Hello again everyone! Welcome to my new favorite chapter and somehow the longest chapter in a while! Considering how quickly I remember writing this chapter, I'm honestly shocked it is as long as it is, but then again it does cover a LOT.
Okay, so first off, thanks to irislxi (Thank you!) and LetTheWorldHonorTheFallen (Welcome again, to my favorite chapter!) for reviewing, all 81 followers, 64 favorites and 7,397 readers!
In any case, I'd apologize for the wait, but honestly once I worked up the inspiration, I wrote the entirety of episode 17 in one night. So yeah, here we are!
I'll stop talking now, let you all finally see why this is absolutely, 100% my new favorite chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 14: The Bond of Three
The rain was pouring down, drenching Midorima from head to toe. It wrapped around him like an old friend, clinging to his skin as surely as the tape that covered his fingers.
But he wasn't focused on that right now. Instead, he was solely focused on the phone in his hand. His left ring finger burned and were he anyone else, he would think it was Aomine's name carving into it once more.
But he wasn't anyone else, he was Midorima. And all of his and Akashi's research into the marks in their first year of middle school had reached the same conclusion: the marks did not change.
They were like Aomine, in that way.
"You haven't changed, Aomine," Midorima commented aloud. "Don't you understand? You'll be playing against Kuroko in the championship league."
"You seem confused, Midorima," Aomine stated, his voice cold and flat, a bottomless oceanic abyss. "The past is irrelevant. We're enemies now." Midorima didn't answer. It was still shocking to hear Aomine be so cold to Kuroko, even if it had become common in the last year. "I'm hanging up."
"Sure," Midorima nodded, expecting that to be the end of the call.
"Midorin!" Momoi suddenly chimed in. "Sorry to bother you while you're sad! Cheer up!"
Midorima felt his teeth grit tightly at her efforts. It was so hard to tell when Momoi was being sincere, sometimes.
"Shut up!" Aomine grunted, meaning the manager was obviously hanging on his arm.
Without waiting another minute, Midorima ended the call.
Aomine…
"Midorima-kun," Kuroko's voice cut off Midorima's thoughts, causing the sharpshooter to jump the slightest bit. He hadn't seen the phantom approach.
"Kuroko," Midorima greeted his former teammate, staring down at the phantom. Like himself, Kuroko had no umbrella and Midorima couldn't help but wonder if he even went back to Seirin's locker room before deciding to come find Midorima. "Are you here to brag?" Midorima pushed his glasses further up as he spoke, avoiding Kuroko's eyes.
"No," Kuroko stated simply. "I came to check on you."
"Why would you do that?" Midorima snapped. "You have no obligation to me or anyone else from Teiko, why would you-"
"Because Midorima-kun is still a part of me," Kuroko cut him off, causing the breath to catch in the sharpshooter's throat. "And I would like to continue being a part of him."
Midorima couldn't speak, could barely even think, even as his thoughts spun continuously in his mind, tangling up like vines.
Could Kuroko actually mean-
"Oi!" Kise's voice called out to them both, sounding irritated. "What the heck? Am I the only one who brought an umbrella?" The copycat sighed as he reached them and held his black umbrella over all three of their heads, shielding both Midorima and Kuroko from the rain.
"Thank you, Kise-kun," Kuroko smiled.
"I didn't ask for your umbrella," Midorima scoffed.
"'Course not, but I'm here anyway," Kise smiled, winking at the sharpshooter.
Midorima's cheeks did not turn red at that sight. They did not. He was just…coming down with a cold.
"It's been a while since we've been together like this," Kise mused then, his voice soft and his eyes nostalgic. "Nobody watching us, just letting us be together like this. I forgot how nice it was."
"You fool, if you continue acting like this, you'll never be able to participate in the Oath," Midorima scolded, glaring at the copycat. It was a bit difficult to see him with the raindrops clinging to his glasses. Kuroko, apparently, realized this and passed over a handkerchief that was somehow still dry.
Midorima remained silent, even as he cleaned his glasses, giving him his sight back.
"I never said I wasn't," Kise protested. "I just said I missed being together, that's completely different!"
"I agree with Kise-kun," Kuroko nodded, before looking up at Midorima. "I enjoyed our game today, Midorima-kun. Would you like to be a part of us again?"
Midorima startled slightly at those words and looked up at the phantom. He was standing close, closer than he usually did and not simply because of the constraints placed on them all due to the umbrella. Instead, it looked almost as if Kuroko was trying to be as close as possible. But what sealed the deal was when Midorima glanced down.
As if they couldn't help it, Kuroko and Kise were holding hands, their fingers intertwined.
Midorima couldn't speak. The sight alone of their two sets of fingers overlapping filled him with a feeling he couldn't quite describe. All he knew was…was that his heart was racing in his chest and something was crawling inside his stomach.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Kise reassured, tilting his head in an almost helpless manner. "But…it is nice, having Kurokocchi back where he belongs."
