#knbss15

Of Handcuffs and Candlelight

When Seijuurou woke up, he hadn’t expected to feel so cold. After all, it was always in his habit—ever since he could remember things—to properly bundle up when sleeping, as his body temperature was quite sensitive. And so he couldn’t help shivering and being confused as he groggily turned on his… bed?

Seijuurou blinked away the last of his sleepiness and observed his surroundings. There was a scent of jasmine in the air. The scenery outside his window was dark and the room was dimly lit, so it was safe to assume that it was past sundown. It seems that he was currently in the bedroom of his own apartment, after several moments of calculation—and this was his bed; he couldn’t mistake the fluffy-lumpy-ness of the pillows for any other than his own—but for some reason, the place didn’t look like his usual bedroom. The walls were decorated with festive red berries, the floor had ribbons, clothes, and gift wrappers strewn all over it, the ceiling had red and green balloons stuck floating up there, and—were those real burning candles on his dresser?

God, maybe this was just a dream. The pounding in his head still hadn’t gone away and he felt sore all over. The redhead was about to sit up when something held his wrists back and made him flop back on the mattress. What on earth…? Seijuurou stared blankly at the object tied on him.

It was a handcuff.

Seijuurou turned to his other wrist.

Another handcuff.

Hours later, the Akashi heir would deny that he had broken into a cold sweat at that precise moment.

Seijuurou tried desperately to reign in his growing panic at the situation. It wasn’t unusual for him to feel the emotion—there were several instances in his young life in which the redhead encountered it like any average person—so it was fairly easy to keep his cool, but the strangeness of his current position planted dread in him. Why was he handcuffed to his own bed? Why was his head pounding so hard? And why were there Christmas decorations inside his room?

Calm yourself, big brother.

Despite the pain, Seijuurou couldn’t help lifting his eyes heavenward at the sound of the familiar inner voice. Thank you for stating the obvious.

I am merely trying to help, said the voice similar to his matter-of-factly. Your anxiety will not be of aid in ridding those cuffs, after all.

“I know,” muttered Seijuurou dejectedly, testing how far his hands could reach his side tables. They succeeded, but not by a large margin—Seijuurou could only touch the edges of the furniture, and even that strained the metal against his wrists. Damn queen-sized bed.

His head still hurt, but the rest of his body was awake enough to start moving. Gingerly, he tried to retract his legs, but found something tugging them back. Seijuurou craned his neck to see what it was, and almost whined a curse when he did.

Two pieces of rope—handkerchiefs?—were the culprits.

Am I really a prisoner of my own home right now?

I do believe so, yes. But fear not. It would seem that this is a gift for you.

Seijuurou frowned, fighting the urge to tug at the handkerchiefs restraining his feet. And just how is this a gift, little brother?

Look down at yourself.

When Seijuurou did, he couldn’t help but gape. No wonder he was shivering—he was clad in just his boxers!

Hands and feet chained to the bed, semi-nakedness, dim lighting in a bedroom… Surely you can see where this is going, brother.

The pounding in Seijuurou’s head worsened into dizziness as he flopped back down on the pillows. Oh, good lord... He shut his eyes close and groaned in frustration. I’m going to be violated. In my own apartment.

Oh, will you—can you please refrain from jumping to conclusions? We are not going to be raped.

The conviction in his other self’s voice made Seijuurou’s eyes slowly open and his body relax against the downy mattress. Sometimes, his “little brother” was actually a good ki—

Not while I’m awake and there’s a fountain pen by our alarm clock.

Dual red orbs stared blankly at the balloon-covered ceiling. After a beat, Seijuurou sighed in resignation. Never mind.

What? It’s a viable idea, isn’t it? snapped his brother, sounding affronted. Hearing his tone almost made Seijuurou chuckle in tired fondness. More often than not, he still found himself amazed at the fact that the other voice residing inside him had gradually fleshed out into a real identity during the past four years, since Seijuurou’s return to the surface, by just becoming more talkative and open as the days pass. “Little brother”, as he’d come to address him—since they both agreed on that fateful match against America that they weren’t truly separate from each other to ever need different names—was nothing if not virtually his twin in almost every aspect. They both loved their hobbies, which stayed the same, and the same intelligence and determination they poured into everything they did was never lost even if they switch places.

Funnily enough, his brother rarely desired to take over these days. Seijuurou had always offered, since they were sharing the same body and he also had a right to use it, but the heterochromatic-eyed version of himself found no incentive in doing so. It would seem that after their first defeat, a huge part of their soul had been freed and comforted and his brother no longer felt trapped under all that pressure. He was content enough to watch most of the time. And Seijuurou quickly found that he liked getting to know his other self better throughout these years. He had even gotten used to his “extreme” tendencies. But still…

Can we please not discuss this right now? groaned the monochromatic-eyed Seijuurou. My head still feels like it was split into two and I am really not in the mood to talk you down about maiming whoever did this with a writing tool.

Fortunately, his other self opted to grumble a petulant response and otherwise let him be. Now, to figure out what happened to him before all of this and how he got this hangover—

Brother, you didn’t get drunk.

Seijuurou blinked in confusion. “What?” What do you mean? If I’m not, then what is this pain?

“You’re finally awake.”

