Yay! Another chapter is up and I'm really happy I finally wrote a MidoTaka(ish)

I saw in the poll that Takao was first and I was more than happy to write him - though it was mostly because I already had something in mind with him.

Anyways, I really hope you like this and don't forget to check out my other stories!

So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!


HEADS UP

1. This will completely ignore the time schemes. I'm going to upload the characters the order in which I want to write them at. So, for example, one chapter could be after the winter cup, and the next could be in the time when Seirin beat Kaijo at a practice match. I will put the time in which the chapter will be at, but I'm saying this now so you guys don't get confused

2. It is highly likely that the characters, aka victims, will be out of character. One because the plot demands it, and two because I just can't get out of my comfort zone to write really mean characters (cough cough Hanamiya, Haizaki etc) So, forgive me if I can't really write these types of characters well and let us hope that i will be able to write them better in the near future

3. The portraits/paintings that I will mention in each chapter are pictures I found on the Internet. To give you guys a better perspective on what the victims will be witnessing, I'll put the links up both at the end of the chapter and at my profile. Just remember to take away the spaces if you're too lazy to click on my profile and find it there. There will sometimes be more than one painting the character will witness, so heads up


Title: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Rating: T

Pairings: Midorima X Takao

Time frame: The day before the Seirin/Rakuzan match

Warning: none

Fourth Victim: Takao Kazunari


Takao was ashamed to say that he finally understood the girls in shoujo mangas who got their hearts broken and were left alone to cry their eyes out. He always wondered why it was a recurring thing in those cheesy romance stories but now that he encountered a scene just like one, he couldn't say any more bad things about it.

A small part of him cursed his little sister for forcing him to read it with her, just so that she had someone to fangirl with. The large part of him was too disarrayed to even be thinking.

He ran, covering his hawk-like eyes to not let anyone see that he was crying.

The cause? None other than his teammate and partner, Midorima Shintarou. Just thinking his name made Takao groan in pity as more tears fell out. He felt so girly but before that, he felt absolutely heartbroken.

At the moment, he didn't want to relieve the incident because it was too painful and embarrassing to him. God, the look on Midorima's face when Takao accidentally blurted out that he may have had a crush on him was godforsaken. He shook his head violently and tripped on thin air. Thankfully, the street he was at had no people walking around. Then again, it was raining cats and dogs at this point.

Today was just not his day. Their team lost in the Winter Cup by Akashi Seijuuro, the seniors all had to retire to study for their university exams, he got rejected by his crush, and now, he didn't even have an umbrella to protect him from the rain. He laughed humorlessly as he dusted himself off and tried to find shelter. He started running again, this time with an objective in mind, and when he could find none, he fell to his knees in frustration.

He didn't know where he was at (he was too busy wallowing in his pity to pay attention to his surroundings) and he was getting colder as the seconds ticked by. If he stayed in the rain for a bit more, he was bound to get a major cold and he knew Midorima would most likely blame himself for it.

Takao winced slightly at the name. He really didn't want to think about it right now, not when he was still trying to get over it.

He let out a bitter cry and pounded his fist on the ground, the puddle splashing about. Just when he was about lose hope, he heard a voice behind him.

"Excuse me, are you ok?" Takao whipped his head around and saw that it was a beautiful woman holding an object that was obviously way too big for her to carry. She held the umbrella between her neck and shoulder as she looked at him worriedly.

"Ah…" Takao tried to say but no words could come out.

The woman tilted her head and with much difficulty, she shifted the package to only one hand so that she could lend the other to Takao.

"You'll get sick lying in the rain like that. Come on, let's get you some shelter." She said and Takao looked at the hand hesitantly before taking it.

"Thank you." He managed to say and she smiled at him, making him feel a lot better for some reason.

"It's my pleasure. Besides, the young master would probably scold me if I left someone in need." She explained as Takao unconsciously took the object from her.

"Ah, I can carry it on my own." She protested but Takao shushed her.

"It's fine." Takao waved off and though she looked like she wanted to say something, she held back and merely focused on holding the umbrella so that neither could get wet.

