CHAPTER 7: Thank You

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Kise was panting harshly when Aomine dropped him on the ground and collapsing beside him. Aomine's speed proved to be something he still couldn't handle, and being dragged around like some ragdoll didn't help either.

Kagami and Kuroko soon followed them, resting on Aomine's left.

"It feels so unreal..." Kuroko muttered, eyes clenching shut as he burried his head in his arms, "This is just a nightmare..."

Kagami looked like he was torn between knocking some sense into his partner or just cuddling beside him. Afterall, he was affected too.

The silence in the air still hung tensely around them and the slightest of noise made the pale-haired boy shuffle closer to his light.

"Kagami-kun..." Kuroko whispered with a voice that was shaking.

Kagami didn't need any other words because he could tell just by looking at Kuroko's eyes, "Yeah, yeah... C'mere..." He stretched out one of his arms and let Kuroko snuggle into his chest.

Honestly, Aomine would've felt disgusted by watching the new light and shadow duo, but he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. He'd already seen Kuroko being shaken up by a couple of things- one of those being Aomine's words back in Teiko- and he still hasn't gotten used to seeing the shadow become like this.

Heck, even Aomine feels like curling up into a ball.

"Aominecchi?" Came a soft whisper from beside him, and he looks down to see golden eyes watching him.

"What?"

Kise smiles softly and looks at Kagami and Kuroko, who were leaning against a tree with the shadow burried in the light's arms.

"I hope we can get out of this already-ssu..." He says, and Aomine catches a glimpse of pain in the blond's eyes.

It's been a while since he'd last seen those yellow orbs be filled with fear and pain. Lossing during the Inter-High and Winter Cup was one, but he has never seen Kise be afraid of anything else (apart from earthworms). He was always smiling and cheerful, and that facade made it harder for him to tell if he was hiding something painful inside.

But now, being in this situation, it felt like he was seeing a new side of Kise all over again.

He was just like Kuroko- vulnerable, and needs protection.

Kise glanced back at him with his smile, "What is it, Aominecchi?"

And he still manages to smile. Maybe that's what made Aomine take back those words about Kise being vulnerable. The blond was strong. His heart is strong. He can stay positive in the worse scenarios and that's what makes him a different light from him.

"I'm tired," The tanned male drawled out and straightens his back, "Lend me your lap,"

"Eh? Why?"

Aomine scoots closer to him, "I said I'm tired, geez," And before Kise could resist, he already leaned over and set his head comfortable on the blond's legs. He watched Kise's face fluster before he smirked, "For an athlete, your legs are pretty soft,"

Kise's eyes widened, but he didn't push him away. Instead, all he did was cross his arms and glare down, "I'm a model. My legs count as part of my modelling career,"

Aomine snorted, "As if your legs actually has sex appeal,"

"Shut up, Aominecchi!"

Suddenly, Kuroko glared at the two and placed his index finger on his lips, "Shhhhh... He'll hear you!" Then he went back to snuggling on his light.

Kise sweatdropped a bit, "S-sorry Kurokocchi..."

Aomine snickered and looks back up to the starless skies. His face softens a bit as he closed his eyes. Maybe a little nap would do.

Kise watched the tanned male relax, smiling a bit when he heard him snore softly, 'He must be tired...' He yawned. Then again, everyone was.

The only problem was that he felt the worse out of all of them. Being the first to experience the infamous Slender Sickness and the one who had the most face-to-face with the being was a tough break.

Actually, he felt like breaking.

Even way before that. When he felt sick- he felt like breaking then and there. He felt like just collapsing and letting whatever was out there just get him and be over with it.

This moment wasn't even close to basketball. Heck, it was a hell far away from it. Worse than it.

Kise closed his eyes and exhaled rather shakily, hoping that none of them heard it. With steady fingers, he traced Aomine's fringes, all the way down to his ear.

Aomine cringed at the contact, shifting slightly when Kise's fingers trailed ghostly touches along his neck and then resting slightly on his cheek. The tanned male seemed to have fallen asleep already, Kise noted, since he didn't even bother opening his eyes.

He was thankful for that though. He was thankful for Aomine at most.

Even though Kise felt like breaking, he was there- making all his rude remarks that seem to strangely give the blond some hope despite the situation.

It was Aomine's strange yet comforting way of saying that they can make it.

Kise smiled at the thought as he watched Aomine lean towards his hand, nuzzling it like some cat. And yet here he is, laying defenselessly on Kise's lap.

Still, it still felt reassuring. Aomine gave Kise the lost hope he needed- and still, depended on him (even when this is such a small and awkward task).

Aomine relied on Kise. He leaned on him.

And somehow, it made him feel strangely happy.

Kise laughed mentally to himself and slowly stroked the mop of blue hair, giving the other teen an honest smile before whispering, "Thank you, Aominecchi,"

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TBC

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A/n:

Oooookay! It's vacation time !

I'm sorry for late updates! It was a busy week you see...

But I'm still proud to announce that I... HAVE GRADUATED! xD
Weeeeeeee! *clap clap clap*
*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*

And for those who also graduated this year, I congratulate you on a job well done!

Ahem.., anyways, I put in a bit of smut there as requested (or maybe that's just fluff...)... But no kissu yet! Lol... Don't worry, I'll make sure to put one!

That's 30% KagaKuro and 70% AoKise!

Leave a comment and don't forget to like~!

Signing out
~ReiJen