He opened his mouth, but closed it without uttering a sound. The blue-haired man wracked his brain for something – anything – to say, but he came out with nothing. He just sat there, speechless, as the little blonde grew increasingly frustrated.
"Why don't you answer," Taki growled, eyes dilating with a mix of anxiety and restlessness.
He felt his throat dry and heart beat louder, but he was conflicted. Should he admit the truth and risk rejection, or should he lie to her? Certainly, there was a chance that she would accept him… yet she'd likely not be the most welcoming considering how he had been absent for the first years of her life.
Glancing down at her, their eyes met and once again he marvelled at how identical their irises were. A deep blue filled with complete innocence, her eyes reminded him of his own set during his childhood. The way her eyes would light up when they played basketball, the way they'd flare up at him when he teased her, how they'd grow stormy when she was troubled – he couldn't help but be mesmerized by them. They were proof that she was really his… a truth that he had found so hard to believe. Thinking back, he remembered how uneasy he was about his new reality. He had been angry and awkward. Would she react the same way? Then again, she did deserve to know.
Sighing, he combed his short hair back roughly, and looked away. The longer their eyes met, the guiltier he felt.
Annoyed, she crawled towards him, until their faces were barely an inch away.
"You… you are, aren't you?"
Frowning, he tried to back away, nearly falling off the mattress. Sneakily, he shot a glance at her for a second, and felt the familiar pang in his chest.
Scrunching up his face, he bit his lips, "What would you do if I said that I was?"
She glared at him, "You're not supposed to answer a question with another question!"
Yet his question was undoubtedly a clear answer, proving her statement true. Lingering doubts clouded her eyes, but Aomine could see her coming to that conclusion. Still, something inside of her was rejecting the notion of him being her father, and that made him feel rejected. Shaking his head, he covered his face and thought to himself, there's no going back.
Resting his sight onto the little girl again, he watched as she seemed to fight a battle inside. Most certainly, she must have been trying to figure out what she should believe. Lethargically, the tanned man twirled a lock of her long hair, causing her to look up sharply. She stared at him warily, puzzled by his sudden gesture. Resigned, he slowly let the lock fall, and slid his large hand towards her face. With his rough thumb, he lightly grazed the bottom of her right eyelid. The girl flinched, closing her eyes reflexively.
"What…?" she asked, body tensed.
He dropped his hand and grimaced. With a pained expression, he murmured in a raspy voice, "You…have my eyes."
Shaking, she looked upwards, "Then… you…really…"
"Yeah."
She sat very still, almost as if she was in suspended animation.
Frozen, her blank eyes wavered, and she clenched her fists tightly together. She looked at him in disbelief, not wanting to believe what she just heard. Staring down towards the mattress, she spoke in a low, quiet and delicate voice.
"Why," her voice shook, "Weren't you with Taki?"
He averted his eyes. He had no answer to this question. If he said the truth, it'd sound like he was putting all the blame on Kise. It would have made him sound even less a man than he already felt.
"Why did you leave papa?" she raised her voice.
Again, he only provided her with silence.
"Why don't you answer?" she said, tears forming in her eyes.
"I," he took in a breath, closing his eyes, "don't have any excuses."
Hearing his words, she grew silent. He opened his eyes, and had to resist the urge to look away. On her young face, Taki wore a betrayed expression that reflected the disappointment and pain she felt.
"Hey," the man whispered, unable to stand seeing her so hurt.
But when he approached her, she jerked away from his outstretched arm. He looked at her, shocked, and she returned his gaze with wide, untrusting eyes. Her lips were quivering and she stared at him as if she didn't know him. He had become a stranger again.
She may as well have slapped him.
Retracting his hand, he cast his gaze to the ground, stepping off the bed.
"Sorry," he muttered, face unchanging.
The blonde child didn't respond and only watched with hollow eyes as he walked out the door. Closing it behind him, the tanned man began to walk down the hallway, stopping mere feet away. Leaning against the wall, he scoffed and bent forward. Unable to suppress it, he let out a soft, crazed, sad laugh. Holding his lower stomach, he laughed until his eyes watered. As he tried to catch his breath, his legs gave out and he slid down to the floor with one hand scraping the wall.
It's so funny, he thought, I just got rejected by a little girl.
There was no pain.
He only felt numb.
Sitting there, he hung his head down towards the floor. As he rested, he felt something slip down his cheeks. Bringing one of his hands up to cover his face, he placed his head onto his bent knee.
