Chapter 14
So maybe it has been longer than he thought it had been since he last cooked. And maybe he should have taken Kuroko's advice more serious the previous day. Because now Aomine is struggling to put out a small fire he managed to set on the stove with a wet towel, panicking about the high possibility of smoke reaching the fire alarm and signaling the whole building. He had set a timer (why he would do such a thing when he can't hear; he doesn't know), and then went into the other room to begin working on his drawing for Kise. And the next thing he knows it's been well past an hour, Nigou is pawing at his leg frantically, and the house smells like it's already ashes.
Multitude of vulgarities spill past Aomine's lips as he lashes out on the flames with the towel, Nigou racing back and forth, and after what seems like hours later he finally succeeds in saving the apartment from burning down. Aomine proceeds to open all of the windows, and when he goes to open the front door for extra ventilation, Kise is standing there with his phone in hand. Aomine freezes for half a second; breathless and stunned by how effortlessly amazing Kise looks.
Kise looks up slowly and scrunches his nose.
Is something burning? Kise asks and attempts to peek into the apartment despite Aomine blocking the entryway.
Shut up, Aomine says, then grabs Kise's hand and pulls him in. He leaves the front door cracked partially, then goes back to trying to clear the smoke away from the alarms.
They're not going off are they? Aomine looks at Kise who's covering the bottom half of his face with his hand.
Kise shakes his head no in response, then proceeds to grab a towel and try to steer the smoke out of one of the many open windows. Perhaps he should be a little concerned that the fire alarms aren't working, but he can't help but be content with the fact in that moment. The last thing he needs is the fire department raiding his apartment and ruining the night he planned to devote to Kise.
After clearing the majority of the smoke, Aomine shuffles over to the couch and sprawls out on the cushions, an arm thrown over his face. All he wanted to do was test his cooking skills by preparing a simple meal for Kise. And he can't even do that.
The unpleasant scent of burned fish invades his senses, though it's soon replaced by the scent of dog when Nigou jumps onto his chest and lies down. Aomine moves his arm away from his face, curious as to what Kise's doing and why he hasn't joined him on the couch.
Kise is standing in the kitchen, flushed and doe-eyed like he's just been shot in the ass with Cupid's arrow.
"What are you doing?" Aomine asks.
Kise places one of the burned pots in the sink, following by turning on the faucet water. Were you trying to cook for me? He finally asks. There's this small twitch to his lips, like he's trying his hardest to hold back a grin, and Aomine narrows his eyes.
"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?"
No. I just didn't know you cooked.
"Apparently I don't," Aomine mutters. "But if you call setting the kitchen on fire cooking, then yeah."
Kise begins laughing, and god, does Aomine love the way his pink lips curl when he's laughing. Aomine can only imagine how beautiful the sound is; probably boisterous like the rest of him but still charming and contagious. He can't hear it, but he knows it's nice just from simple observation of the reactions of people around them when they are in public. When Kise laughs, everyone including strangers look and smile. And sometimes Aomine finds himself envious of the passersby being graced by the sound of Kise's voice.
After staring for what feels like not long enough, Aomine quirks a brow. "What's so funny?" He lifts Nigou off of his chest and places him on the floor.
Kise reaches out to turn off the faucet, and continues to try and hold his smile back by firmly pressing his lips together. Nothing. It's just you almost burned down your apartment and you act as though it's the most casual thing in the world.
"Well, how should I act?" Aomine looks confused.
It's certainly not the most casual thing in the world, but he doesn't consider it something to dwell on. Sure it pisses him off that he can't cook as well as he'd like to and sure Kuroko will probably lose his shit the moment he sees the black outline of the fire along the stove, but he can't bring himself to worry about such matters. How is he supposed to when Kise is bright and smiling a few feet away? It's almost frightening, the things Kise can do to Aomine's mind by doing something as simple as smiling. But at the same time it's exhilarating , and it leaves Aomine wondering just how much can Kise effect him.
Kise makes his way over to the couch and throws a leg over Aomine to straddle his waist, his eyes glistening beneath the warm light of the room. Aomine swears he can get lost in those eyes, definitely when Kise is looking down at him with so much adoration it makes his heart swell.
Can I sing to you? Kise asks.
"I can't hear your voice," Aomine says, slightly grimacing. As if he doesn't dwell on the unfortunate fact more than enough, now he has Kise bringing it up in such a nonchalant manner, as though Aomine doesn't yearn to hear the stupid voice that spills past those stupid lips. God Kise is so stupid, Aomine thinks as a hundred times as he stares up into those stupid honey-brown eyes. And what's even worse, is Aomine thinks the stupid things about Kise are the most beautiful and pleasant things about Kise.
Kise laughs like he can hear everything running through Aomine's mind. But you can feel it, he says and reaches for one of Aomine's hands, gently placing his fingertips on the scarcely visible adam's apple of his neck.
The feeling of Kise singing sends ripples that coil around his arm like a snake through his fingers. He can feel the way Kise's neck moves with each breath, the smooth exhale of his words. It's electric, Aomine can feel it under his skin, and he itches to hear the sound of the waves reaching his core.
