Unrequited Love?

[yellowcopycat]

Kaijou and Seirin had just had their first practice match, which was shaping up to be a tradition of sorts. This time, Kaijou had gone to Seirin. The gym was nice, newer then Kaijou's but maybe not as big. 

 

He was breathing heavily, but smiling broadly. It always felt good to play, even if it was just a practice match and they weren't going all out. After all, he wanted to keep some of his new tricks up his sleeves, just like he was sure Kagami and Kuroko were hiding some of their new tricks too. This year's match had ended in a draw. Better than last year's practice match, which had ended in Kaijou's loss by two points.  

 

Just thinking about Kuroko made Kise look over to the Seirin team, focusing in on the smaller boy. 

 

For awhile now Kise had realized that he had feelings for Kuroko. Kise had looked up to Kuroko for awhile, but it wasn't really until after the Winter Cup that Kise realized he was probably in love with Kuroko. 

 

He took a towel that one of the first years offered him. "Thanks," he said absently. He scrubbed at his face, his thoughts racing. He had been thinking about Kuroko a lot lately, and seeing him only brought those thoughts back to the surface, only pushed aside when the game had begun. Now with the game over he couldn't focus. The warm glow in his chest that came whenever he thought about Kuroko was back with a vengeance.

 

The Kaijou team was gathering their things and getting ready to board the bus. He told the first year that he'd be along in a bit and began to head over to the Seirin team. 

 

"Kurokocchi~" he called out. No time like the present, he thought. He didn't know if Kuroko would return his feelings, but he was hopeful. The time Kuroko had cheered him on while he went up against Haizaki stood out in his mind. 

 

"Kurokocchi! You got a minute?"

Comments

[yellowcopycat]

"Hmm, maybe; I know Aominecchi mentioned he sees you easier now. I'm guessing that's from what you did in your match against him in the Winter Cup last year."

Kuroko's lack of presence was his ace in the hole, what he used to keep him as a regular. If he lost that... Well, basketball wouldn't be as fun for Kise without all of his friends.

But that was something he'd have to deal with sooner or later if he went to the US.

[misdirects]

He nods. "We were lucky we did not go up against Touou this time around."

Kuroko casts his gaze out the window. "I'm not sure I'll be of any use past this year's Winter Cup." It was a sad, but perhaps inevitable, thought.

[yellowcopycat]

"I'm sure that's not true, Kurokocchi!" Kise said. "You're a great player! I'm sure you'll find something to either regain your misdirection or make up for your lack of it."

Would he, though? Kise hated to admit it, but Kuroko wasn't as strong a player as others on his team. "You're still one of the most experienced players on your team."

[misdirects]

"Thank you," he smiles up at him. There was much to think about, regarding this. "And I apologize, I wasn't trying to turn this into a pity party."

[yellowcopycat]

“Kurokocchi,” Kise said softly. Then a heart beat later he said, “Tetsuya.”

It felt odd to say Kuroko’s given name. Even in his fantasies he only called him Kurokocchi. “You don’t have to apologize. Everyone has doubts. Even I do.” He reached out and gently took his friend’s hand.

“Even if you do fail, I’ll always think you’re amazing.”

[misdirects]

His breath catches in his throat at Kise calling out his first name. It's strange to hear, coming from him of all people, the one person who always calls out his nickname so cheerfully.

Kuroko's eyes soften, fingers reflexively curling into his hand. "You say you aren't, but you're very kind, Kise-kun." His smile brightens just a bit. "Thank you, really."

[yellowcopycat]

"You're welcome!" Kise said brightly, giving Kuroko's hand another squeeze, enjoying the feel of the callouses against his skin. He could hold Kuroko's hand forever, he realized. He wanted to hold it forever.

He really needed to get over this boy. "And I'm not. Not like you. I'm only kind to people who have proven themselves to me." He gives Kuroko's hand one more squeeze before letting go. "I'll tell you why one day. It's not entirely my story to tell, so I ask that you wait awhile for it."

[misdirects]

He finds himself missing the warmth and reassurance of his hand - a strange and unwelcome thought that he tries to shake out of his head as he draws his hand back.

"I'll admit I'm curious when you put it so mysteriously, but I'll be patient."

He does suppose he has the bias and benefit of being someone Kise respected, but...

