(A/N: This baby was a little harder to give birth to than others but I am finally satisfied with it. More colloquial than anything I've ever written probably but it is fun. I adore Kagami being a perplexed American at times and Kise being a foxy devil at the right moment. Comments, like always, are highly appreciated and sought-after!)

"Ah that was fun."

"You look like shit though."

"Ugh Aominecchi, do you have to put it that way? Of course I look bad, I am tired."

"Yeah you pretty much lost to everyone."

"I didn't lose to Kurokocchi!"

"On a one-on-one, you have to suck really really bad to lose to Tetsu. I think even Satsuki would win against him."

"Yeah, he is rather bad in solo play... It made me underestimate him but damn when he is with Kagamicchi, they are so cool."

"Kagamicchi?"

"Yeah? I mean, wow, I respect him a lot you know. Even though he has a big build, he is so agile and he can jump so well."

"I am the most agile. And I can jump very well."

"Well yeah but he can jump too high. I was shocked because it is as if he's flying. It is so cool. And he can keep up with you. He defeated me ruthlessly but I was so hyped up, it was both sad and exhilarating."

"He is... okay... I guess."

"Okay? Come on. He is great! And he is so kind and cool too. A little rash and rude, sure, but he is kind. He gives the angelic aura. And on top of that he plays so well."

"You know if you would like you can just get him to play with you."

"Huh?"

"If you think he is that good. He is totally crazy about basketball too. I'd much prefer sleep than play one-on-ones with you endlessly but he would be up for it any time..."

While Kise first pouted at the statement, in an exaggerated manner too, soon he burst out laughing.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Are you serious?"

"Serious about what?"

"Me playing one-on-one with Kagamicchi instead of you?"

"Why not... If you think he is so good. And so kind. And what not... bullshit."

The statement only caused Kise to laugh harder,

"I can't believe you Aominecchi."

"Why?"

"I mean... Aren't you obviously the better player?"

"For sure! But it seems he got your interest, so..."

"Well yeah, because he is a good player and I would love to play one-on-one with him too, but not instead of playing against you. I enjoy playing against you the most. Plus as I said, you are the best."

Oh how lovely those words caressed the overgrown ego of Aomine Daiki... His much irritating smirk of arrogance settled comfortable on his lips,

"Yeah, I am obviously better. But since you started talking shit like 'Kagami this', 'Kagami that' I thought... Perhaps you have a thing for redheads for something."

"Well, I don't mind redheads..."

There was a certain playfulness in Kise's tone that greatly annoyed Aomine to the degree that he felt a particular prickling feeling on his ego... and heart.

"Oh so you are into redheads... Go ahead then. Kagami is into men."

"I would rather say he is into Kurokocchi. I mean it is so ridiculously obvious. The way he picked up the completely-spent Kurokocchi from the ground at the end especially... I was like wow. Now that is a caring boyfriend."

But this did not help Aomine get rid of that itchy prickle on his ego... and heart,

"Oh so you would go for him if he wasn't taken?"

Kise slightly moved closer to Aomine as they walked in the same slow pace and he made a long "hmm" sound, dramatically mimicking some deep pondering,

"Nah, I don't think so. He is close to my type but not really so. Plus if I am going to regret anything regarding that couple, it would be Kurokocchi. He is so cute and great. I was so stupid to underestimate him at the beginning."

"Wait... So your type is Tetsu?"

Aomine felt as though he had just received a punch to his face; he felt numb and stupid. Kagami, he could imagine Kise inclining to, but Kuroko? The worst part was that while his own body type could be akin to Kagami's, it was nothing like Kuroko's. If Kise was seriously into the type Kuroko has, Aomine was already disqualified. This did not feel good.

Luckily Kise simply laughed at that question and explained right away,

"Obviously not, stupid. I just meant in the sense that... you know, he is the type of guy you would just love to fawn over and be close friends with. But it seems both his best friend and lover slots are occupied by the same guy. They were like Siamese twins, are they always so stuck together?"

