I am so sorry this came out late! The excuse I'll use is that I had a lot of work to do over the weekend, but the truth is that I stayed up late playing games and was a total zombie during the day. If there are parts of this that don't make sense to you, it was written when I was mostly zoned out. Forgive me. ._.

Anyway, I need to sleep e.e

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Aomine had never been as grateful for a day off as he had been that morning when he woke up. He prepped for the day languidly, luxuriating in the ability to decide on a fulfilling breakfast rather than the slice of toast he usually grabbed on the way out the door. He had no obligations today, besides a movie night with Momoi that he was looking forward to. As he tinkered around his kitchenette, he considered his options. It was still early, the hands on the clock told him. He needed to get his grocery shopping done. His fridge was in a dire state as he had been spending most of his days between the station and Kuroko's apartment. He had kept putting off shopping for groceries during the week he had been away from Kuroko, telling himself that it would all go to waste once he found the time to go visit again.

However, most shops were not open at 6.30 in the morning, barring convenience stores. Plating the scrambled eggs, he sat down with a thoughtful glance towards his living room. His apartment was in a sorry state, dust covering every available surface. He had been spending so much time out that coming home for any reason besides to crash on his bed was inconceivable. He should probably do some cleaning up in addition to the grocery shopping.

He cleaned off his breakfast, enjoying the lull that a new day provided. The air outside was probably crisp and sharp, with mist still hanging over the streets. Winter had begun, but there was still no sign of snow. Washing his plate and leaving it on a rack to dry, he padded across the small living room to his balcony window and peeped out. As he had supposed, the weather outside was perfect for a run around his neighbourhood. Deciding that running was exactly what he needed to start the day, he disappeared into his bedroom to change into running attire more suited for winter and grabbed a pair of socks and his shoes on the way out the door.

He ran aimlessly, feet moving on auto-pilot as his mind wandered off and he found himself thinking about the recent encounters he had had with the purple-haired giant who worked for Kuroko's step brother. He knew that he wasn't welcome due to his chosen profession, but that didn't warrant the extent of interference that Akashi was going to. Particularly if Akashi really did know about his secret, he should not be so opposed to Kuroko going out with him. It didn't feel right. Aomine wondered if Akashi had done this to all of Kuroko's previous lovers as well.

The tan man came to a halt, breathing slightly hitched. Checking his watch, he realized that he had been running for close to an hour and a glance at his surroundings told him that he had left his neighbourhood some way back. He blinked at the structure he had paused beside, its compound completely fenced up. Maybe it was a sign from up above. Wiping the sweat from his brows, he followed the fence until he came to a locked gate. It was obvious that the perimeter of fencing was designed to keep people in, rather than out, and most of the prisoners were well below average height. With a bit of effort Aomine could hoist himself over the fence and into the compound, but he knew better than to do that. His policeman status would only get him so far.

Instead, he leaned into the fence, and cast his eyes around the vast garden for a glimpse of another soul. He finally caught sight of them around the corner and made his way along the fence closer to them. Watching them play a game that involved tossing a ball around in an order that he was unaware of, Aomine waited patiently for one of the toddlers to come over. Their curiosity was already sparked, as he received several glances from the crowd, but none of them dared to approach him. Just as he was about beckon a boy over, a bell went off and there was a flood of children into the grounds.

Using his height to his advantage, he scanned the crowd of noisy kids for a familiar shock of blonde hair. He zoomed in on her at the same time that she noticed him, and Aomine could only watch in amusement as a yellow ball of energy screamed excitedly as she ran across the garden to him.

"Aomine-san!" She yelled for the world to hear. Nearby children paused their games and discussions to follow her to him, evidently concluding that if she knew him, then he couldn't be a bad guy.

"Hey, Sunshine," he grinned, reaching through the fence to ruffle her hair lightly.

Bright topaz eyes sparkled up at him. "Sensei said you'd be coming!"

At her words Aomine glanced around in search of Kuroko. He was probably still inside the building. "Where's your sensei?"

Ryouko, too, looked around, prompting others to search for Kuroko as well. "I think he's still inside."

"Could you go get him for me?" Aomine smiled his most non-threatening smile at the group of gawping kids. "I'm here to keep my promise."

"Okay!" she beamed at him. "I'll be right back!"

While Aomine waited, trying hard to ignore the outright staring he was being subjected to he pulled out his phone to make a show of being occupied with something. He noticed a text message from an unknown number and opened it, frown on his face. He wasn't in the habit of handing out his phone numbers to people anymore. He had barely read the first two words when he heard his name being called and he scanned through the rest of the message without registering what it said before looking up.

