Chapter 7

The rest of the car ride home was mostly silent, and Aomine had leaned his elbow against the window beside him, resting his forehead against his hand and taking occasional drags from his gradually shrinking cigarette, the bright orange ember at the tip contrasting strangely with his twilight eyes. Where Kagami typically smoked about half of his before smothering it out, Aomine sucked it down to the very last centimeters, until there was nothing left but the butt and he had ash all over his knuckles. It took him longer, and he smoked much less frequently; Kagami could go through an entire pack in a day if left unsupervised, and sometimes did. And Aomine would scold him like a child for his lack of self-control, which Kagami still found at least a little ironic to hear coming from him. He knew his boyfriend was just being protective, and he appreciated the concern for his health, but really...he of all people had no room to talk.

"I'm surprised Tetsu wasn't at the party," he said after a moment, glancing at Kagami briefly, "The rest of Seirin's old team was, and that…" he made a vague gesture in front of his chest as if to try to convey his dissatisfaction with Riko's breast size, "...little coach of theirs was hosting it, right?"

Kagami shrugged, dismissively, flicking on his turn signal, "Maybe he was and none of us saw him. The guy is kind of invisible, remember?" Thinking back, he couldn't remember even glimpsing Kuroko, but he wouldn't have been that surprised if he'd just decided not to go; his former "shadow" liked his peace and quiet.

"Passing up the chance to see all of us at once isn't like him," Aomine muttered. Kagami recognized Aomine's use of the word "us" referred to the members of the Generation of Miracles, and for some reason the idea unsettled him a little. He thought Kuroko wouldn't have come for his high school team, just his middle school one? He couldn't think why he'd put emphasis on not seeing him above everyone else.

Then it occurred to him that Aomine hadn't seen Kuroko in almost a year; hadn't played against him - in a loose sense of the word - or even talked to him alone in much longer. He wondered if it was possible he just missed his old friend, and was disappointed to not see him again. Frowning to himself with an unexpected tug of sympathy, he slowed as he neared their apartment and pulled into the parking lot, rolling into the assigned space and turning off the ignition.

"I could give him a call, if you want," he proposed tentatively, "The night's still young, we could at least see what he's up to."

Aomine blinked, surprise and possibly gratitude glinting in his eyes for only a moment before he suppressed it. But he shook his head with a noncommittal "Tomorrow, maybe."

Kagami noticed him wince with the motion, and wondered if he was feeling dizzy or nauseous at all from the alcohol he'd taken in. It was strangely cute, and as that thought registered, he reflected ruefully that he should probably have his head examined for finding anything about the crass, arrogant, 192 centimeter man cute in the slightest, especially his discomfort.

He looked over at his boyfriend, asking with his eyes if he was doing okay, and got the expected petulant glare in return. In no rush to leave the warm, now inactive vehicle, he slowly studied Aomine's profile; from the smoldering eyes that had captured him from the first time they battled on the court, to the rugged strands of raven blue hair, to the strong, masculine angle of his prominent chin.

His gaze saddened as he tracked over the exhausted, heavy shadows that circled his eyes - eyes that, looking again, were glassy and a little bloodshot - the thin layer of sweat on his sallow skin, the almost imperceptible lines prematurely aging his handsome, once youthful face. All this damage...and Kagami still maintained adamantly that he was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Because his love transformed the flaws; the marred, unhealthy parts of him that he'd allowed to waste away, and made even the sickly fever and the scars beautiful, because they were part of him.

Aomine scowled, putting out what was left of his cigarette shamelessly against the car door, "What're you looking at me like that for? You got mush for brains?"

"Hn, probably." Kagami sighed. After all everyone else kept saying his judgment was impaired, or he was downright insane, for his choice in a partner...especially those who knew the full extent of their relationship, "Just thinking."

The bluenette snorted with dry amusement, "Don't hurt yourself."

