Notes:
So, I . . . really love this chapter? I didn't expect to love working on it as I had. It actually ended up expanding so much I need to split it into need two separate chapters! and it's still way longer than I intended. Oh well!
I may paraphrase lines of dialogue from the canon. I do it because it make sit more interesting to read, I think, not just rereading things you've seen before.
Coach had said they'd be training on the beach, but Kiyoshi didn't think she meant on the beach . Those tall basketball hoops erected in the sand sent a wave of despair through him. Good bye all his hours of relentless dribbling practice. The doctor wouldn't let him do much else, and it wasn't like he could just sit still for a whole year.
It was hard, really hard. Even the person on their team best at passing tried to get away with a bounce pass. It threw them all for a loop, and by the time they had adjusted to playing together on the sand, Riko was mixing up their teams.
They started on the defensive, him, Tsuchida, and Furihata. Seeing both his teammates occupied with their marks, Kiyoshi took his stance in front of Izuki, preparing to stop his attempt as a pass. Izuki's brows were furrowed in concentration. Kiyoshi wondered what was going on in his head. He studied those eyes, as if they could give him an indication as to the thoughts in that rapidly running mind. Kiyoshi keeps staring, because he's on the opposing team of course, questioning every hitch of Izuki's movement. What had they planned? What did his eagle eye see?
When did Izuki's eyes start shining?
And in a split second, he must have blinked and missed it, Izuki had the ball to Fukuda who made the shot on the hoop. Izuki punched him lightly, pulling him from his trance. "Hey, I know you're rusty, but come on! You didn't even try." The only thing that ripped Kiyoshi's gaze from those shining eyes was the brilliant smile that rivaled the brightness of the sun.
His team lost that set.
On their break, Coach reminded them to reapply their sunscreen. Rubbing lotion into his own face, Kiyoshi watched Izuki begrudgingly offer his bottle to a bashful and pleading Koganei who smeared more into his hand than necessary and sputtered out a half hearted apology as he hastily handed the bottle back.
"Jeez dude, why don't you just use all of it? It's only day one, Koga!"
"I can't burn, Izuki! I'm too delicate. You wouldn't understand!''
"Then remember to bring your own, you idiot!." After a valiant effort from Koganei, he was still ghostly white from the amount of lotion on his skin, and he has an unmanageable amount left in his palm. Kiyoshi saw the idea come to him, and knowing Koga was never one to think before he acted, he was not one bit surprised when he pounced on their point guard.
"Izuki! Reapply!"
He grabbed his arm so he couldn't get away and then left white lotion hand prints on Izuki's face. Izuki froze in horror, and those nearby started laughing. Before Izuki finally pulled away, he had earned white hand marks and smears on his face, arms, and one on the backside of his shorts. The latter earned a loud shout from his friend.
Kiyoshi wanted to touch Izuki. Where those hand prints were, yes, but also-
He couldn't put words to his thoughts. He was confused because, when had Kiyoshi ever wanted to touch him or anyone else for that matter?
Coach blew the whistle, pulling them back to their makeshift court, so Kiyoshi couldn't dwell on it. That was, until after the next set Coach switched up the teams for a full five-on-five, meaning this time he was to work with Izuki. Well, at least he didn't have to look at him.
"Alright guys, let's try this-" Shit, this was so much worse. He had already screwed his eyes shut, but that voice . That gentle voice glinting with determination went straight through Kiyoshi's ears and he felt a shudder in his chest so unexpected he missed every word Izuki said. "Kiyoshi, did you get that?"
He opened his eyes to see Fukuda and Izuki looking at him with matching bemused expressions. "Yeah, sure did!" Oh boy.
They took up the offense, and Izuki held his gaze. Alright he could tell he was supposed to catch the ball and then, what? He didn't get a chance to predict that because Izuki passed the ball his way. He was off balance, but if he didn't catch the ball, they'd lose possession. He barely managed to grab it in his vice grip, gripping the sand as hard as he possibly could, every muscle in both his legs screaming to keep him upright. He just managed to toss the ball to Hyuuga before hitting the sand. Much to his dismay, the other team snatched it and funneled the ball to Kagami, easily going for the dunk. He would have made it, too, if Kagami had remembered he couldn't jump like he normally did in the sand. Shit shit shit! What was with him? Since when does he let himself get so distracted during practice, and after he'd been itching to get back out? His mind should be nowhere except on the ball.
