Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Enjoy this chapter as I struggle to get back into the habit of writing somewhat decently again! (It's hard ya'll, ya girl is struggling here. Expect me to tweak this chapter when I get self-conscious about it lol)

Warnings: Bad language, threats of violence, an author struggling to learn how to write again, and lazy editing! Woo-hoo!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Kuroko no Basuke nor do I lay claim to any canonical references!


Well, That's One Way to Say Thank You

Sometimes Hana hated being on the sidelines.

This was one of those times.

The game had barely started and already she was ready for it to be over.

Goodbye perfect day, it was nice knowing you.

You know that sick feeling you get deep in your chest when something just doesn't feel right? The way your palms sweat and your heart pounds so hard it almost hurts, as you wait for the other shoe to drop and the shitshow to begin? Call her crazy, but Hana's sixth sense was tingling and boy it did not feel good. What was that feeling called—

Oh, that's what it is.

Dammit, she was worried.

This was not good.

Twisting precariously on her seat to remove some of the moisture building up her spine, Hana huffed, "This was a baaaad idea."

Leaning past Kagami's body, Hyuuga raised a brow in her direction. His chair squeaked awkwardly with his question, "What'd you say, Imamura?"

"I shouldn't have come," she grumbled in return, "This kind of stress isn't healthy."

"You are looking a bit like Kagami, Imamura-chan," offered Furihata. Unhelpfully might I add. Considering the circumstance, Hana didn't have the heart to give him anything more than a mild glare.

Her answer only made Hyuuga more confused, both of his brows raising incredulously, "Why are you so worked up? The games barely started."

"Dunno," Hana's reply was generally unconstructive, and thankfully she missed Kagami roll his eyes. Instead, she fiddled with a pigtail, "It's just stressful, you know? At least when it's us on the court, I can do something. Up here I'm stuck watching. It's dumb."

The captain and a few of her fellow teammates stared dubiously. As one of the bravest among them, Riko ventured, "I didn't realize you were that concerned about Kise-san."

"I'm not!" Hana snapped back. Geeze get a grip. With a scoff of displeasure, she leaned back into her chair and tucked her arms across her chest. "I just have a shitty feeling, that's all."

She didn't notice Kuroko's sympathetic glance.

Pulling an already abused lip between her teeth, Hana watched as the two teams raced across the court. From her and the team's seating, the players looked minuscule and the details of their facial expressions were masked by the distance. While it added to her anxiety, it was probably for the best. At least now I don't have a soundtrack to the bullshit.

Hana wasn't sure if she could handle hearing the disregard Aomine had shown her directed to Kise. Might break her already fragile hold on her temper— her team had always said she was a bit too much of a mama-bear.

Her knuckles twitched as Tōō took charge of the game, making short fingernails scrape against the plastic chair beneath her. Her previous defiance against Aomine hadn't settled her nerves as she'd hoped. Instead, it only fueled her adrenaline and with nothing to do except watch, Hana was becoming increasingly anxious. On her left, Kagami shot her an assessing look but his attention was easily drawn back to the game.

"God. I just can't wait until the day karma bites Aomine in the ass," Hana groaned under her breath when the aforementioned player stole the ball from Kasamatsu, "Jerk won't know what hit him—he'll be the one crying next time around. I swear to god—"

"Hana," on her right, Kuroko laid his hand on top of her own in reprimand, "Please calm down."

Nope. Hana shook her head, "Can't do it."

"I understand this might be upsetting—"

"Dude, I'm not upset. I'm—I don't know!" Hana cut Kuroko off just in time to see Sakurai score a three-pointer. The first point of the game. Unclenching her hand, she rubbed at her cheek and shot him a mildly apologetic look, "I promise I'm trying. But his stupid face—"

"Both of you shut up," Kagami hissed, "Look."

Copying Sakurai's previous movements, Kise took a delicate step back before gently lobbing the ball into the air. It was a prime moment for Kaijo to catch up, but of course, Aomine had to intervene. Coming out of goddamn nowhere, the Tōō ace jumped to block the shot, his tan fingers barely scraping the ball but causing it to veer off course.

Shoulders slumping, Hana hardly listened as Kagami spat out a scoff.

See, this is why you shouldn't care about people. Her thoughts muttered sarcastically in the back of her consciousness. To be fair, it probably was a mistake allowing herself to become personally invested in the game beforehand. Should have just kept her mouth shut, but noooo. Now Hana was worried she'd somehow spurred Aomine on and wasn't that just great?

A brief moment of reprieve came in the form of Kasamatsu, who stole the ball from Imayoshi and made another three-pointer. With that, the score was tied for a quick moment.

Pushing his glasses up a smidge, Hyuuga murmured in appreciation, "That was impressive. He made that shot so suddenly…"

"He's good," Izuki agreed, but his tone belayed caution, "But I'm not sure they can keep up defensively."

Hana had to agree, even if she didn't want to, "With Aomine on the court, they're gonna wanna stay offensive as long as possible."

"Can they do that though?" Riko chimed into the speculation, fingers steepled in front of her chin, "Keeping them on the defensive won't be easy."

"When is it ever easy?" Hanna sighed as she leaned back into her chair. Meanwhile, the game continued with Tōō taking possession of the ball, thanks to their resident miracle. Green eyes trailed toward the game board and focused in on the seconds clicking down. Basketball is starting to exhaust me these days.

"It is likely Aomine-kun will win this," Kuroko's input didn't help Hana's mood much, "Kise-kun has never won against him before."

She ignored the resulting questions that popped up in return to Kuroko's assessment. Taking three deep breaths, Hana brought her hands over her eyes and deflated. Calm the hell down, Imamura. The mental pep talk only worked until she heard the announcer declare that Tōō scored another shot.

Well, the game isn't going anywhere. Might as well get settled in for an emotional shit show.

"Stupid feelings," dragging her fingers over her face one last time, Hana took one more calming breath before focusing back on the game. Spitting her distaste under her breath, she settled in for the long haul, "Couldn't you have chosen another time to make your grand appearance?"

X

On the Court...

Florescent light drenching his back, Kise opened his arms wide, fingers ready to swoop in and steal the ball if an opening presented itself. Across the mid-court line, Aomine held the ball between his palms. His navy eyes slanted toward Kasamatsu before a sardonic smirk lifted up the corner of his lips. Feeling the tension ricochet higher, Kise dropped his stance in anticipation.

"I see," lowering the ball between his legs, Aomine started a lazy dribble. He cut his eyes toward Kasamatsu, "A dependable senior."

Eyes narrowing, Kise's golden gaze flicked subconsciously toward the ball. Its dribble pattern turned erratic and the muscles in his spine tightened in preparation for movement. Aomine's smirk fell flat and the noise of the ball jolting against the faux-wooden floor was all could be heard across the court until he spoke again.

"You think that if you can't fight me by yourself, you'll all fight me at once?" The ball bounced twice and Aomine's foot shifted, "You're just as bad as Tetsu. Have a change of heart after losing to him?"

