I just... This chapter is so late I can't even... I'm so sorry guys! My laptop charger broke two months ago, which is when I had midterms and University Week, then September basically sucked to all heck and I just got to getting it fixed (or having enough allowance saved to have it fixed). I hate Freshmen, be it high school or college. (No offense to any freshmen out there. I just can't stand my classmates.) Plus it's Shark Week in my belly.

BUT NOW I HAVE NEW CLASSMATES BECAUSE THE FIRST YEARS GOT CLASSES RE-LISTED AHAHAHAHAHA

But I really need to thank my friend Becky (not her real name *cough*)! I saw her on Friday and she motivated me to pick this up again and OH GOD I'M SO EXCITED BUT ALSO SO SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENS HERE. (Actually, two things.)

If you want to know what I apologize for, read to find out! (Hopefully there're still a few of you who haven't completely lost faith in me...) I'm actually working on some things to make for the two-month absence.

Chapter 9

Outta the Pan

Tangling limbs with Kuroko Tetsuya wasn't exactly what Kagami Taiga was planning on doing, but it had happened anyway.

"S-sorry, Kuroko!" the tiger proclaimed a little too loudly. He pushed his weight off the smaller male and met his eyes. "Are you okay? Does it hurt...?"

"No... I'm okay, Kagami-kun, but please get off. You're heavy."

The close proximity of their faces struck the ace suddenly, causing him to back away suddenly in order to hide his blush. However, he had completely forgotten where they both were and very nearly toppled over backwards on the staircase. The Shadow's hands reached out and caught the Light's jacket in time.

"Thanks," Kagami mumbled, helping Kuroko up in turn. "What happened?"

"The lights are dim and I still can't see where I'm going very well, so I ended up tripping on the staircase. You fell on top of me before I could warn you."

Kagami looked away sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I shoulda been looking out for that kinda thing."

"...it's no problem, really," Kuroko replied, opting not to question his Light. "Please be careful, Kagami-kun." With that precaution, he turned back and started climbing the steps again, one hand outstretched to the wall as a stabilizer.

The ace sighed to himself, unbelieving of the reason as to why he hadn't been paying attention in the first place. He had a habit of looking up the stairwell to where he was going, but Kuroko was in front of him and, well... He'd spent only a few seconds staring at the Shadow's butt, though his mind wandered to other places that were just as inappropriate when he looked away. Kagami had not planned on topping Kuroko when the steamy, scandalous image itself came to mind. It was purely by coincidence.

Coincidences suck, he thought bitterly to himself.

The sound of Kuroko's footsteps stopped and Kagami looked up to see what the matter was. Kuroko's butt. He averted his gaze to the dark, blank wall behind him, but the heat still crept onto his face all the same. "What's up, Kuroko?"

"It seems that we've reached a door of sorts," he reported, hands sliding against the surface in search of a handle or anything else. "Ah, here we are."

A muffled click echoed and the door swung out in front. Kagami leaned over to peek past Kuroko's legs and found that what had been revealed was... more maze. The redhead let out a disgruntled sigh.

"It's another part of the labyrinth," Kagami said. "Let me up, Kuroko." The bluenet sidestepped and allowed him to pass, oddly quiet as his partner led the way. He shuffled after, the telltale slithering of hands against the wall ensuring that both were indeed progressing through. There was a heavy silence that didn't seem breakable.

Dammit, Kagami cursed. What the hell do I say?

He opened his mouth to apologize for falling on the shorter male earlier, but the redhead was interrupted as soon as he drew a breath.

"Hi, and welcome the second obstacle of Lovers' Labyrinth!"

Kagami turned the breath into a nonchalant clearing of his throat. He felt Kuroko's presence at his side, waiting expectantly for the prompt. The person who greeted them was short, more so than Kuroko, and the ace could tell by her voice that the attendant was another girl.

"Your challenge is a staring contest!" She flickered on some lights, which were still dim compared to sunlight, but bright enough that Kuroko's eyes could adjust well. Sky blue orbs blinked at the sudden onslaught of brightness. Kagami winced at the lack of forewarning, but he kept his eyes trained on the girl. He didn't trust the too-gleeful smile she wore. "Hold the gaze for sixty seconds and you pass! I'll be watching for any side glances, and if that happens, I'll have to restart the timer."

Oh. Was that it? Perhaps Kagami had been too hasty in his judgment of her appearance. "Is that it? Doesn't sound too hard. Let's go, Kuro—"

A small hand caught the tiger's elbow to cut him off, cerulean eyes narrowed. "What are your conditions?"

The girl was taken aback, answering, "Wow, you catch on quick. No one's ever figured that out so early in the maze. I was going to have you do two rounds of the contest, one with conditions, one without. But since you got me, I'll let you off with just one round. Your conditions are to do the staring contest while your noses touch, and you have to repeat each others' full names out loud."