"Teppei, you alright?" Riko was at his side in a second. He barely flinched as he picked himself up from the sand. Pushing all signs of panic deep into his chest, he schooled his face into a pleasant grin, one he knew they all recognized, hoping to get her to believe he didn't need more attention.
"Just fine, Coach. I can't think of a better way to whip my body back into shape." Riko still looked at him with skepticism, like she wasn't fully convinced he was telling the truth. Kiyoshi just continued to smile at her, shaking out his legs. "I promise, Coach. I'm fine. Let's go again."
He hustled back to his team huddle and set his intentions to listen to the play orders given by Izuki, and nothing else. That's what he did. Or at least he tried.
As he started speaking, Izuki pushed his hip out to his left side as he held the basketball lazily between it and his arm. He glanced again at how the sun caught in his silver irises, eyes set in that same concentration. Sweat was trickling down his forehead, over his cheekbones (very sharp Kiyoshi noticed for the first time). The beads of sweat collected in the hem of Izuki's T-shirt, and Kiyoshi yearned to explore what was beneath that boundary. He could only imagine as he watched Izuki's broad, flat chest expand with each heavy breath.
The sound of Izuki's voice touched him again, the shiver slower, but just as overwhelming. He gave orders like he was in control of the entire beach, expertly devising a plan to annihilate the other team, despite the fact that they couldn't dribble. It was like Kiyoshi was feeling his words more than hearing them, which was a problem because he hadn't retained any of the plan, again . The sweet tenor of Izuki's voice surged through his veins like morphine, perilously pulling him into a coma of complacency.
Since returning to the club, practice hasn't gone as smoothly as he wanted. That's what happens when you don't practice for a year. Izuki never held back on him, regardless. From that very first day when he'd so excitedly walked into the gym in his uniform, Izuki spoke to him like no time passed. Like the fact that they were such a good team was second nature. He'd spent plenty of time with him since coming back to practice so why was this-
Izuki finished giving his plan, and, without even thinking, gripped the hem of his white t-shirt, and pulled it up to wipe sweat from his forehead.
Kiyoshi's heart raced, now beating so fast it throbbed in his ears. If he hadn't already had a hard time focusing on his point guard, it would have been impossible at that point. The action exposed the smooth skin of Izuki's abs ( shit , Izuki hadn't skipped a day of Riko's regimen had he?) Imprinting every little detail he could, he almost whined when Izuki let the fabric fall again, covering the part of him that Kiyoshi desperately needed to see again .
What was happening in his head? Izuki was his teammate, his point guard! And now he wasn't treating him like that at all! He was supposed to listen when Izuki was in charge, and execute his plan to the best of his ability. When Izuki and the others turned to walk towards the court, they left him standing there, zero idea what he was expected to do. Before he could start to panic, his eyes, which were already trained on him, landed and attached to the swell of Izuki's ass.
Hot damn, he really didn't miss a day of his regimen.
Kiyoshi had seen his body before, in the showers after a long day, but his eyes never remained attached like this. Like he was stealing glances for his own enjoyment, like Izuki was an object meant to bring him something. But what? Kiyoshi didn't like this feeling. Until now, to him, the other boys in the shower room with him were just that: boys. His classmate, teammate and friend was gone at that moment. Izuki was little more than his eyes, face, pecs, arms, abs, ass, calves, even his goddamn feet in the sand.
He felt dizzy.
And sick.
And hot - but not from the sun or the warm air.
The sweat on his forehead was different, the rush in his blood intoxicating, and his groin ached in a way he'd never experienced at practice. He glanced down, and all of his previous feelings abandoned him, along with reason, only to be replaced with a hollow feeling so excruciating he was sure he'd collapse. His speeding heart suddenly stopped, the inertia almost enough to make him vomit as he saw an obvious tent in the front of his shorts. He flew into action, acting purely on instinct as it was all his escalated brain could handle. He barely choked out, "Tsuchida, tag in." before he was off the sand and out of sight of any of his teammates.
If he'd had his wits about him, he might have heard Captain say, "Tsuchida? Where did Teppei go?"
He found a bench around the corner of a building where, thankfully, no one had been walking at that moment and sat down. He folded himself over his legs, using every ounce of willpower to make his body just calm down. He was shaking in embarrassment, though he was fairly sure none of his teammates noticed exactly what had caused him to leave suddenly. He was certain it was only so long until someone came looking for him. He recognized this feeling, though it was rare. It was something that had only happened to him in private. He'd be sitting in his room, playing his action games, or flipping through an old issue of Basketball Monthly or just laying down for bed, when it happened, and it was easy to ignore - or deal with when he absolutely had to - because he was alone, in his house .