The familiar voice both froze the redhead’s breath and quickened his pulse. He could even feel his other self’s pleasant surprise. Attraction truly was a strange phenomenon—just a small reminder of how mortal and imperfect Akashi Seijuurou actually was, no matter how much he had to delude himself into thinking the opposite for the sake of coping up with his harsh and strict life.

Seijuurou turned to the window, where a door leading to a small balcony was placed next to and the door to the bathroom stood. Out of the dim shadows and dark-colored curtains emerged one Kuroko Tetsuya, with his signature pale-blue hair, matching eyes, and that soft, creamy-looking skin.

A heartbeat later, the redhead realized that he had noticed the other young man’s pallor more clearly because of his state of undress.

Brother, are you sure we’re not drunk? Or high? Or dreaming? asked Seijuurou almost desperately, trying not to ogle at the low-riding shorts on Kuroko’s hips—how the glow of the candles casted such tantalizing planes on his skin.

I am quite certain. Besides, if Tetsuya wanted to seduce us, he would not want us to forget that he did, would he?

Despite the gravity of the situation, a tingling spark shot through Seijuurou’s nerves.

Tetsuya didn’t know whether to laugh or jump in joy. The fact that he was right here—in Akashi-kun’s apartment, with him and Akashi-kun in only their underwear—was a beautiful miracle, alright. A Christmas Miracle that almost made him weep.

And what’s even better was that they were all alone!

Several resounding thuds and dull yells suddenly echoed from behind the door to the rest of the apartment.

Well, not exactly.

He watched as Akashi start at the sounds and stare confusedly at the door. Tetsuya had to stop himself from inwardly squealing. That cute frown and pure-looking red eyes were just too much for his heart.

“Kuroko, what is going on?” asked Akashi hesitantly, glancing at him. Suddenly, a shiver passed through his half-naked form and the action snapped Tetsuya out of his reverie.

“Ah, forgive me. You must’ve been freezing.” The blunette hurried to cover his redheaded friend’s body—much to his dismay—with a blanket and a comforter. He then placed the back of his hand against the other’s neck. Understandably, Akashi flinched and tried to move away.

“You’re cold,” remarked the redhead, wincing.

“No, you’re just hot.”

Akashi’s eyes widened.

“I mean, warm,” corrected Tetsuya hurriedly, relieved that his voice hadn’t wavered from its usual monotonous tone. “You’re warm. Not surprising since you have a fever.”

Now Akashi looked even more surprised. “A fever? When? How?”

“Just this morning. We let ourselves in to start preparing for the party, but when we decided to check on you, we found you burning up with fever. So I watched over you while the others did my part.” Admitting what he did the whole day felt quite embarrassing, but the blunette also wanted to let Akashi know that he was the one who did the job.

He watched as Akashi frowned some more, until finally, his expression settled into one of discernment. Tetsuya couldn’t help smiling softly. It looked like he was speaking to his other self once again. The blunette was really glad that Akashi’s senses had been dulled by his fever, otherwise, he wouldn’t get away with his incessant staring. Akashi didn’t even notice that Tetsuya was watching him the whole time he was awake.  Who would’ve thought that leaving Akashi Seijuurou to his own devices would be that adorable?

“How did I get sick, though…?” mumbled the redhead, staring up at the ceiling.

“I believe it’s because you overexerted yourself yesterday at our game.”

Akashi turned to him. “Our game?”

“You don’t remember?” asked Tetsuya, surprised.

The redhead shook his head. “Everything’s still quite hazy and my head is throbbing. What happened?”

At the question, Tetsuya had to look away from those glossy red eyes. He sat down on the bed next to Akashi. “We lost a bet to Takao-kun, so we had to play one basketball game while cross-dressing.” Powder-blue orbs sneaked a glance at the corner of his eye and Tetsuya found himself blinking at the image of Akashi Seijuurou looking away to the side, with a bit of dark color dusting his cheeks. The blunette couldn’t ascertain it because of the dimness, but he was sure the redhead was actually blushing.

And now, the thought was making him blush.

“Ah…” began Akashi, clearing his throat. “Now I remember. And the cold had most likely seeped into me because of our outfits, yes?”

Tetsuya nodded, looking at anything besides the other young man. “Yes, I believe so. The game had left you exhausted and more vulnerable to sickness. We shouldn’t have let Akashi-kun linger any further after it ended.”

“It’s alright,” waved off the redhead. “Unless you think I’m still sick and can’t join the party tonight…?”

Tetsuya then let himself fully observe the other. He couldn’t tell much about Akashi’s pallor—again, due to the lighting—but he seemed to be okay now, judging from his steady breathing and lack of sweat. “It seems you’re fit to join the gift exchange, at least.”

“That’s good,” sighed the redhead. “Now, I have a few questions.” At Tetsuya’s nod, he continued. “First, what happened to my room?”

Tetsuya had to chuckle at that. “Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, and Kagami-kun made a mess of the decorations, so they decided to dump all the extra decor and trash here for now.”

“They’re going to regret that. Did they put those candles there?”

“No, I did, but they’re from Momoi-san. The scent is nice, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. I must remember to thank her. Why am I only in my boxers?”

“I had to give you a sponge bath a while ago. I’m really sorry I hadn’t immediately tucked you in. I accidentally spilled juice on my clothes after I had just finished on you so I had to take a bath first. I was hoping the air would help stabilize your body temperature while I was away.”

“It’s no big deal,” said Akashi, glancing away with that darkness in his cheeks once again. “But now that brings us to the main questions.”