"While our noses...? What do you mean by that?" Kagami questioned. This entire ordeal was probably just as ridiculous as it sounded.

"She probably means like this, Kagami-kun."

Kuroko gripped the collar of his Light's jacket and pulled him down to his eye level, the tip of his pale button nose meeting Kagami's own. He could see the emotionless clouds of blue staring back at him with just as much intensity. ...oh.

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant! Timer starts as soon as I hear someone's name."

"Kagami Taiga," the Shadow breathed.

"K-Kuroko..."

"I said full names!" the girl ordered indignantly. "Don't make me restart the timer!"

"K-Kuroko... Tetsuya." Kagami hoped to any deity listening that being so close to the Phantom meant his blushes weren't visible.

"Kagami Taiga." The Shadow was quick to follow up.

"Kuroko... Tetsuya."

"Kagami Taiga."

"Kuroko... Tetsuya."

"Kagami Taiga."

"Kuroko... Tetsuya." The tiger forced his start forward, but he hoped that Kuroko wouldn't catch the fact that—

"Kagami... Taiga."

Dammit, the ace cursed mentally.

"K-Kuroko Tetsuya." It's not like I'm doing this on purpose, Kuroko! I ain't used to this! I'm not pausing because I want to!

"Kagami Taiga." Then why are you doing it? the Phantom queried.

"Kuroko T-Tetsuya." Like I know, idiot!

"Kagami Taiga." There has to be a reason, Kagami-kun.

"Kuroko Tetsu...ya." Even if there was, I wouldn't know.

"Kagami Taiga." But that doesn't mean you can't find out what it is.

"Kuroko Tetsuya..." There's no way I can find out if I don't have any clues.

"Kagami Taiga," the bluenet sighed, sounding a bit disappointed. His eyebrows furrowed. I guess there's no helping it. Kagami-kun has always been a little dense.

"Kuroko Tetsuya!" the ace burst. He forced his forehead to Kuroko's in annoyance and anger. What's that supposed to mean?!

"Kagami Taiga." It means what it means. There aren't any double meanings there.

"Ku-ro-ko Te-tsu-ya...!" Teeth were gritted, the name of the Phantom all but growled out. Quit makin' fun of me, Kuroko!

"Kagami Taiga." The small Miracle began to push against the strength of Kagami's forehead. Then please figure out why you're not stuttering my name anymore.

"K-K-K-Kuroko Tets-tsuya!" The tiger's face blossomed red. I—I—...!

"Kagami Taiga...?" Kagami-kun, are you okay...? The concern was real, that much he could see in those pale blue orbs. God knew he wanted nothing more than to look away, but they were so close to finishing the challenge. And he honestly didn't think he could last another minute staring at Kuroko's eyes. Kagami drew a breath to calm himself.

"...Kuroko Tetsuya," he said lowly. He stared his partner dead-on, determined to not get pulled in by the Shadow's mind games. He eased the pressure he was putting on the petite boy's forehead, catching the other a little off guard.

"...Kagami Taiga," he whispered back. The bluenet swallowed hard; his mouth was dry all of a sudden, tongue heavy. He shifted his feet uneasily, his nose pressing into Kagami's more.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." Too close. The redhead was right, since the Phantom could feel his Light's breath crawling on his face... on his lips. He angled his head down a smidge, avoiding the warm exhalations, knowing better than to avert his gaze despite his desire to.

"Kagami Taiga." Sorry.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." S'okay.

Without warning, both their fields of vision went black. "Okay!" a voice proclaimed. It was the girl in charge of the second obstacle, her hands coming off their eyes. She was flushed slightly and shaking after she physically separated the Seirin duo.

"You two must really be... getting along. I mean, you were only saying each others' names, but at the same time you were having a full conversation and I thought you were gonna..." The girl swallowed nervously, her smile forced and embarrassed, the blush on her face deepening. "C-congratulations, you pass the second obstacle, please step this way and the third obstacle should come up shortly!" She slunk off into the shadows, unwilling to look at them, and turned out the temporary light.

She thought that they were...? And that they would...? Their faces were pretty close, but they weren't going to ki—

"Let's go, Kuroko!" Kagami belted, eager for the cover of the maze's darkness. He couldn't bring himself to look at those sky blue eyes anymore, turning sharply into the corridor. Kuroko followed behind, not entirely sure of what to think.

"...so, Naoya, how're things going on your end?"

