Oh my, is this another update? I was not expecting to get it out this early. The powers of procrastination are amazing.
If only my reports were done this efficiently lol.

Anyway, enough of my blabbering. Read on and I hope you enjoy! :D

Unedited so let me know of any mistakes/inconsistencies.

Chapter 4: Trust

The walk back to Kagami's apartment was short and silent.

Kagami's brain was slowly rebooting, even though Aomine's close presence and faded cologne wasn't helping. He shot the man a sideways glance. They had known each other for the past seven years, ever since Kagami got accepted into police training at the ripe age of nineteen. Kagami could remember their first basketball match like yesterday. It wasn't only Aomine who had that event burned into his memory.

The thrill, the adrenalin, the pure rush of joy and excitement.

It had felt like Kagami had been living in a world of muted colours, and when he saw Aomine, he realised what he had been missing.

Of course, the guy had been – and still was – a complete asshole. But somewhere along the way, between increasingly frequent one-on-ones, late-night home-made dinners, and constant bickering, Kagami had felt something. Something he had mercilessly crushed and stomped down and ignored because he valued their friendship too much. And if he ever thought he saw Aomine look at him in that way, slip an innuendo or two in his words, Kagami had ignored it because he had been afraid he was seeing something that didn't exist.

Apparently, it had existed.

As he unlocked his front door, he cleared his throat. "You know, I always thought you were a boobs guy."

Aomine followed him inside. "I am. A man can like both, can't he?"

Kagami shrugged as he flipped the light switch and took of his coat, throwing it over the couch. He felt a little uneasy. "Yeah, but…well, I don't want it to be something…I mean…" he trailed off, embarrassed at what he was thinking.

"A fling?" Aomine helpfully supplied as he plopped down onto the couch.

Kagami shrugged again as he walked into his bedroom and rifled through his drawers for clean clothes.

Aomine sighed. "You're not a fling, Kagami," he said, voice soft. "You never were."

Kagami looked through the door at him, just in time to see Aomine's cheeks slightly colouring. He couldn't help the small chuckle that slipped through his lips. Seven years it had taken them to figure out their mutual feelings, and they were partners in law enforcement when they did.

Timing was a bitch.

"I'm taking a shower first. Don't move, we still have to talk about what the fuck we're going to do about…this," he gestured vaguely between the two of them.

Aomine gave a lecherous smile. "I can join you. Save water."

Kagami slammed the door closed with gusto, the sound doing little to drown out Aomine's laughter.

Aomine rolled his eyes. Talking about feelings and relationships. Wasn't that exciting?

His eyes drifted to the red smartphone that Kagami had left on the kitchen counter. He ambled up to it, chewing on his bottom lip as his fingers brushed the glass. He pressed the menu button and the screen lit up. He stared at it.

Please enter PIN.

He got three chances before it stopped operating for five minutes. Aomine knew Kagami took long showers, if this morning was anything to go by. His fingers hovered hesitantly over the buttons. The PIN could have countless possibilities. It might even be some random combination. But given Kagami's naiveté, it was likely to be a date or something equally easy to remember.

0802

It buzzed. Please re-enter PIN.

Idiot. Of course Kagami wouldn't be stupid enough to put his own birthdate. He licked his lips.

0831

It buzzed again. He almost felt ashamed at the wasted attempt, but he couldn't resist trying out his own birthdate against logical thought. Kagami probably didn't even know when his birthday was, and he felt even more embarrassed at knowing the redhead's. He heard the shower turn off, and his heartbeat quickened.

Fuck, that was a quick shower!

The screen and its keypad mocked him. He took a deep breath, swallowing his nervousness. What other number would be significant to Kagami? Maybe…the date they graduated from the Academy?

It was a long shot; but at that moment, he couldn't think of anything else.

One last chance.

0320

When Kagami stepped into the kitchen, he saw Aomine rifling through his fridge. The food thief looked up with a grin, tossing a can of beer to his partner and opening one for himself. Kagami shook his head at him and took out leftover curry from two days ago. He was starving. The lunch they had picked up on the way back to the station that morning hadn't been enough, and it had been hours ago. As he heated it on the stove, Aomine leaned against the counter.

"Shit, that smells good."

"It tastes good too," Kagami muttered, turning around to hide the faint blush of pride on his cheeks. He took a swig from the beer can.

"You'd make an amazing wife."

Kagami nearly spouted the beer through his nose. "And you'd make a shit husband. Go take a fucking shower!"

Aomine rolled his eyes. "I need underwear. And preferably fresh clothes."