"Young master?" Takao then echoed and she nodded. "You're a servant?" She nodded once more. Takao suddenly stopped, making the woman stop as well.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Wait, so where are we going?" Takao asked instead, ignoring the question. He had a bad feeling about this.

"To the young master's home. I need to give that to him and start on my own work." She said as she pointed to the package Takao was holding.

"Wait, you're not expecting me to go into another person's house, much less a rich person's, right?" He doubted but the woman just laughed.

"Don't worry. The young master is one of the most munificent people you'll ever meet. He'll take in you immediately without any complaint."

"Still, I can't do such a thing. I'm not worthy enough." Takao dramatized, not knowing how to express his discomfort.

The woman chuckled at Takao's comment.

"Nakashima-san!" Someone called out and the woman's eyes widen. Takao looked towards her direction and he imitated the woman's actions.

"Kuroko?" Takao voiced out in confusion as Kuroko ran towards the pair, huffing with the umbrella that was barely keeping him dry.

"Nakashima-san, I thought I told you to wait at the art store." Kuroko said with a bit of hurt lacing his tone. The woman, now identified as Nakashima, looked down in guilt.

"I didn't want to bother you in this rain. I could do it myself." She confessed and Kuroko sighed but a small smile entered his features. He ruffled her hair affectionately and Nakashima lifted her head.

"Thank you for worrying, but I was more worried for you, Nakashima-san."

"I apologize, Tetsuya-sama. I will advice you next time."

"And by then, I will already by out the door." Kuroko commented and Nakashima smiled. Then, Kuroko's eyes laid on none other than Takao Kazunari, who was silent throughout the whole encounter.

"Takao-kun, what are you doing here?" He queried. Takao's only response to that was: "Tetsuya-sama!?"


"Can somebody get me a big towel?" Kuroko called out and the maids all scrambled to meet his demands. Nakashima asked for the package back from Takao and he, in a dream-like state, blankly gave it to her. She thanked him before running upstairs with the object.

Takao didn't know what was happening. Just a few minutes ago, he was heartbroken and crying his eyes out. How was it that mere seconds, he was inside a freaking mansion with the unbelievable fact that Kuroko Tetsuya, one of the most fragile players he had ever seen, was rich and unimaginably powerful.

He watched the servants greet Kuroko with a bow and the maids all fumbling to dry their young master. Another maid came up to Takao and, with a bow, held out a big fluffy towel. He looked at Kuroko, wondering what he was supposed to do with this, and Kuroko only looked at him. Takao interpreted it as one of idiocy before taking the towel and thanking the maid. She bowed once more before leaving.

He started drying himself, his hair and exposed arms, and kept examining the main entrance as if he were in a trance. Then,

"Takao-kun, the bath is ready for you to use." Kuroko said and Takao realized that Kuroko was at the golden stairs. He was still in front of the door, stunned, and look around hesitantly before walking up to him.

"I didn't know you were… Ah…" Takao trailed off, suddenly feeling very awkward. Kuroko's unwavering gaze made it worse.

"Rich?" He bluntly stated and Takao spluttered. Kuroko tilted his head. "Many don't know. It's never come up before so I never had the reason to tell."

"But you don't really show it either. I mean, Akashi portrays it every chance he gets. You… don't." Takao finished clumsily.

Kuroko's gaze was the same. "It would seem so." He answered simply and gestured Takao to follow him.

During the walk in the long hallway, Takao kept looking around in awe. There were so many eye-catching things that he didn't want to miss any of them. There were chandeliers shining bright gold and so many beautiful paintings hanging on the wall. Takao felt himself getting sucked into them and just had to know who could make such alluring art.

"Kuroko, who painted all of this? Did you buy it at an auction or something?" He asked.

Kuroko looked back at him, still walking. "Ah, actually -" He started to say when his footsteps stopped and he opened a door.

Kuroko went in first and Takao hung around the doorway, peeking into the room with caution. His breath hitched at the grandioseness that was supposedly a room. The bed was nearly the size of his own room and a chandelier was hanging just above it. The room itself might as well been the size of his whole apartment flat.