"They're a little... slow, to be honest. I'm pretty sure that they're starting to like each other, but they're both so cautious that arrgghhh!" The maroon-haired teen mussed up his locks in frustration, plunking his head down onto the table when he was done. "...how are both they so dense? I thought only Dad was like that." He looked up at the girl seated across from him, but she fiddled with her hair clips instead, picking absently at stray chestnut strands.

"Hm... Well, keep in mind that they're both guys, Naoya. It might be strange for them to admit their feelings. Your presence may be a catalyst, but they still need a jump start to get the ball rolling. Just give them some time. Meddle when you can, but don't suggest anything unless provoked. They have to reach conclusions on their own."

Naoya rested his chin on the table and clicked his tongue. "...what if they never get there? To their conclusions, I mean. There's still a chance that they won't fall in love, isn't there?"

"But that's why you decided to come here, right?" she clucked in annoyance. "You made it your goal to ensure they get together. Don't waste your time here without fulfilling that. Besides," her voice softened, hand reaching out to ruffle his hair gently, "you'll never forgive yourself if you don't. And if you can't forgive yourself, they won't, either. Just... be safe, okay, Naoya? Always know that you'll have people on your side."

"...that's a number I can count on one hand," he commented sadly. His cerulean eyes looked to her for help.

"You'll do fine, Naoya. Have faith in yourself. And have faith in your parents here, they're doing their best to get through that—" she jerked her head in the direction of Lovers' Labyrinth, "—just for you, y'know."

He smiled at her, but the sadness lingered in the light blues. "Thanks. For everything."

Opting not to say anything else, she got up from the table. "I need to go now, but there's someone else inside Labyrinth who's got your back."

"Who—?"

The girl shot him a glare. "Who else would get involved this way?"

"...right. Her," he shuddered. Adjusting the collar of his jacket, he sat up. "Take care, Kiyomi-nee. Be safe." He made a face. "And stop calling me 'Naoya,' that's weird coming from you!"

"Fine, then!" she yelled in mock anger, grinning back brightly. "Any time, Nigou."

"Welcome to the third obstacle of Lovers' Labyrinth!"

Kagami blinked at the voice as the lights came on. That was fast, to stumble upon another obstacle so soon.

"For this, I'll need..." the guy in charge trailed off, studying the odd pair, coming to a decision and taking Kuroko by the hand.

"OI!" the redhead yelled in protest. The guy simply laughed it off.

"It's for the challenge, I assure you. I'm not out to steal your man or anything," he chuckled. Kagami opened his mouth to rebuke the statement, by the two of them vanished behind black curtains.

Instead, he grumbled, "Who said he was mine?" Worn out shoes scuffled around impatiently as the guy who took the Shadow returned.

"Everything's set for the next obstacle! Please follow me," he instructed. Kagami was led a little ways down the hall, told to stop before more black curtains.

"The third challenge is to pick out your partner from—" the guy pulled a cord, revealing a wall with five people's hands sticking through holes, "—these."

Kagami glanced at the hands briefly. One of them was Kuroko's. Studying the employee's smiling face intently, he remembered something the small Phantom had said at the previous challenge. "...what are your conditions?"

The guy whistled lowly, impressed. "They weren't kidding when they said you were a sharp couple," he commented, likely referring to the girls at the first two obstacles.

"Thanks," the ace bristled, "but we're not a couple!" The guy shook his head, smiling.

"Whatever you say, big guy. Your condition is to pick your partner... eyes closed. You can only touch the hand to get a comparison, but you can't speak or interact with the person behind the wall otherwise. And your man can't drop you a hint by squeezing your hand or anything, so don't even try. You've got a minute to decide, so good luck!"

The Light blew out a breath and forced his lids shut, a cloth tightening around the circumference of his head. There wasn't any time to waste by guessing incorrectly. He reached for the first hand, tracing it carefully and discerning its properties.

The fingers are too long, there isn't enough muscle... No callouses, either. Fingertips are smooth... This isn't him.

He moved to the next one, turning it palm side up. Deftly, he marked its features.

This isn't Kuroko, either. Nails aren't cut, the skin on the knuckles are too rough. Tons of scar tissue... burns, maybe from welding...? Moving on.

The third hand Kagami held against his own, spreading the fingers alongside his in comparison.

Too beefy, too big. Also, this guy's palm is abnormally sweaty.

Kagami dropped the hand where it was and reached for the next one, shocked by its lifelessness. He ghosted over every detail; the soft, neat cut of the nails; the sinewy muscles that were taut when the hand was flexed; the softness of skin and the harsh callouses at the fingertips, a gentle contradiction and story. The heat that radiated from the small palm to his was barely there, but it made Kagami's heart race to realize this. How did he know Kuroko's hands so well? Every inch fit the short, blue Miracle in ways Kagami didn't know he knew.