"Mm... Pretty much. Yeah."

"Must be hard for you? Seems you were his closest friend before?"

"Yeah I guess in Middle School I was. But then I hurt him pretty bad too. I was a stupid kid at times... Kagami is good for him. You know. As a friend and as a boyfriend."

"And I am sure he is good for Kagamicchi too..."

"So neither of them is your type?"

"Do you want to know my type?"

An unhidden suggestive tone shone on each syllable and Aomine shook his shoulders, doing his best to seem as indifferent as possible,

"Nah just making small talk since you started talking about this shit."

Kise chuckled,

"Yeah, I didn't think you would be interested."

Well, he thought he would not be interested either but at this point Aomine could not ignore the fact that he was interested. Damn interested. He had not gotten a definite answer and all the fawning over Kagami had seriously disturbed him but he had at least gotten the hint that Kise swung that way. Perhaps he swung other ways too, but Aomine couldn't care less, as long as the blond was interested in men, he was fair game.

While Kise still seemed cheerful and hummed a song quietly as they walked towards their homes, which shared the same route for at least another ten minutes or so, silence ensued. It was not suffocating but neither was sure how to continue considering where in the conversation they had stopped. Aomine cleared his throat as quietly as he could trying to find a topic to start but as he continued on failing, Kise spoke,

"So when will you be available to play this week? I really want to play as much as I can. I still have so much to learn. I can't keep on getting my ass whipped by Kagamicchi you know."

"I am swamped this week. I will work the weekend shifts too, I'm only free on Thursday "

"Ah... I see... I am off on Thursday too but I kind of promised Momocchi that I would take her shopping."

"Wait, what?"

"She asked about my style and stuff and we chatted a bit about fashion during my break... When you were playing against Kagamicchi and Kurokocchi. We decided that it would be cool to go shopping together."

"Do you know how long she shops? You're gonna die."

"I should be fine, I actually don't mind shopping. I enjoy it especially if I am with a good friend and Momocchi is awesome. Now I understand why she is your best friend."

"Yeah..."

After a few seconds of silence, Kise spoke again, his voice strangely a little strained,

"Um... Would you still like to meet? On Thursday? Our shopping will probably finish late afternoon... So I should have the evening free."

"Nah we can't play in the evening. The sports complex will be closed by then. If weather was better we could play outside but it keeps raining and one never knows when..."

"Well, we don't necessarily have to play basketball, you know. I thought perhaps Aominecchi would like to go somewhere to eat or go see a film or something. If you don't have other plans for the evening, of course."

Now, this was a development. Sure they had eaten before, sure they had shopped together, sure they had gotten drunk together before... But the activities shared had always been either before or after a round of basketball; they were mere complements to basketball. Aomine felt a certain giddiness but kept his disinterested face,

"Nah... I'll probably just sleep till afternoon. So why not."

"Wow cool, yeah, we can just meet and then decide what to do on Wednesday then?"

"Sure."

The whole week till Thursday he obsessively measured every passing hour, often finding his eyes drift to the nearest item that showed date and or time, his mobile phone, his wrist watch... If he had thought that time had passed abnormally slowly till Thursday, it seemed to him as though it had come to a standstill on Thursday. Counting hours became counting every half hours, every quarter hours, every ten minutes... Bored sighs, lingering looks at his wardrobe, lazying around in the house... At one point around the noon he felt extremely frustrated with himself as the whole situation signalled something quite alien to him.

Had he ever been like this before?

This expectant of something? Well, yes, in actuality he had been this expectant of something. Of basketball games, either to play or to watch. Of launches of new photobooks of his favourite idols. Of announcements of a new pair of basketball shoes he would swear to buy. Even if he was not a bubbly blond who reacted at anything and everything with great emotions, even if he was disinterested in most things in life, even if he preferred his own company and silence most of the time... He was human and like everyone else he had his own hobbies and likings and there had obviously been times that he had felt so expectant and enthusiastic of something, wait for hours and days and weeks for something in excitement and anticipation.

