aomine dni

what if kagami and kise held hands and dunked off into the sunset

[goldenmiracle]

Counterpoint: So what if Kise liked Kagami for who and how he is? If you're implying that he has poor taste in having attraction towards the redhead basketball ace player instead of a pretty girl, then whatever, sue him! The model just happens to like this guy in particular. Kuroko was right when saying that Kise was overreacting about not being honest with his feelings; specially towards Kagami of all people, the redhead was honestly innocent in this whole ordeal.

"I know we are talking about cooking! Sorry for messing with you." Even raised his hands as a sign of peace, couldn't help but laugh a little at Kagami saying about knowing people do other things. So he also had those thoughts! Good to know, and food for thought as well.

"Can't you just be direct?" "Do you want to or not?"

That... Definitely catches him off guard, like a deer in headlights. Kise froze a bit with that direct hit and couldn't help but think how cool Kagami looks when being more straightforward. Hot. "Uhm..." Great, now he's lost at words, his amber eyes move to look at their remaining food, and then he took another look at Kagami who had now a flush on his face. Oh, that's cute too... How funny that a person has so many faces to them.

"I've been flirting with you for the past few months but thank you for noticing." Okay, since everything is now in the open-- What if he just goes to a corner and sulk away? Yeah, that would be less embarrassing instead of imploding right here and there after hearing that suggestion-- No, it was not a suggestion, it was just a 'yes' or 'no' question. The more Kise thought about it, the more he felt the blood run through his veins to paint a blush on his cheeks. "I'm... Not making fun of you." He stammers, while looking everywhere but at the latter's eyes. "I-- Well, sorry for not being more direct with you. Hm." Surely that would've avoided this awkward situation way sooner.

Whatever, he'll just keep going.

"I do like you that way, more as friend." It felt so good finally being open about that, he felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. "I could kiss you right now." Sure is unfortunate they both are out here in the open, so Kise now has yet another idea. "Should we go to your place and make that happen, then?"

[akaigami]

"Months?!" What the hell, when did that start? Kagami attempts to rack his brain for any instances of this, but he seriously can't think of anything specific. Was Kise just talking to him and hanging out with him supposed to be flirting? How was he inherently supposed to know that? "Guh. Uh... sorry?"

Kise apologizes too, and Kagami sighs. Really, all the Miracles are so unnecessarily complicated (even Kuroko sometimes, and he's one of Kagami's best friends in the world). If there's one thing Kagami has learned over the last few months, it's that most people will twist their thoughts into pretzels before being direct. Even men, who are supposedly more straightforward! (That's the kind of thing his captain might say.)

"Nah, it's... okay." Kagami rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed by his own ignorance. "I, uh, just wish I knew so I didn't sound like a dumbass answering your questions like that." Thinking back, he now understands that Kise meant his questions flirtatiously, but it hadn't been the first thing on Kagami's mind, so he had responded so naively. Also, this... isn't a very romantic setting for this confession, but fitting for Kagami to have Kise air his feelings at the Maji Burger. Maybe he thought Kagami would respond more positively around a pile of burgers...?

"Oh, like. Uh. Right now?" He does his best to appear casual, but now that the thought of kissing Kise is in his mind (he's hot), Kagami is. Well. Thinking about it! (He's hot.) "I mean. Yes. Right now!" In his over-enthusiasm, he accidentally kind of... yells it. In the middle of the restaurant. People are looking at them.

Kagami coughs. "Er, yeah, nobody's home, so it would be a good place." He did not think this interaction was going to turn into him dragging Kise home to make out, but he's surprisingly excited about it. "I won't lose," he blurts out, before remembering, dammit, they're talking about kissing and not basketball, and his ears turn a little pink. This is his way of being shy, really. "Uh, forget that. Yeah, let's... uh, yeah, go."

[etherealxshadows]

Apparently, his contained (and not-so-contained) anger had led Kagami to believe that they were talking badly about him behind his back… although it was just the opposite. Kise seemed so fascinated with his teammate that he regretted not being able to advance with him as he would have liked. Both of them were struggling, and Kagami was definitely right: it was better not to get involved.

"I apologize, I think I caused a misunderstanding." Come on, Kagami. Kuroko can't stand seeing you discouraged because of him. "What he's telling me is that he's happy to be able to interact with you more, getting closer and all. I'm the one who's bothered by Kise-kun's existence." And he said it with the most neutral expression on his face. Kuroko wasn't so angry anymore, but bullying Kise was always on his daily to-do list. Perhaps that cheered up his partner a little, by the way.

The eyebrow thing made him stifle a giggle. Serious Kuroko, serious.

Jealous… So that was Kagami's interpretation, huh. "I honestly don't think it's related. Before I started dating Aomine-kun, Kise-kun was already talking to me about you." That was a controlled slip-up. "I can understand that he's curious, even I don't know if you want to date someone." And they spent a lot of time together... but Kuroko never asked either.