"And I feel the same as Kise-kun," Kuroko added. The words were simple and could be read multiple ways, but…
But there was a look in the phantom and copycat's eyes, a longing and a sense of completeness that Midorima couldn't remember seeing in their eyes in…in a long time.
Almost without even thinking about it, Midorima stepped closer, if that was even possible, and offered Kuroko his left hand, raising it until it hovered just above the phantom's cheek.
Kuroko smiled, a smile filled with longing and…and an emotion Midorima couldn't quite name, before he turned his head and kissed Midorima's palm, holding onto the hand with his free one the instant his lips caressed the sharpshooter's skin.
Midorima couldn't stop the gasp that left his lips. He could feel Kuroko's name forming once more on his left middle finger as the phantom's light blue aura covered him. It felt like lightning was connecting his finger to his heart, at the same instance it felt as if a glittering wonderland of snow and frost was forming within his mind. It brought every nerve in his body to life at the same moment it cooled the pain it caused, sparking and soothing all at the same time.
The sharpshooter couldn't help himself then, using his left hand to turn Kuroko's right hand so he could kiss the back of it. He could only gasp in awe as his own dark green aura surrounded Kuroko. He could feel the wonderland turn into a castle of ice, Kuroko's serenity becoming something else entirely as their bond was forged once more. Something new, something unprecedented.
Something that made Midorima's skin burn for the first time in…in too long.
Kuroko opened his eyes and smiled, not saying anything. Nothing needed to be said, after all.
Instead, Midorima turned his attention towards Kise and was all too aware of his body as he raised his right hand towards the copycat's cheek.
In a perfect mirror to Kuroko, Kise turned his head and kissed Midorima's palm.
Once more, the lightning shot up Midorima's nerves, this time from his right middle finger. Unlike with Kuroko, however, Kise's bond formed into a beautiful sunrise, sending rays of warmth throughout Midorima's mind, warming his heart as easily as Kuroko's cooled his body, Kise's yellow aura lighting off his skin like a star.
Neither was overwhelming or new, they had done this before after all. But something about it felt…deeper, as if something had changed since they last bonded in this way. They hadn't bonded in this way the last time they did this. Last time, the bonds had simply formed as soon as they each made skin-to-skin contact. But something about forming the bonds in this way felt deeper, truer, than what they had done before.
Midorima pushed that thought aside, intent on returning his part of their bond to Kise, his heart unwilling to let him leave such a thing incomplete. Since Kise was still holding the umbrella over their heads, Midorima did the next best thing and leaned in to kiss Kise's forehead.
Kise's sunrise transformed into a supernova, leaving Midorima utterly breathless with the intensity of it all as Kise practically melted into him, pushing his forehead into Midorima's neck. Kuroko's grip on his left hand tightened, feeling the echoes of their bonding the same as Midorima and Kise. By some miracle, Kise had managed to keep the umbrella positioned above their heads.
Giving into his impulses, Midorima allowed his right hand to rise from Kise's cheek and tangled his fingers into the hairs at the base of Kise's neck.
The copycat whimpered at the touch, pushing himself deeper into Midorima. Without thinking, Midorima pulled Kuroko even closer and began to draw meaningless shapes onto his hand with his thumb. Kuroko released a shaky breath and squeezed both his and Kise's hands.
Neither of them said a word, their three minds individually and together a hurricane of emotions. They weren't able to move for quite some time.
When Kuroko returned to Seirin's locker room, he hadn't expected much of anything to occur for the rest of the night. In fact, all he wanted to do was head home and curl into the warmth that his bond with Midorima and Kise filled him with.
It was like coming home, feeling Midorima's roots replant where they belong, his mind an overgrown forest desperately trying to return to equilibrium, as Kise's sun filled them both with the warmth and care he radiated to all the Miracles freely.
Kuroko was beginning to wonder how he had survived so long with the bonds walled off as they had been.
But all those thoughts vanished from his mind when Seirin reached Okonomi Yaki, the closest restaurant to the stadium and, amidst Kagami's complaints of Kuroko practically dragging him there (he was not the best at rock, paper, scissors this time unfortunately), Kuroko spotted Kise and Kasamatsu.
"Kise and Kasamatsu!" Kagami cried out, having spotted the two Kaijo students at the exact same moment.
"Hey! No honorifics?" Kasamatsu cried out instantly, and Kuroko had to suppress a chuckle as Kise's mind bloomed into an amused sunburst.
"Hey," Kise greeted the Seirin team aloud.
Thanks to there being way too many players from Seirin, Kagami and Kuroko ended up joining Kasamatsu and Kise for dinner, with Kuroko at Kise's side of the table.