Wiping the substance off with his index finger, he paused as he recognized what it was. The man let out another broken, cynical chuckle as he finally realized what he was feeling.
Grief.
He was mourning the end of his relationship with his only daughter.
Kise stood in front of the closed door, hand suspended in the air. Two days ago, Aomine had disappeared suddenly and hadn't been in contact since. Then out of nowhere, he had heard from Kuroko that the basketball pro had moved his flight forward and would be leaving in another two days, rather than in a week. The little girl too had been acting strange, seeming much less joyful. She had grown distant, and now mostly kept to herself in her room. At first, the blonde man had brushed it off as her just recovering but as time went on by…
He sighed, squinting his eyes. Recalling his conversation with Kuroko earlier, he remembered how he had found out that the tanned man had not been showing up for work and how the girl did not seem to miss him. Considering how close they had been and how much Taki enjoyed playing basketball, there was no way she wouldn't have been asking questions. Furthermore, Kuroko had been acting strange; he had spoken with a knowing tone in his voice.
Something must have happened, and Kise needed to know.
Gathering his courage, he rehearsed his words once more carefully before knocking. Then, he popped his head in cheerfully.
"Takicchi," he exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
In the vibrantly decorated room, the girl laid on the bed, back down. Her limbs were sprawled lifelessly across the mattress and she was staring up absentmindedly to the ceiling. Not hearing a response, he walked towards the child. Upon reaching the bed, he crawled up and laid next to her.
"Takicchi," he said again, as gently as he could.
This time, she heard him and turned to face him, "Oh. Papa."
"Takicchi, what are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"Mm, would you like to do something with papa?"
"Like?"
"Let's play basketball."
She opened her mouth, but then decided to change her answer, "Taki doesn't want to play."
"Really?" he faked surprise, "I thought you liked basketball a lot."
She shrugged, "Tired."
"Hmm, is that so?"
She didn't add anything.
Sensing that she was starting to zone out again, Kise changed the topic.
"You know, Takicchi, papa was talking to Kurokocchi today."
"Tetsu-kun?"
"That's right. He said that Aominecchi hasn't been coming to the childcare centre."
The blonde girl shrugged, "I didn't notice."
"Really? Have you been feeling lonely?"
"No."
"Oh," he said, probing, "but you usually have so much fun with Aominecchi that you can't stop talking about his moves. Did you two have a fight?"
"No."
"Oh, then I suppose you'll come with me now to see him."
"No."
"Then you must have had a fight."
She paused, caught. Trying to think of something to say, Taki bit her lips and rolled onto her side, back towards Kise. Feeling that it was the time to ask, he pressed her on that topic.
"What's been going on, Takicchi? You can tell papa."
"I said it's nothing."
"And I know that it is something," he scolded, "You and Aominecchi were getting along so well. What is going on between the two of you now?"
"Why do you keep talking about him, papa! He's not a good guy. He's a bad man."
Kise stared at her with shocked eyes.
"Takicchi, what makes you say that?"
"You shouldn't care about him so much. He hurt papa."
The man had a strange feeling in his gut, "What do you mean, Takicchi? Are you talking about when he punched me? That was an acci – "
"No, papa!" she suddenly raised her voice, turning to face him, "Taki knows. I know that he left you alone, left us alone."
Left you alone…
"Takicchi… you…"
He stammered, brows furrowing. It finally dawned onto him that she had found out the truth about the three of them.
"How did you find out?" he asked, dismayed.
Eyes downcast, she mumbled, "Souta found the black box and it was open this time. He read the paper to me."
Kise scowled, I forgot to replace the lock Aominecchi broke.
"And then," she continued, voice trembling, "I asked Ahomine and … and he said that I had his eyes and…"
"And?"
She paused to suck in a breath, "And I asked him why he wasn't here… but… but he didn't have a reason."
"Takicchi…" the man felt horror creep down his spine, "Is that why you two…"
"Why, papa?" she cried, "Why did he leave? Did he not love Taki? If he didn't, why did he come back now? Why…"
Her voice hurt him – shook him to his core. Torn, he felt the guilt gnaw at him. This was all his fault… As if it wasn't enough that he had hurt Aomine with his choice, he's now hurt his baby girl too. Steeling himself, Kise clenched his teeth. If she was going to know the truth, she might as well know the full truth.
"Takicchi," he murmured, "It wasn't Aominecchi's fault."
"What are you talking about, papa?" she gazed at him through watery eyes.
"The reason that Aominecchi wasn't here," he croaked, "Was entirely my fault."
