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]

Kise's room is clean, though lived in. The bed is made, albeit sloppily, but everything else is organized. No dirty clothes on the floor.

There are posters of NBA stars and a Yokohama B-Corsairs poster on the wall next to his desk. There's a corkboard with a large calendar on it, covered in Kise's scrawl in various colors. Today had 'Kurokocchi visiting!!' in black. Dates of photoshoots and where are written in yellow, and in red, 'Date With Akashicchi!' is written.

"Sit anywhere you want," he said. "Sorry about my sisters. They like to embarrass me. Good thing it takes a lot to embarrass me." He stripped off his shirt, tossed it on the bed, and opened his closet, pulling out the suit he was going to wear.

"You know, I'm kind of jealous of girls. A lot of creativity can go into a dress."

[misdirects]

"They were rather funny - and it's clear they love you."

He does a cursory glance over the room, lingering on the posters and smiling at his calendar, before planting himself on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to get dressed.

"Women's fashion does have more variety... but I think a suit is timeless."

[yellowcopycat]

"Yeah, I guess. But sometimes, I wish there was more." He shrugged as he pushed down his pants. He pulled on a thin undershirt, then pulled on the dress shirt, nice and crisp.

He buttoned it up, then pulled on the pants, dark blue with a metallic sheen to them. "Can you hand me a belt? They're in the drawer next to the bed. Grab a black leather one."

He frowned at himself in the mirror on the other side of his closet. "Tie or no?" he asked.

[misdirects]

Kuroko opens up the drawer and pulls out the suggested color, walking over to hand it over, tilting his head at the overall look so far. "Do you have only one?"

[yellowcopycat]

"Ties or belts?" Kise asked. "I have a lot of black ones. There's one that looks harder and shinier than the other ones; grab that one."

[misdirects]

"I meant ties-- other patterns, maybe?"

He did at least grab the right belt, so offering it over.

[yellowcopycat]

"I have, like, hundreds of them," Kise said as he walked over and took the belt, quickly putting slipping it through his belt loops. He tucked his shirt in, then did up his pants as he walked back to the closet. He pulled on a waistcoat that matched his pants, then a suit jacket that also matched.

"I have a tie that's a couple of shades paler than this that has the same sheen," he said. "And a black one. Something to break up all the blue." He hummed thoughtfully and turned to Kuroko. "What do you think, Kurokocchi?"

[misdirects]

"Black is a good idea, unless you'd like to boldly introduce another color," he hums, looking over the outfit to imagine it.

[yellowcopycat]

Kise hummed and went deeper into his closet. He pulled out a gold tie and black tie, holding them up to his shoulders. "The gold matches my eyes," he said.

[misdirects]

"Gold makes for a killer combination." He gives a thumbs-up.

[yellowcopycat]

Kise began to loop the tie around his neck. "Anyway. You're right about my sisters. I'm very lucky. They're annoying, but I'm sure I annoy them just as much. And Saoko-nee and I have run some of Mihoshi-nee's boyfriends through the gauntlet. Few handle it with as much grace as you did."

Once the tie is tied into a perfect Windsor knot, he walked toward Kuroko like he was on the catwalk. "What do you think?"

[misdirects]

Kuroko settles back onto the bed as he ties it, tilting his head. "It wasn't too bad - they're just protecting their precious baby brother, right? I'm a little envious of such relationships."

He covers an amused huff at his walk, scanning the entire look at his prompting. "You should expand into runway work. But it looks good, very handsome. I'm sure you'll blow Akashi-kun away."

[yellowcopycat]

Kise pouted. "I'm not a baby anymore," he said as he turned around to let Kuroko get a three-sixty view of him. "I'm taller than them. I'm as tall as dad, now."

He didn't want to get the suit wrinkled so he walked to the wall and leaned against it. He wasn't sure he'd blow Akashi away, since their former captain was a very level headed guy. Like Kuroko, Akashi had already seen Kise naked in the showers.

Unlike Kuroko, he hadn't seem him aroused and in a compromising position. But there was a chance that could happen in the future. There was no denying Akashi was very attractive, and Kise had decided if it came up and the moment felt right, he'd go for it.

"I'm great it, but it's a bigger travel commitment than I want to make right now. If for some reason I can't pursue basketball anymore, I will, but until then."

He hummed, going to his dresser and pulled out a handkerchief that matched the tie, tucking into the breast pocket. "I hope so," he admitted. He did want to impress his date.