Not that Kuroko was complaining, as his left pinky finger, the closest one to Kise, reached out and intertwined with Kise's own pinky. It was a subtle movement, one Kagami and Kasamatsu were unlikely to notice easily.
Kuroko, after all, would not be the one to break this news without Akashi's approval.
"Why are we sitting together?" Kise questioned, playing along as he always did even as his pinky squeezed Kuroko's.
The bond between them sang.
"And Kagamicchi, why were you covered in mud?" the copycat added, looking at Kuroko's Light.
"I fell. Forget about it," Kagami lied.
"Kagami-kun couldn't walk after our game. I lost rock, paper, scissors and had to carry him," Kuroko mentally explained to Kise.
Instantly, a ray of sunlight laughter trailed across the bond, melting away some of Kuroko's sharper edges.
"And don't call me Kagamicchi," Kagami added, an irritated twist to his brows.
"If we don't eat, they'll burn," Kasamatsu cut in, sounding like a very tired parent at that moment.
"Oh, right," Kise hummed, turning back to his meal.
"Excuse me!" a familiar voice suddenly called out as the door slid open. "Sir, do you have two…"
Kuroko turned and, sure enough, there stood Takao and Midorima, staring back at the two Kaijo students and the Seirin team in shock.
"What are you doing here?" Hyuuga sputtered. "Where are the others?"
"We lost the senpai while Shin-chan was crying," Takao laughed, waving his right hand airily.
"Oi!" Midorima hissed in protest. Through the bond, Kuroko could feel his irritation growing into twisted vines, wrapping around the strong forest of his mind and turning it into a prickly defense.
"We figured we might as well get something to eat," Takao continued, unhindered by his friend's protests.
"We're going somewhere else!" Midorima snapped, turning around and leaving the restaurant instantly.
"O-oi!" Takao cried out, following after the sharpshooter and closing the door behind them.
As soon as they did, the storm suddenly picked up and it became even windier on top of the already pouring rain. A moment later, an even more soaked Midorima and Takao entered once more.
"Huh?" Takao suddenly said, his eyes landing on Kasamatsu. "Are you Kaijo's Kasamatsu-san?"
"How did you know?" Kasamatsu asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
"I saw you in Basketball Monthly!" Takao cried, excitement glittering in his sharp gaze. "You're nationally famous as a strong point guard! Oh, wow! As someone who plays the same position, I'd love to hear your stories! Do you mind if we join you? Let's go talk over here."
And that was how Midorima was forced to join Kise, Kuroko and Kagami at their table. His mind was still a prickly forest, but Kuroko knew that Kise had stretched out one of his legs so his and Midorima's ankles were tangled together, as the vines receded just a bit, allowing Kise's sunshine to soften the glow of their shared bond. It wasn't often Midorima was open to touch in this way, so Kuroko had no doubt Kise was taking advantage and Kuroko wasn't complaining. Kuroko squeezed Kise's pinky, silently basking in having both of his reforged bonds so close.
The air was otherwise tense, outside of Seirin freaking out at this new table arrangement.
Reluctantly, Kuroko pulled away from Kise and took out the menu.
"Why don't we order something?" he suggested. "I'm hungry."
"I'm already pretty full, so I'm fine with what we already have," Kise smiled as he turned down the offer.
"I'm surprised you could eat that shit," Midorima scoffed, turning his nose up.
"Why would you say that?" Kise protested as Kagami began to order a lot of food. "What sort of incantation is that?"
"You're ordering too much!" Midorima yelled at the same time.
"It's alright. Kagami-kun will eat all of it himself," Kuroko reassured the two, as he returned his hand to Kise's reach.
"Is he really human?" the copycat questioned as his pinky wrapped once more around Kuroko's.
The easy affection forming between the three of them was still…so very strange and new, not to mention delicate. But Kuroko…he liked it, even as his heart longed for the others that should be there with them.
"He's like Aominecchi!" Kise added mentally. The sudden commentary, however, caused Midorima to jump in surprise. Kagami seemed to not notice, thankfully, as Kuroko allowed his frost to form a serene reassurance that Midorima desperately needed at the worst of times.
In a few minutes, their food had arrived and the sharpshooter was still stubbornly keeping his eyes closed. It was probably both entirely genuine and a part of their performance.
"I know losing sucks, but come on!" Kise tried to prompt. "Yesterday's enemies are today's friends!"
"I just lost to him!" Midorima countered instantly, knocking the wind out of Kise's sails. "If anything, I can't believe you have no problem sitting with them. You already lost to them once." The sharpshooter opened his eyes to glare at Kise now. Kise, however, simply took a bite of their food and smiled.
"Well…I'll get my revenge at the Inter-High, of course," he declared, confident and sure as he smirked at Kuroko and Kagami. The shooting stars of his determination were bright in Kuroko's mind, as was Midorima's thorny vines of disbelief. They were as captivating as Kise's golden eyes were, staring directly at Kuroko, seeing him. Midorima was the same, the light enhancing the brilliant green of his irises as he stared at the phantom as well. "I won't lose next time."
