A/N: Apologies for the late update! Here's a pretty long chapter to make up for it. Haven't gotten the chance to really beta this so sorry for any mistakes! Again, if any of you want to chat or ask questions, you can shoot me up on kittlekrattle at tumblr! I'll only answer non-spoilery questions if you go on anon, and will answer off-anon questions privately. Thank you to everyone who's sent me messages and +fav'd and dropped reviews!
nglphil: Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to drop a review. I love that you mentioned that about the title, and I agree! Apart from being 'incomparable' in the sense that you can't compare something with another, that thing about being 'unforgettable' is definitely just as significant a connotation in this fic, especially with the context of life. And I like your suggestion! I sort of have a plan for it already though, and it is just a cameo, but I'm sure they'd love to play against each other again, like the old times.
theOtakuMageofAwesomeness: Thank youuu! Glad you agree with Kisumi being around! I definitely see them as good friends who share a lot in common ^^ (about that trash king...maybe you should check out the chapter where Aomine ate in the cafeteria with Momoi and Haizaki, and noticed the two people dozing off by the couch /wriggles eyebrows/ uvu). BROTP ALERT IS RIGHT and I'm glad you liked their interactions just as much as I enjoyed writing them! The kagakuro is so real it came so naturally haha. THANK YOU AGAIN you flatter me so much aaa I'm really happy you like how I wrote Haizaki! More hints will appear here! That would be fun if you dropped an anon message on tumblr about your guess! Or you could PM me here! Thank you thank you always and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
cynthiacyvon: Thank you! What I can tell you is that something happened to Kise that's made Haizaki a bit more protective over him about going out and the like, and you'll know exactly what that is soon! Thank you for reading, and I hope you like this new chapter!
#
Kise's hands were in front of him before he could even think about moving them, and in an instant, there was a basketball caught snugly in his palms. All at once everything felt so familiar: the light of the court, the polish of the floor, the weight of the ball in his hands—
The way Aomine stood on the court like the sun.
Aomine was smirking at Kise, encouraging him with a nod to the hoop. Kise felt his heart thump loudly in his chest, and he had to blink a couple of times before looking to the basket, taking a deep breath to keep from flustering.
Kise looked at the ball in his hands, felt the texture of the hard material and the grooves in each solid line running through it. He hadn't held a basketball out of his acting role in a long time, and hadn't received a pass from any of his friends for even longer. He could feel the warmth of Aomine's hands on the ball still, could remember the way he'd just been playing as if it were burned in the back of Kise's mind the moment he saw him. Without any warning, a wave of something Kise hadn't felt in years came washing over him, and his body moved naturally on its own: he clutched the ball on each side, bent his knees, and brought his eyes up to the hoop ahead. In one fluid motion, he jumped, bringing his arms up and flicking his wrist at the optimal height. The ball flew into the air, high above their heads, and Kise landed on his feet and watched as the ball curved a wide arc up until it went through the hoop with a decisive swish.
The ball bounced once before the silent gasps of oohs and aahs echoed through the court. Kise let out a breath, mildly surprised, and watched as Aomine moved to snatch the ball in the air as it bounced. Around him people muttered and gushed, 'How did he do that kind of shot?', 'That was amazing!', 'He was way beyond the half-court line and he still made it?' and Kise was supposed to smile, he was supposed to act sheepish and happy at the compliments, but none of their words could compare to the way Aomine smiled at him. None of their praise could make Kise quite as happy as when Aomine looked at him with that sparkle of excitement in his eyes.
And I'm in love with him, rang through Kise's head as easily as he breathed.
"Man, you still got it," Aomine said, his grin openly thrilled. "Midorima's shot and Himuro's form—no, your form. It's still as mesmerizing as ever. Prettier than Himuro's."
Kise couldn't help the flush that colored his cheeks. "The NBA superstar is complimenting me," he gasped, putting a hand over his chest in mock incredulity. "I must be super amazing." Even Kise was surprised at how he managed to come up with anything coherent, much less actual sentences. His heart was still doing tumbles in his chest, but at the same time, as he watched Aomine dribble the ball at his side, it clenched. It hurt.
"If it makes you happy," Aomine said flatly, but he was still smiling.
Kise didn't expect to see Aomine at all, not so soon, but both of them were so pleasantly surprised that everything had been interrupted—Aomine's shoot, Kise's tour—and when Kise caught Aomine's eye, nothing else really mattered. And Kise laughed. He laughed because they were supposed to meet later, not run into each other on the job. He laughed because he'd been standing and watching Aomine for a full minute before Aomine noticed him with a start. He laughed because an invisible weight tumbled out of his chest, following after the words he'd never thought he'd utter just left his mouth as surely as his breath did.
He laughed because Aomine was there. And he was happy.
"Yeah, I'm very happy, thanks," Kise chuckled, hiding his mouth behind a loose fist. "I never thought I'd get to see you having a shoot." Kise had seen Aomine's posters and ads here and there, but Kise would always think that those could never compare to seeing the real thing. Nothing could quite capture Aomine, not a photo or any words or anyone. Aomine would always be an elusive flame, a blazing comet, always so captivating and so, so far away.
"Didn't think I'd see you so soon either," Aomine shrugged. "Just can't get enough of me, can you?"
Kise sputtered, snorting. He laughed again, bright and free. "If it makes you happy," he echoed, and Aomine smirked. "I'm surprised you actually agreed to being the poster boy of the new line of Jordans," Kise said. "What convinced you?"
Aomine shrugged, shifting his heels against the ground. He glanced at his feet, his basketball shoes black and white like his uniform, in his favorite brand that he now models for. "I get free shoes."
Kise blinked, and found himself laughing again, loud and flushed. Behind him, Haizaki rolled his eyes, and Kise's happiness was so contagious that everyone around him smiled or chuckled with him.
It turned out that Kise knew the photographer in charge of the shoot—then again, in that industry, everyone knew everyone in one way or another—and at the call of a short break, Momoi took the chance to stomp over to Aomine and chide him for running and jumping too much while he was still recovering. Aomine was honestly too happy about finally being able to play that he just took the scolding without issue, and Momoi sighed with a whine but couldn't stay mad at him either way.
Kise tried his hardest not to keep staring at Aomine, but there really wasn't anything or anyone that could hold his attention, nothing quite so enthralling or bright as he was. And as he stared, all the doubts he was trying to come up with would get smothered by I'm in love with him and Kise just couldn't fight it, couldn't fight those words that came with so much certainty and resolve that Kise was left defeated without a sliver of a chance.
He didn't know how long he'd been staring, and he didn't realize that Aomine had been staring back until Kise felt a gentle brush of fingers against his cheek.
"I noticed it earlier," Aomine said, his expression soft around a small grin as he tucked some of Kise's fringe behind an ear. "But your hair's gotten long. It keeps going over your eyes."
