Dear, Mom,

Thank you for the Valentine's Day

chocolates. Surprisingly, they didn't

melt at all! I gave a few chocolates

to one of my friends today. Is that weird?

Friends give each other chocolates, right?

I gave some to Kuroko. Taiga.

The moment he had done it, the moment he had even thought about doing it, Kagami knew that things were going to get weird.

"What are these for, Kagami?" Kuroko asked, curiously looking down at the heart-shaped box within his paws.

Kagami scratched the back of his head awkwardly. How could he explain something like this to Kuroko without it seeming strange? "Well, uh, you know what today is, right?"

"Valentine's Day, correct?" Kuroko questioned, his ears twitching slightly. "I read up on it a while ago. It's not a very big event here in Kiseki, but February 14th is Valentine's Day, yes?"

Kagami nodded. "Yeah, so..." Could he really do this? Chocolates were given to lovers, not to friends; at least, that was the impression that he had be given, based on past experiences with the holiday.

"So...? These chocolates?" Kuroko persisted. "What are they-"

"Kagamicchi!"

'Oh God, not now...' Kagami inwardly groaned.

"Kagamicchi, Kagamicchi!" Kise yipped, rushing over to where Kuroko and Kagami stood, having a grand 'ole awkward time. Digging his heels into the ground to stop himself from bounding into them, Kise looked up at Kagami with an expression of absolute excitement, as he announced, "This is for you!"

"For me?" Kagami asked. "What is it?"

"Just hold out your hands-ssu!" Kise insisted. "Stop being so difficult!"

'Am I really being that difficult?' Regardless, Kagami obediently held out his hands, just like Kise had asked. When he did, he was presented with a tiny envelope and the order to, "Wait until you get home to open it!" And just like that, Kise was scampering off again.

"Are you going to wait?"

"Huh? What?" Kagami asked. It was apparent that he was more than a bit flustered by what had just occurred. There was no doubting it; the letter than Kise had given to him was a Valentine. If the heart sticker that sealed the envelope shut wasn't an indicator, Kagami didn't know what was.

"Are you going to wait?" Kuroko repeated. "Or maybe you'll open it right now?" Somehow, with the way that Kuroko's tail was slowly swaying back and forth, almost as if taunting him, Kagami had a feeling that the feline was hoping for the latter.

"I think I'll wait until I get home," Kagami responded, giving the letter one last glance before putting it into his pocket. "But anyways, back to what you were saying before-"

"What were you saying before?"

'Not again...'

Turning at the sound of an all-too-familiar voice, Kagami's suspicions as to who that silky smooth tone had belonged to were confirmed. "Akashi, hi," he greeted, not seeming very pleased (which, really, he wasn't).

"Hello," Akashi purred, his tail flitting enchantingly. "And hello to you, too, Kuroko."

Kuroko returned the greeting with a mere nod.

"What are you doing here, Akashi?" Kagami questioned. He hadn't realized it until he had already begun speaking, but he had ended up sounding oddly aggressive.

"Well, well, well," Akashi snickered, "what do we have here? Is someone in a bad mood? It's Valentine's Day. You should be happy; you should be spending it with your lover. Unless..." his eyes narrowed teasingly, "...you already are-"

"No!" Kagami shouted. "No, no, no! It's not like that at all! Don't even start getting weird ideas like that!"

Even though Kagami's reaction had been just what Akashi was looking for, the feline shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "If that's the case, then allow me to give you this." He handed him a letter, one that was a lot more eloquent in style than Kise's had been. "Take care now, you two."

"This is getting weird," Kuroko muttered. He and Kagami had changed locations, and were now enjoying a cup of piping hot coffee at The Roost.

"I couldn't agree more," Kagami sighed, rubbing his hands against his face. In the past hour, after he had received Valentines from Kise and Akashi, he had also received two more, the newer ones being from Midorima and Murasakibara. "I just don't get it. I don't know why, but I was under the impression that everyone hated me here."

"What would make you think that, Kagami?"

"Yo."

'For the love of-'

"Aomine," Kagami sighed again, this time in acknowledgment of the scruffy wolf that had just entered The Roost.

"Again, yo," Aomine nodded. "What are you doing here all alone?"

Kagami cocked a brow at him. "I'm not alone. I'm with Kuro...ko?" No, he wasn't; not anymore, at least. Without notice, Kuroko had disappeared.

