Language: English is not my first language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.

Chapter 20

The night before, Tetsuya had meet with Kagetora. Their plan was simple. Well, considering two loudmouth men, it could get complicated. But still, the light-blue-haired male was positive that his plan would work out somehow. For the mean time he observed his father. The quarrel with his wife, had Masahiro fuming over every little thing. Only a questioning look in his direction and he was ready to explode. Tetsuya hoped that he could use it, what would mean, he himself would get his father's wrath. But he was willed to go that far, if he could see his younger brother smile again, like he did when he was with the redhead.

Soon after they reached the place for the new camp, the small man got help from an unexpected side. Hiruna had pulled Daiki along and set her tent on the border of the limited space, pretty close to the surrounding jungle. She would for now life there with her children, all of them, away from her hotheaded husband.

Daiki on the other side, groaned. If his mother was this close, escaping would be even harder. Angry, he slammed his things down and set his own tent, between her's and Tetsuya's. "Will you calm down, Daiki-kun? This arrangement isn't so bad." The smaller male said, as he tiptoed around to get the lianas sling over the long sticks. "Give me that!" A tanned hand grabbed the sling from his hand and put it effortlessly over the top. "You're really too small. Should eat more. And well, yeah. We are away from father, but mother is too observant sometimes.", Daiki niggled, while helping his brother with the rest of his tent.

"Yes, she is, but I think it will be no problem once I get fathers attention." He leaned down to bind the flapping leather to one of the sticks. Suddenly Daiki was by his side. Squatting down he peered into Tetsuya's small face. "You got a plan?" Excitement danced in his eyes and his grumpy face had somewhat lit up. The older boy wanted to smile, but a fast glance over Daiki's shoulder informed him that they had caught their mother's attention and so he held his face straight and only nodded, whispering that they would talk later. What in his opinion, was already risky enough with prying motherly ears so close.

Taiga squirmed on his seat. The red-haired Kagami's man was nervous. Shortly after Kagetora had come back to the new camp, his friends vanished for a while and what he had heard after that, set off the sleeping butterflies in his stomach.

He had the chance to meet him again. The man who occupied his thoughts through his daily life and gave him wet dreams almost every night. 'No way in hell, I will ever admit that!' Along with the fluttering in his belly, his stubbornness also came back. A hard pinch to his side, let him yelp. "Damn you, Kaz! What was that for?" He rubbed his abused flesh and growled at his friend. "Could you stop being so obvious? You will ruin it like that." The raven groused and peered over to Raion, who was sitting before his own tent and worked on a long wooden stick with his knife, facing the little grouping of their tents.

"Taigacchi~ there are pink hearts swirling around your head." Ryouta giggled and folded his clothes neatly together. "The hell pink hearts! As if I look forward to meet that asshole again, tch.", the redhead scoffed and averted his eyes, ears spurting a lovely red tone. "Is that so? Well, then we don't need to go out of our comfort zone and help you finding a way to sneak out." Kazunari leaned back and put his folded hands behind his head. He watched, out of the corner of his eye, how the color drained from his hotheaded friends face and snickered as Taiga spun on his seat, first setting his red eyes to his silvery ones and then let them fall to the ground, as if something really interesting was happening there. "Uhm … I didn't mean …", The raven had really a hard time not to laugh out loud at the squirming, blushing mess in front of him. "I need your help, pretty please.", Taiga mumbled and peered up, like a puppy who wanted his owner to pet him.

"Oh my god, what did you do, setting him off? His polite speech pattern is the worst I ever heard.", Junpei groused and shoot an offended look at Kazunari. There while, Taiga was clutched to a strong chest and from his other side thin arms were wrapped around his neck. "Awww~ Taiga-kun misses his owner." A stubbly cheek scratched over his own as Teppei rubbed their faces together. "Don't worry Taiga-chan, aunty Riko will help you out.", Riko giggled and ruffled his red hair, while squeezing him tight.

