It's not too far from his place, only fifteen minutes walk and Kise already noticed the low-rise apartment colored in broad white by his left. There were a few beds of daisies and tulips put nicely along the entrance. He pushed open the door, pressed a number he knew by heart, and when a beep sounded a quiet permission, Kise wordlessly went inside, taking the stairs to 7th floor. And by the time the sun merely inclined toward the west, he was standing in front of the door with '745' on it. He didn't ring a doorbell which sat under the name badge, barely a knock on the door and he could hear faint shuffles of feet. Kise managed a smile reserved for just one person who only seconds ago was behind this closed door. Now that the door was pulled ajar. The heather from inside brushed away the cold on his skin and when those bright-blue eyes lifted up to meet his, Kise couldn't help but leaned down. His hands were on both sides of the door as if to protect this very someone whose lips were warm against his from any possible harm.

So sweet, so lively, so alive. Kise thought as he breathed in the kiss. So vanilla

When he pulled reluctantly from the kiss, Kise brushed their noses together.

"I'm home." He whispered to Kuroko's ear.

.

"You know that it's okay if you decide not to go" Kise said from the bed, his voice hoarse. His eyes followed Kuroko as he bent down to pick up his sweatshirt.

Putting on his cloth, he looked at Kise. "But you're going?"

"Well, yes..."

"Then I'm going with you." Kuroko said tonelessly. He went back and sat on the side of the bed, humming as Kise's hand reached to tame his bed head. "It would be weird if all of Seirin are there and I'm not. It's been a long time since we last had the gathering."

Kise's hand stopped and slid to the side of Kuroko's cheek. His nervousness showed on his face. "I know that. It's just—"

"Is it because of Kagami-kun?"

Kise's lips were thin. His chest was tight but he had vowed to himself a long time ago that he would not ever do—or let—anything to make Kuroko suffer or bothered. So, he squeezed out a smile.

Of course, Kuroko saw through that. The smaller boy patted the area just above Kise's bare chest. His face was blank but his eyes locked gaze with Kise's.

"You know that I already made a decision." He said slowly, making sure every word go through , not only the ears, but the mind of the man before him. "And when I decide on something, I am adamant to keep it real and strong with me. Out of everyone, you should know that."

Kise couldn't hide his smile. His eyes gleamed like an amber reflected away the sunlight. "And you made a choice with me." He whispered.

"I made a choice with you." Kuroko echoed, faintly smiling. He got off the bed, pulling Kise with him. "Now that you get change and we can go. I'll go get the leash on Nigo. He misses everyone as much as we do and he needs a fresh of air too."

Kise's eyes stared after Kuroko's back until he left the bedroom. When he heard a bark and Kuroko's hush voice, he started to pull on the clothes. With one last deep breath, he walked out the room and shut behind the door.

Kuroko had made the decision. Kise had to believed that.

.

It was not easy. The first time he learned that he took a liking on boys. And not any other boy, that would have been much easier, it was the one and only Kuroko Tetsuya.

His teammate on the basketball team, his important friend since Junior High and been at the best of it down the road of the graduation from the University. Kise was clueless as when he had developed such a crush on this little man.

But it had to be somewhere along those times. It might have been when he was assigned to be under Kuroko's supervisor as he had merely gotten to the first-string. It might have been when he had experienced his pass for the first time during some match he couldn't quite remember long ago, though the small smile Kuroko gave him was still livid in his memory. Or it might have been that time, that one time when basketball started getting a little bit boring. Akashicchi fought with Murasakibaracchi to which Midorimacchi nonchalantly watched on the side line. Aominecchi had skipped practice again and Kurokocchi had gone after him. Later, much later on that day as the sky was painted in dark orange and nightfall started to creep in, did Kise find the light blue haired boy all alone, hidden in the shadow of the bridge near the river. His face turned away from Kise, head lowering and a small hand reaching to wipe something off his eyes.

And he could never forget the day with soft breeze and cold sky. The puff of air was so white he could literally see it before his eyes. It was their second WinterCup. Kise's team had made it to the final against Rakuzan. Seirin, on the other hand, had barely made it to the semifinals, and in half and hour they would have to go against Midorimacchi's team, securing the third place.

It was a casual incident, apparently. Kise was taking his time wandering outside the dome when he noticed Kuroko standing and looking aimlessly. He was wearing a pink muffle Kise recognized it was given as a present to him from Momoi on his birthday a year ago. Pink hues adorned his pale face. The leafless branches shook and the snow began to fall. Kuroko looked up and closed his eyes, hand reaching out just in time for the flake to land on his palm.

And for once, Kise didn't know how to approach his Kurokocchi, in the fear that he might break such scenery of pure beauty. Hence, Kise waited. Until the breeze picked up and Kuroko decided to go inside—to prepare for his match, Kise thought—that Kise turned away.