"Takao-kun, I've laid out some clothes for you in the bathroom. Take as long as you need." Kuroko bowed and then left Takao to his thoughts.

The door shut and Takao stepped cautiously to the bathroom, not wanting to touch the perfect fur carpet. When he saw the bathroom, he almost fainted. Just what was Kuroko? This was just insane.

He took off his clothes and slowly went inside the bubble filled bathtub. He sighed in complete ecstasy once his whole body was inside.

'What I wouldn't give to live a life like this.' Takao thought, the bubbles raising up to his chin. It was so peaceful, Takao almost forgot the mess he was in. Key word: almost. Just as he was about to close his eyes and lay in peace, the incident rewinded in his head without permission, making him almost jump out of the bathtub. He covered his face in pure embarrassment and he didn't feel peaceful anymore.

'What should I do?' Takao thought in frustration. 'I should probably call and apologize, say that it was all a misunderstanding and pretend it never happened.' His face grew into a frown. 'But do I really want that?'


He got of the bathtub earlier than expected. He realized that he now felt uncomfortable being here when he was supposed to brooding over the fact that his best friend would probably avoid him forever (Takao did have a tendency to dramatize a lot of things). Takao wouldn't blame him; after all, it was a normal reaction. He put on the clothes laid out for him and he saw that the clothes he had ben wearing were gone. He then shrugged, not really caring anymore.

He got out of the room while drying his hair with a towel and walked all the way to the main entrance. Once there, he was greeted by a butler who was almost as tall as Midorima.

The butler bowed. "Would you follow me please? The dinner table is ready for you." He said and Takao's brows furrowed.

"Wait, I'm staying for dinner?" He asked and the butler nodded.

"The young master insists."

Takao rubbed his head in awkwardness. "Ah, I should probably go, though. I feel like I'm intruding or something."

The butler shook his head vigorously. "Not at all! Tetsuya-sama absolutely enjoys other people's company. After middle school, his friends stopped visiting, making this household very quiet and lonely. It's nice to see young master's friends stop by."

"Middle school? Are you talking about the Generation of Miracles?"

The butler completely ignored him. "Please, Tetsuya-sama is waiting. Shall we go?"

Takao stayed in his place uncertainly for a second before relenting. "Fine, but there better be some kimchi." He joked.

The butler nodded solemnly. "Is kimchi a preference for you?"

"My favorite food. It's Korean." Takao proclaimed jokingly but the butler merely nodded once more.

"I will prepare it immediately." He declared and bowed before walking away.

Takao widened his eyes. "Ah, wait! It was a joke! A joke!" He called out but it was all in vain because the butler was already inside the kitchen. Takao let out a sigh.

"I know. You have to be careful or else they will do something you don't want them to. Just yesterday, I expressed lament in not being able to buy something and the next thing you know, one of the servants went all the way to Hokkaido to get it." A voice said and Takao nearly shrieked when he saw Kuroko at the end of the table.

Maybe his eyes were broken because he didn't know Kuroko was there at all.

"All the way there?" Takao asked while taking a seat next to him. The kitchen door opened and two maids brought out a wheel-table with plates of food, and to Takao's surprise, a plate with kimchi as well.

"Thank you for the food." Both said and dug into the food. The whole time, Takao marveled at the deliciousness.

"My compliments to the chef!" Takao complimented as he took another bite of kimchi. Kuroko nodded with a small smile on his face.

"Yoshimura-san will be delighted to hear that." Kuroko said and soon enough, all food was gone.

Takao patted his stomach in glee. "Remind me to come by your house more often."

"All the pleasure. Come by anytime." Kuroko responded.


Before Takao knew it, it was already over 9. They were in the recreation center and Takao spent his time marveling the HD TV and the other possessions Kuroko had. He didn't really know it because he was already used to the house and wanted to know more about it, so when he got a call from his mother, he was stunned at how much time had passed.

"Wait, it's already 9?" He asked and his mother let out a huff.