Whatever it had been, it was his day off, and with Kuroko floating across the playground looking stunning as usual, Aomine was determined to leave work matters untouched.

"Good morning," Kuroko greeted, the sea of children parting around him as he made his way to the fence.

"Good morning, beautiful," Aomine returned, a corner of his lips curling upward in a handsome smile. Kuroko raised an eyebrow at the pet-name but looked pleased with it nonetheless.

"Ryouko-chan tells me you're here to teach them basketball?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "If they want to learn, that is."

Immediately, there was a chorus of 'yes's and a storm of activity started up as the kids clambered to get his attention. Besides the group, standing slightly away, Ryouko was quiet, but looked infinitely proud, as though she had brought the best show and tell item. Kuroko lead him around the fence to the main gate and unlocked it for him. As he walked past, their hands brushed and Aomine had to remind himself that he couldn't grab the smaller man and give him a mind-blowing kiss because it would be awkward if the parents found out. Instead, he gave Kuroko's hand a light squeeze, and shot him a smile that promised more to come when they were alone.

Ryouko appeared at his side and slipped a tiny hand into his, fingers barely managing to curl around three of his.

"Did you bring the basketball I got you?" The tan man queried, feeling like a giant amongst munchkins.

"Yup!" she piped, and let go of his hand to bound off around the corner, followed by all the other kids. Aomine hung back, waiting for Kuroko to come up beside him.

"I'm glad you came," the blue-haired man said softly, linking their index fingers and swinging their arms slightly. "Ryouko-chan's been pestering me for ages."

"Sorry," Aomine felt guilt well up inside him. He hadn't expected to be so busy with the case. In all honesty, he had very nearly forgotten the promise until he had found himself in front of the kindergarten.

"It's alright," Kuroko said with a casual shrug. "She knows you've been busy."

"I didn't expect her to miss me so much," Aomine muttered, sounding baffled. From his innumerous experiences with children, they tended to forget him after a couple of weeks. Seeing her run across the playground so exuberantly when she had caught sight of him had been a surprise.

"She adores you," Kuroko retorted. "Even Kise-kun complained about how much she kept talking about you. I think he's jealous."

"Is that so?" he mumbled thoughtfully. Coming to a halt, he wrapped his hand around Kuroko's smaller one and tugged him into his chest. They stood just around the corner from the group of playing kids, the shouts and pattering feet loud and clear to both of them. The wall beside them was unadorned, and they were in full view of the road. Aomine didn't care for all of that. In fact, the more people who knew, the fewer heads he had to chop off to keep them away from Kuroko.

"What about you?" the question was soft as he lost himself in twin pools of turquoise. "Did you miss me?"

Kuroko hummed in response. "My sleep isn't disturbed by your snoring anymore."

Aomine stared at him in disbelief. "I don't snore."

"If you insist," Kuroko replied condescendingly and turned around to walk away. Aomine grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him back.

"I do not snore," the navy-haired man declared. Kuroko leveled him a look. "Do I?"

"Which answer will get you to shut up about it?"

"I really do snore?" Kuroko stifled a laugh at the horror on Aomine's face.

"I didn't say that."

"Tetsu!"

"No, you don't snore," Kuroko retorted, exasperated. The taller man heaved a sigh of relief. "Much."

When the pair finally emerged around the corner Ryouko ran over to them, clinging to the small basketball. She took one look at Aomine then beckoned Kuroko down, whispering loud enough for both of them to hear.

"What happened to Aomine-san?"

"It's nothing," Kuroko returned, giving her a reassuring smile. "He just learned something new about himself."

xx

"Feeding kids sugar should be banned." Aomine was bent over, hands on his knees as he wheezed. Kuroko merely grunted in reply, completely engrossed in the book that he had procured seemingly out of thin air.

"What's wrong, Aomine-san?" The said man craned his head around to see Sunshine looking as fresh as if she had just stepped out of the shower, the only indication to the hardcore workout Aomine had been subjected to being the glean of sweat on her face. The dark-haired man had never felt so old before.

"I'm getting old," he grunted. "Lemme take a sec. You guys carry on without me."

Nodding, the blonde child returned to her friends, and they proceeded to play a messy game ambiguous of basketball.

"They need more basketballs," Aomine mused out loud as his eyes followed the small bodies. There were a few of them, including Ryouko, who had serious potential in the sport. They only needed some extra training.

