Kise woke up to his ringtone blaring into his ears from his earbuds. He pulled them out quickly, flinging them away, and clicked 'Answer' without checking to see who it was.
That would have been a mistake on his part if it was one of the Miracles calling, but fortunately, it was some unknown number.
"Hello? Kise Ryouta speaking!" Kise stated in a forced cheery tone, trying to overcome the grogginess of his tone.
There was a intake of breath on the other end, and the person spoke. "Kise. . .? It's Kagami."
Kise's breath hitched but he nonetheless still spoke. "Ah, hello, Kagamicchi. . ."
Kagami's end was filled with crackling noises like oil popping and plastic bags being opened.
"Kise, hey, I know this is kind of weird to ask, since we don't really know each other that well and all, but can you come over for dinner? I wanna talk to you about something and I'm worried about you," Kagami said plainly, but Kise could feel the underlying nervousness in his voice. When Kise registered Kagami's words, a burst of happiness filled his chest and stomach, because finally, someone was worried about him. He wasn't sure if it was selfish or not to want attention, but he's been starved of it for so long that surely it would be fine just this once if he was happy to receive it?
Kise let out a delightful laugh, his sleepiness having faded away. "Sure, Kagamicchi! I'll take the next train over as soon as I can!"
Kagami hummed as a reply and Kise let out a joyful, "See you soon, Kagamicchi!" then hung up, tossing his phone onto his blankets.
He opened his closet doors and sighed. What to wear?
It was a legitimate question; should he wear his old modelling clothes or his new clothes? Because what if Kagami was disgusted by Kise? What if he stopped caring about the blond because his preferred clothing choice was girly, instead of what he used to wear? What if Kagami had an aversion to men wearing women's clothes? And what if he showed up only to be kicked out by Kagami?
Kise breathed in a sharp intake of breath through his nose and banished the thoughts from his mind, resisting the urge to bang his head on the wall.
Difficult, that's what this whole ordeal was.
Kise sighed and chose his old modelling clothes, wanting to be safe, rather than sorry.
Kagami was extremely worried; after arriving home from Akashi's Tokyo house, he immediately set to work searching up interviews of the Miracles online, and more importantly, their Teikou days. There were interviews with Basketball Monthly, Sports Weekly, Weekly Basketball, and a few fashion magazines that featured the boys in promotional photo-shoots, but those didn't have any relevant information. Kagami reads (and watches) through the interviews of Basketball Monthly first, knowing that those articles and videos would have the most information.
He feels sick again after finishing them.
Aomine literally states in at least half of his interviews from when he was fifteen that Kise was annoying and the weakest of the Miracles. The other half is just him being a cocky asshole who's mind is too self-conceited and one-tracked that he doesn't understand that what he said hurt Kise.
Midorima's reply was short and succinct when asked who his least favorite teammate(s) are. "Kise."
The others don't comment much besides the general thing- Kise was the weakest and gets annoying, with his too cheery personality and modelling. The interviewers all laughed, thinking it was harmless fun, but when they got to Kise to interview him, you could tell that Kise didn't remotely enjoy the treatment he was receiving. However, everyone seemed oblivious to the pure pain in Kise's eyes when they interviewed him, it left Kagami wondering why the hell everyone was so fucking stupid to not see what was right in front of their very eyes.
The most memorable clip from an interview video, back in their third year at Teikou, is this:
"So, Kise-san, how does it feel to know that you're the weakest of the Miracles? Does it get under your skin? Do you envy Aomine-san, the Ace, because of his unparalleled abilities? Or Midorima-san, for his better strength and aim? Or perhaps Akashi-san, for his dominating force and skill?" The interviewer, who's name was Sachiko, smiled and looked at Kise with cheery eyes and seemed so completely fucking oblivious to the way the already-dim light drained from Kise's eyes and how his smile seemed so much more strained than it should have been at that age, that Kagami felt the smallest sliver of pity or sympathy for her. But it was minuscule, because what she said to Kise was horrible and she should have just shut the fuck up because as of right now, Kise, Kagami knows, is the most powerful Miracle. But he wasn't, a year or so ago, and the way he looks when she asks that shit is just- he looks so goddamn resigned to the fact that people were comparing him to the others, like he wasn't good enough to be independent from them, to have people compare others to him instead of the other way around, and honestly Kagami would be lying if he said he didn't tear up a little, or that a gaping, but filled with sadness, hole didn't fill his chest.
