Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Kuroko no Basket!
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1st year – Too Academy
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Mac sat inside the gym with her notebook and pen. She tapped the pen against her lips as she thought. She had to find a way for them to actually get to play a match soon or she would never get the right impression on how they were doing on their training. But most teams were busy with the preliminaries for Winter Cup or rather the Championship league before the Winter Cup.
"Hm, I wonder…" Mac frowned.
"What are you thinking about?" Susa asked sitting down next to her and she blinked as she looked up at the larger boy. "You look like you're in deep thought."
"I just think we need to play a practice match soon," Mac said with a small smile.
Susa looked relieved for a reason that Mac couldn't understand but she pushed it away as he got a thoughtful look.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well, I want to see where you all are in your training," Mac explained. "To see how far you have gotten in the individual training that you all have been doing and how to best work it in a match. While we get to practice it here during practices, it's not the same as a real game."
Susa nodded slowly.
"Guess you have a point," he said.
"I'll figure something out," Mac said shrugging.
"Are you okay, Potter-san?" Susa asked bringing her attention back to him and saw him looking at her with a pensive look on his face. "I couldn't help but notice that you've been a little distracted lately. Does…does what happened after Seirin's match still bother you?"
"I'm alright, Susa-senpai," Mac said feeling guilty for making him worry. "I will admit that I am still a little upset over it, but mostly I'm just angry. I'll be fine, so you don't have to worry about me."
"We all will worry," Susa said kindly. "You're our friend, Mac. Remember that, okay?"
Mac blinked as he used her first name. He did that sometimes, but mostly he kept to her last name and she couldn't help but feel touched by his words. He always did try to make her comfortable and never pushed her. She appreciated that.
"Thank you," Mac said softly.
"Oi, Yoshinori," Imayoshi called.
"Seems like I have to go," Susa said getting up. "Good practice today, Mac."
"You too, senpai," Mac nodded and watched as he picked up his bag and left with Imayoshi. The rest of the team was also leaving but Mac stayed where she was and went back to her notes.
...
"You're here pretty late, Potter-san," Harasawa commented and Mac blinked as she looked up at the coach. She glanced at the clock and realised that it was much later than she thought.
"Oh, I forgot the time," Mac said.
"You did look like you were in deep thought," Harasawa said. "What are you working on now?"
"I'm trying to decide which team we should try to get a practice match against," Mac said. "I was making a list for you and thought that maybe you could try to fix it."
Harasawa smiled and shook his head slightly but Mac wasn't sure what he was thinking or why he did so, but he did seem intrigued.
"Do you have the list?" he asked.
"Yeah," Mac said and pulled it out.
He looked at it and Mac waited. She felt a little nervous. She hoped she hadn't overstepped or done something he didn't want her to do, but she just hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.
"Josei High?" Harasawa asked looking over at Mac.
"I thought they might offer a slightly different type of challenge," Mac said. "They're pretty good at defence and decent at offence. They also have a few taller players that will help Sakurai in his play and see how he will do against taller players that aren't Wakamatsu or Susa."
Harasawa nodded and looked at the list again.
"Senshinkan and Nozomi?" Harasawa read and nodded. "All good choices."
Mac smiled slightly.
"I'll see what I can do," he promised. "I think it would be a good idea to have another practice match before the Winter Cup starts."
...
It was a little tense back home at the moment and Mac tried to tell herself that it wasn't the reason she had stayed at the school for so long. She knew her uncle would be home and probably Taiga as well and she just wasn't sure what to say to them. She had agreed to see a therapist and she already regretted it, but she wouldn't back out. She would do it for her uncle's sake.
But shouldn't you do it for you?
A small voice in her mind whispered and she pushed it away as fast as it had come. She was kind of nervous about when she would be going to the therapist. Had her uncle made the appointment yet? Who was it? The questions swirled around and refused to leave her alone.
She sighed as she entered the apartment and made her way to her room. She fell back on the bed and closed her eyes suddenly feeling exhausted. She heard Nao settled next to her and make a soft sound and she glanced at him and saw his tails out and he seemed to glow a little. He had six tails now and she couldn't believe how fast he was growing (?).
"Such a beautiful boy you are, Nao," Mac cooed and scratched his ear.