"Almost 9:30! Kazu, where are you? Your friend stopped by a few minutes ago, asking where you were."

Takao hesitated. "Wait, who?"

"Who else? The green-haired boy you're always with. Kazu, did something happen between you two? He seemed to be really shaken."

Takao stuttered. "Ah, it's nothing. We just had an argument. It's fine."

His mother didn't believe him one bit. "I'm drilling you about it when you get home. When exactly are you coming home?"

Takao rubbed his head. "I don't really know."

"It's pouring outside, Kazu. Do you even have an umbrella? Where are you?" His mother demanded worriedly.

"I'm fine, mom. I'm actually at a friend's house after we met by coincidence. Look, I'll come home right away."

There was a rustle in the background. "No." His mom said suddenly and Takao looked at the phone in confusion.

"Wait, did you just say no?"

"Yes, I mean no. I mean -"

"Mom, speak coherently." Takao interrupted and his mother took a deep breath.

"I think you'll need to sleep over."

Takao's brows furrowed. "What, why?"

"It's raining so much right now and I realize that having you here with Hina and her friends is going to kill me. Let me talk to your friend's mother."

"Ah, ok? Wait, Hinami's having a sleepover? I want to go!"

"Takao Kazunari, you step into my house with her friends still over and I will murder you."

"Feeling the love, mom." Takao said in joking sarcasm.

"Just let me talk to your friend's mother." She said and Takao nodded, though he knew she couldn't see it.

He covered the phone with his hand and called out to Kuroko, who was sitting quietly on the sofa.

"Hey, Kuroko? My mom wants to speak with your mom."

Kuroko shook his head. "My parents are out of the country. Is there something the matter?"

It was Takao's turn to shake his head. "Nah, nothing like that. My mom wanted to ask if I could stay the night over."

"You can. I wouldn't mind at all." Kuroko answered and Takao stared at him.

"Really? Are you sure?" He asked doubtfully and Kuroko nodded.

"It does get lonely around here sometimes. Nakashima-san is always here to keep me company but it is nice to have friends once in a while."

Takao couldn't help but smile at the phantom player because at that moment, the always blank faced boy looked happy.

He turned back to the phone. "Hey, mom? His mom's out of town, but he doesn't mind if I stay."

"Really? That's good, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Kaz - Hinami, do not touch that pizza, it is hot and you will burn your - Gah! What did I tell you? I'll see you tomorrow, Kazu." And with that, the phone call ended.

Takao chuckled at his mother's antics and turned his attention back to Kuroko.

"So, I guess I'm staying."

Kuroko nodded. "It would seem so. I will prepare the guest bedroom for you." He called Nakashima and she entered the room with a bow.

"What would you like, Tetsuya-sama?"

"For you not to bow to me." Kuroko said bluntly and Nakashima chuckled.

"You know I can't do that, Tetsuya-sama."

"How long have we known each other?"

"Not long enough."

Kuroko sighed but reluctantly changed the subject. "Would you mind preparing the guest bedroom for my friend?"

Nakashima nodded. "Right away." She bowed once more before leaving.

"Must be lucky, having servants and all." Takao said, more in admiration than in jealousy. Kuroko shook his head.

"I feel guilty every time I order them to do something."

"Then why don't you do it?" Takao asked in pure curiosity.

"What makes you think I have not? I tried making my own bed once and they all swarmed over me, telling me it was their job to do such a thing. After a few months of trying, my father told me it would never work, so I stopped."

Takao lied down on the couch. "So, where are you parents?"

"I believe they are in Europe."
"That far?"

Kuroko nodded. Takao frowned. "How much do you see your parents?"

Kuroko tilted his head and pondered. "If I am lucky, about twice every 3 months?"

Takao blanched. "Are you serious? That's too small!"

"I understand that they have work to do."

"Even still! They're your family! They should be caring for you and loving you and -"

"I already have that, even if my family cannot provide it." Kuroko cut off with a smile on his face. Takao looked at him before understanding.

