There was a pharmacy close to where Taiga Kagami lived. Tetsuya Kuroko concluded that it made them lucky. Being away from Daiki Aomine, who was currently sick at Kagami's apartment, made Kuroko feel a bit...anxious.
Kuroko was being particularly antsy when Kagami spent half an hour dragging him through the aisles to read labels and compare prices, plus determine quality. Kuroko didn't care what they got, as long as it worked.
"Would you quit squirming around?" Kagami finally demanded, glaring at his shadow. "I can't think when you're distracting me like that. You're practically bouncing on your feet."
"Kagami-kun, you're taking too long," was all Kuroko replied with.
"Do I look like I'm made of money? Just give me a moment."
"I can ask Akashi-kun to send you money."
A long pause. "...come again?" Kagami checked.
"I can ask Akashi-kun to send you money," Kuroko said again.
Another pause. "What is he, your sugar daddy?"
"I don't think so."
"That's something you should be sure about!"
Kuroko angled his head curiously at his light. "It's nothing new. Akashi-kun has always helped me pay for things. Mostly for basketball."
This was all news to Kagami. "Wait, so when you got new shoes before the Kaijou game, that was his money you paid with?"
"You sound surprised," Kuroko commented.
"I am surprised."
Kagami looked to the two bottles of cold medicine in his hands that he had been comparing. Kuroko really only talked this much when he was angry, anxious, or had something important to voice out loud. Judging by the ganguro who was currently crashing at his place, Kagami figured Kuroko was feeling the second option. "Let's just get this one," Kagami relented, turning over one of the bottles in his hand.
"I can't believe you made me buy both," Kagami grumbled as he and Kuroko made their way back to his apartment. He had offered to get milkshakes on the way, but Kuroko had surprisingly declined. It completely baffled Kagami. Kuroko seemed so...worried about Aomine.
"Aomine-kun only likes the pill form, but it might be hard for him to swallow any," Kuroko explained. Hence why Kagami ended up also buying the liquid form.
Kagami clicked his tongue. "Yeah. I figured." He looked sidelong at Kuroko. "What's with you, anyway? I get that he's sick, but it's not like he's dying."
Kuroko didn't answer at first, and Kagami wondered if he had worded that too harshly. Then he said, "I've known Aomine-kun for a while now, yet he's never told me anything about his home life." A small frown. "I've never noticed anything, either."
Oh. Kuroko felt guilty, then.
Kagami shifted his focus ahead of them. "Abuse is a problem anywhere and everywhere. You could go to the end of the world, and you would still find some kid with a harsh life and harsh parents. It's sad like that." He searched for the right words to express his next thought. "But here's the thing: when you grow up in something, you live for it. And in Aomine's case, that's abuse. People who grow up abused most often don't know it's bad until their in some hospital, being told by a doctor that it shouldn't be happening. Or a police officer is showing up at their door, telling them that they're 'safe now.'"
Kuroko listened to every word. He looked up at Kagami. "Were you ever abused?"
"No," Kagami assured him. "My dad is a jerk, 'cause he never shows up to anything, but I've never been hit or thrown out of the house. Honestly, I think I would prefer the former, if it ever came down to it."
Kuroko averted his gaze to the sidewalk. "What do we do?" he asked after a beat of silence.
The question hung heavily between them. "...'we'?" Kagami parroted.
Kuroko looked at him once again. "Kagami-kun, you're involved in this now."
"Okay, first of all, the only things I'm doing are letting him crash at my place and making sure he doesn't die. That's not even for him. I'm doing that for you, because you're my shadow, and my friend, and you would most likely hand my balls off to Nigou if I had turned him away," Kagami listed.
Nigou barked from where he trotted alongside Kuroko, away from Kagami, thankfully. Still, the ace bristled at the dog. If Kuroko didn't love him so much, he would have turned the dog over to the nearest shelter. Also, he didn't feel like getting choked out by their basketball coach, Aida Riko.