"Of something".

"For something".

"Something".

The point is, he had never been like this for someone. And this was the part that frustrated him in the core. It was not that he had not been excited in anticipation of a possible sexual relation, sure his blood flowed hot and fast when he left a bar at night with a beautiful lady in his arms. This was not the same short-sighted and short-lived enthusiasm though. This particular kind of anticipation was akin to a slow working poison than the temporary hot flushes of sexual incitement, it spread slowly but conquered every spot it spread thoroughly. It lasted long and never faded. It was not the premise of the bodily satisfaction he would gain that overwhelmed him in anticipation but the existence of one specific person and the possibility of seeing that person, spending time with that person, breathing the same air with that person... These very thoughts were vexing for him, so very strange that he felt useless and confused. The best person to talk about it with was probably Satsuki but if he did talk about it with her, she would want to assist and she would create elaborate plans and strategies and likely they would help yet somehow he so desperately wanted to reach Kise by his own hands. By his own might and his own alone.

Frustrated sighs and continuous self-shaming did not stop him from trying to do his best to take the matter into his own hands; afternoon came and after a quick shower he further examined his wardrobe.

What do you wear when you are dressing up specially for a specific person and with the goal of impressing them yet you also want to convey to them the message that "I did not dress specially for you or to look good for you"? It was tough to look good such that it looked you somehow effortlessly looked good. It did not make sense to him and already he felt the signs of a headache blare in his skull, an ill omen he tried his best to ignore.

He decided on his simple black leather jacket (because it was not formal yet showcased his good looks in the best way possible), a dark purple t-shirt (because when they had gone to shopping Kise had mentioned that dark purple looked good and regal on Aomine), and a pair of loose fit dark coloured jeans (because he hated ironing and his ironing skills sucked).

Even though most regarded March to be a month of Spring in Aomine's book, hell, it was nowhere near Spring. The early evening weather was cooler than he expected and while he congratulated himself on his choice of the leather jacket which kept him warm, he still cursed the weather because he was itching for some good streetball and though he would not mind playing in this weather, he knew frequent plays outside in a weather like this would end up with him in the bed with an untimely cold. His stamina and immunity were good but not limitless. Kise had earlier met with Momoi at a well known mall apparently and had asked Aomine to meet him at a coffee shop close to the mall. He had said that he would be left alone to himself by then. Aomine did not ask whether or not Kise had informed Momoi of this little... outing of theirs. He knew Kise had not for if he had, Momoi would have bugged Aomine all week with all sorts of inquiries into his... private life. Though he did not necessarily want to categorise Kise as such yet, or rather he was afraid to, he very much wanted to be private with him and thus could not avoid Kise being... a part of his privacy. A big part by now actually. How had that happened? He would never know. Perhaps Kise had special powers at gradually eating away a person's defences and making them like him. Aomine hoped these powers only worked on himself and his ridiculous moment of jealousy irked himself significantly.

It took him a subway ride and half an hour to finally reach their meeting point, he was five minutes late but that was okay. He assumed Kise would already be there and not mind waiting five or ten minutes, it was as if he knew the other so well, as if they had spent so much time together in the past... They had not. This kind of unfounded familiarity was both warming and frightening. He found the coffee shop rather easily and just as he was about a metre away from its door, he saw Kise beyond the glass wall of the medium sized shop, sitting at a table right near the said glass wall. He wore a light blue button down shirt and a simple pair of sand brown slacks, what accentuated his simple looks were the glasses he wore; rimmed slightly thick and in a dark shade of blue. He was engrossed on what seemed like a magazine on his table, his eyes stuck and his gaze hovering over the page, now and then almost out of reflex his hand rose with the small paper cup of coffee it held and Kise would take a sip... After every sip he lightly licked his own lips. An unintended gesture. Then at one point, perhaps he read something particularly interesting because his eyebrows furrowed a little and his faced angled very slightly on one side.

