[A/N] Oh my god I'm sorry it took time to update this story. Aside from work, I was busy with the cosplay competition that I joined with my friends. I'm really, really sorry.

Thank you for the wonderful review, CrimsonPearlAlice! 3 It's really important!

And please, hit me a review. I badly need it. Like really. XD

-Hiro

Morning came, and I found myself sleeping in Kiyoshi's arms. I knew this day would come; I would eventually sleep beside the person I admire the most, well... not in a romantic way, or so I thought. His bulky arm was wrapped around my waist, my head leaned on his chest. It was a cold winter morning, but our bed felt otherwise. It was warm. His embrace was so warm I could not help but cling to him more. I could hear him slightly snore, and to think that it was music to my ears wasn't a joke.

I wasn't able to sleep that much, to be honest. I was busy watching him gloriously sleep on his bed, observing his movements. A few hours from now, this man would be going overseas. I wouldn't be seeing his handsome face again.

-Wait. What was I thinking?

He was an exception. Of all the people I talked to he was the one who could annoy me and made me laugh at the same time. He was a different kind; he was someone from a different dimension. He was unique in his own way and I was glad I was able to see the immaculate transformations of his face everyday.

He moved a little closer, tightening the embrace. I was about to fix his injured knee (because it was slightly slanted and it might hurt him more) when he mumbled something... something familiar.

"..ga."

I leaned a little closer to hear his mumbling and my face blushed when he spoke again.

"...Hyuuga… Junpei, I love.. you."

I couldn't speak nor react. Three things entered my mind. Was he dreaming of me at this very moment? Was I the center of his dreams from last night? Not really, Junpei. You are so dumb. He just mentioned your name and now you're stating the obvious. Secondly, was I the focal point of his admiration? He just mentioned that he loved me, right? I couldn't help but look at him with weary eyes. Lastly, was he saying the truth? Even though we're guys, why was he able to say such words? Was he confused of his preference? Didn't he like Riko? He was more fitting with the female coach than me. Aside from the fact that we were both men, they looked good toge-why did I feel a sudden pang in my chest? I know for a fact that Kiyoshi was a likeable person but I did not expect that I would be affected by it, and it's saddening... because we couldn't be together. I looked at him as a wonderful person but..

Do you like him now, Junpei Hyuuga?

Like? If I was a girl then I would like him. But I'm a guy, and I should not feel affectionate towards this person. I mustn't fall for him, because he was that wonderful. He was exceptional. He needed someone deserving than m-

But do you like him?

-I couldn't answer it, not today. I was still confused. My feelings were still in its own haywire. I couldn't feel hate when he pressed his lips on mine. I couldn't say I despise it, however the intensity of his kisses were too much for me. I was still in shock, baffled at what he was trying to convey by locking his lips on mine. I was still asking if what we did was the right thing, however it felt good. It really did. The taste of his mouth were exquisite. It was at its' finest I couldn't help but savor him more. Maybe that was a kiss from a man felt like, for we knew how to make other girls feel better by liplocking. But this was different. It was on a different dimension; it was more addictive. His touch were pure perfection. Sure, he knew my weak points but I was dazed by the way he played his fingers on my sensitive spots. We did not go all the way, though. But the thought of him touching me sensually gave a million electrodes running all over my body.

Maybe I was starting to like him.

No.

Maybe I loved him all along.

I reached a little higher and gave him a peck on the lips. I could feel his lips move and slightly suck mine. Smiling at him, I moved out of the bed carefully. I looked at the time. Five-thirty AM? Not bad. I thought to myself. I went to the kitchen and before I did, I placed another kiss on his lips.

I tried to look for decent food on his kitchen. Tried opening the ref, the cupboards and such but all I saw were canned goods. Bakiyoshi, I thought to myself again. How would I be able to cook breakfast with these items? I wasn't a good cook, but I could prepare a decent breakfast for myself, so I knew I could do something with these junk. I started by cooking rice, eventually helped myself by frying some eggs and hotdogs that I got from the fridge and looked for canned corned beef. It might be his last breakfast here in the country that's why I wanted it to be special. After cooking the eggs and the hotdogs, I sauteed the corned beef to dry itself out. I made sure I cooked extra for his grandparents to eat when they woke up. After the meals were cooked I checked the rice cooker. A few minutes more and it's good. In addition, I prepared coffee for that extra points. After preparing the table and placing a note that the food was for his grandparents, I grabbed a tray and assembled Kiyoshi's breakfast. I then walked out of the kitchen and carefully made my way to Kiyoshi's room.

When I opened the door, I saw Kiyoshi still dozing on the bed. I placed the breakfast tray on the side table and started shaking the injured man.

"Kiyoshi... your breakfast is ready." I whispered. He moaned unconsciously and covered his face with the blanket and for god's sake it made my heart skip. I removed the blanket on his head and started shaking him again.

"Kiyoshi, if you did not wake up early you'll be late on your flight."

After a few moments (and a few more shaking) he opened his eyes, looked at me intensely and suddenly grinned like a fucking idiot.

