title: smile
rating: k plus
themes: haircut, stubbornness

"…I didn't know Satsuki had a little sister," Aomine commented as the front door of the Momoi residence was swung open. A girl who looked exactly like Momoi, except with short, pink hair that was brushing against the top of her shoulders, was standing by the door, holding it by the side. She blinked.

"Eh?" She tilted her head to the side. Aomine rose an eyebrow at her. Now that he thought about it, there was no way that Momoi could have had a little sister. He's known her for almost ten years now, so he's aware that his childhood friend is an only child. He made a face, which was nearly a scowl. That could only mean…

"…Sastuki?" He breathed out, as realization dawned on him. Momoi gave him an offended look as she flipped her hair, which didn't move much at all.

"Does it really make me look that young?" She asked disdainfully. Aomine kept quiet, still in shock that the girl had actually chopped off nearly all of her long, pink, flowy locks. She now had her hands placed on her hips, impatiently awaiting his answer.

"It's…" Cute was what he wanted to say. The haircut made her cheeks look chubbier, yet somehow, he liked that. Her hair now framed her face perfectly, and she almost looked like a doll. But he was much too stubborn to actually admit that out loud.

"It sucks," the basketball ace finally blurted out. In response, the door was sharply slammed in his face.

000

"Now tell me, why did you cut your hair?" Aomine demanded as he strolled into the house, after five minutes of persistently knocking on the front door and yelling at her. Momoi sighed as she collapsed onto the couch, with him following suit.

"It's summer, so I thought I'd go for a change, since it's so hot. …Does it look that bad?" The pink-haired girl inquired warily, gripping onto what was left of her locks. Aomine frowned.

It's cute. That was something he would probably never be able to say, especially with her looking at him like that. Her eyes were wide with curiosity, and her lips were slightly pouty.

"It makes your chest look bigger," he offered with a short shrug. She glowered at him in response, and began sulking into a pillow. He cringed. He didn't think that she would be that worried about a haircut.

"I'm sure Tetsu-kun or Ki-chan would compliment me," Momoi pointed out, causing his gaze to snap towards her. Aomine scowled. She doesn't have to go playing that card, he thought sourly.

"It's not that bad," Aomine muttered before he could stop himself, in an attempt to get back at her. He watched in anticipation as her eyes brightened and lit up. She hoisted herself up, and leaned in towards him, completely unaware of how uncomfortable he was beginning to feel.

"Really? It's not bad, Dai-chan?" She asked excitedly, nearly pressing her body into his. Her expression perfectly mirrored that of a child's, he noticed. It was completely obvious that she wanted a better answer, but he wasn't even sure if he could give her one. He sighed. If Kise or Kuroko were here, he would definitely be out of the game by now.

"It's…" Aomine trailed off.

Cute.

"It's…er…"

Cute.

Just say it, damn it. But of course, those words wouldn't emerge from his mouth.

"It's okay," he finally bit out. Momoi's eyes dimmed by a fraction. She slumped backwards into her seat, and the warmth against his arm slowly receded.

If it were Kuroko, the light blue-haired teen would probably say something polite like, "It's beautiful, Momoi-san. It looks nice." And if it had been Kise, the blonde would have without-a-doubt exclaimed, "Wow, you look so pretty, Momocchi!"

But the only compliment Aomine could manage was "It's okay." He nearly groaned. He felt so washed out, even though Kuroko and Kise weren't even around. And the pink-haired girl, his childhood friend, the person who had accepted every single aspect of him, was sitting next to him, sulking when she could have been smiling.

Smiling.

He realized that now, he really wanted to see her smile. It was most likely because he hadn't even seen her smile at all today, though that was partially his fault. Aomine glanced over at her depressed form before lightly clearing his throat.

He sucked in a quick breath. When he released it, he spoke.

"…It's cute."

Instantly, Momoi whipped around to face him. She glanced over at the TV, and then over his shoulders, to see where the voice had come from. Aomine's brow twitched in annoyance.

"I was the one who said that, idiot," he told her, crossing his arms as he felt his face flush. In response, her eyes widened, her cheeks darkened, and a wonderful, sweet smile broke out across her features. He couldn't deny that it made his heart race.

"Can you say it again?"

"Wha— no. No way in hell."

"Eh…? Please, Dai-chan! Just one more time! I didn't hear it properly!"

"Like I care!"

Just don't stop smiling.

A/N: Is it weird that I find myself squealing and smiling at my own writing? It makes me sound arrogant, but I can't help it, hahaha.

After this, I think I might start looking into the suggestions (my pre-written one shots are quickly diminishing), so feel free to come up with some more!

Also, I would like to use this time to express my infinite thanks towards all of you! I'm overwhelmed with the amount of support I've garnered, especially since this ship is quite obscure. I read all of your reviews with a smile on my face. You guys are the best and I love you all!