Not listening to the remark, Kagami leaned across the center console between them, and his lips came to a soft rest on Aomine's, one hand reaching up and combing through his short, coarse sable hair. He could taste a muddle of the burnt spice of tobacco and the sourness of alcohol as Aomine leaned up and pressed their mouths together more fully, but his unique, alluring taste was there just the same; smooth and rich and blunt, like very dark chocolate. Drawn in, he eased his tongue into his mouth to get a stronger taste, welcomed by a soft moan and a caress from Aomine's own tongue.

Lapping and probing the familiar territory, one of Kagami's hands dropped and undid his seatbelt so he could lean closer, his other hand sliding down Aomine's chest to his stomach once he did. Not willing to be outdone, Aomine ground their mouths together harder, arching into the light touch a moment before his fingers attacked the untidy hair at Kagami's nape, pulling him still closer by the neck, jostling Kagami's legs uncomfortably against the confinement of the steering wheel. The twinge of pain as one of his knees rammed into the hard surface brought him back to reality - that he was making out with his boyfriend in the front seat of the car and they should probably head inside before resuming - and he started to draw away and sit back, only for Aomine to shoot after him and latch onto his lips again hungrily. Sharp teeth worried his lower lip, nibbling and pricking alternately, sometimes replaced by strokes from a hot, talented tongue, and he promptly surrendered any attempts to get out of the car and into the house, murmuring a wordless sound of contentment. He could feel Aomine panting against his mouth, sweeping his lips over his own, then over his chin and jaw, traveling lower to his throat and the hollow of his collarbone.

"Dammit," Aomine breathed, the word almost inaudible heat on his neck, and sizzling indigo eyes looked up at him for a moment. Leaning in, he grazed Kagami's lips with his teeth before giving a sharp bite, "You really know how to rile me up…"

Kagami managed a shaky chuckle and roved his eyes over the windows that had already started to steam up with the heat between them. He met Aomine's gaze and leered, "What are you going to do about it?"

Aomine tsked, "Baiting a hungry panther; irresponsible decision-making on your part, Baka."

Kagami snickered as Aomine invoked both his own teasing label and one of Kagami's many variations in one sentence, gradually transforming the sound of amusement into one of seduction, pinning Aomine with the most heated, suggestive look he could muster. "Well, have I caught you?"

Aomine just about smashed him against the window with the ferocity of his answering kiss, hands braced against the glass as he rose completely out of his seat to get closer, kneeling on the center console. "Hopelessly," he replied between starved assaults of lips and teeth, voice rough and deep with desire.

Kagami's chest felt tight at yet another indirect, veiled reminder of Aomine's love, but that wasn't the only part of his body that responded to that dark, sensual voice, washing over him like a caress. Shifting uncomfortably as aching pressure constrained his lower region, he reached down to try to ease some of it, but Aomine was quick to stop him. Large, warm, impossibly strong hands clamped down on his wrists, pinning his arms against the window behind his head, and when he met his boyfriend's dusky blue eyes he found them alight with excitement, a smirk edging that sinful mouth.

Kagami resisted briefly just to prove he could, but it was half-hearted and unserious; he was much more curious about what Aomine was going to do. He seemed assertive and even cocky tonight, which he hadn't been in a long time...he either hadn't felt up to taking full control, or hadn't felt worthy of it, since he came back from the hell of withdrawal, months ago. Every time he had started to ravish Kagami in earnest, he would just break off and back down, almost seeming apologetic; it was very unlike him, and Kagami had wondered often if it would be a lasting shift. He'd accepted a lot of change in Aomine over the last three years - as long as he didn't undermine the entirety of his being, and with it everything Kagami loved about him - and he supposed he'd been willing to accept a little more. Maybe he wouldn't have to.