"You're just going to let him go back to his parents?" Kuroko asked, brows furrowing.
"He can get his own apartment," Kagami argued.
"He can't."
Kagami gritted his teeth. "Then he can stay with Momoi-san, or even you."
"Even if he could, that won't solve the problem," Kuroko pressed. "Why are you so insistent on abandoning him? This isn't like you."
Kagami glared at him. "As a matter of fact, it is. I don't meddle in things that don't have anything to do with me, and you shouldn't, either. Things will only get messy if you do. Now, would I help if it was you getting your hide beat up? Yes. I would murder your aunt for even laying a hand on you. But I would do that because I know you. My teammate, my shadow, and most importantly, you're my friend. I've grown to care for you that way."
Kagami paused to let the words sink in before continuing. "I don't know Aomine. I've played him, and with him, yes. But I don't know him. In terms of relationships, we're just rivals. Calling us 'friends' would be stretching it. He doesn't even go to our school."
"But he came to you for help," Kuroko pointed out softly, and Kagami tensed. "Doesn't that mean something to you?"
They reached the stairs to Kagami's apartment complex, where Kagami let Kuroko climb up ahead of him. When they reached the first floor, he replied, "If you want me to help him, then fine. I'll help him. But you could be getting into something you don't want to be getting into."
They didn't pay attention to the second floor, too focused on the conversation at hand. "I just want you to be there for him," Kuroko admitted. "He doesn't...I want to say, 'He doesn't have anyone,' but that's not the case." A careful pause. "He has people, but he never turns to them for help."
Kuroko jumped over the last two steps to the third floor and looked back at Kagami. "He might be annoying to you, and sometimes he can be really careless in his actions. But he's just a kid, like us. He's going to make mistakes as one, and some of them...a lot of them are going to make you angry. But please don't let that blind you to what might be in his heart."
Kagami reached the landing as well. "You're saying that he's kind?" He tried not to sound incredulous. Tried.
Kuroko smiled a little. "To a select few."
Aomine was asleep again by the time Kagami and Kuroko came back. Satsuke Momoi was just cleaning up the tray of food she had gotten him to eat when they did. "You're back," she acknowledged, rising to her feet. She didn't look at Kuroko as she asked, "Did you get the medicine."
Kagami lifted a plastic bag. "Among other things," he answered. His eyes caught on Aomine. "Is he asleep?"
"Obviously," Momoi said on a small laugh. "He passed out after he ate."
Kuroko also gazed over to the boy. Momoi looked at him this time, and her lips thinned.
I think I like Tetsu.
It had just been a joke, right? He hadn't actually meant it...right?
"I can help you with the dishes," Kuroko offered, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"E-eh? Oh! Okay...sure," she stammered.
"I'll get the medicine ready," Kagami said as he toed off his shoes.
In the kitchen, Momoi washed while Kuroko dried with a rag. At one point, she looked at him hesitantly. "Tetsu-kun..."
His lovely eyes meeting hers only made her feel worse. She paused her washing and looked away. "Do you...like anyone?"
A pause. "Romantically?" he asked. When she nodded, he answered, "No. I don't think I do. Is there a reason to you're asking?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "No! No reason..." She glanced sidelong at him. "Then...what do you think of Dai-chan?"
Kuroko thought about it. "I like him very much."
She nearly lost her grip on the plate she had been washing. So he does like someone that way! "Ah...I-i see..." What do I do? I like Tetsu-kun...but so does Dai-chan.
Who do I pick...to stay loyal to?
Kagami didn't bother with pleasantries as he kicked Aomine's leg. "Hey. Wake up."
He didn't.
A vein nearly popped in Kagami's temple. "Hey-"
"Shut up," Aomine grumbled, settling deeper into the beanbag. "You're giving me a headache."
Kagami reached into the plastic bag. "You are a headache." He tossed both the pill and liquid bottles of cold medicine onto Aomine's lap. "Pick your poison."