"Uh, it feels kinda bad actually. It does get under my skin a bit, to be honest, but not too much. And uh, I dunno really, haha~!" Kise says hesitantly though cheerily, with a smile on his face the whole time. He giggled and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, with that strained look on his whole entire face, and it took all of Kagami's self restraint to not go grab a chocolate bar and weep while watching.
It breaks Kagami's heart to see that shit, because if you don't look at Kise's eyes and just his smile, you'd believe he's okay.
He knows that he's being pretty hypocritical by saying no fifteen year old should have to go through being constantly belittled and bullied, mocked for how low others think is their strongest limit, will always be their strongest limit, because he went through that exact same thing during volleyball in his last year of middle school, before saying 'fuck you' to the sport and starting basketball again and joining Seirin. But still; he knows he was strong enough to handle it, but was Kise?
He didn't think so.
After thinking this, he gets a call saying the Miracles visited Kise, but he didn't answer the door.
Good, he thinks. I'm glad he ignored you assholes.
The food in Kagami's pan is sizzling perfectly as someone, presumably Kise, knocks on his door. Kagami wiped his hands on his apron and set down the large bowl of fries he'd just taken out of his fryer, and went to answer the door. He unlocked the bolt and pulled it open.
Standing in front of him was Kise in an exact replica of an outfit he'd seen earlier, when looking up photo-shoots of the blond from the start of the year (though he'd deny searching up pictures of Kise).
"Hey, Kise, come in," Kagami stated awkwardly, though with an honest and good-natured sort of tone to his voice. Kise giggled, nodded, and smiled as Kagami scooted to the side and opened the pathway for the blond, who seemed to be genuinely happy to see Kagami.
Said red-eyed male didn't particularly know why, because he was just Taiga. But it was whatever.
"Sorry for the intrusion~" Kise called out, and Kagami knew he was supposed to say something like "haha it's a-okay man you aren't intruding" but his stupid mind wasn't satisfied with that phrase and decided it was going to take control of Kagami's mouth.
So he said what would have him blushing bright red later at night when he recollected the memories of this dinner (though it wasn't even that bad). "It's fine, Kise. I wanted you to come over after all."
He's granted with a huge, elated smile from Kise, and he supposes that makes up for it. Even though the blond seems a bit subdued, it's not exactly noticeable. The only reason Kagami's noticing now is because Kise didn't hug him and smush their cheeks together.
But still, Kagami's a bit embarrassed because he's feeling stupid things and emotions in his heart because of that smile.
"Thank you for having me over for dinner, Kagamicchi!"
Kagami can't help but smile back; his heart and stomach are fluttering with what one could call good butterflies, and it's only the sizzling, snapping, and popping of the food that brings Kagami to the present.
"Oh, shit!" He exclaims, panicking.
Kise looks entirely confused on what's happening, but recognition flits through his eyes quickly and he says one uncertain word: "Food?"
Kagami nods, and races back to the kitchen; his apron is still tied to him as he checks the food to make sure none of it is ruined. Fortunately, it's all still perfect and edible so he passes everything off for luckily salvaged.
He's glad the food was saved.
He goes back to cooking the small rest of dinner that wasn't done, and he's pretty sure Kise is watching him instead of the TV he ushered him towards a couple of minutes ago, but it's whatever because Kise isn't making any noise, really, and contrary to what he may say aloud, he does enjoy the blond's presence.
Kagami pulls everything off the cookers that he needed to fry and sets it in plates; there's not much, really. He cooked burgers, American style, with fries (that's everything on the pans and in the fryer) and some parfait shit his nanny used to make him when he was a kid. It was strawberry with some frickin' sprinkled stuff on the top. Then he had fresh fruit and a bowl of salad for Kise, because he doesn't know what else the blond likes, and he's heard Kise talking to Kasamatsu about how he had to go on a diet for a shoot once, and besides Kise might be vegetarian or have a disinterest in meat- he didn't know. So he did the natural, the obvious thing and just made a healthier side of food for today. For Kise.