Kise's breath caught in his throat, and all words were lost in those midnight blue eyes. Without thinking, he leaned, just a little, into Aomine's touch, and for a moment, Aomine's smile faltered. His cheeks seemed to darken faintly when he made to pull his hand back, sliding his fingers just barely against the side of Kise's jaw. Kise felt his heart stall, felt those electric sparks tingling where Aomine's warm fingers lightly touched him, and Aomine curled his fingers into a fist as he pulled away, bringing his hand to rub at the back of his neck.
Kise's lips parted and let out a sigh, and he sucked in a breath as he tried to find his voice. "Yeah," he coughed. "I suppose I should have it cut sometime." Kise's lips curled up with some effort, but smiling never seemed to be hard to manage when he was around Aomine. "Does Aominecchi like my eyes?"
Aomine blinked at him, eyes widening a fraction. A warm smile stretched across his lips, making Kise's heart jump in surprise. "Yeah."
The blunt honesty made Kise's heart stutter, and there was open surprise on his expression that he had no control of whatsoever. Aomine smirked at him and snickered, taking Kise's shock as a chance to reach out and ruffle Kise's hair and make him sputter. Aomine walked away as the shoot went back into motion, and Kise couldn't quite make out what the others were saying around him, but Aomine's voice was clearest to his ears.
"Give me a pass," he told Kise.
Kise blinked back into focus, forcing himself to be more aware of his surroundings—of everything that isn't just Aomine—and cocked his head in confusion at Aomine's request. When the world around him shifted back into his senses, Kise caught the encouraging smiles and words of agreement from those around him, and understood.
Kise looked back to the still smirking Aomine, and Kise nodded. The two of them glanced at the photographer, who gave them a thumb's up, and Kise and Aomine's eyes met for a brief moment before Aomine started dribbling.
Kise sidestepped into movement just as Aomine dashed, and both of them were in perfect sync when Aomine passed the ball to Kise, and Kise barely held the ball for a second when he launched it high in the air, just a little distance away from the hoop, and without a moment's pause, Aomine's hand went down on the ball and slammed it right through in a dunk.
No matter how hard Kise tried to be aware of his surroundings, he just couldn't, not when Aomine was right there, with his hair cut short just as it used to be when Kise had first met him, playing basketball just like he had been when Kise found the fire that lit him back to life.
"Damn, that was great," Aomine grinned, looking at his palm and curling it into a fist. "Still one of my favorite passes."
Kise sighed all over again, and he couldn't fight it. Not any of his doubts or the way his stomach would flutter or how his heart would leap. He smiled, defeated, and tried to repress his feelings, tried to smother them deep inside him as he beamed at Aomine.
Aomine brought his fist up and pointed it at him with an even brighter grin, and I'm in love with him was the mantra Kise's heart sang at every beat.
#
"…How do I look?"
"Goddamn hideous," Haizaki replied without pause.
Kise frowned, his face almost aghast.
"You look horrible, absolutely horrific," Haizaki drawled, tapping at his phone. "I feel sorry for any mirrors your ugly-ass reflection will break."
"Shougoo."
"What," Haizaki groaned, lifting his eyes up from his phone to Kise. "You're a goddamn model, Ryouta, how many times do I have to fucking remind you?" Haizaki grumbled, staring flatly at Kise and his stupid perfect hair and light clothes and amber eyes. "You fucking look like a photogenic bastard whose paparazzi photos can sell in the hundreds—which they have—and anyone who thinks you're anything but fucking pretty as fuck is a blind son of a bitch." Haizaki finished with a decisive wave of his hand. "There. Happy?"
Kise pouted, and Haizaki shot him a dirty look. "Okay, okay," Kise said, unable to help the small curl of his lips. "Thanks, I guess?"
Haizaki grunted in response, stuffing his phone into his pocket. They both walked towards the car under the darkening sky, the evening air getting chilly with the season.
Kise cocked his head to one side with a small smirk at Haizaki. "Don't worry about the meeting so much, Rika-nee trusts you so I'm sure you'll do fine," he said.
Haizaki stiffened, grumbling grumpily under his breath. "Don't do that damn clairvoyance thing of yours," he muttered. "I don't like being responsible and shit."
"Well you're responsible for my safety," Kise shrugged, trying to keep from vibrating in place. "And you've been doing a pretty good job."
Haizaki grunted again, turning his head away from Kise to hide the heat in his cheeks. "Shut up," he grumbled, getting frustrated at himself for the way his heart thumped annoyingly when Kise chuckled in response. "Don't think about me and my suffering," he groused. "Just focus on your new love life, superstar."
Kise frowned. "There is no 'new love life'," he said. "I just…I guess I just have feelings for him, that's all."
"Yeah, took you more than a whole decade to figure that out," Haizaki mused, ducking into the car after unlocking it.
"Wha—it hasn't been that long!" Kise protested, stumbling into the passenger seat next to Haizaki.
"Fuck yeah it has," Haizaki lectured, and then raised a brow at Kise sitting next to him. "You're sitting up front?"
"What do you mean it has," Kise continued to frown, squirming into the seat to get comfortable as he shut the door at his side. "And yes I want to sit in front."
"I mean you've been crushing on Daiki since forever," Haizaki said frankly, fastening his seatbelt with a click. He turned to Kise, knowing how stupidly forgetful he was about being in front. "Fasten your—"
Kise was still frowning as he absently slid his seatbelt on. "What do you mean I've been crushing on him?"
Haizaki blinked, still vaguely surprised about Kise actually remembering to fasten his seatbelt. It felt like Kise was finally not a huge-ass child, and Haizaki held back a smirk as he started to drive. "Nothing," he replied. "What matters is that you finally fucking realized your goddamn crush and whaddya know, you're going on a date with him tonight," Haizaki's cheered flatly, tightening his grip on the steering wheel to smother the twitchiness of his hands. "What a perfect opportunity for you to confess."
Even without looking, Haizaki could see Kise sputter and jerk at his side. "Wh—confess? I'm not going to confess."
Haizaki's brows knotted. "Why the hell not."
"I—" Kise muttered, almost confused. "I can't. I shouldn't. I'm not…I'm not good for Aominecchi."
Haizaki could have sworn he felt a nerve threaten to pop in his temple, and he snapped his hand to the side and grabbed the top of Kise's head in a vice grip, making him yelp. Haizaki squeezed, and Kise flailed. "God fucking dammit Ryouta," Haizaki barked. "This fucking shit again? I thought we were over this."
Kise whined, struggling under Haizaki's hand. He managed to shove Haizaki's arm off without much effort. "But—"
"No fucking 'but's," Haizaki snapped, smacking his hand back over Kise's head. "I thought you were done with that stupid self-worth shit of yours. You fucking came back from that shit storm with a vengeance and now you're trying to tell me you're not good for Daiki?"
