Chapter: Finishing Where?
Staring at Aomine, I notice his fist beginning to ball up tightly.
Screwing the lid back on to the ointment, I gently nestle it back into the clear plastic kit as I pat the unburned side of Taiga's face.
"Does my boy want a lollipop?" I ask jokingly, as I begin to pinch his cheek, wriggling the skin back and forth as I can't help but laugh at his red face.
"Get your-"
"Am I being ignored? I said-"
"Yes, yes Aomine. Do you want a lollipop too?" I ask, as I brush past him to pull out the packet of lollipops my mother always saved for whenever the next door kids would come over. Pulling out a red one, I toss it carefully to Taiga who catches it swiftly in his grasp. Slapping the rest of the package against Aomine's chest, I tell him to help himself.
"What? The idiot over there gets one picked out and I'm supposed to just-"
"That's because Taiga needs to be taken cared of. Some oil accidentally hit him in the-"
"Don't care," grumbles an annoyed Aomine all of a sudden, as he throws the bag of candies hastily onto the counter. Taiga and I watch with confused looks as he begins to stomp out of the kitchen like an angry child. Sighing, I call Aomine back and within seconds he's back in the kitchen.
"Now, promise that you'll eat it?" I ask gently, as my expression turns soft and slightly sorrowful. Aomine places his hand on my head, rubbing my hair. He smiles down at me, his face endearing and a bit…apologetic? He nods his head, holding his hand out for the lollipop.
Smiling, I hand Aomine his hand picked lollipop.
Slapping a large, menacing black liquorice flavoured one in his hands, I crumple up the packet and toss it casually in the bin as I begin to walk away from him.
"The fu-"
"Language!" I yell out, as I begin to tend to the already over fried piece of pork cutlet. Well, I guess that was my piece then.
"I don't want-"
"You told me you'd eat it. If you really cared, then you'd be like Taiga and take it graciously without acting like such a brat!" I jab back, as I shoot him a murderous look over my shoulder.
Alright, alright. I suppose it was somewhat cruel, but Aomine had a lot of making up to do. I understood that he was a boy and many guys had difficulties conveying their feelings, but I thought it was strictly known that you're not supposed to tell a girl verbally that you don't like them. Well, not to their face at least. But I had to give Aomine some credit for having the manhood inside him to tell me. The only reason he was acting so jealous right now was because he hadn't expected me to forget about him so easily. Probably felt all macho and high up in ego that he'd been confessed to. He also probably expected me to keep chasing him around like a dog would for it's tail. I wasn't one to keep running for things that I already knew were far from my grasp. Like in basketball, when I knew we were losing a game I'd tend to stay further back, not really interested in the game anymore if our defeat was a sure thing.
"That's because he got the best flavour. D'you think I'm really gonna eat this crap?!"
Turning the heat of the oil even lower, I march up to Aomine where I snatch the black sucker, handing it to a quiet Taiga.
"You'll eat this, right?"
Taiga takes it graciously, unwrapping the sucker as he bites the head of the round liquorice off, chewing it nonchalantly.
Walking past Aomine's disgusted and shocked face, I can't help but not hide my smug look. Lucky for me growing up, Taiga and I had practically grown up on the stuff to the point where we had lost all taste for the intense, harsh taste.
Suddenly, all our heads perk up as we hear the front entrance door open and close followed by hush whispers and quiet shuffling. Poking my head down the hall, I watch in content as both my mom and dad walk in from what looked like a tiring day of work.
Running to them both, I jump on my parents as I begin to immensely thank them for saving my life.
As my mom takes over the cooking, insisting after she saw the very charcoaled piece of meat, she ordered for my dad to take a bath and for the "kids" to find something to do meanwhile.
So meanwhile, I showed Taiga my room while an awfully quiet Aomine lay sprawled out across my bed, his hand dangling off the edge as he watches Taiga with an intense look of fury.
Atsushi was downstairs, catching my mom up on what exactly had been happening. The relationship he shared with my mom was closer than what I probably had with her. Atsushi and her would always like to sit and chat, Atsushi frequently helping my mom on her problems with her three, very controlling sisters. Sitting down with them once, I was surprised to realize that Atsushi was very helpful with the manner. If he wasn't playing basketball, I could see him as a shrink. A shrink who made pastries, that is.