Nao purred and puffed out proudly making Mac smile a little.
"Mac," Taiga was standing in the door and looked at her. She sat up and she knew Nao had hidden his tails again.
"What do you want, Taiga?" Mac asked.
He looked hurt and she felt a flash of guilt go through her as she looked at him. She really shouldn't be blaming him… she sighed.
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to be rude."
"It's okay," Taiga shuffled on his feet. "I…I know you're upset and I don't blame you, but…I am sorry."
Mac looked at him and saw that he was sincere and she realised that she had missed him.
"Well, come in and sit down, Taiga," Mac said. "If you don't mind Nao being here, or we could go to the living room? Or your room?"
He hesitated and looked at Nao who seemed pretty settled on the bed and had his head on his front paws. He had one eye open looking at Taiga but he looked to be ready to fall asleep.
"I'll…It's fine," Taiga said after a moment and sat down at her office chair while she was on the bed. Mac smiled slightly.
"So, I heard you won against Senshinkan," Mac said. "Congratulations."
"Thanks," Taiga said. "It was a rough match, but we won. How did you know?"
Mac arched a brow, "Teppei told me."
"You still talk to him," Taiga said.
"Of course," Mac blinked surprised. "You already knew that, though. Teppei is a friend."
"And Aomine lets you?" Taiga asked.
"Daiki can't stop me from talking with my friends," Mac frowned. "And he hasn't tried to either."
Taiga nodded, "that's good."
Mac shrugged and looked away feeling a little awkward. She wanted to ask about Alex, but at the same time, she didn't want to talk about her. While she was curious as to what Taiga could possibly see in the older woman (she wasn't exactly a girl anymore), she also was stubborn and didn't want to show interest. It might not make sense to anyone, but it made sense to her.
"We're playing that Midorima-guy tomorrow," Taiga said.
"I know," Mac smiled slightly. "I plan on coming to watch."
"Really?" Taiga's face lit up and Mac felt guilty all over again when she saw the honest happiness on his face just at the thought that she would come and watch him play.
"Yes," Mac nodded with a smile.
"Awesome!" he cheered. "Are you coming alone?"
Mac laughed. "Is that your way of asking if Daiki is coming?"
"No," Taiga blushed and looked away.
"I don't know if Daiki is coming," Mac shrugged. "He has expressed a small interest in seeing Tetsu and Midorima play, but I don't know if it will be enough to get him to actually go and watch you play."
Taiga huffed.
"But I guess Imayoshi, Susa and Sakurai will come," Mac said, "and probably Kise."
Taiga nodded.
"We just have two matches left," Taiga said. "Before it is decided who's going to be qualified to the Winter Cup."
"Are you nervous?" Mac asked curiously.
"Excited," Taiga grinned. "It's Shutoku tomorrow and then there is Kirisaki Daiichi the day after that."
Mac frowned when he mentioned the last school and she fisted her hands tightly. That was the school where he was and she really didn't want to see him play against Kiyoshi again… what if he tried to hurt him again? Mac refused to allow that to happen.
"Mac?" Taiga looked at her concerned.
"Nothing," she smiled. "Sorry, just got lost in thought."
"Okay," Taiga said but still looked concerned.
He couldn't help but remember his seniors' reaction to that team or rather Hanamiya Makoto when Kiyoshi had stayed back to talk to him after their last match.
-Flashback-
"Does it have anything to do with that guy in the corner?" Taiga asked when Hyuga was asked if Kiyoshi had forgotten something.
"You noticed that?" Hyuga asked suddenly serious and the rest of the second years turned serious as well.
"Yes, only that he was good," Taiga said.
"Well, it's nothing to hide," Hyuga said. "In the world of middle school basketball, Teiko's Generation of Miracles was the best. Needless to say, they're the five prodigies whose stunning power led to three national championships. However, there were others one year older. Five talented players capable of going head-to-head with the Generation of Miracles. If they'd been born in another era, they might have been called the Generation of Miracles. Including Kiyoshi, the five of them are known as the Uncrowned Kings."
Taiga blinked and glanced at Tetsuya who was frowning as he looked at Hyuga, but he didn't look surprised by this.
"That guy was one of them," Hyuga said. "The Bad Boy Hanamiya Makoto."