Kuroko remained silent, knowing the bond revealed his emotions for both of them to understand perfectly. Kagami, on the other hand, finished his food and smirked.
"Ha. Bring it on," he grinned.
"Kise, you changed a little," Midorima noted, his eyes resting delicately on the copycat in question, as if seeing him for the first time in years. Perhaps they all were, Kuroko mused.
"Really?" Kise asked, blinking in surprise.
"Your eyes…they're strange," Midorima elaborated, his voice soft.
"Strange?" the copycat cried out, his model sensibilities coming out in full force as he raised a hand to his no doubt mascara lined eyes. Kise's worries were assured, however, as Midorima sent out a reassuring feeling across the bond, allowing a new tree to slowly begin sprouting with the assurance of growth and life. With that feeling, Kuroko knew Kise would continue to speak. "Maybe it's because I've started practicing more since we played against Kurokocchi. Also, lately I've been thinking…it's pretty fun playing basketball with the guys from Kaijo."
Midorima let out a sigh as he cut into the food with a pair of chopsticks so that he too could eat.
"It seems I was mistaken," he said aloud. "You have not changed at all. You have simply reverted to a state before our three consecutive championships."
Kise didn't say a word in response, only smiling as he squeezed Kuroko's pinky once more and no doubt did the same with Midorima's ankle.
"But…we were all like that back then," Kuroko spoke up, his voice careful and soft.
"How you change it up to you," Midorima stated, looking away from both of them. His mind was a sturdy forest, the trees both protective and defensive. "However, I am not playing basketball to have fun."
"You guys think too much," Kagami complained through his mouthful of food and suddenly, the three of them weren't the only people in the world anymore. "Of course we play basketball because it's fun."
"What did you say?" Midorima demanded, glaring at Kagami as the leaves of his trees were disturbed in the bond. "How dare you speak like you understand when you know nothing at all-"
At that exact moment, the food that Kuroko had seen Takao flipping just behind Midorima landed right on top of the sharpshooter's head.
Mentally, Kuroko and Kise both began to pray for Takao's wellbeing. The only saving grace was that it was Midorima that this had occurred to and not Murasakibara or Akashi.
If it had been either of them, well…Takao would have been crushed or they would have been praying for his soul at this very moment.
"We can talk about that later," Midorima said, his voice flat in his cold angry voice. It wasn't nearly as terrifying as Akashi's, but it was still menacing all the same. The sharpshooter had then stood up and approached his friend. "Takao, come here."
"Sorry, sorry," the Hawk Eye user apologized profusely, even as it was obvious he was struggling not to laugh at the sight of Midorima with the food still on his head. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" But even as he apologized, Midorima dragged him back outside and punished him accordingly for what he had done.
Ah, they must be closer than I thought. Kuroko mused to himself as he observed their dynamic. Out loud, however, he stated, "Kagami-kun is right. That's what I realized during today's games. If it was boring, we never would have gotten this good."
Shortly thereafter, the door opened again and Midorima returned.
"Kagami, let me tell you one thing," he stated as he made his way back to his seat to pick up his and Takao's bags. "There are two members of the Generation of Miracles in Tokyo. Myself, and a man named Aomine Daiki. You will face him in the championship league. He is the same type of player as you."
Kuroko and Kise were silent, as their minds both went dark with grief. Kise's sunbursts were flickering, while Kuroko knew his ice had become sharp and painful.
"What? I don't really get it, but he's pretty strong too, right?" Kagami questioned. He was still so naive when it came to the Miracles, it honestly gave Kuroko a headache sometimes.
"He's strong," Kuroko confirmed. "But his style of basketball…I don't like it."
For a moment, the three Miracles were all silent, their own grief and pain shared amongst them all. After all, watching Aomine change had been as painful as watching Akashi.
"Well, do your best." Midorima wished, breaking the silence and setting the money to pay for his and Takao's portion of the meal.
"Midorima-kun…" Kuroko cried out as he stood up, just as the sharpshooter reached the door. "Let's play again some time."
"Of course we will," Midorima stated, as if it was a fact that they would. But of course it was. The Inter-High was not the end of the Oath, after all. "I will win the next game."
With those words as his farewell, Midorima left the restaurant, as well as Kuroko and Kise, behind. When he reached the street, he found Takao waiting for him on the rickshaw.
"We don't have to play rock, paper, scissors for it today," the Hawk Eye user stated before Midorima said a word.
For a moment, Midorima was surprised, before an undeniable smile bloomed on his face.
Takao was many things, but he was always there when Midorima needed him. Not that he needed him right now, of course, that was ridiculous.
"But in exchange, your lucky item," Takao grunted as Midorima entered the rickshaw and he began to peddle.