What was he supposed to do now? With his team right there. With Izuki right there. How would he look him in the face?
"Kiyoshi, don't just run off like that!" His captain's voice stabbed through his consciousness. He wasn't ready to see anyone yet; his heart was still rattling his ribcage and he felt increasingly like an unstable Jenga tower ready to fall and shatter at the smallest mistouch. He stayed hunched over, and didn't answer Hyuuga right away. That was a mistake. Idiot, you know better than to let on that much . "Kiyoshi? Woah, what's wrong? You don't look okay."
As he spoke, the voice came closer and closer, and Kiyoshi wanted the earth to swallow him whole. Grasping at as much courage within himself as he could, he forced his head up, along with trademark grin, to look at Hyuuga's concerned and confused face.
"Peachy! Just needed that break Riko offered, after all."
Hyuuga looked unconvinced, arms across his chest in indignance. Riko hadn't exactly offered a break, and he knew it. He was scrambling for an excuse, all the while hoping his captain would just leave him alone. "You don't run from practice like that. It's not like you." Hyuuga sat next to him on the bench. "So, spill." Why did Hyuuga always have to be so stubborn?
"Really, Hyuuga, I'm okay." It took every ounce in him to hold his smile. It wasn't entirely a lie. With every passing second, his heart seemed to slow back to a manageable speed. He wasn't in the clear though; his groin was still aching defiantly, as if punishing him for his horrible thoughts.
"I don't know who you're trying to fool, but -"
That scared Kiyoshi the most, his friend's silence. A lecture, an argument; that he could handle. Silence was the one thing he had no response for. Involuntarily, he turned his head to Hyuuga and he shuddered. Hyuuga's eyes were on his groin and his face was blushing a bit at his cheeks and ears. "Oh, you're-"
In that moment, they both wished the earth would just swallow them whole.
Hyuuga was up on his feet again, clearing his throat. "Don't push yourself too much, okay? Be back to drills soon." Kiyoshi wanted to cry as Hyuuga walked away. Why was this happening to him today? Why had things been so weird since returning to the club?
Forcing himself to focus only on his breath, the sensation of the hot air entering and exiting his lungs doing little to mask the ache. By sheer force of will, he finally felt his heart settle in his chest. He pulled himself up, moving his aching legs back to practice.
Izuki saw Kiyoshi slip back onto the sand. He pursed his lips, approaching him quickly. "Hey, Kiyoshi, what was all that? You've been acting weird today, man."
Kiyoshi didn't speak right away, which Izuki thought was strange, but he used the moment to wipe the sweat from his face with the hem of his shirt. When he looked back up Kiyoshi was overtly avoiding his gaze, a look of pain on his profile.
"Kiyoshi?" He was quiet, almost hurt, and it earned him a glance from the boy in question. He took a step forward toward the taller boy, not even really thinking, and reached a hand out to him.
Kiyoshi flinched back like he'd been burned.
"Hey! Back to it!"
He wouldn't get a chance to untie the knot in his stomach that pulled tighter at the absolutely helpless look in Kiyoshi's eyes because was gone from Izuki's presence in an instant, grabbing Coach to whisper something before lining up for the next drill.
That conversation nagged at him all day, even as they took practice back to the indoor gym. It itched in his mind so much that he was making fumbles on the court he shouldn't have. The training on the beach had done wonders for their dexterity and here he was, dropping the ball like he'd never played a day in his life.
Get a grip, Izuki! It didn't help that he couldn't get a minute with Kiyoshi alone. He played against him in a few more drills, but they didn't get paired up again. Looking across the gym, where the boy stealing all his concentration that day was participating in his own separate drill. Kiyoshi caught a pass from Kuroko, immediately jumping in for a dunk.
Well. Kiyoshi didn't seem to be upset anymore, if he was playing like that . Call it envy, call it spite, but Izuki felt a heat rise in him. He hustled back to his own team, setting his focus on the defenders in front of him. It was like a switch flipped in him. He was buzzing around the court like the nuisance fly their opponents couldn't shake, nailing tough passes, and scoring shots of his own. He's no Kagami or Hyuuga or Mitobe, but he could hold his own.
After a particularly impressive show from him and Hyuuga, ending with the ball switching the net, he and his teammate shared a high five and Izuki couldn't hold back the pride in his heart as he saw Furihata's shining face looking up at him. You'd think he'd scored the winning point himself, and not just watched his opponents and senpai utterly crush him in the last play.
