-Keep Close-
Summary: Kuroko and Aomine are back to Tokyo still trying to get clues on the whereabouts of Kuroko's girlfriend. People from the past will come up. They find themselves caught in the rain and such.
Warning: More AoKuro. ^_^ More drama. More BL.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^
-Chapter Four: Obligation and Blame-
Aomine checked his wristwatch as he stood outside the gates of the pre-school where Kuroko was working. The children would be going home in a few minutes and Kuroko would be free to leave.
He was waiting for him. He did not tell Kuroko that he would fetch him from his workplace. He was worried that the guy would reject his offer of going home together. So it was just better not to give him an opportunity to refuse.
He also wanted to reveal his plans to Kuroko later tonight. He resisted the urge to let Kuroko in on his plans. He did not want the guy to be put in danger more than he was right now. But it seemed that he had no choice. Kuroko would be a big help but Aomine still had his doubts. But he knew that Kuroko would agree to join him because it was for the sake of his missing girlfriend.
That thought ate at Aomine. It bothered him to no end that he was only with Kuroko because of that woman. He hated the thought. And he almost started to develop negative feelings for Yuki.
"Aomine?"
He turned and saw Kuroko by the school gate.
"Kuroko, are you going home now?"
He noticed that Kuroko was still wearing his light blue work apron with pink flowers around the hem. He felt his heart skip. It seemed like the apron suited him.
"We will be waiting until all the kids get home. I just went here since someone told me there was a man standing by the gate. I thought you were a parent but it was just Aomine," Kuroko said. There was a slight smile on his lips.
He smiled, hiding his embarrassement. "I just wanted to make sure that you're safe so I think going home together is better."
"You got off early from work?"
"Yeah." He was on call 24/7. If any new information turned up about Ring, he would need to look into it. But he did not bother telling Kuroko that. He did not want him to think of being a bother.
"You can wait for me inside then," Kuroko said.
Aomine glanced over Kuroko's shoulder, at two female teachers that were looking curiously at him from the pre-school building's entrance. He smiled at them and then turned back to Kuroko. "I'll just be at the cafe around the corner." He pointed towards the direction of the cafe. "I'll be waiting for you there."
Kuroko nodded. "Well, see you later then."
He gave a brief wave to Kuroko before turning his back to leave.
"Aomine."
He immeditely faced Kuroko as he heard him call his name. He felt his heart skip a beat. "Yes?"
"Treat me to some vanilla milkshake later, okay?" He said with a glint of enthusiam on his eyes though his face remained blank.
"Sure."
At that moment, Kuroko looked very cute to Aomine. He suddenly had the urge to grab Kuroko and wrap him around his arms. But he hid his hands behind his back and balled them into fists to control himself.
"Later then." Kuroko turned back and went inside the pre-school building.
Aomine took a deep breath. Things were getting harder and harder to bear every time he was with the blue haired guy. It was slowly driving him crazy.
He shook his head and headed towards the cafe.
If Kuroko would let him, he would treat him to anything. He was willing to give Kuroko everything.
Aomine quietly observed Kuroko as he contentedly took a sip from his vanilla milkshake. They were eating a light meal at the cafe near his school before going home.
Kuroko was looking out of the window, observing the people that were passing by through the glass wall. No one would take notice of him since he mostly lacked presence.
But Aomine never, not even for once, not take notice of Kuroko. He would always be aware of his presence. His existence felt like an eternal light bulb that always flashed red in Aomine's consciousness.
He did not notice when it started. But it was back in middle school when he started to realize that fact. Kuroko would always take people by surprise. At first it was also like that with him. But as the days went on, his presence grew in Aomine's heart to the point where all he could see and think about was him.
He also looked out of the window when he noticed Kuroko turning towards his direction. It was always the guy's hobby to observe others and his surroundings. It probably helped him in using misdirection when they were playing basketball. It was something that he did not have when they were younger. Because all his attention was focused on basketball. And then later on, when he felt that basketball was no longer that exciting, he spent all his attention on pretending not to notice Kuroko or anything else.
"Aomine, what happened to us?" Kuroko suddenly said.
He sharply turned to Kuroko as his heart skipped. What did he mean? He gulped before answering. "What?"
Kuroko put the glass of vanilla milkshake on the table and looked at him with his usual poker face. "Do you feel awkward towards me? I somehow noticed that you are uneasy at times that we're together. It wasn't like this before, right? Is there something wrong?"
Damn. Kuroko and his observational skills. Is he going to be found out like this? Does Kuroko already know his hidden feelings?