"Ah, I will not fail next time," Midorima reassured. "I will purchase an even larger Shigaraki."
"The size isn't the issue!" Takao protested even amongst his painful grunts. It was a slowly becoming familiar bickering, and Midorima allowed himself to sink into both it and the bond that was sprawling in the back of his mind.
It was just a little bit less lonely than it was earlier today. Not that he'd admit that aloud.
Kuroko hadn't expected much else to come out of that night once Midorima and Kise had left, but he also didn't expect to find a dog.
An adorable dog that seemingly had no home and that Koganei was happy to declare Tetsuya #2, or Nigou, when the rest of the Seirin team had declared Nigou had the same eyes as Kuroko himself.
Kuroko didn't mind, he was simply thrilled to bring the dog home. And, of course, his grandmother was fawning over Nigou within seconds, already making plans to buy what they needed for him.
Once Nigou was situated, Kuroko spent the rest of the night simply basking in the returned bond he had with Midorima, mentally speaking with both him and Kise while texting Momoi, Aomine, Murasakibara and Akashi on his phone.
As expected, Momoi answered with a series of hearts, but not much else, most probably because she was in her research mode already. Murasakibara and Aomine, also as expected, did not answer.
Akashi, however, did answer.
Akashi-kun: My orders were followed, Tetsuya.
It was not a question.
Kuroko: Yes, Akashi-kun. None of our precious secrets were revealed.
Akashi-kun: I am glad. I look forward to your performance at the championship league, Tetsuya.
Kuroko: Thank you, Akashi-kun.
Overall, it was a good night, and as soon as Kuroko's head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.
With Seirin making it into the championship league, they returned to practice the very next day. Excluding, of course, Kagami considering he injured himself.
Luckily, Nigou was there to keep Kagami company and Kuroko took great delight in chasing his Light around with the dog in his hands. Nobody said he wasn't petty. In fact, the Miracles would agree that yes, he was very petty if someone made him angry. And Kagami had made him very angry at their last two games.
So yes, Kuroko was taking his own vindictive form of revenge. He was sure Kise was extremely proud of him, given the fact that there were several sunbursts going off in Kuroko's mind. Midorima, on the other hand, was a constant trembling of forest leaves, reminding both of them to focus instead of distracting him.
Kuroko and Kise were both quite fond of pointing out that Midorima was distracting himself by pointing that out to them. The phantom was pretty sure a pencil was broken in Midorima's hand, given the sudden bamboo springing up in his mind.
This became slightly more difficult when Seirin began training in the school's pool, which resulted in Kuroko's body giving out as it always did and a freaking out Kise.
Thankfully, Midorima was much more focused and could easily reassure Kise that Kuroko was fine, even when Kuroko couldn't say it himself because he was too busy sleeping in the pool.
"What a cute dog," a familiar voice cut through Kuroko's exhaustion. His right wrist burned as he looked up from the water and saw Momoi standing there in her swimsuit.
As expected, instantly all of the Seirin players choked on the water when their eyes landed on. Surprisingly, however, Kagami did not react.
"Momoi-san…" Kuroko greeted the smiling manager.
"You know her?" Koganei cried, turning to Kuroko instantly.
She's one of the pieces of my soul. Kuroko thought but did not say aloud. It was a game Momoi had created around Akashi's rules in Teiko.
Nobody could know of their connection, but that didn't mean she couldn't play around with the boys and girls who assumed they had a shot at being her soulmate. It wasn't her fault that none of them knew she already had six, as she so often said.
"Uh, who are you?" Riko questioned, looking thrown by the sudden intrusion of the other woman.
"Um, how should I put this…" Momoi hummed for a moment before she smiled. "I'm Tetsu-kun's girlfriend. I couldn't wait for the championship league, so I came here."
"Tetsu-kun…" Riko repeated as Momoi smiled brightly at her, completely innocent in appearance and hiding the shrewd mind underneath.
"Kuroko Tetsuya-kun," Momoi happily elaborated.
"What!?" Riko and every member of Seirin minus Kagami shouted instantly.
"You have a girlfriend?!" Furihata cried as he attempted to climb over Tsuchida and Kawahara at the same instant Koganei was attempting the same thing.
"No. She was my manager in middle school," Kuroko corrected as he climbed out of the pool.
"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi cried happily as she ran towards him and hugged him tightly. "It's good to see you again! I missed you!"
Her hug was tight, as tight and as strong as Kise's, and in that moment, Kuroko desperately missed her sakura petal thoughts. But despite the fact that both of them were wearing swimsuits, the bond didn't reforge as their skin came into contact.
Kuroko couldn't help but wonder if the intent behind his reforging with Kise and Midorima made the difference between the three of them bonding and this moment.
Either way, he couldn't focus on that right now, given how tight Momoi's grip was.