"How can it have been your fault?" her expression became anxious and confused.
"I… I never told him, Takicchi. I never told him about you. I promised that I'd go to America with him, but I broke that promise. Then I had you in secret. The reason he only came now was because he was only able to find out when he returned to Japan this year. The lock on the box, you see – Aominecchi broke it off. That idiot doesn't know his own strength."
Kise chuckled forlornly.
"You should have seen him when he found out. He was so mad… I remember being very afraid. Yet even so… he found it in him to forgive me," he then smiled affectionately at the girl, "He also grew to love his little girl who he never even knew he had."
Bowing his head, Kise spoke softly, "Everything was my fault. So please, Takicchi, if you're going to be angry with someone, hate me."
She stared at him, blank, "But I don't understand."
"Understand what?"
"Why didn't you tell him about me?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"I was afraid," he admitted ruefully.
"Afraid of what?" she frowned, "Were you ashamed of Taki?"
"No, of course not!" he said quickly, not wanting her to misunderstand, "I was afraid that I'd prevent Aominecchi from achieving his dream of playing with the best basketball players in the world…"
She cocked her head to one side, still seemingly perplexed.
"If Aominecchi knew that we were having you, he wouldn't have gone to America that day."
"But how does that prevent his dream from happening?" she asked, mystified, "Can't he just go later?
Kise gave her a pained look, "You're right, Takicchi. He could have, but I didn't think hard enough. That's why this is my fault."
She didn't say anything – only stared at him thoughtfully.
"Do you hate me now, Takicchi?"
The child shook her head, "No. I can't hate you, papa."
"Even after all the hurt I've caused you?"
She thought for a moment, and then said, "Papa has made Taki very happy, even though papa is always so busy. Taki knows papa loves her."
"Oh, Takicchi," the man whimpered, bringing her into an embrace.
They sat in each other's arms for awhile, before Kise pulled her away slightly.
Timidly, he asked, "What about Aominecchi?"
Her faint smile dropped, and she pouted, "I don't know."
"Takicchi?"
She frowned, "I don't know how I feel."
"None of it is Aominecchi's fault though."
"I know," she huffed, "Still… One day he was a bad man, and then another day he's a really cool basketball player and now he's my daddy."
Helplessly, she looked at him, "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel, papa."
Kise watched her fondly, "Do you hate Aominecchi?"
"…" she pondered about that, and then said no.
"Do you have fun when you're with him?"
She nodded.
"Just one more question," he said tenderly, "If I told you that Aominecchi leaves for America the day after tomorrow, what would you say?"
Taki took a moment to process the information. Shortly after, her lips twisted up slightly into a lonely smile and she spoke in a wistful voice, "I would say that I would miss him."
Ruffling her dishevelled hair, he kissed her forehead and began to leave the room, "That's all I needed to hear."
Aomine was sweating, but this time, it wasn't from the hot August sun. Sitting on the wooden bench, he looked around at his surroundings. He was in the middle of a large crowd, and the delicious aroma of food wafted from all around him. For a moment, he had no idea how he ended up here. Struggling with a dull headache, he tried his best to remember.
Through his hazy memory, Aomine recalled the sadistic couple having ransacked his hotel room. He had shouted at them, before being hit on the head with some sort of blunt object. Then… well, then he blacked out. The tanned man guessed that the crazy pair had most likely drove his limp body to this place and dumped him here – in the middle of a fireworks festival.
And if that wasn't enough, he had come to a rude awakening. Upon opening his eyes, he had found the one person he had most dreaded seeing. There, squatting on the ground in front of him was a familiar blonde girl in a tiny yukata. At first, he had thought that he was imagining things, but she was singing a song he knew well.
"Sha la la~"
There was definitely no confusing her with anyone else.
Frowning, he began wondering what he should do. For nearly half an hour, he had tried waiting for Kise to show up. He thought that if he did nothing for a long enough period, whatever strange plan Akashi and Kuroko came up with would be given up on. He didn't know what they hoped to achieve, and didn't really care. He would be gone by tomorrow morning, so why should he care?
Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be happening and he was growing tired of waiting it out. Leaving the child wasn't an option, so he couldn't return to his hotel room. Scowling, he decided that he'll have to try and talk to the girl to get some sort of information.
Awkwardly, he shifted his body so he sat closer to her position on the ground. Several times, he opened and closed his mouth, but he couldn't find the right words to say. After a couple of tries, he finally made a sound.
"Hey…"
His voice cracked but the girl didn't turn.
Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey. Taki," her name felt like heavy lead on his tongue.
This time, she tilted her head backwards and stared up at him, "What?"
Aomine let out the breath he had been holding in, relieved that she had responded.
"So um, where's Kise?"
"Dunno," she said matter-of-factly, before looking down again, poking the ground with a stick.
"He left you here?"
She shrugged, "He said to stay here and watch you."
The tanned man frowned. Even Kise was a part of it.
"I'll call Kise."
"Papa won't pick up his phone."
"Why's that?"
"It's dead. He left it at home to charge."
"I'll bring you home then."
"But papa's not home."
"…Meaning that there's no way in," Aomine sighed.
Frustrated, he gave up and leaned back on the bench, hands at his side. Looking up towards the sky, he took in the beauty of the stars as they twinkled above. He thought the maybe he'll just have to stay here until the sun rises and then surely Kise would come for the kid.
Just as he was thinking this though, he heard a soft rumble. At first, he dismissed it as nothing. As time passed, it grew louder and more frequent. Eventually, he looked down to find the source. Hugging herself in a tiny ball was Taki, blushing.
"Those noises," he asked, "Were they you?"
Her cheeks reddened.
"Are you hungry?"
Pouting, she refused to acknowledge it, but hunger won her over. Quickly, she nodded to his question.
Sighing, he stood up. Stretching his strong, muscular arms above his head, he began walking away from the bench. After taking a few steps, he looked behind him to find the girl still hunched over. Calling for her, he beckoned for him to follow her. Hurriedly, she ran after him.
With the small girl trailing after him, he strode around the festival, looking at the stalls. Talking out loud, he asked, "What do you want to eat? Takoyaki? Yakisoba?"
He heard no response, so he repeated himself.
Still, nothing.
Tiredly, he turned around and was baffled when he couldn't find the little girl. Carefully, he began to retrace his steps, calling out her name. After walking quite a distance, he spotted a mop of blonde hair bobbing around between the long legs of the adults. Pushing his way through the crowd of festival-goers, he reached over and pulled the girl by the sleeve of her clothes.
"Eek!"
"Don't scream."
"Oh," she looked up, "It's only you."
"Don't 'it's only you' me. Where do you think you're going?"
"I was following you."
"In what way?"
She pouted, "It's not my fault you walk so quickly!"
"You just walk slowly."
The blonde squinted her blue eyes and glared at him.
He tried to control his face and not smile. When he felt that he was going to be all right, he let go of his grip on her yukata and held onto her hand instead.
She blinked at him.
"Sorry. It's so you don't get lost again," he muttered, "Just deal with it until your idiot father shows up."
"Okay."
Aomine raised an eyebrow, surprised at how easily she accepted it. He actually felt it strange actually, how calm and mature she was being right now. Considering their last conversation, he had expected her to bite his head off and give him a hard time. Not wanting to risk anything though, he kept his mouth shut.
Together hand in hand, they continued down the street.
"So, what do you want to eat?"
"Takoyaki."
At her command, they stopped at a nearby vendor. There, the tanned man ordered one Takoyaki. As he reached into his pocket to grab cash to pay, the man running the stall smiled at him, or rather, at Taki.
"Oh, what a darling little girl," he cooed, "You look so cute in your yukata."
Taki grinned brightly at him, "Thank you!"
"How old are you?"
"Taki is five years old this year," she beamed, displaying her five fingers.
The man laughed, "You're the same age as my granddaughter then. Here, as a little treat, how about I give you another tray for free?"
"Woah! Really, Mister? Thanks a lot."
"No problem. I'll give it to this man to hold," he handed the extra tray of takoyaki to Aomine, "Is he your brother or daddy?"
The basketball pro winced and began to open his mouth.
Before he could say a word, Taki answered for them, "He's my daddy."
Aomine stood there, stunned, but the vendor gave them a hearty smile, "She has your eyes."
Still perturbed by what just occurred, the blue-haired man was barely able to mumble in agreement before the two of them left to find a spot to sit at. Dazed, they wandered to a rather isolated riverbank. Sitting down onto the grassy slope, he handed the now drooling child her takoyaki balls. Happily, she ate them quickly as soon as she sat next to him.
As she ate, he continued to watch her, which eventually began to irk the child.
After finishing half of the first tray, she asked, "Are you hungry too?"
"No," he declined her offer of a ball.
"Then why are you staring at me?"
"Earlier," he said, nervously, "When that guy asked if I was your dad or brother…"
She continued eating, showing indifference.