Aomine trailed his lips from Kagami's down to his chest, finding a nipple through his shirt and pinching it between his teeth, eliciting a near-violent squirm, as Kagami's hips bucked and a rather high-pitched sound of mixed pleasure and pain escaped him. His attention firmly snared, he was caught for a moment by the intensity of Aomine's typically lusterless eyes, now blazing with life and intent, and he couldn't help staring, awed by the difference that little bit of light made. It seemed to transform Aomine's whole face; made his expression fiercer, his smirk hotter, even his skin seemed brighter. It was startling, and certainly didn't help Kagami's discomfort that was receiving no assistance at the moment.

Almost unbearably turned on, and having difficulty breathing, he leaned up to ask for those grinning lips to return to his own, frustrated that he couldn't reach out and touch, but Aomine withheld contact tauntingly, scanning over him as though trying to eat him alive with his eyes.

"How'd I get so fucking lucky?" Kagami nearly missed the murmured question, and when it registered he barely believed it, eyebrows furrowing in a frown as he searched his boyfriend's face. He actually seemed sincere; the usual teasing absent from his expression and his voice...that was odd.

"...You really are drunk, aren't you?"

"Shut up, I'm serious," Aomine insisted, leaning in and brushing his lips against Kagami's jaw.

Seriously wasted… Kagami kept the thought to himself, not wanting to trouble Aomine and make the light fade from his eyes again. He'd always had a thing for his eyes; almost since they met, but it had been a long time since he'd seen them this alert and vibrant. He'd almost forgotten what he was missing.

Hands still restraining Kagami's wrists, Aomine traveled down his chest gradually; Kagami could feel the ministrations of his teeth and tongue through the fabric of his shirt, leaving areas damp with saliva in his wake where he'd sucked and licked. When he came to his waist he paused, gaze climbing back up to Kagami's face, which was probably starting to match the color of his hair, his breath coming in uneven gasps.

"I'm going to devour you, Kagami…" he said softly, in little more than a low growl, leaning up again, little by little, until his kiss-swollen lips were centimeters from Kagami's own, "I'm going to make a mess of you, and suck you so good you won't be able to walk when I'm through with you."

Kagami had to bite back a moan as the words breathed possessively over his skin just about set his pants on fire; he was fairly sure said pants were starting to cut off circulation somewhere, and his legs were trembling against the steering wheel they were cramped uncomfortably against. Aomine noticed, and released his wrists, hands sliding down his chest ethereally before withdrawing as he sat back slightly. Kagami watched breathlessly, and saw him jerk his chin in the direction of the back seat; a crude, wordless command.

Kagami didn't need to be told twice, and clambered into the back as quick as he could manage when his legs felt like jelly, never mind the tortuous, aching pressure between them. He heard one of the car doors close, and then Aomine rejoined him, pouncing on his legs and immediately attacking his lips to make up for his brief absence. Pressed together in this way, Kagami could feel Aomine was as hard as he was, and when the bluenette made use of the newfound space and rolled his hips, grinding their erections together, he had to break the deep kiss to gulp a breath, releasing a strained moan when the action was repeated.

"F-fuck, Aomine…" he stammered, all the air in his lungs leaving him in a shaky rush. Aomine's fingers roved over his body; one hand slipping under his shirt as the other worked at the zipper of his pants, pushing it down with his thumb and deftly undoing the button. Dipping his head down, Aomine grazed his lips against Kagami's waist, swirling his tongue over the sensitive skin as he slowly lowered his pants down to his thighs. Kagami's head fell back against the seat as searing fingers wrapped around his cock through the thin barrier of his underwear, squeezing lightly before slipping underneath, caressing the hardened flesh skin-to-skin. Hips lifting into his touch, Kagami hissed a breath, hands clenching in the upholstery of the seats.

He felt the tip of a broad tongue slide down the head of his erection before it was enveloped in the wet heat of Aomine's mouth, and a ragged moan escaped him, one hand reaching down and fisting a handful of short, damp hair. Aomine's hands pressed down on his hips, and gradually he slid more of Kagami into his mouth, pulling back up with a light scrape of teeth that had Kagami shaking, emitting grit-out, breathless sounds of pleasure.