[akaigami]

"Oh. Well... that's good." Kagami sighs. No offense to Kise, but he does seem to complain a lot. It's a relief to hear that he's not the target of those complaints. "It's been nice makin' all these friends who are into basketball. Didn't really have 'em when I lived in America, so this year has been kinda awesome." Not that he's putting Kise on the same level as everyone else necessarily, but he's just expressing his general satisfaction with his life right now.

Kagami furrows his brow. "Hrm. And you're sure he wasn't like, uh, planning on some jealousy thing in advance?" If Kuroko says he's not, then he will believe him. "I mean, yeah? I guess I do wanna date? Just haven't thought about it much." Unlike some people, like Aomine, who are horny all the time (but Kagami is not going to mention this out of respect for Kuroko's relationship). "I think Kise probably thinks about it all the time 'cause girls are always asking him out, but sometimes I kinda forget about it," he admits. "Uh, are there even girls at Seirin who like me? Not that I care, but being popular... seems like a different world."

[miragehimuro]

It was natural to know what went through that head of his, considering how close they had been back when they met in America. It was also amusing that Himuro had been the one to introduce Kagami to basketball, and now here they were-- After some rough bumps along the way and the whole ordeal of no longer being 'brothers.' Yeah, best to just forget that ever happened. He wasn’t proud of it, but hey, he couldn’t help it after being so caught up in his own feelings and insecurities.

"So I’ve been told." He recalled Murasakibara complaining to him about Momoi’s poor cooking skills, as well as Midorima’s. It was ironic how many prodigies the Generation of Miracles had, yet how not-so-gracious they could be when it came to other things. And that was Himuro not even trying to badmouth anyone! "On a team together?" That was a dunk Himuro hadn’t been expecting, but he smiled, knowing how Kagami was always that honest with his feelings. "Aren’t you adorable? Maybe that’s why Alex had a preference for you." Speaking of her, he really should try to call her more often. Hm, time zones were a hassle.

[akaigami]

Would it kill Himuro to agree and be eager for once? I'd like to play on a team with you too. Imagine if anyone was this straightforward ever! The way Himuro responded, Kagami can't tell if he's into the idea or hates it. Aren't you adorable? That could mean, you're an idiot for bringing that up, for all he knows.

(What is wrong with all these model-pretty people? Are they just born too pretty to be straightforward? Is there some kind of defect when you're hot that makes you unable to express yourself properly???)

"...When you put it that way, it sounds kinda shitty," Kagami grumbles. "I was just stupider than you, really... sure, we both got into trouble, but you were always more mature. Alex probably felt she gotta baby me more." Plus, he got flustered at her teasing much more easily, but that's beside the point. "...At least, I thought you were more mature. Turns out you're just as petty as the Miracles. Still love ya, though." Kagami sighs. "How are things over at Yosen, by the way? Murasakibara seems like... a handful." No, he still hasn't forgiven that purple giant for the... eyebrows incident.

[etherealxshadows]

It turned out that Kagami had his own concerns as well. Kuroko returned to his initial position while listening to how complicated his reconciliation with Himuro had become, precisely because of his failure to speak clearly. And Kise wasn't helping him at all to understand the situation between the two of them (but he wasn't going to help, he wouldn't get involved in other people's business. Especially if it had to do with the blond's feelings).

His misdirection was still in good shape, if they had gone from talking about Aomine and him to Kise and Kagami.

"I see. I'll tell him that the next time we talk." In other words, the next time Kuroko had to listen to Kise whine. Yes, Kagami was a little (quite) slow, but he was aware of it and didn't refuse to understand. He could also agree that his friends were all complicated. Momoi was probably the easiest to talk to. “What kind of questions does he ask you to make you feel... tested?”

With that phrase, Kuroko imagined Kise asking him a series of questions (like a check-list) to find out whether he was a good boyfriend or not. But knowing how much he liked him, he doubted that was the case.

[akaigami]

"I mean... uh, I can try to just tell him that myself more... I guess." It doesn't seem fair to put Kuroko in the middle of this, even if Kuroko was the one who brought it up in the first place. "I didn't realize he was complaining so much about me... sorry."

Yes, he's sorry to Kuroko for having to hear about it. But Kagami also feels weird that Kise has been venting about him at all. The two of them have been hanging out more these days, and Kagami thought everything was fine. It sucks to hear that Kise has these hidden issues with him that he didn't know about...

"Uh... hrm." Kagami scrunches his brow. "I dunno, he really wanted to shape my eyebrows for some reason." No, that's not what Kuroko means. "Hmm... asking me stuff like if I was in a relationship or wanted to be, but it's outta nowhere, like in the middle of some other normal conversation..." His brain cells are attempting to fire here. "You think he's jealous of you and Aomine? And, uh... can that not be my problem?"

[etherealxshadows]

At that moment, Kuroko was still in a bad mood overall, but there was one thing he could admit about Kise in front of Kagami. “He is.” Kise could make him not want to look him in the face, but yes, he was friendly and charming. Side effects of being a model, surely.