"You're next level, Izuki-Senpai! You're like Hyuuga! You don't score as many points, but you make Clutch Time Hyuuga possible." He stuttered over his incoherent compliment, some of the other second years were insulted for Izuki, taking it as such, but Izuki just smiled.
He got many compliments from all the players in the gym for his impressive play, all except Kiyoshi, who only offered him a smile. Izuki hadn't gotten the guy to speak to him since that morning on the beach, and he was fed up. What was the big deal, anyway? All of Izuki's adoring fans, and he doesn't get a compliment from one of them and now he's throwing a tantrum like a toddler. He didn't like team drama. There was enough drama at their tournaments. They didn't need to deal with it off-court too.
Coach called a water break and he made a beeline for Kiyoshi before he could get away. "Did I Do something wrong?" Kiyoshi looked at him with wide eyes, but said nothing. Great, it was just like earlier. "Is there a reason you won't talk to me or something? I am worried I made you upset on the beach."
Still nothing. Kiyoshi didn't move, not even the twitch of a muscle in his face. He walked over there with determination and resolve, but it broke as he was met with the only thing he couldn't counter: silence. "Right." He let out a long sigh. What did he expect, approaching Kiyoshi like this? He took a step back, suddenly feeling too close to him, like he was close to touching a flame and burning himself if he didn't move away. Sorry for whatever I did. I-"
He stopped when he felt a hand grab his wrist. It did not grab him firmly, not enough to truly hold him there, but the palm of the hand was scorching and soothing against his skin, the large fingers spreading out, contrasting against the paler, silkier complexion of Izuki's arm. He thought he'd get burned, instead he felt alive.
Why was he upset with Kiyoshi, again?
"I'm sorry Izuki. It's just been a hot day. I don't think I hydrated enough. You did nothing to warrant feeling bad." Despite the grin, something shifted uneasily within Izuki. Nothing to warrant feeling bad wasn't quite the same as having done nothing wrong. He couldn't pinpoint why that bothered him, and so tried his best to let it go.
His arm felt bitterly chilled when he pulled away, like he'd plunged his arm into the frozen river in the dead of winter. But it was Summer? When did summer feel so cold?
The water breaks that day had been vastly too short for his liking as he was pulled away from too many conversations with his veins pulsing like they would collapse from his blood pressure.
He channeled every ounce of it into the ball and his play. He drained every ounce of his energy to the point where, when Coach dismissed them, he toppled gently onto the bench against the wall. He caught his breath, chatting with Koganei as Mitobe looked on. Once his legs moved again, he was taking himself straight to the bath, and then straight to bed.
Kiyoshi all but fled from the gym upon dismissal. He was physically exhausted and mentally drained. He didn't even have the energy to pull himself into the bath. He showered himself at the stall enough that his skin wasn't coated in sweat anymore. He couldn't even pull himself back to his room. He draped himself over a massage chair he'd found tucked behind a corner near the laundry machines. The soothing motion of the automated machine did wonders to relieve his physical tension. And for a few moments, he was able to forget about the events of the day.
Until Riko burst his bubble of denial, and everything hit like a freight train again. If Riko wasn't with Hyuuga, that could mean he was looking for- "Have you seen Hyuuga anywhere?"
"He's outside with a ball." Okay, so he had some time. Perhaps he could avoid it until the next day. He didn't want to talk about it at all, happy to go on pretending nothing happened at all. Knowing his vengeful captain, however, he couldn't avoid that conversation. But Hyuuga wasn't there at the moment, so he was going to enjoy what little respite he could in conversation with Riko.
"So this training camp. Any concerns?"
"Why would I be concerned?" He helped quell her worries, assuring her everything was going as it should be because of how hard everyone worked. "Every guy has to know his role. Take Izuki for example. He had good shooting form, and excellent dribbling skills. But would he make a power forward?"
"Of course not." She laughed gently at the idea of tiny Izuki taking on Ootsubo from Shutoku like Kagami could.
"Exactly. And he knows that. So rather than trying to be Kagami and failing, he remains Izuki and does what only Izuki can do best. That's why he's our starting point guard." Indulgent thoughts of Izuki took up his mind. The way his eyes shined, how wide he smiled, how hard he worked. He admired his motivation.
"I just don't get it!" The sudden raising of her voice startled him from his daydream. "You have all these insights! Why aren't you the captain?"