"What? When'd I say anything like that?" Kise felt a smile pull up his lips, almost mocking in nature. Eyes flicking between Aomine's gaze and the ball, Kise offered a mild taunt, "Careful, Aomine-cchi, you almost sound jealous."

"Tch," the sound Aomine offered came from the back of his throat and Kise took a moment's joy in the tightening of his foe's eyes, "Like I'd care about your stupid idea of teamwork."

Aomine's left foot moved a smidge and Kise widened his stance to accommodate. Mischievous eyes sparkling, he retorted, "Sure. But I guess you could say, I've started to acknowledge Kuroko-cchi's thinking. It's kind of nice isn't it? Though I still want to win—so right now I don't care about what's correct. Really, I just want to beat you."

"What?" Aomine's mouth opened a bit, his dribbling coming off tempo for just the slightest second. Analytic eyes zeroed in on the movement and Kise swallowed in expectancy.

"You know I'm not mature enough to play basketball," Kise offered, making sure his stare never left Aomine's own, "And focus on reason over instinct."

Smirk crawling back to life, Aomine huffed out a jaded laugh, "Alright. Bring it on."

A brief moment's pause was the only warning Kise had before Aomine pounced into movement.

Dribbling picking up speed, Kise's opponent sauntered from foot to foot, his intense gaze never wavering as he searched for an opening. When he jolted right, Kise was prepared enough to move with him, ready to slap the ball out of his grasp only to be surprised when Aomine spun on his heel, ducking under Kise's reach and switching to the undefended left side. Fast!

With a mild huff of frustration, Kise altered his trajectory and spread his arms wide to prevent Aomine from taking the incoming shot. The stance caused Aomine to briefly halt, but he only eyed Kise in mild disappointment before casually throwing the ball over his shoulder in a formless shot. Aomine barely had a millisecond to question the gleam that appeared in Kise's eyes before he was moving.

Imitating Kagami with practiced precision, Kise took a step back before jumping as high as he could. It was of little surprise to him when his palm smacked into the ball, but it sent the rest of the court into silence as Kise landed smoothly, the ball now in Kaijo's possession.

Rolling the ball between his palms, Kise couldn't prevent the playful tilt to his lips as he stared back at Aomine. While the fellow player's eyes narrowed in consideration, a smidge of glee flashed over Kise's features. Weren't expecting that, Aomine-cchi?

The players were given a moment's rest when the whistle for a time out sounded. Dribbling the ball at his feet once, Kise gently tossed it toward the referee and made his way toward his team's bench closely followed by his teammates. Kasamatsu gave his shoulder a solid pat of appreciation before the captain veered off to talk to their coach.

As Kise passed Tōō's bench, Aomine dropped his shirt from where he'd be wiping down his face. He didn't attempt to turn to address his former teammate, "I didn't think you'd actually stop me."

"Don't be so cocky," pausing at the tone, Kise huffed in well-practiced apathy, "Who do you think played and lost against you one-on-one every day? I know you better than anyone else."

Wringing out his shirt, Aomine shot him a skeptical look over his shoulder, "Sure."

"I may have had a little help though," a sharp line cut between Kise's cheeks as he grinned, "You really made Imamura-cchi mad, and she kind of helped me out a bit a few weeks ago before your guy's game." With a considering hum, Kise swiped a stray strand of hair out of his face, "You probably shouldn't have done that, you know."

Kise didn't stick around long enough to see the emotional outcome of his prodding. Better to leave before Aomine got even more riled up. Aomine-cchi won't be slowing down anytime soon.

Meanwhile, shoulders stiffening, Aomine's face closed off as he was unwillingly tossed into a flashback.

It was near the end of their second semester and Imamura had been around for about three, annoyingly long weeks. The weather that Monday had been scorching hot and Aomine hadn't been in the mood to practice that afternoon. As such, he'd snuck off after his last class and sprawled out on a nearby courtyard. With the afternoon sun shining down on him, he hadn't had a care in the world.

Until she showed up.

"Aomine-san," the pesky little witch stood above his head and Aomine grunted when he felt her foot dig into his side, "Get the hell up! Kise-san! Wake him up. I'm not dealing with your captain if he's late."

Aomine peeked one eye open to glare at Kise in warning. The blonde raised his hands in defense, "Akashi-cchi told us to find you. You're late and we've got to play each other while he works with Kuroko-cchi."

"Ugh," tossing an arm over his face, Aomine grunted, "Tell him I'm not coming. The gyms too far—" the rest of his sentence was cut off when Imamura dumped her water bottle on top of his head. He flew up, sputtering all the while, "What the hell, Imamura?!"

"Get your lazy ass up," she prodded him one more time with her shoe before Aomine eventually crawled to his feet. The glare he gifted her with did nothing to sway her ire. Imamura simply lifted a brow, "We aren't playing at the gym. You wanted to slack off out here, so we're playing streetball."

Already tired, Aomine scoffed, "We?"

"Yes, we," shoving a ball into his chest, Imamura pointed at the hoop on the other end of the court, "I'm refereeing your game. Don't even try to slack off, you idiot. I'll know before you even think about it."

"You're not intimidating, Imamura," Aomine rolled his eyes, but nevertheless took his position in front of Kise, "You good?"

"I'm good," Kise grinned and got into position, "You first, Aomine-cchi."

Aomine scoffed good-naturedly before jolting past Kise who narrowly kept up. He managed to reach the three-point line before Kise blocked him in. Getting ready to do his classic switch and drive-by technique, Aomine turned his foot to the left only to jolt as a deceptively calm voice called out.

"Kise-san," Imamura waited a millisecond until it was too late for Aomine to change his course, "Block right."

Almost instinctively, Kise listened to the little witch's orders and Aomine was again successfully blocked in. His mouth pursed in mild annoyance, but he was close enough to the hoop that Aomine didn't question taking the chance at shooting. Again, he was halfway through the movement before Imamura called out.

"Arms up. He's shooting."

It was a little too late to be overly effective, but Kise managed to jump up and skim the ball with his fingers, jolting it off course. When both boys recovered from the surprise, Kise's eyes were wide in surprise while Aomine's tightened in annoyance. With a wide slash of his hand, he spun toward Imamura.

"What the hell was that?" Aomine spat, "I thought you were the referee!"

The little witch only shrugged, but her lips turned up in amusement, "You pissed me off. Don't be so cocky."

The pattern continued for the rest of the two-player game and by the end of it, Aomine had won but he was left panting. He'd never admit it to Imamura or Kise, but for the first time that semester, he was concerned Kise would beat him.

That day, a tiny seed of respect began to bloom. Not only for Kise, but the little witch herself.

Too bad it didn't last.

Shrugging out of the flashback, Aomine sneered.

He fully turned his body away from Kaijo's side of the court before stomping toward his team's bench. He saw no need to respond to such stupidity with words, instead choosing to show Kise exactly how wrong he was. A brutal grin tugged up his lips. This might just get interesting.

Taking a measured sip of water, Kise eyed his former teammate in anticipation. While it might not have been the best way to get things moving, he satisfied himself by the tightening of Aomine's shoulders and his teammates' frowns.