But he had to make sure. Time was of the essence. The tiger balled the hand up into a fist and bumped it against his. He supposed the familiar, nostalgic feeling he got was as good as any indicator.

"This is him," he announced, gripping the hand in his, allowing it to unfurl into his palm. "This one is Kuroko."

"You sure? You didn't even check the last—"

"This is Kuroko!" he growled back, sure of himself. "I know it is."

The irritated huff accompanied shuffling footsteps. "You're wrong."

WHAT? Kagami panicked. He grasped for the fifth hand briefly, but he found quickly that the person was double-jointed. Returning to the hand he was sure was Kuroko's, he intertwined their fingers for assurance. But this is Kuroko! He could feel it in the way the other person tightened their fingers ever so slightly, in spite of the fact that they weren't supposed to interact with him.

"There's no way I'm wrong! This one is Kuroko! I can feel it, I know it's him—"

"Cool your jets, big guy, I'm kidding!" the employee piped, taking the blindfold off. "That right there is indeed the hand of your man."

The ace glanced down at the pale hand in his, blushing at the fact that he was locking fingers with...

"Good job, Kagami-kun." The Phantom's small voice reached his from beyond the makeshift wall. "I'll be right with you." The slender fingers slipped out of Kagami's stiff hand and Kuroko appeared shortly.

"Are you sure you're not a couple?" the annoying guy interrupted. "That was some wicked speed back there, big guy—"

"We really are nothing more than friends," Kuroko answered, periwinkle eyes showing no emotion. The employee looked from Kuroko to Kagami, sighing and moving aside to let them pass.

"That's a shame."

Kagami ushered the Shadow in front of him, wanting to get into the cover of the lightless hallways once more.

"It really is. I've seen hundreds of couple waltz in here, but not one guy has been able to pick out his partner as fast as your 'friend' here... You've got some serious magic going on. Hope the end of the maze gets you to see that!"

Kuroko glided behind his Light silently, hoping that the redhead wasn't letting Naoya's objective get to his head. They had successfully gotten through eight of ten challenges in the maze and were making good progress; the "obstacles" had been a hassle, but nothing they couldn't handle.

The fourth one had been to switch an article of clothing, meaning Kuroko had donned his partner's too-big jacket while Kagami sported the Phantom's signature wristbands. (Why the shorter male was wearing them he did not know.) Conditions were to keep the articles switched until exiting the maze. (The problem was that now Kagami wanted to know what the shorter male looked like wearing nothing but his over-sized shirts.)

The fifth had been for one partner to carry the other across a suspended bridge made of wood and rope. It was rickety and seemed unstable, but it was maneuverable and had a safety net spread out below and onto either side. Of course, Kagami had gotten Kuroko to the other side safely. The only downside was that he learned how it would feel to carry the younger boy should they ever get married. (And the fact that the Shadow's breath was crawling on the spot where he had accidentally kissed the American on the train.)

The sixth was to simply slide down a slide back to the first floor, which was easier said than done when the condition was to slide down with one of the pair in the lap of the other. (Kagami could never live with the fact that aside from knowing how lithe Kuroko's butt looked in jeans he also knew how lean it felt pressed against his body. He decidedly hated stairs and slides.)

The seventh challenge was a slow dance, condition to dance to the entire length of one love song chosen at the whim of the employee monitoring the event. (The song "Heaven" by Do would never be allowed to play in the ace's presence. Ever. Remixes and versions by DJ Sammy included.)

The eighth and latest task was a partner relay race. The not-a-couple had to transport ten tennis balls from one bucket to another that lay some five meters away. The condition had been to hold the tennis ball using only their necks and chins. (Had Kuroko always been so short? And had his neck always been so pale and slender and begging to be marked? The tiger hated to admit, but from the employee's point of view it must have seemed like they were locking lips for real. ...it didn't help that their hands were constantly on each others' shoulders for extra support.)

Yeah, good progress. They had only been in there for what, thirty minutes, tops? He wasn't sure.

"Kagami-kun, how long have we been here?"

"I dunno, lemme check." The ace stopped where was, fishing around his pocket for his cellphone. "It's about... 1:34—"

The Shadow grasped the American's shoulder, concerned about why he would stop mid-sentence.

"We could have used the light from the phone," Kagami stated, sounding shell-chocked. "We could have used the—then you'd be able to see and—dammit, why am I so stupid?!" The screen light illuminated his disgruntled face before he shoved the device at Kuroko. "Here, use this. Why didn't I think of it before?!" Kagami went on leading the way, grumbling and occasionally kicking at the wall all the while. The Phantom begrudgingly did as he was instructed, but he kept his eyes plastered on his Light's back for guidance. Of course, he didn't tell Kagami why he didn't want—or rather, didn't need—the light from the phone.

