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 rolled back onto his back, not letting go of Kuroko's hand. "Hmm... let me think."

He didn't have his father's talent for words. But he did know English pretty well. And even then, he was coming up blank. "I use 'best friend' to describe you, but it only really partially covers it."

He thought some more. "I don't think English has a word for something like that either. Not for something platonic."

[misdirects]

He feels another twinge of sadness at 'platonic' -- was it guilt? Acceptance? He certainly isn't going to examine it further now, tucking away it to the back of his mind.

Kuroko leans over Kise with curious eyes as he thinks about the rest of his sentiment. "I'm not trying to be mean about it, but I don't think 'best friend' quite fits how I view you, either... Maybe for Kagami-kun, because our relationship is simple at its core."

Their partnership was easy and not complicated. Perhaps Aomine also counts in that category, but even then, it feels off. Is it because their time at Teikou colors their relationships so deeply?

[yellowcopycat]

"No, it doesn't fit," Kise agreed easily.

He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. "I guess we don't have to put a name on it until we figure it out. I'm okay with that."

[misdirects]

"I suppose that's true." Kuroko flops back onto the bed next to him. "Thank you for inviting me over, by the way - I have a lot to think about."

[yellowcopycat]

"I hope dad didn't confuse you too much. He can get on tangents and my eyes just kinda glaze over."

Kise opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Kuroko. "I'm glad you came over too. I should have invited you over sooner."

[misdirects]

"We do live a bit of a ways off from each other," though Yokohama to Tokyo wasn't too awful of a trip. "Your father was very helpful and suggested many options. It'd be nice if I could stay relatively local."

[yellowcopycat]

"We lived closer when we were at Teikou," Kise said. "I invited Aominecchi earlier because, well, I wasn't, you know..."

He shrugged.

"I'm glad he helpped out. He's probably really pleased. I know my parents are little disappointed I'm not a brainiac like Saoko-nee, but they were used to it with Mihoshi-nee." He hummed. "Though they are really excited about me wanting to go to a university in the US. They were prepared for me to skip uni entirely like Mihoshi-nee did."

[misdirects]

"I'm sure they aren't as disappointed as you think." Kuroko rolls over to look at him. "Every child has their own interests and areas of specialty, no? I think parents inherently understands that."

His expression softens, just a little. "I will feel a little lonely when everyone goes off to the States."

[yellowcopycat]

"Well, like I said, just a little. I think dad wanted me to be a writer like him, but they're both very excited for me in whatever I do. Dad's sometimes embarrassing about it. Mom couldn't go to all the tournaments, but she made the ones she could, and dad always made them. My sisters too, when they could. I'm very lucky."

He hums. "Akashicchi will stay in Japan; we've talked about it a little. He'll do a semester or two in the US, but he's planning on going to the University of Tokyo. Midorimacchi will probably go there too. I have no idea what Murasakibaracchi's going to do."

But the ones who Kuroko was closest to would be heading to another country and, in Kagami's case, going home. "You can e-mail anytime, you know. I'll try to get back to you as quickly as I can. And if I do get into the school I want, I have a few extra months to hang with you because their school year starts in the fall instead of the spring."

[misdirects]

"It must be nice to have family come to watch you play... I'd like my grandmother to come, but I think a match might be too exciting for her health."

His eyes linger on their connected hands, squeezing lightly. "I suppose I'll still have Seirin, but our Miracles meetups will be halved... a little over a year before the sunset of our youth."

[yellowcopycat]

"Your parents never came to any of them?" Kise asked. He knew he was lucky that his family came. Akashi's father never did. Midorima's sister always did. He thinks some of Murasakibara's siblings showed up here and there. "I'm sorry."

He squeezes back. "I think youth lasts longer than high school. I think it lasts as long as you want it to. Dad's fifty-one and mom's fifty-five, and they still go on dates, have their inside jokes, get together with friends, go dancing, and a lot of other things. I'd say they're still youthful. Mature doesn't mean boring. I think it means knowing the correct time to put on a hat, like your job hat or your parent hat or your meeting the prime minister hat, and when you don't have to have it on."

