#for dee

Haizaki was such a stupid prick.

Aomine guessed he wasn’t much different, because he was just dumb enough to agree to talk to him after practice. He hadn’t had too much expectations for whatever that asshole was going to say, neither did he know why it had to be him he was saying it to, but even guys like him could pose a surprise.

‘You know Kise Ryouta, right?’ Haizaki asked him. Both of them were leaning against the wall outside one of the indoors courts, both feeling way too manly to first make a way for the benches and admit to their wobbly knees, almost giving out from exhaustion. They were big kids, they could handle it.

Everyone knew Kise Ryouta. Even outside of the basketball club where he was famous for being a rookie with extraordinary talent and steadily climbing through the tiers, he was famous for being a model and an athlete with impressive skills in basically all genres of sport. As well as his pretty face and his ability to be a chick magnet - Aomine guessed that Haizaki didn’t mean “have you ever heard of him” by “knowing” Kise.

‘I guess.’ he shrugged noncommittally. They were friends, but it’s not like you just went ahead and carelessly shoved all of your cards in Haizaki’s face so he could abuse whatever he finds out about you. ‘Why?’

‘He’s cute.’ Haizaki deadpanned, and Aomine finally looked at him, blinking slowly. ‘And Valentine’s day is coming up. He looks like a sensitive dude, so I’d have no luck in just asking if he’s up for a lay, and I wondered if you knew what he liked.’

‘Wait. You’re serious?’ Aomine mumbled, his jaw somewhere on the floor, his words inarticulate for how his mouth was wide open in shock.

‘Are you making fun of me?!’

‘Dude, you’ve been going at his throat since day one.’ he said, irritated by his temper. Well... he guessed it made sense. Guys like Haizaki tended to bully the object of their desires; Aomine knew exactly how it was. It felt bad to admit, but he had an intimate knowledge of how guys like Haizaki were. Some would say first-hand. ‘Nevermind. I don’t know him terribly well, but there is something...’

‘Ryo-ta~’ Haizaki approached them the next day on the same benches they refused to take a seat on yesterday. Aomine, Kise, Momoi and Midorima were lazing around, waiting for the others to join them and eventually for practice to begin. Kise looked up, curious but wary, at the familiar drawl.

‘Haizaki-kun.’ he smiled in a tight and compressed way, and Aomine was immediately overtaken by a childish excitement. This better be good.

‘I have a surprise for you.’ Haizaki smiled back at him, wicked and not at all well-meaning. He just had this aura to him that he couldn’t shed, and it was perfectly lining up with Aomine’s plan. ‘Do you wanna close your eyes?’

‘Ah... o-of course.’ Kise stuttered, shutting his eyes and nervously clenching his fists by his side. Haizaki brought the hand he kept neatly tucked behind his back forward, placing its content on Kise’s shoulder. Aomine heard Momoi gasp from his other side.

‘You can open them now.’ Haizaki stepped back gingerly. Kise did, and the scene that unfolded after that was completely flawless down to the smallest detail. Kise jumped up from the bench, causing it to budge under Midorima, who up until then didn’t care to be occupied with whatever was happening, but now looked up from his book in shock. Haizaki’s cheerful expression fell, and Aomine swore he caught the exact moment when his dreams were shattered by a harmless but perfectly executed prank.

‘Take it off, take it off me!’ Kise whimpered, tears already prickling at his eyes, and Aomine quickly got to his feet to usher the small and lively earthworm from his shoulder into his palm, cradling it gently for a second and then stepping away to place it on the grass behind the bench.

‘I-is it off?’ Kise asked, his voice shaky and wet. He was sniffling constantly, still trembling from the shock.

‘Yeah, it’s off.’ Aomine said, suddenly feeling very guilty about the whole deal. The glare Haizaki was fixing him was utterly worth it, but making Kise cry - not so much. ‘C’mere, you. It’s okay.’ he mumbled, wrapping one arm around his shoulder and pulling him close by his stupid, whiny, blond head to comfort him. Kise sobbed into his neck in relief, clutching the cardigan on his back, totally unaware of the staring contest Aomine was having with Haizaki over his shoulder.