He gulped before answering. "There's nothing wrong, Kuroko. Don't worry about me." He tried to smile to brush off the feeling of uneasiness.
Kuroko just nodded and then went back to finishing the remainder of milkshake.
Aomine could not bring himself to tell Kuroko of his plans yet. Looking at Kuroko now made him hesitant. He could still probably look for others to help him. He would have to think about his plans harder.
The pre-school was actually only several blocks away from Kuroko's apartment. Kuroko told him that he needed to get a few stuff from there before going to Aomine's place so they decided to head out after their meal.
Kuroko also probably wanted to check if Yuki had already come back or if he had any mails from her. Even though Kuroko did not say it out loud, he could sense it from the light blue-haired guy.
Kuroko looked at Aomine as they walked to his apartment. He somehow seemed like he was thinking about something as they walked. He was just looking ahead of him as they walked with his hands on his pockets.
Aomine was wearing a suit. It suited him very well. Kuroko guessed that being a detective was really the most suitable work for Aomine.
They were near the apartment when the heavy rain suddenly poured.
"What the—" Aomine muttered.
"Let's run," he said.
They were finally able to reach the apartment but they were already soaked with rain.
He was a bit out of breath when they reached his door. Aomine seemed fine. He must admit, he did not have that much stamina now unlike before.
Aomine smiled as he looked at him while opening the door with his keys. "You really should exercise more, Tetsu," Aomine said as he put a hand on top of Kuroko's wet head while he pushed open the door.
They both stopped for while and just looked at each other. Kuroko felt like his heart skipped.
Tetsu. Aomine called him by his first name.
Kuroko suddenly felt nostalgic. When was the last time he heard Aomine say his first name? That was still back in high school.
Aomine removed his hand from Kuroko's head and put it on his side. He looked like he was surprised by what he just did but was easily able to calm himself. "Let's go in and get warm, K-Kuroko," he said.
Kuroko nodded. He entered the apartment and removed his shoes. He heard Aomine close the door and lock it.
He turned back to Aomine after removing his coat in the hallway and holding it on his arm. The other guy was just finished doing the same thing.
"Ne, Aomine..."
"Yes?" Aomine turned to him.
"Why don't you call me Tetsu anymore? Didn't you use to call me by my first name before?"
He saw Aomine's adam's apple move up and down. He looked away for a second and then back to him. Kuroko just stood there and looked at him as he waited for an answer.
Aomine's dark blue hair was also wet. Droplets of water were falling down from his hair to his face. He wiped them away as he brushed his hand through his hair. Doing that made Aomine look cool despite the wet clothes.
"It's... I don't know. We're not kids anymore so I thought—I thought it would be better to be a bit formal."
Kuroko felt like Aomine was holding out on him. He did not know why but it seemed that he was hiding something.
"Then call me Kuroko-sensei," he said just for the heck of it. He wanted to see how Aomine would react.
"K-Kuroko-s-sensei," he said in a low voice.
Kuroko bit his inner lip. Hearing Aomine being so formal with him did not sit well with Kuroko. In fact, it bothered him that guy was trying to be formal at all. Weren't they partners in the court before? What's so different now?
"Kuroko-sensei," Aomine said again.
It grated at Kuroko's ear. He did not want to hear Aomine say it. He shook his head. "This won't do. Please, call me Tetsu from now on." He turned back and went to his bedroom. "I'll go get us some clothes. I'm sure your shirt got wet as well from all that rain. But don't hope that I have something with your size."
He snickered for a bit. The image of Aomine wearing his shirt, which was a few sizes smaller, was funny. It brought a smile to his lips as he removed his wet shirt inside his room.
"Tetsu..."
Kuroko turned around and found that Aomine was standing by the doorway. He forgot that the bedroom door was open. Aomine was standing there still with his wet shirt on. It was sticking to his body and showed his well-toned torso. Kuroko suddenly felt his ears grow hot as he realized that Aomine was staring at him without his shirt on.
He shook his head. This was not the time to be shy. Weren't they on the same team before? They shared lockers back in middle school so this situation was not really the first. But why does he suddenly feel embarrassed now?
"I—I'm still looking for some clothes for you," he said.
"Thanks, Tetsu," Aomine said.
Without any warning, Aomine stepped inside the room and walked towards him as he took off his shirt.
Kuroko suddenly felt uneasy. He mentally slapped himself. They were adults. These kinds of things should not phase him.
"Wait here," he said as he turned for the closet.