Aomine hasn't always been deaf, so he remembers the throbbing exuberance of having earphones placed in his ears and the infectious tempo of hearing a tune sounding from a nearby radio. But he never really appreciated it at the time, or at least he never appreciated it as much as he does now. It's never felt like this, tingly all through his body and causing his heart to pace. This isn't just any song, it's Kise's song.
Kise sings and sings and sings, and he looks so sated doing it, eyes fluttering closed every so often as though he's drifting off into his own world. And Aomine stares; his hand pressed to Kise's neck until he can't take it anymore. Aomine pulls Kise down and kisses the rest of the words off his lips, drinking his song like he's trying to get drunk off of it.
He goes from wanting to hear Kise laugh to wanting to hear him sing to wanting to hear him moan all in just minutes. And when they roll over onto their backs panting and breathless, both coming down from their intimate high, Aomine can't help but wonder what that sounds like too.
Somehow, although Aomine can't recall just how, they made it to his bed and even managed to lock Nigou out of the room. Getting in the mood and staying in the mood is kind of hard when Nigou's staring with the same cold look Kuroko gives Aomine when he's reprimanding his actions. It's creepy.
I think you broke me, Kise says when Aomine turns his head to look at him. His pale skin is dusted pink all over, and Aomine thinks the color suits him.
I should sing to you more often if that's the response I'm going to get.
Aomine scoffs at that, chest still heaving as he stares up at the ceiling. His body feels numb and tingly and warm all over. Silence continues to accompany them as they attempt to catch their breaths, limbs tangled. Aomine thinks he could lay like this with Kise for days, not saying or doing anything but merely enjoying each other's presence.
I've been thinking… Kise starts, suddenly looking perturbed.
What?
Did you ever shut the door all the way?
"I don't think so, it was still a bit smoky before we… Shit." Aomine sprawls out of bed so fast the sheets come off with him, and he hurries out of the room panicking and completely nude.
He's never been ashamed of his body. There have been a few times when Kagami has caught him leaving the bathroom without a towel, and the only thing Aomine said in response was, you should feel honored to have been blessed with the beautiful sight of my body. But now isn't necessarily a time of flaunting, rushing out into the living room where the windows are wide open is a spur of the moment more than anything.
"Nigou?"
Kise runs out a few seconds wearing nothing but one of Aomine's t-shirt and boxers, and hurries over to Aomine to drape a thin blanket over his bare shoulders. Aomine is too worked up on the possibility of having lost Kuroko's dog than being naked. If he doesn't find Nigou, then Kuroko will never let this go. He'll be sure to mark this day as the last time he'll ever leave Aomine alone, which is a scary thought for someone who enjoys their alone time. And…
Is Kise laughing at him?
"This isn't fucking funny. I already set the kitchen on fire. If I lost Nigou, then—"
Aomine looks down the moment he feels something furry and mysteriously familiar rubbing against his leg, and to his relief, Nigou is looking up at him with eyes that Aomine swears are full of mockery. He's not sure whether to be enraged or relieved, so instead he stares down at the tiny dog with a twitching brow.
He started barking the moment you ran out here naked, Kise says before crouching down to pet Nigou, still laughing.
Having forgotten that he's completely nude, Aomine reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb only to have the blanket draped over his shoulders fall to the ground. Kise shakes his head in a disapproving manner as he grabs the blanket, then stands to wrap it around Aomine again. Aomine is not sure why Kise is making a fuss over this, being that he's seen him naked on more than one occasion now, and it's not as though there's anyone else (despite Nigou, who has also seen him naked on more than one occasion) present to witness his bare body.
Aomine laughs, and because Kise seems so intent on it, he tugs the ends of the blanket closer to his body so it won't slip off again. Seeing Kise flushed and worked up and wearing Aomine's slightly bigger clothes—it's endearing.
Why are you laughing? Kise narrows his eyes.
"You are so…" Aomine begins, but he can't find it in himself to finish. Kise is many things, and Aomine doesn't know where to begin.
What? A small pout forms on Kise's lips.
"Nothing," Aomine says, then begins making his way to the front door so he can shut it. "I'm going to order pizza."
"Kurokocchi!" Kise answers the phone excitedly, being that it's the first time Kuroko has actually called rather than texted.
A short pause on the other line, and then, "Aomine-kun set a fire on the stove." There's never beating around the bush or small talk with Kuroko, he's always sure to cut straight to the point. Which Kise admires, oddly enough. As much as he likes to talk, it's always refreshing to have a friend that is blunt and straightforward.
A dry laugh spills past Kise's lips. He's internally grateful that this conversation is being held over the phone, because he's never been good at feigning ignorance expression-wise. "Really? It's not like I can judge him. One time I put leftovers wrapped in foil in the microwave, and the whole thing exploded and caught on fire."
"Kise-kun." Kuroko doesn't sound impressed.
"Yes?"
"Before you leave, make sure you have collected all articles of your clothing. It was a bit unnerving to find your shirt behind the couch."