Even when it's pitch black, a Shadow can always see his Light.

"I'd appreciate it if you could please stop kicking the wall," a female called out to them monotonously. "Unless you wish for recompense, then by all means, go ahead—oh, goodness. You're the couple everyone's been raving about? No wonder she called me here so suddenly."

A dim light flickered on overhead, lower than the other fixtures used at other challenges, but still enough for Kuroko to see. A teenage girl about their age sat impeccably at a table, giving off the appearance of a mob boss. Her fingers were laced together tightly and lay on the table. Coppery caramel hair was twisted in a knotted ponytail on the left side of her head and she didn't seem to be wearing the stupid white-and-pink striped uniform polo shirt of the Labyrinth. Her eyes studied the pair calmly as they awaited her instructions.

"Well, seeing as it's you two, I suppose I'll do away with the tedious introduction." She reached under the table and produced a plate of... Kuroko squinted. Were those chocolate covered cherries? The girl placed them on the table in front of her. "Ninth challenge. Partner A picks up a cherry by the stem using his teeth. Partner B then has to eat the cherry. Once the cherry is gone, partner A must tie a knot with the cherry stem or at least make an attempt to. Repeat the process while alternating who does the eating. Challenge ends when a knot is tied successfully or the plate runs out. In the event that a plate is finished without tying a knot, then another plate will be provided. No time limit and no cheating. I will be watching."

The girl turned into the darkness of a corner.

"And by the way, if you can't keep it to yourselves and end up eating each other instead of the cherries, you'll be let out of the final stage and get escorted outside."

The Phantom fought to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks, the poker face ever present. Kagami, however, was not faring as well. Crimson eyes looked at the fruit warily before turning to Kuroko. "Let's get this over with," the tiger grumbled.

He leaned down to the plate and took a cherry stem in his mouth, careful to grip it by the end gently so as to not bite off the little allowance he had. Kagami stooped towards the Shadow in an effort to tower over the Miracle; the stem wasn't strong and drooped significantly, so he'd have to lower the fruit into Kuroko's mouth without going any further than necessary.

They'd had to spit out broken or demolished stems countless times. A pile of discarded stems and pits had formed on the vacant space of the plate and the cherry count was dwindling. Tired of having to bend their bodies to far in order to ensure they didn't kiss, the Light and his Shadow sat next to each other on the tabletop.

"Kuroko, how close do you think you're getting to tying a knot?"

"Not any closer than you are, Kagami-kun."

"Yeah, but at least yours don't break!"

"Regardless, they're still not tied."

"Fine... I'll try again." Kagami held the plate at Kuroko's shoulder, waiting for the shorter male to pick his poison. Kagami wasted no time in getting the cherry, tilting his head to pluck the fruit. He chewed as he watched the stem disappear into the Phantom's mouth, a concentrated expression clouding over azure orbs. After some time, Kuroko spit the stem back into his hand; it was bent slightly, but not knotted. He frowned.

"Guess we'll have to keep trying," he sighed, dropping the stem onto the plate. "My turn, Kagami-kun."

Kuroko picked up a cherry, waiting for the redhead to eat the tart red fruit. He almost had it his mouth when—

"Ohmygosh, it totally looks like the real thing!"

The pair glanced up simultaneously to find that they had gathered quite the audience. Employees from the rest of the maze watched them unabashedly. Kagami jerked back from his Shadow in surprise and embarrassment, ripping the stem from his partner's lips. How long...?

"Well, you just gave us away," stated the mob boss lookalike girl. "Carry on, you two."

"Hold on!" another guy called out distantly. "I haven't seen the mystery couple yet—oh, shit."

Himuro Tatsuya pulled up behind his co-workers, sporting a small ponytail and the telltale pink-striped polo of the Labyrinth. He stared back at his brother, completely and utterly surprised that he was one of the two in what his fellow employees appropriately called a "miracle couple."

The tiger sputtered where he sat with no intentions of addressing the Yosen player or obeying the mafia girl's orders. His face was a smattering of his brilliant hair color and he gaped like a fish, though his partner's composure contrasted his reaction drastically. Kuroko narrowed his eyes at the interruption and placed the end of a fresh cherry stem between his teeth, which he closed with enough force to hold the fruit, but only just. The red bauble dangled at the Phantom's chin and he maneuvered Kagami's mouth so that the tiger took the fruit with him when Kuroko pushed his body away.

Kagami began to chew absentmindedly, still staring down the crowd. The Miracle beside him concentrated on working the stem into a knot.

"Wait a minute, guys," Himuro warned, "just do the... don't finish the challenge. 'Accidentally' brush lips or 'lose your balance' or something. Trust me."