"I just—!" Kise protested, giving up on batting Haizaki's arm away, shoulders tightening. "I mean—he's Aominecchi, you know? He's a basketball sensation and—"
"No shut up, goddammit," Haizaki snarled, bringing a chop down on Kise's head and making him squeak. "Shit-talking from haters or me is one thing, but talking down on yourself is not gonna fly with me, so cut it the fuck out. I know that kind of shit isn't easy to get out of but it's been years now and you're Kise fucking Ryouta and I will hit you if you even think of that stupid shit again."
Kise crumpled up, clutching his head in pain. "You already hit me though you big brute," he cried, feeling his head throb.
"You deserved it, idiot," Haizaki scowled, bringing his attention back to the road and trying to calm his stupid annoyance.
Kise grumbled under his breath for a bit, rubbing his pained head. "Okay, okay," he sighed after a moment. "Your 'tough love' hurts."
Haizaki felt his heart stutter and his throat catch. He shot Kise a glare that he hoped still had the potency of his earlier anger, and felt his heart stumble over again when Kise let out a light chuckle.
"Okay," Kise sighed again, quiet. "Thank you."
Haizaki grunted in reply, and the car was silent. Kise didn't argue further, didn't say anything more about his feelings for Aomine, but when Haizaki chanced a glance at him, Kise had a hand over the side of his head, fingers lightly brushing his cheek. It looked like a thoughtless gesture, as if his hand just naturally gravitated to that spot Aomine barely touched, and Kise's golden eyes were gazing out into the night sky, but he was seeing something else in that navy blue.
Haizaki almost wanted to roll his eyes, or maybe smack Kise once more upside the head. As he drove, he was annoyingly hyper-aware of Kise sitting beside him and the way he looked like a star picked out of the night sky, somehow ending up trapped inside the car with him. Haizaki held back an exasperated sigh, content with the quiet—the lack of Kise's stupid insecurities, the arguing, that voice, that laugh—and Haizaki could at least think clearly about his driving and his job, but 'I think I'm in love with Aominecchi' always found a way to sneak in somehow and tightly squeeze his heart.
#
The skies were midnight blue high above Aomine's head, and as he gazed up at the small, faraway stars that dotted the night, he felt at home.
It was the same sky, the same stretch of endless blue infinitely cast above everything, but it was familiar. It was the sky above Japan that he'd lived under for most of his life, that gave him some of the best warm gold and orange when he'd play basketball in the street courts, and also the dark gray clouds and rains when he couldn't quite look up. It was the sky that he lied under during those seemingly meaningless school days on the roof when nothing made him feel alive, and every day it was his only refuge. It was that same night sky that always stretched above him in the days he was happiest, in those nights when he would walk home from club practice with his middle school team, or with Tetsu after those extra practice hours, or with Kise after countless one-on-ones.
And when Aomine watched as Kise stepped out of his car, under the dark sky that just made him look like one of its lost stars, Aomine felt at home.
There was a different man on the driver's seat of Kise's car, with sleepy eyes and a good-natured smile. Kise spoke to the man before turning away, and when Kise spotted Aomine, nothing else could really keep any of his attention anymore.
Kise's eyebrows went high upon seeing him, lips parting slightly in small surprise. Aomine raised an eyebrow, shifting his weight to his left leg and keeping one hand in his pocket.
"What?" Aomine said when Kise didn't speak.
Kise blinked rapidly, his cheeks tinting a very faint pink. "Nothing," he smiled, but continued to look at Aomine, eyes sliding down from his face to his legs. "You really clean up well," Kise added, smile widening enough to nudge at his golden eyes.
Aomine looked down at his clothes. Satsuki had squealed at him about how the restaurant they were going to was some kind of classy, fancy place, so he went and rummaged through his still unpacked luggage and came with a black shirt tucked into black pants, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top couple of buttons of his shirt undone. That was about as semi-formal as he could get, and more effort than he usually allowed himself to expend, and Kise looked pleased enough so he figured he was safe.
"You look good," Kise said, eyes staring straight into Aomine's.
For some reason, Aomine couldn't quite match Kise's gaze that long—there was something in the way Kise looked at him that felt…different. They were those same striking, amber eyes, but they felt deeper, heavier, and he wasn't sure he deserved to be gazed at so warmly. Instead, Aomine glanced at everything but Kise's face, noticing the pale colors he wore that only made him seem like he was glowing. They were complete opposite of each other, but they matched.
"You too," Aomine said, moving to follow Kise as they approached the restaurant. "But I guess that's normal for a model."
Kise snorted, smiling brightly. "Well thanks, I guess?"
"Oh, except for when you're sleeping, you look like a mess," Aomine said. It wasn't entirely true—Kise still looked disturbingly pretty in the morning—but his hair flopping around in all directions and his cheek squished on the pillows was the closest to a mess Aomine could pin on Kise in any tame situation.
Kise looked like he'd been zapped with a shock of electricity, his cheeks immediately dusting pink as he sputtered, "Shut up, oh my god."
Aomine laughed, and Kise glared at him with a pout. "I guess I should consider myself lucky," Aomine grinned. "'Cause I slept with a model."
Aomine only laughed harder when Kise punched Aomine's arm. "Oh yeah definitely lucky," Kise grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Jesus, that hurt," Aomine groaned, but he was smirking as he rubbed his arm. "You weren't kidding about that training of yours."
Kise puffed up his cheeks, still pouting. "Of course I wasn't. I bet I could beat you in arm wrestling."
"We'll see about that," Aomine hummed, ignoring how his arm throbbed where Kise hit him.
A corner of Kise's lips tugged up in a smirk, a small sparkle of challenge alighting in Kise's eyes, and it was familiar. As they entered the fancy restaurant through the fancy glass doors, a well-dressed woman greeted them, apparently knowing Kise. She gave a warm bow and gestured for them to enter, and a similarly dressed lady was introduced as their server.
Kise smiled at the lady as she straightened from her bow, and she blushed at that billboard-worthy smile of his. She glanced at the two of them, eyes widening a fraction when she seemed to recognize Aomine, and her blush deepened before she flustered as she ushered them inside.
"Aominecchi's a panty dropper," Kise cooed.
"Pretty sure she was looking at you," Aomine responded easily.
"Don't sell yourself short, Aominecchi," Kise chuckled into his hand. "You're pretty handsome yourself."
Aomine did a half-assed snort, faltering at Kise's honest look. Kise continued to smile and gave him a wink, adding, "Besides, you're a model too."