“Which are?”

This time, Akashi looked dead-serious at him. “Why am I tied to my bed and when am I going to be released?”

Despite the entrancing glow of Akashi’s eyes, the slight pout of the redhead’s lips caught Tetsuya’s attention more and before he knew it, he was laughing mirthfully at the image.

Akashi’s frown deepened. “Really, Kuroko, you were actually going to let me suffer in this position for several more minutes? My wrists are hurting already.”

Tetsuya laughed some more, before starting to climb onto the lap of a startled Akashi. “You’re tied to the bed,” answered the blunette as he sobered up, “because I wanted it so, and you’re going to be released when I want you to be.”

… Good god…

I told you this was a gift.

Beneath his nonchalant demeanor, Tetsuya was panicking. He was on Akashi-kun’s lap—covered by the comforter, unfortunately, but still—and he was actually starting his attack on the redhead right now. So far, Akashi was undoubtedly shocked and there was no trace of disgust or horror in his expression. In fact, he seemed almost pleased...

The blunette had to swallow at the piercing gaze he was given.

“You did this?” asked Akashi, his voice lowering. Tetsuya felt like he might shiver at the reverberation it evoked.  

“Yes, since it’s about time you stop running from me and start talking,” replied Tetsuya, eyes hard with warning.

But Akashi looked away. “What are you talking about? And why are you naked?”

“Three months ago, Akashi-kun. Three months ago, you kissed me on the mouth while I was asleep.” At the mention of it, the redhead’s eyes flickered and his brows slightly creased.

“And yes, I hadn’t actually been sleeping that time,” he added when Akashi was about to reply.

“So?” said Akashi after a while, at a loss with what to say.

“So what does it mean?” countered Tetsuya.

For a time, both of them were silent. The muted noise from outside the bedroom did little to interrupt their individual reveries. Midorima could be heard lecturing Kise and Takao on the finer points of gift-wrapping. Momoi’s voice echoed as she reprimanded Aomine about him drinking so early in the evening. Kagami and Murasakibara were bickering about the cake while Himuro acted as the referee. The other guests were laughing and shouting about something, and both of them knew that Akashi’s apartment was packed with people tonight.

“It means I like you.”

Tetsuya whipped his head up to meet Akashi’s eyes, softened by the candlelight and lamplight.

“You haven’t given up on me in high school, Kuroko,” continued the redhead, smiling softly. “And even after that, year after year, you would continue to reach out to me. I’m not quite sure when it all started but once we had graduated, I already knew what I was feeling for you.”

“So then…” Tetsuya could feel his heart beating faster. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Akashi’s eyes looked up at the ceiling. “Because it’s not easy being with me. If I told you what I felt, what would happen to us?”

“That doesn’t sound like the Akashi-kun I know of,” teased the blunette softly.

Akashi stared back at him with apprehensive eyes. “If we got together, then what about my father?”

Tetsuya fell silent at that. He had a point. While he knew that Akashi-kun was mostly free from the pressure of being perfect in his father’s eyes now, he still can’t escape the duties of an heir. The redhead can hide here in his apartment all he wants—wanting to be free from his father’s presence was the reason why Akashi bought this place for college—but he still can’t ignore that his father controls a part of his life. And while Akashi-kun is not yet his own man, with his own money and own successes, he has no choice but to answer to the older Akashi.

“Then I’ll just have to prove to him that I’ll be invaluable to you and to him.”

Akashi’s eyes widened. “Kuroko, that’s—“

“I like you, too, Akashi-kun.”

When the redhead couldn’t reply just yet, Tetsuya surged on. “I can’t offer much right now and we’re still a bit young, but I’m going to work hard so that I can prove myself to you and to the world that I can proudly stand beside you. Because I like you, Akashi-kun, and I want this, and if you want this, too, then why can’t we try this?”

Akashi was still staring by the time the words escaped Tetsuya. All he had left to say was that, “Don’t you ever just want to take a leap of faith and see where it lands you?”

It took a while but slowly, Akashi’s serious expression morphed and he started smiling. “Taking the jump doesn’t sound so bad every now and then.”

Tetsuya couldn’t help but return the expression as his heart swelled. They stared at each other’s eyes—magenta red and powder blue—studying their reflections in them. The blunette didn’t know who started moving first, but before he knew it, he was inches closer to the redhead. He put his hands against Akashi’s covered chest and leaned ever closer towards his face.

“Kurokocchi, we’re gonna eat now! Is Akashicchi okay now?”

The knocks and muffled shout startled the two young men on the bed, and they both stared at the door in the process. Tetsuya was cursing his blonde ex-teammate for ruining the moment.

“Oi, don’t shout. He might still be sleeping,” said Kagami’s voice in response to Kise’s.

“He’s taking a while, though. Ya think he’s doing something to Akashi already?” commented Aomine jokingly, joining the two.

“Like what, you idiot?” Now that was Midorima.

“Taking pictures of Aka-chin, maybe? He doesn’t usually get sick. This is Kuro-chin’s chance.” And now there’s Murasakibara, with a bit of crunching in his words.

“Guys, stop crowding here. You’re going to wake Akashi-kun up!” scolded Momoi in a furious whisper.

“If I open this door and you are all still next to it, I will kick you out.”

Tetsuya flinched at the loud commanding voice, turning to Akashi to find his left eye yellow-gold instead of the usual red. Then, a sudden scampering of feet sounded off behind the door, accompanied by nervous bickering.  