"Ah, I forgot. You have a really good team, Kuroko. Seirin's going to win this Winter Cup."

"Thank you for having faith in us." Kuroko bowed and Takao stretched his arms with a yawn. It was already 10 and Takao knew Kuroko needed to rest because tomorrow was the big day where Seirin would match against Rakuzan, Akashi's unbeatable school.

He knew he shouldn't keep Kuroko up, but he realized that he had never seen his room at all.

"Hey, Kuroko?" Takao asked as he stood up. Kuroko looked at him curiously.

"Yes, Takao-kun?"

"Where's your room?"

Kuroko looked slightly taken back. "Excuse me?"

"Your room! I wanna see it!" Takao said in glee and Kuroko looked at him strangely before nodding. He then stood up and gestured Takao to follow him. Takao smiled brightly and skipped his way to a door that was slightly bigger than the other doors in the hallway.

"It is a bit messy, so please be careful." Kuroko warned.

Takao raised an eyebrow. "Never would have pinpointed you as a messy person."

Kuroko merely shrugged and opened the door. The first thing Takao saw was a newspaper wall at the opposite side of the door that was filled with splotches of different hues. The ground was filled with palettes and paintbrushes, canvases and opened paint buckets. His bed was at the vey corner, a simple one-person bed that clashed with the rich style the mansion had. And finally, Takao saw the other walls that were filled with framed canvases.

His breath hitched as he realized the nostalgia. The style of the paintings, though they had different concepts, all had that same feeling. They were all beautiful, yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Kuroko was already inside and waited for Takao to move, and slowly, he did.

"Did you… do all this?" Takao whispered and Kuroko nodded. "I didn't know you could draw."

"It is a hobby of mine. When I do not play basketball or I have an inspiration, I draw. It was a good way to express myself when my face could not." Kuroko explained and Takao nodded absentmindedly.

With small steps, Takao walked over to the walls and examined the paintings carefully, one by one. And then, when he saw two familiar people, he started to cry.

The painting was one of Takao and Midorima. It was raining but the only one who had the umbrella open was Takao. He was a staring downwards to none other than Midorima Shintarou, who was in his Teiko uniform, in complete sorrow. There was no other action and it seemed like a simple drawing of two people, both in pain and both in need, but for Takao, he knew exactly what Kuroko wanted to portray.

Brokenly, he turned to Kuroko, who was silent, and asked with his eyes. 'Why?'

Kuroko walked over to where he was and touched the painting delicately, tracing over the figures. "After the rematch between Seirin and Shuutoku, when I saw Midorima having fun and actually passing to other people, I realized how much of a friend you were to him. Before, even back in Teiko, he never acknowledged us or even called us friends, just teammates and mere acquaintances. Then, when he entered Shuutoku and met you, he seemed to be more open. I like to believe that you were the cause for it, Takao-kun. I like to believe that it was because you that Midorima-kun could revert back to who he was."

"But that was your doing." Takao whispered.

Kuroko shook his head. "It was you who made it so much better, Takao-kun. In Teiko, we were all broken. Now, everyone has someone they can rely on. Kise-kun has Kasamatsu-san, Aomine-kun has Imayoshi-san and Momoi-san, even Murasakibara-kun has Himuro-san to help him get through it. Sometimes, when I think about it, I wonder if Midorima-kun is the luckiest of them all."

"Why?" Takao asked in a soft voice, still unable to get it.

Kuroko looked at him straight in the eye. "Because he has you."

Takao couldn't take it. Memories from before resurfaced and marred Takao's thoughts. He fell to his knees and cried even harder. Kuroko crouched down as well and patted him soothingly on the back.

"Well, it's all over now!" Takao wailed and tried to wipe away his tears. "I've officially ruined the friendship me and Shin-chan had. I'm sorry, Kuroko. I've failed."

"You do not have apologize, Takao-kun. Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I made the stupidest mistake anyone can ever make. I confessed to the one person I never should have confessed to."

"Takao-kun?" Kuroko asked but Takao wasn't listening to him.