"More basketballs without the skill will not solve anything," Kuroko replied, eyes still traveling across the pages at an alarming rate.

"Obviously," Aomine huffed. "I'd teach them."

That made him pause, and Kuroko shot him a surprised look. "Really?"

"'course. One of them could be a real money maker in the future," wide shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I need a retirement plan."

His words earned him a laugh. "You're barely into your twenties."

"I wonder about that," Aomine grimaced. "Everything's creaking."

"Poor baby," Kuroko crooned as he reached over to pat his cheek laughingly. "I'll treat you to one of my massages later."

The tan man perked up at that. "Sounds promising."

"I don't like to toot my own horn," Kuroko began, expression anything but modest. "But my massages are out of this world."

Aomine grinned at him. "If they're as good as you say, I'll never let you go."

"Bold words for a flighty man." Kuroko narrowed his eyes at him doubtfully.

The taller of the two smiled, the words he spoke sounding like a revelation to himself. "You've changed me."

xx

The bell rang to signal the end of recess. As one, the children groaned, and the multiple toys they had been playing with were dropped unceremoniously in their appointed spots as they began trudging back into the building. Ryouko was among the last few, hovering beside Aomine as he stood with Kuroko who was by the door, fully submerged in his teacher role. Aomine felt a slight tug on his hand.

"Are you leaving?" The child questioned. In answer, he nodded. Kuroko had informed him that school would not be out for another few hours, and he planned to take a shower and run his errands in the meantime. Ryouko looked disappointed, a small frown curving her lips downwards. A lightbulb lit up over his head at a thought. He crouched down so that he was closer to the child's eye level.

"I'll come back after school," he said. "And we can go for lunch."

Instantly, she perked up at the suggestion, wide smile lighting up her features.

"Is that really fine?" The pair glanced up to see Kuroko looking down at them, eyebrows furrowed. "Kise-kun is supposed to pick her up."

"Don't worry," Aomine turned back to Ryouko, decidedly ignoring Kuroko's words for the time being. The dark-skinned man shot her a conspiring grin. "I'll see you later."

Casting an unsure glance at her teacher who nodded wordlessly, she flung her arms around Aomine's neck in a quick hug before bounding in after her last classmate.

"Is that really fine?" Kuroko repeated, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm going over to Satsuki's place tonight for a movie. I'll get her to invite Kise over too, if he's not already there." The last part was added drily. "If you could give him a call and tell him?"

"Okay," Kuroko pursed his lips, expression dubious.

"Great! I'll see you both in a bit." Aomine leaned forward to capture Kuroko's lips in a chaste kiss but was stopped by the hand on his chest.

"Both?" The taller man stared at him as though he was missing a few screws.

"Obviously," Aomine snorted. "It's early payment for the massage."

"But I—" The pale man's words were cut off by Aomine's lips, the contact making him forget what he was about to say momentarily. It felt like it had been months since he had last felt Aomine's lips pressed against his. He hadn't realized that he had missed it so much until his body gave in to the craving and he pulled down the latter's shoulders and deepened the kiss.

They broke apart, both breathing hard with their heartbeats spiked.

"Bad idea," Aomine muttered. "We're in public."

"Yeah," Kuroko agreed, arms tightening around his shoulders. "I should go in."

"Okay." Neither made to break the embrace, eyes locked as though they were communicating telepathically. Finally, with a woeful smile, Aomine unhooked Kuroko's arms, planted a quick kiss on his forehead and left with a whispered, "Bye."

When Kuroko entered the building, Aida was standing close by, instructing one of the teachers on changes to be made to her teaching module. The two glanced up at his entrance, twin grins creeping onto their faces.

"Kuroko-kun is so lucky~" the other teacher sighed. "I wish my boyfriend kissed me like that."

The blue-eyed man blinked at them. "You saw?"

"You were right next to the window," Aida retorted with a cocked eyebrow. "You're lucky that the students were facing the other way in class."

"Sorry," Kuroko couldn't resist the sheepish smile that curled over his lips. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"We know," they snickered at the look on his face. "You can't possibly be, to be dating someone like that."

xx

He had done enough exercise that day to fill a month's quota, he decided as he unlocked the door to his apartment. Making his way to the shower, he shed his clothes as progressed down the hall, pausing only to take out his phone and wallet and place them on the kitchen table. He pressed a button to light up the screen to see if he had received any calls or text messages since the last he had checked. Nothing showed up, and having forgotten the message from the unknown number, Aomine proceeded to the bathroom, making a mental note to give Satsuki a ring later.