Aomine suddenly grabbed his arm and made Kuroko turn to face him. Their bodies were a few inches apart.
"Aomine, what are you doi—" He lost whatever words he was about to say when he stared into Aomine's deep, blue eyes.
"Tetsu..."
Hearing his name made his pulse quicken all of a sudden. It made him gulp.
"My name. Isn't it only fair that you also call me by my first name? Ne, Tetsu," Aomine said.
"Aomine, why don't you let me go first so that I can go get us some clothes. We will both get a cold later," he said, trying to avoid what he said.
Aomine smiled one-sidedly. It made Kuroko's heart jump.
What was wrong with him all of a sudden? Was he having heart problems? Or was it because he ran fast awhile ago for the first time in a long time?
"Tetsu, I'm waiting."
Kuroko gulped again. Why was Aomine even doing this? Was it because he insisted that the guy call him by his first name that he was also doing the same thing? It wasn't fair if he wasn't even doing it before.
A moment of silence passed over them as they both stared into each other's eyes. Kuroko felt his heart beat grow faster by the second. He was starting to become fully aware of the heat that was emanating from Aomine's hand that was holding his arm.
"Fine. Just let me go first," he said.
Aomine smiled and released him. But he somehow felt a little regretful about it. Wait. What? Regretful? He mentally slapped himself. Now's not the time to be thinking about these kinds if things. He had more important things to do.
"Dai-Daiki, please wait for some new clothes in the living room. I will be there in a while," he said.
"Say it again."
"What?"
"My name. Say it again."
Kuroko sighed. Aomine was still as stubborn as ever. "Fine. Daiki."
Aomine's smile went up to his eyes. Kuroko suddenly felt like his breath was taken away as he looked at the guy. He looked very...handsome.
When was the last time that he saw Aomine smile that way? Wasn't it back in middle school when he still loved basketball and enjoyed playing? Wasn't this time the same as then? The spectacle of him smiling, because he enjoyed what he was doing, always took Kuroko's breath away when they were younger. He did not expect for Aomine's heart-felt smile to still have the same effect now.
"Tetsu..."
The next thing that happened was too fast for Kuroko to comprehend. One moment they were standing while facing each other. The next, he was wrapped in Aomine's arms. Aomine's lips were on his.
His lips felt warm. His embrace felt comforting as if he was being assured that he was protected. Those warm lips started moving and Kuroko felt the urge to respond.
Wait. What am I doing?
He realized what was happening too late. He tried to push Aomine away, but he could not escape his embrace.
"What are you doing, Aomine?"
"I told you, call me by my first name, Tetsu." Aomine's voice, his eyes , his warmth, it all made Kuroko feel wanted. It made him feel secure. Aomine kissed him again. This time, it was more passionate that before.
Kuroko slowly lost the will to resist. He could not help but open his mouth and respond to Aomine's kisses. He felt his knees weaken. He held on to Aomine's shoulders with both hands.
How long was it since he last felt another human's warmth? Three months ago? No, it was longer than that. He refused to think negatively about it since he wanted to be understanding. But how long was it since his bed had grown cold? Yuki would always refuse to sleep over and he never insisted since she was always the one to initiate any physical intimacy between them. But Yuki would only kiss him during important occassions and that was it. It all started several months before she disappeared.
Maybe he should have taken a clue by then. Maybe he should have realized that those kisses that were getting fewer and fewer by the moment and each night that his bed grew cold were signs of her leaving him.
Kuroko's heart ached as it longed for warmth. He thought of how stupid he was for holding on to Yuki despite her disappearing on him. He was probably partly to blame why she left. She probably felt that she could not trust him with her secrets. Was he that unworthy? Were his feelings not enough? What is because of him that she left?
Tears escaped from his eyes. He could not hold them back. Thinking about Yuki as he felt comfort in someone else's arms made his heart ache.
What had he just done? Was it really alright to be embraced by someone else why Yuki was gone? Was it because he did not love her enough?
"Tetsu?" Aomine cupped his face. He wiped away the tears from Kuroko's face with his thumbs. "I'm sorry. Don't cry, okay? I'm sorry." His eyes looked worried as they gazed at Kuroko.
Kuroko slowly shook his head. "This is all my fault." His hands fell to his sides. More tears fell down from his eyes.
"Why are you saying that?"
He looked down, unable to bear the look in Aomine's eyes. He felt like he did not deserve being comforted since he, himself, was not able to give comfort to Yuki.
"Yuki... She—she probably left because of me."
