Chapter 4
It's annoying, Aomine thinks. The way Kise keeps glancing over at him with a genial smile; his honey-brown eyes wide and glinted with excitement. It's annoying because it causes his expression to immediately soften in return, as though the blond has the ability to ease his nerves. So he proceeds to keep his gaze elsewhere; a pathetic attempt of avoiding eye contact with the beaming blond. It's hard, but he manages by directing his attention to the boring activities taking place outside of the window.
Kuroko is sitting on the floor across from Kise, teaching him hand gestures that mean simple things such as 'hello' and 'how are you?' Kise seems to have already gotten the fundamentals down, and it's scary to think just how fast this kid can learn in such a small amount of time. Aomine would be lying if he were to say he isn't impressed, though he remains silent and discreet throughout it all; keeping his thoughts and observations to himself.
Aomine leans back in his spot on the couch, and continues to casually eat the vanilla soda treat in his hand. The popsicle isn't bad, though he usually settles for simple flavors such as samurai blue or ichigo sour, so it took a while to grow accustomed to the new flavor. It's a bit hot in the room; Kise has yet to figure out how to work his air conditioning, so the frozen substance begins melting faster than he can keep up. It's like a never-ending game; he hurries to lick up whatever is threatening to drip down the side of his hand, only to find that more is melting on the other side of the popsicle.
He glances over at the other two to see that Kuroko has been trying to get his attention.
Careful, Aomine-kun,Kuroko begins signing in his direction. Kise-kun said he just got this couch.
A scoff escapes Aomine lips, and he turns retracts gaze once again as he continues to lick at the dripping syrup.
It's not like he wants to be there, anyways.
Kuroko snuck into his room early that morning and began nudging his shoulder; telling him that he 'planned to go to Kise-kun's new place' and that he'd 'feel a lot more comfortable if Aomine-kun came along'. Which was bullshit. If Kuroko wasn't comfortable with going to Kise's apartment, he wouldn't of had agreed in the first place. He's typically a straightforward person, and he's not afraid to say no in any given circumstance that makes him feel uncomfortable. It was probably an excuse to get Aomine out of the house, or Kise brought up the idea of bringing him along. Either way, he was irritated with the inquiry, because he had planned to spend his day lounging in his room; drawing a new piece of art that could go in his portfolio. It's been a while since he's last completed a drawing; mostly because his mind has been blank as of late, and anything he's tried to put on paper ends up crumpled and thrown into the trash.
If he hadn't been half awake, he probably could have avoided the situation. But there was no way he could say no with those stoic aqua eyes burning into his own so early in the morning.
Even with his gaze averted, he can feel Kise looking in his direction with his usual warm grin, and it makes his skin feel as though it's crawling. It's distracting, really; having Kise on his mind more often than he'd like. His brows furrow as he continues to stare out the curtain-less window of the room, and he begins holding his breath, as though halting his breathing will help direct his mind to other matters.
After finishing his popsicle, he turns the stick over in his hand and glimpses down at it. Upon seeing that it's not a winning stick, he flicks the piece of trash in Kise's direction, and watches blankly as it hits him on the side of his head. Kise's eyes instantly snap in his direction; a playful pout set on his lips as he reaches over and chucks the stick back at Aomine. A miniscule smile tugs at the corner of Aomine's lips as the stick lands in his lap, as though he's won some undeclared battle.
Words are exchanged between Kise and Kuroko, and Aomine remains silent as he watches their lips move; attempting to make out what is being said. Usually, he doesn't mind not being able to hear conversations. But it's when Kise laughs that he finds himself wondering if it sounds as pleasant as it looks.
"Like this," Kuroko mutters as he moves his hands slowly so that Kise is able to easily observe what is being done. "Now you try it."
Sign language is much easier to learn than what Kise had expected. Aside from him being overly proficient in perceiving matters visually, Kuroko is patient and fairly decent with teaching Kise how to move his hands. Every time he feels as though he has a new statement down, he glances over at Aomine and flashes him a wide grin; which in turn, causes the blue-haired male to look elsewhere.
Do you like tea or coffee? Kise asks Aomine; excited to finally be able to communicate with him through sign language, despite it only being simple hand gestures that don't really lead to any sort of conversation.
Aomine, with his head resting against the knuckles of his curled fingers, and his popsicle melting in his other hand, doesn't make any sudden movements as to sign back. Instead he mutters in a seemingly disinterested tone, "both." He then averts his gaze and presses his lips into a straight line, as though he'd rather be doing other things. It's a bit nerve wrecking; the tanned male's expression hasn't changed since the moment he arrived, and every time they make eye contact, he's quick to avert his gaze. It isn't until their playful exchange of the popsicle stick that Kise's able to witness some change in his demeanor. It's scarcely noticeable, and a bit smug, but Aomine's lips twitch into the slightest smile.