"Shin-chan was degrading himself as usual, saying it was his fault that they couldn't win against Akashi. He kept insulting himself, saying he wasn't good enough. I tried to comfort him but he kept trying to push me away that I finally cracked and told him I liked him. I told the one person who would never even think to be gay that I liked him. What am I going to do?"

Takao sobbed, cried, wished he could mend his broken heart, and wanted nothing more but to rewind time and stop this whole mess from happening. He had been happy when Midorima knew nothing. He was more than glad that he could stay next to him even though he was harboring these illicit feelings. But now, it was all gone.

He felt sharp pains in his chest and he couldn't breath. He started hyperventilating while still crying, making the situation even worse.

Then, when he felt that he couldn't go on any further, Kuroko hugged him tightly. Takao's breath stopped for a moment, trying to understand what was happening, and Kuroko took that moment to speak.

"Takao-kun, you are one of the most caring, beloved people I have ever met. You are quirky, funny, extremely sharp-eyed, and absolutely fun to have around. But you also have emotions because you are human. No human has the strength to mask their feelings, no matter how much he tries. You are no different, Takao-kun. You only did what was natural."

"But that doesn't change anything."

"But it will. For better or worse, even I do not know, but what I do know is that it will all fade over time. While the past may remain, the future always changes. The present may be difficult to deal with, but who knows? The future may be just what you want. Do not give up, Takao-kun, for I do not tolerate such people in my household."

Takao looked at Kuroko for a second before laughing out loud.

"Did you just try to make a joke?"

"I have no sense of humor. I do not understand."

Takao smiled. "Liar." And after a few seconds, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Kuroko smiled with him. "It is my pleasure."


Even though Takao had planned to not bother Kuroko, they ended up having a talk until 2 in the morning. They had no idea until Takao yawned and checked the time. When he did, he immediately threw Kuroko onto the bed and ordered him to sleep. Kuroko looked at him blank-eyed before nodding and closing his eyes.

When morning came, a maid came up and woke him, telling him Kuroko was waiting for him in the main entrance. He checked the time (he really should do that more often) and saw that it was nearly 10. He rushed out of bed, not caring about the bed head he had, and was met with the teal-haired player in front of the door.

"Good morning, Takao-kun. Did you have a good night's sleep?" Kuroko asked and Takao nodded.

"Best I've had in a long time. Going to practice?" He asked, eyeing the sports bag. It was Kuroko's turn to nod.

"Our last practice before the match with Rakuzan."

Takao looked at him seriously. "They're no joke."

"I know."

"But I know you'll win. You have a knack for making miracles. They should have dubbed you the Generation of Miracles instead." Takao joked and Kuroko gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Takao-kun. Shall we go?" He asked and Takao nodded, happily walking beside the phantom player.

Before they got out of the gate, however, a female voice called out to them and both turned around to see Nakashima running with a ridiculously big package in her hands.

"Ah, I forgot." Kuroko said before running towards her to help her. When they reached the Shuutoku player, Kuroko handed him the object.

"What is this?" Takao asked curiously and Kuroko smiled.

"You can open it when you get home. In the meantime, we have to go. I am sure your mother is waiting for you and if I am late to practice, the coach will have my head. Thank you, Nakashima-san." He said and bowed. The maid was extremely flustered.

"Tetsuya-sama! You promised you wouldn't' do that anymore!" She exasperated.

"It seems I have forgotten. I apologize." He bowed once more and Nakashima looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole.
Kuroko gave out a minuscule smile that only Takao saw, and both departed from the house.

They walked in silence before they reached the intersection. Takao looked at Kuroko with grateful eyes.

"Thanks, by the way. For cheering me up." He said with a grin.
"It was my pleasure." Kuroko responded but his eyes wandered behind the Shuutoku player. Takao, confused, turned his head around to see what Kuroko was looking at and gasped when he saw who it was.

He turned back to Kuroko, unsure of what to do, and looked at him for help.
Kuroko merely looked at him blankly but even Takao wasn't dull enough to see the happiness in his eyes.