Crimson eyes narrowed in disbelief and Kagami flushed more (if that were even possible).

"Have you lost your mind?!" he yelled back at the older male. "Why would I do that to someone I'm not even in a relationship with?!"

"Oh, he's so shy!" a girl twittered annoyingly. "How cute!"

"I'm not cute!" Kagami retorted. "And I'm not kissing Kuroko, accidentally or on purpose or whatever!"

The second-year ignored his hot-headed brother and tried to reason with the Shadow instead, sounding a bit panicked. "Kuroko-san, I'm serious. Don't finish the challenge. There are worse things than accidental kisses."

Kuroko stuck out his tongue defiantly, a little bitter that someone so close to Kagami would show up at a time and place like this. On his tongue lay a tightly knotted cherry stem. "Too late," he commented smugly. "Kagami-kun, let's move on to the next challenge."

The caramel-haired mafia girl shook her head mockingly at them, smiling as she said, "You really should have listened to the tear-mole boy."

"Tatsuya, why are you here anyway?" Kagami queried, bewildered.

The dark-haired teen sighed. "I work here, Taiga. Obviously." He tugged at the shirt he was wearing, peeved at the redhead's convenient idiocy. "And I just so happen to be the proctor for the tenth and final obstacle."

"Oh, good," Kuroko broke in. "Then we'll be done faster—"

"You would have been done faster if you'd listened earlier. Like I said, there are worse things than accidents."

"How is anything worse than that?" Kagami asked. "This... this park is family-friendly... right?"

Kuroko jabbed his Light in the gut, reprimanding him. "Please do not think in such vulgar ways, Kagami-kun."

Himuro tightened his mouth into a straight line, not wanting to force his brother and the other young male into something they weren't ready for. At the same time, however, he didn't want to break the rules and get fired just because they hadn't listened to him. He took in a deep breath.

"Well... Welcome to the tenth and final obstacle," Himuro recited. "I'd rather not make you do this, but the challenge is to kiss your partner."

Kuroko's heart dropped into his stomach. He really should have listened instead of getting annoyed at the surrogate brother of his Light. And for what reason was he irritated, anyway?

"Before you get any ideas about loopholes, you have to kiss your partner full on the lips. Unfortunately, there are additional conditions. The kiss has to last at least fifteen seconds... but the actual time may vary depending on how quickly you managed to finish the ninth obstacle." The second-year eyed the mostly-void plate of cherries.

"Himuro-san, is this by chance what you meant when you said accidental kisses?"

"What do you mean, Kuroko?" the ace asked. Himuro nodded solemnly at the Phantom's inquiry.

"It means what it means, Kagami-kun." The bluenet was positive that there was no way he could hide his blush this time. "The tenth challenge is a fifteen-second long intentional kiss under the influence of aphrodisiacs."

Kagami felt like his lungs had been crushed. Sure, he'd thought Kuroko was cute in an off-handed, odd manner, but he'd never actually entertained the idea until Naoya showed up, which was just earlier that very week! To go from bumping fists to bumping lips in less than seven days was too much change in too little time. All this... together-ness stuff was new and moving along far too quickly for his liking.

"When I said it was worse than an accident, I didn't mean anything particularly suggestive. I just meant a kiss, but most couple who get to this part have to be escorted out. For the sake of decency. Just so you know." Himuro's silver eyes offered pity, but not a way out. He went to stand closer to the exit doors.

The Light drew in a breath. He had to steel his nerves for what he was about to do. "Sorry, Kuroko, but there's no other way out."

"Metaphorically and literally," the Phantom commented dryly. As Kagami bent down to match his height, light blue eyes clenched shut, feeling dread and an oddly misplaced eagerness for what came next.

Kagami hated that Kuroko had closed his eyes because it left him no choice but to look where he was putting his mouth. If the Phantom couldn't see him, he couldn't help with placement either! His lids dropped with each inch he closed their distance, but the only thing going through his head before he finally met his partner's lips were that Kuroko's eyelashes appeared light and soft on his cheeks.

"Wah, you're bleeding!" one of the girls screeched. Out of curiosity, the Light abandoned his task and looked over to find that one of their spectators had begun to drip crimson liquid from her nose and onto the shoulder of the girl in front of her. The unfortunate victim happened to be the auburn-haired overseer of the ninth challenge.

Her eyes went wide at the dark stain on her shoulder and she crumpled to the ground.

"Well, this is unexpected," Himuro sighed. "You guys got lucky. We'll have to evacuate the building until we can figure out why she fainted. Now get out before they notice you're gone, Taiga."

The ace could have sworn to performing a backflip then and there, turning to his Shadow to share this relief, but the bluenet only shucked off the Light's jacket and returned it to him. In seconds, he was already halfway out the door. Hurriedly, the American muttered a quick thanks to Himuro and trailed after his partner.