"Good morning, Hyuuga." He spoke with his bedroom voice.

I forgot that there was food in the table because the moment he spoke my body immediately skipped near him and kissed him lovingly. Shock registered into his eyes for a few seconds but he was able to cope up with the pace of my lips. We stayed there, nibbling each other's lips while my hand subconsciously touched his chest. A groan escaped his mouth as I entered my tongue swiftly. He was a sight to behold and I couldn't stop myself from being hooked from him. We then stopped after a few, panting, smiling at each other. He then grabbed my hand and placed a peck while looking straight at me.

"That was a good start, Hyuuga." he mumbled, his eyes fixed on mine. "You really know how to make my day."

I blushed at that point, because it was my first seeing him in such a fashion. I pulled my hand and averted my gaze.

"Y-you should eat." I stuttered. "Here, let me fix you."

The latter nodded. I stood up, moved the pillows so that he could lean on the bedpost and pulled him. After fixing his position, I immediately grabbed the breakfast tray and placed it in front of him.

"Go eat, Kiyoshi. I prepared it for you."

Kiyoshi's eyes widened and eventually changed into a smirk. "Thank you, Hyuuga. It was a first for me to have someone that I love cook for me." He then grabbed his chopsticks and clapped. "Itadakimasu!"

There went my heartbeat, racing at 140mph.

While he was eating, I grabbed a chair and sat near him. Before he would leave us, I wanted to clarify what he was feeling after what happened last night.

"Kiyoshi.. about last night.. and about today.." I spoke in between pauses. My hands were sweating, and I could feel the sudden tension rose up on his room. "Are you.. serio-"

"Of course." Kiyoshi answered rapidly, like a speeding bullet. "I wouldn't kiss you if I don't like you."

My face flushed crimson at his straightforward reply.

"But, you know for a fact that we are both guys, right?" I asked him, choosing the right words so that he wouldn't think that I was confused. He then stared at me while he was chewing, gulped and smiled at me. He then raised his hand and his fingers moved inwards.

"Come here, dear." He requested. I moved a little closer to him.

He frowned. "I said come here, not move closer."

Sighing in defeat I lifted my chair and placed it a few inches closer to him. He then held my hand and massaged my hand.

"When I kissed you, Hyuuga... what did you feel?"

The speed of my heartbeat escalated from 140mph to 160mph.

"I-It felt... good."

A smile chiselled on his lips. "When you kissed me back, what exactly went through your mind?"

I looked at him. "I'm c-confused on what were you trying to tell me. But I was swept a-away... your lips gave something that was s-so.. right." I bowed my head to hide my blushing face. "You see, I don't know what's going through your skull but when you kissed me, it felt so right."

A sigh escaped his mouth. A chuckle- and I found my reddening face being lifted up by his free hand. "Then don't stop yourself if it feels right. I love you, Hyuuga. Ever since I met you I knew that you were the one for me. Sure, if we would be together it wouldn't be your typical relationship. All I wanted you to do is trust me."

I glanced at his face and his cheeks were blushing too, just like mine. I bit my lower lip. I lost my thoughts again.

"Now, Hyuuga... do you like me too?"

There goes my pulse, driving itself to maximum overdrive.

"I-I don't k-know." I started to tear up. "I mean, I still have apprehensions whether this was okay. B-but I was drawn into you."

Kiyoshi let out a sweet "Mhm" as he continued massaging the back of my hand with his thumb, waiting for the continuation of my piece.

"You know, I admired you as a person. You forced me to play basketball again, and it turned out to be the best decision that I made. You made us feel important, you sacrificed yourself for the team. And I admire you for that... but.." A pause, "I'm not quite sure if what I am feeling right now towards you was exactly love."

"I know you would feel that." He acknowledged.

"But here's the thing. I-I want you to get well. By the time that you will be overseas, I would think about it. I may be confused but I will try to comprehend what you are saying right now. M-maybe we can just enj-"

"Enjoy the moment? That's what we are doing.." He countered.

He was right. We were enjoying the last few minutes of his stay here in Japan.

"I just want to get more time, to think about it, to sort my feelings towards you." I breathed deeply. It might be close to rejecting his affection but it was the best thing to do as of the moment. A few moments of silence occupied the room, and the atmosphere became thicker. I closed my eyes as I wiped my tears from my cheeks.

"Alright then." He uttered. "I'll give you time."

I raised my head. "Kiyoshi..."

"No. It really is okay. Sort things out. Expand your horizons. By the time I come back here I will be expecting an answer from you, yes?"

I nodded in agreement. He then pulled me calmly and reached for my lips. It was a sweet kiss created by both of us. After a few seconds he looked at me, his usual grin etched on his face. "I'm not asking you to love me right away, Hyuuga. But don't stop here. I might lost my pace."

"Yes."

~bakahirokun~

"This is the final call for Flight MS3729. To all passengers, please proceed to Gate 27. The plane will take off in 10 minutes."