It wasn't his initial intention, but seeing Kagami embarrassed by being called a heartbreaker improved his mood a little. Maybe there was hope for Kise after all. "I apologize Kagami-kun, I was teasing you this time." But there was something about everything Kagami said that made Kuroko tilt his head to one side with curiosity. "Do you think he's not being direct with you?"

Knowing Kise, it didn't surprise Kuroko that the blond started to beat around the bush, avoiding what he really wanted to say. He was an expert at sabotaging himself when he was a little nervous.

[akaigami]

"Ah. Hmm." At least he knows that when Kuroko teases him, there's usually a good intention behind it, even if his friend can be a little... intense sometimes. But he trusts Kuroko wholeheartedly (truly, even if he expressed himself poorly earlier in this conversation), and rarely has felt angry with him, outside of a couple minor arguments relating to basketball.

He considers the question. "Hard to tell," Kagami admits. "Uh, I'm kinda a person who prefers when people give things to me straight so I can fix 'em, or help 'em, or whatever. One of the reasons Tatsuya can be so damn frustrating..." If he had known about his brother's anguish sooner, he could have tried to help him... maybe? But Himuro is someone who keeps all his true feelings to himself, and Kise sometimes appears to be the same. Kagami isn't the most perceptive person, he knows that, but he's also not a mind reader! He thinks he's not entirely at fault sometimes with these misunderstandings.

"I dunno. If I wanted to hang out with him, I'd just tell him. He asks me all these questions like he's testing me." A shrug. "All your friends are too complicated. Tell Kise there's no point in hidin'... whatever it is."

[etherealxshadows]

Kuroko suddenly felt a little more sympathy for Kise. He was beginning to understand his frustration, and all it had taken was hearing a couple of sentences from Kagami. Oh, poor guy. Let's put aside any doubts about his loyalty to Seirin.

"The fact that Kise-kun is no longer a stranger to you means that you are closer than before, doesn't it?" Or are you a tsundere and we didn't know it? Better to keep that part to himself. And the part about Kagami not feeling close to Kise, too.

Kuroko looked away when he was accused of acting strangely. Perhaps, even though it wasn't him who had approached Kagami acting dramatic as if he had made the worst decision of his life. Kuroko appreciated his unconditional support as well. You're the best, Kagami, but not when it comes to romance. "He told me a little bit about how happy he is to be getting closer to you. But after what you've told me, I feel bad for him." And that was saying a lot, because just five minutes earlier he was determined never to speak to the blond guy again. "I didn't know you were such a heartbreaker, Kagami-kun..." Now he was using words maliciously to find out if he really felt close to Kise, or not.

At least as friends.

[akaigami]

"Right, of course we're closer," Kagami says. "I thought all your former teammates were gonna be standoffish, no offense, but Kise's pretty easy to be around." A shrug. "He's friendly and not as full of himself." Sorry to the rest of them... not really.

He's actually surprised to hear that Kise was so happy to get close to him. "Really?" Kagami isn't used to having people be so... enthusiastic about being friends with him. "Huh, that's good to hear — h-heartbreaker? What did I do?!" Did he step into an alternate dimension where Kise asked him out and he rejected him? And if so, when? "Seriously, we haven't done anything like that! If he has a problem with somethin' with me, why can't he just ask me directly, huh?!"

[goldenmiracle]

It was hilarious seeing how Kagami was trying to digest everything that was going on with this conversation. Clearly stated, the guy only had one thought inside his brain, and it was exclusively for basketball. That didn't mean he was made of stone, though? So it was entertaining for Kise seeing the redhead all flustered because of this nonsense. Things like this were normal to discuss for teenagers of their age, although when it came to this sport, everyone he knew was anything but normal. Hm, a sense of normality was a nice feeling now that Kise was thinking about it.

Internally, there was still some screaming going on-- Imagine as if he had tiny copies of himself running around inside his head while trying to do some damage control about this situation, and also trying to come up with something to recover. No luck so far!

"To cook for?" Now he wanted to combust from how disgustingly adorable that sounded, a bit innocent too. "Sure, let's... Go with that." Don't mind him, he's now imagining himself how his life would go if he ever happened to live with Kagami-- NOOOoooOOOooo, EVERYTHING BUT THINKING OF THAT KIND OF STUFF!!! That's how you know you got it bad for someone!!

Whatever, good thing Kagami wasn't a mind reader.

Kise blinks, wondering how his companion came to a conclusion of a dare. Hm, well, that's the blond's fault, he wasn't being very specific either. "No one is born being an expert, Kagamicchi." Indirectly, and without the other knowing, Kise felt... Rejected. Now his mood got all sour even if it wasn't done with ill intentions. "It's just a thought I had, I wouldn't mind kissing you. If you were bad, I would teach you~." Although, Kise was anything but a quitter, so he's going to try and push a bit more.

[akaigami]

Kagami has never been someone who considers himself attractive or desirable, to be fair to Kise who's hitting his head against the wall here. Growing up in America, most girls didn't gravitate towards the awkward Japanese kid (with the exception of Himuro, who has always been naturally charming in a way Kagami can't muster). On top of that, people think he's scary and gruff even when he doesn't mean to be because of his resting face, so he's internalized that somewhat. People never came to him for advice about crushes either, so he's barely even discussed anything related to this topic with anyone.