"I can't breathe, Momoi-san," the phantom reminded the manager.
"Wait, why Kuroko?" Koganei questioned when Momoi adjusted her grip so she hung off Kuroko's neck, her arms around his neck instead of his waist. At the very least, her grip had loosened so Kuroko wasn't complaining much. "He's dull and invisible and boring!"
"What? That's what's so good about him," Momoi protested. As she spoke, her right ankle brushed against Kuroko's skin, the warmth of the names there making his heart swell. He returned the gesture by letting his loosely hanging right wrist brush against her when she hugged him again, pulling his body closer to hers. "But isn't the way he becomes a different person when he plays striking? Besides…he gave me a popsicle."
"What?" the Seirin members cried out, surprised.
Momoi stared at all the boys from Teiko as they ate their popsicles and spoke to one another. In that moment, it almost felt as if she were invisible or on a separate plane of existence, she was so separated from all of them.
A wall between them and her that she wasn't able to quite cross. Sure, she had Aomine and the rest of her soulmates on the basketball team, but it wasn't the same. None of them saw her, just a girl that came as a package deal with Aomine, who obviously had a lot more in common with the rest of them.
That must be nice. She thought wistfully. Eating popsicles with everyone…
"Excuse me…" a familiar voice cut into her thoughts and Momoi glanced up, only to find Kuroko standing before her. She somehow didn't jump, which she was pretty sure was a new record given how often he surprised her. "I don't want this anymore, so you can have it." Kuroko stated, holding out a popsicle stick.
"What?" Momoi gaped. "I can have it? You're giving me your garbage? Don't you think that's mean?" Even still, she took the popsicle stick and turned it over, where the character for 'winner' was printed onto it.
In that moment, Momoi could only describe the sensation as an arrow striking her in the heart as her cheeks turned bright red and she stared at the popsicle stick in awe.
He had given this to her? Was this love then?
At that moment, Momoi felt her right ankle burn…and wondered if they had all messed up.
"That's why I wanted to go to the same school as Tetsu-kun," Momoi continued as she finished her story, her hands covering her blushing cheeks. "But, but…" She burst into tears then and Kuroko winced slightly.
"Momoi-san, your voice echoes inside the pool, so please don't yell," he told her as kindly as he could.
Momoi turned to him with a slight pout to her cheeks, calling out his name a few times before a commotion between Hyuuga and Riko resulted in the captain falling into the pool, drawing everyone's attention.
"You'll kill Hyuuga-san!" Momoi cried out in alarm.
"Huh? How do you know my name?" Hyuuga questioned.
And Kuroko knew exactly what was coming. Internally, he smiled. This was, after all, always something he enjoyed watching when others realized that just because Momoi looked dumb and naive, that didn't mean she was.
"I know all of you," Momoi smiled. "Seirin basketball captain and clutch shooter, Hyuuga-san. The Eagle Eye point guard, Izuki-san. The silent and hard working hook shooter, Mitobe-san. The power forward with incredible jumping power, Kagami-kun. Also Koganei-san and Tsuchida-san."
"What?" Koganei deadpanned as he heard all she had to say was his name.
"That's all?" Tsuchida added, looking just as disappointed.
"Finally…the barely-B coach, Riko-san," Momoi smiled while running a hand over her own more voluminous chest as a point of pride and a challenge to Riko herself, which the coach most definitely reacted to.
"Momoi-san…did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?" Kuroko questioned once he had the manager's attention. But this, too, was just another part in their play. After all, all of the Miracles knew where they had each gone, barring Kuroko keeping quiet at first to prevent surprise visits. Besides, Momoi never left Aomine's side.
Wherever he went, she went and Kuroko had no doubt in his mind as to the reason for that. After all, Momoi may claim he is her first love…but Kuroko read it a different way.
Especially considering his own suspicions in regard to their shared bond.
"Yeah," Momoi confirmed, a small, vulnerable smile on her face. She approached Nigou then, bending down to his level as she spoke. "I really did want to go to your school. But who knows what he'll do if I don't watch him?" Kuroko didn't answer, the unspoken hanging over the two former Teiko students with a heavy weight. "He looks just like you." Momoi commented as she smiled at Nigou. The dog, however, didn't accept her outstretched hand for any pets. "What's wrong?" The manager asked, tilting her head slightly. Nigou didn't give an inch. "He's so cute!"
It was a forced cheerfulness in her voice, Kuroko noted. One that only those who were used to bearing such an unbearable sadness could expertly use.
He couldn't help but wonder just how much pain they had all caused her, himself included.
Finding this supposed replacement of his wasn't nearly as difficult as Aomine thought it might be. The idiot was exactly where the ace expected him: idiotically practicing on a street ball court when he pushed his too weak body further than it could handle.
"Yo," Aomine called out as he picked up the basketball. The replacement turned to look at him. "You're Kagami Taiga, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Play me. I'll test you."
