I was supposed to study but I caved into temptation. Unfortunately the juicy part isn't in this chapter.

Anyway I hope you haven't been waiting long.

Thanks for those who have liked, followed, comment, taken out a few minutes of your life to read this. Much appreaciated.

I have no idea how to respond to the review so far (mucho apologetics) so have another chapter?

Here's what happened before the Maji-Burger-with-Kagami scene.

(A month ago from present time)

The birthday celebration for him was meant to surprise. Until Kuroko walked up to the bushes near the basketball court and wondered why they were hiding there.

"I heard some noises," he explained, while Kise was groaning, "Damn, foiled again!" but handed him his present (it looked pricey, from the box itself) while Momoi appeared behind him and presented Kuroko another huge box, which contained a branded basketball, snuggled together with a basketball magazine direct from America.

"From me and Dai-chan!" Momoi explained, and Aomine shrugged, "Yeah… I hope you like it, I searched the entire neighbourhood for those two things with Satsuki, y'know", but Kuroko's face answered everything.

Midorima stumbled out of the bushes, cursing, but the present was well-wrapped, and according to him, it was supposedly a lucky item for Aquarius people that can last for the entire month.

"An entire month? Who told you?" Kuroko asked, quite curious.

"Oha Asa, of course, you idiot." Midorima admonished, before adding an afterthought, "Have a happy birthday."

"Thank you very much, Midorima-kun." Kuroko grinned. Some things just don't change.

Murasakibara held out a large box, "Picked it out just for you, Kuro-chin~ ".

"The cake!" Momoi explained.

"Murasakibara-kun, you didn't have to, I mean, thank you, really." Kuroko was getting more and more overwhelmed by the second.

Suddenly, Akashi tapped on Kuroko's shoulder from behind and nearly freaked the latter out.

"Don't open it until you're home," Akashi pushed Kuroko yet another box, but it was smaller than both the boxes he had received so far.

"It's either fragile. Or a time bomb that only goes off when I open it." Kuroko couldn't help himself. "Thank you very much for the ingenious present, Akashi-kun."

"You wound me," Akashi dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "I don't see any point in killing you. That would amount to losing a very valuable friend."

"Just kidding, Akashi-kun." Kuroko held himself back from laughing with delight at Akashi's reaction, and bowed slightly. "I appreciate the thought, really."

"Huh," Akashi half-snorted, half-giggled.

"What?" Kuroko stared.

"You're laughing at me. I can't believe it."

"Tsch," Kuroko scoffed, like he didn't care his slip-up didn't escape Akashi's watchful eyes. "You noticed?"

Akashi shook his head in disbelief, and took this opportunity to walk a little closer, a little too close to Kuroko, such that the latter had to look up at him.

Nice eyes and lips, Kuroko idly thought. Wait, what? Shit. Shitshitshit.

Akashi had locked eyes with Kuroko, staring at him.

Kuroko could practically feel the heat rushing to his face. However he was unable to look away, despite the fact that he could practically hear his heart pounding in his ears, and the fact that he was beginning to feel dizzy. Dizzy from excitement, fear and anticipation at the same time.

Akashi's breath danced over Kuroko's eyes. "Happy birthday, idiot," he whispered.

The red-head then took a big step back, and joined the rest of the Miracles in bickering over where and when to cut the cake. As if whatever happened just now, didn't.

Kuroko stood there, momentarily stunned by the turn of events.

What was that about?

He then gave Akashi a hard tap on the side of his head, as a gesture to try disregard whatever just happened between both of them, but the sound of Akashi's cheerful laughter (and Aomine's shocked face upon hearing it) replayed over and over in Kuroko's head for days afterwards.

(Just a week ago from present time)

An email justifying the location for their meetup had been sent to everyone beforehand (except for Momoi, she had an appointment that day and had wailed at her bad luck): "I have suggested this shop as our meeting location as the rest of you will be able to obtain your lucky items for the day… while I get mine. You should consider yourselves lucky."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Aomine's reply sounded furious, and when the Miracles met up, he was making lots of grumpy noises. The rest however decided to humour Midorima just for that day, and wandered around the shop looking at the items.

Kuroko was particularly captivated by a set of Russian Dolls. More like, Russian Cats, brown and drawn to be quite furry all over, but their crimson eyes were particularly sharp and seemed to stare right at him. Their smiles were so wide, they reminded him of a Cheshire cat.

He felt Midorima shiver behind him.

"Thank goodness that isn't Cancer's lucky item for the day," he nervously pushed up his glasses. "It's making me feel a little unsettled just by looking at it."

"Oh? I quite like them." Kuroko went back to staring at the Russian Cats. "You being a collector of quite a few strange things, I thought you could get used to odd items like those, Midorima-kun."

