"Alex, get up, ya lazy piece of-" Daiki's attempt at "peacefully" waking me ends as I toss my beloved pillow at him and go back to attempting sleep. "Alex..." He growls my name, replacing his formerly 'gentle' tone. I shiver slightly in response, closing my eyes tightly and hugging my futon for all I'm worth. Apparently, I'm not worth enough. Daiki carries me off the mattress. "Look." He says, pointing at me. "Food." The offending finger then points to a plateful of food. Suspicious, I search for my chopsticks, only to remember I snapped the last pair in a fit of anger.
"Um... chopsticks?" Daiki pauses mid-bite to stare at me as I rummage through the kitchen. "Broke them. Definitely not good. Buy another? Gotta have a spare somewhere." Daiki's over so often that he has a set of chopsticks just for himself, but I only have one set for me, and grind out my frustration as I look for any of the ones I pick up from fast-food joints.
In the end, I do find another set of chopsticks, although they're supposedly single-use only. Aomine Daiki is a surprisingly good cook. I mean, he's a total idiot 99% of the time, basketball aside, and he sleeps through class, but Daiki's no joke when it comes to food. That boy sure can cook. My tongue rejoices. I really like Daiki's cooking. It's some of the best I've ever had. The trouble is actually coercing him into cooking, and later, into cleaning up. Well, not exactly coercing. More like... persuading him. I snicker slightly at the thought before gorging myself past hunger.
"You're going to sleep during class if you eat too much." Daiki notes offhandedly, on his second bowl of this semi-unrecognizable dish. I shrug.
"Isn't it supposed to be flattering if someone likes your food?" I reply with one eyebrow raised. "Either way, it doesn't really matter. I already know this lesson." He raises an eyebrow in slight disbelief.
"Yeah, but I don't, and I always use your notes." He replies. "You know I can't take good notes and that I can't focus during class." A whine enters his voice, amusing me in his childishness.
"Then I suggest you learn, Daiki. In college, you do you expect to get any degree for work? You can probably get in using basketball, but how do you plan to study properly?" The bluenette stares at me in surprise before giving me a dunce-like smile.
"What're you talking about? You can take notes for me~!" He replies childishly. I roll my eyes.
"Aomine Daiki, you know full well that I'm not planning on pursuing the same line of work that you are." After playing more basketball, Daiki will probably want to be a cop. I'm not really into crime and such, although I fully appreciate the work that police do. I'm more into translation. Daiki smiles at me, startling me out of my thoughts.
"You could always translate for the police." He suggests, waving his chopsticks around. "International law or something like that." I laugh, my gaze softening.
"Yeah, maybe." I say, unwilling to dismiss his suggestion. "I'm probably no good with law, but... it seems interesting enough. Maybe. For now, I have more serious things to take care of."
Daiki and I sigh silently before I clean up after the two of us and get ready for school. "You know you don't have to go today." Daiki says as I lock the door behind us. I nod slightly.
"Yeah." I reply with a sigh. "I know... but I should probably go anyway. After all, you can't focus during class at all. You always sleep, you blockhead." Daiki laughs sheepishly as we walk in the increasingly frigid morning air. "Geez, how do you plan to graduate high school if neither Momoi nor I are in your classes?"
Daiki snorts. "They'll put one of you in my class." He replies flatly. "Otherwise they'll have to worry about my grades. They already know that either you or Satsuki always give me notes and help me study. I don't think they really care as long as you two are helping me."
I roll my eyes in response. "Geez, Daiki. That's really not the way to get through high school." I reply easily, watching the assortment of students file into school, all looking grumpy, sleepy, or disturbed in some matter. Unease eats away at my insides, chased by a sense of foreboding. Gnawing on my lower lip, I go to my locker and change my shoes for class before meeting up with Daiki again to go to class.
School passes in a semi-terrifying blur. I take two sets of notes, copying my work during our breaks and throughout lunch. As usual, Daiki sleeps during most of our classes and doesn't bother to pay attention while he's awake, most likely daydreaming about his perfect opponent or going professional. I have more realistic dreams. I'll never be able to pro. Gender aside, I simply don't have the height that professionals do, although I can jump as high as they can. My short height puts me at a disadvantage.
"Oi, skip practice today." Daiki says flatly as I head toward the gym the first-string players usually play in. I blink in surprise.
"Why?" I respond, frowning considerably.
"It's no use for you to practice. You'll make your shots, and you always end up putting in 110%. The better you get, the wider the gap you make." He replies. My eyebrow twitches in irritation.
"Play one on one with me." I suggest, walking into the gym. "I'm itching to play you." Daiki stares at me in surprise as I grin at him playfully. "I'll give you a good game. Besides, when's the last time you actually got one of your shots in against me?"
Daiki's eyebrow twitches in irritation as I flounce into the locker room. I'm instantly met with Wakamatsu's girlish scream and fly out, my face red from lack of air as I howl with laughter. "Oh my god." I choke out to the blurry figure of Daiki. Tears of laughter stream down my cheeks. "You shoulda seen his face, dude! Like seriously! He turned so red."