A little reminiscing was never a bad idea.

XXX

Back in the stands…

Kaijo managed to make a comeback.

That did not make Tōō happy.

Because of course not.

On the edge of her seat, Hana's nails dug into Kagami's arm as she watched Kasamatsu dodge Imayoshi's swipe. She purposefully ignored his frustrated attempts to get out of her grip. Either I latch on with my hand or I start cursing. Really, this was the better option for everyone involved.

"Oh boy," Hana winced. Aomine approached the hoop and settled into a shooting position, Kaijo's number four barely managing to block him in. He's finally starting, huh? While Hana couldn't see their faces, she imaged Aomine looked indifferent as he easily lobbed the ball into the net and fouled out Kaijo's player, "Look at Aomine. Dude, I can't tell if he's pissed or turned on—"

Mid sip of his drink, Kagami choked, "What?"

"He's upped his pace. He actually looks interested," Hana countered, flapping her free hand in the court's direction, "That means one of two things: he's mad as hell or he's enjoying this waaay too much."

"Hana's right," Kuroko offered impassively. His gaze stayed focused on the game, "Aomine-kun is different from many players. He only gets stronger as the game continues. For him to be invested this early is telling of Kaijo's strength."

At that, Koganei piped up from behind them and pointed toward the court, "Look! It's Kise versus Aomine! How many times have they done this now?"

"Dunno," Hana lifted a shoulder in response, stare shifting back to the court, "The miracles have this weird ego thing going on— oh, he passed." She blinked as Kise passed the ball to the left, "That was… unexpected?"

Kagami's mouth dropped in equal shock when Kise ducked out of the head-to-head confrontation, "What's Kise thinking?"

Whatever it was, it didn't turn out to be successful that go around. It only took a few seconds before Sakurai intercepted the ball from Kaijo's player ten and passed to Imayoshi. Seriously? Hana scooted forward a bit to get a better look. What are you doing, Ryouta? She didn't have a second longer to consider her thoughts before Aomine charged to Kaijo's hoop—sending Kasamatsu to the ground and nullifying the points Aomine gained from his shot.

"He fouled him," Kagami muttered, "Kasamatsu's got balls."

Huh. Sneaky. Straightening up, Hana nodded decisively, "I like it."

"Of course you do," Hyuuga scoffed in derision. He shot her a bland look before settling back into his chair and offering, "It was impressive. He didn't back down."

The conversation tapered off as the actions began again on court. Hana shifted in her seat, her nose scrunching as the game played out. Kaijo's losing their edge real fast. Flicking her attention over the assembled players, Hana finally focused in on Kise. Even from their seating, she could see his chest heaving.

"They're just staring at each other," Kagami noted.

His observation drew Hana's attention to the other side of the court where Aomine was looking back at Kise. Dramatic much? Hana scooted forward again, placing her hands on her knees and squinting to try and get a read on their facial expressions. There's no way they'd be posturing like this unless some shit was about to go down.

"Pheew," when she caught a glance at Kise's face, Hana leaned back in surprise, "Look at Kise. He's doing that creepy smiling thing you guys do when you're about to do something crazy. I wonder—"

"No way," brows furrowed, Kagami tilted forward, "That's impossible."

"It's exactly what you're both thinking," Kuroko intoned. His face remained impartial, but when Hana glanced toward him, his mouth was tight, "Kise-kun is trying to copy Aomine-kun's style."

Showing the correct amount of astonishment for a statement of that caliber, Hyuuga shot him a sharp glance, "Can he do that?"

Thinking back to her and Kise's brief training session a few weeks ago, Hana shoved her lips together. No way was she touching that question. She'd honestly rather kiss Hanamiya than admit to inadvertently helping Kise out. Riko will have my ass if she knows— even if it was done for Kagami's sake.

"Kise-kun can only copy what he can do," Kuroko amended. He shot Hana a knowing glance. Don't even, Tetsuya. She purposefully avoided his gaze as he continued, "He can't copy anything he can't do."

"What?" Koganei gaped, sticking his head into the middle of the conversation, "What does that mean?"

"It means Kise is a fast learner," Riko acknowledged. Her dainty arms crossed over her chest before she gave Kiyoshi a look, "He can't copy the movements of NBA players or stronger opponents. But if…"

"If he's trying to copy Aomine-san's style," Kiyoshi finished knowingly, "It means he thinks he can do it."

Releasing an awkward little cough, Hana interrupted the learning session. It brought most of the attention her way and she was unsurprised to see Kuroko already wearing a telling expression. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Tetsuya sees all. Still, she shook her head in denial. Kuroko merely raised a brow.

Hana glared.

Kuroko stared.

Then, when a gentle elbow stabbed her in her side, Hana let out a long sigh of defeat.

Here we go.

"So, uhm, Kise can sorta-maybe copy Aomine," when Riko's eyes narrowed on her, Hana backtracked, "It wasn't perfect— but it was something. Like at a half-Aomine skill level— Stop looking at me like that, it's not helping here."

Riko only stared harder, "And how do you know that, Imamura-chan?"

Greaaaat. Shoulders slumping, Hana waved a defeated hand, "I may have used Kise as a practice dummy before our Too match. I wanted him to copy Aomine's style so I could measure how Kagami's strength would work against it. And well— he did."

"And you didn't think to mention this to anyone?" Riko remained unswayed. Even Hana's pout fell flat in the face of her indignation. It's like I insulted her bra size.

"I forgot?" She hedged. The coach's dark look only managed to intensify, and Hana gulped, "It was a very difficult time. We were so busy, and I was so tired and well— it wouldn't have done much good in our match against Tōō anyway—"

A sharp finger found its way into her face and Hana jolted backward with the incoming threat, "You've got to let us know stuff like that!"

"I will, I will!" Hana threw her arms up in protection, "Damn! I'm sorry!"

"You better be sorry! If you—"

"Dude, I get it!"

"Hey, guys," Koganei shoved himself between them and pointed at the court, "Look!"

Riko gave her one last warning glance before all eyes turned back to the court just in time to see Imayoshi take a brief step backward and casually toss the ball in the air. The buzzer for the end of the second quarter rang out half-way through its course, but all eyes stayed tracked on the ball and its trajectory toward the net. It didn't so much as hit the rim before swishing through the hoop.

And with that, half-time began.

"I hate him," Hana followed Imayoshi's silhouette toward Tōō's bench before scoffing, "He's like a used-car salesman—all smooth and too goddamn smiley. It's disgusting."

Stretching his hands above his head, Kagami rumbled as he stood up, "Like you're one to talk."

"I like to think my manipulations come with a certain sort of charm," following his movements, Hana stood up and stretched out, "Don't compare me to that shit."

"Charm," Kagami snorted, "Sure."

"Your sarcasm doesn't bother me, Taiga. I'm pretty much immune to it now," trying to crack her neck, Hana snorted, "Besides, you wouldn't know what charm was if it hit you in the face. You big stupid lug."

"Stupid?!"

Hana gave him a deadpan look, "Of all the things I've called you, its stupid that bugs you?"