"Neh, Taiga. Come here! Remember this?" I ask happily, as I begin to tug on his shirt helplessly, jumping up and down in silence.
Taiga grabs the frame, his face going pale with recollection as he stares off into space.
It was a picture of a young Taiga, sitting in a hospital bed unconscious with his head wrapped with white bandages. I wasn't sure what exactly we had been arguing about, but I think he had told me to shove two basketballs up my shirt and then would the neighbours son want to play with me. Growing furious by his stupid, perverted idea, I chucked both basketballs to his head, causing him to fall to the pavement. We later took him to the hospital where it was diagnosed that he had received a concussion. I never told my parents as to how he got it. When I was visiting him that day, I had my dad's phone in my possession, for some odd reason. I handed it to Taiga's nurse and asked if she could take a picture of us two. In the picture I stand by Taiga's bed side, standing on my tippy toes so I would be made out in the picture. I pose with the peace sign and an eerily happy smile, as Taiga manages to crack his eye open, a loopy smile on his face as well.
"I could've died."
"How unfortunate," mutters an annoyed voice from the bedside. Ignoring Aomine, I begin to point out that he hadn't, so everything worked out for the best. To which he responded by pushing me away from him. I stumble clumsily as I fall onto my bed by Aomine's legs. To which I'm then kicked off the bed by him. I felt like a hacky sack.
Rubbing my backside in pain, I stand on my knees as I begin to yell at Aomine for what his problem was.
"Suddenly there wasn't enough room for my legs."
"They smell."
"They do not!" he yells, as he sits up right with an even more annoyed expression.
"You're right. It's not your feet. It's you."
Aomine's eyebrow begins to twitch as he starts to reach out towards me, threatening to hurl me across the room. Dodging his grasp, I reach behind him and grab Taiga's red sweater. The one I had been wearing earlier. Throwing it back on top of me, I begin to sigh out in relief as I place the hood over my head, covering much of my face. Pulling the hood slightly back so I could see them both, I find them both watching me, a look of stupor and awe as they watch me sitting on the floor, flapping my hands up as Taiga's sleeves roll down.
"Is that…" trails off Aomine, as he recognizes the sweatshirt to be a mans'.
"Taiga gave it to me to wear earlier today. Neh, it smells so good!" I compliment, as I begin to ask him what cologne he wears.
Aomine interrupts, jumping off the bed as he points towards his chest.
"My sweater smells better," scoffs Aomine, as I watch him begin to pull his sweater off. Jumping, I remember that he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. I couldn't even imagine what would happen if my dad decided to walk in here after his shower.
Running towards Aomine, I jump on him, taking him to the floor right in front of Taiga. It was like déja vu all over again. Well, at least he wasn't peeking at my undergarments this time.
Aomine continues to try and pull his black sweatshirt off as I wrap my hands around his, cupping them around his fists. "Idiot, stop!" I yell out in embarrassment, as I begin to yank his grasp back down. I notice that Aomine has stopped fighting, his hands releasing from the tight fist and instead slowly beginning to wrap around my fingertips, rubbing them gently as he stares up at my face, a look of realization. I could see my pale, ghostly face in his dark irises. So this is what Atsushi had seen. The look of love, sadness and angst.
"What's happening here?" asks a perceptive voice from the door way. Jumping off of Aomine, I begin to point downwards at him.
"He was-"
Atsushi ducks underneath my door frame as he walks deeper into my room, walking around the coffee table as tries to get a look as to what was happening behind the bed. He stares blankly at Aomine, his sweater half way up his chest revealing his lower torso. He was sprawled out across the floor, his breath slightly ragged.
"Was Mine-chin stripping?" asks Atsushi, as he begins to make up his own hypothesis.
Aomine stands up, brushing his legs as he gives Atsushi an annoyed look. "The hell d'you- Don't ignore me!" yells Aomine, as Atsushi begins to walk towards Taiga, staring at him intently.
"What's your-"
"Was Mine-chin putting on a show for you?"
"Bastard! Don't bring me into-"
"Never mind Mine-chin stripping. Did he finish on your face?" asks Atsushi, as he points towards the white cream on Taiga's face. I watch as Taiga pushes Atsushi, quickly yelling at him and calling him names. Turning around, I find Aomine in the corner of my room, crouched down as he faces the wall by himself, muttering a few, incoherent words to himself.