He pulled everything out of the fridge that was in there and called out to Kise. "Hey, food's ready!"
Kise came bounding in like a puppy- something that may have frightened him if the blond was a real dog (though maybe not because it's Kise and Kise is so trustworthy Kagami couldn't imagine the blond ever hurting him- ever hurting anyone), but since he's not, Kagami seen it as cute and kinda a bit adorable- okay a lot adorable. The blond took a seat at the table with no hesitation, smiling up at Kagami and seeming so happy and excited and just- joyful in general. It was kind of different than what he was expecting, honestly. He thought- assumed -that Kise would be depressed and seem a bit darker than what was considered normal, but he wasn't. It was honestly relieving for Kagami because he wanted Kise to be happy, after reading everything and seeing everything he has.
"Thank you for cooking, Kagamicchi!" Kise said sunnily, smiling as though the weight of the world had fallen from his shoulders.
Kagami took his apron off and threw it on the counter, away from Kise and him, and from the food. It laid there alone, away from any living beings and if you counted inanimate objects as human beings it looked ostracized. Kagami thought, hey, is this what Kise felt like before?
And immediately that pain from earlier began to thud in his chest.
Kise helped himself to salad and fruit after saying the usual food prayer, yet quickly stopped eating after he saw his host in deep thought.
"Um, Kagamicchi? Are you okay?" He asked hesitantly, his salad stabbed onto a fork (which he was relieved about. He'd never gotten the hang of using only chopsticks), the fork just inches from his opened mouth.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Kagami said distractedly, and began to pile his plate with food.
Dinner was amicable, if not a little awkward. The two talked about the stupid small talk stuff you're supposed to titter on about until you gather up the courage to really say what's on your mind.
Kagami gained the courage as soon as they finished dinner, and his old nanny's parfait stuff was settling into his stomach.
"Hey Kise, can we talk? About like, stuff,"
Not a good way to start the conversation, but it would have to do.
Kise giggled, as though Kagami was some comedian, and nodded.
"Uh, alright, so like. . . Have you been okay recently? I dunno just you seem kinda down a lot and I was wondering what was wrong. The Generation of Bastar- Miracles, the Generation of Miracles, said that you weren't texting them, and I didn't have your number so I couldn't ask you personally if you were okay, and I would have gotten your number from Kuroko but then if I asked for it he'd wonder why I wanted it and I didn't want to tell him in case that put pressure or something like that on you-" Kagami blabbered on and on from his seat on the couch, close to an intently listening Kise.
The blond, amber eyed boy was positively beaming; he launched up from his Indian-style seating position and jumped on the other, taller, male, hugging the life out of him.
"Kagamicchi! The world needs more people like you!" Kise mumbled with tears of happiness flowing out of his eyes, dropping onto Kagami's shirt.
"Wait, uh, Kise? Kise, you okay man? Wait shit why are you crying did I do something wrong oh shit-" Kagami blabbered on apologies until he realized the blond wasn't crying from sadness, but from the joy in his heart.
"Nonsense, Kagamicchi, I'm crying because I'm so happy that someone besides my family cares about me~!" Kise stated from his iron grip around Kagami, with a cheery voice that seemed way too light-hearted and high-spirited for such a sad and depressing statement.
Kagami lost his shit and started crying on Kise after hearing that.
"W-W-Wait Kagamicchi! Why are you crying?!"
"Because you seem too happy to hear something a normal fucking human being should have told you years ago,"
a/n: hi im here and im queer.
kagakise it is
sorry if it sucks lmao like, I tried to make kise seem a bit more subdued though very happy about being asked if he was okay, and kagami as the stupidly oblivious beautiful smol child who cares so much that its not even funny and he feels so much sympathy and pity and some empathy for kise and just
hope i captured the emotions right
this chapter is longer than by like 1k words than all my other chapters in this fic im proud of myself
lol bye
-mountainmoon