Hey, Mom,

Thank you for understanding about

the whole Christmas thing. I'll definitely

come back and visit you guys sometime,

though. I really miss you. Hey, did you

get my pictures? Kise was really excited

to be the one behind the camera. We took

lots more, so if you'd like me to send them

just let let me know.

I want you to send me some pictures, too. Taiga.

With Christmas gone and the New Year on its hunches, Kiseki Village was absolutely bustling with activity. Preparations were being made for the end of the year fireworks display, while the residents were busy rushing about to get their last minute shopping items. The New Year was the best time for sales, after all, and Kagami was quickly coming to learn how much of a cheapskate not only he, but all of his neighbors were. Seriously, though, who would pass up the opportunity to buy a pair of socks for only 50 bells?

On route to town hall to mail a few letters, Kagami stopped by the side of the path to bend over and pluck up a weed. When he rose to stand, he could swear it that everyone in the village must have heard his scream. "Kuroko! What the heck-?! Don't scare me like that! Oh my God!"

Kuroko's ears had flattened slightly. Kagami sure got loud when he was frightened. Still, the feline had a comeback that he was sure would make Kagami feel stupid. "I've been walking behind you for nearly five minutes now," he explained. "You just haven't noticed me. I even tried calling your name, but you didn't respond."

Groaning, Kagami ruffled his hair frustratedly. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" he grumbled.

"I just told you that I tried. You were ignoring me."

"I wasn't ignoring-! Whoah, wait a second..." Suddenly, Kagami realized the one thing that was seriously wrong with this situation. Pointing an accusing finger in Kuroko's direction, Kagami sputtered, "Wh-what are you doing outside of your house?! Y-you never come out!"

Kuroko swayed on his heels and looked up to Kagami curiously. "Am I not allowed to take an afternoon stroll?" he mewed.

"No! Well, yes! You are, but-!" Kagami didn't know what he was more shocked by: the fact that Kuroko had been following him without his knowledge, or the fact that Kuroko was outside of his house.

"But nothing," Kuroko interrupted. "Let's walk together."

Trudging through the snow wasn't Kagami's most favourite thing to do, but somehow, with Kuroko walking by his side, everything felt more peaceful. He had just so happened to look over when Kuroko was wearing a particularly lovely expression, too. The small cat had his face pointed up to the sky and his eyes were closed softly. He really looked like his was enjoying himself, and Kagami didn't want to ruin the moment by opening up his big, fat mouth. He didn't have to, though. Kuroko had sensed his wandering eye.

"You're looking at me," he noted, stating the obvious.

"Uh, yeah, I was," Kagami admitted awkwardly. He turned his head away to look forward once more. "You looked really calm just now."

"I am calm."

"Ah..." Somehow, Kagami didn't know how to respond to that. Conversation still wasn't very natural for the both of them.

"I'm enjoying this walk with you, Kagami," Kuroko added soon after, and when Kagami looked his way once again, he realized that now he was being stared at.

"That's good. I'm enjoying it, too." Kagami smiled a bit, wondering if it would ease up on some of the uncomfortable tension between the two of them. It didn't. It only prompted Kuroko to stare at him further.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked.

The corners of Kagami's lips had dropped almost instantly. "Uh..." he began. He was beginning to wonder the same thing himself. It would sound stupid if he told Kuroko that he was only smiling, because he didn't want things to feel weird anymore. "I'm not sure."

"Oh, I see." And the topic was dropped.

At least Kagami felt like something had worked. Somehow, the silence was starting to feel comfortable. He didn't know what had changed, but just walking side-by-side, quietly listening to the way that the snow sloshed and squished - occasionally crunching, too - beneath their feet, it was really, really nice.

"Are you going to the fireworks display tonight?"

Kagami had asked such a thing on a whim. What had gotten into him? He felt like an idiot. Of course Kuroko was going to say no to that.

"Would you like me to go?" was Kuroko's very unexpected response.

Reaching beneath his scarf to rub the back of his neck, Kagami chuckled a bit and said, "Well, yeah! I mean, everyone goes to these kinds of things, right?"

"I suppose."

"So...? Are you going to come?"

"Will you escort me?"

"What?" Kagami's cheeks had flared up a lovely shade of red at Kuroko's proposition.

"I asked if you'd escort me. That means that I'm wondering if you'd bring me there with you." Kuroko wasn't even looking at Kagami as he said all of these, what the bashfully blushing boy thought to be, very embarrassing things.

"...If I didn't bring you, would you still go?" Kagami wondered, after building up the courage to speak again.

"Probably not." Kuroko answered honestly. "I wouldn't have a reason to go."

Kagami didn't like the sound of that. If Kuroko was ever going to become more extroverted, Kagami knew that he would have to step up to the plate. If bringing him to a fireworks display was one of the ways to do that, then there really was no other option. "Fine, fine," he sighed. "I'll bring you."

"Great," Kuroko purred. "It's a date."

"Don't call it that!" And Kagami was red again.

"Only ten minutes to go!" Tortimer called out, earning everyone's attention with excited cheers.