"You okay? You didn't eat too many chocolates, did you?" Aomine smirked, nudging Kagami's leg with the pads of his paw.

"I'm perfectly fine. I didn't even have any chocolate..."

"There is...a spoonful of chocolate drizzle in your coffee, coo..." Brewster quietly admitted, quickly returning his attention back to the cup that he was tediously drying.

Aomine laughed and slapped Kagami on the back. "Liar alert!" he howled.

"Shut up."

"Hey, don't get brash with me. I came all the way over here to give you a Valentine, after all."

As if the day couldn't get any weirder, Aomine had to go and say something like that. "...What?"

"Yeah, yeah, you heard me," Aomine groaned. "It's nothing special. I mean, I'm giving them out to everyone, so...hey! Don't look at me like that! It's nothing personal!"

Not buying a word that Aomine had just said, Kagami smirked, and said, "Admit it; my Valetine was the one that you put the most thought into."

"Oh, shut up," Aomine growled, slamming the envelope down onto the counter. "Just take it and rip it up when you're done reading it. Bye."

Laughing the entire time that Aomine had fumbled with the door for his dramatic exit, Kagami finished his coffee, tipped Brewster handsomely for his services, and made his way out of the coffee shoppe. He had to find Kuroko.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard.

"Hey, why'd you run off like that?" Kagami asked, quickening his step to catch up with his friend.

"Because," was Kuroko's simple response.

"Because? Because what? Was it because of-" Kagami stopped himself. He needn't ask. He had already come to the conclusion himself.

"Kagami, why did you give me those chocolates this morning?"

"Huh? Oh, right...that," Kagami whispered. Okay, this was starting to get ridiculous. What was there to be nervous about, anyways? It was just Kuroko. It was just Kuroko. It was just Kuroko.

"...Kagami?" The adolescent was boasting a bright pair of rosy cheeks, something that concerned the questioning feline.

"You're special to me!" Kagami suddenly shouted. "You're special to me, Kuroko! That's why I gave those chocolates to you! I don't even know if you like chocolate. Crap, I should have asked first. Do you like chocolate, Kuroko?"

"I prefer vanilla."

"Crap..." Running his hands through his hair, Kagami shook his head and settled his thoughts, before continuing, "Like I was saying, though...you're special to me. I know we've only been close friends for a short while now, but I feel like I can really trust you, you know? It's like, you're the shadow to my light, or something silly like that."

"That's a silly way of putting it, Kagami."

"I know it is! But it's true, right?"

The expectant look that Kagami was giving him prompted Kuroko to answer, "I suppose so, yes."

Placing a hand to his chest and sighing with relief, Kagami nodded, finally mustering up the courage to boldly ask, "Am I special to you, too, Kuroko? I mean, not to be rude or anything, but you were the only one who didn't give me a-"

Within seconds, a small, handmade paper heart was in front of Kagami's face. Was this really happening? "It's for you," Kuroko murmured. Apparently, it really was.

"It's a...?"

"A Valentine."

"For me?"

"For you."

"Uh...thanks..."

"Take it."

Kagami took it. He felt like a jerk for presuming that Kuroko wasn't going to give him anything, now. In the end, maybe the fragile little feline had just been waiting for the opportune moment.

"You're special to me, too, Kagami," Kuroko smiled, showing Kagami one of those rare sights that could only be seen for the flash of a moment.

"Yeah?" Kagami flushed.

"Yeah," Kuroko nodded. "And, Kagami?"

"Yes, Kuroko?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

Kise's Valentine

Kagamicchi!

Happy Valentine's Day-ssu!

Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy

happy, happy, happy, happy, happy

happy-ssu! Have a happy, happy

Valentine's Day-ssu!

Akashi's Valentine

Dearest Taiga,

Have the happiest of days today.

After all, it is Valentine's Day.

Midorima's Valentine

Kagami,

Happy Valentine's Day, nanodayo.

Murasakibara's Valentine

Kagami...

Give me chocolates...

I want chocolates...

Chocolates...

Aomine's Valentine

Yo.

Happy Valentine's.

Kuroko's Valentine

Kagami,

You are very special to me.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Hi there! Chappy here! :D

Wow, it feels so weird to be writing about Valentine's Day in September. But alas, the story must progress!

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading!

- Chappy