Aomine stood there and watched, perhaps for a whole minute or so. When he blinked a few times to bring himself to earth and scold silently in his head for this felt wrong (and right at the same time, his heart claimed, but he simply metaphorically glared at his own heart). A sigh to gain enough strength to put an end to his rather innocent yet somehow inappropriate voyeurism, he stomped through the door.

Kise's eyes fluttered to the door almost in synch, perhaps he had felt the slightly cold breeze from its opening, and upon seeing Aomine's figure a pleasant smile blossomed in his face and he waved cheerfully to catch Aomine's attention even though Aomine was already making a beeline to his table.

"Hello there!"

"Hi."

"I love your jacket!"

"Just an old one..."

"Well it looks very good on you!"

It was not exactly an old one and Aomine was well aware that it looked very good, for it was the precise reason why he had worn it in the first place. He did not allow the burgeoning self-satisfaction show on his face and kept his aloof allure,

"The weather is still too cold to go out without a jacket, so..."

Though, perhaps making up excuses about it made his hidden intents rather obvious... But he was not skilled enough in this game to be perfectly smooth about it, Kise frowned as he gave a glance outside,

"You don't like Spring?"

"Does this count as Spring? If so, no I don't."

"You always complain of cold weather... I bet your favourite season is Summer."

"Oh now do you?"

"Yes. You can play streetball as much as you'd like outside. You probably complain about hot weather too though. I bet you were a kid who loved outdoors and Summer. Running around all the time having adventures, catching grasshoppers and crickets all day."

Aomine simply smirked,

"And I bet you were nothing like that?"

"Well I was a very active kid and I played outside, had friends, I was much skilled in sports too... But I also got dressed up by my older sisters in various outfits, including cosplay and princess dresses and they would take photographs of me... And I am a little icky with many insects and bugs. So yes, at the end, we were probably nothing alike."

For some reason the idea of a tiny Kise being dressed up and made pretty, striking up poses sounded ridiculously cute to Aomine, though the smile it brought to his face was a little mocking for he did not want to be caught up daydreaming about how cute a child Kise probably had been.

"Yup, I am pretty sure we were nothing alike. Not that we are much alike now..."

Aomine stood up then and Kise gave a significant pout,

"There are things we both like... And where are you going? I hope you didn't come to just see my beautiful face and then disappear?"

Aomine snorted,

"Yeah sure. I am going to get a tea, you are still drinking your coffee right? It's not finished? We can go eating after we've finished our drinks."

"Oh... Okay... Sure..."

Aomine could see the comfort that settled on the blond's face and as he turned around to walk towards the queue of people waiting to order he paused for a second,

"Mainly crayfish and cicadas actually."

"Huh?"

"I liked catching crayfish and cicadas. Not so much crickets or grasshoppers. They are ugly and they jump fast."

Kise burst into laughter and Aomine silently chuckled to himself as he moved to get his tea.

It took him more than five minutes to get a simple cup of black tea and he was not very pleased with that fact, what caught his interest right as he arrived back to their table was how Kise had been engrossed in the magazine once again.

"You're reading something interesting?"

"Oh, didn't realise you were back."

"Yeah it took goddamn long... So what is it?"

"Um nothing important."

"Really? Your eyes seemed pretty stuck to it when I had entered and just now too..."

"It is silly really..." and Kise smiled as he moved to turn the cover of the magazine over but Aomine was faster at grabbing it,

"Oh. It's Horikita Mai. Shit. Is this new? How come I didn't know of this?!"

"Well it is a women's magazine..."

"It is?"

Aomine turned the cover and indeed, it had been a relatively well known one too,

"Yeah... It is an issue about being sexy and they did an interview with her about her style and mannerisms etc... You know like tips on being sexy. Since she is known for that."