Why does it sound like Kise is teasing him? "We were talking about cooking!" Excuse him for trying to make a connection to the conversation they were having! "I know people do... other things with girlfriends! ...And boyfriends." Speaking of those other things, he suspects that his good friend Kuroko might be engaging in them with a certain other Generation of Miracles member who's not here right now. Anyway.

What the hell does Kise mean, he wouldn't mind? That's such a lukewarm statement! It's the kind of thing you say to someone when accepting a favor. Oh, yeah, sure, I'll run to the store for you. I wouldn't mind. Not when they're talking about kissing! "Can't you just be direct?" he mutters. "Do you want to or not?" Kagami communicates like a dunk: direct, easy to understand. And Kise is... alley-ooping him? Maybe the basketball metaphor wasn't such a great one after all.

Wait... I just asked if he wanted to... kiss me? Kagami squints at Kise, trying to put the pieces of this conversation together. Kise is talking about Kagami's appealing qualities, asking him if he wants a boyfriend, then teasing him about kissing. A red flush is now creeping up his neck to his ears, and he shoves another handful of fries into his mouth. "Yff flffnnf mmff."

Really good, really articulate response. Okay, he should probably not talk with food in his mouth.

Kagami swallows. Tries again. "You're... flirting with me." He may be stupid, but he's not that stupid. The question is: why? Truly, why? What does Kise see in him? Kise is probably used to people falling head-over-heels for him because he's pretty and charming — at least, that's how he gives off his public persona. In private, he's probably a bit more awkward than that, but aren't they all? They're all just teenagers.

Would he mind kissing Kise...? Kagami tries to imagine it, and it's unfortunately way too easy. Kise's easy to be around, shares his interests, and is objectively... really hot. He's a bit irritated that Kise keeps speaking to him in riddles rather than approaching him directly, but mostly because he's embarrassed with himself for not picking up on it sooner. Genuinely, he's not trying to be dense. "If you're seriously not makin' fun of me... then yeah. I would." Cool! Great! He's now admitted to that! Embarrassed, Kagami takes a too-large gulp of his drink and almost chokes. Sure would be mortifying if Kise wasn't serious and he's misinterpreted the situation again!

[etherealxshadows]

"It bothers me that you doubt me." Kuroko could accept anything else he said about their new relationship, but doubting his loyalty was off limits! It could have continued, but that the dart he had thrown at his teammate had hit the target.

“I don't know, you should tell me.” Since Kagami had already realized how foolish it was to think that he would let himself be defeated out of love for his opponent, they could move on to the other matter. Hands on hips. "Aren't like...?" Oh, he would have liked to know how that sentence ended on Kagami's lips. “I don't have any particular idea.” Half-truth. Personally, Kuroko hadn't seen anything that incriminated them to be in a relationship as Aomine and him, but he had heard Kise's point of view a looooot of times. That rat.

He still hasn't forgiven you, wherever you are, Kise.

“I just noticed that you've been getting closer lately. But that's not enough to let him win in a match, is it?” The point remained, although it slowly dissipated into thin air. "Unless, you really..." It would have been better to finish that sentence. Sorry, Kagami, he's not angry with you, you'll just be collateral damage. For now, endure his stare for a little.

[akaigami]

"I don't doubt you...!" It's hard to tell with Kuroko's deadpan expression whether he's really mad or just messing with him. Kagami knows how deeply Kuroko cares about Seirin, he just doesn't want it to be awkward for him! Or something. Look, he didn't think this through, and now he realizes that he sounds like he's doubting Kuroko, but he does genuinely trust him with all his heart.

Kagami blinks. "Aren't like... you and Aomine?" Somehow, Kagami feels like he's in the middle of something he shouldn't be. He has no idea what Kise is doing to annoy Kuroko, but Kagami is innocent here. There's not a manipulative bone in his body, even if his words are sometimes clumsy. Kuroko, on the other hand...

"Closer? Nah, I'm even more fired up to beat him than before. It's more... meaningful? Than if he's just a stranger... I think." Having strong rivals fires him up more than anything, but it's even better when they're friends off the court. That way, he has people who share his bottomless passion for basketball. "...Okay, you're bein' weird for sure. What has Kise been saying to you...?"

[etherealxshadows]

Of all the people who had mentioned the subject to him, Kagami was the most pleasant and understanding, which was something to consider. Although his confused expression was amusing. He could tell him more details another time. There was another detail that required immediate attention!

“…Huh?” Okay, stop everything. The real reason for Kagami's apparent annoyance took him completely by surprise and provoked a mixture of indignation and amusement in Kuroko. “Who do you think I am?” The question was offensive, and Kuroko let Kagami know with a playful kick just behind his knee. He didn't have enough strength to knock him down. Probably. “Of course I want to kick his ass.” Letting him win was a big, big nope. Sorry, Aomine, being his boyfriend didn't give you the privilege of Kuroko going easy on you.