Grocery shopping took him less than half an hour, as he had cut many things from his list on the assumption that he would be spending more time at Kuroko's apartment, now that he officially had a drawer half filled with his belongings. Aomine didn't notice the odd looks he received from passersby at the creepy leer that pervaded his features unconsciously.

Cleaning took a little more time, as he rearranged his furniture to accommodate two people more comfortably. He liked having Kuroko over. It made his small apartment feel full, but in a good way. As the clock hit the hour, he grabbed his car keys, along with his wallet and phone and left the apartment.

While he waited, parked across the street from the kindergarten, Aomine recalled that he had to make a call and hit the button for Satsuki's speed-dial.

"Hey," he said into the mouthpiece as soon as the line clicked. "You at home?"

There was silence for a while, and Aomine glanced at the clock on his dashboard. Perhaps she wasn't awake. "Aominecchi?"

"Kise?" he returned confusedly. "Isn't this Satsuki's phone?"

"Ah, yeah…" there was some rustling in the background and then, "I'm sorry, she won't wake up."

"That's fine," he replied nonchalantly. "I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Hold on," more rustling went on, and there was a muffled creak. When he spoke again, Kise was no longer whispering. "What is it?"

"It's about Ryouko –"

"Shit!" He flinched at the exclamation. "I forgot I need to pick her up!"

"Relax, Kise," Aomine said with a roll of his eyes. "I was gonna ask if it's okay if I take her out for lunch and return her later when I go over for the movie."

"Ah," Kise's hesitation was understandable. Anyone would be wary of a stranger taking their little sister out for food. He might feed her more sugar.

"Tetsu's going too." He added.

"Kurokocchi?" Why did the blonde have to sound so surprised? They were dating. "Oh, in that case, it should be fine."

In that case? He was a detective for crying out loud. He wasn't a shady character who ate children. "Cool. See you both tonight."

"Ah, wait!" Aomine's thumb was hovering over the button to end the call when the shout blasted through his speaker. He returned the device to his ear.

"What is it?"

"Can I have your number?"

"Sure?" Aomine replied cautiously. The blonde man probably wanted it for if an emergency cropped up with his kid sister. "Just take it from Satsuki's phone."

"Right, thanks." This time Aomine waited until Kise ended the call first. There was a knock on the window of his passenger door and he turned to see Kuroko waving at him. Unlocking the doors, he watched as Kuroko opened the back door and helped a bouncing Ryouko into the vehicle before settling into the passenger seat in front.

"So, what do you feel like having for lunch?" Aomine asked the child seated behind, looking at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

"Hm," she pressed a finger to her lips as she considered his question seriously. "I want pizza."

"Pizza it is," he announced, casting a quick glance at Kuroko to see if he had any protest. Finding none, he put his car into gear and drove off, the sight of the little girl's surprise at his acceptance of her proposal engraved onto his brain.

xx

"Thank you for the meal," Ryouko piped up as they left the restaurant. "I feel like a teddy bear!"

"Full of stuffing?" Aomine asked, laughing at her analogy.

"Yup! I'm full all the way up here." She indicated a line just above her head with her hand.

"You mean there's no more space for dessert?" Aomine feigned chagrin. The child contemplated on an answer.

"What kind of dessert?"

"I feel like having ice-cream." The tan man noticed the small smile playing about Kuroko's lips as he stared straight ahead.

"I think there's still some space left for dessert," she replied, nodding in affirmation.

"That's good," Aomine nodded along with her. "Lead the way."

Ryouko bounded off ahead of them, head whipping around as she focused on the mission at hand.

"You spoil her," Kuroko chided him as they followed after her at a leisurely pace.

"It's hard to resist that smile."

"Bribing her with junk food is not good."

"You're right," the taller man agreed readily. "Oh, look, vanilla milkshakes!"

"Where?" Kuroko stopped suddenly, head whipping around. At the mocking grin that lit up Aomine's face, he burst out laughing, whacking the other man in rebuttal.

They continued walking, and Aomine caught sight of an ice-cream parlor that he pointed out to Ryouko who immediately rushed off towards it. As they were lining up, Aomine felt the vibration of his phone in his jeans pocket and left the two brightly coloured individuals to discuss ice cream flavours as he exited the store and answered the call. It was from the same unlisted number as before, but his gut told him to answer it instead of ignoring it like he usually would have.

"Hello?"

"Aomine-san?" He frowned at the soft female voice on the other end of the line. He wasn't interested in playing the game anymore. He had made it clear to everyone who had approached him.