"What? Who the hell are you?" Kagami questioned.
And honestly, was this idiot of a replacement Light still so damn dumb? Did he not even think to look up the Generation of Miracles when Kuroko made him his Light? What an idiot, not even knowing who the ace of the Generation of Miracles even was.
After all, it would be Aomine who destroyed his aspirations of even being considered a worthy Light for Kuroko.
"I don't take kindly to guys who tell me to play them without even telling me their names," the replacement continued, as if he shouldn't already know who Aomine was.
"I'm not asking how you feel," Aomine scoffed, glaring. "If I tell you to play, you play. I'll tell you my name, at least." He could be gracious once in a while. Never let it be said he hadn't been taught his manners. "It's Aomine Daiki."
"Aomine?" Kagami gaped. So, at least the idiot replacement knew his name. He wasn't nearly as oblivious as Aomine thought. It's only a little bit better than if he had never even heard of Aomine, though. "I've heard about you, but you can't expect me to just say yes when you talk down to me like that…"
"Oi, oi," Aomine laughed. This shoddy ass replacement thought he was on Aomine's level? He was barely at Kise's! And Kise was so much stronger than many thought he was, just the same as Kuroko. "I said I'm not asking. Shut up and play. No one's expecting a real match. I told you, I'm testing you. I'm not looking for something that doesn't exist, like a stronger player than myself. I just want to know how much you can do to relieve my boredom."
Kagami took a deep breath in before he spoke.
"From Kise to Midorima, the Generation of Miracles is full of guys who piss me off," the replacement stated, rubbing at his neck. As if it were anything special that he was pissed off by them. That was such bullshit, the only reason any of them paid him mind was because he was Kuroko's tool, his weapon. But Aomine wouldn't underestimate Kuroko's choice…not unless this weapon proved to be too dull to even scratch his armor. "But you're exceptional even among them. I'll crush you."
Ha…what a funny thing to say.
"Congratulations on advancing to the championship league," Momoi smiled as she looked over at Kuroko.
It was just the two of them and Nigou now in the pool, for which she was grateful. Time alone with any of her boys was precious, after all. They were hers and she wouldn't trade any of them for the world.
"Momoi-san, aren't you going too?" Kuroko questioned, glancing at her.
"Huh? Did I already tell you?" the manager asked.
"You just said you couldn't wait until the championship league," the phantom confirmed.
Whoops, she hadn't meant to tell him they would be battling in the Oath there like that.
"Did I?" Momoi laughed sheepishly.
"Yes," Kuroko stated.
"The next time we meet, we'll be on different benches," Momoi explained as she placed both of her hands on the bench and tilted her head up towards the ceiling.
"Yes," Kuroko agreed.
"I watched a video of your game against Midorin," she continued. "It was a great game. Kagami-kun…he plays just like he used to play." Momoi couldn't stop the sad, helpless smile from spreading across her face.
"Yes," Kuroko agreed once more, simple and to the point.
Her heart ached with so much yearning when she watched that game. It was like seeing a glimpse into the past, but it had been distorted, not the same as it had been. She had missed Aomine, her Dai-chan, so much in those moments that she couldn't even explain how she had still been able to breathe when the video finished. Let alone the burn of her right ankle, she had been surprised it hadn't fallen off with how much it hurt, as if Aomine's very name was pulsing in pain for him to return their bond. The bond that, before this year, she could hardly recall ever being without.
Momoi had grown up with Aomine's emotions always at her fingertips, his soul bound to hers in a way nobody else could come between. Their parents had been so hopeful that their bond was romantic, that someday they would be married and Momoi would be Aomine Satsuki.
Momoi didn't know who she would be in the future, if she was being honest. But she knew who she wanted to be beside. Even if none of the rest of them ever realized it, she would always treasure that time they shared.
But even still…she wished they could go back, just enough that the bond still existed. She didn't like the silence, the cold, that her nights were now.
"Watching you two play brought back memories," Momoi said aloud, forcing herself to push her dark thoughts aside.
"Nice pass, Tetsu!" Aomine grinned as he and Kuroko ran on the court after scoring a basket.
"Kurochin, Minechin, you guys are as infuriatingly in tune with each other as usual," Murasakibara drawled lazily.
"Kurokocchi, I wish you'd pass to me sometimes!" Kise whined childishly, his act fully on display.
"Tell the captain," Kuroko redirected right away.
"After watching that play, we'll have to make this our standard course," Akashi determined, looking from Kuroko to Aomine and back. Akashi always found him so easily, as if Kuroko were never invisible to him.
It was a strange feeling, but one Kuroko found he liked.
"I really don't get it," Aomine laughed sheepishly, his eyes alight with joy. "Tetsu, we can't agree on anything else, but we play basketball so well together."