The heterochromatic-eyed Akashi huffed. “Honestly, they have no tact.” Strangely, the action made Tetsuya chuckle and out of fondness, he couldn’t help kissing the other’s cheek. It surprised Akashi, but he quickly leaned forward and the last thing Tetsuya’s sight noticed was the gold shifting to red.

Dry lips slid against his, but the blunette could care less about its texture. What mattered the most in that exact moment was that, after months of pining and wishing and making himself more visible in Akashi-kun’s eyes, he was finally right here in his arms.

A clinking of metal and creaking of the bed called his attention and Tetsuya opened his eyes to find the redhead fluttering his at the same time. “So… do you have any immediate plans of releasing me yet?” asked Akashi in a suggestive, playful tone.

The blunette blinked and looked up to see that other’s wrists were still in cuffs.

Well… almost in his arms.

“And really, why are you half-naked?”

He laughed softly at Akashi’s slight pout. Did the redhead even realize that he was pouting? “Well, I was hoping to have my way with you as punishment for letting me wait all those years…” confessed Tetsuya with a wicked glint in his eyes. To his credit, Akashi-kun’s brows raised a fraction, surprised at his boldness, and he dared to ogle at his undressed form. “But seeing as people are still around us, I guess this game can wait.”

Akashi, with his head clear, was finally feeling himself back in his element. “But what if you can’t chain me next time?” he asked with a smirk.

Tetsuya leaned over and rubbed his nose against Akashi’s, resting his forehead against his. “You’ll let me catch you, since I’m your Christmas gift,” he whispered, his heart swelling in happiness.

It swelled even more when the redhead captured his lips once again.

No fair, big brother! I was the one who scared them away.

Shut up and wait for your turn.

Seijuurou sighed in relief as the last of his guests finally left the building and the Christmas party was officially over. Looking around, he was glad that he had guilt-tripped them into cleaning his apartment.

You should’ve let me do it. They would’ve moved faster, I’m sure.

Cut them some slack. You’re too frightening, brother.

He walked around to check all rooms—sweet, sweet freedom after being tied to his own bed—and soon enough, found himself standing in front of his bedroom. He had let Kuroko sleep inside since he had been kind enough to take care of him while he was sick.

Technically, he did that because he was scheming something…

Details, details. Just go already. You know you’ve been impatient to see him since we left the bedroom.

Steeling himself and lightly squeezing the wrapped box he had in hand, Seijuurou opened the door. The room was still in the same mess—albeit no more trash on the floor—and the same dimness and jasmine scent in the air, but this time, there was something different on his bed.

Or rather, a certain half-naked someone who was clearly wide awake and smiling coyly at him.

Seijuurou suddenly remembered all the times someone in his party had looked at him and Kuroko with a smile or a meaningful look during the past few hours. He couldn’t say he was bothered much about it. In fact, it gave him a sense of peace and security knowing that they really were friends who cared about him.

“So, are you ready for your gift, Akashi-kun?” asked Kuroko, twirling those damn handcuffs.

Seijuurou chuckled and crawled onto the bed until he was kneeling atop the blunette’s form. He couldn’t help smirking mischievously when Kuroko gasped softly at him.

“If you’re ready for mine, Tetsuya.”

End

OMG I AM SORRY WAS IT TOO CORNY I’M REALLY SORRY THIS IS MY FIRST TIME I HOPE I HADN’T RUINED IT TOO MUCH I WAS REALLY SLEEPY WHEN I WROTE THE BULK OF THIS BUT I’M GLAD YOU READ THIS I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW AS THE TRASH THAT I REALLY AM OKay i should stop yelling

Bonus:

“H-Honestly… A-Akashi-kun… you’d… mmmn… do… well to l-learn… ahh … p-patience…”

“I’ve have enough of that in the past four years I’ve let my idiot other self wait for the ‘right moment’. Now let me have my kiss.”

And to think that you had been planning to stab our little perpetrator here with a fountain pen…

Don’t worry, brother. We can stab him with something else as revenge for looking far too delectable in that game’s maid outfit yesterday.

… Huh. Something to consider.

How do they say it again? “Pretty please”?

It was his turn to scowl. “Why should I feed you?”

“A little bird named Kuroko told me someone was feeling lonely today so I thought I’d drop by. Got your red cake shit. You like this one right?” He lifted up the box. It was from Kagami’s favorite bakery. How in the world did he manage to get a cake on Christmas day when everything was closed? “I know a guy who knows a guy.” He answered the man’s unsaid question. “Now are we going to eat or what?”

“Don’t have a lot of food,” Kagami shrugged. “Thought I was eating alone tonight.”

“Well, you’re not.” Aomine ruffled his hair, earning another annoyed look from Kagami. But also a blush. “So hurry up and make something for me too.”

Despite their rivalry, Aomine and Kagami cozied up pretty well whenever they hung out. Two basketball fanatics in one room. What did you expect? Tōō’s ace always made himself at home whenever he dropped by — usually unannounced, which only pissed Kagami off more. He huffed then returned to the kitchen, adding more spices and meat into the dish because he knew how obsessed Aomine was with beef. His food bills always skyrocketed whenever Aomine came around. As he moved around the kitchen preparing food, Aomine kept throwing random questions his way.