“Would you let Kise-kun win just because of something like that?” An example. Just an example. But a malicious one.

[akaigami]

"Gah — hey! I wasn't saying you would! I just wanted to make sure!" It's a somewhat valid concern, because Kuroko and Aomine used to be teammates. But it's not like he actually thought Kuroko would betray them or anything like that. He's the most dedicated to Seirin of anyone Kagami knows. Honestly, he's not even sure why he let himself be worried in the first place. What a stupid thing to even imply.

Kuroko's follow up question confuses him. "Huh? Why the hell would I let Kise win?" The whole fun of their rivalry is that they give it their all against each other! Ever since their first practice match at Kaijo, Kagami had sensed great strength and competitiveness in Kise, and it fires him up even now. "He and I aren't like... wait a minute." Even basketball-brained Kagami can get the implication Kuroko is going for after some thought. "Wh-Who gave you that idea? Aren't you and Aomine like... ...and me? With Kise?"

[miragehimuro]

The day had a perfect weather for an outdoor barbecue. While everyone was playing friendly matches on the public court, Himuro was busy chopping and prepping the ingredients to put on the grill, while Kagami was busy seasoning the meat. It was at that moment that Himuro started to sense a… Strange aura emanating behind him. Ah, he could already imagine why.

He turned around to say: "Taiga, don't make that face." Himuro chuckled shortly after saying that. No matter how much time passed, it was always easy to tell when the other was itching to have a ball in his hands and play against any member of the Generation of Miracles. Basketball was truly the only thing that goes inside that head of his. "I'm sorry you are stuck helping me here, I know you want to play." It's not like Himuro couldn't handle making the food alone, but given there was too many mouths to feed and he would take longer, having another person help him was easier and faster. // @akaigami

[akaigami]

"Guh..." Kagami grins sheepishly when Himuro calls him out. He's always considered the man family, and as his family, Himuro is way too good at reading him. (At least in some situations. When they had argued before, Himuro had truly been blinded by his own feelings and hadn't understood how desperately Kagami wished to reconnect with him. But they're past some of that now, hopefully.)

He shakes his head. "Nah, I like doing this part, too," Kagami admits. "'Sides, there's too many... dangerous people here who may step in to help you if I don't." Exhibit A: his own coach. Exhibit B: at least three of the Generation of Miracles (including Momoi). Exhibit C... who even knows. But there might be someone else. "I was kinda hoping that you and I'd get a chance to be on a team together, though," he admits. "We're always playin' against each other, I just thought it'd be fun to be teammates for once."

[etherealxshadows]

One day your lack of presence means that no one notices you are there, and the next day you are the focus of all the rumors! He wasn't good at those kinds of things, but he still wanted to step up and talk to him. Nice one, Kagami.

At that point, Kuroko didn't need to ask questions to know what his partner was talking about. He just listened / blinking occasionally / noticing the disgust in his tone of voice, his gestures, and… well, everything. “You seem devastated." Okay, maybe that was an exaggerated way of putting it. And yet there was no change in his face as he spoke. "I'm not sure if you want me to answer you or not."

[akaigami]

"I'm not devastated!" Kagami protests. That makes him sound like he's going to wither away with despair because Kuroko is... kissing... Aomine. "You... don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm not good at all this, uh, gossip stuff."

He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm happy for ya, really. Reconnecting with the guy and all... I know it was rough for a while." Kuroko and Aomine have a more complicated history than Kagami has seen personally, but he's glad they're moving past it. That being said... "But you gotta promise to still kick his ass in basketball," he adds. "And don't, uh... accidentally pass to him by mistake... or something."

[akaigami]

@etherealxshadows

Kagami rubs his face, not sure how to approach this situation with Kuroko... or at all. "...Why," he settles on. "Just... why." He's not mad, just disappointed. Or something. "I mean, uhh, you can do whatever with whoever you want, I'm not your mom or anything." Weird thing to say, but whatever! "But, uh. Hmm. You know what, I'm not good with this stuff anyway, never mind. Uh. Congrats." And now he's going to try to leave this conversation that he stupidly started.

[akaigami]

"My family?" He grunts noncommitally. "My dad can't really get out here much, 'cause of work, but we check in sometimes. And Alex checks in sometimes, makes sure I'm gettin' sleep or whatever." She's kind of like a motherly figure to him in a way. "Oh, and I see Tatsuya more often these days when he comes to Tokyo. Though he still kinda ignores my texts sometimes..." Sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck. "I think things are still kinda awkward with us, but it's gettin' better. And he's kinda like family too, so I guess that counts."

Kagami doesn't quite get what Kise means about living his life more. His mind is pretty damn good already, in his opinion. He gets to play basketball with an awesome team, lives close by at least ten different hamburger chains (though he does a lot of his own cooking as well), and gets to test his skills against incredible rivals all the time. What more could he even want? "What else do I need to do?" It's not meant sarcastically. "I mean, I can cook. Does that count as a hobby? Apparently women really like that I can do that, too... not that I really get it. Everyone should know how to cook at least a little." Let's not bring his lovely coach into this conversation.

