A/N: Thank you for the reviews, follows and favs. You guys made my days :'D *attack hug*
Beta by Deadpool-kun! ^^
"Hwaaarrghhh~"
Kagami yawned loudly as he walked down the street to his apartment. One could mistake him as sleepwalking or even drunk from his staggering and his half-lidded eyes. The fact that it was about 4 a.m. in the morning was not helping either.
It was Wednesday and Kagami was supposed to work his night shift as usual.
That's what he'd thought too before Akashi suddenly pushed him into a van full of flower bouquets when he'd just stepped a foot inside the shop. Kagami's shock and confusion was later answered when Akashi had explained that he needed Kagami to go help out setting the flowers for a fragrance launching event at the city tomorrow's morning. It's supposed to be Akashi's job and besides Kagami doesn't know much about what to do so he began to protest.
"Taiga. Please."
Had he just heard Akashi, his boss of all people, beg? Kagami had frowned.
Intrigued by Akashi's out-of-character behaviour, he'd taken a peek at the shop out of instinct and seen Kuroko inside it, waving at him.
He'd sighed.
"You guys owe me one," he'd said with a pout.
Akashi had nodded in rare overenthusiasm, patting Kagami's shoulder as a sign of gratification and then he'd slid the van door close.
The venue was actually quite far as it'd taken him approximately 1 hour to get there. Thankfully the driver whom had been in charge of the delivery was none other than Wakamatsu, so at least Kagami had thought he wouldn't be bored on the way.
It's not that bad actually, finally having an out-of-shop job task. Kagami had learned a lot of things, and Akashi had been very helpful too as he'd told Kagami what he needed to do in details when they'd talked over the phone. Apparently he didn't need to do much, he'd had to supervise the whole setting up and also give instruction on how to maintain the flowers condition. He'd also needed to take care of the flowers and helped the designer team in case the need any opinions or questions regarding the flower decorations.
The only setback to it was the waiting. First, because he was too early he'd had to wait for the set up teams. After the teams had come he'd needed to wait until the whole setting finished, which means waiting for the team of event organizer to set up the stage and the platforms and for the designer team to decorate the whole place. The flowers were the finishing touch.
By the time the they had finished, it was already 3 a.m. It was a good thing that the next day was his supposed day off from work.
Akashi had picked him up right away and said that he'd pay for the overtime. Remembering that he needed to buy milk for breakfast the next morning, Kagami had asked to be dropped at the 24 hours mart near his apartment. At first Akashi had wanted to wait for him in the car but he'd left after Kagami had insisted to walk to his apartment by himself. Kagami is not a girl to be worried over.
So that is how he ended walking at the street at 4 in the morning like a drunkard.
'Just a little more..' The gates were just a few meter forward. He could see it from here.
Kagami yawned again and rubbed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a figure in front of him. That figure was heading towards him, and then stopped infront of the apartment gates. Kagami frowned.
'Why did he stop there? Why is he looking this way?'
Kagami suddenly became alarmed.
'Fuck. Please don't tell me it's a mugger.'
Kagami panicked. He fisted his hands, preparing himself to attack in case what he feared comes true. Kagami doesn't like to fight but that doesn't mean that he's weak. He secured his sling bag, afraid that it might get snatched because his wallet and some other important things were inside.
It had just become clear to Kagami how dangerous the street could be at 4 in the morning. He should have accepted Akashi's offer to drive him home. There was no one around and his visions were only assisted by the dim street lights. He couldn't see that person's face clearly but he was positive that person could see him because Kagami passed a streetlamp just now.
Kagami became closer to the suspicious person, when the dark figure finally spoke in that deep familiar voice of him.
"What are you doing outside this late?"
'HAH? Wait. That voice, is that..'
Out of confusion and curiosity, Kagami took out a mini torchlight from the pocket of his bag, switched it on and brought the light to the other person's face, making the person jolt in surprise, covering his eyes with his arm from being blinded by the sudden brightness.
"What the fuck?!"
"Aomine?"
"Yeah, it's me, idiot! Turn off that thing! What the hell.."
"Sorry, you scared me a little there. I thought you were a mugger. Just making sure..." said Kagami as he turned off the torchlight and stuffed it back inside his bag.
"Idiot! If I were a mugger you'd be dead by now for pulling that kind of shit. Are you drunk or what? I saw you stagger on the way here."
"I'm not drunk! I was just sleepy! And what are you doing here?!"
"Tsk, I'm the one who supposed to ask that. I live here."