I don't understand. Finish on Taiga's face? What did he mean by that? Wanting to desperately be in on the joke, I begin to ask what Atsushi meant.
"What does finishing on the-"
Suddenly my dad walks in, ushering for us all that dinner was ready.
Atsushi immediately begins to follow my dad, grabbing my arm as he beings to pull me away from the traumatized and scarred boys in my room. Well, I guess I'd bring up the topic during dinner.
xxxxxx
"That's your third piece of meat," points out Aomine, as he helps himself to his third as well.
"Says you," mutters Taiga, as he continues to stuff his face full.
"My, my, Taiga-kun. You've grown into such a handsome man," gushes my mother, as she smiles kindly towards Taiga. He grows flustered and begins to scratch his head, not sure what to say back.
"Neh, neh. We still look good together, right?" I ask my parents gleefully, as I shuffle my chair closer towards Taiga. Aomine's expression drops, as I watch him begin to slow down his eating pace.
By that I meant that growing up, everyone always said that with Taiga's tanned skin and red hair against my black hair and pale skin always made the two of us as a good pairing for photos. Many had told us that Taiga and I should go into pair modelling together. But we both had no plans for anything of the sorts.
My mom agrees happily as we then continue to eat our dinner in silence. Occasionally I'd meet Aomine's glance now and then.
Handing Atsushi his second piece of cake, he takes it apologetically as he places it sadly before him.
"Way to go," mutters Taiga, as he takes nearly half of the black forest cake onto his spoon, placing it greedily into his mouth. I watch as Aomine mimics Taiga and does the same, as if competing with him or something.
"It's fine, it's fine," I reassure, as I lovingly ruffle up Atsushi's hair as I take a seat across from him. After dinner my parents had went into the living to catch up on their TV, leaving dessert to ourselves. Which was black forest cake. Growing excited by this delightful surprise after eating candy and ice-cream for dessert for months, Atsushi, out of excitement had dropped the first piece onto the floor as I handed it to him. We all stood for a good minute realizing what had happened. Atsushi went mute for 5 minutes and then did we understand the true severity. I began to contemplate whether or not to take him to the hospital out of severe shock.
"Whatta kid," mutters Aomine, as he holds his spoon up to his lips, his eyes closed in bliss as he begins to open wide.
Taking a piece out of my cake, I'm about to eat when something goes flying by my face, clattering to the floor behind me. Turning, I find what would be a lot like Aomine's spoon laying at the end of the kitchen, his piece of cake still on it.
Turning back around, I find a shocked Aomine with his hand still in the air, as if holding a spoon while Atsushi's was out as well, as he had just swatted the spoon out of Aomine's grasp. An annoyed expression plastered on his usually calm, collective face.
"Atsushi!" I whine out, as I give him an incredulous look. Really? Did he just really do that?
"Idiots," mutters Taiga beside me, as he places the other half of his cake up to his mouth.
Looking at Atsushi, he didn't look like he was going to do anything. Until a loud thud was heard and the table shook, causing it to knock into Taiga's elbow as the rest of his cake went tumbling to the ground, along with Aomine's, oddly enough.
Aomine had just gotten his spoon thrown half away across the room, pissing off Atsushi and now Taiga and Aomine's slices of cakes were sitting upon the floor, collecting dirt and bacteria as Atsushi stares up at the ceiling, an annoyed expression on his face.
I watch as Taiga and Aomine reach out to grab Atsushi by the collar, but I pull out of my chair, causing the legs to make a loud scraping sound as they make contact with the wooden floor. Sighing, I place my slice of cake onto Aomine's plate, telling him to eat seeing as how he had only had a couple of spoonfuls. He stares at me, his gaze intense and almost loving.
Suddenly Taiga beside me begins to protest. "You already had a slice! Plus, you're not a bratty boy, right? My Taiga won't make a fuss," I say affectionately, as I begin to rub his hair softly. I watch out of the corner of my eye as Aomine looks at the plate before him, his expression growing soft as he stares at the decadent before him. I had played it out to seem that Aomine was a little boy who needed to get what he wanted while taiga looked to be as tougher and much more obedient out of the two.