Insights, huh? If only Riko knew that he'd been nothing but confused all day. He could go for some insight on his current situation. Riko spoke like Kiyoshi knew everything. It was far from the truth. But Kiyoshi wasn't going to let her see that. "You two are the perfect team for them. Where you push the guys, Hyuuga pulls them. That's why I asked him to be team captain." They'd been through a lot. It hadn't been easy, far from it, but their tiny team survived a very rocky start. "Besides, I can barely keep up out there. I'm still getting these old bones to remember their tricks!"
"Speaking of, why did you leave practice so suddenly earlier today?"
He fell silent. He needed to know when to shut up. He talked circles around his emotions, and all it did was draw more suspicion to him. He knew the reasons, but there was no way he'd know how to explain. He hadn't even really made sense of it himself, and people were demanding answers, first Hyuuga, then Izuki, now Riko.
"I-," Even as he tried to speak, tried to force an explanation out for his friend, none came.
"Teppei?" She sounded concerned, like she was worried she'd hurt him.
"Can we not talk about it? If that's okay?" He hated that answer. He hated avoiding his friends like this. Hell, he wanted someone to explain it to him, wanted someone to tell him what the hell happened and what it meant and why he couldn't stop thinking about Izuki since. But he couldn't say anything. He spoke two languages and both were failing him in this conversation. He barely knew what he was going to say to Hyuuga, but he knew the captain would bother him about it eventually.
"Okay." Her voice was small. "Do you want to be alone?"
No. But that alternative was feeling like he was under a microscope.
"Yes. It's nice to relax. Besides, we should all be getting to bed soon, don't you think?"
By the end of his next breath he'd put his signature smile back on his face long enough to convince Riko he was okay being left alone in that moment. And as soon as she left and he was alone in the chair, it fell. His face was sore from putting that mask on.
He was out of practice in a lot of ways, huh?
Shutoku was there. Izuki rubbed his eyes like he was still dreaming. But when he opened them again, the familiar, and absolutely furious, Shutoku stood staring them down bright and early the next day when they'd showed up for training. Coach explained the change of plans for training that day and Izuki was making a silent list in his brain of preparations for his funeral when Shutoku strangled them to death. On the court, of course, but Izuki wasn't letting his guard down just yet.
They were dismissed to gather at their assigned sidelines and Izuki caught sight of Kiyoshi. The night's sleep did a lot to calm his nerves and his blood pressure. Kiyoshi still hadn't said anything to him though, beyond a casual good morning. He felt the tension, but he also remembered that Kiyoshi told him there was no reason to feel bad.
He remembered because the sound of his voice saying the words was playing on repeat in his mind since the moment he said it.
Taking a deep breath and committing himself to not let whatever that was affect how he normally acted around his team, he jogged up and nudged Kiyoshi on the shoulder. "Kiyoshi, you're gonna get to meet Shintarou Midorima!"
"He as good as people say he is? You seem really excited to play against him!"
Izuki blushed. Did he? It was because the guy was talented. That was it. Still, Izuki needed to watch himself. He harbored some less than wholesome thoughts about Shutoku's acquired miracle. . . . Izuki would hate him if he would just stop being so damn cool!
Izuki thanked every God he could think of when Midorima approached Kiyoshi barely five minutes into their warm up routine. It saved him the potentially dangerous exposure to him if Kiyoshi had asked for an introduction, something he is positive the guy would have done.
Midorima approached, expressionless as always. "Kiyoshi Teppei."
Kiyoshi just smiled. He was used to his reputation preceding him. "Midorima Shintarou."
The shooting guard just stared, not making any Indication as to how the response affected him. The stalemate drew on until Takao showed up, knocking the ball from Midorima's loose grasp. "Come on, Shin-chan, what's with this stuffy way you greet people acting like you're not totally obsessed with them?" Then he turned to Izuki, hovering just a foot from where Kiyoshi was put under Midorima's scrutiny. "Hey, Izuki, is this Kiyoshi guy a stupid good basketball prodigy like Shin-chan here? I got a good book to recommend! 100 tips for housebreaking your Tsundere. "
Izuki laughed at the way he teased both their teammates, overtaken by the swarm of pleasure he felt from the absolutely flabbergasted expression on Kiyoshi's face. You'd think someone found his stash of idol photo books or porn magazines. It was poetic, funnily enough, to see the Generation of Miracles number one shooter and the Iron Heart reduced to a sputtering mess.
Midorima, well versed in the nonsense that was Takao, recovered quickly. "Good luck today, Seirin. You'll need it." Ignoring Takao mumbling something about they have names, too, you know. "Luck for Cancers is number two today, second only to Gemini, and last I checked Seirin didn't have one. The highest rank of any of you is Leo, but unlucky for you I see Kagami getting ready to leave the gym. What ever shall you do?"