He bristles. "Hell no, my eyebrows are fine as they are!" Ever since the Murasakibara incident, he's grown way more defensive of them, too. "What do you wanna give me a makeover so bad for, huh? I could never pull off a pretty boy look like you." Seems he called Kise pretty again by mistake — oops! Probably means nothing, though. "'Sides, if I showed up to practice wearing glitter and shit, my teammates would definitely laugh at me." Not because he thinks glitter is bad or anything (like a certain captain of his), but simply because it doesn't suit him.

[goldenmiracle]

Kise listened attentively to everything the latter had to say regarding his family / from another thing he could also recall, Himuro and Kagami were not related by blood. Hm, maybe another time he could inquire more about those two who treated each other like siblings. "Sounds like there is a story to tell there, about you and Himurocchi." He would not pry more than necessary though, not now at least.

What impressed him most was Kagami’s thick skull / Kise again wishing he was a surgeon to open up that head and find out if there was something else other than basketball. "Mm, cooking is a good skill. Not everyone has that gift." Kise also thought of Seirin's coach, and even shivered at the thought of being a victim of said coach's experiments, but it's okay! Swatting those thoughts away now! "Woman do find it very sexy when a man can cook~." Even if he could copy anything with only giving it a glance, that didn't mean he was skillful when it comes to cooking. Kise could fend for himself, but definitely could not compare himself to Kagami's cooking. "You should give yourself more credit! If I were to live by myself, I think I would only be ordering delivery everyday." Since money was not really an issue, or so he thought.

There was a huff / annoyed that Kagami was not willing to let him touch his eyebrows. Someday he will get there, just wait! "Well, I also wear make up during my photoshoots and you are not laughing." Awesome argument, but that's because Kagami was not that perceptive? Well, not like Kise used heavy amounts of make up, only to touch up anyway. Then he gave more thought into what he meant what he said, about enjoying more life. Amber eyes peaked at Kagami's face / he really found him handsome-- Or maybe he just happened to have a type? No matter, the more times he hung around the red haired ace, the more he just wished something could happen.

He recalled a conversation he’d had with Kuroko months ago-- Or had it already been a year? Kise wasn’t sure how much time had passed. What he did know was that he no longer wanted to carry more regrets, or look back on this moment in the future and think 'I wish I had said something sooner.'

"How about getting a girlfriend?" Wait, he wasn't even done, he cleared his throat-- "Or a boyfriend? Whatever you prefer~." Well, that was a statement. Kagami had just said not long ago that he was pretty! So he definitely had to have some sort of interest in guys… Right? (Hopefully, Kise in particular). "Say… If I were to say something like, ‘Would you kiss me?'" A pause, building tension while he also built up the courage to say more. "Would you do it?" Just testing the waters. On the outside, Kise was all confidence-- Flirty / daring / the usual out going person he was.

But on the inside? He was screaming.

[akaigami]

Okay, whoa there. Kagami said women liked that he can cook, not that they find him sexy. That's a whole different conversation! And a whole different connotation. "I mean, uh, ordering delivery isn't bad either." Kagami is now flustered slightly, and he's trying not to think about it. There's something about that word that just changes the whole vibe of the conversation! "I get a lot of takeout too." Mostly because he eats a lot. "Uh, it has nothing to do with women." And now he's back thinking about the other awkward part of the conversation. Anyway, moving on!

"Huh? Why would I laugh at you? It looks normal on you." Kagami has never batted an eye at Kise wearing makeup. Since he has a pretty face, it looks good on him, like it would on Himuro or maybe Izuki. On the other hand, Kagami has been told he has... an angry face? So he thinks wearing eyeliner and lip gloss would look ridiculous on him. "I don't know much about aesthetics or whatever, but I know enough to know it'd be bad on me." Kise has that look covered, he thinks.

Kise's next question confuses him beyond words. "Girlfriend?" How did they go from his eyebrows to this? "You mean like... to cook for?" Desperately, his brain tries to connect the different nodes of this conversation together. "Or boyfriend? ...Huh?" Is Kise just nosy or something? Why the hell does he suddenly care about his sexuality so much? “Guh?” A confused, undignified sound leaves his throat. Genuinely, he can’t even picture himself with a partner. He would just stumble over his words and get nervous when they held hands in public or something.

Kagami feels like he’s missing something crucial here. He wishes Kuroko was around so he could ask if he knew what Kise was thinking.

“Uhh.” Kiss Kise? Kagami thinks about it. A mental image does unfortunately form, and his ears turn a little pink. “Like… as a dare?” He breaks eye contact for a moment. “I… no, you wouldn’t want that. I’d be bad.” As if that’s the problem. “I mean, uh.” He wonders what Himuro would say in a situation like this. Probably something really cool and collected to deflect the conversation. But Kagami is the opposite of that: blunt, awkward, and hardly suave. “Your fans’d be mad at me. Don’t wanna deal with it.”

