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Aomine sighed. What was the point of coming to practice? His pink haired friend had once again dragged him here to try and get him to work with his ‘team’, but it wasn’t happening. Satsuki should just give up by now. Yet a part of him was extremely grateful she didn’t, because that would mean he was alone in his head. And it wasn’t exactly the best place to be during any time of the day.
It was just a regular day, a few weeks into the beginning of upper secondary school. He wished he could be on the roof, sleeping in the sun, but no, he was stuck in a stuffy gym with sweaty dudes. Not exactly Aomine’s idea of fun. Shifting to a more comfortable position on the bench, he looked over at his teammates. At the sight of them doing passing drills, he snorted, their team wasn’t exactly the ‘team’ type; so passing drills were almost pointless. Everyone here was individual, and fought that way too. God, what was he doing here again? Oh, right, Satsuki had thrown a fit and said she’d rip Horikita’s newest magazine up in front of him. She had just left to grab some drinks though… maybe it was time to sneak out?
Aomine’s eyes were closed, enjoying the small breeze from the doors— wait, the doors weren’t open before…? That’s when the whispers came, some gasps coming from the 2nd string kids. “Seirin? What’s that guy doing here?”
“…Thinking he can come in here when he wants…”
“Whoa he’s as tall as Aomine-san!”
“Ohmygod what’s he doing?!”
At that, Aomine cracked his eyes open, peering up at the shadow that stopped over him. Within seconds he was sitting up, staring at the face before him in shock. Aomine gathered himself quickly. More whispers came from the team behind them, “He’s going to die, I mean, Aomine-san looks pissed he was woken up!”
The gym silenced immediately when he sneered, looking up at Kagami, but only his longtime childhood friend could see the smile in his eyes. He had left for America halfway into the second year of lower secondary school, but they had kept in contact. “What do you want?” He stood up, hand on his hip, facing those piercing red eyes. Aomine faked being pissed, knowing Kagami would play along.
Kagami mimicked him, opposite hand on his hip with a basketball in the other, but a soft smile came to his face. “I wanna play,” a ‘duh’ wasn’t really needed, just implied. He flicked the basketball up, and spun it on his finger, a smirk taking over.
“Che,” Aomine huffed, but there was a sharp look in his eyes that showed his interest, “So bold. Think you can entertain me, eh?”
A gasp, “What?! He never wants to play right after a nap?!” Blue eyes drilled a hole in the person who spoke, making the guy choke and pale.
When he turned to face Kagami again, there was a bright, fearsome grin. “Oh, I think it’s more if you can entertain me.”
“OI!” Wakamatsu yelled from a few feet away, “Who the hell does this guy think he is?”
Kagami raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “Kagami Taiga, the power forward of Seirin.” He tilted his head, “You?”
He blinked, not expecting that response, “Uh—oh, um, Wakamatsu Kōsuke. Nice to meet you…?” Imayoshi snickered from behind him, plopping down on the bench, not bothering to stop what was happening.
Aomine was glaring at the blonde, because, how dare he speak to Taiga like that! Kagami saved Wakamatsu from an early death by gaining Aomine’s attention again, “So? Think you can handle it?”
The bluenette grinned, whisking past him and taking the ball with him to do a layup. The people that had been in front of the basket hoop had to quickly scramble out of the way. Kagami followed after him, throwing his Seirin jacket off on the bench. It didn’t take them too long to get into the flow, as they’d played against each other for years. They knew what the other was thinking before they moved, and how they would do it. The whole thing was exhilarating for Aomine, since Kagami hadn’t changed one bit. Perhaps more bold, and he could jump a helluva a lot higher, but Aomine could see that softness shining in his eyes that made his heart pound.
After one spectacular dunk from Kagami, Aomine laughed, startling some of his teammates that had been watching. The faked tension that had been between them was broken. One basketball member actually had to sit down, or else his legs would’ve given out it was that scary. Pausing during the next face off, Aomine brushed his hair back, lips falling into something soft and fond, “Your basketball hasn’t changed a bit, huh, Taiga?”
Said male beamed, “Neither has yours, Daiki!” Choking could be heard from the sidelines. Kagami faced the sound, and walked over to the poor guy to pound on his back lightly. A gentle look on his face, “You okay there? Sounds like you swallowed wrong or something?” The kid looked up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. A dangerous aura made him glance over the angel’s shoulder, and he almost choked again. Aomine was glaring at him as he walked closer the two of them.
“Ahh—hahaha, y-yeah! Totally!” He backed up quickly, pale as a ghost.