"Hmph." Midorima took that thought in. "Maybe that's because it's Aquarius' lucky item of the day." He then strode away to another section of the shop before disappearing around the corner.

Some things don't change indeed, Kuroko thought as he went back to staring at the cats. Like for instance, Midorima being an oddball.

Without further warning, he felt someone looming over him.

"Hello," Akashi greeted, only to get elbowed mercilessly as a result.

"Ow….. Seriously, that was uncalled for, Kuroko…"

"Akashi-kun? Ah, I'm so sorry, you scared me," Kuroko reached out to support Akashi who was doubling over with pain.

"Ow… Did I disturb you? What were you looking at, by the way?" he shot Kuroko a questioning look.

"Those cats," Kuroko pointed. "They're really cute."

"Oh."

A few seconds of silence followed.

"Nice taste in cute things, Kuroko," Akashi began to snort with laughter.

"Excuse me, is that sarcasm I hear?" Kuroko narrowed his eyes at Akashi, who looked very close to exploding.

Akashi took a deep breath and restrained himself. "It was just a casual remark. No need to get too worked up."

"Tsk. You're incorrigible," Kuroko mumbled, turning his head away so Akashi would not be able to see his usually poker face heat up a little.

Akashi sighed at Kuroko's remark.

"Really though. Those cats kind of look like me…" he pondered thoughtfully.

"W- That's not true…" Kuroko turned back to the cats.

Oh.

Those red eyes.

"So does that mean Kuroko thinks I'm cute?" Akashi drapped an arm over the blue-haired's shoulders and poked his cheek.

Kuroko's mind blanked out for a second.

Since when did Akashi decide that poking me was a good idea?

"Go away Akashi-kun. You're disgusting," Kuroko pushed his face away.

"What? Come on, no one's called me cute before…" Akashi looked as if he was talking to the pillar as a result.

"You aren't," Kuroko enunciated as clearly as possible, "and I don't care."

"… Damn, since when were you that horrible towards me?" Akashi winced at the comment, but was practically clinging onto Kuroko right now, pouting. Like some sort of retaliation.

Seriously? Has he always been this childish?

Not that Kuroko was complaining. But Akashi was very close to him, and Kuroko could feel his breath on his neck, sending goosebumps all over.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko seethed. He could feel his self-restraint on the edge of breaking.

"Alright, alright," Akashi caught the tone and removed himself from Kuroko, but not before ruffling his light blue hair, whispering in his ear:

"Cutie."

He then started to walk away. "I'll be outside. See you," Akashi gave a casual wave of his hand and disappeared around the aisle.

Before he had time to react, he heard an absolutely livid man (the shopkeeper, presumably) yelling about a bunch of kids goofing around and not buying anything, followed by Aomine's screaming. All of the miracles were out of the shop in a minute.

"All of you aren't allowed to come back! Except… for this guy!" The shopkeeper pointed at Midorima before slamming the door shut. Midorima 'tch'-ed and clutched even more tightly the newly-acquired lucky item in his hand (it was a jar of beans), as if he had expected the misbehaviour. Aomine just glared at the close door and grunted.

Kuroko took this opportunity to trap an unsuspecting Akashi in a headlock. "I didn't think you knew how to harass people. Behave like the gentleman you always are next time," he told the person writhing in his grasp, and tried not to sound too smug.

"Guh," was all Akashi could gasp out.

Everyone else was giving them questioning stares, but Kuroko ignored them.

The rest of the day went well with casual one-on-ones, two-on-twos and the like, but a few annoying things did happen, like Kise asking him, "Kurokocchi when did you get so violent?", or whatever Aomine whispered, "I can't believe it, you got Akashi Seijuurou in such a pinch… Again. Proud of you, Tetsu," or Akashi trying to flout the rules of behaving oneself by winking at Kuroko whenever he did a really good pass, and when no one else was looking.

"Stop playing with me already, Akashi-kun," Kuroko let out a huge sigh, as he passed the ball to Akashi, for the last time, before they decided to call it a day.

The latter stared at him strangely. "But I'm not!" he exclaimed.

"I have one last thing to say to you, Akashi-kun."

"What is it?"

"Farewell." Kuroko caught the ball and strode off with a yawning Murasakibara.

He heard Akashi do a fake sniffle. "How mean," but he said no more.

To Kuroko, Akashi had been so annoying that day for some reason that he could not help but feel frustrated towards his actions for days afterwards. Really.

Was replaying these scenes over and over in his head, for days after, a result of his frustration then?

My first time doing something multi-chapter tbh yay

As always, do let me know what you think of the story so far, blabla.