Kagami decided that drinking or eating anything in the vicinity of Aomine was bad for his nasal passage.

Aomine scowled. "Even I'm not disgusting enough to wear the same underwear three times in a row."

Kagami pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Maybe you can just go home then."

"You fucking kidding me? After smelling that food? I'm too hungry," Aomine swirled the liquid in his can before looking up, almost shyly. "And I thought you wanted to talk."

Kagami stirred the curry. "Yeah. About us."

"What's there to talk about?" Aomine shrugged. "We like each other. We like making out with each other, touching each other, hopefully fu-"

"We're partners," the redhead interrupted before the other could finish his obviously inappropriate sentence. "It's against the rules."

"Like that's gonna stop us," Aomine snorted. When Kagami shot him a look, he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Seriously? God knows how long this fucking operation is going to last." His gaze dropped to the floor. Or what you'll do once it finishes. What you'll do when – if – you find out. About everything. Aomine licked his lips. "They might even get us to go back to our departments while simultaneously working on related cases. I don't see the problem."

"Figures you'd say that," Kagami sighed. "You don't think they'd find out?"

"If they think we're screwing when we're not, they won't know the difference if we are."

"We're not screwing!" Kagami snapped, voice slightly high pitched. "We…we just started a relationship. Let's do things in order." I want this to mean something. I want it to be different. Special.

Aomine raised a brow. "Old fashioned are we? Don't worry, we'll screw soon."

Kagami rolled his eyes. "So…we're dating, then?"

Aomine smirked at that. "If you want to call it that."

"What would you call it?"

"Uh…dating, I guess?"

Kagami nearly upended the boiling pot of broth onto his head. "Just go take a shower. I'll give you a new pair of underwear so shut up," he added before Aomine could complain.

They were expected to be at the station on Sundays too. Crime never took a day off.

Well, crime seemed to be taking many days off, which was why Kagami was determined to confront his boss and ask her exactly what it was they were doing. Takao's words about purpose and trust wouldn't leave him alone.

He had made Aomine take the couch, but felt slightly bad afterwards for making the other sleep uncomfortably. He tried to convince himself it was Aomine's fault since the man himself didn't want to go home for the night. However, Kagami still got up early to make pancakes and the smell did wonders in waking up his houseguest. Kagami had to give him an extra toothbrush because apparently using just his finger and paste like yesterday wasn't "hygienic". As though Aomine was an expert on hygiene.

They'd literally started "dating" yesterday, and the guy had already invaded his home.

The redhead suppressed the strange warmth he felt in his chest at the thought and mixed the batter with added vigour.

Kagami drove them this time, and the team was mercifully silent as they made their way into the precinct. There was a strange atmosphere in the room, as though everyone was holding their breath. Waiting. Expecting. Kagami tapped the shoulder of the nearest officer. "Furihata, what's going on?"

"Oh, Kagami," Furihata's large eyes blinked up at him. "I'm not too sure, I just got here, but apparently we have someone else joining our team," he pointed to the superintendent's office. "Chief's in there right now talking to them."

Kagami nodded and glanced at Aomine, who shrugged. "Don't ask me."

The door suddenly swung open and most of the stationhouse's jaws dropped to the floor.

Striding out of their boss's office was a beauty. Long rosy hair was secured tightly in a bun, with a few curls that framed a heart-shaped face. A pair of eyes glittered like pink diamonds and red lips were pulled into a smile. The woman was dressed in a light grey dress suit and held a black leather purse, adding to the image of a gorgeous professional. Kagami didn't think anyone could miss her generous chest either – although he wasn't interested in women that way, he was sure Aomine would definitely be appreciating the view.

Aomine's mouth had clearly dropped open. However, to Kagami's surprise, instead of leering, Aomine began frowning.

"Satsuki, what the actual fuck?"

Kagami blinked. Satsuki?

The newcomer looked up at him, and her face lit up before registering his words. "Dai-chan, it's been months! And this is how you greet me?"

DAI-CHAN?!

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Aomine growled, shooting a look at Kagami. "Look, you bonehead, this isn't what it looks like. This chick is the most annoy-"

"Good morning, team," Aida Riko's voice cut through all conversations without preamble. "I'd like you to welcome a new addition. This is Momoi Satsuki, and she has just returned from nine months' training in Fukuoka." Her chocolate eyes flashed with anticipation. "She will be our resident criminal profiler."

"What the FUCK, Satsuki?" Aomine asked articulately, ignoring Riko's sharp look of disapproval. This was quite an admirable, if not stupid, feat.