He stuffs a handful of fries into his mouth, but speaks anyway, because he has great etiquette. “Stop teasin’ me, I’m not gonna just do shit to that to people who don’t like me. Even as a dare.” That’s… maybe a little chivalrous of him?

[goldenmiracle]

"That I do." No complaints with his sisters at all, he loved them very much, and they were very lenient with him, probably the benefit of Kise being the youngest of three siblings. The difference is with his parents being... Well, let's just leave it at that. He stopped caring what his folks had to say regarding his studies and all those stupid things a high school student should be worried about. "What about you, Kagamicchi? You see your family often or nah?" He knew the latter lived alone, or what he could recall, given that back on Kuroko's birthday, it was celebrated in his apartment.

"I'm not saying you are trying to?" Chill there, he was just trying to bring up the good qualities, or what could be considered good qualities, considering his companion was not that good with social cues. "Yes, yes. You wanna play basketball and beat opponents that are stronger than you. We are all on the same page, Kagamicchi." The blond huffed, was there like the equivalent of a hamster running on a wheel, except it was playing basketball, in Kagami's head? Maybe he should opt to become a surgeon to open that thick skull of his to actually find out. "What I'm trying to say--" Before being so rudely interrupted, and also had his hand slapped away like that: "Is that you need to live up your life more!"

Do not get him wrong, he loved to play basketball as much as anyone of the Miracles (Kagami included, honorary member, most likely, hm)-- It was just that everyone didn't seem to be proactively seeking to enjoy their teenage years compared to Kise. Not saying everyone should just fool around! Just doing other stuff besides playing a ball game would be as enjoyable. "At least let me do something with those eyebrows, I promise I won't make you look bad!" Pretty please?

[akaigami]

"My family?" He grunts noncommitally. "My dad can't really get out here much, 'cause of work, but we check in sometimes. And Alex checks in sometimes, makes sure I'm gettin' sleep or whatever." She's kind of like a motherly figure to him in a way. "Oh, and I see Tatsuya more often these days when he comes to Tokyo. Though he still kinda ignores my texts sometimes..." Sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck. "I think things are still kinda awkward with us, but it's gettin' better. And he's kinda like family too, so I guess that counts."

Kagami doesn't quite get what Kise means about living his life more. His mind is pretty damn good already, in his opinion. He gets to play basketball with an awesome team, lives close by at least ten different hamburger chains (though he does a lot of his own cooking as well), and gets to test his skills against incredible rivals all the time. What more could he even want? "What else do I need to do?" It's not meant sarcastically. "I mean, I can cook. Does that count as a hobby? Apparently women really like that I can do that, too... not that I really get it. Everyone should know how to cook at least a little." Let's not bring his lovely coach into this conversation.

He bristles. "Hell no, my eyebrows are fine as they are!" Ever since the Murasakibara incident, he's grown way more defensive of them, too. "What do you wanna give me a makeover so bad for, huh? I could never pull off a pretty boy look like you." Seems he called Kise pretty again by mistake — oops! Probably means nothing, though. "'Sides, if I showed up to practice wearing glitter and shit, my teammates would definitely laugh at me." Not because he thinks glitter is bad or anything (like a certain captain of his), but simply because it doesn't suit him.

[goldenmiracle]

Isn't that the point of rivalry? It's not like Kagami made something so terrible to Kise for him to not compliment him! Every day and the more they interacted, it just confirmed how Kise is the most friendly one out of all of the Miracles-- Or at least the most tolerable one and easier to get along with. It really wouldn't hurt for Kagami to return the compliment, but it's fine; Kise won't die from not receiving one. He will only be overdramatic about it; otherwise, it was all good.

Even after all this time of knowing each other, Kise still wonders HOW in the world Kagami is even able to stuff all that food. Forget how much it cost (because money didn't matter to him due to his job), Kise innocently thought the extra would be more for takeout! But no! He's still eating!!! For real!!!! How??!! Even if he had pained expressions on his face, it was more about how much food Kagami could gobble down.

Kise blinks-- Oh, right, they were talking about other stuff before he was distracted by this internal monologue of his. "One of my older sisters got me into the business." It also helped him gain a sense of self-management with his own money as well as responsibility. He took a sip of his drink before continuing: "Sometimes, if you are lucky enough, agents might happen to stop you on your tracks and offer you their business card. Also, sweet-talk you into how much potential you have." Although he wonders if sometimes those could be potential scams, you never know who you can stumble upon!

Then Kise hummed while taking a quick look at Kagami's face. Sure, he did have an intimidating aura, as well as a face that just made him look like he was angry all the time, not to mention those weird-looking eyebrows... "Never say never, Kagamicchi!!" The blond bounced back, pointing at Kagami with one of his fries. "Some fans do appreciate the scowling face-- It's all about how you sell it~." He was very convinced Kagami could be popular if he gave it a try, but that's just Kise being objective. "Fake it until you make it! You don't have to smile 24/7 if that's what you think." His mind then went to another place by imagining Kagami smiling and that so out of character if made Kise snicker, just a bit. "Maybe a change of look wouldn't be so bad, because you are handsome! Have you considered trimming your eyebrows?" Oh, he was now itching to do something about them. Let's pretend he did not just confess that he did find his rival to be handsome.