Upon hearing those words, Aomine let him go and brushed his hair with his hand. "Don't ever think that way, Tetsu. It's not because of you. It may be because of what she had been doing for the Ring that she disappeared. That's why we have to find her."
"What if we don't find her?" It pained him with every word that he said. Yuki probably did not want to see him anymore. He touched the pendant of the necklace that she gave. Maybe the necklace was a parting gift since she left the day after she gave it to him.
He gritted his teeth. He knew he should be a good boyfriend and wait for her. But he still could not help but think that he may be waiting in vain for someone who was not coming back.
He felt his knees weaken again so he sat down on the bed. He tried to wipe away the tears with his hands but they still kept coming.
"Tetsu, we'll find her. I promise you that," Aomine said. He kneeled down in front of him and held his hand. Kuroko felt his heart skip.
"You don't know that." He closed his eyes, avoiding Aomine's gaze.
He felt Aomine's hand on his chin as he gently lifted it up. "Tetsu, open your eyes. Please."
He slowly opened his eyes and saw a concerned look on Aomine's eyes. "If she doesn't come back, then we will look for her. And once we find her, you can talk to her about everything, okay? Don't think about anything else."
Before he realized it, his other hand was already cupping Aomine's face. He smiled quite sadly. "Thank you, Daiki."
Aomine smiled. But Kuroko noticed a faint trace of bitterness in his eyes. It was gone in an instant. It made him think that he was probably just mistaken.
I'm punishing myself, Aomine thought as he looked into Kuroko's pained expression.
He gritted his teeth as he stood up. He took the blanket from the bed and wrapped Kuroko with it to keep him warm. "I will be the one to look for our clothes. Just stay there," he said.
He opened the closet and rummaged through for comfortable clothes.
"Why don't we take a shower first?" he heard Kuroko say.
It made Aomine stop. He gulped as wild thoughts suddenly came to his mind. No, he must not think of such things. He was already lucky to easily escape any hateful words from Kuroko because he was more distracted by the thought of Yuki.
But should he really be thankful about it?
His heart ached at the thought that Kuroko did not even mind that kiss. It meant the world to him and yet Kuroko just ignored his feelings. He even thought about Yuki while he was the one embracing him.
Why can't he just forget about her?
He suddenly felt angry about the fact that Kuroko could still not get over that woman. He left him already. That kind of woman did not deserve a guy like Kuroko.
He gritted his teeth again. Was he stupid? Yuki was the only reason why Kuroko was with him. If Kuroko did not care for Yuki anymore, then where would that leave them? Would he and Kuroko still be able to be with each other like this?
He doubted it and that made him ever more angry.
He gulped before he looked back at the light blue-haired guy. "You can go ahead then."
He turned to the closet again and listened as Kuroko went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Aomine closed his eyes and tried his best to supress his emotions. That kiss nearly made him do a lot of things that he would make Kuroko hate him. It was probably better that they stopped. Yeah. It was probably better.
When he found the biggest shirt Kuroko had and wore it, it seemed like a body-fit shirt to him. He probably looked funny. He sighed. He had no choice. He did not want to put Kuroko uneasy with him being half-naked all night until his clothes went dry. It was better than nothing.
He heard his phone ring. Aomine took it out from his pocket and saw that it was Kise that was calling.
"Aominecchi, are you there?"
"What is it?"
He heard Kise chuckled on the other line. "Are you with Kurokocchi right now?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Hmm... I figured. You two are being chummy again. I'm so envious."
"Why did you call? I'm busy."
"Mou, Aominecchi, you really are so mean." He did not respond. "Okay, so I heard that you want to play basketball along with Kurokocchi all of a sudden. So, who's going to be the opponent? Someone I know?"
"I don't think so," he said. He took a shirt and a pair of shorts from the closet for Kuroko and laid them on the bed. He walked out to the living room as he held the phone to his hear.
"Why didn't you call me? I can also play basketball, you know. Don't forget about me," Kise said.
Aomine sat on the sofa and leaned back on the seat. "Are you even back in the country already?"
"Yes, I'm back. So you can ask me to play with you anytime I'm free. I also want to play again with Kurokocchi, you know."
Aomine massaged his forehead with his free hand. He was starting to get a headache. He did not tell that guy that it was a secret after all. It was his mistake that word got out and now Kise wanted in on the game. How could he refuse such an offer?
He sighed. He glanced at Kuroko's open bedroom door. He could still hear the shower going.
"Fine. I'll contact you once the date is set."
"Eh? Don't we need to practice? I want to practice with Kurokocchi."