"Tetsu-kun knew," Momoi sniffed, crossing her arms under her breasts.

As if on cue, a voice spoke from behind Kagami. "That's quite true."

Kagami's heart jumped up into his throat at the voice from nowhere. Aomine hadn't fared much better. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" he hissed. "How much more do you know, Tetsu…?"

Kagami's eyebrows scrunched at the strange wording of the question, and the way Aomine's voice had dropped, but Kuroko just shrugged. "Momoi-san called me a few days back to let me know she was returning to Tokyo. I just found out yesterday that she was to be assigned to our team. And anyway," his eyes slid to Kagami, and his lips twitched. Kagami wasn't sure if he was supressing a smile or a frown. "You've been otherwise occupied."

Kagami could feel himself panic, but surely if Kuroko knew, he wouldn't snitch on them? They were best friends, like brothers. Kuroko even knew about Kagami's feelings during the Academy days. Kagami mentally shook his head. He trusted Kuroko. And he trusted Aomine, too – in most cases.

"But why is Satsuki here?" Aomine's voice was slightly alarmed. "You…you can't work on this case!"

Momoi pouted, eyes flashing with defiance and a little bit of hurt. "Dai-chan, you have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do! I thought you'd be happy, but I guess our relationship wasn't as important as I thought. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm here, and I'm going to help Aida-san crack this case like an egg!" she huffed, and strode past Aomine's shocked face.

"Oi, Satsu- hey, come on!" he turned on his heel after glaring at Kuroko and followed the glowering female outside.

Important relationship? Kagami felt his mouth go dry. Was this his ex-girlfriend or something? And now that Kagami was in the picture, Aomine didn't want her working with them? He scowled, and a sharp pain throbbed in his chest. That bastard had just chased that woman! Was Kagami just a fling, even after Aomine had said he wasn't? Why, I'm going to skin that-

"Kagami-kun, please stop looking like a jealous wife," Kuroko's monotonous voice pierced through Kagami's murderous thoughts. Before Kagami could splutter in indignation, Kuroko continued. "Momoi-san and Aomine-kun are childhood friends. They're like siblings to each other," he explained with a slight quirking of his lips. "Or I guess she would be more like the nagging mother and he would be the idiot son."

Kagami tried to suppress his sheepish blush to no avail. "I-I see. Not that…I cared or anything."

Kuroko nearly rolled his eyes. "Kagami-kun, I won't tell Chief, but if you make it any more obvious she will find out."

Kagami scratched his head and sighed. "So you do know…ah, not that there's anything to know!"

To Kagami's mild surprise, Kuroko grabbed onto his sleeve. "Kagami-kun, about Aomine-kun, there's something you should…" he trailed off, usually impassive eyes wavering with slight emotion, but then he seemed to divert the line of speech following his hesitation. "Your relationship. I…the only thing I have against it is that I think Aomine-kun does not deserve you. He is too selfish, and you are too selfless. But maybe that's why you click." His eyes flickered downwards for the barest of moments. "But…even though I do not know him as well as Momoi-san, we have been friends for well over ten years. And I've known you for around seven."

He paused but Kagami could tell that there was more. He had never seen Kuroko dither so much, carefully choosing his words as though they were made of glass. Or as though the wrong words would shatter Kagami like he was glass.

"I know that you make each other happy," he whispered – and there it was, a small and genuine smile. "And I want both of my dearest friends to be happy. That's all I want, Kagami-kun, because you deserve happiness. So I will do all that is in my power to support you." His grip tightened and his gaze returned to its trademark blankness. "But if Aomine-kun ruins your happiness, I'll castrate him."

Kagami was silent, before placing a hand on Kuroko's head and ruffling his hair, diffusing the rest of the tension. "Kuroko, you little bastard, prying into my private life. Stop saying so much mushy happy shit. And yeah, Aomine's a jackass, but he's a hot jackass."

Kuroko snorted lightly, but his eyes were shining with mirth and the stiffness that had gathered in his shoulders had dissipated. "I thought you were an angel, Kagami-kun, but I guess we all get fooled now and then."

"Aomine has his good points, probably." Kagami shrugged. "He's good at basketball. And strangely caring, in his own asshole way. My thoughts just can't stay away from him, for some reason." As soon as the words left his mouth, he blinked. Did I just say that? To Kuroko?

"Love doesn't need a reason," Kuroko noted absently, turning around. "I'll go check to make sure Aomine-kun hasn't made Momoi-san too angry. And Kagami-kun, be careful. Of everything."

