swan_forest | Unrequited Love?

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kise ryouta

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 is a little surprised that he got a text from Kuroko so fast. The message is clear on his smartphone, but he doesn't open it. He... doesn't want to deal with it just yet. He wants to wallow in pity for a bit.

But it's Kurokocchi. He'll wait until he's back at Kaijou. Pretend he was busy with his teammates.

Then he thinks that Kuroko will see through it. And it's Kurokocchi.

Sorry Kurokocchi!! I'm busy tomorrow with a photoshoot, but you can call me on Sunday!!

Sunday he had cleared for the date he had hoped to go on with Kuroko.

It's a little surprising Kise takes so long to answer. Kuroko's used to instantaneous responses from him. Some breathing room isn't too bad.

When is the best time? I'll be busy in the morning.

Afternoon would be great!! It's going to be a long shoot so I'll need to catch up on sleep.

He put his phone away and looked out the window, pouting a bit, and shooting a warning glare at anyone who tried to ask him what was wrong. He wasn't in a mood for sympathy just yet. Just self-pity.

But eventually, the antics of the first years began to distract him. And he allowed it. He needed to be smiling tomorrow for his photoshoot. And then Sunday he could... well, he wasn't sure what was going to happen.

Kuroko spends the morning with his grandmother— taking her to their local shopping district to pick up groceries, bringing the family cat to the vet, and having a cup of tea while they discuss the books they've been reading the past week. It's a good, quiet way to spend a weekend morning, to set the tone for the rest of the day.

It's not like he's nervous, but he doesn't exactly know how to steer this. He only knows he can't leave it like that, a quick rejection after the adrenaline high of playing a great game. Kuroko looks down at his phone and steels himself, before pressing call on Kise's contacts entry.

Kise had kept himself busy Saturday with the shoot, making sure he was always doing something. Anything to keep himself from thinking.

For the most part, it's easy. He's always been easily distractable, and he's having fun with the other models. One of them has been to England for the summer, and she's talking about her time there.

It was a fourteen-hour shoot, with plenty of clothing changes and a lighting director that was notorious for changing things at the last minute, which meant it stretched into a sixteen-hour shoot, plus the hour commute each way.

He got home, changed into pajamas, and fell asleep the moment he hit the pillow.

The phone makes him wake up. In his sleepy mind the fact that's the ring tone he chose for Kuroko perks him up... and then he's awake enough to remember that Kuroko rejected him.

He lets himself have the luxury of a sigh and answered the phone. "Mm.. hey Kurokocchi," he greets and then yawned hugely. "Sorry, I just woke up."

Kuroko's a little surprised to hear his yawn. And feels a bit bad to be his alarm.

"I'm sorry, should I have called later?"

"No, no," Kise said quickly. "It's fine! My sister, Saoko, would wake me up sooner or later anyway. She's visiting and would never let me sleep the day away." And she would be on him about homework too. Of his two sisters she's the one who was more academic, taking more after their mother.

"What's up? Are you having a good weekend?"

"It's been quiet... I've mostly spent it with my grandmother. Nothing particularly interesting."

Aaaand he already does not know how to transition this conversation, so maybe some small talk.

"How was your photoshoot yesterday?"

"That's nice." Kise didn't really know much about Kuroko's family, so hearing about them is nice.

For the first time since he met the other boy he found himself feeling awkward.

"It ran over. But I expected it would. I worked with that director before and he's increadibly anal about things. It was supposed to be a long shoot, but it stretched out an extra two hours, so I didn't get a lot of sleep yesterday. And it was a little chilly, since we were doing summerwear for next year. And it was pretty chilly."

He will continue barreling through any sense of awkwardness with polite small talk.

"It sounds a lot more work than I thought. A model's world seems so complex. Will the magazine be going on sale soon?"

"It is! No one gets that!" A little whine crept into his voice. Everyone makes fun of him for his part-time job! It doesn't stop them (and by them, he means Aomine mostly) from wanting him to buy stuff.

"I do a lot more than just stand around and look pretty. I mean. Okay, mostly I do that, but it's harder than you'd think! Staying still with a smile that doesn't look forced? It can be torture if the camera guy or director doesn't like the first shot!"

He let out an annoyed breath, and his sister popped her head into his room to either see who he was complaining to or to wake him up. He pointed to his phone, and she left. "I dunno when it'll be out. I never really paid attention. I get advanced copies that dad will cut up and put in his scrapbook. I get stills that aren't being used, too, if there are any. If the photographer's cool, they'll let us take goofy shots, and we'd get those, but mostly that's for little kids. Anyway, if I had to guess, the magazine will be out in late winter when people start thinking about buying their summer clothes and already have their spring stuff."

Edited (grammar) 2022-12-15 17:42 (UTC)

"I certainly don't think I'd have the patience for your line of work. But you seem well-suited for it."

Look at that, a compliment!