"This is so exciting, this is so exciting-ssu!" Kise giggled. He began bouncing about, but was quickly stopped when Aomine tackled him to the ground. "Ow, ow, ow! Stop that! Get off of me!"

"My mistake," Aomine muttered. "I thought you were a firecracker."

"Why would you attack a firecracker?!"

"This is troublesome, nanodayo," Midorima sighed. When he moved to push up his glasses, he had accidentally popped his party popper, causing him to jump, as well as yelp. This made both Kise and Aomine absolutely lose it.

"Omigosh! Omigosh! His face just now! Did you see it-ssu?! Did you see it?!" Kise laughed.

"Oh my God, that was hilarious!" Aomine howled.

Embarrassed beyond belief, Midorima turned around and began walking away from the group. To his annoyance, Akashi had followed after him.

"Midorima," he purred softly, "please don't get so upset. They're just having a little bit of fun. And come now, you have to admit that it was pretty funny."

"Fun at my own expense is never funny, nanodayo," Midorima scoffed.

Chuckling softly, Akashi rested a courteous paw down onto Midorima's shoulder. "Lighten up a bit. You should really think about making that your New Year's resolution."

Midorima said nothing to that, but regardless, he rejoined the group. Kise and Aomine ended up apologizing to him, but the sincerity of said apologies was very questionable.

"Hey, look..." Murasakibara spoke up, cheeks packed to the core with cakes and other goods. "Isn't that Kuroko? Why is he with Kagami?"

Everyone immediately looked to the direction where Murasakibara was pointing. Eyes wide and ears perked - all except for Midorima, that is - they watched in perplexity as both Kagami and Kuroko ran into the town hall plaza.

"Ugh, we made it," Kagami sighed, trying his best to catch his breath. "Sorry we're late, guys."

"Three minutes!" Tortimer announced. "Oh, Kagami! Kuroko! Come over here, you youngin's!"

It was clear that everyone had something to say; Kagami could just barely read the words on the tips of each of their tongues. However, he had never been one to go against authority, so both he and Kuroko did as they were told and made their way over to where Tortimer stood waiting for them.

"These are for you!" he said cheerfully. "Be sure to use them sometime tonight. Nothing bad will happen if you don't, but it'll be kind of pointless to waste such a mighty opportunity."

What Kagami had been handed looked like some kind of...makeshift explosive? "Is this supposed to be a party popper?" he asked.

"Of course! What did you think it was?" Tortimer wondered.

"Well, it looks kind of like-"

"Thank you very much for the firework," Kuroko cut in, bowing his head graciously.

"Oh, you're very welcome, Kuroko," Tortimer smiled. He chuckled happily and said, "And I'm very glad to see you here this year! Oh! One minute left, everyone! Let's do the countdown!"

The electronic light-up board began to beep as it chimed off the final numbers of the countdown. Somewhere around 48 seconds, everyone had gotten into sync, shouting out the numbers as they flashed by. With 10 seconds left to go, Kagami looked over at Kuroko. The small feline had ended up being the most adorable sight he had seen all night.

His eyes had been bright with anticipation, and tiny paws had been gripping his party popper anxiously, waiting for the opportune moment when...

BOOM!

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted, voices all just barely heard beneath the sound of the exploding fireworks display. Everyone - save for Midorima - popped their poppers and laughed at the funny and unique sounds that each of them had made. When Kagami turned to look back at Kuroko, he noticed that he still hadn't popped his own yet.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Kagami asked as softly as he could, whilst being heard over the fireworks.

For a moment, Kuroko looked dazed. The reds and the oranges and the pinks of the fireworks were reflecting majestically within his bulbous blue eyes. It was when Kagami had placed a hand on the top of his head that he looked up at him. "Nothing's wrong," Kuroko responded reassuringly, before gazing back down at his popper. "I just thought, even though Tortimer said it would be a waste, I kind of want to save this. I want to keep it as a momento of how much fun I've had with you tonight."

Kagami had been stunned by Kuroko's words, but he knew he would have all the time in the world to be shocked by them later. Right now, he just wanted to spend the rest of the New Year's party with his friends.

"That's a good idea. Man, I kind of wish I would have saved mine now..."

Kuroko didn't respond verbally to that, but he nodded his head understandingly.

"Hey, Kuroko?"

"Yes?"

Holding his obliterated popper up into the air as if to propose a toast and elicit cheers, Kagami smiled brightly, almost as brightly as the fireworks that lit up the night sky, as he said, "Happy New Year. Here's to a good year filled with new beginnings."

"Yes," Kuroko agreed, holding up his own popper with the both of his hands. "Here's to."

Hi there! Chappy here! :D

Ahh, it feels weird writing for holidays that still feel so far away, but I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

Kuroko is really starting to break out of his shell now. It's about time, right? I mean, we're already on chapter 14 of a 21-chapter piece!

Please look forward to more chapters containing more of Kuroko to come! (:

As always, thank you very much for taking the time to read!

- Chappy