"Takao-kun, maybe the friendship is just going to get stronger." And with that, Kuroko bowed and walked away.

"Takao!" The voice called out and said person froze up visibly. Then, he took a deep breath and decided it was time to face the facts and try to fix it. He turned around and saw that the person was just a few feet away from him.

With a smile, he called out: "Shin-chan!"


A few years later (1st year University)

"Takao, is everything unloaded?" A tall man with shocking green hair called out as he set down a cardboard box.

"Yup! The one I'm carrying's the last one!" The other answered as he walked into the barren room filled with unopened boxes.

The two sighed in relief and the one with black hair sat on the floor, tired.

"Who knew it'd be this hard to move houses?"

"Don't complain. It's better than when we had to jump around from house to house to find the right one."

"Tell me about it. I'm just glad Tet-chan hooked us up with this one."

"Did Kuroko ever agree to your calling him that, Takao?"

Takao laughed and shook his head. "As if. You never agreed to it either but I still call you Shin-chan."
The green-haired man pushed his glasses up. "It would be weird if you didn't."

Takao laughed once more. "Well, come on then. Let's start earlier we finish, the better."

His companion nodded and both started working, sweat glistening but both smiling at the fact that they could now live together.


They were almost finished when Midorima got ahold of a forgotten rectangular object and looked at it with confusion. Then, his eyes widened.

"Takao, what is this?" He asked and Takao peeked through the door. Then, he saw what Midorima was holding the portrait that he had gotten from Kuroko when they were still in high school. He gasped, completely forgetting that Midorima didn't know such a thing, and rushed to take it away from him. Midorima was ready, however, because he swiftly avoided his attack.

"Shin-chan, I can explain!" Takao said in panic as Midorima kept looking at the framed canvas.

"As expected of Kuroko. It is truly a magnificent piece." Midorima breathed and Takao stopped in his tracks.

"Huh?" He voiced in confusion and Midorima smiled at him.

"Even I must admit the skills Kuroko has. Where should we hang this?" Midorima inquired as he stood up with the painting. Takao looked after him in bewilderment before smiling back.

"Maybe the living room? Or the bedroom?" Takao suggested and they were about to discuss it a bit more when the doorbell rang.

Both looked at each other in confusion before Takao opened the door. His face immediately brightened when he saw who it was.

"Good evening, Takao-san, Midorima-san."

"Good evening to you too, Nakashima-san." Takao greeted back and she grinned. Takao opened the door a bit more and at this point, Midorima had walked over to where Takao was and stood beside him, also smiling.

"Come on in." MIdorima said but Nakashima shook her head.

"I have to go soon. I just came here to give you something to congratulate your move." She responded before she moved away from the door and the pair saw a wrapped package that was about the same size as the painting they had lying against the wall.

Both beamed as they knew what it was and quickly took it into their home. Nakashima bowed and bid them goodbye.

"Oh! And Tetsuya-sama sends his regards. He is extremely happy for you two." She added before leaving. The two waited until she left completely to close the door and open the wrapped gift.

When they did, Takao couldn't help but cry in joy.

"How does he always know what we want when we didn't even know we wanted it?" Takao marveled and Midorima wiped a few of Takao's tears away.

"This is going to be a problem." Midorima said and Takao looked at him strangely.

"Why?"

"I don't know where to hang these now. Should we put this one in the living room and this one in the bedroom?"

"Oh god, I swear this is going to take all night." Takao mumbled in glee and started arguing with his partner, both in basketball and life.


So, how was it? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the reviews!

MidoTaka portrait 1 (high school): s-media - cache - ak0 . pinimg 736x / 1e / d8 / ea / 1ed8ea6508 f3bdafafa 09015a8 f7a7eb . jpg

MidoTaka portrait 2 (university): s - media - cache - ak0 . pinimg originals / 57 / fe / 3a / 57fe3a0b 08751a0099 32865b303f9558 . jpg

Please take the time to vote on the poll for next time's chapter and I really hope you liked it.

Next week will probably be Overseas but I'm not too sure.

Peace,

FlyAndDontLookBack