"Quit it," a sharp hand bopped her in the back of the head. Hana was only mildly soothed to see Kagami wincing as well. Stepping between them, Hyuuga glared, "We're in public, you idiots. Stop fighting."

Rubbing at the back of her head, Hana eyed the captain, "You think that was a fight—" his hand lifted again and she promptly backtracked, "Yup, got it 'cap. Shutting up now."

Hyuuga stared at her for a few more seconds before deeming her saved. Rolling his eyes for good measure, he shook his head and turned toward Riko. Thank you, Jesus. From his place beside her, Kagami gave her a repulsed look and Hana barely managed to hold in her growl. Say it Kagami, I dare you—

From her peripheral, Hana caught Koganei lean into Izuki's side and whisper, "Imamura-chan's feisty when she's nervous."

"I am not—" Hana started as she turned toward Koganei, only to pause when she caught sight of Kuroko's back stepping through the exit door, "Be right back."

The remainder of the team watched as Hana ducked through the crowd in her pursuit of Kuroko. Riko's lips pursed as she considered ordering their manager to return, but she eventually released a weary sigh. There wasn't much of a point in trying right now and she doubted either freshman would listen in the first place. Sometimes she had to wonder why they ever thought having two Teiko players was a good idea.

Tucking his hands behind his neck, Kiyoshi let a considering frown grow over his face, "We really should put a limit on how much coffee she drinks."

"Do you want to die?" Hyuuga scoffed and took a moment to fix his glasses, "Just let her work it out. She'll start calming down soon."

Kiyoshi only raised his brows, "If you're sure."

"I don't think it's the coffee freaking her out," still sitting in her chair, Riko propped her chin in her palm, "She's worried about Kise-san; you know how emotionally constipated she is."

Hyuuga glanced down at her, "Think she finally noticed?"

"It makes sense," Riko sat up straighter, "She's seen four of them in twenty-four hours. Maybe she's finally putting it together—"

"Huh," Kiyoshi hummed as he twisted his back to loosen up the muscles, "That's pretty bad timing."

Left forgotten, Kagami flicked his gaze between the upperclassmen, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Don't worry about it," Hyuuga waved him off, "You'll understand when you're older."

"What does that even mean?!"

X

It didn't take her long to fall into step with Kuroko.

Praise Jesus she actually found the sneaky little shit.

As she came up next to him, Kuroko nodded in greeting, "Hana."

"Tetsuya," she countered. From his backpack, Nigou poked his little head out and yipped. I damn well know dogs aren't allowed in here. Absentmindedly giving his head a lil' scratch, Hana continued unabashedly, "I'm nosy and wanted to see where you were sneaking off to."

The corner of his lips lifted, "I'm taking Nigou outside for some fresh air during the break."

"Eh, boring," shoving her hands into her skirt's pockets – pockets! – Hana peered at the other people moving throughout the stadium, "Thought it might be something cool."

"Not all of us share your desire for trouble."

"I don't—" she peeked at him and frowned, "That was joke, wasn't it?"

Kuroko hummed thoughtfully before stating, "No. I was serious."

"… wow, rude."

Kuroko didn't offer a response for that other than a gentle bump with his shoulder. Uh-huh, hide from your mistakes. Hana narrowed her eyes on his form. I see you. They twisted through the crowds, constantly being pushed closer together as the number of people exiting the stadium increased. Eventually, Kuroko looped his arm around hers and they managed to escape the crowd with a little help from his misdirection abilities.

Taking a breath of blessedly people-free air, Hana sighed. I really wish I could copy that technique.

Eventually, they made it to a balcony and breaking away from Kuroko's hold, Hana pushed the door open. It hit the outside wall with a resounding smack, "Finally. Fresh-freaking-air! I swear to God, there's way too many—"

Green eyes met gold.

Hana blinked. Kise blinked.

Nigou yipped from his new place atop Kuroko's head.

"Hello, Kise-san," Kuroko stepped through the doorway, not in the least bit concerned with their new companion. He shut the door softly behind him, "I hope we aren't bothering you."

Mouth opening and closing for a moment, eventually Kise managed to speak, "Kuroko-cchi," Kise flicked his gaze to her, "Imamura-cchi?"

"Yo, Kise," Hana flapped a hand in greeting.

For a reason she couldn't name, she didn't know what to do with her hands. Pockets! Back into the pockets! Shoving them into her pockets, a bit too hard and making her briefly lose balance, Hana took advantage of that moment of unsteadiness to instead lean against the wall – I wasn't about to fall or anything. Nope. Not at all.

She staunchly ignored the two dubious looks trained on her.

Smirking a bit in Hana's direction, Kise finally opened the conversation by turning toward Kuroko, "What's with the dog?"

Causally removing Nigou from atop his head, Kuroko cradled the puppy before answering Kise's question, "I kept him in my bag while I was watching, so I thought I'd let him get some air."

"Nigou's the cutest one on the team," Hana added sagely, "Couldn't let him suffer."

When Nigou yipped in agreement, Hana shot him a quick thumbs up. We're in this together, pal.

"I'm not sure I agree with that," Kise eventually huffed a laugh, shaking his head at their antics before bending down to pat Nigou's head. He shot Hana a quick look then addressed them both, "So what are you guys doing here? I was surprised to see you in the stands."

"We had a training camp down near the beach," Hana tilted her head in the direction they came from, gaining Kise's full attention. She shrugged, "Coach decided we should come watch."

A quick smile pulled up his lips, "So you didn't come to cheer me on?"

Well, how to say this nicely. Hana floundered, "Ehh—"

"No," Kuroko wasted very little time in shooting Kise down.

Of course, that brought out the crocodile tears and before Hana could say a word, Kise cried out. His hand clutched at his heart in faux pain, "You guys are so mean~"

"Uh?" Hana blinked at an apathetic Kuroko before trying to amend the hurt feelings of the very dramatic miracle. Extending a wary hand, she half-heartedly offered, "We're sorry—"

"Don't worry about it, Imamura-cchi! It's nice to see you guys anyway," in another astonishing display of emotional manipulation, Kise dried up the theatrics and straightened up, "By the way, between Aomine-cchi and me, who do you think will win?"

Both Seirin players looked at each other, Hana in disgust at Kise's theatrics and Kuroko in mild concentration.

Seemingly thinking she'd be the best person to answer, Kuroko nodded at her.

Uh no. Hell no. Hana waved a hand back in his direction. She wasn't taking this one on. Raising his brows, Kuroko shot her a pointed stare. Nope. Not doing it. She merely crossed her arms and waited.

Kuroko blinked. Hana pointed at him.

A frown pulled between his brows.

Hana didn't relent.

This is payback for ratting me out to Riko, you butt.

With one last meaningful stare in her direction, Kuroko released a minuscule sigh, "I'm not sure. As long as you don't give up, anything can happen. Since I doubt either of you will give up," he paused, "It wouldn't be strange for either of you to win."

Hana shot Kuroko a dry look. Well, that was a convenient way to not answer the question at all. Cryptic ass.

