A/N: Here's the third challenge in the set! I like to think Aomine's challenges started during their Teiko days but well... Actually, I had no idea but this one is set during Teiko so it kind of fits. I just had no other way to get Akashi and Aomine together! Bear in mind I finished this at 2am so if there's anything wrong, just tell me. Pst, if you look closely, you'll see a little AkaAo

Disclaimer: Pocky is a registered trademark with which I have no affiliations

Challenge 3: The Pocky Game

The small box rattled in his trouser pocket every time he took a step, and to be honest, it was becoming highly annoying. All Aomine wanted to do was find Akashi but the smaller boy was nowhere to be seen. "God dammit… The guy's like Tetsu when he wants to be…" He muttered. "Maybe he's in the gym…"

About five minutes later Aomine had walked into the gym. It was only then when he remembered; he was supposed to be at practice twenty minutes ago. The steady rhythm of basketballs hitting the floor and the squeak of shoes drew to a close, leaving the large room in silence.

Akashi looked up from the clipboard Momoi had just given to him, spotting the tanned male stood in front of the gym's entrance. "Thank you Satsuki." He said quietly, handing the girl her clipboard back before walking over to Aomine. "Daiki, how nice to see you." "Akashi I-" "Come with me." With those words, the redhead walked off to the changing rooms.

As the two boys left the gym, murmurs started amongst the training players but the vice-captain Midorima soon silenced them.

XxXxXxX

Akashi was stood in the centre of the changing rooms when the other boy followed him in there. "This is the seventh practice in two weeks that you've turned up late to or not bothered to attend. What's the reason this time?" Before the blue-haired boy could respond he added, "And don't say 'I forgot'."

Aomine scratched at the back of his head. "I was looking for you." He muttered, looking off to the side. The redhead raised a slim eyebrow at him. "Surely then, you would have remembered to come to practice if you were looking for me."

Neither boy spoke or made a sound for roughly half a minute. The taller boy shifted in his spot, causing the box in his trouser pocket to rattle. This small sound made the captain's ears perk up, so before Aomine could react, he walked over to him and fished the box out of his pocket. He held up the brown box in front of the other. "Feeling hungry Daiki?" He asked. A strange gleam shone across his heterochromatic eyes. "Or were you looking for a challenge?"

"Challenge." He immediately responded, turning back to face him. At this point, Akashi had already pulled a piece of Pocky out of the box and was chewing on it thoughtfully. "I suppose Shintaro can look after practice for a while." The redhead extended the open box towards Aomine.

XxXxXxX

Due to the difference in their height, Akashi and Aomine had to sit straddling one of the benches in the room. "You know the rules of the Pocky game Akashi?" Aomine asked. The look he got off the latter made him regret asking the question. "Shall we just get on with this?" The shorter half of the pair nodded.

The tanned male slid a piece of Pocky out the box, placing the blank end into his mouth. After a brief spell of silence, a cold, "Daiki." split the room. "What? Did you want this end?" Aomine asked idiotically, pointing at the Pocky between his lips. Akashi folded his arms over his chest, his foot beginning to tap impatiently on the floor.

It took him a while, but the blue-haired boy finally realised his mistake. Even though they were sat down, their difference in height still made it impossible for the game to start.

Aomine had begun to lean forward to offer the biscuit stick to the redhead when the other boy had climbed onto his lap and was now staring directly at him. "Er…" "I wouldn't want the ace of our team to become injured over a silly challenge now, would I?" Akashi said his voice laced with a sickly sweet undertone. To people who didn't know him, they would have called him a 'dedicated captain with the highest concern for his fellow teammates' whereas in reality it's more like 'dictatorial captain who is willing to mock those underneath him to convince them to come to practice more often'.

The barest of blushes crept high up into Aomine's cheeks at Akashi's close proximity; he could almost feel the other's hot breath fan over his face with every breath. Akashi delicately lifted the other end of the Pocky stick and inserted it between his lips. Slowly, the two boys began to take turns biting bits off their respective ends of the biscuit. The crunch of the Pocky echoed around the silent room.

The piece of Pocky gradually shrunk down so only a few inches of the biscuit remained, meaning the redhead's and the blue-haired boy's lips were close. Neither one of them wanted to break the stick and admit defeat. Aomine took a hesitant nibble from his end, indicating his turn was over. Akashi on the other hand took a much-larger-than-average bite so the barest minimum was left. This sudden bite from Akashi shocked Aomine a little, making a fresh blush appear across his face. Seeing no other way out, he quickly swiped the remaining Pocky stick into his mouth. Before he could chew however, a small growl left the redhead's throat and he lunged, pushing his lips onto Aomine's.

XxXxXxX

"Akashicchi and Aominecchi have been gone a long time haven't they?" Kise mused, gently dribbling a basketball. Midorima pushed his glasses up, looking towards the changing room door. "They have." He said simply. Kuroko quickly stole the ball from Kise's hands, passing it swiftly to one of the other players. "Perhaps Aomine-kun has angered Akashi-kun to the extent that a longer telling off was in need." The blond looked at the smaller boy beside him.

"Should we?"

"I would prefer not to in the circumstances."

"Kise is right Kuroko. We should go see what is keeping them."

The three of them walked off the court and made their way to the changing rooms. What they saw when they opened the door would surely stay with them forever.

"Akashicchi and Aominecchi…"

"They seem to be…"

"Perhaps we should…"

XxXxXxX

Before he could chew however, a small growl left the redhead's throat and he lunged, pushing his lips onto Aomine's. Taking the other's surprised gasp to be an advantage, Akashi's tongue slid between the other boy's lips, wrestling his tongue with the other's.

His small hands created a stark contrast against Aomine's skin as they held on his cheeks to hold him in place. Aomine's own hands came to rest lightly on the smaller boy's shoulders. The smallest of moans escaped the boys' lips in unison.

All of a sudden, Akashi pulled away, a victorious grin stretched across his face. Between his teeth; the small piece of biscuit. "Dammit… Fuck you Akashi." Aomine hissed, his eyes narrowing. "That was the only reason that you-" "Kissed you? Of course." His words has no bite behind them though, as a bright flush was slowly spreading across his cheeks.

A subtle cough floated to them and the pair turned to face the door. In the doorway stood Kise, Kuroko and Midorima.

Tears were streaming down Kise's face.

Kuroko was as blank as ever apart from the faint blush brushing his skin.

And Midorima's glasses had cracked.

The sight they had seen in the door when they first walked in was Akashi straddling Aomine's lap, the two engaged in a heated kiss.

"I suggest," Akashi started, his heterochromatic eyes glinting dangerously. "That you forget you ever saw this." Kise nodded quickly, scampering out of the room with the other two in tow.

The redhead slid off Aomine's lap, standing once again on the floor. Aomine joined him, scratching at his neck. "So er…" He started, kicking at the floor. "I guess you won… Again." Akashi nodded.

"You put up a good fight Daiki." Just as he started to walk off to return to practice, a large hand encircled his wrist. He slowly turned back to face the other boy. "I don't know about you but er… D'you wanna… I don't know…" He coughed awkwardly, clearing his throat.

Blink and you will have missed it. The small smile that Akashi almost never brought out. "Do this again? Why not."