Aomine could imagine the blond guy pouting over Kuroko. It suddenly pissed him off. "I'll tell you the details later. Just wait for my call and don't tell anyone else, okay?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Aominecchi, but I already told Murasakibaracchi when I went to his bakeshop earlier this afternoon. Gomen. Gomen." He could hear a faint laugh from the guy.
"Kise, you b—" He was still about to say something when he heard the shower stop. "I'll call you later." He did not wait for a reply from Kise and just ended the call.
Kagami Taiga pressed the flashing button on his home phone to check what voicemails he received. He took off his fire fighter's uniform and changed into comfortable clothes as he listened to them.
The first one was an offer to get satellite TV. He smirked. He did not have much time for such stuff. The second one was from a college friend reminding him about an upcoming reunion. He sighed. He didn't really know many people back in college since he mostly focused on basketball. He shook his head as he put on a plain black shirt.
It was the third voicemail that made Kagami stop after he tied the laces of his basketball shoes. He was supposed to meet some friends to play ball on the court near his apartment. But upon hearing the voicemail, Kagami forgot about everything else he was supposed to do.
What the hell...
He rushed to the phone and grabbed the receiver. He dialed the number of the person on the voicemail and anxiously waited for an answer.
He tapped the table as he waited. The repetitive ringing made him more anxious by the second. His heart was beating faster and faster. His forehead creased as the worry appeared on his face.
"Tatsuya," he said as the call was answered.
"Taiga. Taiga, thank god you contacted me," Himuro said. His tone showed how relieved he was about Kagami calling.
"Just what happened? What happened to Alex? Where is she?"
"I-I don't know, Taiga. I was with her one moment and then she was gone. All that was left was a message telling me that I need to follow instructions or Alex will be in danger."
Kagami massaged his forehead for a bit. He did not know what to do at the moment.
He just met Alex last week in San Francisco. She went to Japan on a vacation. She bunked with Himuro while she was there. And then all of a sudden, she disappeared. Everything was so sudden.
"I don't have any additional information yet but Taiga, Alex was kidnapped. I was told not to contact the police. What do I do?" Himuro said, there was panic in his tone.
"When was the last time that the kidnappers called you?" He balled his free hand to a fist.
Damn.
"They contacted me yesterday evening. Taiga, it's been three days since Alex was taken. I could not sleep while thinking about her. This is all my fault, Taiga. I did not look after her well."
Kagami gritted his teeth. Why had Himuro just contacted him now? Alex had been gone for three days already. "It's not your fault."
Alex had always been independent and did whatever she wanted. He was not sure how she got mixed up with kidnappers but he needed to help find her.
"I-I don't know what to do right now, Taiga. I can't stand thinking that Alex could be in danger right now."
Kagami banged his fist on the table. Whoever they are, he will save Alex from them and make them pay. "I'm going there. Tell me as soon as they contact you again. But wait for me before doing anything."
"Okay."
"Who else knows about this?"
"I haven't—I haven't told anyone else yet. I'm afraid the kidnappers would know if I contact anyone here."
"You did the right thing, Himuro. I will help you find Alex. We must get her back safely."
Kagami was fuming. Who the hell would kidnap Alex? Why would they do such a thing?
Alex rarely visited Japan so why was she targeted? Was this random or planned?
Kagami punched the wall. He was oblivious to the blood on his right hand. The pain was nothing compared to the worry that he felt for Alex's well-being. She was the one who taught him basketball after all. She was his mentor. Even when he was in college, she still helped him with his basketball and supported him when he joined the college league. He owed a lot to her.
It was the student's job to follow his mentor and save her if she needs help. Kagami needed to go back to Japan as soon as possible. There was no time to lose.
[ A/N: Huwah. Honto ni gomen nasai. I'm sorry for the delayed release of this chapter. I am back to work and have been busy so I will be posting the new chapter next week. Plus, I can't take my mind off Tower of God as of the moment. I made this one long to compensate for not posting fast enough even though I said I will. I do hope that this chapter was not too emotional. This is in the drama genre after all.
I was able to introduce Kagami and Himuro in the end of this chapter. How will Alex's kidnapping affect the rest of the story? I will tell you in the coming chapters. ^_^
I actually did not plan for a long story. But it appears that some things are just needed to be told. I don't really go for rushed love stories quite often so this one would also take it's time. Hehe.
Thank you to everyone that has followed this fic and has given me reviews. I really appreciate you taking your time and reading Keep Close. Mata raishu ne!
Please send me reviews or PM. I want to know what you think. ^_^]