-End flashback-
Taiga looked at Mac who was frowning and looked like she was thinking about something that made her worry and maybe even pained her, but what about that team could pain her? He remembered Tetsuya saying later that Hanamiya Makoto was dangerous, but he refused to say anything else. Even though it was clear that he knew what it was about.
Should he ask Mac? He was sure she knew given the look on her face and because she always knew the players on the other teams. And if Hanamiya was a part of the same group as Kiyoshi then Taiga was sure Mac would know something about him. But he didn't ask. Something about the look on her face kept him from asking so when she changed the subject he let her.
They talked for a while longer until Tarou came and told them that he had prepared some snacks for them and they joined him in the living room. Mac couldn't help but think that it was almost like before, but she was aware that there was a tension there between them now. But she had a hope that one day it would be gone.
...
Mac wasn't sure what she was doing here but she was worried. She looked up at the house and wondered if she was overstepping her welcome. It was a Saturday so she hoped that she would be home. Inhaling she pushed the doorbell and waited.
Soon she heard footsteps inside coming closer until the door opened and an older woman stood there. She had half-long grey hair and kind blue eyes.
"Hello," she said.
"Hey, um, is Ueno…um, Setsuko, home?" Mac asked awkwardly.
Mac noticed that the woman's smile turned a little sad but she nodded.
"Setsuko is home," she said. "Are you one of her friends?"
"Yes, I'm Potter Mackenzie," Mac nodded. "She's been helping me with my martial arts lessons."
"Ah, I remember Setsuko talking about you, Potter-san," the woman said. "I'm her grandmother, Ueno Rika."
"Nice to meet you, Ueno-san," Mac said.
"You too," Ueno Rika smiled and looked over her shoulder. "Come in."
Mac followed her inside wondering if she was doing the right thing or not, but it was too late to change her mind now. She followed the older woman farther into the house and soon they stopped in front of a door.
"Setsuko, dear," Ueno Rika called as she knocked on the door. "A friend is here to see you."
Mac swallowed as the older woman pushed the door opened and Mac blinked when Ueno Rika looked at her and motioned for her to enter the room.
"Go in," she said. "I'll bring you something to drink."
"Oh, you don't…" Mac started but the older woman was already moving away and Mac sighed softly before she looked into the room. She hesitated for a second before she entered the room.
The room was kind of messy like Ueno hadn't bothered to clean up in a few days but it was a nice room. It had the bed (where Ueno was lying) and a desk with a laptop, a bookcase filled with books and different rewards from her martial arts competitions. She also saw the pictures on the wall of whom Mac guessed to be Ueno's friends and family.
"Ueno?" Mac turned her attention to the girl on the bed.
"Mac?" Ueno sounded a little groggy like she hadn't used it in a while, as she turned somewhat toward where Mac was standing. "What are you doing here?"
"I was worried about you," Mac said. "So I wanted to see if you were okay."
"I'm fine," Ueno muttered turning back again and buried deeper into the bed.
Mac was at a loss on what to say or do. She wasn't good at this. She was not good at handling other people who weren't one of her team. If it had been Daiki or Seijuro or even one of the others she would have known better on how to handle them, but she was not sure what to do when it came to Ueno.
"Alright," Mac said shifting a little uncomfortable on her feet.
A tense and awkward silence stretched between them and Mac wondered if she should just go. She didn't want to be pestered if she was in a bad mood so maybe she should just let Ueno be on her own if that was what she wanted.
"Setsuko, sit up when you have company," Ueno Rika scolded when she finally entered the room with a tray with drinks and snack on it. She put the tray down at the desk and turned to her granddaughter. "You should offer your guest a seat you know."
Ueno pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed and Mac noticed how pale she looked and her eyes were red. She swallowed.
"Potter-san, sit down," Ueno Rika said calmly and smiled at Mac. "It's very nice of you to come and see our Setsuko."
Mac glanced at Ueno who tried to smile but it felt a little flat. Mac swallowed again and turned her attention back to Ueno Rika.
"Um, maybe this is a bad time," Mac said. "I could…"
"No, no," Ueno Rika said. "I'm sure Setsuko is glad to see you. Well, I'll leave you two alone to talk. I'm in the living room if you need anything."
"Thank you," Mac said politely.