Aomine grunted in reply, turning his eyes away from Kise's bright smile and that laugh. As they followed their server towards the farther end of the restaurant, Aomine noticed how those around the tables stared at them, their gazes mixed with awe and attraction. They watched them both, but most of the attention gravitated towards Kise. Despite the other high-class people around, some probably well known and likely successful in their own right, Kise was a celebrity and a model to boot, stupidly attractive and charming and downright radiant when he smiles—just like he was smiling at Aomine. It was just as well that no one seemed to want to approach Kise, most of them looking like they'd just been graced with a holy presence, but before anyone dared to whip out a camera or even manage to snap a shot, Aomine stepped to Kise's other side, effectively obscuring him from view.
"Aominecchi's being stared at," Kise said, sparkling eyes giving Aomine a sidelong glance.
"No, I'm pretty sure you're the one being stared at, Kise," Aomine sighed, turning back to Kise's bright face.
Kise tilted his head slightly, considering it, and some of his hair fell over his eye. Aomine didn't realize that he'd reached out to Kise's face until he'd tucked that stray lock of golden hair behind Kise's ear, and those amber eyes widened at him, and for a vague moment Aomine was relieved that Kise didn't flinch.
Aomine let his fingers linger behind Kise's ear, and then pulled back self-consciously to pocket his hand. They both looked away (and Aomine missed the way Kise's cheeks bloomed scarlet), almost running into their server when she opened the door to a private room and welcomed them inside.
Kise smiled at her and entered, thanking their server warmly. Aomine sat across from Kise and busied himself with the menu, not reading anything as Kise immediately ordered them drinks and a meal he seemed to regularly get from there.
Kise turned to Aomine, head tilted in a way that made him look up from his lashes. "You alright with those drinks, Aominecchi?"
Aomine nodded, swallowing. "Yeah. I'll leave the ordering to you."
Kise's smile widened. "Alright. I'm sure you'll enjoy this one dish they serve here."
Aomine nodded again, shrugging. "I'm counting on you, then."
With a charming smile, Kise recited their order to the blushing server. After repeating it to them and getting another bright-ass smile from Kise, she bowed, her cheeks red as roses, and scurried off to fetch them their orders.
"You should go easy on her," Aomine said after the door closed.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Kise cocked his head to the side again, an innocent smile on his face.
Aomine rolled his eyes, staying his fingers from reaching out to brush Kise's stupid fluffy hair off his eyes. "Nothing," he muttered. "You should really get a haircut."
Kise blinked at him, ducking his head to bring his hand to his hair. He pinched the ends of his bangs while looking up at them with those doe eyes. "Yeah, you're right, it keeps going over my eyes, huh?" Kise blinked behind his bangs and Aomine put in extra effort to keep from smacking Kise's hand away and shoving his hair off from over his eyes.
"Yeah, doesn't that bother you?" Aomine said, leaning fully on the back of his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Not really?" Kise brushed his hair to the side, only to let the impossibly soft locks to flutter back over his forehead. He brought his head back up to look at Aomine, long lashes perfectly framing those honey-colored eyes. "I'm used to it. But I'll have it cut," Kise grinned. "Since Aominecchi likes my eyes."
Aomine rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Aw, you'd do that for me?"
Kise winked playfully, pointing a finger gun at Aomine. "Anything for Mr. Basketball Superstar."
Aomine snorted, and they both chuckled, barely paying attention to their server coming in to give them some appetizers and pour their wine.
"And you," Kise said, popping some of the snacks in his mouth as he leaned forward on his arms. "Your hair's suddenly shorter!"
Aomine naturally leaned forward as well, bringing his crossed arms to the edge of the table. "Ah, yeah, I had Satsuki cut it for me earlier, before I forgot," he said as he chewed. "I could have gotten stabbed in the eyes by my own hair in the playoffs with how long it got."
Kise snorted, snickering. "What the heck, your hair wouldn't do that to you."
"It's happened before," Aomine told him seriously. "We were having a three-on-three during practice and then suddenly my hair fucking attacks my eye and the ball almost gets stolen from me."
Kise hugged his stomach, his shoulders trembling with the effort of not cackling like a loud idiot as he stifled his laugh. "That's just—" he tries, his words bubbling into laughter. Aomine grumbled about how it was serious, how he had Satsuki cut it right there in the gym while they were at practice, and how everyone else ended up getting their bangs trimmed away from their eyes. Kise practically doubled over with his barely suppressed laughs, and his amusement and joy was so contagious that Aomine couldn't stop smiling and snickering along.
Aftr a while, their food and wine was brought in, and Kise laughed at Aomine's outright sparkling eyes and drooling when a glistening steak was presented to him.
"Fucking wagyu, man," Aomine gushed, slicing into his meat with gleaming eyes.
Across him, Kise watched fondly, taking a bite off of his meal with a smile. He sniggered when Aomine brought a piece of his steak to his mouth, immediately looking completely blissed out as he chewed, eyelids fluttering closed in fervent appreciation.
"Holy shit, Kise," Aomine cooed. "I love this. This is great. Meat is great."
Kise giggled, his cheeks flushing with the amount of happiness that kept bubbling up into his laughter. "Glad you like it."
"I love it," Aomine corrected immediately, swallowing his current bite and levelling a deeply beholden look at Kise. "You should try it."
Kise laughed for the nth time, and without warning, there was a slice of meat in front of his face. He blinked at it, then at Aomine. "No, it's okay I—mph?!" Kise flailed when his mouth was suddenly stuffed with steak, and he instinctively chewed, tasting the rich flavor of the meat. He hummed in appreciation, momentarily distracted, then shot a look at Aomine when he'd swallowed. "You didn't have to give me any, Aominecchi."
Aomine shrugged, chowing down on his food. "I said you should try it," he replied. "It's my steak, I do what I want with it."
Kise stared at him, then snorted. "What the heck," he tittered. "You're sharing food, wow, I must be really special."
"Just keep telling yourself that, princess," Aomine smirked. He reached over to lift his glass of wine, appreciatively sniffing the scent of alcohol, and raised it up with a grin. "Hey, let's toast."
Kise smirked, lifting up his own glass in front of Aomine's. "To your trimmed bangs," he nodded.
Aomine snorted. "To good meat."
"To your free shoes," Kise continued with a snicker.
"To your new drama."
"To the upcoming playoffs."
"To the future," Aomine said with finality, and they both clinked their saucers together with matching smirks.
Kise had one eyebrow raised as he stared, transfixed, at Aomine's face and those deep blue eyes. "To the future," he echoed, and they both drank.
Aomine let out a satisfied exhale, feeling the burn in his throat and the dim heat that glowed in his stomach. "Hah, that's some good wine," he complemented, taking another sip.
Kise let out his own sigh, cheeks just lightly tinting pink from the alcohol. He let the drink warm his body for a moment, then turned his eyes back to Aomine, both of them continuing to eat. "So hey, the playoffs are soon, huh?"
Aomine chewed, regarding Kise with easy interest. "Sort of. Just a few months to go."