"I'm a Gemini."
All three heads turned to Kiyoshi. Izuki knew the guy could have mood swings, but even this was a bit much. Still, the new resolve on his face was stern, gone was any shred of embarrassment he'd felt. He pressed at his opponent, knowing the exact buttons to aim for despite this being his first meeting with Midorima.
Midorima didn't back down. "Is that so? Well, do you have Gemini's lucky item? I do not see any blue suitcases near your bench. I, for one, always have Cancer's daily item." He gestured to where, sure enough, Shutoku made more than enough room for Midorima's lucky item. Today it was small, a yellow rubber duck with a red top hat. Where does Midorima find these things?
"Who needs luck, when you've got this team?" Typical Kiyoshi; listening to every word you say and then ending the discussion by saying something completely irrelevant but overly passionate, and any response anyone could say back evaporated, forgotten instantly.
Izuki was in too good a mood watching the interaction. He couldn't resist adding on, "I'm a Libra!"
Midorima glanced at Izuki, all emotions dropping from his face, back to his normal stoic expression. It sent a chill through him, like he'd misstepped, not enough to trip, but enough to feel the stinging strain in your ankle, a lingering reminder of your narrow encounter with injury.
"Mm. Ranked tenth today. Be careful. Let's go, Takao." In one breath, as if he hadn't even spoken to Izuki, he turned and dragged his own point guard back to their bench.
"Noted." He shared a small, humorous smile at Midorima's expense with Kiyoshi before the two faded back into their team's drill.
They lost every game. They shamefully exited the gym, looking to accept their punishment from Riko for such a childish performance when she offered a chance for a bit of a "cool down." Blinded by their fatigue and misery, they followed blindly until it was too late.
"What is this?" They stood, shivering at the buckets of ice threatening them.
"Coach Riko's Special Icing technique." Riko grabbed him and practically threw him at the closest bin. He'd barely managed to get his socks off before Riko shoved him into the ice, the drop in temperature making him let out a loud groan. He fought to get out, but Riko held him down - she was deceptively strong - by the shoulders.
"Trust me! It does wonders!" Her smile was blinding and it made him sick. But as he stood, the pain quickly dissolved and he actually felt some relief, in the most painfully freezing way he could imagine. "See!"
She herded each of them into matching bins, but Izuki watched as Kiyoshi - of course it was Kiyoshi - voluntarily got into his own ice bin. Kiyoshi pulled up the legs of his shorts, exposing his toned thighs. He almost never saw this part of him because Izuki refused to make eye contact with anyone on his team in the showers. Often he opted out, having one excuse or another.
But, damn , they were like tree trunks and they were right in front of his face. Kiyoshi was so tall his legs peeked out from the ice.
The ice seemed to reset whatever had Kiyoshi down. Because he was making those dumb jokes and speaking in those stupid metaphors, try to claim, "We are strong!" to convince the first years. Izuki had no idea how to bring it back up, and he didn't want to risk that look in his eyes again. So, if Kiyoshi would continue like normal, so would he.
In the bath that afternoon, Takao relaxed into the warm water before they were dragged back for weight training or more laps, or whatever the coach and Ootsubo were up to. He'd coaxed Midorima into the bath with him, though it didn't take much convincing. He'd almost thought Shin-Chan had gone soft on him until he had a surprising amount to say about Seirin's team.
He sure did think about them far more in depth than anyone who claimed to "have no time or interest" in their goings-on.
Takao was too focused on enjoying what little relaxation in that run down inn he could get so he saved himself the trouble of teasing his teammate. Though, he just couldn't help himself when Midorima's deadly serious gaze was fixed pointedly, not on him, but on the lion head bath faucet between them.
"Yeah, that's great and all. But you've been sharing that insight with a lion." Midorima fidgeted in his distress at his mistake; he made the motions to push his glance up his nose, and blushed harder when he realized his blunder. Takao gave a weak chuckle, but said nothing else, letting his friend off this time. He took a deep breath and relaxed into the cool tile of the bath, waiting in the comfortable silence until Midorima composed himself enough to continue talking his ear off.
"I have a bad feeling, Takao."
So dramatic. "Oh, yeah?"
"That new Seirin player is a Gemini."
He turned his gaze to Midorima, looking for an explanation. He couldn't find one and offered, "Yeah, so?" knowing he needed to prod just enough to get Midorima to unravel.