"I see," Kise released a forlorn sigh, "I understand. I guess I better head back now, it was good seeing you guys—"

With a single stretch, Kise removed himself from the balcony he was leaning against. Not a single tear shown in his eyes and his expression didn't belay any worry. Frankly, Hana thought it was weird as hell. What's with the personality change?

"Gonna be honest with you, Kise," Hana eventually hedged, staring at him like he'd grown a second head, "You're acting strange."

Kuroko apparently thought the same. His head tilted the slightest bit and offered, "I agree. It's unlike you to be unconcerned with winning."

"Yeah, well," Kise shrugged the slightest bit, "Of course I'm going to try to, but I don't know either. It used to be natural for us to win, but I feel better now not knowing if I'll win."

Woah. Hana leaned back against the wall and raised an eyebrow. Now that's what I call character development. She looked Kise over with an assessing eye before nodding her head in finality. It was nice to notice he appeared to be sincere. Two miracles have removed their heads out of their asses—only four more to go.

Even Kuroko had an awed tilt tugging at his lips.

"I really do have to get back though," for a second Kise seemed almost awkward, but it was easily smothered by the charming grin he wore, "I'm glad you guys came by."

Nigou let out a little yip of encouragement and Kuroko bowed his head, "Good luck, Kise-kun."

"Thanks, Kuroko-cchi," throwing Kuroko a smile over his shoulder, Kise resumed his steps toward the exit only to briefly stop in front of Hana. Leaning down a bit, he gave her a grin. Hana only had a second to question the mischief in his gaze before a finger bopped her on the nose. As she gaped up at him, Kise grin grew into a gentle smirk, "It's good to see you again, Imamura-cchi. Keep cheering for me, okay?"

Her nose still tingling, Hana gawked back at him, "The hell — You just— okay?"

"Great," Kise straightened up and looked down at her, "Let me know if you stick around after the game, okay?"

Again, all Hana could offer was a dumbstruck, "Okay?"

With that unexpecting parting tainting the air, Kise let out a low laugh before shaking his head in apparent bemusement. As he ducked out the balcony door, Kise waved a hand over his shoulder, "See you guys later!"

As the door clicked shut, Hana brought a hand up to her nose. Her face went through a series of convoluted expressions before she finally landed on bewilderment. The absolute hell was that? Trying to share her confusion with Kuroko, she turned toward the silent player only to pause at his and Nigou's slightly droll looks.

She balked, "What?"

"You're blushing, Hana," Kuroko's brow quirked when she immediately went to hide it with her palms, "Hiding it doesn't mean it's gone away."

"Kise—" Hana removed her hand from her face to stab a finger in Kise's parting direction, "He's just— why is he so damn weird?"

"I'm not sure weird is the correct word for his actions."

She threw her hands toward the door, fingers clenching the air in emphasis, "—Then what was that?!"

"I wouldn't be concerned," Kuroko's silent amusement only grew. If Hana wasn't so confused, she'd probably be pissed right now. He walked up to the door and held it open, "We should go, if we hurry we'll have time to grab a coffee before the game begins again."

"But he— fine," She gave her head a hard shake. Coffee. That's exactly what she needed right now.

If I get caffeinated enough, I'm sure this weird feeling will go the hell away.

Meanwhile, Nigou rolled his puppy eyes from his place atop Kuroko's head and plopped his head onto his paws.

Humans and their silly emotions.

xXx

It took her two cups of coffee to chill out.

It also helped that the game provided the perfect excuse to avoid her thoughts.

Face burrowed into the steaming cup of coffee between her palms, Hana frowned down at the court.

The third quarter started about seven minutes ago. Situated back between Kagami and Kuroko, Hana took stock of the game. So far, Kaijo had pulled ahead. Kise came back into the game strong and his speed hadn't slowed. He'd even gone head to head against Aomine and come out the victor. But…

"He's not quite there," Hana hummed, "He's sure as shit close though."

"Huh?" Kagami peered down at her, "What are you talking about now?"

"Kise's copy-cat powers," taking a tiny sip of her coffee, Hana motioned down to the court, "He's almost got him copied, but he's still missing something."

The moment she was referencing had happened less than a minute ago. Kise finally broke past Aomine. With Kaijo in charge again, Kise and Aomine had raced down the court, the ball securely in Kise's hands when Aomine tried to swipe it out of his reach. Instead, Kise tucked his arm behind his back and lobbed it into the net— a flawless replication of one of Aomine's more notorious techniques.

Due to his actions, Aomine was subsequently fouled and now Kise stood at the free-throw line

A red eyebrow rose skeptically, "It looked fine to me."

"And that's probably why they keep kicking your ass," she miraculously ducked the swat Kagami aimed at the back of her head. Shooting him an irate look, Hana scooted forward in her chair, "You gotta learn how to handle constructive criticism, man."

Kagami gave her a dark look, "What part of that counted as constructive?"

"All of it?" Hana squinted back at him, but eventually rolled her eyes and focused back on the game, "Besides somethings off. That's like what— four fouls now?"

"Think that bastard's finally running out of steam?" Kagami frowned at the court.

"Nah," Hana countered. She took another sip of her coffee before letting out a sigh, "Aomine's like a rabid dog. The second you think he's out— he's charging at you again. I figure the fouls are Kasamatsu's idea. Kind of like a plan B, you know?"

Kagami huffed out an agreement, "Smart."

"Yeah," the game started again, and Hana rolled the cup between her palms, "He doesn't know Aomine though."

Red eyes peered at her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't want to back a rabid dog into a corner," her fingers tightened as Aomine slapped the ball out of Kise's grip just before it went into the net, launching it into the stands. Kagami's jaw clenched and Hana shot him a look, "See?"

"Then," Kagami trailed off as the ball went back into Too's possession, "What do you do if you can't tame him?"

At the sound of the whistle, Hana shrugged, "Since this is Aomine we're talking about, most people would say you should put him down."

"You want to kill him?" Kagami flinched back in surprise and Hana snorted.

The number of eyes that swung in her direction was comical. Add in the expressions of her teammates and Hana did almost laugh out loud. Dude, I'm not that screwed up. I said most people! Even Hyuuga looked mildly horrified at her statement, and that was saying something since he regularly threatened bodily harm.

"Imamura-chan…" Koganei ventured, "Are you okay?"

Furihata shivered behind them and exchanged a wary look with his fellow freshmen, "She's so scary!"

Tilting her head back, Hana raised a brow in their direction, "What'd you just say?"

"Nothing! Imamura-chan, nothing!"

"Yeah," giving them a final glare of warning, Hana nodded decisively, "That what I thought."

The whistle marking the end of the third quarter break chose that moment to sound out and the teams moved back onto the court. It didn't take long for the pace to hike back up and within seconds, Aomine and Kise were facing off again. This time Aomine worked the offensive while Kise struggled on the defensive. With a quick formless shot on Aomine's end, Tōō took another two points.

"So," Hana hedged as the game continued, "I know I said we can't really put him down— but someone really ought to get that idiot a leash."

And if Kaijo has any hope of winning this, that better happen like now.

x

Despite Hana's wishes, Aomine was not leashed.