"You said I was…"
"You told me you were."
He ruffled his hair, puzzled, "Yeah, I did but you kind of freaked out on me."
Thoughtfully she put down her food and shifted her body to face him. Under the moonlight, her pale skin seemed translucent. Her eyes softened and her breathing slowed.
"Papa told me," she murmured into her arms, "That you didn't know so it wasn't your fault."
The tanned man was a little surprised.
"Papa said that it was entirely his fault. He told me how angry you were when you found out. If you knew that, how come you didn't tell me when I asked you?"
He looked away, sheepishly, "If I said it, it'd sound like I was blaming Kise."
"But it was papa's fault…right?" she struggled.
Shaking his head slowly, he cocked his head to face her, "I should have come back sooner. I was a coward, afraid to find out why Kise left me that day five years ago. If I… If I had gone back right away… maybe we could have avoided it all. Maybe I wouldn't have missed the first five years of your life."
Wearing a serious expression, he stared at her, "Do you hate me?"
"Papa asked me that too. You adults like to ask that huh?" She puffed her cheeks out at his question.
He chuckled, "Hey, you should have seen the face you made at me. It definitely looked like you hated me when."
"Sorry," she whispered, face flushing slightly.
"It's okay," he smiled, tousling her blonde locks, "I'll take it that you don't hate me."
"I don't."
Feeling better, he joked, "So how do you feel about me? What, you like me?"
She blushed, "Don't be gross, Ahomine!"
Gazing down, she added under her breath, "I… I don't know how I feel about you."
Although it was quiet, he heard it as if it was a shout. He pushed his lips together as he felt a dull throb in his heart. Petting the girl on her head, he tried his best to smile. It wasn't like she disliked him, so he should feel happy, right?
Sighing, he let the conversation drop. Sneakily, he stole the remaining takoyaki and poured them into his mouth.
"Hey!" she yelped, looking at him, bewildered, "Those were mine!"
"I paid for them," he stuck out his tongue.
Gaping at him, she got up and punched him lightly in the abdomen, "No! Those were the ones the nice man gave me for free!"
"No difference."
"Yes there is!"
He rolled his eyes, "Fine. How about you throw up the ones you ate, and I'll throw up the ones I ate. Then, we can swap."
"You are so gross," she fumed, storming down the hill to pout away from him.
He laughed and then followed her, "Come on, lighten up."
"My takoyaki…" she huffed.
"Come on," he urged, poking her on the side, "Let's go play some games."
"Games?" her eyes perked up as she squirmed away from his tickling hands.
"I'll show you why the only one that can beat me is me, even in stall games," he challenged.
Now excited, she took his hand and they walked back into the crowded streets of the fireworks festival. Slyly, Aomine glanced down. Seeing the girl, he felt affection well up in his chest.
He thought to himself, it would have been nice if she liked me.
Sulking, the girl quickly jumped out of Aomine's arms and into the arms of her blonde father.
"Seriously? You're still made at me?" he said, with a hint of mirth in his voice.
She turned away, "You're mean."
"Hey, I never said I'd give it to you."
"The why'd you make me pick it?"
"I just felt like it."
She turned to glare at him, "You suck."
He laughed out loud at her bite. Thinking back on earlier, he did realize that he was being a bit mean. He had found a cork shooting game and then let her choose her favourite prize. Excitedly, she had chosen a charm bracelet that had little basketballs on it. Confidently, Aomine had shot at it, winning it in one go. The little girl had been ecstatic… to the point that he wanted to tease her. So, he didn't give the bracelet to her, and pretended that it was for himself. She had looked like the world was ending around her.
Now back in the present, she laid sulking in Kise's arms. The man who smiled fondly at her and then scolded Aomine, "You shouldn't tease her so much."
"Hey – I won it for myself."
Shifting her position, she glared at him.
"Hey, hey," he grinned, "I was just kidding. Here, give me your hand."
Expectantly, she raised her right arm. It was so tempting to tease her again.
"Aominecchi," the blonde warned.
"Yeah, yeah," Aomine exhaled, before opening the box and clasping the bracelet onto the young girl.
"Woah, it's pretty!" she exclaimed, face beaming with joy.
The two men watched contentedly as she marvelled her newest addition to her jewellery collection.
"Do I still suck?" Aomine teased.
Ecstatically, she shook her head, "No. You're awesome!"
Kise frowned, "More awesome than papa?"
She looked at both men, contemplating her choices, then, wittedly she answered, "Maybe just a bit."
