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]

"Which is why he should go for it, a year is still a long time. He should make the most of it."

He huffed out another annoyed huff, chest raising and falling with the breath, kimono falling open a bit again. "How many pushes have you given them?" he asked.

[misdirects]

"Quite a few, if I'm being honest. They probably felt like I was meddling, but maybe I'll lock them in a room."

He looks over at Kise as he thinks on further plots, glancing at the garment falling open again.

"You should've tied your obi a little tighter, Kise-kun."

[yellowcopycat]

"You should," he said. "It'd be hilarious. If I'm not there you should record their yelling."

Lifting his head, he looked down at his chest.

"But Kurokocchi, it's hot!" Kise whined. "Anyway, that guy over there is just wearing jeans."

[misdirects]

"I'll make sure to so they can look back on origin of their relationship and thank me for being such a helpful friend."

He was truly so benevolent helping these two idiots get it together.

Kuroko scooches closer to Kise with a tut. "Sit up, I'm fixing it for you."

[yellowcopycat]

"It's hot," he whined again and sat up, moving in a way to make his yukata open even more, smirking through the whine. "I'm hardly the only person with as much skin showing."

[misdirects]

"But you're with me right now and I'd prefer if you wore it properly. I don't care about other people."

He sticks his hand underneath the top half and smoothes his hand down along Kise's chest to re-align the fabric as he tugs the overlapping layer back over to form a sharp collar. It takes Kuroko a few moments to realize just how close he is and his cheeks take on a touch of red.

"H-hold the front together, please."

[yellowcopycat]

"Boo," Kise pouted more at him, trying not to shiver as Kuroko's hands slid down his front. He could feel the heat of the other's hands through the thin cotton of the summer kimono.

It had been a year since Kuroko had caught him masturbating at the hot springs resort. He had no idea why that memory was suddenly in his brain. His face burned as much as Kuroko's.

Why was he blushing?

Wait.

Wait. Kuroko liked Akashi, right? Right?

[misdirects]

"Kise-kun, hold the front together," he repeats, clearly wanting to move on with the task and trying not to turn redder. "I need to untie it from the back as well."

[yellowcopycat]

Kise didn't respond. His brain was running a kilometer a second.

"Kurokocchi..." he began. "You don't like Sei."

It was a statement. He never asked; he had only assumed. "I thought it was him you liked."

[misdirects]

"Akashi-kun? Why would I—"

He responds automatically, his own brain not caught up with the conversation, too busy thinking about the lines and shapes of how a yukata should sit properly.

When Kuroko realizes, he pulls his hands back as if burned, letting the garment fall back open. "Ah, wait-"

[yellowcopycat]

A million things are going through his head at the moment. He looked at Kuroko.

Surprise was first. Then confusion. Then anger. Anger was a surprise, but there it was.

Kuroko liked him now - after he had moved on. Okay, he still liked Kuroko, but he was very, very fond of Akashi. The sex was great, the hanging out was great, and he was easily the closest friend he had after Kuroko.

He took a breath and tugged the yukata closed. He didn't know what to do. He didn't do well with anger. Ignored it the best he could. He was... very not sure what to do. Shocked, confused, and angry, he just looked at Kuroko, trying to keep his face neutral and probably failing to do so.

[misdirects]

Kuroko didn't expect this scenario at all and maybe he had been too arrogant, thinking he could keep a lid on his feelings. He doesn't realize it himself, but by pulling away from active play, with no real need to strengthen his misdirection, he has been unintentionally letting more of his emotions show through.

Even though the sky has darkened, one look at Kise's face tells him enough. He's upset. I overstepped my boundaries. I shouldn't have treated him like I always do-- He backs away and moves to stand up, forgetting completely about their bags of teddy bears.

"Sorry- I - I can go."

[yellowcopycat]

"No." He stood, reached out, and put a hand on Kuroko's shoulder. "No, Kurokocchi. Tetsuya. Please stay."

He took a breath. "We should talk about this. But not today. Let's just enjoy the fireworks, take some time, and then have a lunch?"

[misdirects]

He almost jolts at the hand on his shoulder, unable to meet Kise's eyes.

"I- okay." Kuroko hesitantly starts to sit again, but clearly is uncomfortable, fingers curled around each other on his lap. Will he even be able to enjoy the festivities?

[yellowcopycat]

He took another breath and sat down next to Kuroko. Then he leaned over and hugged him quickly before returning to his spot and laid back down.

"I'm gonna take a nap," he said, shutting his eyes. "Wake me up when in an hour."

[misdirects]

The hug happens so quickly, he doesn't have time to respond but with a small noise of affirmation at his request.

Kuroko plucks his cellphone out of his pouch to take note of the time and also to type a slightly panicked message to Kagami. He does have an hour to kill, after all.

[yellowcopycat]

Kise falls asleep rather quickly, the last five minutes being a roller coaster. And because of that coaster ride, he sleeps fitfully, tossing and turning as he does.

He woke up on his side a few minutes before an hour was up, not feeling all that rested, back to Kuroko, looking at a puppy straining on his leash to sniff at Kise's face or hair while his owners made out.

[misdirects]

Kise may be able to hear Kuroko quietly chatting on the phone, catching some snippets of "... I didn't mean to...." and "... don't want to hear that from you..."

He snaps his phone shut with a pointed goodbye and a sigh when he realizes the time. He leans over and reaches out to shake the blond's shoulder. "Kise-kun-- it's almost time."

There is an energy present in the crowd now, eagerly awaiting the first burst of fireworks.

[yellowcopycat]

Kise turned and sat up and stretched, back popping a bit as he did. Sleeping on the ground wasn't the most comfortable.

He didn't need to guess whom Kuroko was talking to. Well, the first snippet could be spoken to anyone. The second snippet could only be directed towards Kagami.

Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes and looked around. A lot more people had gathered, all excited to see the fireworks. His own enthusiasm had been dulled a bit, but he knew it would return after the first firework. "Is it just me, or did the ground get harder as we got older?"

[misdirects]

"We probably could've waited somewhere more comfortable." He sits up straighter as well, groaning a bit after being seated for so long as well.

"But you did say this was the best spot."

[yellowcopycat]

"I did," Kise agreed. "I just meant I could fall asleep on the ground and wake up fine when I was, like, ten. Now I'm a little sore and not in the fun way like after a game."

[misdirects]

"The perils of growing older." He covers his smile at the mental image of a little Kise bouncing back from anything.

"We don't have to stay for the entire thing, if it gets too unbearable."

[yellowcopycat]

He could still bounce back from most things. It was more the emotional exhaustion than the physical discomfort.

Even then, he was able to bounce back easier when he was younger.

"I should be fine," he said.

And that's when the first firework was sent into the sky.

[misdirects]

Kuroko wasn't even sure where he fell on the emotional exhaustion scale. Talking to Kagami had helped a little, their banter always helped settle his heart. He is trying his best to look put together and still talk to Kise casually.

Kise asked him to stay, after all. He's not sure he would've been strong enough to ask the same if the situation had been reversed.

The explosion of lights distracts him from his racing thoughts, as more follow in rapid succession to their own rhythm. It's so loud it helps dull the chatter in his head as he looks skyward, the medley of colors washing over everyone in a soft glow. "Beautiful..."

[yellowcopycat]

"Yeah," Kise murmured in agreement, watching as the fireworks went off in blues, yellows, reds, and greens. He was tempted to look at Kuroko- to see how the lights played across his pale skin and hair.

But he resisted.

"I used to wish on fireworks. I had never seen a falling star."