"Stop laughing!" Wakamatsu screams through the door.
"I'll laugh about this until the day I die!" I scream back, hitting the door for emphasis. "Your scream, dude! You need to work on that!"
"Don't just randomly walk into a locker room full of guys!" He shrieks in return. I roar with laughter again.
"Dude, seriously, I can't believe you're that shy." When my laughter finally dies down, Wakamatsu dares to brave the outside world. I burst into laughter as he pierces me with a glare, sniggering violently as I try to stifle the noise I'm making.
"Seriously!" He whines, stomping childishly. His overdramatic eye-roll clues me in to his amusement.
"I can't wait to hear about what happens when this happens with you and your girlfriend or your wife." I snicker.
"You shoulda seen Sakurai!" Wakamatsu sniggers, his eyes crinkled in amusement. "He turned so many shades of red after you left and apologized a thousand times!" We snicker in the corner of the gym until Momoi smacks me with a paper fan.
"Don't be angry, Satsuki-chan~!" I whine playfully. "You know you find it funny, too!" Momoi only sighs in frustration, no doubt questioning my sanity for the umpteenth time.
"Sure, sure, Hai-chan." She replies patiently.
"C'mon, Daiki~!" I whine after leaving the pinkette and blond. "Play a game with me. Against me." The bluenette takes a full twenty minutes to convince.
"Fine, fine, you child!" He finally exclaims. "But just one game! No more!" I nod enthusiastically before leaving to change into gym clothes. Daiki follows suit, no doubt having talked with Satsuki about something. When I reappear, the two are talking seriously, something unusual for the two childhood friends. I hum in interest before adjusting the brace around my ankle. I take my matches with Daiki very seriously. Playing against him requires me to put in most of my energy, and being concerned about the state of my body gets in the way of that. We usually play until one of us can't take any more.
"Ready to get beat?" Daiki hisses playfully, lacing up his shoes.
"As if I'll lose to an overly-tall boy with blue hair." I snort. "I'll lose when you pass a class on your own." Daiki laughs. I can't help but notice that the first-string players haven't started warming up for practice, but it doesn't bother me. "Satsuki, give me a basketball. A good one."
Surprisingly, it's Susa and not Satsuki who does as I say, but I'm thankful nonetheless. "Streetball?" I ask with a malevolent grin. "Full court?"
"Nothing else is worth my time. First to score wins." Daiki replies, an equally vicious grin stretching across his face. I narrow my eyes. There's no way I'll lose to him. He'll have to give it his all. We have Imayoshi toss the ball up for us, and I jump as high as possible to snatch the ball out of the air. I barely manage to get it before Daiki does. His outrageously long arms are putting me at yet another disadvantage. I dash down the court, trying to keep Daiki off my back. Not in the Zone yet? I'll still beat you!
I almost make the shot, although Daiki somehow manages to steal it out of thin air. Furious, I keep pace with him, blocking his would-be lay-up and flying down the court as fast as possible. There's just the one thing I dislike about one-on-one. I can't call fouls on Daiki, and while the same applies to him, we both know the game stops as soon as one of us draws blood or collapses. He smashes into my back, and I slam into his side, vying for control of the ball. I nearly trip, he nearly stumbles. I can't believe we're using violence so early on.
As soon as Daiki enters his Zone, mine slips over me with ease. One of the things I like best about Daiki is that he competes with every fiber in his body. He practically breathes just to beat others. I used to hate competition. Now, I'm dying for it. My mind instantly clears, and I can see everyone and everything. Every twitching of his muscles, every breath he takes, how long he can keep this up. Nothing is hidden from me. Nothing can stop me!
Daiki and I go head to head again, but this time the balance has been tipped. There's nothing he can do that I can't anticipate. My plans change as my plays improve. Daiki can't stop me, just as I can't stop him. For every shot he takes, I block. For every would-be basket, I'm met with his jump. I growl out furious groans and continue, sweat dripping down my face. Ten minutes. 2/3 of a quarter, and I can win. I can beat Daiki.
I'm about to finally get my basket nine minutes later when Daiki slams into me. I can't tell if it was on purpose or by accident, but it knocks me flat onto my side with my ankle giving way in the most unforgiving way possible. A sickening jolt runs up my leg before a scream rips past my gritted teeth. I'm effectively thrust deeper into my Zone. My hands grip my ankle tightly. "Satsuki!" I yell. "Give me my tape. Now." I can see the way she looks at me, that strange mixture of fear and pity, before giving me the roll of white athletic tape.
I wrap my ankle tightly, refusing the hand she extends to help me up, and instead throwing the tape straight into my bag by the sidelines from my place near the basket. My mind is going into overdrive, processing things instantaneously and categorizing them, using all my senses to map out what to do next. I take the ball from Daiki and work my way down the court aggressively. Twenty seconds and I will have maxed him out! Somehow, in the midst of Daiki's intense playing and the weakness in my legs, I manage to dunk the ball in.