"Hmm I see... But then what are you doing with it? Don't tell me you are trying to get some tips? I don't think they would work on you."

Kise gave an irritated glare to Aomine's smirk,

"Yeah, I think her particular brand of sexiness depends too much on certain... materials that I peculiarly lack."

Aomine burst into laughter at that and Kise just sighed,

"Armani is launching its new fragrance and I'll be the face of the one for men in Japan. They have a very sexy campaign in mind and the first teaser is published in this magazine alongside their website. Timing was perfect..."

"Oh so that's why you have the magazine?"

"Yeah. Wanna see?"

Kise enthusiastically turned the pages to the ad which showed him in an attire that seemed like a European prince's or general's from 18th century; his blue uniform was adorned with various insignia on the chest as well as golden epaulettes, he wore tight cream coloured breeches that deliciously emphasised his toned legs with long canvas gaiters, a sheathed sword lay on the side visible under his waist. On his hand was a deep brown riding crop. There was no hat on his head and instead his hair perfectly combed back exposed the delicately handsome features of his face. The photograph was focused on him and was cropped such that only half of his figure was seen, the right side of his body completely absent, the blurry darkness behind him as well as the intense gaze in his honey orbs all contributed to a mysterious aura. Aomine had to admit that it was rather enticing and noted how uniforms seemed to do wonders on Kise's appearance. He would never admit these to Kise of course.

"It is..."

"Sexy right?"

"Um weird?"

"What?!"

"I don't know. I guess you look good? Kind of like a prince?"

"I am supposed to be a soldier of olden times... You know beautiful but threatening at the same time, thus sexy."

"You don't look threatening to me?"

"How do I not look threatening? Come on! Look at how intense my gaze is. Plus I have a weapon, look at that huge sword."

"Well your huge sword is too fancy and looks more like an ornament than a weapon to me."

Aomine said snickering, fully aware of the double entendre and as expected Kise's cheeks donned a pink blush but he was not going to relent,

"I even have a riding crop!"

"Yes, to ride a horse. It does not count as a weapon."

Aomine mumbled still looking at the full page photo ad lying in front of him. Then suddenly, Kise reached forward and grabbed the magazine, causing Aomine's attention to turn to him and realise that he had leaned in, their faces only inches apart, a challenging sharp gaze directed at Aomine from his golden eyes that glinted in an alluring way,

"You are saying that only because you have never seen me handle a crop."

His voice was low and stirring and Aomine swallowed slightly for a second losing his line of thought and not knowing how to respond. Kise rolled the magazine in his hand and as he moved back to his seat his usual gleeful smile returned to his face,

"So, you are hungry right? I know this amazing Korean restaurant. You up for some?"

"Yeah..."

Aomine mumbled a little unsure what he had unleashed a moment ago and part of him desperately wanted to unleash it again, while part of him was adamant that it was "too early for that".

"It was not a date."

"It was a date!"

Aomine sighed dejectedly.

"Why did I even tell you?"

"Oh as if you actually told me."

"Why did I even tell to Bakagami, knowing he is such a loudmouth!"

"Oi! I am not a loudmouth. And you did not tell me it was with him."

"He did not have to tell you it was with him, Kagami-kun. He said he was 'out with a friend' and that pretty much gives it away."

"Really? I mean until you told me I didn't really think it was Kise you know..."

Momoi and Kuroko sighed almost in synch,

"You are an angel Kagami."

"Huh? Why would you say that Momoi-san?"

"Because you are an angel Kagami-kun. To even assume that Aomine-kun could have other friends than us. Kise being the only and unbelievable exception."

"Oi! What do you mean by that?"

"He means what is already obvious: you are an obnoxious jerk more often than not and there are really few people who could ignore that."

"Okay that was mean Satsuki."

"Well you are nice in your own way it is just that one has to go through too much struggle to reach and even come to know that kindness so..."