Aomine's answer took Kagami by surprise.
"Here? This apartment?"
"No, here as in the middle of the road there. God, how dumb can you be? Of course I mean the apartment."
Kagami ignored the insults as he replied rather loudly. "No way! I live here too!"
"Be quiet! Everyone is sleeping. Are you sure you're not drunk?"
Aomine inched closer to Kagami, trying to detect if there was any alcoholic smell coming from the other guy.
"Dude, too close!" Kagami quickly shoved him off out of reflex.
"Hmm, you don't smell suspicious."
"Of course I don't! I told you I don't drink."
"Yeah, yeah. Just stop shouting, you're so noisy. So you live here too?" Aomine walked past the gates and began to make his way to the apartment's elevator. Kagami followed him.
"Yeah I do. Weird, we live in the same apartment but I don't think I've bumped into you before."
"It's not that weird." Aomine pressed the elevator button.
"It's not?"
Kagami's question left unanswered as the elevator door opened and they both got in.
Aomine pressed the level 5 button.
"No way! Same level too? Why the fuck I've never met you?"
Aomine glanced at Kagami. Now he was also startled by the coincidence, but he shrugged it off. It's really not that odd actually.
"We have different lifestyle, different schedule."
"What?"
"I sleep during the day. I'm the exact opposite of people like you who wakes up in the morning and sleep at night. My day start at night. If it's not because of the shop we'll probably never run out into each other."
'Day start at night...?'
Kagami's eyes widened in shock as the event from yesterday suddenly struck him. He had forgotten all about it, he was exhausted and he was surprised to meet Aomine, but now all the findings and thoughts from yesterday came rushing to his mind.
Aomine's job.
Kagami blushed feverishly thinking about it. Suddenly he felt extremely uncomfortable from being alone with Aomine in that small space. Thankfully the elevator stopped as they arrived to their floor. Aomine walked out without even glancing at him.
Kagami followed after him, brows furrowing as he watched the man from behind. Yes, Kagami hates Aomine sometimes for being a prick but he also can't help upsetting over Aomine's job preference. Without thinking he voiced out his thought.
"Why... Why did you choose that job?"
His voice was low, as if he was mumbling to himself, but Aomine's hearing was sharp enough to hear it as the tanned male stopped in his track.
"So you know my job, huh? Did Akashi told you? Tsk. People like you are always judgmental." Answered Aomine without even looking at Kagami. His voice sounded disappointed, somehow.
"There's a lot of job you can take you know, if you keep looking."
"It pays a lot."
"But there are other ways to make money! Why are you doing this to yourself?"
Aomine sighed. "Why do you care, anyway? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong."
"Of course it's wrong!"
Aomine turned to Kagami, his stare was intense enough to make anyone shit in their pants, but not Kagami. Kagami was too upset and concerned to be bothered.
"It's not like being a host is illegal! It's not like being a host is a disgraceful thing! And even if it is, it's none of your business!"
"I didn't say that... Wait, what?"
Aomine sighed for the second time.
"It's not that bad of a job actually. I mean, girls kind of dig me and I have a reputation there. It's a very easy way to make money and I am in need of money, so I this is the best option I have." Aomine tried to explain himself. He didn't even know why he felt obliged to do so. Usually he doesn't give a damn about what other people think about him, but not Kagami. Somehow he just didn't want Kagami to get the wrong idea about what he does. He didn't even know why.
Kagami just look at him with a confused look.
"Wait... So you're a host."
Now it was Aomine's turn to be confused.
"I thought you knew my job?" Questioned the bluenette with knitted brows.
'Yeah, and I thought you're a prostitute! So Aomine's not a prostitute?!'
Kagami felt a sudden relief when he realized that Aomine is not what he thought he was. But that means that he had made a terrible accusation at the guy, and he felt really ashamed for doing it.
"I-I.. I misunderstood." Said Kagami, nervousness hinted in his voice as he quickly made his way past Aomine to the door of his apartment unit.
"Wait a sec... What did you thought my job is, actually?" Aomine quickly followed him, noticing that Kagami was trying to get away from him and the topic they'd been discussing.
Kagami took out his keys and quickly opened his door. Aomine was faster however as he quickly blocked Kagami, his hand effectively slammed shut the door close again.
"Answer me, Kagami."
Kagami looked at Aomine with an awkward and nervous smile.
"Please don't be mad. I thought you were... uhh.. you know.."
"What?" Asked Aomine impatiently.
"Uhmm.."