"He may not show it, but I think Aomine-kun is appreciative of your consistency," Kuroko says after watching the popsicle stick land in Aomine's lap. His aqua hues soften as they meet Kise's gaze, and he offers him a small smile that seems genuine. "There are not many people who are willing to put up with his stubbornness."
Kise stares at Kuroko a bit confusedly at first, the statement having caught him off-guard, and after he processes what has been said, he feels a bit embarrassed because Aomine is in the room. He momentarily forgets that Aomine can't hear, so his face flushes, and he lowers his gaze as to hide his flustered look. After regaining his composure, he returns the smile and reaches up to push a few loose strands out of his face.
"I can tell he's a good person," Kise says.
"Aomine-kun and I don't agree on a lot of things, but I think I can speak for us both when I say you'll be good for him," Kuroko's smile slowly falters, and his unreadable expression returns. "No one other than Kagami seems to be able to entertain him, and I can tell he's bored more times than most, though he denies it."
Kise laughs. "If it's entertaining he needs, that shouldn't be difficult. I am an entertainer, after all," he states with a nod. "You're a good friend, Kurokocchi."
Something about Kise's statement causes Kuroko's smile to return, and he glances at Aomine, who's glaring at the both of them with narrowed eyes as though he senses that they're talking about him. "I just wish he'd smile more, that's all."
"This is stupid," Aomine says; his hands stuffed in his pocket and his posture slouched.
Kise purses his lips and narrows his eyes, feeling slightly offended with Aomine's rather off-putting attitude. He went out of his way to plan the day for the both of them, the least Aomine can do is act like he's excited. Letting go of the arm he was grasping on to as to drag him through the streets of Tokyo, Kise turns towards the blue-haired male and begins making hand gestures.
Kurokocchi said you like art. So I thought this would be fun for the both of us, Kise signs with his pout still set in place.
It took around two weeks, but Kise is finally able to speak sign language, though his comprehension is not the best and he tends to mix up certain words. Kuroko would come to his apartment every other evening, dragging Aomine along, and help him learn sign language. Hearing Kuroko comment on how fast of a learner he was would cause him to grin widely, because the impressment in the phantom's tone was always a pleasant thing to hear.
Kuroko and Aomine's company was nice. Kise found himself buying popsicles specifically for Aomine's pleasure, though he'd force a smile and state that he's always been fond of them when Aomine asks why he's always so stocked up on treats. Sometimes Kuroko would bring Nigou along as well, and they'd all sit on the ground and let him run in circles around them. He found it interesting, how fond of dogs Aomine seemed to be; definitely when it came to Nigou. He'd lie out on the carpeted floor and let the ball of fluff paw at his chest and nuzzle into his side.
It was… cute, in a sense.
Yeah… I like making art. Not looking at it, Aomine claims with furrowed brows.
Have you ever even been to an art museum? Kise inquires.
Aomine averts his gaze, as though he's avoiding the question at hand; he seems to be testing Kise's patience, which is nothing new. Getting Aomine to do things with him isn't necessarily an easy process, though Kise is persistent enough to get him to finally break down and say something along the lines of, 'if I say yes, will you leave me the hell alone?'
"So stubborn," Kise says under his breath as he keeps his honey-brown hues set on the tanned male. Aomine is beyond what some would define as stubborn, yet Kise still finds himself oddly captivated to him. He's just so interesting and… cool.
Kise sees beyond the front that most people fail to look past; what most people see is an intimidating, disinterested male who isolates himself and silently judges. At one point, that was what Kise had believed as well. But after the many days spent in his apartment over sign language and gori-gori-kun popsicles, he could tell that Aomine was actually a bit… affectionate; in his own way, to say in the least.
No. Aomine finally responds with a quick hand movement that Kise barely catches.
Well give it a chance. You might end up liking it. A smile graces Kise's lips. He drops his hands and begins to tug on Aomine's arm once again; pulling him in the desired direction of the art museum. Kise is actually surprised that Aomine doesn't pull away or make any sly comments about not wanting to be dragged around; instead he just rolls his eyes and languidly follows behind.
It's expected. Aomine ends up seeming to enjoy the museum; his eyes lighting up at each presented painting that they pass. Kise finds it to be amusing, the way he stops in front of a piece of art and stares at it as though there is some hidden meaning that only he could perceive. Kise will stand behind him, and tilt his head; his brows furrowed, and a hand set on his chin as though he's taunting Aomine and the rest of the people admiring the displayed art. Occasionally, he will throw hold his hands out in front of him, and make a box with his thumbs and forefingers; as though he's observing the artwork through a frame. It isn't until Aomine turns around and gives Kise a death that he stops acting immaturely throughout the museum for the time being.
You're not even looking at the art, Aomine accuses.