Aomine peeled his eyes open to view his options. "Tetsu made you buy both, didn't he."
"He's more stubborn than both of us combined," Kagami replied.
Aomine huffed a laugh, which turned into a small cough. "Where is he?"
Why did all of their coversations always end in talking about Kuroko? Kagami nodded towards the kitchen, where Kuroko and Momoi were silently washing dishes together. "Over there."
Aomine followed his gaze. They lingered on Momoi, narrowing slightly. Kagami tensed at the thought of him starting a fight in his apartment, but the boy merely said, "She looks tired."
Kagami didn't know what to say to that, so he just dug through the bag again. "We got you some other stuff: cold patches, energy drinks, extra tissues..." He looked back at Aomine, who wasn't even looking at him. "Hey. Are you even listening?"
Aomine met his gaze. "Sorry. What?"
Kagami narrowed his eyes at him. "Why do you keep staring at Momoi-san?"
Aomine blinked dazedly. "I think I told her something...but I forgot."
Kagami sighed, palming his forehead. "Delusional," he muttered. "Just take your medicine. It probably wasn't that important, if you forgot."
"I guess..."
Aomine chose the liquid form, since his throat felt hoarse and sore. He cringed at the bitter taste, but washed it down with the glass of water Kuroko brought over, Momoi silently trailing behind him. Aomine drained the glass and handed it back to Kuroko. "Thanks...Tetsu," he said.
"You should rest more, if you're feeling tired," Kuroko suggested. "Momoi-san and I are free to stay a little longer."
Momoi nodded in agreement. "I gathered most of the data we need for our next match, so I have time to spare," she assured. "I can always organize it here."
Aomine gazed up at her. "Satsuke...did I tell you something?"
His sudden question caught her off guard. It took her a moment to realize what he meant. He...doesn't remember? she thought. "You told me that you liked someone," she answered, wondering if her childhood best friend was doing this on purpose.
Kagami snorted, while Kuroko's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Momoi took note of it.
"Seriously?" Aomine asked. "That's weird. I don't like anyone."
"Y-you don't? But you told me..." She glanced pointedly at Kuroko.
Aomine raised a brow. "Tetsu?" So much for discretion. Kuroko was silent. "Why would I like him? I'm not gay, Satsuke. I probably just meant it in a friend way. Besides, I'm sick, remember?"
Right...that must've been it, Momoi thought to herself. People say things all the time when they're sick. He doesn't actually like Tetsu like that. Her shoulders relaxed as a bit of relief washed through her. It was short-lived when the thought of Kuroko entered her mine. But Tetsu-kun...
Kagami observed the interaction with narrowed eyes.
"Do you think you could help us? Yes. I understand. I'll see you later."
Kuroko ended the call, just as Momoi stepped out of Kagami's apartment to join him. "Was that Midorin?" she asked, to which Kuroko nodded.
"Yes," he answered. "He'll be here tomorrow to talk to Aomine-kun. He's not sure if we should tell Akashi-kun or the others about it yet."
"I see," was her response.
Momoi played with the sleeves of her sweater. "Tetsu-kun...do you think we're making the right call?"
Kuroko pocketed his phone and faced her fully, giving her his undivided attention, like he would with anyone. A gentleman, through and through.
"I mean...he doesn't like it when people try to help him," she continued, fixing her gaze onto the floor. "He doesn't like it when I try to help him. I'm just a bit nervous that he'll get mad at us for this. You just started talking again. What if things fall apart? Like in middle school."
Kuroko's own gaze didn't falter, though he felt a pang of sympathy for the girl, deep in his heart, where he kept the rest of his thoughts and emotions locked up. "I understand your concern," he began, and he really did, "but I don't think it'll ever be like that again."