“So how’s Seirin doing? You guys prepared for Inter-High yet?”

“Is the food in that new café downtown good?”

“Goddamn, why is Kobe retiring so soon? Do you know how much that pisses me off?”

“Did you catch Tōō’s game last week?”

All these things. Kagami moved the spoon around the pot and brought it up to his mouth for a taste. Not bad, not bad at all. However, the heat that pressed up against his back so suddenly made him jump. “That smells pretty good,” Aomine mumbled, his stomach rumbling. Damn. He had escaped his family’s Christmas dinner so fast that he didn’t get to eat much. He was famished.

Once he told his family that Kagami was spending Christmas alone, they all had shared knowing looks. That was before they practically thrown their son out to brace the cold for the man they expected to be their son-in-law soon enough. Then Aomine went to get cake.

“O-Oy, don’t stand so close.” Kagami stammered, attempting to shove him out of the way. But Aomine’s arms had trapped him in between, limiting his movement.

“Stop moving around like that, I’m just watching.”

“You can watch from the side.”

“I like it this way. Shut the fuck up and get cooking.”

“Why are you so damn rude—ow! What the hell? Did you just bite my ear?”

“Yes, so shut up.”

“You’re so damn weird.”

“You are too and I’m hungry.”

Then the two of them settled in front of the television, legs stretched out underneath the table, butts planted on the carpet, body side by side, shoulders brushing. Aomine kept picking at his food and Kagami had to smack his hand away a couple of times — well, more than a couple. Afterwards, Kagami lied down on the couch, a hand draped over his eyes. “Fuck, I’m so full. Why’d I make that much?”

For the first time in a while, Kagami heard Aomine’s laughter echo in the room. He quickly removed his hand to capture the beautiful sight of Aomine’s head thrown back, his mouth open with a smile into his memory. “Didn’t think you’d ever be full since you’re such a damn glutton.” He blinked a few times and tried to calm his racing heart. Dear God, what was he even thinking? This was his rival. He rubbed his eyes furiously. Maybe this was his emotions messing with him. “Oy, Bakagami.”

Kagami growled and opened his eyes, “What?” A bag appeared in front of his eyes. He raised an eyebrow.

“Take it, you moron.”

“Who says that when they give someone something?” Kagami muttered under his breath and accepted the bag. He pulled out a nicely wrapped box. Did he — impossible. Aomine couldn’t wrap gifts. He gently peeled the tape open and found a Nike box underneath. Inside the box was the pair of shoes he’d been looking for all over. His dream shoes. Goddamn. “What — how did you — when—“

“Saw them a couple of days ago so I thought I should get them for you.”

Bullshit. He called bullshit. This pair had sold out the hour it was released online. Stores barely had any of them and, wherever he looked, everything was gone. Shit. Kagami couldn’t help the smile from breaking across his face as he mussed up Aomine’s hair. “Thanks.” They weren’t sentimental but it didn’t mean that they didn’t have their own way of showing appreciation.

Aomine glared at him. “Open up the cake.”

After that gift, he didn’t care if he had to bake another cake for the damn man. They returned side by side once more, cake in front of them, nearly demolished. “Aren’t you spending Christmas with your family?” Kagami licked up his fingers, whatever remained of the cream cheese frosting on his hand.

“Already did,” Aomine burped and Kagami gave him a disgusted look. “Can’t let someone cry on Christmas day, can I?”

“I wasn’t crying,” he snapped. He almost did. But he didn’t.

“Well, whatever.” He bumped shoulders with Kagami. “Nobody should spend Christmas alone, alright. That’s all I was thinking. And fuck, can you turn up the heat in this place? It’s still so damn cold.”

When Aomine arrived, he had been covered from head to toe in snow. His midnight blue hair had gone white and his coat blanketed with a layer of snowflakes. Kagami grabbed a blanket from the couch and threw it at him. “Dumbass, this is why you wear more layers when you walk out there.” Aomine bundled himself up in the blanket until he noticed the tiny goosebumps rising on Kagami’s arms. He threw the fabric over his friend and brought him closer. Kagami’s face reddened quickly. “W-What are you doing?”

“You’re freezing too. Body heat will help warm us up so shut up.” He looked down at Kagami who was covered up to his neck and grumbling. His lips twitched. He looked cute like that. Like a burrito all wrapped up. Except… his thumb brushed on the corner of Kagami’s lips, embarrassing him even further. “Cake. You had cake.”

“Stop being weird, stupid.” Kagami frowned.

“Why do you think I’m being weird?”

“I don’t know, you’re extra touchy today.”

Pause. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Been months and he still hasn’t picked up on it.” Aomine sighed to no one in particular, irritating Kagami. “Anyway, I should head back.”

Kagami’s heart fell with his words. So soon? Damn. He didn’t like the idea of Aomine walking out alone in this weather, especially since they called for a blizzard in an hour. He also didn’t like the idea of his apartment being all quiet and empty again. Absentmindedly, he reached for Aomine’s hand before he could shrug on his coat. Aomine glanced down at him in surprise. “S-Sorry,” he cleared his throat, yanking his hand away. “Uh, thought you had something on your sleeve.

Aomine blinked curiously at Kagami before a smirk appeared on his lips. “Missing me already?”

“Fuck off.” Aomine plopped back down and switched on the TV. Kagami gave him a look of disbelief, “Weren’t you leaving?”

“I don’t have to.”