There's no denying that his interest in art is less intense than Aomine's, but he's trying to make fun out of what he can. It's better than moping around, he thinks. Kise shoots a glare over his shoulder at the tanned male and gradually makes his way to a different piece of art. He tries to study the sculpture in front of him casually; his hands set on his hips and a serious expression that mirrors Aomine's. Ultimately, it's no use. He doesn't understand what he's looking at; no matter how hard or how long he stares.
Look, Kise waves his hands as to catch Aomine's attention. When Aomine finally acknowledges him, he strikes a pose similar to the sculpture he's standing next to. Aomine's reaction is expected; a deadpan along with a roll of his eyes before shaking his head disapprovingly. Kise can't help but break into a giggle fit, because he swears he's done similar poses for a photo shoot during his modeling career. A few people walking past shoot them judgmental glares, and this causes Aomine to grab Kise by his arm and pull him to his side as though he were a child.
Am I really going to have to babysit you, blondie? Aomine signs; his expression remaining unchanged.
Kise covers his mouth with his hand as to hide his growing smile, and slowly shakes his head.
You've got to be fucking kidding me, Aomine thinks as he watches the blond act childishly throughout the museum. It takes all he has to bite back the smile he can feel threatening to creep onto his lips; mainly because he doesn't want to encourage Kise's flamboyant actions. Seeing Kise laugh so carelessly really irritates the shit out of him, because, fuck, he can't hear what it sounds like.
He feigns frustration as he watches Kise's antics, though he's somewhat amused with the way he could make light of any situation. Aomine always found Kise's flamboyant attitude to be rather pleasant, and it was interesting to watch him learn how to express himself in other ways than just words. Because that is what Kise is used to. He expresses his feelings through singing; a verbal harmonization that people can relate to through hearing. And although silence is a bit out of his comfort zone, it seems that Kise has no problem with finding a way to adjust to it.
Aomine grasps Kise by his arm and snappily pulls him to his side, like a disobedient dog on a leash. And as Aomine questions him, he looks up at him through those long lashes and shakes his head timidly as though he's sorry, though Aomine can tell he's hiding a grin behind those pale, lengthy fingers covering his mouth. The sight causes Aomine to sigh, and he averts his gaze before muttering, "Let's go get something to eat." Because he knows Kise is bored; despite the whole thing being his idea in the first place.
He tells Kise that he'll pay this time, only because it would be fair, considering the blond paid the last time they had lunch together. Kise is reluctant, but he eventually agrees. They're both rather stubborn, but in the end, Aomine wins in that category.
They actually eat somewhere decent. A place that's known for their soup, because Kise had been going on for the past week about how he was craving onion-gratin soup and how he never had time to go and get some. And quite honestly, Aomine getting tired of seeing him talk about it. Plus, the way Kise lit up at the mentioning of getting his favorite meal for lunch was a rather pleasant sight, though, he'd keep that much to himself.
Kise frowns as he lifts his gaze up from his menu. This place is expensive.
I don't see what the big deal is. Aomine's brows pinch together at the other's complaining, because he just wants to do this one thing for Kise. The blond is incessantly doing things for him, and he has yet to return the favor. It's not like you're not paying.
Yeah, but… This is a bit too much, don't you think? Kise inquires.
Aomine finds it to be a bit ironic. Everything the kid has gone out of his way to do for Aomine over the past three weeks has been "a bit too much". But Kise always managed to get away with such matters, because anytime Aomine would bring it up, he'd smile widely and state "It's what friends do." Well, two can play that game.
It's what friends do. Aomine says through sign language, and then drops his gaze back to his menu so that the conversation could not be further discussed.
Did Aominecchi just… call me his friend? Kise glares at Aomine in awe as his breath momentarily hitches in his throat. He can't help but smile, and lower his gaze down to his lap. It's a sense of accomplishment, to see those words be stated by Aomine. And although he's against the entirety of it all; Aomine paying such an unnecessary amount for a small bowl of soup; he drops the whole subject and settles for letting him pay just this one time. Because it is what friends do. And he wants nothing more than to be mutual with Aomine when it comes to such matters.
Kise is much too happy in that moment. He feels the pale skin of his face growing exceedingly warm, and the smile that had spread on his lips a few seconds prior remains stagnant. He's so content with Aomine's previous statement that he wants to sing. So as he waits for their waiter to arrive, he begins humming a tune softly under his breath, and tapping his foot in rhythm to the beat of his voice. Aomine looks up from his menu, and glances over at Kise through his half-lidded gaze; as though he can hear him. There's something about Aomine's expression that causes his stomach to churn, and his humming comes to a halt.
Can he hear me?
Kise swallows hard, and continues to maintain eye contact with the tanned male, the curiosity apparent within the glint of his honey-brown orbs.
I think I'm going to get the same thing as you, Aomine signs after a few moments of eye contact.
Of course not, that would be ridiculous.
It's then that he realizes that the one person he wants to sing to can't hear his song.