"I wonder why?" Kise asked, his brow furrowed as a pout formed on his lips. Not that Kuroko understood fully why, Kise got passes from Kuroko as well after all.
"Kuroko is a Shadow," Midorima suddenly added.
"What?" Kise questioned, turning to the sharpshooter.
"The stronger the Light, the darker the Shadow," Midorima explained. "In other words, working with a stronger player makes Kuroko's abilities even stronger. It's not as though we are not in tune with Kuroko. But Aomine is the strongest. If he works best with Kuroko, then he must shine brighter than the rest of us."
"I prefer the way Aomine-kun used to play with you," Momoi commented, her voice wistful and far away. She wanted so badly to reach out, to hold on to all of them as tightly as she could. But she couldn't, not when they put the Oath into place. She stood up as she continued to speak. "He started playing basketball by himself. Isolated from the team, I thought losing would change him. But he doesn't lose. Even by himself, no one can stop him. Oh, sorry. Conversations about the past always turn dark." She smiled sheepishly. It was always so difficult to tell with her boys just what was okay to talk about from the past.
They had so many good memories, memories she would treasure for the rest of her life, but…the darkness that had enveloped them all, that had closed off their bond…it was so difficult to pierce it without cutting into her own skin.
"Will he change?" Kuroko suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Momoi blinked, confused.
"If someone stops Aomine-kun," the phantom elaborated.
"What? But…" the manager trailed off. Hadn't he just heard what she said?
"I know Aomine-kun's strength," Kuroko stated as he stood up and met her eyes head on. "But I won't be fighting him alone. I promise I will beat Aomine-kun."
Momoi could only stare at him in open mouth shock for several moments. Her heart was pounding and butterflies twirled in her stomach. In that single moment, she had never before wished more desperately to feel her bond with Kuroko, to read into the beautiful winter wonderland that made up his mind and see how he truly felt.
But his words…his words would be enough for now. If there was anyone she could believe in that could defeat Aomine, that could make him change back into the Aomine…the Dai-chan she loved, then it would be Kuroko.
She smiled at him, her love warming her from the very depths of her soul.
"This is ridiculous," Aomine scoffed as he bounced the basketball, staring at the panting, disappointing replacement. "Did you really beat Midorima?"
"Bastard…" Kagami growled, his eyes darting all over Aomine's form, as if he couldn't decide where to look.
Ever so briefly, his eyes landed on the ace's partially exposed collarbones, but Aomine didn't worry. There was no way this pathetic excuse of a Light would be able to figure out just how deeply connected the seven Miracles were.
"Tetsu's judgment must be clouded," Aomine continued, as if Kagami hadn't even spoken. He might as well not have, it's not like growling at Aomine had any effect whatsoever. "You can't draw out his full potential." Those words seemed to rattle the replacement, so Aomine continued with Midorima's words, his left collarbone tingling with the hint of a connection that still existed. "He's a Shadow. The stronger the Light, the darker the Shadow. In other words, he becomes stronger or weaker depending on the strength of the Light." Aomine drove past Kagami then, as swift and as cruel as a tsunami compared to a match. "Your light is too dim."
And it always would be, as far as Aomine was concerned.
These seven make! Me! So! Soft! And two of them aren't even in the present in this chapter! Also, for the record, that first scene of Kuroko, Midorima and Kise reforging their bond in the rain? As soon as I finished writing it, I could not believe I actually wrote it. That scene is literally the most romantic thing I have ever written. And there wasn't even a kiss! Seriously, how am I going to top this?
Okay, moving on. Writing the interactions in the restaurant also made me soft, though I did slide in another head canon of mine for Midorima. Honestly, I get the vibe that he's kinda touch adverse, so we're going with that now!
Speaking of head canons, considering Kagami is literally the only person outside of the Miracles to not comically react to Momoi upon seeing her for the first time, I head canon him as asexual, so yeah. We've got touch adverse Midorima and ace Kagami, yay rep! For the record, both of these things are very personal to me, and feel true to the characters themselves, so I'm not just throwing them in for any points or anything.
Moving on, I thoroughly enjoyed writing from Momoi's POV. She is my girl and, yes, she is the only one in this polycule with a brain cell. She claimed it the moment she realized she had feelings for Kuroko and, yes, figured out their bond was romantic before anyone else. She is my girl and she gets some respect, haha.
Also, yes, I do hold that Kagami is literally dumb for not thinking to look up the Miracles on the internet. If everyone knows who they are, and we already know magazines like Basketball Monthly covered them, wouldn't it be a smart idea to LOOK IT UP? Just me? Okay.
On an unrelated note, this story is officially over 200 pages now, which is unreal. And quick announcement: next update will probably take a while cause my free time is most probably going to shorten. So sorry, but hey, I gave you a long, very romantic chapter to tide you over?
I hope you all enjoyed, in any case. Let me know what you think! Bye for now!