[misdirects]

"It suits you very well. I suppose blue really is your color." He puts a hand to his chin, evaluating - being a runway model'd make sense as a backup certainly, given how lanky the blond was. But his energy currently seemed a little lacking... "I thought Kise-kun would have more confidence going into this."

[yellowcopycat]

"Yeah, I think so too."

Kise took a breath and let it out. "I'm just really nervous about this. Do you remember my first game as a starter? I'm like ten times more nervous. This is a big step. For Akashicchi and me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Not only are we coming out, but this is also our first date. Like, neither of us has gone on dates before, not just with each other."

[misdirects]

"You mentioned not having much experience with romance, but somehow, I expected you to have been on a date before..."

Kuroko understood the importance of coming out, but the first date part... well, that didn't matter as much to him. Maybe he's probably not much of a romantic. "You could go on a date prior to give it less weight, maybe?"

[yellowcopycat]

"I've, uh, been kissing other boys for a while. I was seven when I had my first kiss." He smiled at the memory. "But the model life isn't exactly great for dating another model. We're often pitted against each other by the directors and management, and it can destroy any friendship." He had been burnt more than a few times.

"That'd be a good idea. I'll ask him tomorrow."

[misdirects]

"More cutthroat than I thought..." But it makes sense for the industry.

"But yes, I think it'll help you two be less nervous and feel more casual on the actual day of. It's an awful lot of pressure to make your coming out also your very first date." He pauses for a moment. "But it would make for a very memorable first. Personally, I'm not the type to give too much weight to things like that."

[yellowcopycat]

"There's a reason why so many dramas are made about the fashion industry; it's rife with it."

Kise hummed. "It'll be very memorable whether or not it's our first date," Kise said. "Photoshoots, the whole thing will be very publicized. It's some charity gala." He shook his head. "Akashicchi does too much for his father."

He knows Akashi better now than ever. Midorima was the only other miracle to probably know Akashi as well. "I'll try to see if I can eke out some time with him before. He just needs to have fun sometimes, like the rest of us. Outside of basketball." He made a face. "And shogi. He tried to teach me once and I sucked at it. I'm beter at go."

[misdirects]

"Go is easier to understand," which really just showed how smart Akashi was. "But you're right - he likely carries too much on his shoulders due to his family business... it would be good for Akashi-kun to let loose every once in a while. You're probably the best suited for that."

[yellowcopycat]

"... He still beats me at go." Kise's well aware that he's probably the least intelligent of the Miracles. Aomine might get similar grades, but he's just lazy; Kise actually tries. At least he's passing.

"I hope so. This whole thing is kinda a middle finger to his father." He grins at that, as it's also a middle finger to the fans that harrassed Kuroko. And it'll be fun. He likes galas. He's just never been a VIP guest before.

[misdirects]

"That's to be expected." There's no way any of them stood a chance of besting Akashi in a purely strategic battlefield like shogi or go.

"It's certainly a big statement to make..." His brows furrow. "I'm a little worried, but know that you both have my... no, everyone's support."

[yellowcopycat]

"Hmmm, that's true. Basketball's the only game I'm on an equal playing field with him."

He pushes himself off the wall, begins to undress, no need to put wrinkles in his suit before the big date after all. "I know we do. The uncrowned kings at Rakuzan have all been very supportive. They're fun guys. Makes me wish we went up against them as a whole. Might have given us some trouble." He looked over at Kuroko as he hung the suit jacket up. "What's Kiyoshi like? And Hanamiya, you've gone up against him, right? He seems like Kiyoshi's Haizaki."

[misdirects]

Kuroko averts his gaze as Kise undresses, fingers curling into the sheets of his bed as flickers of anger spark up from memories of how awful the match against Kirisaki Daiichi had been. "Haizaki-kun might have a terrible personality, but Hanamiya-san is... truly underhanded and awful. Kiyoshi-senpai is too kind to invite him to play again after everything."

He blows out a small frustrated breath and tries to focus on better things. "Kiyoshi-senpai, though, he's... how should I put it? I respect him a lot. If I had siblings, I think I'd like a big brother like him."

[yellowcopycat]

Kise is very careful about undressing. These are things that get wrinkled very easily. They'll probably have to get ironed before he wears them again. Still, the less to do the better.

"Hmmm... I only know what Reo-nee said, as he played against him more often in middle school than Hayama and Nebuya did. And that sounds about right."

Once he's down to his undershirt and underwear, he pulled on a pair of sweats and a hoodie and joined Kurokocchi on the bed, flopping down. "Haizaki is awful, hard to imagine someone worse."