The older woman left the room and closed the door behind her leaving Mac and Ueno in silence.
...
"Well, sit down," Ueno said quietly. "Or grandma will be back and lecture us both."
A small smile crossed her lips and Mac felt some of the tension leave her.
"I can just leave if you really want to be alone," Mac offered but she did sit down at the office chair and turned it so she was facing Ueno.
"It's fine," Ueno said.
Silence. Mac fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she tried to find something to say. Anything, but her mind was blank.
"I missed a lesson with you, didn't I?" Ueno suddenly asked.
"Yes, but that's fine," Mac said looking at her.
"I'm sorry," Ueno said.
Mac smiled and nodded, "as I said, it's fine. That's not why I'm here. I just worried since I haven't heard from you and thought I would stop by on my way to a basketball match to see how you were."
Ueno looked at her.
"Oh, you're going to watch or play?" she asked clearly trying to fill the silence as well.
"Watch;" Mac said. "Seirin against Shutoku."
Ueno blinked, "oh. They're playing today. Right."
Mac took a sip of the lemonade Ueno Rika had brought them and observed Ueno. She really didn't look like she was fine. Should she ask again? Was this how others felt when they looked at her and was concerned? This hesitation on how it would be received if you asked? The worry of being brushed off or rejected?
"My parents are fighting," Ueno finally said.
Mac blinked and looked at her again.
"It was pretty bad, and dad left and then mum…" Ueno trailed off and got a faraway look in her eyes. "They will be back. I'm sure. I think they just need time to think…" The "at least I hope so" was not said but it hung heavily in the air.
"I'm sorry," Mac said not knowing what to say.
"They have been for a while," Ueno admitted looking at Mac. "Fighting, I mean. But it got pretty bad a few days ago when…when…"
Mac put her glass down and walked over to the bed and sat down beside Ueno. She didn't try to touch her or anything but she just felt like she needed to be closer. It was like something in her said that she should be closer.
"I lost at a martial arts tournament," Ueno finally continued pained. Mac noticed her hands were fisted in her lap and her knuckles had turned white. "I should have won, but I made a mistake and was unfocused. My head wasn't in the match and I lost."
Mac sat in silence as she listened to Ueno and didn't interrupt knowing that she should just let her talk, but also because she didn't know what to say.
"My mum…she got upset," Ueno said. "She was really angry that I lost. Dad tried to calm her down but mum just continued to yell and tell me that I had to focus on the martial arts if I wanted to go somewhere with it. Or I should just quit because I would be wasting her time if I didn't put in the effort in it."
Mac frowned slightly. She wasn't sure what to think, but it was clear that Ueno had a lot of pressure on her from her mum. It was something Mac couldn't relate all that well to. Would her mum or dad pressure her about basketball? Though, she guessed it would have been quidditch in her place because if her parents had been alive she would have been brought up in the magical world and she probably wouldn't have been introduced to basketball…or Daiki… It was a sobering thought, but not something she should be thinking about right now.
"My dad got so mad that he left and said that he couldn't be with someone who would only see the sport and not the person and that mum always pushed him away because of my tournaments and chances to win," Ueno said. "Mum didn't protest only said that he was too weak to go for what he wanted."
She paused.
"My grandmother came to stay with me since my parents both just left," Ueno said, "they both hate me. It's my fault…"
"Hey," Mac protested. "This isn't your fault, Ueno. You're not to blame for your parents' problems."
Mac hated not knowing what to do or say in order to help her friend. Ueno was her friend and Mac wanted to help her, to fix her problems but there was nothing she could do. She was not sure if Ueno really realised all she had told Mac, but guessed that she had been keeping it in for a long time and it was just pouring out of her now.
Mac saw the pain in Ueno's face and without thinking too much Mac pulled the other girl into a hug and felt how Ueno was tense at first but then she relaxed and hugged Mac back. Mac just held her and ignored the feeling of her shirt turning wet on her shoulder. She just stroked her back and tried to comfort her the best she could.
...