He grins. "You know, I once told Midorimacchi at Teikou that acting too mature was being immature. He called me a fool, but I think he's finally starting to learn that." His grin widens. "I'm still a little immature, though."

[misdirects]

"They've been to a few, but basketball is a bit of an anomaly to them, even if they try their best to express interest and encouragement."

He laughs a little. "That does sound like Midorima-kun. Even if you're still immature... what you said was very wise. I'm a little shocked, Kise-kun." Teasing, teasing! "Perhaps I'm reading too many books about the ennui of growing up."

[yellowcopycat]

"Hmm, well, I guess that makes sense; you're an anomaly." An anomaly to basketball, an anomaly in Kise's life.

With his free hand, he reached over and poked Kuroko's cheek. "I was being immature when I said it. I'm a lot more mature now, but I'm not ready to be mature yet."

He cupped Kuroko's cheek and brushed his thumb just under his eye. "Growing up shouldn't lead to feeling listless. Youth is so short; all the good stuff can't all happen at the beginning."

[misdirects]

"Making me sound mysterious again."

That is definitely the cheek that was bruised until only a few days ago, so he startles a bit at first, after unconsciously avoided that area for weeks now - but his eyes quickly fall shut at the warmth of Kise's hand.

"You're right - youth exists in many forms, even into adulthood, as long as one makes an effort, hmm? I see your parents have set a good example for you regarding this."

[yellowcopycat]

"You kind of are, Kuroko Tetsuya. A miracle and a mystery."

Kise hummed and kept gently stroking Kuroko's cheek. "They have. They're great. And my sisters, when they're not being annoying." He laughed softly, thinking about his sisters.

He looked back up at Kuroko, and in that moment, there was nothing more he wanted than to kiss Kuroko.

Miraculously, he resisted. He did lean forward and bump their foreheads together. "You know, while I'm in the US, you'll always have a place to crash with me. And I know Kagamicchi will say the same."

[misdirects]

His eyes flit back open, momentarily taken aback but clearly not bothered by Kise's closeness. Before he realized it, he was much more comfortable with their skinship than even with Kagami or Aomine.

"That would help, yes, but I'll definitely have to get a part-time job if I want to come visit."

[yellowcopycat]

"You wouldn't have to worry about food. I'd take care of that," he promised. "Just the plane tickets."

Kise closed his eyes and let a pleased sigh. Somehow, like this, the future didn't seem all that scary. It seemed certain.

[misdirects]

He reaches his free hand between them to pinch at Kise's nose.

"Even if I don't eat a lot, I won't be that much of a mooch."

[yellowcopycat]

"Hey!" Kise whined as his nose was pinched. He flicked Kuroko in the forehead in retaliation.

"I don't care you mooch. Depending on when you come, I'll either have dining credit or enough money it won't matter."

[misdirects]

"Ow-"

He retaliates with a swift jab at the ribs, because he is petty like that. "That's unfair and I won't allow it."

[yellowcopycat]

"No, it's not," Kise said through weezes. "I wanna take care of you! It wouldn't just you, it'll be my family too, and Akashicchi and the rest."

He made puppy eyes at his friend. "Let me take care of you."

[misdirects]

Not the puppy eyes...

"Being in a whole new country is surely going to be a lot more expensive than you expect."

But...

"If you do end up going to school in California, you can take me to Disneyland. That's all I accept in terms of being treated."

[yellowcopycat]

"You know, it's not so bad to let yourself be spoiled once in a while," Kise said, poking Kuroko in the stomach.

Of course he'd say that, since he's a mildly spoiled child.

"But fine. Until you come to your senses, I'll agree to that."

[misdirects]

"It's the principle of it." He pokes him right back, looking rather satisfied at winning. "I don't like being coddled."

[yellowcopycat]

"Whatever," Kise said, making a show of rolling his eyes. "I like being coddled and coddling."

He poked Kuroko's stomach again, then followed it up by tickling his stomach, holding tight onto Kuroko's other hand so he couldn't escape.