Kagami stayed quiet at that. It wasn’t fair to him, but Kagami wanted to be a little selfish sometimes when it came to the blue-haired man. So he stayed by his side, screaming at the television with every bad call from the referee, a good move from a player.

“Yo, when are you gonna get yourself a girlfriend?” Aomine suddenly asked, his eyes still glued to the team’s movements on the screen.

His heart stopped. Girlfriend, huh? He wasn’t sure. His heart was attached to basketball right now and he couldn’t imagine someone coming in between him and basketball. He needed someone who could be part of his life alongside of it. Someone who was just as in love as basketball as he was. He turned and found Aomine.

Aomine Daiki. The gods of basketball above had probably blessed this man with immense talent and unlimited potential. Kagami’s gaze traced his features from his dark blue eyes that glowed with every comment he made, to the shape of his strong jaw, and to the curve of his lips that parted with every word. Tempting. So tempting.

When he felt lips covering his own, Kagami nearly leapt back but Aomine kept him in place, hand on the back of his head and an arm around his waist. Kagami blushed a billion shades of red, his eyes darting around the room in panic. What the — what was going on — was this real — why was he — oh my God.

Aomine was kissing him.

Kissing him!

And he’ll be damned if he didn’t admit that the man was a damn good kisser. Fuck. Aomine pulled away when he didn’t feel Kagami respond. The redhead was breathless and speechless. “What — why — what the fuck?”

“You looked like you wanted me to kiss you so I did.”

“What made you think that?!”

“You kept looking at my lips.”

Well, that was true. And he did want Aomine to — but, fuck, this wasn’t right, was it? Two guys weren’t supposed to… but it felt so damn right. Someone as in love as basketball as he was. Someone who would never make him choose between the two. Someone who was here when no one else wasn’t. Kagami’s mouth opened and closed like a guppy.

“Guess I was wrong,” Aomine shrugged. “Well, this has been sufficiently awkward so, now, I should start heading—“

“No.” Aomine turned back to face him with a curious look. Fuck. Kagami’s face was all flushed, his lips parted in surprise. His dick stirred in his pants. Goddamn. “I mean, there’s a blizzard. So you shouldn’t go. It’s dangerous.”

“So I should stay because of the blizzard?”

“Yes.”

“No other reason?”

Kagami’s heart pinched. Why couldn’t he just admit it to himself? He liked Aomine. He fucking liked the man. He was rough and lazy as hell, he was crude and nasty most of the time. But he liked it. He liked all of it. “Well, I mean, I just — I don’t — I can’t really — I don’t know.”

Aomine sighed, flicking his forehead. “Stupid, don’t feel pressured to do anything. I wanted to kiss you so I did and you looked like you wanted it to. But don’t think that I’m going to be coercing you into doing something that you don’t want to do.”

No, no, he was wrong. He wanted it. He wanted to kiss Aomine. He wanted to cuddle with him. He wanted to cook for him. He wanted to scream over basketball with him. But the words couldn’t leave his mouth.

“Anyway, I’m tired so I’ll crash on your couch. See ya in the morning.” He flopped back on the couch, back facing Kagami.

The uneasiness settled in the depths of his gut again. It felt like Aomine was quickly slipping away from him. Why couldn’t he just say it? Three damn words. I like you. I want you. Stay with me. Be with me. Anything.

“Yo, stop staring. I can feel it.” Aomine muttered.

Kagami gulped down the lump in his throat. “Hey.”

“What?”

He didn’t turn. Dammit. “Hey.”

“What?”

“Look here.”

“I’m tired.”

“Please.”

“Go to sleep, Kagami.”

His heart wrenched again. “Aomine.”

Silence.

“Aomine, come on.”

Silence.

“Daiki.”

He turned and his eyebrows pinched at the center. “Why’d you—“ Kagami’s mouth quickly covered his before another word could leave his lips. Aomine was surprised to say the least but he liked seeing Kagami’s eyes closed, his cheeks pink, as he kissed him. He smiled and kissed him back. Their lips moved in sync and Aomine tugged him up so the two of them were pressed against each other on the couch. He mumbled against his lips, “You don’t have to do this, you know. I’ll work harder to make you like me.”

Kagami almost cried. Fuck. This man was something else. “I already like you.”

“You should’ve said so from the beginning,” Aomine rumbled.

“Can’t really do that.”

“Why not?”

“You would’ve left.”

“For you, I would’ve stayed.” Kagami sighed in contentment and buried his face in embarrassment in Aomine’s neck. Aomine just chuckled and wrapped his arm around him. “What? You gonna cry on me now?”

“Fuck off,” he mumbled.

“You should spend next Christmas with my family.”

“That’ll be awkward.”

“They like you.”

“How do they know me?”

Pause. “I talk about you a lot, I guess.”

Kagami jerked away and stared at him incredulously.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“You talk about me?”

“You come up from time to time.”

Kagami grinned.

“Don’t look so happy, stupid. How do you know I’m not shit-talking you to my parents?”

“Because your shit-talk is when you’re actually into someone.”

“True,” he sighed. “Why’d I fall for an idiot like you again?”

“Luna, Luna,” your friend sang out, bursting into the room with such splendor. She had on a gorgeous pink dress that sparkled underneath the light and twirled all the way over to you. Plopping her hands on your shoulders, she grinned. “Stop studying, come on.”