Kise bit his lip, then took another swig of his wine. "So you're gonna be leaving soon?"
Aomine raised a brow, sipping from his wine in turn. Kise steered his eyes to his wine and food, tinkering with his dinner absently. He continued to lightly bite his lower lip, a seemingly thoughtless gesture, and Aomine had a disturbingly confusing urge to make Kise stop it, to lean closer and somehow get rid of the distracting pink of Kise's lips under the worrying bite. Almost in a daze, Aomine stuffed a piece of steak in his mouth to focus on something else. "Not for a while, no," he said as he chewed. "I'm not allowed to do jack because of this stupid injury thing, so I don't need to go back until a few months before the official start of the season for some training."
Kise looked back up to Aomine, and Aomine almost startled at how he'd been watching Kise worry his lower lip and release it when he smiled. Aomine had to tear his eyes away from the lingering pink in Kise's lips to meet those golden eyes, and decided to busy himself with eating his dinner with a bit more focus. "Oh, well," Kise coughed. "That sucks, I guess. Is your injury that bad?"
"Heck no," Aomine replied easily, savoring the flavor of his wonderful, wonderful meat. "I'm fine, it's fucking healed. It's not one hundred percent—it's almost one hundred percent—but they want like two hundred percent, bah."
"Aw, they care about you a lot, huh?" Kise chuckled. "They just want you to be at your best when the season starts."
Aomine snorted. "These are the same guys who made me do a pushup for every point the team made that wasn't by me."
Kise sniggered, barely holding back a snort. "How did that go?"
"Fucking horribly," Aomine rolled his eyes. "These guys—they're good. We're a fucking offensive team; we like to rack up the points." He grudgingly munched on his food, the images of his teammates stepping up their game in that one match playing in his head uninvited. "I scored one of my highest in that one game, but coach fucking subbed me out after the second quarter."
"Why'd he do that?" Kise pouted.
"I scored a lot of points," Aomine said, part proud and part bitter. "We got a pretty good lead so he decided I 'shouldn't push myself too hard' and rest my legs."
"Oh," Kise said, his pout bubbling out into happy little chuckles. "They really care about you, huh." Aomine shot him a displeased look, and before he could grumble about it, Kise continued, "So, how many pushups did you have to do?"
"Ninety eight," Aomine huffed.
Kise's eyes climbed up. "Out of?"
"Er, like a hundred-and-fifty-something?" Aomine's eyebrows scrunched in thought. "Coach let me back in at the fourth quarter so I fucking tried to save myself."
"What the—" Kise exhaled, eyes wide. "Horribly, you said, that's amazing!" He looked at Aomine with shining, admiring eyes, and Aomine was almost taken aback by the brightness of those eyes. "For your team to get that much and—wait, that means you scored over fifty points?!"
"Huh?" Aomine blinked out of his locked gaze with Kise. "Yeah? I did say it was one of my highest, but the important thing there is that I could have done less fucking pushups."
Kise stared at him with a gaping mouth, the open admiration on his face almost so strong that Aomine felt warmth try to crawl up his cheeks (It's just the alcohol, he was telling himself). And then Kise sniggered, putting a hand over his face with a shaking head. "Aah, you're really too freaking cool, Aominecchi," Kise gushed. "Stupid, but amazing."
"Hey." Aomine frowned, but he really did feel the heat in his cheeks, and so he downed his wine purposefully.
Kise chuckled, bringing his own glass to his lips and taking a sip of the red liquid, and for a staggering moment Aomine wondered if those lips were as soft as they looked. "That was a sandwich, Aominecchi," Kise said, running his tongue along his upper lip to rid it of the lingering wine. "A tiny, endearing insult, in the middle of some pretty amazing compliments."
"Oh, so I should thank you, superstar-san?" Aomine raised an eyebrow, slicing up the last of his meat and preparing to enjoy them to the fullest.
Kise snickered. "Whatever, the point is that it's true. You're way too cool, Aominecchi."
Aomine faltered, brows naturally knotting and lips pulling down, his cheeks definitely warm. "Well thanks, superstar," he grumbled. "Enough about me, tell me about you."
"Eh?" Kise did that thing where he tilted his head to one side, his hair flopping around far too perfectly for a normal human being to be blessed with. "What about me?"
"We haven't seen each other in years," Aomine munched. "Tell me about how you became such a huge celebrity."
"Says a celebrity, himself," Kise smirked, and he refilled both their wine glasses. "After high school, I just focused on the job, is all. My sister got me some good jobs, and I managed to land the cover of a pretty big fashion magazine and everything just snowballed from there."
"That's it?" Aomine said. "Come on, tell me some cool celebrity stories or something."
"Ehh?" Kise wrinkled his nose, sipping from his wine. "Like what?"
"Like anything," Aomine shrugged. "Tell me about what I missed since I last saw you."
Kise's cheeks seemed to flush pink when he put his wine down after another sip, and Aomine vaguely wondered about Kise's alcohol tolerance and how attentive he should be about it—their drink was pretty strong—but then Kise started telling him about the things he'd been up to since Aomine left, and Aomine felt caught in Kise's stories, in those sparkling amber eyes and the all-too familiar bright face. Kise told him about that one big fashion shoot where his photo was surprisingly chosen as the cover over other models' shots; about the pink-haired man Aomine saw dozing off on a couch in that cafeteria—Shigino Kisumi—and how Kise had met him when they were both in high school, getting popular together as models. Kise recounted the one time a female model he had a shoot with somehow got rumored to be his girlfriend, who turned out to have started the rumors herself (Aomine clicked his tongue disapprovingly); and the time when Kise auditioned for a voice acting role and made everyone look positively flabbergasted when he appeared, their eyes and mouths so ridiculously surprised and starstruck that Kise couldn't hold back his laughter.
At one point, they had finished eating and simply continued on with some snacks on top of their drinks. Aomine for the life of him couldn't stop listening to Kise's stories, and just got completely caught in the way Kise told him of all these people—a band's lead vocalist being in love with a manager under his company, a younger star actor who was mistaken for a girl, a fellow model whose childhood friend pummels him constantly but always picks him up from work—the list seemed endless, and Kise had picked up on so many things about every person that made each person sound so interesting and just real. Kise loved people, that much was obvious to Aomine, and above hearing Kise talk about all these people, Aomine just wanted to keep listening to Kise talk so animatedly, with those bright eyes, and always found Kise to be ultimately more interesting than any of those he'd talk about. The way he saw those people, the way he noticed how they looked at others, how someone would smile differently at certain people or move around another; the way Kise would move his hands while he explained, and get a look in his eyes that made him seem like he was recounting the memory so vividly in his mind, and the way he'd always turn those eyes back to Aomine's with a little crinkle when he'd smile extra wide.