Unfortunately, due to my significant lack of height, I have to hang onto the hoop in order to balance myself out for my fall. I land on one foot rather than two, and cringe as soon as I stand. Daiki and I have a serious staring contest as soon as he catches my gaze. "I never did like that Zone of yours." I grit my teeth.
"Yours is friggin' scary." I hiss in response. "Jesus, Daiki." We're awkwardly quiet for a few minutes. "Dude, can you carry me? My ankle isn't working."
Daiki's eyes go comically wide for a moment. "How many times have I told you to pay attention to that damn leg of yours? You're going to break it, I swear!" He rants for the better part of ten minutes. "How stupid do you have to be not to realize tha-"
"My ankle hurts because I've been standing so long." I say flatly, interrupting the livid boy. "Carry me." Daiki's face slowly reddens with irritation before he somehow manages to calm down.
"Of all the ways to..." He sighs and bites off the end of his sentence. "Yeah, yeah, I'll carry you." I give a whoop of excitement. Daiki's piggyback rides are seriously awesome! He's super comfy. Tall people are the best at carrying others, in my opinion.
"It's not like I want it to stop working." I reply evenly, remembering the rather ruthless shove I'd received only a few minutes earlier. "There are things beyond my control, too." Daiki stops for a moment as we near my backpack.
"Oi, don't tell me that I pushed you again..." I don't say anything in response to his half-finished sentence, instead reaching over his shoulder to pat Satsuki on the head.
"Dude, you're so small from here! I wish I was always this tall!" I exclaim giddily. Satsuki looks up at me with big pink eyes. "Do you always look this cute? Geez, I'm surprised you aren't dating anyone right now." The pinkette's eyes swim with mirth before Daiki lets me down gently.
"I got you some ice." Satsuki says more seriously. "Let me take a look at it." I instantly stiffen and straighten.
"It's fine. No worse that what I've gotten before. All I need is a little ice." I say, trying my hardest not to look at Daiki. I smile slightly. "I'm hungry~! Satsuki-chaaaan, do you have any bento? I forgot mine..."
"No, sorry, Hai-chan." I sit down and pull my backpack closer to me, trying to chat more amiably.
"It's totally fine. Hey, if I'm calling you Satsuki, you can at least drop the '-chan', ya know? You can call me Alex if you want to." I reply, rifling through my backpack anxiously. "Where did I put it...? I swear it was in here..." My backpack is entirely devoid of any of my extra braces and usual wraps.
"You're looking for this?" I grow rigid at Daiki's low voice. Looking up, I can see one of my many braces dangling from his fingers. "Aren't you already wearing a brace?" My lips thin into a flat, unamused line.
"Daiki, please give me my brace." I don't notice how gingerly Satsuki wraps the ice around my ankle, or how Wakamatsu's voice lowers. I pretend to ignore Imayoshi's softening expression and Sakurai's pitying glance. "Daiki."
"You think you can keep playing like that? You're going to break your leg!" Daiki says flatly, his eyes narrowed. I surge forward, trying not to stumble.
"Give it to me, Daiki." I hiss, hand outstretched. "You're making me angry."
"You're going to wreck that leg of yours until you can't play any sports!"
"I hit that point last year!" I yell furiously. "Remember that month I didn't show up at school? That was me spending all my time in P.T., trying to walk properly!" Daiki recoils. "And that time over the summer where I didn't practice? I was getting more braces and learning how to properly wrap this stupid leg so I could finally do something!"
Daiki is dead silent. "I'm back, and I can play just as well as before." I hiss. "Give me my goddamn brace so I don't have to crawl home, Daiki."
"Why don't you just quit?" He finally asks. I freeze. I can't move, even if I want to. My heart stutters and blood roars in my ears.
"Quit?" I ask, tilting my head jerkily. "Quit. Sorry, I don't know that word. All that word leads to is being stuck in the past. Quit? How cute." I snatch the brace out of his hands. "I'll quit when I'm dead." I shove the brace on roughly under the ice, cringing at the pain it causes me and cursing my unruly temper.
"Alex... I didn't mean it like that." I growl in irritation.
"Then what did you mean, Aomine?" Daiki cringes. When he doesn't speak, I pick up my backpack and walk home. "See you tomorrow, Satsuki." I don't make it all that far, to be honest. As soon as I get past the classrooms, my vision blurs. It stings and leaves trails of moisture dripping down my face as I slide down the wall.
"Alex..." Why don't you just quit?
"Why?" I reply. "Why would you ever ask me that? Why would you ask me to quit?"
"I really didn't mean it like that." Daiki sighs, sitting next to me. "Although I doubt either of us would mind if you would quit crying right now." I laugh slightly, wiping at my eyes.
"Yeah, you're right." I reply, sniffing slightly.
"I didn't mean quit as in you stop playing. I know you wouldn't willingly do that... although your ankle would probably feel better." I give Daiki a warning as I narrow my eyes. "I meant quit as in... Playing the way you do. You just let people abuse you whenever you play." I shrug.
"Maybe I'm a masochist." I reply flatly, my lips curving slightly. We sit in silence for a while longer.
"C'mon, shortie. I'm carrying you home." Daiki announces.
"Wa... really?"