In fact – one might say he was unleashed.

Hana hoped Izuki was proud of her for that one. Kind of hurt her soul thinking it.

Meanwhile, Aomine was pulling some crazy moves on the court. The speed he used in his efforts against Kaijo was almost extraordinary. Probably would be if it was anyone other than Aomine right now. Yet, despite the efforts of Tōō's ace, Kise was coming back just as enthusiastically. His replication of Aomine's style had slowly been refined throughout the play and Hana could safely say he'd manage to copy at least 98% of Aomine's main movements.

As she focused back on the court, Kise did a perfect recreation of Aomine's little fade away technique. Good job, copycat. Cupping her hands together, Hana let out a loud shout, "Hell yeah! Go Kise! Go Kaijo!" A head of pink hair tilted toward the audience and she amended, "You're doing great too, Momoi!"

"You're too loud," giving her a dirty look, Kagami crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, "You really think they'll win?"

"Kaijo?" Hana winced, "I want them to pull through, but—" she glanced at the point difference on the scoreboard, "I don't wanna jinx it or some shit."

"Right now Kise-kun and Aomine-kun appear to be evenly matched," Kuroko added. His analytical blue eyes scanned the court, "Something will have to change for any progress to be made."

Five seconds later, Kise stumbled. It wasn't enough to halt his drive toward the hoop, but the movement in his ankle clearly wasn't up to par anymore. Hana stiffly turned to Kuroko. Really. Just had to open your big, prophetic mouth, Tetsuya. Green eyes narrowed in his direction.

He needs to start using those main character powers for good, not evil.

In the meantime, there were three minutes and six seconds left in the game. Kise took a hesitant step forward before nodding resolutely. While his left leg still wasn't holding weight equally, it wasn't as noticeable or likely debilitating as it should have been. A rush of relief filled her chest, but Hana didn't give herself a chance to hold onto it.

Here comes the end.

Despite her hopes, that sinking feeling in her gut hadn't faded since the start of the match.

If anything, it'd only gotten worse.

Kaijo held control of the ball now. Sakurai had lagged behind and missed his opportunity to receive Imayoshi's pass, leaving Kise the all clear to drive down the center of the court. For a moment, it seemed as if no one would be able to stop him. He was past the three-point line and making good time when a wild Aomine appeared on the path.

The two stood in a face-off, Aomine's hands spread wide as he waited for Kise to try and make his move. Hana scooted forward, fingers clenching the edge of her seat. Come on, Kise— think like Aomine – think like Aomine. Her mind was chanting, begging Kise to go to the right. But it took one single step to the left for the whole game to fall apart.

Kise tried to shoot, but Aomine jumped and blocked his way. Then the moment of failure occurred— Kise attempted to pass to Kasamatsu and Aomine slapped the ball out of his hands.

"How the hell…" Kagami trailed off.

"Aomine's smarter than he looks," Hana finished his train of thought. An asshole with a brain. Isn't that just great? Her mouth twisted into a grimace, "When Kise chose to pass, Aomine was prepared because it wasn't a copy of his movements. Aomine just doesn't pass."

Kuroko softly frowned, "No, not anymore."

"Selfish bastard," Kagami's fist pounded into the seat arm. He looked incensed on Kise's behalf, "He thinks he can do all that? Well, we'll show him—"

Hana didn't stick around to listen to the rest of Kagami's rant. I've heard all this before anyway. There was still about a minute left in the game, but she knew from enough personal experience where this was going. Sliding out of her chair, she twisted past her teammates' legs and headed toward the aisle.

Kagami trailed off, "—where the hell is Imamura going?"

"I imagine to go see Kise-kun," Kuroko answered. His pale blue eyes traced her departure.

Kagami stared at him, "You okay with that?"

"Of course," Kuroko turned away from his pursual of the exit with a soft sigh, "I remember when I had upsetting matches during middle school, it was nice to have someone there to help."

Kagami merely raised his brows, "Didn't your team always win in middle school?"

"Yes," Kuroko frowned, "But winning doesn't always mean you are victorious."

On the court below the final whistle rang before Kise's legs gave out from exhaustion.

Expression indecipherable, Aomine merely watched.

Kasamatsu was quick to help him up instead.

x


x

Leaning against the concrete wall, Hana tapped her foot against the ground.

She felt like shit for not sticking around to see the ending, but she didn't think her heart could take it.

One thing experiencing the pain, a whole 'nother level watching someone else do it.

It was warm in front of the stadium, barely a few hours past noon. The sun was hot, and the sky was clear, all in all, the perfect day to be outside. If you're into that kind of stuff. Taking the final sip of her now cold coffee, Hana cut her eyes at the exit to her right. She really, really hoped Kaijo went out the way they'd came in.

It'd be awkward as hell to run into Tōō instead.

Pulling out her phone, Hana checked the time. She'd only been out here for maybe ten minutes. She'd wait ten more before heading back in and finding her team. Besides, Kise might want to be alone anyway- oh man, what if he does want to be alone?

Too late now.

As soon as she started worrying, Kaijo's team began filing out of the exit.

The group of five was all decked out in their post-game blue outfits and a heavy aura surrounded them. The site and their attitudes were disquietingly familiar. Twisting her phone between her fingers, Hana debated on the merits on calling out. I mean it's been a few months… they can't still hold a grudge, right?

Luckily, or unluckily, the decision was made for her when the loud one, Hayakawa, spotted her. His finger pointed in her direction accusingly, "It's you!"

At the barrage of unfriendly looks, Hana shoved a finger to her chest in bewilderment. Well, I guess they're still mad after all. Moriyama looked especially sour to see her standing outside with them. Looks like I won't have to worry about him flirting this go around. Kise was the last to turn, his gold hair almost blindly brilliant in the afternoon soon.

When he met her gaze, a tired smile pulled at his lips, "Imamura-cchi."

"Kise," Hana nodded, taking a step away from the wall. She glanced at the other Kaijo teammates before an honest, yet awkward smile pulled at her lips, "Hell of job out there. Too's a pain in the ass to beat and you guys actually made them worry."

The only response to her words was the sound of cars driving down the road.

Exchanging a glance with his teammates, Moriyama raised a dubious brow, "Thank you. But we still didn't win."

"Neither did we," Hana tried to shrug it off, but the indignation of the loss still burned her cheeks. She straightened her spine, "But there's still the Winter Cup," she made a vague hand gesture that she hoped came across as encouraging, "You guys go and beat Tōō's ass, and then we can hand you yours. It'll be just like old times—."

Hayakawa took that moment to let out a god awful screech, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT US AGAIN!"

And, on that note, I retreat. Hana took a quick step back, subtly trying to hide behind Kise's shadow. She held her hands up in defeat, "You're totally right. My bad. Totally my bad."

Hayakawa didn't seem keen to let her off so easy, but his teammate chose that time to intervene.

"You're right about one thing," Moriyama stated. His black eyes shot her an assessing glance. It was nothing like the flirty look he'd given her back at Kaijo's gymnasium, "We'll see each other at the Winter Cup."