Without even noticing, they'd gone through a whole bottle of wine and were already getting halfway into their second, and Aomine was feeling the lightest and happiest he'd been in a long time, and in front of him, Kise looked golden. He looked like he was glowing, like a ray of sunshine that refused to go out in the night, or a golden fire that made Aomine feel warm just by looking.
Aomine vaguely took note of the redness of Kise's cheeks, and how that bright smile had mollified into a sort of liquid gold, a melted heat. Again, Aomine was stuck noticing the way Kise's mouth moved, how his lips lightly pressed on the wine glass as he took a sip—and another, and another. Kise swayed, just a little, and his hair went over an eye, and before even thinking, Aomine had reached over to tuck the offending strand behind Kise's ear.
Kise stilled when Aomine's fingers brushed his skin, and Aomine let his fingers stay, just barely touching, and gently slid them down Kise's ear, then trace the edge of his jaw. Aomine felt Kise shudder under his touch, and he hadn't noticed that they'd gone quiet, just looking at each other, until he saw how dark Kise's eyes had become, his golden irises being consumed by the black of his stare. Aomine was sure he had a similar look, and could feel the warmth of the alcohol like a pulsing heat glowing inside him, bringing his eyes to Kise's lips once more, making him wonder again how soft they must be. Aomine absently relaxed his hand, bringing his fingers away from Kise, and just barely heard the quiet exhale that left Kise's mouth. Aomine felt so warm, and he had to blink a few times to snap out of his distraction.
"Hey—" Aomine said, almost getting surprised at how husky his voice had become. "You…do you have something against people touching you?"
Kise blinked at him with half-lidded eyes and too-red cheeks, and a lazy, almost bitter smile warmed over his face. "Mm, you really noticed huh."
Aomine took another swig of his drink, relishing the burn that coursed down his throat. In the back of his head, he knew he shouldn't have brought it up, but he was sure he was getting drunk and Aomine never claimed to be particularly tactful. "Did something happen?" he couldn't stop himself from asking. "You used to be really touchy-feely. And clingy."
Kise's eyelids fluttered closed, his smile looking both thoughtful and defeated. For a few long moments, Kise didn't speak, and he was so still that Aomine thought that Kise had fallen asleep, but then Kise spoke, "You know, I was never particularly fond of modeling," he started, distractedly swishing his drink around his glass. "All people care about is your looks, how photogenic you are. How attractive you are. It was like my only worth was my face and my body."
Aomine swallowed, levelling Kise with an attentive stare, the effects of the alcohol not strong enough just yet to dull his attention.
"Which is why I really enjoyed getting into acting, and voice acting," Kise smiled, his darkened eyes twinkling just a little under those lashes. "It's fun, and takes skill. Modeling is mostly a lot of shallowness and fake smiles, and it's frankly kind of scary and annoying how strongly people regard physical looks. Like you're some kind of pretty, shiny new doll to be put on display. Like an object. Just a face." Kise's brow knotted slightly when just a few drops of wine met his lips as he tried to sip, and he reached for the bottle unthinkingly.
Aomine grabbed the bottle away before Kise could reach it. "I think that's enough alcohol for tonight," he said, his voice deep and rough. "You're drunk."
"No shit," Kise smirked lazily. "I've been drunk like four drinks ago."
Aomine frowned, considering the redness of Kise's cheeks and thinking of maybe wanting to pinch them. At that split second of distraction, Kise reached for the bottle, but he was slow and Aomine wasn't dulled enough by the alcohol to keep from reflexively pulling the bottle away.
"Hey—" Kise slurred, pouting as he gazed up at Aomine from under his lashes.
Aomine grunted at Kise's stupid face, bringing the bottle to his lips and finishing up what was left of the wine. Warmth swelled all over Aomine's chest and head when he swallowed, and Kise stared at him, dumbfounded, as Aomine let out a satiated exhale and brought the bottle back down on the table.
"Wah—Aominecchi no fair!" Kise continued to pout, and Aomine couldn't help how he reached over to pinch Kise's nose, making him yelp. "Pff—hey! Whad are you doing!" Kise flailed, smacking Aomine's hand away and gasping for air when he escaped.
"I think I'm gonna bring you home," Aomine said, the corners of his lips quirking up as he watched Kise lose the bitterness that edged his expression, feeling the atmosphere lighten again.
Kise pouted, but looked mostly appeased by the idea. "Okay," he said with a small nod. And as Aomine moved to stand, Kise reached over and grabbed Aomine's wine glass, immediately downing what was left of it.
"Hey," Aomine barked, bringing a chop over Kise's head.
"Gah! Mean, Aominecchi!" Kise wailed, slumping over the table.
Aomine sighed, sticking his hand in Kise's hair and ruffling it around. Kise sputtered, but then he started to laugh, light and bubbly and so contagious that Aomine sniggered as well.
"Come on, wouldn't want to anger your sister," Aomine said, nudging Kise's head. He bitterly realized that he should have asked about Kise's schedule for the next day, bemoaning the fact that he'd gotten Kise drunk without his noticing. "I hope you don't have anything planned tomorrow morning," he muttered under his breath.
Kise hauled himself up from his seat with a huge sigh, blinking around and giving a lazy smile to the server who entered to clean up and thank them for coming. The server blushed again, bearing the full force of Kise's half-lidded gaze, and Aomine felt like being the responsible adult and gave a small bow to the server with a muttered thanks, and she continued to blush as she bowed again and stammered out a "Please come back again!" as they left.
Aomine smiled at her and nodded, bringing a hand to rest on the back of Kise's collar to guide him away. KIse just barely tensed under his hand, then relaxed against Aomine's warm palm. Kise turned to look at him, and Aomine felt his heart stutter when he was met with Kise's expression: his gaze heavy, lips glistening with moist, probably tasting of wine, and eyes tinged with something Aomine couldn't—quite—understand, those gold eyes like barely suppressed fires smothered by his large pupils, a muffled intensity thick with a gripping stare that made Aomine swallow.
"Where's your car?" Aomine said roughly, coughing against the sudden dryness in his throat.
"Wait lemme just—" Kise fished around his pocket for his phone, then fiddle around with it until he sent a text to someone. "Okay, just texted Tanaka-san. He should be by the entrance with the car when we get there."
Aomine nodded, lightly pushing Kise forward by the back of his neck towards the restaurant entrance. Kise willingly followed, swaying just a little off-kilter and steadied only by Aomine's gentle grip. Around them, the tables have mostly cleared, with only a few people quietly having dinner distantly. Aomine gave a slight bow to the woman up front who thanked them, and Kise warmly thanked her in turn, bowing with that easy, practiced celebrity smile.