My head lowered upon hearing the last reminder of Kiyoshi's flight. We're here in the airport, and I could see the Seirin Basketball Team give their last reminders to the injured center. His grandparents were there as well, unfortunately they wouldn't be able to join Kiyoshi because of old age. Everyone were in tears, watching him fix his bags. Alex, along with Kagami, would be joining him. I was staring at them at the back, suppressing the loneliness that was building up inside me.

"So, this is it, guys…" said Kiyoshi. "Take care, all of you. I will be back in a few months."

"Stay strong, Teppei-san." Koganei spoke while wiping his tears. "Seirin won't be the same without you."

A chuckle escaped Kiyoshi's lips. He tapped the man's shoulder. "Of course, I'll be back." He reassured him.

"Kiyoshi.. you have to get well." A crying Riko approached the man and embraced him. "We will wait for your return. We'll be stronger." The latter then answered with a nod while hugging the female coach.

"You should take care of the team for me, Riko. I will get well." he answered her. She then nodded verbally while wiping her own tears.

After a few moments he approached me with his crutches, pulled me and placed a kiss on my lips. Everyone's jaws dropped at the sudden gesture he made. I too was in shock, but the shock disappeared and abruptly changed into tears when I realized this would be the last time that he would kiss me. This would be the last time he would express how much he loved me. I clung to him, burying my face on his lean chest, and wept uncontrollably. The Iron Heart wrapped his arms around me in return and whispered in my ear.

"I'll be back for you, Dear. I love you."

He then broke his embrace and walked his way to the airport lobby with Alex and Kagami. I couldn't stop my tears as I watched our distance getting wider every second. In a few minutes, he would be a kilometer away. In a few hours, a thousand miles apart from me. The thought of losing him triggered negative thoughts, but his promise flew like angels over my head, cleansing my apprehension. Then an idea struck me.

~bakahirokun~

"It sure is silent without Teppei." Kagami sighed.

It was the third week of Kiyoshi's absence. He already flew to America with Alexandra for his knee operation. Alexandra said it would took four months for Kiyoshi to be able to walk again, and there was no assurance if he would be able to play basketball again or the operation would be successful. We were hoping everything would be fine for Kiyoshi. Even though we had apprehensions, we were able to shrug it off. As Riko had told us in between her tears after his departure,

"Kiyoshi is the Iron Heart of Seirin. Why should we worry?"

Riko was right. What's there to worry if it was Kiyoshi? I believed in him, and would always believe in him. Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other, and eventually smiled at me. I think we had the same line of thoughts.

"I hope Kiyoshi will be able to play with us again." Koganei muttered as he patted Nigou's head. Mitobe on the other hand nodded. The others expressed their prayers for Kiyoshi's recovery, and that made me a little bit stronger.

Much to our suprise, Riko stood up and looked at the whole Seirin team.

"Look, Teppei's already there and is preparing for his operation. We should prepare for the next competition. We will win even without Teppei. Sure, he is an important piece for Seirin, but do you think we should rely on him always? We need to fix our flaws and strengthen our core." She spoke. "We will make him proud by winning the next preliminaries, alright?"

"Yes, Coach Riko!" They answered in unison.

"Riko, can we talk about something?" I spoke as the others made their way to the basketball court.

The female coach tilted her head, confused about what we would be talking about. After a few seconds of observation, she nodded and made her way outside the Gym.

~bakahiroki~

"A-a-are you SERIOUS?" A stunned Riko almost screamed in front of me while we're taking a break from basketball practice. Her face looked petrified, like a deer caught in the headlights. I took a sip from my water jug and nodded nonchalantly.

"Yeah, what's the problem?" I calmly asked her.

"Junpei, United States isn't just the next street. How can you talk casually about it?" she exclaimed, wanting to slap the reality out of me. "And do you think your savings are sufficient to even stay there?"

A sigh escaped my throat. "That's why I'm asking help from you, guys. I want to stay beside Kiyoshi. I know it's a selfish request, but please understand me." Facing her, I continued my piece. "Three weeks, three long weeks had passed and I haven't got a decent sleep. I'm worried about Kiyoshi."

"Then what about the team?" Riko calmly asked me. "We'll lose a captain on the next prelimiaries."

"Kagami can do it. I can see a huge potential on him after the fight with Rakuzan. He can manage the team very well." I shrugged. "Maybe it's time to focus on the bench members' strengths, yes?"

"Sure. But still we'll lose another vital member for the team." Riko bit her lower lip. "Ugh, this is harder than I imagined." She retorted.

I looked at her and I could see the distress in her eyes. She must be really upset about my decision, but for now no one could stop me doing my plans. After a long silence, she let out another moan and faced me.

"If that's your decision, i will respect it. However let me look over my plans and sort things out first before you fly there."

"Thank you so much, Riko. I owe you something from now on." I smiled.

"And yes, one more thing." The female coach muttered. I looked at her, eager to hear her favor.

"Take care of Kiyoshi at all means. You have my email, please send us updates. Since you suggested this, I want you to be there for him every minute. Understood?"

Smiling at her, I nooded.