Attending to the head once again, licking and slurping, Aomine watched Kagami raptly, never taking his burning cobalt eyes off of him. There was a flare of satisfaction in them, along with the pure carnal desire that Kagami was sure was reflected in his own. He wanted to keep gazing into their depths, but when Aomine slowly took him to the root and sucked, his eyes squeezed shut and a long groan was pulled from him, his mouth dropping open as his chest heaved for air he couldn't seem to take in properly.

"Aomine… A -ah!- Aomine…" the name was all he could manage; tumbling from his lips again and again as he shook and panted helplessly beneath his lover, gulping breaths that never brought enough oxygen and lifting his hips counterpoint to the leisurely bobbing of Aomine's head, driving him deeper in his mouth. Aomine took it all; sucking and pulling and swirling his tongue around the cock bumping the back of his throat, humming around his mouthful.

"Aomin - oh God," Arching up off the seat to his prompting, Kagami threw his head back with a strangled shout. He heard a smack, and felt pain blossom across the back of his skull, but disregarded it, fingers knotting in blue hair as every muscle locked, tense and trembling, at the peak of release. Aomine's lips formed a seal around his twitching erection, and as Kagami spilled into his mouth, he felt the muscles of his throat convulse as he swallowed once, and then twice, as the last wave of orgasm wrung through Kagami's body.

Kagami collapsed, gasping for breath, and finally registered the splitting ache from the back of his head, throbbing to life as stars gradually stopped careening behind his eyelids. Sitting up with a wince, he gingerly felt the area, glancing ruefully at the car door behind him that he must have hit his head against when he came.

Aomine sat up as well, releasing Kagami's cock with an almost obscene wet sound. He seemed to be a little short of breath, eyes glittering, a tiny trail of sticky fluid leading from the corner of his mouth down to his chin, which he promptly licked away; the erotic action capturing Kagami's gaze.

Breathing still uneven and labored, head still pounding from colliding with the door, he couldn't help but lean in and connect their lips, fingers that had previously gripped and pulled at his hair lightly smoothing through it instead. Aomine returned the kiss, pressing their mouths together before drawing back to allow them both a moment to grab some air.

He took a deep breath, and released it on a shaky chuckle, "Damn; your head feeling alright, Bakagami? I heard the crack, that sounded fucking painful."

Averting his gaze, Kagami rubbed the spot again, resigning himself to the lump that was probably going to form there, "I'm fine."

"Just be careful not to lose what little brains you have left," Aomine smirked, "That'd be a shame."

Kagami quickly cast about the surrounding area for something to hit him with, but came up empty, and settled for slapping his shoulder instead, "Shut up, asshole. ...Anyway, what about you? You were already tired even before your...activities…" Flustered, he tried to think of a casual way he could hide the flush rising to his cheeks; even after being together for three years, and sleeping side by side - in the nude more often than not - he still reacted this way when bringing up the details of their intimacy.

Aomine shrugged carelessly, "Don't worry about me," He stretched his arms behind his head, letting out his breath a little at a time, as if the task was as strenuous as lifting weights.

How can I not worry about you? Kagami thought to himself, dropping his gaze and pulling his pants back up, "Let's head inside and get you to bed; it's pretty late."

Aomine rolled his eyes, "Yes mom,"

"Hey, Aho," Kagami snapped, halfway out of his seat in preparation to leave the car.

"Hm," Aomine grunted, in the childish, stubborn tone he took when he knew he was about to be chewed out.

Kagami's eyes swept over him briefly, taking in the smooth curve of his cheek, slick with sweat that dripped down from his ruffled hair; his tired eyes that still retained a trace of the luster they had sported before...and he melted with a defeated sigh, unable to stay cross with him, "Love you."

Aomine started in surprise and looked up at him, and then lowered his head again and started to exit the vehicle as well, but Kagami saw the tiny, pleased grin he couldn't quite wipe from his face, "I know." He got up out of his seat stiffly, and just before he closed the door, Kagami heard him add, "Ditto, Baka."