Honestly, probably before, but I'm not gonna mention that right now. With a nod of approval, Hana stuck out a hand, "Lookin' forward to it. After that game, gotta say I'm a little worried."

Giving her one last dubious look, Moriyama fitted his hand in hers and gave it a solid shake, "We'll see you then," taking a step back, Kaijo's shooting guard looked at Kise, "Are you going to stick around?"

Kise must've agreed because the next thing Hana knew the Kaijo players were walking off without their ace.

With Kaijo gone, the area around them fell into silence.

Peering over her shoulder, Hana glanced at Kise, "You good?"

She internally rolled her eyes. What a dumb question.

"I'm okay," tucking his hands behind his head, Kise trailed his gaze up to the skyline.

Well, I call bullshit on that one. Hana merely raised a brow, "Uh-huh. If you say so."

Instead of responding to her callout, he let out a bitter chuckle, "You sure know how to rile my team up, Imamura-cchi."

"It's my specialty," moving back to her early place against the wall, Hana watched Kise with a critical eye, "Pissing them off made them less gloomy though, so mission accomplished."

Kise shook his head in muted mirth. He still hadn't turned to face her, "You're something else."

"I'm gonna assume that was a compliment," with a timely cough, she forced Kise's attention back to her, "How's the ankle?"

Head tilted over his shoulder; gold eyes peered down at her from underneath the sheen of Kise's hair. Something within his facade appeared to crack, "You noticed?"

"Kind of," Hana stepped forward and waved a hand toward his leg, "Looked like you rolled it, but I couldn't tell if it hurt or not."

"I can handle it," looking down at his foot, he rotated it experimentally, "It'll be sore tomorrow though."

Figures. I'm surrounded by a bunch of stubborn assholes. Ignoring all her rules of personal space, Hana stepped forward and snatched his hand before yanking him toward the sidewalk, "Then stop standing on it, idiot. Let's go sit down. I'm hungry as hell anyway—"

Hana didn't get the chance to tug him any further. One second she was moving forward and then the next, Kise had pulled her backward. Spinning around the last second, Hana had just enough time to see the symbols on Kise's shirt and smell a brief flash of cologne before she was dragged into a tight hug, Kise's long arms latching firmly around her waist. Talk about a head-rush.

Securely in his grasp, Kise laid his head on top of hers and let out a shaky breath.

Swallowing to ease her suddenly dry throat, Hana wrapped her arms around Kise's back. The second he felt the contact, his chest shook, and his breathing became labored. Hana's eyes shot wide. Oh hell. What just happened? She faltered on how to proceed in this new emotional battlefield, but eventually, her body got the better of her mind and before she realized what she was doing, her hand was rubbing comforting circles on Kise's back.

Just like petting Nuduru. Don't think about how you're petting Kise— think noodle thoughts.

"I didn't want you to see me like this," his voice was buried in her hair.

Oh, god. Emotions. Her hand paused, "Dude, I can leave. Just say the words—"

"Don't," his arms tightened marginally, "I'm glad you came, Imamura-cchi."

Hana didn't know how to respond to that, so she just kept her mouth shut. Man. This is so not my forte. She couldn't even handle her own mental breakdowns, dammit! Despite Hana's internal battle, Kise's shoulders slowly began to loosen and the hug she'd been pulled into didn't feel as restrictive as had. She didn't know how long it took, but when she felt his arms drop, Hana stepped back.

The sight that greeted her was a serene expression taking up Kise's features. He let out a quiet chuckle, "I missed you."

"Me too," struggling over the best course of action, Hana took a step back and narrowed her eyes on his face, "You okay now?"

His lips tilted up in an exhausted replication of a grin and Kise nodded, "I will be."

For some reason, Hana didn't think he was bullshitting this time.

She didn't mention her theory. Instead, Hana wet her lips and threw an awkward hand over her shoulder, "So uhm— can we go eat now?"

Then she promptly debated the merits of tearing her tongue out.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you ruin a moment.

And to think, it was all going so well beforehand.

"You want to…" Kise gifted her with an incredulous look before a full blow laugh escaped his lips. He shook his head in exasperation when he recovered, "Sounds good, Imamura-cchi."

Like a physical weight had been lifted off her chest, Hana slumped in relief. Kise raised a sardonic brow at the action and she shot him a guilty grimace, "My bad. If you wanna just—"

"Don't worry about it," Kise's palm slipped into her own as if it belonged there. The grin he wore now practically glowed, "Let's go eat. There's this ramen place I tried with Kasamatsu-sensei just before our game and it was so good~"

For once, she didn't protest as Kise dragged her down the road like a ragdoll.

As they cut a corner, Hana risked a glance up at his face.

I'm just glad he's smiling again.

X

So, Hana had to admit, this place was pretty awesome.

She hadn't been around this area during their time at the training camp, so the little ramen restaurant tucked into the downtown square had been wrongly neglected. If Hana had of known this little gem existed, she wouldn't have eaten Riko's god-awful food all weekend. Maybe I'll move out here when I graduate.

It'd be perfect. A beach, delicious ramen, nobody judging me for what I want to eat—

"I can't believe you don't like shoyu ramen," sharp chin propped on his palm, Kise gave her a disappointed look. They'd been arguing about this for at least ten minutes. "Who doesn't like shoyu?!"

Slurping up her last noodle, Hana pointed her chopsticks in his direction, "People with taste buds."

"You're just saying that," head tilting thoughtfully, Kise's earring sparkled under the dim restaurant lighting, "I think all the coffee you drink ruined yours."

"You want to fight?" Pulling her drink in front of her, Hana took a deep sip of soda before narrowing her eyes on the pesky blond, "Because those are fighting words."

A sly grin cut through Kise's cheeks, "Careful, Imamura-cchi. Don't pick fights you can't win~"

Hana rolled her eyes. Okay, Casanova, turn it down a bit. Wiping a bit of condensation off her cup, she shot him a halfhearted glare, "You know, I'll still punch you. Paying for my food doesn't protect you."

"Awh, that's so mean," a playful pout tainted his features, but it didn't last long. Before Hana could comprehend the emotional change, Kise shot a speculative glance at the ceiling, "You know, I've never met a girl that threatened me when I took her on a date."

A what?! Hana choked, "— date?!"

Kise blinked back at her in faux confusion, but Hana knew better. I'm not falling for his innocent act again. When she didn't immediately finish her sentence, Kise took it upon himself to elaborate, "Well, you did ask me out, Imamura-cchi~"

"Me?!" Hana gawked, "I just asked you if you wanted to get food!"

"Mhmm," his grin grew wicked as he stared back at her, "Like a date."

She sputtered, "That's not a— How is that even a date?! I ask people to get food all the time!"

"Sure, Imamura-cchi~" the glow that entered his eyes swore trouble and Hana adjusted her spine in anticipation, "It's okay, you know! I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to go!"

"I didn't ask you on a damn date!"

Propping his chin back on his hand, Kise pretended to be deep in thought, "So you wouldn't want to go on a second date?"