When they stepped out of the restaurant, the cold night air was a welcome blanket around their warm bodies, and Aomine tilted his head up to breathe in the outside air. Kise tottered into Aomine's grip and bumped shoulders with him, leaning some of his weight on Aomine's side. Aomine almost startled, feeling the light brush of Kise's hair against his shoulder, and sighed fondly at the barely standing princess at his side. And Aomine gazed up at the sky and saw those modestly twinkling stars shining above them, relishing the pleasant evening chill and Kise's comforting warmth beside him (not even noticing his own arm move to wrap around Kise's waist).
Aomine leveled his head back when he heard the sound of a car door opening, and out went a stumpy man with crows feet at the corners of his eyes and laugh lines flanking his mouth. He had the kind of gentle smile that was like a granddad's, and an amiable face that could spare him less dark circles under his eyes.
"Good evening," he greeted. "Thank you for taking care of Ryouta-kun."
Aomine gave an awkward nod, belatedly finding his hand on Kise's waist and almost jerking back with a start. For fear of dropping Kise, he held fast, smothering the self-consciousness that made him feel like shying away from Kise. "Ah, it's no problem," he coughed. "He's kinda gotten, er…" Aomine glanced down at the obviously unsteady Kise, and Tanaka-san let out a good-natured chuckle.
"I see, I see," he smiled. "It looks like he really enjoyed himself. Thank you for that."
Aomine raised a brow in question, then shrugged with the one shoulder that wasn't occupied by Kise. Tanaka-san only smiled wider, looking overly fond of the both of them, and pulled open a car door. Aomine pushed Kise into the car, just mildly thankful that he could at least walk somehow, and got in beside him, and they both leaned back against the seats with a sigh.
"Ne, Aominecchi," he said, eyes closed against the dim of the car. "Keep talking to me—I don't want to fall asleep on you again."
Tanaka-san started driving away at a gentle pace, and Aomine let out a small sigh as he tried to keep his world from spinning. "It's alright, I don't mind if you fall asleep," Aomine said honestly.
"Noooo," Kise drawled. "I still feel guilty about it. Let's keep talking. I want to hear your drunk-ass voice."
"Says the drunk-ass princess," Aomine snorted, peeking one eye out at his side.
Kise was smiling, head unsteadily swaying around as the car turned. "That was some damn good wine."
"Mmm," Aomine hummed in agreement. "Some damn good meat too."
Kise chuckled, breathy and soft. "I knew you'd like it," he said.
"Mmm, yeah, thanks, by the way."
"Next time, treat me in America," Kise mumbled.
Aomine liked the sound of 'next time'. He could imagine bringing Kise to one of his favorite burger joints near the gym, or to the bar by the arena where he and his team would go to celebrate. He could see Kise fitting right in with all the tall Americans, but still stand out with that dazzling smile and radiance befitting of the sun. He'd turn so much heads even without being well-known over there, and Aomine would walk alongside him and point to all the different places he'd discovered over the years he's spent there.
At games, Kise would be in the front seats. Aomine would easily be able to spot him in the crowd wherever he sat, and shoot him the most annoying, pompous smirk before slamming the basketball down the hoop. He'd play knowing Kise was watching, and score over and over if only to see that proud, admiring smile aimed at him.
Aomine's heart thumped hard in his chest, and he could feel the heat of his inebriation flare hotter in his face. Before he could put together exactly what the hell he'd been thinking about, the car lurched in a sudden turn, sending Aomine's head spinning as he reflexively put a hand at his side to brace himself from falling over. To his right, Kise was less responsive, and his head thumped firmly on Aomine's shoulder when the car steadied.
"Oops, sorry 'bout that," Tanaka-san called from the front.
Aomine grunted vaguely, his hand going over Kise's head to steady him. (So that's what Kise meant when he said he preferred Haizaki's driving.)
Surely enough, Kise was asleep on Aomine's shoulder, breathing deep and even, calming like the roll of the ocean into the shore. Aomine sighed fondly, lightly fluffing Kise's hair around. He glanced out into the dark sky and picked out the lights dotting the outside, bright and glaring under the filter of intoxication. Aomine screwed his eyes shut and leaned his head against the backrest, focusing on the gentle warmth resting on his shoulder.
"Tanaka-san?" Aomine called out, barely opening his eyes.
"Yes?"
"Can we go to Kise's place first?"
"Ryouta-kun told me to bring you home first, though…"
"I'm fine, I could get picked up," Aomine said. "Kise fell asleep. I wouldn't want to wake him so I could just bring him to his room. It's partially my fault he got stupidly drunk in the first place, anyway."
"Oh," came Tanaka-san's response. "Well you're right, I hate disturbing his sleep. I'll be counting on you then."
Aomine hummed in reply, closing his eyes again with a small sigh. He almost got toppled off to the seat when the car suddenly curved a sharp right, and it took a lot of his innate reflexes and strength to keep from falling on his side under Kise's weight. Aomine cursed under his breath and shuffled around to sit upright, protectively wrapping an arm around Kise's shoulders to keep him from bumping his head all over the place.
Kise stirred, just a little, and pressed closer, burying his head by the crook of Aomine's neck. Aomine froze, his arm around Kise slipping, and only held him tight again when the car seemed to be keen on tossing them around inside.
It was just as well that Kise's place wasn't too far away, and before Aomine could really process what his drunk-ass self was getting all confused about over Kise, they were already parked in the basement of Kise's condo. Aomine took a few long moments trying to stop his head from rotating the world, timing his breaths with the gentle rise and fall of Kise's chest. When he was sure he wasn't going to fall on his face right out of the car, Aomine stepped out and trudged to the door at Kise's side.
If anything, Aomine was glad he had stellar coordination and control over his body, because with the alcohol coursing through his blood, he at least had the average person's dexterity, and didn't struggle too much with getting Kise hauled over his back. Aomine shifted his hands under Kise's knees, relishing in the snug warmth wrapped around his back. At this point, it felt natural to just have Kise that close, to talk with him about anything and everything; to give him a piggyback ride to his home. Aomine really did miss being in Japan—in his home—and it was as if America was a huge whirlwind that he'd stepped out of, suddenly back into familiar places and faces; and even though a lot of things have changed, everything was somehow still the same.
A soft tickle brushed over Aomine's skin, sending shivers down his neck from where Kise's hair feathered over it. Kise stirred, squirming against Aomine's back, then settled his arms to wrap around Aomine's neck, close and warm.
"Kise?" Aomine breathed, trying to keep focus on the numbers on the elevator counting floors up.
"Mmh?"
Aomine fidgeted against Kise's hug. "You awake? You think you can stand?"
"Noooo…"
Aomine rolled his eyes, unable to stop the upward quirk of his lips. "Such a spoiled princess."
Kise only leaned forward, hugging more tightly in a daze. He let out a light, airy chuckle and nuzzled his head into Aomine's neck. "Mm…you carried me like this before, right…"
"Yeah, like yesterday," Aomine mumbled, purposefully ignoring how Kise was moving against him. "You were asleep though."
