Chapter 5

Kise took a long time Buying grocery for the night's dinner. It consumed most of his time when he joined a long line for a meat sale. It wasn't in his plan supposed to be but after seeing a freshly displayed beef with 20% off, he thought of cooking gyudon for Mine. He will surely eat a lot tonight. Kise thought while he was happily waiting for his turn.

With fast strides, he crossed the street as he pondered to use the shortcut to his house. A few days ago, he noticed an on-going construction near his place. Then he found out taking a detour on that block would make him arrive quicker to his house from the store. Such a way to save time. He as well liked to observe how the construction had been going. He felt excited just thinking what the interior would be like.

It seemed the workers were on break when he passed by the construction site. No one was on the unfinished structure. He mesmerizingly looked at the whole place as he continued to walk. To become an interior designer was his dream and he felt proud that he was able to achieve it. After transferring school when he and Aomine broke up, he dedicated his whole life to reach for his dream. It was a difficult start, for Kise was in so much despair he could die. But he regretted nothing. He couldn't even fathom what would have happened if he didn't escape from such unfruitful relationship. However, meeting Aomine again made him wonder; did he make the right decision back then? If he had endured a little more, would a turn of event take place? Just like now. Kise never thought that, after five years of being apart, Aomine would come chasing after him.

Then Mine crossed his mind. Kise smiles warmly. At that instant, he knew he did the right thing back then. If he didn't left from that place and transferred to a new one, he wouldn't have Mine with him right now. Just the thought of not having Mine made his heart ache.

In the midst of his deep thinking, the corner of his eyes caught a figure lying on the ground. When he turned out of curiosity, he almost shrieked in surprise. An unmoving man laid flat on the earth. The sun was at its peak that it was unlikely for someone to sunbathe under the hot rays.

With a closer look, Kise examined the person. His eyes rapidly shot wide open, realizing the familiar man in front of him.

"Aomine-san!" he screamed in shock. His voice quivering as he saw blood on Aomine's shoulder. Then he saw a hollow block almost in pieces beside Aomine's body. His eyes showed deep concern as he tried looking for help but there was nobody near around. From what he had observed, it seemed that the hollow block hit his shoulder as bleeding scratches were all over that area.

But there's still a possibility that it hit his head as well. No one would faint just by getting hit on the shoulder right?

Seeing a hardhat on the ground, Kise sighed in relief. "It looked like the hat protected his head from any injury. Oh well, he got a hard head so it's fine. Now, let's see what to do. First, I should get him out of this heat of he might die because of heat stroke." Kise paused thinking for a moment, then concluding that there wasn't any other way, he spoke helplessly.

"There's no other way but to drag this corpse to my house."

A familiar scent woke Aomine up. The nice tingling smell caressed every part of his nostrils in a tender manner that it wasn't hard for him to remember whom the scent came from. Aomine was a prisoner of that sweet enticing fragrance. He automatically opened his eyes. At the same time, a throbbing pain greeted his awakening. Soon after, he sensed the touch of a soft material on his left shoulder that felt sore as well. Aomine grimaced as the sting on his head became more apparent on his senses. He clutched his head with his both hands as he remembered what happened. Unconsciously, while he was too immersed on the file he was holding, something hit his head. The impact was too much that he fainted on the spot. He sighed. He felt outrageously stupid experiencing such accident and losing consciousness because of that.

Apparently, he found himself being taken care off I Aomine's house.

"There's no mistaking it. This is Kise's scent." He mumbled as he made sure of the fact himself. Everything in the room smelled like Kise; the bed mattresses, the pillow and even the air circulating inside the area. Somehow, he found himself lucky for having that accident earlier. Smiling meaning fully, he sat up as he looked around the room. The space was comfortably spacious and neat; however, not even a single thing was there to emphasize a woman's presence. More like the whole room had never received nor house a woman at all. This seemed weird in Aomine's thought. The queen size bed could accommodate two people at the same time. Obviously, the presence of it alone was enough to conclude that the room was or had been shared by two persons. Yet there was nothing to emphasize another person's property but Kise's.

"He even nonchalantly brought me to his bedroom" Aomine wondered. Could it be that Kise's a widow? Aomine's heart thumped in contrary to the possibility of his thoughts.

Approaching voices halted Aomine's brooding. He then quickly got back to bed, pretending to be still asleep. He was too embarrassed to face Kise after such a shameful accident. The door opened with a creak as if the one entering didn't want to disturb his rest. Then a child's voice broke off the silence.

"Papa, isn't this person the one from the airport?" Mine asked, approaching the bed.

"Shhhh—Mine don't be noisy."

"He really looks like an animal." Mine said amused as if he was seeing a rare creature. Aomine gritted his teeth silently.

This stupid kid calling me an animal.

"When I first saw him, his eyes made me think of a fierce animal." He faced Kise and then pointed at his own big eyes. "You agree right, Papa?" he grinned. The innocent child seemed to be enjoying talking about the guest. However, Aomine on the other hand felt like bolting up from the bed to hush the kid.

Kise chuckled as he saw Mine's bright face. It looked like the child was entertained by the presence of the guest.

"What kind of animal are you comparing him with?"

"Let's see…" Mine stroked his chin, thinking deeply. The kid looked so cute putting effort into coming up with an idea that it made Kise giggled. The melodious laughter came exquisitely in Aomine's ears. It made his heart jumped with happiness. He missed that side of Kise. If he wasn't pretending to sleep, he would gladly jump and hug Kise tightly that moment.