Kagami’s eyebrows scrunched together cutely, “If you’re sure…”
“Yep! Definitely.” There was no way in hell he was getting between Aomine and his friend. That just spelled death.
A weight settled on the redhead’s shoulders and around his waist. Kagami blinked at his shoulder, where the lazy bluenette rested his chin. He placed a hand on Aomine’s, which was around his stomach, an amused air surrounding him like he was used to it. Aomine’s voiced drawled in his ear, “Taigaaa~ Ignore him, he’s not strong at all. Only a 2nd string.”
This made the redhead frown, “That’s mean, Daiki.” He flicked Aomine’s nose, “Apologize.”
He pouted, but spared a glance at the boy. A grumbled ‘sorry’ was all the kid got, which was amazing in itself. His 1st string teammates were gaping as well, they had never seen Aomine act this way around any one before, even Momoi. The only one not shocked was Imayoshi, a little devious smirk on his face, like he had been right about something all along and just got proof.
“Now are you going to stretch over me like an overgrown cat all day, or introduce me to your friends?”
Scowling, Aomine gave Kagami a flat look, “They’re not my friends.” Kagami returned the look, making him sigh. “Fine,” He pointed with the hand that wasn’t around the redhead’s waist, “That mousy lookin’ fellow there is Sakurai Ryō, makes good bentos.” Aomine smirked, “Not as good as yours though Tai.”
Kagami huffed a laugh, “Of course you would know he has good bentos. I hope you haven’t been stealing all his food?” At his averted eyes Kagami just laughed more, “Right, dumb question. Nice to meet you, Sakurai.”
The first thing out of the boys mouth was, “I’M SORRY!” That stunned Kagami for a second, “S-Sorry, nice to m-meet you too, Kagami-san!” He bowed a few times.
“Hey, hey, no need to say sorry!” He chuckled, smiling gently at Sakurai, “And your food must be pretty good if Daiki is giving compliments, we should trade recipes!” The arm around him tightened when a flush came over Sakurai’s face, and he nodded so frantically Kagami almost thought he’d have brain damage afterwards.
“Thank you! I-I would love that!”
Aomine snorted, pointing at the next person, “The idiot you already met.” That made Wakamatsu sputter in rage, “Loud, annoying, extremely noisy, ignore upon sight.” Wakamatsu gave a strangled sound, and was restrained by Susa before he attacked Aomine.
Rolling his eyes, Kagami slipped out of his grasp to put his jacket back on and sit down. Aomine was pouting, and sat next to him, stretching his arm behind the redhead and leaning into him. “Then you must be pretty annoyed of me, I’m loud all the time, idiot.”
“Hah? You could never be annoying, Taiga,” It was said with the most sappy, awed tone that even Imayoshi blanched.
The bright grin sent his way made his stomach flutter, “You’re always so sweet, Daiki! Thanks you dork. Who’s the captain then? Is it Wakamatsu?”
The question stopped Wakamatsu, staring at the redhead in surprise. “What? No way!”
He shrugged, “I don’t know, he seems like the personable type. The one that brings everyone together and helps pump everyone up. He’s the only one that introduced himself when I came in after all.” Wakamatsu was almost in tears; Kagami was officially his favorite person.
Aomine gave him a raised eyebrow, thinking, idiot, he wasn’t trying to introduce himself, and then fondly chuckled, only Kagami would be that dense. “Thank fuck he’s not the captain. It’s that guy, the one who looks like he could trick the devil out of his own soul. Y’know, the one with the fox face, the one that probably comes up with thirty different way to torture someone before breakfast, the one—,” Kagami’s hand slammed over his mouth, stopping his tirade.
“I think I got it.”
Aomine licked his hand playfully; snickering when Kagami yelped, blush on his face. “He’s Imayoshi Shoichi, who will no doubt grow up to have a cult following. If he doesn’t have one already…”
Imayoshi smirked, “Actually, it’s fifty ways to torture someone before breakfast, and cults are a little outdated.”
There was a moment of silence before Kagami grinned, eyes crinkling with mirth, “Cults are definitely outdated, perhaps tyrannical rule is more your style? That seems a little brutish though…”
The look on Imayoshi’s visage made Aomine almost shudder, the guy could be scary, alright? And what the hell was with Kagami playing along with him like they were friends?! Chuckles escaped the captain, “True, true. I’m more of a behind the scenes kind of guy. Plus, tyranny is so much work for so little profit.” Why did Aomine feel like the world just dodged a bullet there?