Now looking towards Atsushi, I order for him to begin eating. He nods his head in a "no", continuing to look up in the ceiling. See, the thing about Atsushi is that if he got annoyed or agitated, it wasn't exactly easy to coax him out of his state. He was the biggest child out of the three. Walking around the table, I grab a chair and pull it right up against Atsushi, sitting beside him. Taking his spoon, I place some cake on it and hold it up to his mouth like a mother trying to feed their stubborn child. "Eat," I order, as I begin to prod his lips open with the sweet, chocolate goodness. He continues to look away, but his gaze lands on the cake for a second and that is what breaks him. Atsushi opens wide, chomping on the spoon as he begins to chew it as well. Yelling, I ask him if he's forgotten how to eat. He shakes his head in response, smiling at me fondly.
xxxx
Standing at the door, I watch fondly as all three boys begin to place their coats and jackets on. Aomine opens up the door first, walking out into the cold, chilly air.
"I'll walk you guys to the sidewalk," I say, as I jump in front of him first.
"I'm sorry that you kids can't stay-"
"Yes. We are limited on rooms," quickly says my dad, as he makes it apparent that the thought of three boys sleeping in his house was not something he was for.
"I'm sure Kagami and Mine-chin would've needed only one bed," muses Atsushi, as Taiga then proceeds to kick him in the shins.
I'm suddenly reminded of what I had been wanting to ask my parents. Maybe the boys here as well would be able to further explain the complicating phrase.
"Mom, dad. If I were to say that…I don't know, Aomine for example," I say, as I tug on his sleeve considering he was the closest one to me. "What if I told you that Aomine finished on my face? What does that-"
Within a blur I'm pulled out of the door as Taiga and Atsushi immediately follow behind us, slamming the door shut as we all run to the curb in a heap.
Atsushi begins to repeatedly flick me in the forehead, calling me stupid over and over again. Pulling away from him, I return to Aomine's side, asking him to save me.
In shock and awe I watch frozenly as Aomine unwraps his grey, cotton scarf from his neck, reaching it out towards me as he ushers with his soft eyes for me to take a step forward. Blushing helplessly, I couldn't believe that he was going to give me his-
From behind me a red, familiar scarf is looped around my neck. A familiar, strong scent wafting into my nose. Looking up I find Taiga smiling down at me as he proceeds to flick me in the forehead just like Atsushi had done so before.
"What was that for?!" I cry out, as I begin to lunge towards him but Atsushi hold's my arm back.
"Idiot. You'll catch a cold," he mutters in response, as he begins to yawn loudly.
Looking at Aomine to see what his reaction was, I watch as a small, sad smile overcomes his lips as he holds his scarf in his hands with a thoughtful expression. He eyes me for a few seconds, before looping it back around his neck.
I watch as he wraps his hands behind his head, beginning to walk away from the little group. He throws his hand up in the air, signalling a "goodbye". He had no words. No words for what he thought of me now…and Taiga. Our close bond. Did he want that? Was that why he was desperately trying to make something up with Momoi. Did he want to seem like he wasn't pathetic? Whatever it may be, all I know was that I'd get a chance to ask him tomorrow at the school festival. Which reminded me that I should call Sakurai about tomorrows plans.
xxxxx
After saying a proper goodbye to the other two, I made my way up to my room, flopping down onto my bed as I pulled out my cell phone. One new message?
It was from…Aomine?
"I'm going to tell Satsuki tomorrow."
So, he was finally going to admit his feelings to her. His childhood friend. And that was all it had said. I quickly reply back, wishing him all the luck. And I meant it. If Aomine couldn't be happy with me, then I wished him all the happiness with someone that he could be happy with.
Rolling onto my back, I call Sakurai to talk about tomorrows details.
Sitting upright, I ask him again what he had said. Then a few times again over.
"I didn't agree-"
"Please? Just think of the money," pleads a hesitant Sakurai, as I could picture him about to cry on the other end.
Slapping my hand against my forehead, I couldn't believe that I was going to agree with him.
"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow. You owe me!"
"Thank you so much!"
Ending the call, I chuck my phone onto my dresser, walking into my washroom to take a much needed bath.
Sakurai had changed our costume idea all of a sudden. I wasn't sure why, but he said that we had a better chance at winning this way. When he told me the idea, all I knew was that I was going to die of embarrassment for tomorrow while he had all the good attention on him.
I was going to be dressed up, and also play the part of something I really didn't want to be.