"Who is this?"

"T-This is Mari, from the other day."

"Mari-san," he relaxed at the recognition. He was alerted by the heavy way she was breathing through the phone, almost as though she was holding back sobs. "What is it?"

"I-I-I think he's here."

Dread settled into his gut. She sounded panicked, and her whispered words were barely audible. "Who?"

"The serial killer. H-He's outside my room." Mari choked on a sob. This wasn't good. She should have called him earlier. He straightened, striding back into the shop and bidding a hasty goodbye to his two companions. Kuroko nodded understandingly, and shooed him off without a word. Leaving, he headed straight towards his car.

"Where are you right now? Give me your address." As she told him in halting words, Aomine paused. The apartment name that she had mentioned was not that far from the mall that he was in. Turning on his heels, he walked purposefully towards the exit, taking in the surroundings and heading off in the direction of her place at a jog. All the while, he kept talking to her, knowing that it would help her calm down.

"Can you hear him?" He asked.

"Yes. He's trying the lock."

"Do you have anything blocking the door?"

"I pushed a chair under the doorknob, but everything else is too heavy."

"Okay, that's fine, I'm almost there." He said, picking up speed. He remembered that he didn't have his gun on him. Shit. "I need you to do exactly what I say."

xx

His hands had been shaking from the influx of adrenaline into his bloodstream when he had shadowed the woman from the train station to her apartment complex. He felt like a predator on the hunt, the adrenaline dulling and enhancing his senses at the same time. He knew what he was going to do with her. She had made him wait, for over a week, and his patience was running thin. There was a special type of punishment that he had in store for her.

He had cased her apartment before, but he hadn't counted on her messy tendencies. He'd knocked over her handbag that she had dropped carelessly onto the floor, and the sound of its contents being upheaved had alerted her. She had quick reflexes, locking the bedroom door before he could jam it with his foot.

Nevermind. That only made it more thrilling. He searched the kitchen for something to pick the lock with. It wasn't exactly his forte, but he had time. And the longer he tinkered with the lock, he knew, the more fearful his prey would become. He could already smell her fear through the door. It called to him, like a siren to a seaman. It made him sick with euphoria every time he did this. It never got old.

Progress was slow, but he was meticulous. After this he'd practice a bit more, he mused. A similar situation may happen in the future. He paused his ministrations at the sound of her voice barely squeezing through the wood of the door. Removing the makeshift lock pick, he pressed his ear to the crack, moving into a crouch when he realized from her voice that she was seated with her back pressed against the door. He could shoot her through it, a part of him said.

But that would mean she'd be dead before he had the chance for any fun, another part argued.

She could be calling the police.

The police. He grimaced at the thought. He had run into them before. A waste of society, he believed. They hadn't even been able to learn anything about him after all this time. They were hardly a threat.

"Saki-san," he snapped to attention at the name. He recognized it from the research on the woman that he had conducted. Saki was the man living in the apartment down the hall. He pressed his ear harder against the crack, as though it would allow him to hear better. "I think there's a burglar in my house. Will you please come over right now?"

Good, she thought it was a burglar. He could escape now, and no one would be the wiser. Grab a few things to make a show and leave through the emergency fire escape down the hall.

He had a gun, though. Surely the neighbour, despite his bulk, would be unable to take a bullet standing. He could shoot the model first, and then ambush the man as he came through the door.

"The door should be unlocked. Be careful." He glanced around, increasingly frantic. He still had time. He could bolt out the balcony window and hide until it was safe to escape.

Fiddling with the gun that he had brought along, he shot a glance between the front door and the bedroom door. He really wanted to shoot her. She was such an irritation, with the way she was making this so difficult for him.

Making his decision, he slowly, carefully, tugged open the front door and listened for footsteps.

Nothing. Yet. He could run now.

Grabbing a handful of the nearest items, he slipped into the hallway, disappearing around the corner just as the elevator arrived at the floor. He peeked around the edge, surprised to see the detective that had interviewed Mari before rush out of the elevator and into her apartment. It was his day off, he knew. He made sure to do thorough research on everyone involved.

That meant he didn't have a gun.

This was a perfect opportunity. He could get rid of a pest, and that woman in one go. He was about to make a move when the elevator doors opened again, and the dark-haired man's partner appeared, flanked by two officers.

Fuck, he thought. A wasted chance. He pulled back behind the wall, and moved quickly to the fire escape. They would realize soon that he had not been gone for very long, and would come looking for him.

He was seething inside. That bastard detective was going to pay.