"I'm not in love," Kagami muttered softly, more to himself than Kuroko's retreating back. He turned around and nearly rammed into someone. "Ah, sorry!"

A pair of brown eyes gazed at him, then flicked behind him. "What were you and Kuroko talking about?" Riko asked. "I've never seen him so…emotional before. Ah, well, I can't see where he went though. The guy just loves disappearing, doesn't he?"

Kagami swallowed. "Um, ah…no, just…girl trouble." He wasn't exactly lying, just not telling the entire truth.

Riko raised a brow. "Girl trouble, huh? And where's Aomine?"

Kagami jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Taking care of the trouble."

Riko pursed her lips, but then just beckoned him to follow her. "Come with me. There's something I need to discuss with you, privately."

Kagami fiddled with the collar of his shirt, hoping against hope that it wasn't about him and Aomine. Honestly, they had just decided to date – or whatever the hell it was they were doing – yesterday, but he could never tell how advanced his boss's research network could be. As he made his way into her office and she closed the door behind him, she smirked.

"Kagami-kun, please stop looking like you're walking to your execution. I…I only need to talk to you about the purpose of this investigation," her voice tightened. "Please sit down."

They both seated themselves and Kagami was awash both relief and confusion. "The purpose of the investigation?" He remembered Takao's words. The little minx had probably been released that morning and Kagami had no clue when they would meet again, but Takao's last words to him had been to question the real purpose behind the investigation. So far, it seemed as though the operation was completely unnecessary. Why investigate the absence of crimes?

Takao had mentioned the…Syndicate, but Kagami had that memory locked up and chained in the deepest corners of his mind.

Riko seemed to see all these thoughts flit by in Kagami's eyes. She sighed, leaning forward. "Kagami-kun, I know why you joined the force."

Kagami swallowed. "W-what do you mean? Of course you know. You…you get my file and everything," his hands squeezed the armrests. "And what does that have to do with anything? I passed all my examinations, and I passed the psych tests, so I don't see why-"

"Kagami-kun, calm down," Riko's one was sharp and commanding. "I mentioned it because I have something important to tell you, but I won't if I think even the mention of it will give you a nervous breakdown and make you unfit for duty. Do you understand?"

Kagami took in a deep breath. He was a professional. He would act professionally. "Yes."

"Can I trust you?"

"Yes."

"Good," Riko relaxed back into her chair, fingers steepled in front of her. "I am sorry for my bluntness, but this is important. Around thirty years ago, a new crime syndicate was formed by a mutual understanding reached by the top three criminal heads of the Tokyo Underworld."

"The Kiseki Syndicate," Kagami muttered under his breath.

"Yes. We always had a list of suspects, but…we could never pinpoint the top three. It was one of the best examples of organised crime Tokyo had seen in a long time."

Kagami gritted his teeth. "I already know all of this. They had people everywhere, in all the top levels of everything! Politicians, actors, entrepreneurs, doctors, even the police. And they killed her. They killed her. And I will never forgive them."

Riko looked at him silently. "Around thirteen years ago," she continued without mentioning Kagami's outburst, "they started falling into discord. We don't know exactly how, but we think it was some kind of inner power struggle. Yet they continued their operations. Three years after that, well…I believe you know what happened. Bank robbery gone wrong. All the perpetrators escaped, but couldn't take a single yen with them. That was the final straw, we think," her eyes drifted to the window. "After that one failure, whoosh, everything toppled like a house of cards. And we believed the Kiseki Syndicate was no more."

Kagami could feel his heart climb an inch into his throat at every word the woman spoke. "You believed?" his voice cracked.

"There's a pattern to this drop in criminal activity, Kagami-kun," Riko leaned forward and looked calmly into his eyes, eyes that were slowly dawning with the light of realisation and horror. "Thirty years ago, a drop in criminal activity occurred because the criminal heads were reigning in their operations and organising them. They quietened all their activities as a means to draw attention away from the pact that they were forming. Back then, it worked. Back then, the police force couldn't be more relieved at the drop in crime rates. They thought it was a blessing – a change in the way crime in Tokyo operated. They were right about the 'change' part," she smiled dryly.

"S-so you're saying…" Kagami's face paled. "How do you know so much? You must've been so young thirty years ago."

Riko's gaze dropped. He had never seen her break eye contact like that, almost regretfully. "My father. He was in the force when the Kiseki Syndicate rose. He was the officer in command of the bank robbery investigation, the one where your mother lost her life. And now he sits at the top, in one of the highest ranks in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He told me everything. About you. About the syndicate. He's the one who ordered this operation."

