swan_forest | Unrequited Love?

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?"

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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.

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?"

"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."

"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."

"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."

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.

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..."

"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."

"Well, they are both as fleeting... so who's to say it wouldn't be as effective?"

He hums turning to look at Kise, momentarily mesmerized by bright procession of colors illuminating his picturesque face before tearing his eyes away. "Clear enough skies for fireworks is a good omen. Perhaps our wishes will be more well-received."

"I guess," Kise said as he leaned back, looking up at the sky. He shut his eyes and then looked over at Kuroko when he felt the other boy's gaze on him.

He looked so beautiful under the fireworks.

"Couldn't hurt," he said, a soft smile played across his lips.

Kuroko catches a glimpse of his smile before looking away and feels his heart skip a beat. It had been easy to ignore before, a stray, unfamiliar anomaly that could be easily written off - it feels worse, though, tinged with guilt, now that Kise knows of his feelings.

He sits up straighter, trying to will his thoughts away from the chaos in his heart and focus on the light show in the sky.

Unrequited Love?

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