It was a while later when Mac had to leave in order to make it to the match. Ueno had calmed down and looked to be feeling a little better even if she still looked to be hurting. Mac couldn't understand how any parent could cause their daughter to feel this bad because of a lost match in a martial arts tournament. It kind of reminded her of how Seijuro worried about losing and disappointing his father. What kind of parent would pressure their kids like that? However, it wasn't that hard for her to believe that they could do that. She had seen enough from adults that said that they weren't fit to care for kids (or teens in this matter).
Mac had seen how Ayano and Takehiro who both supported Daiki with his basketball; they never expected him to be perfect in it. They never made him think that he was less if he didn't win. For Mac that had become how parents should react to their kids playing.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Mac asked hopefully. "It will be an interesting and fun match."
Ueno smiled and shook her head.
"I think I will need to be on my own for a little while," she said. "But thank you, Mac."
"What for?" Mac blinked. "I haven't done anything."
"You have done plenty," Ueno smiled softly. "I…I really needed this, but I didn't know how to ask for it."
"Well, you're welcome," Mac smiled. "I'll call you later, okay?"
Ueno nodded.
"I could stay with you if you want," Mac said not sure if she should leave like this. She didn't really want to leave Ueno alone right now.
"No, you should go and watch your friends play," Ueno said. "I'm fine."
"But…"
"I'm going to be fine, Mac," Ueno reassured her. "I just need a little time."
Mac nodded reluctantly. "Well, if you change your mind…"
Ueno nodded and waved when Mac turned to leave.
...
Mac still felt conflicted as she entered the arena where Seirin and Shutoku were going to be playing. Should she really have left Ueno? But she had seemed like she wanted some time alone and Mac knew very well that after having talked like that, confiding things like that, one would feel exhausted and exposed. So maybe it was a good thing to allow her some time alone. And it wasn't like she was completely alone. Her grandmother was there and hopefully, her parents would be back soon.
Not that they deserved a daughter like Ueno. Someone so kind and hardworking… how could they let their own issues take over like that? It made Mac feel angry and she really wanted to yell at someone, but she couldn't.
"Mac-cchi!"
Mac blinked and turned just in time to see the hyper blond bounce toward her before she found herself in a strong pair of arms. She gasped slightly as he hugged her tightly but only patted his back in return and didn't try to get free.
Well, until…
"Air!" She gasped.
"Sorry," Ryota pulled back grinning sheepishly.
"Ah, no Kasamatsu today?" Mac asked looking around Ryota and finding that no one was following behind him.
"No, not today," Ryota pouted. "No one wanted to come and watch with me…"
Mac laughed and shook her head. "Well, you'll have to manage with me today, then."
Ryota beamed and hugged her again.
"That's not too bad," he said.
Mac chuckled before she managed to pull free from him again. They entered the stands looking down at the court together and saw the two teams entering the court.
Ryota chatted as they watched while Mac nodded and hummed in response while her mind went over details she could pick up about Shintaro and his team before he looked over at Tetsuya and Taiga and the others.
"They all look like they are ready for this," Mac said before smiling slightly. "This will be a good one."
...
Seirin – Shutoku: 1st quarter – start
...
The game started with high speed and many situations right off the bat. Both teams showed great intent in winning the ball and stopping the other from doing their thing.
"Wow… he's jumping higher than before," Ryota said with wide eyes as he looked at Taiga.
Mac smiled slightly as she saw the slight change in Taiga and knew he had grown more in his skills.
"He has gotten stronger," Mac said.
Ryota laughed as he smirked looking eager.
"Ah, there you are, Mac," Imayoshi's voice called and Mac looked over her shoulder and spotted Imayoshi, Susa and Sakurai coming toward them.
"Hey," she said. "You're late. The game has begun."
"Sorry!" Sakurai apologized with a bow.
Mac looked back at the court and the two teams who were playing again and Shintaro who kept shooting and Taiga stopping him. She saw Riko startled as she stared at Shintaro.
"Hm, she hadn't realised?" Mac murmured.
"Realised what?" Sakurai asked having heard her.
Mac glanced at him before looking back at the court.
"Midorima isn't the type to work on something new and flashy," Mac explained as she watched her friend. "He will have worked on what he's already good at and his endurance so he can do that longer. If he can shoot longer than Taiga can jump…well, he'll win their duel if he can manage that."
"Do you think Midorima-cchi will win their duel?" Ryota asked curiously.
Mac tilted her head as she watched them both.