The blonde man looked flabbergasted at her statement, clearly not having expected being second best. Seeing Kise's shocked expression, Aomine laughed. Taki joined in and their voices rang in the night sky. Soon, even Kise gave in and laughed with them.
This is nice, the blonde man thought, the three of us together.
Gradually, their laughter died down, and Taki let out a big yawn. Tiredly, she leaned back in to Kise's arms, eyes drooping.
Looking at her, Kise smiled sadly, "I guess it's time we return home now."
"Mm," she replied.
The blonde man looked back up, straight to the tanned man.
Aomine fought to keep his face composed, as he felt a familiar twinge of loneliness kick in. Struggling to make a cheerful expression, he spoke in a low voice.
"I guess…" he paused, "This is goodbye."
Taki's eyes fell on him, "No. Isn't it 'see you later?"
Aomine shook his head, "I'm leaving tomorrow."
Her eyes widened, and looked from Kise to Aomine, "I thought papa was just saying 'what if.' I thought you weren't going until next week."
"Sorry," he bit his lips, "it's been changed to tomorrow."
Her lips quivered, and she couldn't seem to believe it.
"What, you're missing me already?"
She didn't reply, and only stared at him.
Feeling that it'd be harder to leave if he stayed any longer, Aomine shifted his sight onto Kise who looked at him with teary eyes.
"Aominecchi," he whispered. His voice hurt the tanned man.
"Don't cry," he chuckled sadly, "I'll get scolded by this brat over here again."
"I can't help it," the model said, as a tear slid down his cheek.
Aomine reached a finger up to wipe it away. From his peripheral view, he saw the little girl watch them with sleepy yet attentive eyes.
With a quick movement, he lifted a hand to cover her face and then leaned over to kiss the blonde man. Kise recoiled from their sudden contact, but hurriedly succumbed to the other man's longing. Their tongues entwined, and the model nearly melted from the gentleness of their kiss. Just as quickly as he had felt the blue-haired man's lips on his own, did he feel them be replaced with the chilly cold air.
Dropping his hand, Aomine smiled faintly, eyes crinkling, "You should go now."
Kise hesitated, not wanting to leave, but the other man's expression told him that he needed to go now. Knowing that if he didn't move at this moment, he never would.
At the very least, I'll leave with a smile, Kise thought, as he tried to turn up the corners of his lips. Their goodbye didn't need to be anymore painful than it already was.
With difficulty, the blonde man turned and walked away with steady steps. Taki hung from his shoulder, watching absentmindedly as the basketball pro began to shrink. Suddenly, she heard her voice being called and she looked up.
Standing with his hands cupped around his mouth, Aomine began to open his mouth just as the fireworks flew up into the sky. Drowned by the sounds of the explosions, his words never reached her ears and he must have known that as his face grew forlorn. But even though he couldn't hear, the girl knew what he was trying to say. It was a phrase she has heard and seen mouthed to her so often that she would recognize it anywhere.
"I love you."
Trembling, she sank further into the embrace of the blonde man.
"Takicchi?"
Her shoulders shook, as the reality sunk in.
"What's wrong?"
"It hurts… papa," she gasped, between tears, "My chest hurts."
Realizing what she was feeling, he spoke in a knowing voice, "Mine does too."
"I don't want him to go away, papa."
Kise patted her back and then lifted her so that their noses touch. He then whispered with a pained voice, "I don't either, Takicchi."
The next day was hot. Really hot.
Scorching, humid air surrounded Aomine, and he found himself sweating even though he was only standing outside. Wiping off the perspiration on his face, he cursed to himself – something he hasn't done in a while. He had lessened his usage of foul language when he was around Taki, but now that she wasn't here, he could use it as much as he liked.
Yet, he didn't feel liberated. On the contrary, the tanned man found himself feeling more constrained than ever.
Shaking his head, he tried to push the thought of her out. Fortunately, it seemed that his plane was ready for the passengers to begin to board. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he began walking towards the boarding area.
"I'm sorry Aominecchi, but I can't go with you."
The tanned man scoffed bitterly as that phrase popped up in his head. Somehow, he even found himself laughing out loud. Nearby strangers turned to look at him as if he was crazy, but he ignored them. To him, it was just too funny. Different time, different circumstances but still – five years later – he would be boarding the plane alone.
