty water bottles. The familiar smell of sweat and rubber made her nose twitch.
It made her think of two teams. One familiar and brotherly, and the other something else. Something that felt like lead and butterflies fighting for space in her chest. She remembered teasing grins, playful shoves, casual conversation, and betrayal. Her eyes flicked to Akashi's old locker at the thought, a sour taste building on the back of her tongue as she remembered his parting words.
"This is weird," Hana eventually offered, eyeing the room, "I hate it."
"Brings back old memories, doesn't it?" Uoya chimed back, moving down the row of lockers to find the one they needed, "What's the code?"
Hana snorted as she watched him move. Yeah, memories. Like she needed more of those. She could die happily if all those nice pesky memories stayed buried deep in her chest, never to see the light of day again. Following his steps and trying to smother the nostalgia drying her throat, Hana rattled it off without thinking.
"Thanks, Hana-chan," Uoya twisted the lock, frowning as he worked to get it open, "Any idea what we're going to find in here? I'm hoping it's not a body—"
"Wouldn't doubt it," she grumbled under her breath, leaning against the next locker to watch him work, "It's Torio we're talking about here."
She didn't have a clue in hell what secrets awaited her in the locker, but Hana hoped it was information. Something she might be able to use. It'd leave a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing she was relying on Torio's twisted observations to get ahead, but it would be a sacrifice she'd have to make.
"If I go to jail because of you, I'm going to be so mad—" Uoya abruptly cut off as the locker clicked open. He blinked, once then twice before speaking, "It's a folder."
That's it? Hana dropped to her knees beside him, taking a chance to peer into the dark locker. He was right. The only thing in the otherwise empty locker was a plain manilla folder. Her fingers grew sweaty, failure creeping in. It can't just be that. Before she could think better of it, she grabbed the folder in question and pulled it out into the open.
"Don't—" Uoya tried to caution, but it was too late. He sighed, "Now it's going to have your fingerprints on it."
"We're literally dealing with a high school basketball league," Hana countered drily, flipping the folder open after setting it on her knees, "The police won't give a shit about anything we're doing—"
Well, she got her wish. It was information. Hana blinked down at the papers in her lap, trying to understand just what the hell she was looking at. The first name on the page wasn't immediately familiar to her, but it clicked shortly later. Sekiguchi. That was a senior player back at Teiko when Nijimura was captain. Green eyes scanned the rest of the page. Parents' name, home address, blood type, phone number—
Her mind stuttered to a halt.
Skimming through the introductory information and focusing on the next lines, Hana read everything twice to make sure she wasn't insane. Sekiguchi Ann (mother) had an affair with district lawyer Akemi Hayato. The next line down, Torio added an addendum. Sekiguchi Hideki (father) doesn't know. He'd also listed a separate phone number, but it wasn't clear who's it was.
"Uoya," she whispered in the sudden silence of the locker room, "We're fucked."
He immediately began to freak out, "Don't say that— why are you saying that—"
"This is blackmail," her breath caught in her chest as she finished reading the paragraph listed under his name, "He's got a whole packet of straight blackmail."
Her hand shook as she flipped to the next page and then the next, familiar names jumping out as the pile of shit they'd suddenly found themselves in grew. She refused to read anything more than their names, but it was enough. By the time she was done with her preliminary look-through, Hana recognized the name of every player from Teiko as well as the Uncrowned Kings.
As her fingers flipped to the last page, bile crept up her throat at the sight of her own name.
Her mind didn't want to work. Collapsing on her ass, Hana closed the folder and stared at the silver locker in front of her. This was bigger than what she'd expected— bigger than anything she planned to deal with. Dragging her tongue over the front of her teeth, Hana's hand shook as she rolled her finger on the sharp edges of the manilla folder.
No wonder Torio had been so obsessed with that damn binder. This was years on years of information that a normal middle schooler should have never had access to. God, Hana couldn't even wrap her head around why he'd want it in the first place. Except—
She remembered her confrontation with him after last year's game. The way he promised Hanamiya he'd get him the information he needed. Is this it? It was a bit much even for Hanamiya— his name was in the damn thing too. Before Hana could think better of it, she flipped the folder back open and rumbled through the pages, pulling up Hanamiya's own file.
Hana stared at it. One part of her died to read into it and know all the vile boy's secrets, but another— newer part of her rebelled. She thought about Kuroko and what he would think, thought about his name in those files. Thought about Aomine, Kise, Midorima, Murasakibara, and Akashi. They were all in here.
Her mind drifted to the memory of Akashi's snub— God, it would be so easy. Everything she needed to beat him was right here. Just thinking about his secrets made her nearly salivate. Tugging her lip into her mouth, Hana gnawed on it as she thought. I won't be useless. Hand hovering over the folder, she took a deep breath.
Can't always be the good guy.
The sound of ripping paper filled the air.
Meanwhile, Uoya's voice filtered back into her consciousness in phases, "What are you even supposed to do with that type of information?"
"I don't know, but—" Hana blinked away the cloud of her vision, determination ringing in her veins, "I'm taking this."
She lifted Hanamiya's information in the air.
Uoya's eyes went wide before his face shuttered in disappointment, "Hana, I don't think—"
Hana couldn't even blame him for being doubtful. She would have chosen differently in the past. The reminder of Akashi's name and the secrets his file might hold pulled at her restraint, but Hana reigned herself in. It'd be so easy. She shook the devious urge off. There was only so far she was willing to go to beat him and using Torio's information wasn't it.
But there were other ways this type of knowledge could help.
"I'm not using it," she clarified, heart pounding in her chest, "I'm not even going to read the damn thing, but I bet Torio's captain would be interested in knowing it exists. Don't you think?"
For several quiet seconds, Uoya only stared at her, "You're going to blackmail him with his own blackmail?"
Hana thought of Hanamiya and his malicious smile, she thought of Seto and Furuhashi and the way they'd cornered her in the hall. She thought of Kuroko's grimace and Hara's grin. Of the way Kiyoshi's leg bent as his knee caved in. She thought of Torio and his pestering, his threats, and his taunts. Finally, she thought of Akashi.
"Not quite," Hana smiled too wide, "I've got a plan."
!~! THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND REVIEWS !~!
I READ THEM AND I SCREAM
you're all the best motivators
(especially you guys who review every chapter, I love ya'll so much)
(also you lovely guests with the nice words and sweet reviews, you guys rock so much)
side note - I'm probably going to start adding some extra tidbits at the end of each chapter. These may/may not be canonical to the story, but if there's anything you all want to see (POVs, etc.) let me know!