"Hm, maybe," she said. "Though…Taiga is stubborn as well and refuses to give up… though…"
Her eyes found Shintaro on the court and she hummed pensively as she watched him. There was something about him that had her wondering if maybe Seirin would have more problems with him that they realised... She guessed only time would tell.
...
23-16: 9 minutes played – 1st quarter
...
Seirin was in the lead and seemed to be pretty solid, but Mac knew that Shutoku would come. It was still early. She heard cheers for Seirin and the audience seemed to be happy with what Seirin had shown. She could tell that Teppei looked uneasy and knew he was aware of Shutoku's strength and had not taken anything as a given just yet.
"Teppei knows that they won't win this easily," Mac commented.
"Nah, they won't," Ryota agreed. "Though…I am a little surprised that Midorima-cchi and his team have let Seirin take it this far."
"Yes, Seirin looks good," Imayoshi nodded with a smile that honestly creeped Mac out.
Mac frowned slightly as she looked at Taiga. He was breathing harder and looked to be tired already. Seirin had been relying too much on him already.
"They need to get Tetsu more involved in the game," Mac said but knew it was not that easy with how Takao had changed his mark and was now following Tetsuya with his hawk-eyes.
...
"He made it!"
"Who made that pass?!"
"That was incredibly fast!"
Mac smiled as she saw the result of one of Tetsuya's strength. His absolute belief in his teammates and hardworking attitude. And then his pass had been great.
"That's amazing," Sakurai said.
"He's still practically invisible," Imayoshi smirked.
"But it looks like Shutoku has a player that can see him pretty well," Susa observed calmly.
Mac heard them but didn't comment as she looked at Shintaro who was looking focused and serious as always. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic seeing him like that. She had seen that look on his face plenty of times and it always meant that he was planning something.
She also knew that when he added the fake shots into the real ones he was making it even more difficult for Taiga to stop him.
...
"I knew it," Mac smiled slightly as she watched the court.
"Eh?" Ryota blinked shocked. "Did Midorima-cchi just pass?"
"He did," Mac confirmed.
"But…but…he never passes!" Ryota whined. "Not when he's about to shoot!"
"Well, well," Imayoshi hummed. "He sure will make it more difficult for Seirin now… if they can't be sure if it's a shot, a fake or a pass…"
"That's right," Mac nodded. "He has taken steps in his game."
Ryota looked at her, "you're not surprised are you?"
Mac glanced at him, "are you? You know Midorima is a winner. He knows now that he needs his team to win against Seirin. Didn't you too change how you thought about your team after losing to Tetsu?"
Ryota frowned before he smiled and nodded.
"So, do you think Seirin will be able to win now?" Susa asked.
Mac thought for a moment as her eyes found Teppei who seemed to be talking with his team and he looked calm like he always was.
"Not necessarily," Mac said. "Teppei is good at calming his team down and make them work together."
She could practically hear him say: Let's have some fun.
"You really have faith in your ex," Imayoshi grinned.
Mac rolled her eyes but didn't answer. She wasn't sure why everyone seemed to think it was so strange that she had a good relationship with Teppei even after they had broken up. She was lucky he still saw her as a friend.
...
The game continued and both teams scored. It was like they both thought that as long as we can't stop you then we just have to keep scoring ourselves. It went fast both ways.
"It kind of looks like us," Sakurai said surprised. "They didn't look like this when we played them."
"They're back," Mac said her eyes sharp as she took in this Seirin. "With Teppei back, they are back to playing their offensive team play. With Teppei on the inside and Hyuga on the outside, they made quite the team last year."
...
45-43: 20 minutes played – 2nd quarter (end)
...
Mac noticed her as she listened to the others discuss the match and how they thought the second half would go. It was just chance that she had let her eyes scan the spectators and saw her standing not that far from her.
Her face blanked as she watched the blond woman looking down at the court even though both teams had left the court for their break. Alex looked pensive as she was looking at the court. She suddenly looked up and looked directly at Mac.
Mac looked away and fisted her hands as she tried to not look over again and wondered if Alex would approach her.
"Mac-cchi?" Ryota asked.
"I need some air," Mac said and turned to leave.