Kise had left their apartment that morning in nothing but a pair of Aomine's sweats and one of his t-shirts. It completely slipped his mind that they had undressed each other before they made it to Aomine's room, too eager and ready to worry about covering their tracks. Oops.
Kuroko's nonchalance with the whole situation is extremely unnerving, and Kise can't help but swallow hard. Kise had expected Kuroko to find out one way or another, but he at least expected him to be… a littlesurprised. It's as though he's known all along, despite having asked Kise if Aomine was seeing anyone a few days ago. Maybe he doesn't suspect anything of it. Friends spend the night at each other's houses, right?
But Kise panics, and the first thing that comes to mind is a cover up, or at least an attempt of a cover up. "Are you sure it isn't Aomine's? We did go shopping the other day, he bought a lot of new clothes…"
"I assumed at first that perhaps it was his, because it doesn't belong to Kagami-kun or me. But when I presented it to Aomine-kun, he said it wasn't his."
The deadpan that accompanies Kise's features is spontaneous. Aomine is so self-absorbed he didn't think that maybe, just maybe claiming the shirt as his own would have been a good idea. Kise can imagine Aomine glancing up at the shirt once and going back to doodling in his sketchbook soon after, shaking his head in denial. He probably didn't even recognize it as Kise's shirt. That idiot.
Aomine has always been that way—a bit disconnected from the things going on around him. Kise assumes it's a mixture of his inability to hear and casual nonchalance. And though Kise appreciates and loves those bits about him—his ability to remain indifferent to anything he doesn't deem important—sometimes Kise wonders how far Aomine can actually go with such an attitude.
"Oh… now that I think about it,it probably is my shirt," Kise laughs a little, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize until now that it was missing, I could have sworn I grabbed it."
"Kise-kun," Kuroko says again. And then there's a long pause, an awkward silence that chills Kise to the bone. It's like he can feel the weight of Kuroko's glare through the phone. "Please take good care of Aomine-kun."
Kise is relieved to hear the unexpected softness of Kuroko's tone, and a small smile graces his lips. It's gratifying to know there's people that care about Aomine just as dearly as he does. Aomine is lucky to have the friends and support he does, even if Aomine has yet to realize it.
"I will," Kise says.
Before anything else can be said, Kise's phone begins beeping to alert there's someone calling on the other line. Kise pulls his phone away from his ear for a quick second to check the caller identification, then tells Kuroko that he has to go. They exchange prompt goodbyes before Kise clicks over to the next line, suddenly curious as to why Kasamatsu is calling him when he should be in class. It must be important. And as much as Kise would love to talk to Kuroko, ignoring Kasamatsu is never a smart idea.
"Using your phone during class? How irresponsible of you, senpai," Kise answers with a mock reprimanding tone.
"I'm not in class," Kasamatsu grits. "I have good news. A scout from Epic Records called me about thirty minutes ago."
"What?"
"Yeah, I was on my way to class when she called. I was a bit surprised at first, the number was unfamiliar… She wants to meet with us this weekend. She said that she thinks we're great and is looking to get us into the business… get us a record deal." Kasamatsu sounds excited, and a bit breathless, like he had just got through running a marathon before calling Kise. "If things go well on Saturday, this could be the beginning of our career."
Kise is so stunned, he's not sure how to react. He's not even sure if he believes it."You're joking, right?"
Kasamatsu scoffs like he usually does before he smacks Kise upside the head. "No, idiot. Why would I joke about these kind of things? As hard as we've been working to get to this point, you really think I would be joking?"
"No, it's just…" Kise feels as though he's going to explode with excitement—it all just seems too good to be true. "When?"
"Friday, at eleven in the morning," Kasamatsu says.
"Don't you have class then?"
"Kise, a scout wants to talk to us about a record deal. Do you really think I'm worried about missing a class?" There's laughter in Kasamatsu's voice. "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
It feels like it's been forever since he first asked Kasamatsu if he wanted to form a band; since he first wrote a song and then sang it; since he first walked on stage to hear the crowd cheering. And it's not like he didn't believe they would ever make it this far, but he didn't think it would happen this fast. His mind is muddled—perhaps because it's barely the break of dawn and Kasamatsu's call had pulled him straight out of a nice dream—but after a few seconds of slow blinking, Kise finally realizes that this is real, Epic Records actually wants to sign with them.
"Senpai…" He's so overwhelmed with joy, everything he wants to say hitches in his throat and gets lost behind the unsteady pace of his breathing. Kise has never been ashamed of his tendency to be overly emotional, so when he feels tears welling in his eyes he doesn't think twice to let them fall. The idea of actually being signed to a record company, a famous one at that, causes his heart to hammer against his chest like it's trying to break free.
"Are you crying?"
"No… I mean, yes. But not because I'm sad or anything. I'm just…" Kise lets out a brief laugh, feeling ridiculous for crying over something that's supposed to have him jumping up and down with excitement. "Wow. We actually did it."
"Yeah," Kasamatsu breathes. "We did it."