Naoya picked up his head from the table when he heard the exit doors of Lovers' Labyrinth slam open. The original source of his own blue eyes was visibly irritated and advanced towards him in a manner that was decidedly not the effect of a successful make-out session. He wanted to shrink back into the chair he was sitting at; although Kuroko Tetsuya was very much male in this universe, he was just as intimidating when he was pissed off.

"Naoya-kun," Kuroko called. "You had this planned. You knew about the conditions for entering and leaving the park today."

The accusations weren't even questions. The Phantom had seen through it all. Naoya's shoulders fell along with his heart. He hadn't planned on this not working. Kagami fell in behind his partner, looking confused as to why the Miracle had stormed out so angrily.

"...yeah, I did. I planned this, to an extent. I set you and Dad up to go through the labyrinth and everything. I got some... friends to pull some strings and get us in after you said I could choose where we go. But it's not like it really matters now, you and Dad didn't do anything while we were here except follow me around and I'm guessing you didn't get through the tenth challenge—"

"Naoya-kun," Kuroko repeated, cutting him off. The reality jumper winced, preparing for a lecture. "Please stop this. Kagami-kun and I aren't like that. We told you we'd be willing to help you with whatever you need from us, but that doesn't mean you had any right to do what you did. You can't force us into a romantic relationship when we're not anything more than friends and teammates. We may all be related, and perhaps in a different time and place we are your parents, but you're not our son. Please don't cause us any more trouble. And please don't get other people involved in your schemes."

The Phantom turned from the boy and headed for the exit gates. The ace could see the point his partner had made, but wasn't that being too harsh on Naoya? All the kid wanted was to make sure his parents were happy together and to find his sister safely. Was there something so wrong with that?

"O-oi, Kuroko, don't you think you—"

"No, Da— Kagami-san. I... He was right. I was out of place. I had no right to do that to you. ...I'm sorry. We should just get lunch and go home."

He could only watch as his son stood abruptly, lugging his feet along as he followed Kuroko from a distance. Kagami wanted to say something, to intervene, to prove to the both of them that they could work this out... but it didn't feel right. No matter what he thought of saying, his instincts would only respond with a low growl in the back of his throat. Trailing behind Naoya, his eyes flitted from the maroon-haired teen to the bluenet. The atmosphere was thick, heavy with anger and shame.

The tiger could do nothing to interfere with his Phantom and his cub.

Besides, he couldn't help feeling a little put out, too. It was odd to be so affected by the fact that Kuroko didn't think they could be partners off the court.

The Maji's joint downtown was closer, so Kagami opted to go there. He needed to do something about Naoya; after all, if he was their son, then he wouldn't give up on whatever his goal was just because he was reprimanded for trying out a strategy. All the kid had to do next time was not get caught.

The ace handed a few bills to Kuroko, who knew what to order the three of them out of experience, and he and Naoya scouted a table outside.

"Naoya," Kagami called softly, not wanting to sound harsh. The other teen only looked at him. "Don't take Kuroko's words to heart. I know that hearing what he said hurt, but this is just... different. Sure, maybe we thought about... getting together a few times, or at least I did. But we never actually did anything about it. I think what's freaking him out the most is that it's all happening so fast. I mean, last Friday we didn't even know we had a kid or that parallel universes existed or that someone would actually try to get us to—"

He cut himself off, aware of the cocked eyebrow and the smirk the reality jumper aimed at him. Kagami flushed at what he was about to say.

"G-good pep talk, I think I'm just gonna go in and help with-with the food!"

Abruptly, he dismissed himself from the table; the kid probably got what he was trying to say anyway! That cocky brat was already moving on to his next course of action and Kagami was playing right into it, what with his declaring his desire to try and make the Shadow his. Besides, that last challenge was interrupted and—oh, God, that was their first kiss! It wasn't proper, but they still—!

Naoya smiled at the blushing figure hastily retreating into the safety of Maji's. All he did was focus on what Kiyomi-nee had told him earlier: not to interfere too much, and don't give up. Ideas weren't coming to him, though, and he settled for people-watching to pass the time, picking out the odd fashions and hair colors amongst the pop-cultured youths.

Girls in lolita dresses flounced across the street, giggling as they typed on their phones. Someone sporting an outrageous sky blue suit and sunglasses (the mafia, maybe?) was tailing a policeman on bike patrol. A guy with bleached-blond hair tied up into a ponytail that bounced with each step on the sidewalk and—

"Kei?" Naoya asked tentatively. "Is that you?"

The guy spun around, proving that it was indeed the Aomine boy in question. "Naoya! What's going on?"