Kagami couldn't bring himself to said the word. His face was obvious enough, however, as he started to blush and look at anywhere but at Aomine with that guilty look on his face. Aomine got it right away.
"YOU THOUGHT I'M A WHORE? WHAT THE FUCK, KAGAMI?"
Kagami panicked as guilt consumed him. No one deserves such an accusation, not even Aomine. Kagami suddenly felt really bad for even thinking about it in the first place. He quickly blurted out an apology, shouting as he did.
"I'M SORRY! I misunderstood! I mean I didn't mean to accuse you that way but every time I met you you kind of give me that vibe and yesterday I heard that girl said that she booked you and pay your service and I'm like 'what the fuck what profession can be booked?' and then I thought prostitution because I saw you went into a row full of love hotel and what people do at places like that if not 'that' and then there's this girl clinging so close to you as if you were hers and then there's two girls at the same time so i make that assumption! I'm sorry!"
"Huh, what?" Aomine is not that bright either to process the whole thing Kagami blurted. But he caught some of the things and couldn't help but wonder how many times had Kagami bumped into him before and yet the redhead had never said anything.
Kagami inhaled deeply before speaking again in a much more understandable pace. "What I meant to say is that, I shouldn't make dumb assumptions like that. It was stupid of me to even think about it in the first place. Sorry."
Aomine sighed again, then scratched his head in exasperation. 'This guy..'
"Just... don't jump to conclusions like that ever again, you hear me? You're very terrible at guessing, damn it. You're lucky it was me. If it was another person he would have punched you in the face for such a heavy accusation."
"I know, I won't."
"Good then."
"But, I'm still confused. Why were you heading to love hotels?" Kagami looked unsure as he asked.
"You never step foot on that side of the town haven't you? The love hotels are just the front row, idiot. If you walk further you would see clubs, clothing outlets and even gadget shops on the next row to the west."
Clubs. Clothings. Gadgets. Yeah he probably will never go there anyway as he has no interest in the things Aomine just mentioned.
"But then, what a host does? Isn't it kind of the same thing as.. you know?" Kagami is not exposed to the night life activities so he really had no clue.
"Of course its not the same thing you idiot! I don't give sex service! I just get paid by flirting with girls, that's all!"
"Oh okay, okay I get it!"
Kagami involuntarily blushed at the word sex, making Aomine try his best not to burst out laughing and retain his angry face.
He unlocked his door again, excusing himself before asking another stupid question that might anger the bluenette even more.
"So uhh.. I guess I see you arou-hey!"
Kagami couldn't even stop the bluenette as the later made his way inside like he owns the damn place.
"So this is where you live?"
"Hey who gave you permission to get in my house? Get out!"
Aomine ignored the question as his sharp eyes scanned the place.
Something is a bit off.
The house seems too... proper. Like a real home, not a bachelor house.
Although the furniture are not that much, they are arranged neatly. No dirty clothes or dirty anything in sight. Everything seemed to be in the correct place. There are door mats in front of every doors. The windows are decorated with simple curtains, the cooking utensils are complete, the kitchen look well used but extremely clean and there's tablecloth covering the dinner table. There's some colourful magnets decorating the fridge. The CDs and magazines are stacked neatly at the shelves besides the TV and the place smelled nice.
"This is impossible. Is there a girl living here? You don't look like someone who would have a girlfriend."
"There's no girl in here! And what do you mean by that? Get out from my house!"
"Really? No girl? Then who does the cooking?" Questioned Aomine as he pointed at the kitchen accusingly.
"Do you have anything against a guy who cooks?"
"Whoa you can cook? You should invite me sometimes then, it's been a long time since I eat homemade dinner." Aomine's tone sounded slightly sad as he said this and Kagami noticed it. He just shrugged it off however, thinking that it was just an act.
"Dude, seriously now. I'm very tired. I want to sleep."
Aomine looked at Kagami. He was right, the redhead looked really messed up from the lack of sleep. He suddenly felt kind of bad for intruding. Kind of.
"Fine, fine. I get out now." Said the bluenette as he made his way out.
"Thanks." Kagami accompanied him to the door, and watched him walk to the end of the row, before entering into his own apartment unit.
'So that's where he lives.'
Kagami sighed. What a day. If Kagami was not as tired, he would have given some time to ponder over his encounter with Aomine just now, but when Aomine was finally out of his sight, Kagami locked the door and wasted no time as he quickly made a beeline to the bed and slumped himself on top it, drifting off to sleep seconds later.