Taiga trembled and looked to the ground. The humiliation formed little droplets in the corner of his eyes. He was almost ready to push them off and get them a piece of his mind, but stopped when a small crucible was placed in his hand. "What's that?", he cracked an eyebrow at Riko, who had let him go and Teppei was peeled of his side at his ear by Junpei.

"Uhm … that is for you to use, if you … you know what, do." If the injection of a vivid pink tone to her cheeks and the averted eyes was any indication, Riko just had handed him the healing gel they usually used for internal injuries. It was also known for the use in certain activities, when women had problems with getting wet. Not that Taiga knew about that. The redhead opened the little pot and looked inside. It really was that gel. "Uhm … for what should I use that? I don't have any injury."

A groan got through the little group and not only just one facepalmed at the oblivious redhead. "What?" Taiga grumbled and gnashed with his teeth. "Taigacchi~ that is for sexssu~. S.e. ~!" Ryouta almost sang the word to him, leaving the redhead gaping in bewilderment at the crucible.

"You should prepare yourself before hand or it will hurt you pretty much." His attention was riveted to Teppei at that comment. "As if you know it!", he scoffed under his breath, face red as a pomegranate. He sometimes really didn't get him, or it, or whatever.

"Well, not personally, no." The brunettes eyes wandered with a grin over to Junpei, who sat opposite them and curiously had snapped his head up at Teppei's first comment to Taiga.

"Ah so! That's where the wind blows. Seems like I'm out of the competition then.", Riko mused with a raised eyebrow and braced fists at her sides, before she attempted to walk off.

"You … what? Huh?" Junpei was flabbergasted at the sudden attention. Then it dawned on him, at what Teppei just had hinted. He shoot up from his seat and tackled his bigger friend to the ground. "You stupid bastard.", he screeched and punched him hard on his face, before he sprung up again and ran after Riko, affirming that there was nothing between him and the soon-to-be-dead-brunette.

Teppei rubbed his cheek and grinned, looking after his fussing friend. "Ahahahaha … Teppeicchi~ you are really an evil being." The blond clapped at his knees and leaned over them laughing like mad. Taiga meanwhile stared wide eyed at the taller man. "You didn't, did you?" He was baffled, but curiosity got the better of him. "Come on, Tai. Everyone knows that Junpei is after Riko since god knows how long." Kazunari chirped and sweeped tears of laughter from his eyes. "He is?" That got the redhead another resigned groan and a heavy pat to his shoulder from Teppei. "You really should observe your surroundings more." The tall male waved and with a grin to himself wandered off, to find his fussing friend and the hopefully-soon-to-be-girlfriend.

Taiga mumbled under his breath. "Calling me oblivious again and shit. Damn."

"Well, you are. Most of the time." Kazunari elbowed him. "But since you just asked that stupid question, I believe you know how sex between men work?" Mirthful eyes wandered over the spluttering redhead. "Urg, Kaz … could you not? Damn …" Taiga knew very well that he was looking like someone smeared red aluminum oxide on his face. He felt hot and the whole talk about sex and stuff, made him embarrassed as hell. "Aww~ Taigacchi~ you will manage. Only sitting or walking on the next day will be a bit troublesome." The blonde winked at him and showed a somehow evil smile.

"Why the fuck, does everyone think I'm the one who takes it?", the redhead growled and stood up to go over to his tent. Baffled eyes followed him. "He doesn't really think that the Aomine guy would let him top, does he?" Ryouta exchanged quizzical looks with Kazunari, who shrugged, giggling like mad. "Haa~ even if he thinks that, I guess he will soon be teached a different lesson." They both chuckled, as Taiga glared over his shoulder at them, before he closed the entrance to his tent.

Inside, he squatted down, cubicle grazing the ground, when he let his arms fall forward between his legs. He shook slightly and stared intensely at the little jar, as if it was the most vicious thing in the world. 'Damn those bastards and their words.' Images poured without his consent into his mind, giving him ideas. And fuck, they were hot and embarrassing. He found that he wasn't repulsed by them, what made him feel even more awkward.