Mac ignored the worried look as she left and wished Daiki would have been there. She walked slightly faster than she needed to until she got outside and inhaled deeply. The fresh air filled her lunges and calmed her down somewhat and she could hear the rain as it pounded on the half-roof above her head and the pavement.
"Kenzie?" a familiar voice asked and she blinked as she looked up.
"Daiki!" Mac gasped and without more thought, she rushed into his arms and hugged him.
"Are you alright?" Daiki asked still holding her.
She felt safe in his arms.
"Fine," she said suddenly feeling silly.
"You looked upset," Daiki said pulling back so he could look at her.
"I just…overreacted," Mac sighed closing her eyes as he cupped her face between his hands. "I saw Alex."
He blinked before he scowled.
"Did she talk to you?" Daiki asked.
"No, she didn't," Mac said.
Daiki frowned but nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Is this your boyfriend?" another voice asked and Mac tensed before she spun around. Alex stepped out of the door and looked at her.
"What do you want?" Mac asked her voice tight.
"I wanted to apologize," Alex said glancing between them. "Potter-san, I really am sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have done it."
Mac narrowed her eyes as she felt angry and she could feel it threatening to overwhelm her but the feeling of Daiki's arms around her, hugging her from behind, made her calm down and she inhaled.
"No, you shouldn't," Daiki snapped.
Alex looked at him and then at Mac again.
"You have to know that Taiga never approved of it," Alex said. "So, at least don't be mad at him."
Mac bristled a little.
"I am perfectly aware of that," she said. "I'm not angry at Taiga."
Alex nodded, "well, that's good. I know we got a bad start and that it's my fault. I really do hope, though, that we might be able to become friends. Taiga means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to him if we can get along."
Mac narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alex.
"Well, I don't think that's possible," Mac said. "I don't like you and I don't like what you did. You don't think about what it might mean for anyone else. It's not okay."
Alex looked at her and nodded, "I know. I have done a lot of thinking since…since it happened and I do realise that it was wrong."
"You realise or my uncle made you think so?" Mac challenged. "Or are you just worried about losing Taiga?"
"Hey, Taiga is a friend," Alex said. "Nothing more. He's more like a little brother, an annoying little brother at times, but I never have done anything inappropriate toward him."
Mac believed her but she wasn't sure it changed anything.
"And while your uncle had some good points and I know he was right," Alex said, "I realised that it was wrong and it wasn't just because of what he said. Potter-san, I am sincerely sorry. I promise that I never meant anything by it and I know that it doesn't make it alright."
Mac sighed and felt tired, "no, it doesn't."
Alex nodded, "I know. I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry."
Mac looked at her and sighed.
"Fine, you did," Mac said. "But I am not sure it changes anything."
Alex nodded and gave a small smile and turned to leave.
...
Mac let out a relieved breath when she left and sank into Daiki who was still hugging her. It felt kind of good to have gotten to talk to Alex even if she wasn't sure she would be able to forgive her. At least not yet. But maybe later…if not for any other reason that it would mean a lot to Taiga.
"You didn't say much;" Mac said.
"You handled it pretty well," Daiki said. "Thought you should say what you were thinking so I didn't want to interrupt too much."
"Thank you," Mac said turning in his arms and smiling up at him. "You are rather awesome."
"I'm awesome, not rather awesome," Daiki mock growled and kissed her.
Mac laughed as she pulled back and smiled at him.
"Of course," she said before calming down again. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled slightly.
"I decided that I wanted to meet you after the match," Daiki shrugged. "So I was waiting here for you."
"Why not come in and watch?" Mac asked.
He shrugged.
"Well, I am sure it has started again so I should go back," Mac said. "Come with me?"
He looked at her and she saw him give in and she grinned.
"Fine," he said looking a little resigned.
"Great!" Mac smiled.
...
...
AN: So, finally a new chapter! What do you think? XD
Hope you liked it. I know it is a little filler-ish.
So, Hanamiya Makoto will appear in the next one... Any ideas slash wishes for how Mac should handle him? Do you think she should involve herself? Or should she allow Seirin to handle him (like they do in the anime)? I'm curious to hear what you think about it. :)
Thank you all so much for your support, reviews and your patience! Have a nice weekend (soon) and day/night! XD Also, thank you to the guest reviewers! I appreciate every review I get. XD