Imagine

"You don't have to do this," Kuroko says for the third time; but who's counting?

Kise is counting. He tries to comfortably cradle the grocery basket in the crook of his arm. "Someone has to look out for you while your parents are away. You'd probably just eat shitty oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"I like oatmeal…" Kuroko mumbles before turning to examine the varieties of refrigerated cheese.

Kise meanders down the aisle, entirely unsure of what food to get. He had jumped before looking, and now he felt Kuroko's disinterested and uncomfortable vibe from down the aisle. Kuroko is still stuck on the cheese.

"Well," Kise sort of suggests weakly before coughing, "what do you normally like to eat? What do your parents make?"

Kuroko pulls open the glass door and takes out some shredded cheese. "Kagami makes really good omelets."

Of course Kagami makes perfect omelets. Kise has to physically stop himself from sneering at the frozen peas. "I'll just copy his omelet cooking style."

"That's not necessary."

Suddenly Kuroko is standing next to him, eyeing some microwavable waffles.

Kise knows he doesn't have a right to be here, to try and weasel his way back into Kuroko's life. They hadn't seen each other since the practice match, and if it weren't for the nauseating guilt that had been following Kise since the Championship game, he is sure he wouldn't even be here.

Kise stares at his own reflection in the glass for a second before burying it, covering it up with a grin and hoping Kuroko doesn't see. "Imagine this…" He reaches out, covering Kuroko's confused eyes with his palms. "Are you imagining?"

"Imagining what?"

"Imagine…" Kise pulls his hands away, "pancakes for dinner."

They both stand still for a solid ten seconds. Kise can't allow himself to breathe before Kuroko does. Kuroko is impossible to read and he would rather have a personal cooking lesson with Kagami than have to tell Kuroko all the things he wants to apologize for.

Kise thinks maybe Kuroko gets it, because the boy steps back, shrugging.

"We'll need chocolate chips then."

Writing Kise is getting more and more fun. He is such an interesting character.

xoxo