Your lips twitched as you looked up at her, “Where are you going?”

“This party.”

“You know I don’t like parties.”

“I know,” she groaned. “But come on. You’re in college! Live a little! If you’re going to be writing articles all day in between dance practices, you’re going to be missing out on a lot. Especially cute college guys.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “I’ve seen tons and I bet you you’re going to like a lot of them.”

“Mika—“

“I know, I know. You’re not interested in romantic relationships right now because you’re focused on your future.” You grinned, happy that she knew your exact words. Guess you said it way too often already. “But hey, maybe a cute guy was meant to be part of your future.”

“But—“

“No buts. This is the last time. This is Christmas. You have to relax and celebrate! It’ll be fun, I promise.”

You sighed, glancing at the pile of work nestled on your desk. It was getting a bit lonely especially since you weren’t going home this winter break.  It wouldn’t hurt to give one party a try. You didn’t have to stay for long anyway. If you wanted to leave, you could do just that. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

“Yes!”

It didn’t take you long to regret your decision. Piles of sweaty bodies shoved into one room. Loud music blasting through the speakers, practically shaking the walls. Drinks sloshed in glasses, spilling onto the floor and making it sticky. The whole atmosphere was giving you a giant headache. In times like these, you’d just escape into the comfort of your own room. But if you didn’t break out of your comfort zone soon enough, when were you going to ever do it? So you sucked it up. It was just for an hour or two. You could put up with it.

Mistletoes were hanging in doorways, giving people a chance to exchange smooches. Despite the chaos around you, the mistletoe idea was pretty cute, especially for people who were too shy to make the first move. It gave them an opportunity without it being too dramatic.

“Yo, Kuroko!”

Your heart stopped. You whirled around in search for the person they were looking for. Kuroko. God, so many people had that name but it never stopped you from looking for him in a crowd. He’d always disappeared, even during middle school when the two of you went to school together. You didn’t know why but the blue-haired boy in the back of the room had always caught your eye.

When he didn’t appear for graduation, it was a definite bummer. You had planned to confess to him but it never happened and, when you heard what had transpired between the supposed Generation of Miracles and another school, you regretted not having talked to him even more. Maybe you could’ve helped, maybe you couldn’t. But that what if would forever loom in the back of your mind.

You weaved and squeezed through the throngs of people, hands shoving others out of the way as your brown eyes scanned each and every face for something — rather, someone — familiar. Then you found him. And he instantly took your breath away. The same clear blue eyes that would put the sky to shame on a sunny day. His hair seemed to glow underneath the dim lighting of the room. His lips parted as a laugh slipped past. Dear Lord. How was it possible for a man to be this beautiful?

“Kuroko, I think she’s staring.” His friend nudged him, laughing.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow before his eyes found you. Luna. He remembered you. Middle school. You used to check out the basketball team a lot until final exams arrived. He particularly remembered you because you always wore those cat ears and he was an animal lover after all. His lips twitched in amusement. You were always sort of cute in his eyes. Not to mention, he caught you dancing in school once and was impressed by how passionate and skilled you were.

Before you could open your mouth to greet him, another guy bumped into you, nearly toppling you face first into the ground. However, a pair of hands caught you quickly, placing you back on your feet. You blinked curiously up at the person who had saved you from a lifetime of embarrassment. Kuroko. A squeak escaped your lips.

He smiled down at you, “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, fine.”

“Luna, right?”

Your eyes widened. Kuroko thought of a doe when he saw your eyes, big and innocent. Pure. His lips curved up again when you nodded, “Yes. I mean, hi. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has. How have you been?” The music was much too loud and it bothered you. You winced when you felt another blast in your ears. Kuroko noticed, of course, and maneuvered you towards the door. Thank goodness the porch was free of people. He sat you down on the stairs and handed you a glass of water. “Drink up.”

Taking a small sip, you breathed a sigh of relief for the first time that night. Parties like that weren’t your scene after all. Too wild. You liked dancing but that kind of environment might be too much. “Thank you.”

“Better?”

“Much, thank you.”

Kuroko had that comforting presence that seemed to always put you at ease whenever you were around him. “You looked out of place… that was not as offensive as it came out. What I meant was that you looked very uncomfortable.”

“I was.”

“How have you been otherwise though? It’s been three years, I believe.”

“Yeah, it has.” You murmured. Despite the time that had past between the two of you, the butterflies in your stomach were still fluttering like crazy. His leg was pressed up against yours where he sat next to you. You could feel the heat radiating from his body. “I’ve been well. And you?”

He smiled, “I’m good.”

“Are you still playing basketball?”

“Of course.” The surprise must have been evident on your face because he chuckled, “And you’re wondering why because you must’ve heard of the incident.”

“I-I mean you really don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I was just—“

“It’s fine, Luna.” He nodded, smiling reassuringly. “I went to Seirin because I wanted a change in purpose and tactics. It was a good change. I had a good team with great teammates. They made me believe in basketball again.”

“That’s good to hear,” you grinned.

“You don’t have to look so relieved.” He laughed. “I love basketball too much to let go of it after one terrible event.”

“That’s true,” you murmured. “You always looked so happy playing basketball.”

“As happy as you were when you danced.” You blushed, eyes finding his in surprise. “I saw you practicing once. You looked beautiful.” Cue further reddening and you burying your face in your hands, mumbling ‘Oh God’ to yourself. “Don’t worry. You were incredible. I wished I got to see you do a formal performance. I’m sure it would be great. Are you still dancing?”