He blinked. That was as close to returning the statement as he'd ever heard from him, and it made him freeze in his tracks for a moment, hand still on the door handle. Usually he would just say "I know" and leave it at that. And that was more than enough; acknowledgement, acceptance of the huge promise he never really reciprocated verbally. And he would always show he felt the same, even if he didn't say it...so why now…?

"Yo, Kagami!" he heard Aomine call impatiently from across the parking lot, "We going in or what? You've got the keys."

Shutting the car door and jogging to catch up with him, Kagami gave an exasperated sigh, "Don't tell me you lost yours again,"

"Lost? Of course not; I just haven't found them yet."

Laughing despite himself, Kagami gave his boyfriend a teasing shove as he fell in step beside him, "You're hopeless."

"Maybe," Aomine muttered, staggering dramatically at the light push, though he couldn't have known how that teasing action made Kagami's stomach briefly clench with worry, "But you still put up with me."

Looking at his shoes, Kagami fit the key into the door and turned it, ushering the bluenette inside, "Of course I do, dumbass," he growled unseriously, "...No one else is going to." The last part he added in an undertone to himself as he stood in the doorway, watching Aomine tackle the stairs; something that seemed to become a little more of a challenge for him every time he had to face it.

.

.

Aomine lingered at Kagami's side as he inhaled half the kitchen, even if he himself didn't partake, claiming he wasn't hungry; and he stayed, leaning casually against the counter, even after Kagami suggested he go on ahead of him to lie down and rest. It seemed he would just rather go through his nightly routine with him, and he supposed he couldn't fault that. Little shows of loyalty like these were the ones that never failed to utterly melt his heart, and though significant gestures were rather few and far between, Aomine was careful to always subtly remind Kagami how much he meant to him.

As a force of habit, they undressed each other once in the bedroom, and Kagami stilled as his warm hands caressed over his skin, smoothing down his shoulders and encircling around his waist, drawing him close.

"What's your deal?" Kagami murmured against his collarbone, as Aomine placed soft kisses on his forehead, inhaling deeply; breathing in his scent.

"Just enjoying you," Aomine said simply. Then he let him go as if nothing had happened, turning and flopping down on the bed in nothing but his boxers; finding the spot he liked on the mattress and curling up.

Kagami scratched a hand through his hair, honestly unsure how to respond to that. No doubt Aomine's thinking was a little slow and fuzzy right now with exhaustion and the alcohol he'd taken in, but it was still kind of a shock how dead-serious he seemed to be, appearing to know exactly what he was saying and mean it. He'll be back to normal by tomorrow, he thought to himself, joining him on the bed and wrapping his arms around him with a quiet sigh.

Aomine was taller - by a couple of centimeters, but still - and yet somehow he usually ended up as the little spoon when the two of them lay together. It hadn't always been the case, but since Kagami had held him through those nights that he suffered the awful shaking and pain and vomiting a few months ago, he seemed to just prefer it that way. Kagami had no complaints; he admitted he could be rather protective of the big idiot, and he certainly got himself into enough messes to need that protection, though obviously he would never say so. Still, he only let himself be so vulnerable around Kagami alone, showing him a side of him that he assumed the rest of the world had never seen.

Leaning up, he brushed his lips against the curve of one tan ear, "I love you," he breathed over the sensitive skin, following a path down the side of his jaw, "I love you, I love you…"

Aomine shifted slightly, and Kagami felt his back vibrate against his chest as he tried to contain his laughter, "Idiot...what are you doing?" he mumbled, voice slurred with intoxication and half-sleep.

Trying to get you to return it again… That motive hadn't occurred to him until Aomine had asked, and he kept it silent, lips hovering over his ear. Eventually, he just huffed a breath and snuggled up to his boyfriend's warmth, a faint smile crossing his face; he wondered if Aomine could feel it against his shoulder blade.

"Just enjoying you," he whispered, though he suspected from how Aomine's breathing had deepened that he had already fallen asleep.

TBC