Maybe I'm just not cut out to be happy, he thought scornfully, as he walked across the pavement. Still sweating, he looked up to the sky and frowned. There wasn't a trace of sun as the clouds covered the grand sky. Gray, dark and rather depressing, the sky seemed to reflect how he was feeling at the moment. Resting his eyes, he took in a deep breath.
It's not so bad, he thought bitterly, at least this time I won't be shoved in.
Finally reached the stairs leading up to the large aircraft, he sighed to himself again. This was it. Here he was, leaving Japan. Biting his lips, he set on foot up onto the steps. Then another, and another. With painfully slow steps, he climbed the metal stairs.
Feeling slightly better as he accepted the outcome of his situation, the basketball pro continued to climb the stairs as they gave a metallic rang with each step. Just as he reached the halfway point on the stairs, he turned around, staring at the ground, confused. Shaking his head, he decided that he was hallucinating from lack of sleep. He could have sworn he heard his name being called. Scratching his head, he continued to climb onto the aircraft.
"…necchi…"
You're hearing things, he scowled.
"Aominecchi!"
Okay, maybe not.
Turning around again, his eyes scanned the vast boarding zone for the owner of that voice. After a second, his azure eyes landed on a familiar blob of blonde hair sprinting up the stairs behind him.
"What the - ?! Kise?!"
Sweat dripping off his pale skin and cheeks red from what Aomine guessed to be long distance running, the blonde model continued to get closer and closer to the blue-haired man. In his arms, a pair of eyes nearly identical to the pro's own stared back. Bewildered, Aomine stood there with his jaw hanging. It wasn't until Kise was a little too close that he realized that the other man was running a little too fast.
Panicking, he tried to move out of the way with no avail, "Hey – wai – Kise! You're going to crash into m –"
"Umpf!"
Unable to stop, Kise slammed into the tanned man with immense force, knocking Aomine onto the floor of the plane. Landing roughly, Aomine swore as he laid on his throbbing behind.
"Are you okay, Aominecchi?"
He didn't know how to respond. His head was spinning from the impact and he felt a bruise forming on his arse. Groaning, he slapped his own cheeks and blinked furiously for a couple of seconds. Somehow, he managed to grunt.
Slowly, his vision stabilized and he found a beaming Kise on top of him.
"More importantly," the pro huffed, "What the hell are you doing here?"
If Aomine's tone bothered the blonde, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply smiled and held up a pair of tickets, "We're going to America, obviously."
The blue-haired man stared at him incredulously, "You're kidding."
Kise brushed his bangs back with one hand and laughed, "I am most definitely not, am I, Takicchi?"
At the mention of the girl's name, Aomine followed the other man's eyes to find the little girl fidgeting nervously on his lap. In the chaos of the moment, he hadn't notice her light weight on his chest.
"You…" he tried to speak, "Is he serious? But you said you couldn't come with me…"
Sheepishly, she looked downwards as she spoke, only glancing up at him every now and then, "That was before I found out…"
"Found out?"
"That you were Taki's daddy," she said, barely louder than a whisper.
"But you," he raised an eyebrow, "you rejected me."
"I suddenly found out that you were my daddy," she pouted, crossing her arms in protest, "I couldn't believe it…"
"Can you believe it now?"
She hesitated, and then her eyes hardened with conviction, "Yes."
Aomine could only stare at her blankly, still in shock. He wasn't sure he was hearing anything correctly.
Uncomfortable with his silence, Taki continued, "Since you came, I've always had fun everyday. You're so big, strong and cool. You can protect papa, and you are pretty good at basketball."
She paused and then added shyly, "Still not as good as me."
Snapping out of his shock, he rolled his eyes, "Where do you get all of this cockiness?"
"I got it from you!" she said in response, sticking her tongue out.
Aomine stared at her speechless, amazed at what he had just heard. His hand then shot up, and he covered his face. Looking away, he tried to cover up his growing blush.
"Woah, are you embarrassed, Ahomine?"
"Tsk, who'd be embarrassed?" he said, flicking her forehead.
"Anyways," Kise interrupted, expression loving, "Shall we go to our seats?"
Aomine's eyes widened, "You were really serious about coming?"
The blonde man scowled, "Didn't Takicchi just prove that we were?"
Still not convinced, the tanned man made eye contact with the girl again.
"Are you… are you okay with me?"
"What kind of dumb question is that? You're really an Ahomine."
He pinched her cheeks.
"Don't be cheeky with me," he tugged a little and she whined, "You… you said that you wanted a mother."
"Well I don't have one do I?"
Aomine winced, but Kise didn't react. Affectionately he simply put his hand on top of the basketball pro's.