Aomine simply glared at that and though he started hoping that perhaps he had been successful in changing the subject, Kuroko's next comment proved him wrong,

"So, it was a date."

"No it was not. I don't understand why you have to label it like that?!"

"Because Dai-chan, he asked you out on a day where you were both free and you went to dinner with him and then you two saw a film together."

"And you want to sleep with him."

That last bit Kuroko added caused a slight blush on Momoi's face but Aomine preferred to ignore that last statement as a whole,

"I get asked out and go to places with you or with Tetsu or hell, with Kagami! And we eat together and we go the cinema together and actually we just ate... We literally just ate together."

"But you do not want to sleep with us."

"Tetsu, I swear to God..."

"I hope at least not with Kagami-kun. That would upset me."

Aomine's yelling of "Tetsu!" was only eclipsed by a loud roar of "Kuroko!", courtesy of a furiously red Kagami.

"Now that, that was mean." Momoi said chuckling and Kuroko could not help giggle a little.

"Do something about him man. Do something." Aomine turned to Kagami who replied back, his voice shaking a little and his face still crimson,

"He is your friend. You do something about it."

"Or, Dai-chan could just be honest with himself and with us?"

"I concur. That seems to me like the easiest option as well."

"But I am being honest. It was not a date. He... did not say it was a date."

"Oh so that's it Dai-chan! That is why you are rather bittersweet about it! You enjoyed it but you are unsure that it was a date!"

"I- I mean..."

"Don't worry Aomine-kun, I can guarantee you it was a date." Kuroko's voice was as calm and monotone as ever and thus impossible to discern whether he was being sarcastic or not.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because it is already obvious that Kise-san likes you."

"But there are different kinds of liking someone." Kagami chimed in as if to emphasise an important point which only made Aomine feel like throwing his empty glass at him. He opted for a snide and rather loud comment accompanied with a glare,

"I am aware of that!"

"Don't be mean to Kagami Dai-chan!"

"Yes, especially when he is so kind to even think that you are able to make friends outside your initial circle of basketball buddies."

"Tetsu, you know you are such a little piece of shit sometimes. And Kagami, glaring at me for saying that will not change the truth of what I am saying – I invite you to re-think the stuff he uttered only like a minute ago."

Kagami averted his gaze and Kuroko smiled, he was amused, his hand moved over to Kagami's under the table and his tone turned a little more compassionate this time when he spoke,

"You are oblivious to most things around you that has nothing to do with your job or basketball so perhaps that's why you haven't noticed but the way Kise-san acts towards others is very different than the way he acts towards you. He idolises you that much is certain. He likes you that is certain too and Kagami-kun is right in that there are many ways one can like another. But I think he is interested in you romantically because he dons this particular smile of joy whenever you touch him knowingly or unknowingly. His voice changes its tone a little, he is childish but he is more careful about it when he is talking with you which is strange because he knew you more than us so how come he is even more of a brat with us? So then perhaps those antics are not necessarily out of proximity but his honest reluctance or seriousness with you is about proximity, or a lack thereof that he would like to change?"

Aomine thought for a moment, seriously, his eyebrows furrowed and when he spoke his voice was a little doubtful and lacking in self-confidence which was quite shocking for others at the table,

"You... you think so?"

"Oh My God! Finally! He is so cute when he is in love and all self-conscious! Do you know how long I have waited for this moment Dai-chan?! Do you?"

Momoi hurled herself in a hug to Aomine who was partially amused and partially irritated and thus was able to only direct a mock glare at her.

"It is rather endearing. We should have sekihan."

"I swear to God Tetsu..."

"But we really should have sekihan."

"I could prepare some tonight if you'd like? Did you crave it or something?" Kagami asked Kuroko, very serious and innocent, which only caused rest of the gang to burst into laughter, including Kuroko though his would be more accurately described as quiet chuckling.

"What? Did I say something wrong? Why are you all laughing at me?!"