Taiga groaned and plopped himself down on his blankets. Waiting for the night had become a really hard task now a days and especially today, when his stomach made somersaults, since he heard the plan his friends made up. He nuzzled his hot face into the fur, thinking about smoldering midnight-eyes and large tanned hands on his body. 'Okay, this is bad.', he thought when his lower half twitched. He rolled to his back and stared at the roof of his tent. Since everything was already packed up for his little adventure, he had nothing else to do than wait. And really, the thoughts about Daiki didn't help one bit, to shorten the time till they would move out.

Occupying his hands with something meaningful would be better, than let them wander southwards on his body. So he stood up and wandered out of his tent over to his father, who meanwhile carved ornaments into the new spear he was making.

"Got something to do for me?"

Raion didn't look up. "Take a look that the bow." He pointed over his back, at a long bow leaning against his tent. "It's a new one for you, since your old got damaged by the water. But you need to make the arrows yourself. Measure the length you need for it." He put the sharp firestone again against the wood in his hand and continued carving patterns into it.

Taiga was surprised. Since his father wouldn't so much as even look at him, now getting a new bow from him, was something he really didn't expect. "Is that …?" He walked over and inspected the bow closely. It had also little carvings. Beautiful curved lines were all over the hilt, drawing the patterns of the Kagami tribe's symbols. Suddenly he felt his fathers presents at his back. "Taiga, soon you will be an adult. This bow and also the spear, I currently make, are for you to take with you, when you go to your initiation ritual." A huge hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed hard. "One day you will be the chieftain of the tribe. I expect you to know that there will be sacrifices for that. Soon you will meet your future wife and with your bond, the Kagami clan will gain more strength." There was a short interval, when his father took in air, before he continued. "I think, I made a good choice. You will like her. I'm certain of it."

Taiga was about to weight the bow in his hand, but stopped his arm mid air. "What do you mean. I will like her?" He turned around to face his father, who had a stern look on his face. "What did you do?" His red eyes dangerously narrowed, he growled through gritted teeth.

"You know Masako, right? Tatsuya's cousin. I think you played a lot together, until they decided to gain new land further away from here." His father smiled lightly.

The redhead stumbled back and gawked at his father. "You didn't …" He was aghast by this revelation. Shock creeped into his eyes and he could only shake his head, gaping after air.

"In fact, I did. They are currently on the way to us. Tatsuya accompanies her. If everything goes well, they will arrive tomorrow in the late evening. I expect you to show yourself from your best side." Raion folded his arms over his chest and stared at his son.

"You can't be serious! Masako? Are you nuts? She is like what? Seven years older than me and already has a kid! And we didn't play together. She only watched over Tatsuya and me from time to time. How come you think, I would agree to that shit? How could you make that decision without talking to me first? I also have a say in who I marry, dammit! Don't decide my life for me!" What started in a low tone, soon grew to Taiga having a screaming fit. He couldn't believe it. Not in the slightest. How could his father just simply arrange a marriage for him? And to top it all even with Masako, which whom he had nothing in common, beside she being related to his selfmade-brother Tatsuya. And this all after they already had a fall out over him being drawn to a man.

But that exactly was the reason, that Raion decided that Taiga needed a wife. "You will marry Masako and take care of her and her daughter. It was unfortunate that she lost her husband so early, but this is the perfect opportunity to enlarge our tribe. Also, she is smart and can help you a great deal, once you take over my position." Raion tried to deal with his anger. He grabbed his son by his shoulders and looked with urgency into his face. "Taiga, this is important for the tribe. For you! In a few years you will be grateful to me for that!"

Taiga pushed his father's hands away. "Like hell, I will be grateful! I will NOT marry her! End of story!" After shouting that, he stormed off to his tent. But his fathers next words followed him, even if he didn't wanted to hear them. "The wedding will be held in 3 weeks, after your initiation ritual. And that is my last word, Taiga!"

TBC