I do apologise for the incredibly long wait for this chapter to be posted.

I kind of lost my way there for a while and had no freaking clue on how to continue this, BUT inspiration struck (of course, it had to be the night before a major assignment is due) so here it is. This is the first part to the anticipated date, and the second part will be up…soonish. I hope this was worth the wait! :)

Chapter 13

As far as first dates went, Aomine and Kuroko's was one to go down in the history books.

In the years to come, the two would look back on that day with rueful affection, boisterous bickering (at least on Aomine's part) and snide, teasing comments (Kuroko's input) that would inevitably lead to a hot and steamy make out session. (It was probably why Aomine kept on bringing that particularly memory up).

As all best-laid plans, the day began smoothly (or as smoothly as a day that starred Aomine's fumbling attempts to express his feelings and one that was meticulously planned by the entirety of the Generation of Miracles could go).

Ding ding.

Aomine stepped back from the gate and tugged uncomfortably at the neck of his dress shirt while a soft stream of dark curses flowed freely from his lips.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot believe I'm actually going through with their insane plan. What depraved force of nature even made me agree to their moronic ideas?!"

His grumbling slowed when the gate remained unopened after a few minutes. Sighing in resignation, "In for a penny, in for a pound…" he placed the basket of baked goods – procured by Murasakibara at the ungodly hour of five this morning – on the ground. After scanning the flowerpots scattered about the front gate briefly, he fished a small grey stone out. A wistful smile spread across the tanned boy's face when he saw that the Kuroko family's spare key was still kept in the same place since his last visit. It seemed like some things had stayed the same.

"Excuse me for the intrusion", Aomine muttered to the empty hallway as he let himself in. A quick inspection of the ground floor revealed that Kuroko's parents weren't home. He peered tentatively up the stairwell before gritting his teeth in determination and started up the steps grimly.

Aomine knocked quietly on Kuroko's bedroom door and when his only answer was a muffled groan he gently nudged it open and poked his head through. The room was dark with only a sliver of sunlight sneaking through a gap in the curtains. As Aomine cast a cursory glance around, his gaze landed on the mess of pale blue hair peeking through the mound of bed sheets. He had not anticipated the rush of longing and fondness that almost doubled him over, and he was most definitely not prepared for the sudden urge to go to his best friend. To take those few steps which would land him right next to the bed, to reach out and lift aside the covers and curl up next to that meagre warmth, to finally have the small male in his arms again…

Aomine shook his head roughly, trying to derail that train of thought. A soft grin tugged at his lips as he pictured the inevitable: a bony elbow in the belly, a mildly reproachful look from icy eyes and a drawled out, "Aomine-kun."

Depositing the basket by the door, the tall male stepped through the entry and approached the sleeping boy cautiously. A gentle jostle of the slender shoulder barely roused a sleepy mumble accompanied by a sluggish flop-turn. Startled, Aomine leaned back before sighing and settling himself on the floor, putting him at head-level with Kuroko.

"Oi, Tetsu. Wake up."

The petulant whine that escaped his shadow went straight to his groin. A hot flush rose to Aomine's cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, frantically trying not to think of all the other (more pleasurable) scenarios that desperate sound could feature in, while simultaneously willing his erection to go down.

He hadn't quite yet managed that when Kuroko lazily lifted one eyelid to peer at the intruder to his room. In the short sleep-hazed moments prior to full wakefulness, Kuroko's gaze was soft and openly adoring as he peered at his light. And that look was a punch in the gut to Aomine. It was full of reverence that he didn't deserve (yet so desperately yearned for), brimming with delight simply because he, Ahomine, was near by, and it made him feel about ten feet tall (and undefeatable) but at the same time the size and significance of a bug. (When would he ever be good enough? How could he ever be forgiven?)

Tearing his eyes away from Kuroko, Aomine cleared his throat awkwardly and fumbled for something to say. Taking pity on him, Kuroko murmured a quiet good morning and apology for sleeping in before stretching into a yawn.

Was he trying to kill him? Aomine wondered absently, his eyes glued to the pale shoulder, revealed by the over-sized t-shirt that seemed strangely familiar. Such was his intensity and focus that the prodigy completely missed the satisfied smirk that slipped across Kuroko's face.

Aomine fiddled absently with the corner of on of Tetsu's multitude of books as he waited patiently for the other male to finish his shower. His mind would not stop replaying that moment again and again, that look in Kuroko's eyes had been salvation; it was everything that he had longed for – and everything that he hadn't even known he wanted. And he did – he wanted – he needed that gaze to be turned towards him every day from now on.

Scrubbing his face in frustration, he flopped back into the support of the edge of the bed. He wriggled in discomfort for a while before yanking on the bundle of cloth that was digging into his neck. It was the shirt that Tetsu had been wearing before he had bloody shucked it off right in front of him and sauntered into his adjoining bathroom, leaving a gaping Aomine in his wake. His eyes glazed over with desire as that particular image waltzed through his mind for the umpteenth time in the past ten minutes.

Peering curiously at the top in his hands, he was yet again hit by a wave of familiarity. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he stretched it above his head for further examination.

Wait a moment…

This was his!

The navy Henley had been his favourite in middle school, that is, until it curiously went missing in his graduating year. Darting his gaze back and forth from the shirt still clutched in his hands to the door of the bathroom, Aomine came to the startling conclusion that Tetsu had stolen his damn shirt! To sleep in! That sly bastard.

A smug smile firmly planted on his face, Aomine returned the shirt to the bed and was filled with pure male satisfaction and pride at the mere thought that Tetsu wore his clothing to bed. With that he settled back in to wait for his shadow. He had a feeling that the rest of their date was going to go swimmingly.

As usual, I hope you enjoyed the read!