"I'm sure I'll end up seeing it all over our school when it releases. The girls in my class always seem to buy each magazine of yours."

"I dunno; you were patient enough when you were teaching me basketball." He shrugs even though Kuroko can't see him. "But thank you! It's natural for some people, but I had to learn it."

He paused. Not sure to what to say about the girls in Kuroko's class buying his magazines.

"So," he begins, pauses, and then starts again, barrelling on. "What did you wanna talk about?"

Guess there's no avoiding this forever.

"What happened the other day was rather poorly timed. I felt bad that you left immediately after I... Well, it didn't sit right with me-- or rather, I want to know, are you alright?"

Kise's quiet for a moment. Then he allows himself the luxury of a sigh and flops back onto his bed. "That's my fault," he finally said. "I... didn't really think you'd say no. I mean, I did consider it, but I got so caught up in planning what would happen if you said yes that it didn't really register, you know?"

He stares up at his ceiling, feeling like an idiot. "I guess I got so used to being asked out and having to reject their feelings because I liked someone else, that I never considered it would happen to me. And I didn't want to ask you earlier becuase either answer would have kept me distracted for the whole practice match."

He paused again. "I'm okay, I guess. I mean. It sucks, but it's Kurokocchi's answer so I have to accept it."

"I definitely would have been annoyed if you hadn't given one hundred percent into the match because of something like that."

He pauses for a moment. "Actually, I am annoyed you assumed I would answer in the affirmative. Your confidence is too high, Kise-kun." If it helps, there is a light tone of amusement in his voice at this, but Kuroko clearly does not mean it in a mean way.

The amusement doesn't totally take the sting out of the remark, but it takes enough out that Kise responds with a haughty sounding, "Can you blame me? I'm me." He then gives a soft laugh. "I sound like Aominecchi."

The amusement doesn't last, though, and he looks back up at the ceiling. "Most people don't go into a confession expecting to be shot down," he said. "But you put a big hole in my ego. Again. So you don't have to worry about that happening again. It's annoying that you keep doing that."

He can't help but let out a small snort at the Aomine remark.

"Sorry, that wasn't my intention." Kuroko truly did not expect it to have such a big effect on him. "I thought most confessions ended in rejection." Maybe that's his own misconception, but they seemed that way by Kise's own admission of his rejections. "No one has ever confessed to me before. I apologize I wasn't able to... hm, soften the blow more?"

"I dunno. I've never really paid attention to other people outside of my immediate social circle. I've gotten a lot of confessions, yeah, but they were from girls who don't know me, so they don't really count. They're asking out someone who doesn't exist."

A little bit of bitterness creeps into his voice. Sometimes, it gets to be too much.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "It was truthful and honest, and that's more important." Kise always tried to soften the blow when he rejected the girls asking him out by telling them it was because he already liked someone, which was true. "Wait, Momoicchi proclaims she loves you like, everytime she sees you! You've been confessed to before!"

Being too popular and standing out so much certainly has its downsides... Kuroko is not envious of Kise's situation.

"She often declares her love, yes, but that's not a confession, is it? Those have usually more intention behind it. Like yours, you asked me if I'd like to go out with you. She's never done that."

Kise doesn't consider himself popular, instead thinking of himself as famous. But it's probably semantics. To him, popularity is something earned by personality. Akashi is popular.

"Hmmm... I'm not sure I'd agree. Maybe she's trying to get you to make the first move." He shrugs and sits up. "Anyway. Don't feel bad. Your rejection was nice enough, and I'll be okay."

He would be. It just hurts a lot right now.

"I'm sorry. I do have to admit, I don't understand why it's me. Surely Kise-kun can choose anyone you'd like."

Someone so unassuming and plain like Kuroko did not suit someone flashy like Kise.

Kise doesn't answer right away. This is something that he doesn't want to talk about, especially after a rejection. But.

He blows out a sigh.

"Kurokocchi is Kurokocchi," Kise said simply because it's really that simple. "Kurokocchi is handsome. More than you give yourself credit for. You're inspiring. Aominecchi may have inspired me to play basketball, but it's you who makes me wanna be the best I can be. I'm not a nice person. I'm not kind, but I've become nicer and kinder since meeting you."

Kuroko had no idea Kise felt so strongly about him. He certainly knew the blond was fond of him, but not to this extent.

"I don't mean to question your feelings, but I'm not sure they're romantic..."

"Kurokocchi. If I go any further with why I asked you out, this will eventually turn into phone sex. I'm not doing that with someone who rejected me, thanks," Kise said, his tone clipped and noticibly cooler than before.

He pauses, letting that sink into Kuroko's, usually not this thick, skull.

"Next time you reject someone, don't ask 'why me' because it sounds like you want your ego stroked. I know you better, but still."

Almost to the day

pls forgive my extreme tardiness

Already forgiven

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And then I disappear after teasing you. Sorry bro

reappears after 2 more years...

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