For once, Hana had no words. The impish boy across from her had managed to render her speechless. This is a point in life I never thought I'd reach. Who in their right mind would know how to respond to such a blatant question? When she managed to find the balls to look at him, she felt the blood leave her face. I still don't know what to say!

"That's not— Kise," Hana smacked her head onto the table and whined, "Don't joke like that, asshole."

A low chuckle echoed from the other side of the table and Hana felt a hand ruffle her hair, "You're too cute, Imamura-cchi."

"Ugh," Hana could barely manage a mortified groan in response before smacking his hand away, "Just let me die."

Kise's only response was a satisfied laugh.

x

It wasn't until they stepped outside the restaurant that Hana felt the blood flow within her face return to normal. Between Kise and Kuroko, I'm gonna have a heart attack before twenty. Kise propped the door open for her and she ducked under his arm, taking a few steps into the street. As she heard the bell on the door ring shut, Hana took the time to study the sunset painting the sky. A few feet away, a group of people bustled in and out of the subway entrance.

Above them, a few clouds dotted the skyline and traced their outlines to the seashore.

A heavy presence fell over her shoulder and Hana tilted her head back to peer up at Kise. His earlier amusement at her expense hadn't faded yet, but there was something sincere lining the tilt of his smile.

"Laugh it up, you shit," with a huff, Hana rolled her eyes in defeat, "I'll get you back eventually."

Coming to stand beside her, Kise lightly bumped her shoulder with a chuckle, "I don't doubt it."

"I'll save it for later," stretching her arms over her head, Hana gave the darkening sigh a desperate look, "I'm so late— My dad is going to have my ass."

"Need me to ride home with you?" Kise followed her gaze with a considering frown, but Hana quickly shook her head in the negative.

"Nah, I'm good. It's pretty much a one-way trip back," she peeked a glance back up at him, "Try not to get mobbed by your fangirls, pretty boy."

"Awh~ you think I'm pretty, Imamura-cchi?" The arm that fell over her shoulder wasn't necessarily unwelcomed, but it sure was heavy as hell. Kise continued regardless, "I'm flattered!"

Hana rolled her eyes. Figures that's all he focuses on. Pushing away from his chest, she gave him a firm slap to the chest, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kise."

Identical to their earlier interaction after the game, Hana managed to take two steps toward the subway before Kise tightened his grip around her shoulders and twisted her back around. Are you kidding me? Giving the former miracle a deadpan stare, she threatened, "This manhandling shit has got to stop. I gave you a pass earlier, but—"

Two hard arms wrapped around her waist in a hug.

Hana's eyes narrowed.

Matching her expression with a smirk, Kise lowered his head.

And with the faintest press of soft lips against the center of her forehead, all Hana's bodily functions came to a stunned halt.

Did Kise just—

Hana gawked up at the tall player, slapping a gobsmacked hand against her forward as he pulled away, "What the absolute fu—"

"Thanks for today, Imamura-cchi," tucking his hands behind his neck, Kise took a few steps back. Conveniently out of slapping reach. His self-satisfied aura didn't fade despite the threat Hana undoubtedly offered, "Get home safe, okay?"

Without a word, Kise had the audacity to leave without further explanation.

What the hell?! Hana gaped after his back, "Kise! Kise! You idiot, what was that?!"

Not pausing in his pace, Kise tilted his head back with a mischievous smile and laughed, "Let me know when you're free for our second date~"

With that delightful parting, Kise turned the corner at the next intersection.

Standing alone on the sidewalk, Hana threw her hands up and released a thunderous screech of frustration.

It took her less than a minute to fish her phone out of her pocket, ready to call Uoya and demand a solid explanation from another person with a dick. What kind of game does this idiot think we're playing here? Punching in her passcode, Hana glared down at the time white numbers displaying the time. You can't just go around kissing foreheads!

So, caught up in dialing her best friend's number, Hana paid extraordinarily little attention to the multiple missed call notifications dotting her screen, including two from an unknown number.

In any case, Hana remained oblivious as she stomped toward the subway.

"Uoya, I need your advicewhen a guy kisses you What? No! I'm fine!"


Reviews~~~~ In general, I just wanna say thank you for putting up with me through these years and all your support!

PhoenyxOfTheMuses: So glad you like it! I love hearing such wonderful praise, it really helps encourage me to buckle down and finish up a chapter! Side note: there will most certainly be multiple endings. Can't just choose one, right?

MusicLovingPunkAnime: Omg, thank you so much. Honestly, I'm living for this review. I know OCs are a conflicted subject, so when someone says the story is going well, man I just get so happy. Thank you!

xxJaelee: Hope you got your Kise fix lol. I don't know if Hana did much comforting in her emotionally constipated state, but well... ya girl tried lol. And don't worry, Aomine gets his spotlight soon!

ephemeral-times: Not on hiatus! I am just very slow... sorry!

e. : omg, omg, omg, omg thank you! I really appreciated this review and I loved going back to reread it while I was working on this chapter. I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations and just all around thank you!

Nana: Thank you! I'm so glad you like my story. It makes it all the better to write something people actually enjoy. You'll be seeing some Aomine development soon since Kise decided to put the pieces of it all into motion!

PopperPaper: He doesss ;)

XenoLucifer: Yeah, my bad. I like stories where they play basketball too, but this was my first step into the KNB fanfic world. Maybe one day I'll be able to tackle that story line, but until then, I hope you find a fanfic you like!

Mary Kitten Heart: THANK YOU! YOU ROCK TOO! I LOVE U!

Elizabeth Pricilla: An update! A year late, but an update!

: Ahhh, I love your long reviews. They're so much fun to read! They just make me feel so happy and warm inside! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :) I hope you're doing well!

Silkhidingrose: *screeches back* She's back again! THANK YOU SO MUCH. It always makes me so happy when people approve of my characterization because that's honestly the biggest worry I have. Theres so many characters! But thank you! I really loved your review. c:

Tora3: THANK YOU! I'm so glad you love Hana!

SugarFeather: Omg I swoon at your reviews too! Thank you, I love them so much. It's so nice to hear such kind words and compliments and I love seeing the character interactions from your eyes, it makes all the effort so worth it! And thank you for your well-wishes, they were truly appreciated! (:

Xielle Sky: I have to reread everything before I write a new chapter too lol, I always find new plot points past me left hanging! But in regards to that wrench... I think someone finally threw it lol! Thank you for your review!

Luvparadox: Thank you! I love you too!

PenguinOtaku: I have to reread the entire story everytime I update too, don't worry hahaha. But thank you for your review!

OneWhoReadsTooMuch: Honestly, I think most of the characters sans maybe Kise (and who knows about Kuroko) are in denial about their feelings! It's kind of fun watching them evolve haha. Thank you for your well-wishes and thank you for your review!

XxAmyTheGreatxX: I came back again! I love hearing that you've read this story multiple times, it makes me feel so good about creating a story that people enjoy! Thank you for your review!

Deelel: Yeeeey another update! Thank you for your review!

Naliyu: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! :))))) I have to read everything to recap too lolol.