It was so subtle, his feelings. It was always there. No exchanging glances. No flashy incidents. No shoes left at midnight awaiting for some prince to pick up. There's also no 'I love you' and 'I love you too'. It just happened and Kise, without any resistance, was pulled into those bright blue eyes. He smiled when Kuroko's eyes lit up. He was happy when he heard Kuroko's small chuckle. He was nervous when he told Kuroko about his decision on quiting basketball, but was immediately relieved that Kuroko seemed all right with it. He was surprised and grateful they went to the same University. His brows furrowed when someone take notice on Kuroko. Not long after was his mood lifted up then, when Kuroko's eyes were on his, saying 'want to have a match, Kise-kun?'

His heart was broken when Kuroko received a call on one morning they decided to go to the campus together in which Midorima was currently waiting. Kise could tell how Kuroko's eyes went from unexpected surprise to blissful joy when he caught a name on the scene. Everything only went downfall after that.

One phone call and Kuroko's body got so tensed. It seemed he was frozen right there on the spot. Kise didn't know what had been exchanged between Kuroko and the one at the end of the line, though he could guess as much.

*"Kagami's acting weird since the morning." Kise called Aomine that night, seeing that he was on sports channel earlier, so he dialed the tanned man's number, asking teasingly how it felt like to be benched for a full forty minutes. That's it, when Aomine began to sway off the current conversation and instead talking about his roommate. "Damn wasted last night. Finding him lying on the sofa, stink as hell. And when he woke up he was yelling all the F- word. Guess he did something terrible last night."*

Kise hummed mindlessly. Aomine didn't let it go. "Anything happen over there?"

"Not quite..." he hesitated, but decided to tell him anyway. "I don't know if it's even connected. But Kurokocchi seems a bit down. I mean, he always carries such empty expression but since he received a call this morning, his face has been kind of...sad." Kise inhaled deeply. "I don't like it, Aominecchi."

there's silence, then "What is?"

"This. I think I can manage it, keeping, shutting it out completely, so he isn't burdened anymore than he is right now."

"You know about it too, do you?" Aomine simply probed. "About Tetsu and Kagami?"

"I thought it was just my baseless imagination." His hand rubbed over his face, suddenly feeling so tired. "But you know what? When you start taking an interest in something—someone, your eyes just automatically follow them and take notice on every motion. So yes, I know. I see the way Kurokocchi look at Kagamicchi. And Kagamicchi isn't subtle of his feeling at all." Kise breathed out a tight laugh. "I remembered how forlorn Kurokocchi had been when Kagamicchi decided to get off to US. But he keeps himself upright. No one ever calls Kurokocchi weak because he is not."

He could hear Aomine's soft hum in agreement. Kise continued,"He's been doing so well, Aominecchi. I know because I've never taken an eye off him, however, not until this morning and that damn phone call." He gritted his teeth, his eyes almost burned with rage. He blinked. "How dare he did that to *Kurokocchi*? Anything that can hurt him, *how dare*?"

"You don't know the whole story, Kise. Kagami isn't happy with what he did either." Aomine said, his voice voided of accusation. "Though I agreed Tetsu didn't deserve this. But this is all between them. Neither of us can determine who's right on the matter of feeling."

"But—"

"Hey, Listen good, 'Kay?" Aomine interrupted with a voice so serious Kise could only shut up. "Something might hit the wall between them. Or there might not be anything between them in the first place. Kagami got himself a few girlfriends, though it didn't last long, and you said Tetsu did too?"

Kise grumbled in response. He didn't like it one bit when he learned his smaller friend went on a date with some guy whose face resembled a koala. He was delight not long after that they broke apart in a mere span of one month time.

"there's a bond there, Kise. And it's only deserve for both Tetsu and Kagami. But that bond doesn't solely imply that they're romantically involved. There's possibility, yes. But that doesn't mean you should give up on Tetsu either."

"What?"

"You think I'm that dumb?" Aomine scowled. "Like you said about Kagami, you, Kise, your emotions just burst through your eyes whenever Tetsu was around."

Kise's face was red. He could feel the blood actually rush upward to the top of his head. "That's—-um, you know?"

"And because I do, you think the others didn't notice?" Aomine asked. "Man, even Murasakibara knows."

The blonde face's pale in realization. But then he was flooded with the relief. Seemingly no one was against his sexual preferences, not that he cared, of course. But because it's them, the ones he recognized as true friends, so it mattered to him internally.

"So, Aominecchi" Kise asked reluctantly. "You think I have a chance?"

"No one can give you that, bustard. You're the one to grasp it and make it your own."

The line was disconnected. Kise stared out of the window for a moment. He inhaled deeply and when his body's back to his calm composure, he pulled a phone to his ear, a signal beeped once, twice, then a quiet voice; "Hello?"

"Kurokocchi," Kise's voice was gentle. He started off to the door. "Mind go out with me for a sec? I've got something to tell you."

And that was the story of another time.

.

Now, though. While walking side by side with Kuroko and Nigo barked happily behind them, Kise had to think of what to do next when the light-shadow duo met in a couple of minutes. His head was ached already.

He rested his eyes on Kuroko's side profile and all he could think of in that very moment was that he could lose anything, anything at all that would prevent him from letting go of this blunette's hands.

He was prepared. Even he had to trade his soul. It was and forever will be this man that he would always wish and hope all the best for.

Kise loved Kuroko, that's the fact. And it wouldn't be changed for a very long time.