“Hah! Yeah, well if you need any help reigning Daiki in, gimme a call and I’ll straighten him out.”
“I’ll do that.” Aomine gulped.
“Taiiigaaa, why’d you tell him that?!”
“Cause you’re a lazy aho, that’s why.”
“Tch, I’m not lazy, everyone else is just excitable, except maybe Susa. He’s okay.” Said man just raised an eyebrow, not sure how to feel about that. “Susa Yoshinori, last member of the 1st string.”
Both Susa and Kagami exchanged a nod; the big man spoke quietly, “A pleasure, Kagami-san.”
“Same, I hope Daiki’s not been giving you guys much trouble.”
A shrug, “He is a good basketball player, that is all we require.”
Kagami snorted, a smirk behind his hand, “In other words, he’s been a pain in the ass.” Susa gave a small, amused smile back.
“Whatever,” Aomine scowled, butting his shoulder into Kagami’s. “And the rest are just peons, don’t know their names.”
“You mean you don’t remember.”
Aomine flushed, “N-No—,” A squeal broke his reply off.
“KAGAMIN!!!” The pink blur slammed into Kagami, making him guffaw.
The redhead stood and twirled her around, “It’s good to see you too, Satsuki!” Placing her on the ground, he pressed a small kiss to her forehead. “I hear Daiki’s been difficult.”
Momoi puffed up her cheeks, “You have no idea Kagamin, and he’s been so lazy and never goes to practice anymore.”
Kagami’s eyes widened, and then narrowed on the bluenette trying to meld into the background. “Daiikiii…”
“Yeah?”
He stopped before him, arms crossed, “Is that why you’re getting slow?”
Everyone’s mouth dropped open, because… Aomine? Slow? What?
“Hahhh?!”
Smirking, Kagami challenged Aomine with his stare, “Slow. You’re slower than you used to be.” Which, truthfully, was a complete lie, but Kagami wasn’t going to say that. Sometimes, Aomine had to be pushed into things that he really wants. Imayoshi had a similar look on his face; he knew exactly what Kagami was doing.
“Is that so?”
“Yep, so you’re going to have to step up your game, aho.”
Aomine groaned, confusion disappearing from his countenance. “You’re just trying to goad me into practicing, aren’t you?”
“Huh, you caught that this time?”
He huffed, “I’m not an idiot you know?” Momoi and Kagami gave him a look that had him scowling. “Oh shut up.” Wakamatsu was howling with laughter, which Aomine graciously ignored. Blue eyes connected with red, “Is that what you want, Taiga?” His voice was deep and serious when he spoke. Kagami shivered, small red spots appearing on his cheeks.
“Ahomine, of course I want you to practice, it’s only fun when I’m fighting you at your best. And I know you can do better, but I’m not going to force you.” He frowned, “I know what happened when I was gone, but you don’t have to worry anymore, because I’ll be here from now on. I’m not going anywhere.” Aomine was looking at him with something so powerful that Kagami had to look away, sheepishly scratching his neck.
When he turned back, Aomine was smiling. And not any smile, the one that they shared between them as kids, the one that nobody had been graced with other than Kagami. His breath left him, and Aomine stood up to grasp the back of his neck and pull their foreheads together. The others around them shifted, feeling like they were intruding on something personal.
Once Aomine pulled back, he nodded, “Alright Taiga, if its what you want, I’ll do it.” Another squeeze to his neck, and the next thing he said was so soft everyone strained to hear it, “I’d do anything for you.”
“O-Oh,” Kagami stuttered, blush spread all the way to the tips of his ears. “I’d do the same for you too, Daiki.”
“I know you would.”
A catcall broke them out of their little bubble, Wakamatsu yelled, “Oi, just kiss already!”
Aomine flushed so bad that it could be seen even with his tan, but then he smirked. “Heh, Wakamatsu might be right.” His other arm slipped behind Kagami’s frozen form, tugging him close before he pressed his lips against his. The redhead’s hands went to his shoulders immediately, gasping into the warm mouth on his.
On the sidelines, Wakamatsu gaped at them. He turned to Imayoshi, “D-Did he just—?”
“Yes.”
“A-And—?”
“Yes.”
He grasped at his hair, eyes wild, groaning out, “Nothing makes sense anymore!” Susa rolled his eyes, and Sakurai kept pleading forgiveness that he didn’t understand either.
Imayoshi on the other hand, was the picture of perfect calmness, “Actually, this explains a lot.”
“Only you would say that Imayoshi…”