"Isn't it obvious? The point guard, Izuki. He's a Libra. The two of them have a highly compatible friendship. Complementary, some might say; fatal, if you ask me. Prone for teamwork. And on an already teamwork oriented team, that is dangerous."
He hummed along in interest. "You don't say."
"Furthermore, Gemini and Libra are one of fate's most ideal pairs. Both are air signs, and that makes for a frankly nauseating pair, if you are on their collective bad side. While two Earth signs together can be obstinate or tenacious and two fire signs might be explosive and destructive, two air signs are infectious," he paused, scrunching his nose, "noxious. Both are highly intellectual, creative, and crave mental stimulation. So, when paired in a position of strategy, such as on a basketball court, those two would be a formidable obstacle. I'd say our fortune with this pair is the worst it could be. Libras also pair well with Leos, but Izuki's cooperation with Kagami is . . . professional at best."
Takao snorted. Sure the guy was loud, and a bit disrespectful in the way he spoke, but he trusted his point guard. He could tell.
"Kiyoshi has a few more options, being a Gemini for his team. But that doesn't surprise me, being their center. Kuroko is also an air sign, an Aquarius, a stimulating pair for Gemini, making for never ending ideas or inventions, but Kuroko already has his light. Gemini and Leo make good rivals. Meaning we might have a problem if Kagami starts trying to one up his own teammates."
Takao had to laugh at the almost clinical way Midorima discussed the facets of their opponents' relationships. If pressed, he'd give some half formed explanation like, it is critical for strategy , or, it is for victory. Midorima was particularly fond of saying the latter. Takao knew it was one giant ploy he spun to prevent people from seeing that his hard exterior is only skin deep - much like an eggshell, thin and durable, but you get one crack in him and out oozes the soft center that harbored a lot of care and compassion for those things he loved.
Not that love was a word in his vocabulary.
"Still, if fate were to have its way, and those two continue to work in the ways that I observed today, then it could be as threatening as the idea of Kuroko's improvements. Damn Gemini's taking first place."
Takao barked a short, loud laugh. Okay, Midorima surprised even him sometimes. "You know Shin-Chan, Kiyoshi having good luck today doesn't change their teamwork."
He hadn't thought much of Izuki before then. He might have gotten a little carried away with the anything you can do, I can do better attitude. The look on his face when he knew his eagle eye was nothing to Takao's hawk eye, he couldn't help himself. But, he had to admit, thinking about the training from that morning, the guy was confident, leading offensive plays like he hadn't in their previous game.
Still, no matter what was brewing over at Seirin, Takao didn't care one bit. It didn't change a thing about how he'd eventually get to go back home, leaving Seirin behind, and resume staying late to practice while Midorima took his daily one hundred shots. How could he worry about them when he had so much right here?
"Hey Shin-Chan?"
"Hm?"
"What about two water signs?" He said as he flashed a soft smile, one only meant for his friend. He knew Midorima would deny it, but they were friends. Best friends. He also knew he'd give in and tell him any moment, as if rewarding Takao for not only indulging him, but not being his usual chatterbox self either.
"Consuming, suffocating."
He glared at Takao, hoping the insulting nature of his words would have any effect on that bright smile. Of course it didn't, but Midorima didn't really want it to.
Hyuuga took the first chance he got to talk to Kiyoshi alone. Unlucky for him, it wasn't until over a day later when he finally found the giant alone in their room at the inn.
"Care for some company?" Hyuuga said when he approached Kiyoshi. The guy hadn't been avoiding him but he'd been keeping his distance enough that it was obvious to him. It was Kiyoshi's own fault; when the normal for him was breathing down Hyuuga's neck ceaselessly, it really went noticed when he had his normal breathing room. "Or is this some kind of solitary focus time?"
Kiyoshi laughed at his captain. "Is that a thing people do? Perhaps I'll have to look into it."
Taking his smart-ass response as a yes, he sat down in the chair opposite Kiyoshi, having second thoughts about his choice to spend time with him. They talked about the team, and Kagami's improvements. Coach was training his jumping power. That much was obvious. Exactly how she was doing it, though, was a mystery.
Being able to talk with Hyuuga about basketball again like this brought some normalcy back to his mood. But Hyuuga knew him better than he liked to admit, and once the basketball topics ran dry, there was one more elephant in the room to address.
"You wanna talk about it? What happened on the beach."
"Maybe." He paused, avoiding Hyuuga's eyes. It was rare that Hyuuga saw him so speechless like this. Kiyoshi dominated most of his basketball life, not by choice, but because when Kiyoshi was anywhere nearby, he brought a raging blizzard with him. Incessant quips, jabs, ideas, jokes, swirling around, disorienting him.