"Ah! Papa! Papa! He's like a wolf! Yes definitely!" Mine proudly exclaimed. "You see, he looks like a wolf with his pointy and fierce eyes. And he got this somewhat serious expression all the time like he's waiting for hi prey! His brows are often bumping with each other and..and.. I don't know the connection of his tanned skin—a dark brown wolf maybe?" Explaining his conclusion, he imitated Aomine comically.

Uhggg—this kid.. Aomine complained inside his head after listening to Mine's explanation.

Kise burst out laughing. With a hand on his stomach and the other on petting Mine's head, he couldn't help but agree with Mine's description of Aomine. Indeed he's a wolf. Kise pondered in his mind. He remembered how beastly Aomine could get in bed. With that memory flying inside him, he blushed. Then shaking his head, he put the thought behind.

"Now..now..Don't disturb the patient any longer. Go get your bath now and get ready for dinner." Mine gave Kise a warm okay and shortly after, he waltzed out the door and shut it carefully after his exit.

After seeing Mie left the room, Kise turned his attention to Aomine. He was supposed to avoid the man in the first place, but seeing him in a pitiful situation under the hot mid-day sun, Kise couldn't just leave him there, could he? Careful enough not to bother the injured man's sleep, he sat on the edge of the bed. Aomine's heart roared violently. He could almost imagine Kise silently staring at him.

What face is he making right now? What is he thinking? Should I make him know that I'm already awake? Aomine could feel the tension building up inside him.

And then much to Aomine;s surprise, he felt Kise's hand on his face, gently caressing it just like holding priced jewel. Aomine's pulse drummed on his ears.

Kise made the first move. Doesn't that mean he still feel something towards me other than hatred?

After a moment, the soft fingertips slowly withdrew but before Kise could completely pull away, Aomine ceased his hands as he quickly got up. Kise was flabbergasted. He didn't expect for Aomine to notice his actions.

"I—I didn't mean to—" he stammered as he grsped for the right excuse to say.

Aomine brought Kise hand to his cheek then lovingly pressed it to his lips. With much passion and emotion going on inside him, he could only express his feelings through his actions.

Kise could only stare at him as his face showed such heartfelt desire and strong longing for him. Then Aomine spoke with intensity.

"I've dreamt of this moment a thousand times. To touch you like this and make you feel how serious my feelings are. To remember your lovely smiles and laughter. To be with you without restriction…"

Kise felt his heart melted. Aomine's words were full of pureness and honesty. He could see it clearly from those deep blue eyes of his. However, Kise's resolution wasn't fragile enough to be shattered by such lovely lines. He took away his hand forcefully from Aomine's grip and lowered his eyes. Meeting Aomine's eyes would only make him weak.

"We can never bring the past back." He replied calmly. "The passion we shared died out that moment you let me walk away without stopping me. For you, it might have been the light that made you realize your true feeings but for me, it was the death of my devotions towards you." The bitter taste of the love they had ran down through him.

An outburst of anguish filled Aomine's heart. The words Kise uttered mirrored his great distaste of their painful past. Yet even how much Kise hide it, Aomine could feel that he wasn't being honest enough. Call him conceited but he was sure that deep in Kise's heart still existed a space for him.

"Then we don't need to bring the past back. Let's start anew." Aomine whispered. It came similar to pleading in Kise's ears. The desperation showed evidently on his eyes making his words appealing.

Kise bit his lips. He knew that if it went on, he would give away to Aomine's gentle side. And there was no way he could let that happen. He turned his back against Aomine and was about to stand but before he could completely balance on his feet, Aomine hugged him tightly from behind. Kise shrieked. He cursed his self for not being strong enough to escape from Aomine's strong arms.

Alarmed by the swift turn of events, Kise choked out in nervousness.

"I—I have a partner already!"

"No you don't have." Aomine countered quickly, his breath warm on Kise's ears.

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"I can conclude just seeing how things are in your household. It's fine Kise..Let's become a family. You, me and Mine. Wouldn't it be much happier that way?"

Kise trembled. The composed façade he had been trying to maintain crumbled.

"How can you say that easily? You don't know anything! How this household endured every hardship—how we worked our best to raise Mine…how painful it was for me…" the following words submerged into tender sobs. Indeed, for Kise, to come as far as he had now took a lot of effort and courage. For Aomine to take things lightly without knowing anything, it made him angry to the point of crying. He felt pathetic for not being able to control his weak spots.

Finding his beloved in misery, Aomine held him firmly in an embrace.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way…I'm sorry Kise."

Shit. I'm such an idiot! Why do I always end up making him cry? Not being able to patch things smoothly, he hated how he always ends up ruining the things between them.

A long moment of silence followed.

Aomine leaned his head on Kise's nape, still not letting him go from his hold. His mind was clouded with the thought of only Kise. He was afraid that he had made him step farther again. Kise stiffened. He could feel something wet dripping on the back of his neck.

Don't tell me—

Aomine's vision dampened when small droplets of tears emerged on his eyes. He couldn't contain his feelings anymore. It was uncomfortable for him but the paroxysm of mixed sensations battling in his chest pulled his heart's strings.

In a hoarse voice he fervently affirmed, "It it's not you, then I don't want anybody else."

Aomine unwillingly released Kise from his arms as he felt his strength slowly slipping away from him. His lifeless body fell on the soft touch of the queen-size bed. For the first time, Kise witnessed the beast cry.

End of chapter 5

Authors note: Don't ask me how Kise managed to drag Aomine into his house because I don't even know. Lol