“Y-Yes,” you cleared your throat. “But I’m focusing on journalism as of now. Dance is something I can’t let go though.”

“Very true,” he agreed. “I can’t imagine someone letting their passion slip away so easily.”

A loud crash from inside the house made you jump. Kuroko saw the frightened look on your face  and rubbed your back comfortingly. He could practically hear your heart thudding in your chest. “Fragile heart,” he mumbled quietly to himself. Little did he know that your increase in heart rate was due to the fact that his hand was warm against your back.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head, seeming amused with his own thoughts, which only proved to confuse you even more. “Well, this has been a nice reunion. I hope we’ll see each other more.” He paused then pulled out a pen and took your hand. He scribbled numbers on it and smiled. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

“T-Thank you.”

“Merry Christmas, Luna.”

“Merry Christmas.”

Even if the weather was cold, you could still feel the warmth that was left in his touch.

Momoi moans as she sits up, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she moves her hands upwards to clutch her thudding head. She felt sore and disgusting, especially considering the fact that she felt hungover; that was odd in itself because she liked being in control of herself – this hangover implied the opposite. It was only when she looked over did she notice Aomine snoring into a pillow while his limbs were sprawled across the mattress. 

“Dai-chan!” Momoi prods his sleeping figure. “Dai-chan, get up!”

Needless to say, Aomine did not respond. Momoi grabs the covers and yanks them off, revealing their lack of full clothing. Instantly, Momoi turns red as she ducks back under the covers while shielding her underwear-clad state. 

“Mmm, Satsuki…don’t wanna go to practice…” Aomine moans before turning over.

Momoi huffs in response, brushing pink stands out of her face before pushing Aomine off the bed as he lands with a loud ‘thump!’ on the floor. The shirtless idiot bolts upward from his sprawled out position on the floor as he shoots a glare toward the pinkette. 

“What happened last night?” Momoi rubs at her temples gingerly, grimacing.

Aomine, making no attempt to cover himself or his boxers, scratched the back of his head in response. “There was something about partying and this girl… but that’s all I remember before waking up.” 

The pink-haired female tries to wrack her brain for memories, but kept coming up empty.

“Anyway, if I have to get up, you should too.” Aomine growls, rubbing his eye with one hand while his free arm reached outwards, his fingers outstretched toward the covers.

“No! I’m not wearing a shirt! Or pants for that matter!” Momoi firmly clutches the covers. “I don’t even know how we woke up next to each other!”

Aomine pauses, taking time to process the information. “So, I woke up next to you only in boxers? And neither of us know what happened last night?”

The two freeze at the implication, horror flashing across their faces as they slowly turn to look at each other. 

“No…”

“But how…”

“This is freaking impossible…”

“Okay, but does anyone else know? We can pretend like this never happened. No one will ever know.” Momoi furrows her eyebrows, worrying over what transpired the night before until Aomine interrupts her thoughts.

“Didn’t we have plans with everyone else to meet up at Maji burger?”

If it was socially acceptable at that moment, Momoi would have buried herself in the covers and screamed.

Momoi’s careful planning ensured that nothing would be revealed. Nothing. When duo walked towards their location strategically late, they didn’t even notice the mischievous looks pointed in their direction.

“Hi Momoi,” Kise grins. “How was your night?”

So much for keeping it under the lid. Momoi nearly knocks over the salt shaker beside her at the question. That was a coincidence, right?

“Aomine-san was with you last night, wasn’t he?” Kuroko’s face – as usual – gave nothing away. 

“Yeah, but I can’t remember what happened,” Aomine quips, “too crazy of a night.”

“I was keeping an eye on you, like usual,” Momoi lies through her teeth. If Aomine kept talking, he would give the situation away. 

“That’s not what Kise-chin said,” Murasakibara’s drawl cuts through her fabricated lie like a sword. 

Beside the giant, Akashi sips at his milkshake before continuing Murasakibara’s train of thought. “Both of you were snapchatting all of last night’s events. I’d advise you two to take it down from your story right after you watch to see what happened.”

The two people in question pulled out their phones and watched in horror to see each other meet up, go to a club, dance, drink, and ultimately go home together. Momoi buries her head into her palms, half in denial.

Kise pats her shoulder while Midorima puts in his two cents, “it makes sense, Taurus is ranked lowest yesterday. Oddly enough, Aomine’s sign, Virgo, is ranked lowest today, but highest yesterday.”

Momoi stands up, her chair scraping against the floor as she excuses herself to the restroom, assumedly to compose herself. 

“I’ll go check on her,” Aomine drags his fingers through his hair in frustration, still confused how anything happened.

Kagami starts to laugh as Aomine vanishes from view, mouth half full of hamburger. “Nothing happened,” he nearly chokes on the mouthful of food. “Aomine sent a private snap to me. Here, I’ll replay it.”

The friends peered over his phone to see Momoi asleep on her bed while Aomine was prodding her, trying to make her wake up. Laughing to himself, he strips to his boxers, saying that this would be funny in the morning before collapsing on the bed beside to her.

Kise laughs, pausing to gasp for air, “Aomine pranked himself! And he doesn’t even know it.”

“Should we tell them?” Midorima asks.

“…Nah.” Kagami shoves a fry into his mouth.