But he wasn't burying Hyuuga in the drift today. Kiyoshi never offered much, never truly let people know how he thought. Sensing he might need to probe a bit further than he normally was comfortable, he offered, "You're a teenage boy. Hell, even teenage girls feel that way. We all feel that every day. It's normal." His cheeks were dusting with pink as he said it. "You know, the-" he cleared his throat, "urges are normal," he gagged. Talking about masturbating with his friend was not in the plan for the summer training camp. He was not Kiyoshi's parent, so why did he feel like he was giving the sex talk to Kiyoshi?
"Don't exaggerate, Hyuuga. It can't be that frequent."
"Daily. Sometimes a couple." Hyuuga flushed, thinking about what he'd just admitted. He'd have stewed in his mortification if Kiyoshi hadn't continued to look so pensive, mulling over what Hyuuga said, fitting pieces together in his brain.
"If that is so normal, am I not normal?"
The conclusion was not one Hyuuga was prepared for.
"I-" Kiyoshi hesitated. "I don't feel those "urges" every day. This is the first time in," he paused to think, waiting a few moments more than Hyuuga would have needed to answer the same question, "five or six months? First time it's happened around others, though. So, if it's normal to feel it every day and I don't, does that mean I'm-" his voice choked away at the end of his question. Kiyoshi wouldn't cry, not in front of him. So he had to do what he could to make sure he didn't do it when he was alone either.
"That's normal, too, Kiyoshi. Normal is whatever you feel." Neither of them were convinced he was right, but they understood what he was attempting. "I mean, I can't say I understand you. I never do." That earned him a small chuckle from his friend, so he continued. "But whatever you are feeling, know that you are not the only one who feels it." Kiyoshi's face relaxed some.
Hyuuga's own words had time to settle in alongside the new things about Kiyoshi, and anger joined the squall raging in his heart. "I can't freaking believe you! You have to go and be better at basketball than me, and not get distracted by dumb hormones all the time! Where's Midorima? I got a word for him and his 'fate' he loves so much."
His face screwed into one of anger, genuinely distracted by the ways in which he could make Midorima answer for the hand he'd been dealt. He was musing over a particularly exciting idea involving tying Midorima to a set of train tracks when Kiyoshi's loud laughter permeated his imagination.
"What's so funny, moron?"
When Kiyoshi calmed down enough, he smiled at Hyuuga. He hated when Kiyoshi smiled like that. It made his skin crawl. "Nothing. I just, I think I understand what you're saying about distractions. That is the first word to sit right with me about it."
"So why are you so freaking happy, you big lug? Distractions are bad! The Winter Cup is going to be here any day! What you're telling me is that you're distracted by a crush? I am going to wring your neck, you little-"
"I don't have a crush. At least that isn't what it feels like." That shut Hyuuga up. Conversations with Kiyoshi took many sudden, unexpected turns. His only choice was to grab the handle and brace for impact. "I've never been interested in another person, not that way. Well not until recently."
Uneasiness pooled in Hyuuga's stomach. "Recently, huh?" He thought of Riko, beautiful, smart, passionate, considerate - focus! - Riko, and how they'd spent many days worried about when this might happen. When Kiyoshi started to realize that he felt more than just a feeling of friendship for Riko. "Well, if you want to talk about it more, you know where to find me."
He sat there with him in silence, and he was grateful. He didn't want to discuss it further, and Kiyoshi didn't either. For now. But Kiyoshi would stew, and he'd bottle it up and let it boil, never telling anyone what he was going through. He'd scald himself before risking a burn to his friends. It'd come out eventually, and it would be ugly.
At least Hyuuga had a chance to prepare for that hard reality before the pot boiled over.
Notes:
After I wrote Stay Hydrated - which was little more a self indulgent excuse to write about the woes of being denied Pocari Sweat - I got to thinking, who DOES Kiyoshi have his eye on. . . I took some inspiration from our resident Cancer King, and looked into his zodiac sign! (The same as me! I feel like a twin to Kiyoshi in many ways, I digress). While I never thought it would be Izuki, the idea just blossomed in my head as I was looking into the horoscope compatibility of him with other characters. And before I knew it . . . this.
I am very knew to all things zodiac, so forgive me if my research and depiction is not 100% accurate.
P.S. those who don't know. Takao is a Scorpio, making him and Midorima (Cancer) both water signs.