"Your father…?" Kagami's eyes hardened. "They never found her killer. Your father never found her killer. He-"

"And he still feels guilty, to this day, even though he tried so hard," Riko snapped. "Which is why he doesn't want it happening again. He asked me to tell you all of this. The reason we are doing this. There aren't many we can trust, Kagami-kun. Only Imayoshi-san, a handful of others and I know all this. This operation…it might not exactly be in the books."

"Wait. Not in the books?! You mean…"

"Unofficial."

"You mean, we aren't actually allowed to do…this," he gestured vaguely around him. "And nobody thinks it's suspicious that one team of Homicide and Narcotics has teamed up?"

"We weren't originally supposed to team up," Riko admitted. I don't think I'll tell him it was Aomine's idea though, she decided in her head. "But Imayoshi-san was already in on it, and he had told his team that they would be working on it simultaneously, only a bit more…undercover. I guess teaming up was more logical, since it gives us access to their resources and vice-versa. People see it as interdepartmental relationship management. It's not against the law, it's just not written anywhere."

"You said not many people know. So Kuroko doesn't know."

"No."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"No. And you aren't either," Riko said sternly. "This is confidential information. I'm already worried that whoever is behind all this might have already gotten wind of what we're up to exactly. The more people know, the more risk there is."

Kagami's eyes narrowed at her words. "So you have no idea who's behind this? Didn't you say you have a list of suspects?" They could use that list to get a head start. He was surprised Riko hadn't told the whole team about it.

Riko bit her lip before taking her mobile out of her pocket. She flicked through it and handed it over. Kagami scanned the screen. It was a list of about twenty names.

Kagami's eyes flickered over it. Shirogane…Hanamiya…Hayama…Furuhashi…Akashi…Haizaki…

A couple of them stood out –rich company CEOs, media figures, and notorious gang leaders. His fingers clenched when he thought that one of these men were behind his mother's death. Riko pried her phone out of his hands with a look that was a mixture of anxiety and pity.

He didn't like it.

"I know some of these names," he said.

Riko nodded. "Yeah. Big names, but we've got nothing but circumstantial evidence on most of them. The biggest shock was Akashi Masaomi. He was the head of Akashi Enterprises, and the Japanese government uses most of their software. But he's dead, and he's been dead for a decade." She sighed. "Thank god his son's nothing like him; we met at a government conference, and he was such a promising gentleman."

Kagami frowned. "Alright. So one guy's dead. But you've got a list. What's the problem?" he demanded, slightly harshly.

"The list is the problem. All these names," she wiggled her phone. "Everyone is either dead, or in prison, over the past thirty years."

"People can communicate out of prisons."

"I have Sakurai and Kuroko working on that, without giving them details, of course," she pocketed her phone. "One thing is for certain though, Kagami-kun," her eyes flashed with hidden anger. "The Kiseki Syndicate fell over ten years ago, but it's rising again. And I fear if we let it, this time, it's going to be more like a stone fortress then a sandcastle."

Kagami stood up, his crimson eyes burning with poorly hidden wrath. It was an emotion seldom seen on his face, and even made a headstrong woman like Riko supress a shiver. "It fell once. It will fall again." He turned around looked at her over his shoulder. "And Chief, it may not be my place to say this, but I want to be kept in the loop. I want to be given the important assignments. Not any wild goose chases."

She smiled humourlessly. "I don't think I have the time nor luxury to send anyone after red herrings. Kagami," Riko added firmly as he placed a hand on the doorknob. "This is not a mission for vengeance. This is your job. Know the difference."

His crimson eyes shone. "Yes, ma'am." And with that, he slammed the door behind him.

Riko leaned her head against the back of her chair.

Well, Father. I told him just like you wanted. But was it really the right choice?

Kinda sappy I know. I'm the queen of sap (ok that doesn't sound very appealing actually). But things are getting a bit serious (?) XD
Did Aomine hack Kagami's phone, or did he fail?
Will Kagami be able to separate his thirst for revenge from his sense of justice?
Does Momoi use strawberry flavoured perfume, or is that her natural smell?
Lol ok sorry I'll stop. Gentle constructive criticism welcome. 3

In other news, one of my short stories is getting published in an anthology! You can check out the kickstarter project on my tumblr (theeventideabyss) if you're interested in finding out more. Get a paperback copy and have it shipped anywhere in the world for only $20 (AUD), so that's less than $15 for all my American readers! Also available in e-book format hehehe.
This is something super exciting for me! It's a small publication and I'm not getting paid, but it's a start. ;)

Thank you for reading!