"Nothing much, just waiting for lunch," he admitted, standing to greet his friend while motioning to the burger joint behind him. "You?"

There was an excited twinkle in the tanned male's eyes. "Well, it was sort of a coincidence, but I was with Pops and he went to talk with Momma somewhere and I went shopping with Mai!"

Naoya paled. He hadn't noticed the dark-haired girl standing guardedly behind her brother. She glared up at him cautiously, molten eyes distrusting. He supposed he deserved it, but he was trying to fix his mistakes! Was he that bad a person...?

"H-hey, Mai." In response, she shrunk behind Kei further.

The blond stepped in front of her. "Oh, shit. I forgot. Um, Mai let's get go—"

"I won't forgive you," she growled. Naoya sent his gaze to the ground. Asking for forgiveness didn't mean he was forgiven, after all.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm trying to fix this but—"

"You're sorry?" she spat, coming out from behind Kei. "If you were going to be sorry, then you shouldn't have done what you did in the first place! You can shove your sorry down your throat and I still won't forgive you! You shouldn't even have been with those people without expecting something like this to happen!"

She turned on her heel and stomped away before Naoya could tell her that he was already working on the solution and reassure her that everything would be fine. Without thinking, he reached out for her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, shoving him away. Naoya's footing slipped on the curb and he fell backwards, Mai's petite hands missing his as she tried to catch him.

All Naoya heard were tires squealing before his vision went black.

Ahaha, I'm a terrible person, I know! But what do you duckies think happened that could have led to all this happening? What do you think? Also, there were not one, but two jumpers in this chapter! Only one was called by name, but who do you think their parents are?

Bloop bloop I have free time (for realsies) and I'm working on Chapter 10, as well as editing the other chapters. See y'all soon~

-Randomness

hitomi65: Thank you!

Sakearose (guest): Sorry you had to wait so long for an update! And hopefully, you can understand a little bit of Mai's reason behind pushing Naoya, but what is she talking about? (Ahaha...) And of course you're not annoying me! I really do appreciate each and every review I get! (And don't worry; I've forgotten more account passwords than I'd care to count. -_-")

StrugBlack: Yeah, this was what happened on the day of the accident. Naoya won't get kidnapped (LOL), but he will be hospitalized for a short time. I'm glad that you like Naoya so much! (QvQ he's like my baby, kind of.) And yes, hope you enjoyed all the Kagami blushies in this chapter!

Newbie's Heart (guest): Ah, thank you! (I'm trying to make it good!) And if you're planning on writing a fic, I say go for it! The way I study their personalities is to look at how they all react to things both on the court and off the court. All the characters have their own quirks, mannerisms, and speech pattern. Um, (gosh I suck at giving writing advice) I think the best thing to do is imagine what you're writing in your head, think of all the ways a specific character, like Kuroko, would react. Use what you know! (If you need help, my inbox is always open!) Sorry you and your friend had to wait so long for this chapter!

Kroscetich (guest): Hah, it's fine if you didn't log in! And there was a... prelude of sorts to the AkaFuri arc. It'll come into play next chapter! (At the hospital, haha, almost everyone will be involved!) Glad you enjoyed the KagaKuro fluff, 'cuz it's gonna be rocky for a while... And even though their first kiss was total bust, I promise there will be more to come! Please look forward to the next chapter!

Rie-chi: I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG. (Are... are you still here?) And naming Naoya's partner? (*insert French laugh*) We shall see, in good time. XD

thecoldforest: Ah, yes, the KagaKuro goodness... It'll be a while until we can get back to it, but Naoya's still working out the kinks in his plan! And yeah, it's quite obvious that Kagami's got something going on here! Please look forward to the next chapter!

SeCreT YaOi AdMIreR: Does this really have all your ships? Whoo! The AkaFuri and MuraMuro is on its way (like, next chapter)! And what happens next will play a huge part in everyone else's stories, too! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

cipuz: In terms of awkward fluff, KagaKuro is by far the winner! XD And I ship KagaKuro so hard I have an armada! (VIVA LA YAOI! *nosebleeds into the distance*)

nhimcon: Thank you for thinking so! And yes, AkaFuri is one of the ships here! (And you're right about the leader of the Miracle Children being an Akashi, haha!) And... How... How did you know so much about Naoya's sister?! I haven't even described her in the story! (Unless you somehow saw my Tumblr posts on the them...) But still! I mentioned nothing about her love life and here you are nailing it on the head! How did you know Kei likes her? (Did I say too much? X3) Naoya's gonna be fine, though. And don't worry, I'll build up the AkaFuri so that readers can't help but board the ship as well! (And your English is quite good! I know too many native speakers who simply can't speak English for crap. Thank you for your support! :D)