Expression softening, Taki continued, "Instead, I have two daddies – two who love Taki lots."
As she exclaimed, he noticed something outside. To his astonishment, rays of light had broken through the mass of gray clouds. Like a miracle, one ray had entered and shone on Taki, causing something to sparkle in the sunlight. Squinting, he realized that it was the basketball trinket he had won for her yesterday.
Noticing his stare, Taki held it out and caressed the bracelet gently, "When you said that you were going to leave today… I felt lonely. My chest hurt."
She looked at him, shyly, "I didn't want you to go. I wanted to stay with you."
He listened to her, unable to find words to say.
"A-anyways," she said, fighting off a blush, "What were you trying to say yesterday?"
"Yesterday?"
"When the fireworks flew up, you said something to me."
Aomine looked away embarrassed, "Nothing."
"Liar," she pouted, "Tell me."
She pounced onto him, tickling him and he began to squirm uncomfortably.
"Haha…f-fine!" he laughed, "J-just stop tickling me."
Scowling, he looked away and lowered his voice.
"I said… I… love… you."
"I know."
Surprised, he whipped his head back to see her smiling deviously at him, realizing now that he had been tricked into saying it again.
"You brat," he roared, acting playfully mad.
Embarrassed, he scooped her up and kissed her on her cheek. She giggled innocently and then wrapped her arms around his neck.
Calming down, she nuzzled her face into his shoulder, and said in a tender tone "I love you too, Daddy."
Stunned, Aomine looked away from the two blondes, not uttering a word. Worriedly, Kise asked, "What's wrong, Aominecchi?"
"Nothing," he growled in his low, baritone voice.
Kise knew it wasn't nothing, and he was about to interject when he noticed something sparkle in the sunlight. Looking intently towards the tanned man's face, a smile crept along his pale face.
"Are you crying, Aominecchi?"
"Shut up, Kise!" he shouted, irritated, "It's just some dust in my eye."
The smile soon turned into a cheerful laugh, "Don't lie, Aominecchi! We all know that this isn't due to dust!"
Aomine whipped his head back, eyes glossy and glared at his lover, which only caused him to laugh harder. In the midst of all this though, Taki grew increasingly agitated.
"What's wrong with daddy," she said, scared, "Are you hurt?"
Giving up, Aomine yelled out with an angry expression, tears still streaking down his face, "No. I'm crying 'cause I'm happy, goddammit."
"Aw, Aominecchi admitted it," Kise teased, gasping for air between fits of laughter.
"Shut up, Kise, or I'll kick you."
"Don't talk to papa that way," Taki pouted.
Aomine frowned, "Oh, so you're still playing favourites."
"Don't be jealous, Aominecchi."
"Who'd be jealous over a brat like this!"
"I am not a brat!"
"You are too."
Playfully, Taki punched him in the stomach, "Well, I'm your brat. Deal with it, Ahomine."
"You're our brat, Takicchi."
The girl looked at him mouth wide, "Papa! Not you too!"
This time, it was Aomine's turn to burst out in laughter. His deep baritone voice filling the plane, ringing with relief and happiness. Wiping away his tears, he reached over and hugged his two most important people in the world.
After exchanging glances, the two blondes recuperated his embrace and hugged back.
As long, strong arms – as well as a pair of short delicate arms – wrapped around him, Aomine looked up to the sky and saw a patch of blue grow amidst the gray. Slowly, the sun was emerging and in a moment, they were embracing beneath clear skies. Standing there on the plane, his face relaxed and he smiled.
It's not like five years ago at all, he thought, heart filling with warmth.
Like outside, the five-year old clouds within him had dissipated and his heart was once again as serene as the clear blue sky above.
For the first time in five years, he felt truly happy.
For the first time in five years, his future looked bright.
A/N: Well. This is it. The last chapter. I don't even know what to say.
I guess first I should thank you all for staying with me until the end. I'm very grateful OTL. Thank you for bearing with my amateur writing and the long waits between chapters. I couldn't have finished this without your support. Seriously, this is the longest story I've ever written. Holy, we've finished with 50k words. (Okay I know my A/Ns are long and I even wrote a side fic but still… I wrote this much ahh!)
Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this last chapter and I hope it wraps things up nicely T^T. I had to rewrite it several times because there were just too much I wanted to add. I plan on writing an epilogue that takes place several years later to really tie most if not all loose ends. I want to release it in April but we'll see…
See you guys in my next fic! I love you all lots
Xoxo,
Azusa