She met his stare, and he smiled reassuringly. "Momoi-san, we learned our lesson. It won't happen again," he stated, and he sounded so sure about it that Momoi couldn't help but believe him. She smiled back. "You're right," she agreed. "It won't be like that again." She was sure, so sure that what the Generation of Miracles had was unbreakable. Because, despite everything that had happened, Kuroko had brought them all back together. He had taken all their loose strings and tied them to his wrist. Kuroko, the gap between stars.
Kuroko, the darkness that set the stars shining.
She was sure...that as long as Kuroko remained sturdy, they would always be friends. The unbreakable pillar of their friendship.
Always.
"By the way," Kuroko said, and Momoi looked up at him once more, "when you had asked me about what I think about Aomine-kun, did you mean to ask me if I like him romantically?"
Momoi felt herself blush in embarrassment, her eyes averting away. "Y-yes. That's...what I meant."
I like him very much.
Kuroko didn't stop looking at her. "I didn't mean it that way," he admitted. "I thought you were asking me to judge his character. Sorry, but I don't like him that way. I don't like anyone of the same gender as me. I'm not...into that."
Momoi's eyes widened. Everything she had originally thought had turned out to be a big misunderstanding. "Is that...so? I'm sorry I assumed, then. It just sort of made sense in my head, when I thought I pieced everything together from what you and Dai-chan both told me."
Kuroko angled his head curiously. "How so?" he inquired.
"Well...you and Dai-chan have always seemed so right for each other. At first, I thought of it as an unbreakable friendship. But when Dai-chan said what he said, even if it turned out to be untrue, it just...started making sense in a different way. Either way, you two just...make sense," she explained. She panicked when he only continued to stare at her and quickly waved her hand in dismissal. "Ah, sorry! I rambled a bit! What I meant was-"
"It made sense," he interrupted, and she paused. "The way you said it," he clarified. "It made sense."
She smiled. "I'm glad."
Silence settled between them like a heavy fog. It had made sense, yes. Kuroko and Aomine made sense to Momoi, and her explanation about it made sense.
But liking each other like that...would never make sense. Turning it into reality...
It couldn't make sense...right?
It was a sight to behold: Aomine passed out on the beanbag, his hands folded behind his bed, and Momoi asleep at the foot of it, her head in her arms, which were folded beneath it, next to Aomine's legs. Her data sheets were spread out on the floor next to her.
"Geez," Kagami let out from where he sat by the table, a roll of duct tape in his hands. "Who knew my weekend would come to this?"
"The coach isn't happy about us missing practice," Kuroko said, holding the flaps of a cardboard box closed.
Kagami bristled and turned, stretching the tape out over the middle of the box. "You owe me," he said. "Big time."
"I can make you a mean boiled egg," Kuroko suggested.
Kagami huffed a laugh. "Yeah, sure. It better be chef quality."
Kuroko smiled in amusement.
Kagami broke the tape off and pressed it into the crevice of the two flaps. "Something is bothering you," he noted. "Has been since Aomine said that he wouldn't like you like that."
Kagami may have been dumb, but he was keen on things like this. Especially if things like this involved his shadow.
Kuroko didn't answer. He stared down at the box, at the label of where it was headed, and of where Kagami would be following it to in a month. Finally, he said, "I don't know why...but it didn't feel good...to hear that."
"Well, yeah. It was a blow to your pride," Kagami said, bracing his hands behind him on the floor.
"I mean, if he has said that about me, in front of me, I would've been offended too," Kagami sympathized. "I'm straight, but even I would turn gay for myself."
Kuroko ignored that last statement. "It didn't hurt like that. I just didn't like hearing it from him. I felt..." He trailed off, not really knowing where he was going with this.
Kagami sighed, because he knew. He had been seeing it recently, and the earlier interaction with Aomine only confirmed how things were. "You're idiots," he huffed, then pushed to his feet. Kuroko looked up at him dumbfoundedly. Kagami's eyes flicked over to the boy in the beanbag, looking much more peaceful in sleep than where he was awake and angry at everyone. "Looks like I'll be doing more than just solving family problems before I leave."