"No no, it was…back in…high school? Second year. Yeah." Kise yawned, his hot breath making goosebumps erupt all over Aomine's skin. "Winter Cup."
Aomine's brows knotted, face scrunching up in buzzed thought. "Ah, right. I did." The memory was all fuzzy with alcohol, but Aomine remembered. It was fucking cold and Kise was outside and Aomine remembered something that really hurt and the way Kise smiled at him. Now that Aomine tried to look back, it was a smile similar to the one Kise wore for his viewers and fans—the one where he was hiding something.
"Aominecchi's so nice…"
The elevator dinged open and broke into the comfortable quiet between the two of them, almost making Aomine jump. He grumbled under his breath as he traipsed into the hall, somehow easily remembering where Kise's room was, and in his drunken stupor, he couldn't help but appreciate how warm and perfectly Kise was draped around him. Like a cozy blanket you never wanted to get out of, or like the sweet embrace of the sunlight in a spring morning.
"Kise," Aomine said quietly, nudging his head against Kise's. "Keys."
"Mnh?" Kise nudged back, burying his head deeper into Aomine's neck. "Keys?"
Aomine tried to suppress a shudder. "To your place."
Kise was quiet for a few beats as Aomine walked. When Aomine neared Kise's door, he wondered if Kise had fallen asleep again, then felt him pull back an arm from Aomine's neck. Kise shuffled around, reaching behind him, and produced a set of keys held together by a small basketball keychain.
Aomine shifted a little awkwardly. "Hm," he said. "I'm gonna have to put you down."
"Eehh?" came Kise's whine, and his arms went around Aomine's neck again in a tight grip.
"Fuck, not so tight," Aomine groaned. "My hands are occupied, I can't open the door like this."
"Noooo," Kise wailed, really wrapping tight around Aomine.
"Goddamn—" Aomine grunted, wobbling on his feet as the pressure around his neck started to constrict his breathing. "I said not so tight. Now you're fucking clingy, what the heck."
Kise made little displeased noises, but loosened his arms. "S'ry," he mumbled, dumping his head back against Aomine's shoulder. "Sorry. I can't—" Kise hiccupped. "It's because of that douche."
Aomine stilled, feeling his mind settle into focus. "What douche?"
"Ngh," Kise groaned, his little mumbles bordering on sobs. "The reason I'm—hic—so fucking weird about people—hic—touching me. I don't—even—get it."
Aomine felt a muted heat pool at his stomach, like the threatening boil of lava. He wasn't sure why he started getting angry, but he knew that he didn't want to hear Kise sound so pained. He didn't want to push it, not when Kise was very obviously drunk and vulnerable, not when it seemed like it would hurt him. "You're hugging me now, though," he tried.
"I don't know why," came Kise's almost immediate reply. "But it's okay if it's you."
Aomine almost sputtered, his cheeks heating up for some reason. Before he could respond, Kise was moving around and reaching forward. "Down," Kise piped, waving his key in the direction of the doorknob. "Go lower."
Aomine rolled his eyes, but obliged, bending down until Kise slid his key in and opened the door. Aomine grunted when he straightened back up, hefting Kise up his back with a little hop.
Kise chirped and went back to wrapping his arms around Aomine's neck, and Aomine did sputter under his breath at how nice that felt. He kneed the door open and trudged inside, kicking his shoes off at the entrance with a sigh. Kise's arm floated up to the side and flipped on a switch, and the lights around the open space lit up.
Aomine raised a brow at how Kise managed to do that without even looking, then felt a small upward tug at a corner of his lips as he walked forward. He considered kicking Kise's bedroom door open but, as if sensing it, Kise squirmed around and reached for the door, opening it when Aomine bent back down to let him.
Aomine resisted the urge to just dump Kise's ass on the bed, slowly lowering Kise onto his sheets. Aomine grunted with the effort, swaying unsteadily with his sloshing head, and managed to flop down on the bed with Kise in a tumble of drunken limbs. KIse mumbled, shifting around with his eyes closed, and kept his arms haphazardly slung around Aomine's neck.
"Man, you're really clingy right now," Aomine grumbled, not wanting to move from his weird lying position against Kise. "I couldn't even put your seatbelt on without you being weird about it."
"It's because you're Aominecchi," Kise muttered, hands lazily flopping around as Aomine moved to sit up on his elbows. "I love Aominecchi."
Aomine smirked, feeling a nice warmth swell in his chest. He reached over and fluffed Kise's hair, running his hand through those soft locks. "Yes, yes," he sighed. "That's nice."
Kise scrunched his face in a childish way, leaning into Aomine's hand like a puppy. "Mmm, I mean it," he mumbled.
Aomine let out a humored chuckle. "Alright, thanks," he managed, holding back a yawn. He vaguely wondered if he'd end up falling asleep waiting for Satsuki to come pick him up—heck, he might fall asleep just waiting for her to answer her phone when he calls. "You should change," he said, lazily threading his fingers in Kise's hair.
Kise smiled dazedly against the comfort of Aomine's palm. "Change me," he muttered.
"Such a spoiled princess, my god," Aomine snorted. He considered it for a moment, looking at Kise's peaceful face, remembering the struggling, pained voice that he let out just a few moments before. "You sure? I'm not sure you want me touching you…"
Kise shook his head, those golden eyes peeking out from under his lashes. Aomine's throat somehow went dry with how dark Kise's eyes were, and how intensely he was looking at Aomine, even under the haze of alcohol. "It's okay because it's you," Kise repeated, a warm smile spreading over his lips. "I think."
Aomine chuckled timidly, just a small titter of air. "You think?"
Kise's smile deepened, changing into something that Aomine couldn't quite comprehend with his alcohol-muddled brain. Kise's arm slowly floated up, his hand moving to hover next to Aomine's face, tentative. He seemed to consider something, eyes still almost unnervingly rapt with that darkened gaze. Kise seemed to steel himself with a quiet resolve, then gently pressed his hand against Aomine's cheek. "Mmm," Kise shook his head, eyes only seeming to be able to focus on Aomine's. "It's okay."
Aomine swallowed, unable to move, locked in Kise's gaze. He couldn't seem to form any words, and could only really just keep looking, entranced, at the way Kise seemed to melt away the blurry haze of alcohol, like the way a sunrise would tenderly brighten the fading night. Aomine didn't know if his heart stopped with how quiet everything seemed to become, but looking at Kise's eyes, feeling Kise's palm just barely against his cheek, he knew he was alive.
Kise let out an airy chuckle, almost to himself, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's because I love Aominecchi," he said again, and Aomine was sure that his heart stopped when Kise tugged him lower and pressed his lips against his.
#
[tbc]