"And it isn't as if I haven't seen the difference. You were generally unaware of my existence the entirety of our first year at Teikou."

[yellowcopycat]

Shrugging, Kise took the last sip of his shake. "I'm sure you can put together the gist of it on your own. I do want to tell you." He's never wanted to tell anyone before. Akashi knows because Akashi knows everything. He had talked to Kise about it before his split personality came out.

"I wasn't part of the basketball club then," Kise reminded him. "I'm a latecomer compared to everyone else."

He's glad he got into it when he did. If he had gotten into it earlier, things would have been different. "Did we have any classes together that first year?"

[misdirects]

"Kise-kun, we were in the same class. 1-B. I sat behind you in homeroom."

He knows the blond would not have remembered when he barely registered on anyone's radar. It made it all the more ironic Kise vied so heavily for Kuroko's attention once he joined the team.

[yellowcopycat]

"Hmm." Kise toys with his straw. "Well, to be fair, I didn't really pay attention to anyone in my homeroom then."

That's his defense; he was a stuck-up model brat who wanted to get through middle school as fast as possible.

"I don't think I remember anyone from my first-year homeroom."

[misdirects]

He takes the last sips of his own shake, smiling around the straw.

"I figured that was the case." Kuroko had hardly paid attention to Kise either, only taking notice when girls flocked by their classroom door to get his attention. "But you did make for a very good shield whenever I fell asleep."

[yellowcopycat]

"I am very tall," Kise said. "I provide great shade. The only people taller than me are the rest of our Teikou starters, sans Akashicchi."

He narrowed his eyes at Kuroko. "How often did you use me like that?"

[misdirects]

Quietly bitterly thinking even Akashi is taller than him...

He taps his chin as he tries to recall.

"At least twice a week. Especially on days with early morning practice."

[yellowcopycat]

Hey, Kise went from being the tallest of his peers to the third shortest. Suck it up, Kuroko. That was a blow to his ego

Kise blinks. "I... I had no idea you were such a delinquent Kurokocchi."

[misdirects]

He pouts at the accusation!

"Surely you remember how grueling Teikou practices were - I think I was well-justified."

[yellowcopycat]

"You're a sadist, Kurokocchi," Kise said in a cheerful whine. "Everyone who started was too! And I was turned into a masochist because of it!"

He crossed his arms and pouted right back. "I at least tried to stay awake."

[misdirects]

"Are you sure you weren't already a masochist, Kise-kun?"

He has suspected that for a long time...

"Besides, my grades are passable. My education did not suffer for my extra naps." Not too much, at least.

[yellowcopycat]

"I must be to have willingly put up with all of you," Kise huffed indignantly.

... He did like getting caught jerking off...

No, stop.

"If you say so." Kise's grades were... bad. He couldn't focus, and he hated doing homework. He trudged through when he could focus; starting basketball had actually helped with that.

[misdirects]

He lets out an amused puff at that comment. Kise was perhaps a little too easy to bully.

"I haven't been in danger of being barred from playing yet." The same could not be said for Aomine or Kagami... the amount of emergency study sessions...

[yellowcopycat]

“Neither have I,” Kise protested. “My grades actually improved after joining a sports club. Mom thinks it’s because I had some place to direct my energy.”

He’s still just passing everything but English, and he knows he’ll have to try harder if he wants to go to a university in the US. Still, he tries harder than Aomine!!

[misdirects]

"That makes a lot of sense, actually..."

Though he loved reading, sometimes he couldn't focus on the words upon the pages if he was too keyed up.

"If you ever need any help in social studies or Japanese language, I'm happy to lend my assistance."

[yellowcopycat]

"I'll let you know," Kise said. He wasn't sure if Kuroko could actually help him since they went to different schools. But the idea of studying with Kuroko was cute.

"It'd probably mostly be via face time. Work takes up a lot of time, and I want to make as much money as possible before next year."

[misdirects]

He wasn't too opposed to the idea of virtual studying, even if he did feel like it was easier to stay on track in person.

He tilts his head. "Saving up for something in particular?"

[yellowcopycat]

"No, not saving up. But next year, I really need to focus on school. I wanna go to a university in the US. Get my foot in the door for the NBA with a school there. UCLA is the goal, but I have backups, mostly in California."

He picked at his napkin. "The B.League here is great, but the NBA is just something else, you know?"