[akaigami]

Well, when you're hungry, you have to eat! Kagami listens to Kise explain himself with a curious expression, though it's hard to take him seriously with his cheeks stuffed full of food like some sort of carnivore chipmunk. "Ishee," he mutters with a mouthful of food — at least he's with Kise and not a certain other member of the Generation of Miracles who would lecture his habits — then regretfully has to swallow to respond more clearly. "Uh, I see," he says again. "That's cool, that you've got family lookin' out for ya." Kagami doesn't have his own real siblings, but between himself and the guy he considers an older brother, Himuro also would probably make a pretty amazing model. He's got one of those alluring faces that women just seem to congregate around, like Kise. Kagami doesn't really get it! But good for them.

"I'm not trying to scowl," Kagami protests. He wouldn't consider himself a super bubbly person, but he's not grumpy either! Midorima, Murasakibara, Aomine... all of them are much more intimidating than he is. (Plus, he shrieks when he sees dogs. That's not a particularly frightening quality.) "Who cares about fans, anyway? I just wanna play basketball." If people like watching him do it, that's an added bonus. But ultimately, he does what he does for himself and his team. Kagami can't see Seirin benefitting from him starting a modeling career, though after some thought he can kind of picture Riko finding a way to capitalize off it... he shudders.

"The hell? There's nothing wrong with my eyebrows!" Kagami slaps his hands over his face, protecting his poor eyebrows in case Kise decides to try yanking them out like Murasakibara. The comment about him being handsome completely flies over his head — sorry about that, Kise. "Huh? What do you mean, a look? What look do I have now?" Kagami blinks. He just wears whatever's comfortable and easy to play sports in.

[goldenmiracle]

At first, Kise was taken aback at how Kagami was relaxed with this loss, but then the more the red-haired spoke, the more it made sense what he was talking about-- Ah, there it is, the slight sulking. That grumble was actually adorable; it made Kise laugh a bit. "Likewise, Kagamicchi! Your super jumps are always a sight to see." Also terrifying when seeing them firsthand, no matter, it just showed how both have grown in this past year they have known each other. It still felt like yesterday...

At the mention of food, the blond's stomach growled, and it just made him realize that he hadn't eaten for hours... It was true he still had some standards to meet. Back when he started in this model gig as a part-time job, he had to lose a few pounds. Not that serious, though definitely not something he should be doing in the long run by skipping meals. Old habits were hard to forget, he supposed. "I guess a burger won't hurt." Plus, he didn't have that much time to actually hang out with friends and acquaintances. It would be a nice change of pace.

"I'm the winner, so it'll be my treat!" He offered, then stretched a bit while taking out his phone; he looked at the time, realized it wasn't that late, but he still took the time to send a message to his parents that he would be coming home a bit later than usual. After that, they started to walk together to Maji's, all while Kise started to make more conversation. Something about how his photoshoot for today went, the people he met-- To which, knowing Kagami, he probably didn't know who those people were.

They got to Maji's. Kise ordered just a combo that included soda and fries. The cashier even happened to have heart eyes when she recognized Kise, to which he laughed and thanked her for being so supportive. "Your turn, Kagamicchi."

[akaigami]

Kagami isn't quite sure what to make of the compliment, so he shrugs it off. He can't imagine any one of the Generation of Miracles complimenting him genuinely, but if any of them were to do it, he supposes it would be Kise. Midorima would disguise a compliment as a criticism, Murasakibara avoids talking to him, Aomine would just insult him, and Akashi... who knows? At least one of them appreciates him a little bit.

Maybe he should compliment Kise back...? Hey, uh, it's cool how you can do all that stuff after seeing it one time. No, it sounds too awkward. Besides, what does a compliment from Kagami even mean to Kise anyway?

On the way, Kagami does his best to listen to Kise, but he's not good at memorizing facts in textbooks, and he's certainly not good at remembering an onslaught of strangers' names and interactions. Hopefully he's not being quizzed on this afterwards.

Shouldn't the loser be the one paying for the food? Kagami shrugs. Well, Kise offered, so he's not going to say no! If Kise complains about how much Kagami orders, that'll be his problem to deal with when he's paying. If the cashier has heart eyes when Kise orders, her expression shifts immediately to something more pained when Kagami orders a half dozen burgers (and that's Kagami holding back, out of respect for Kise paying!).

Once they sit with food, Kagami digs in. Then, once his face is full of hamburger, he belatedly wonders if he should try to engage with what Kise was telling him earlier. "How'd you get into modeling in the first place, anyway?" he asks through stuffed cheeks. "Do they, uh, approach you on the street or somethin', like — you got a nice face, work for our agency or something? Or did you have to apply?" What does one put on a modeling resume? Hi, I'm hot? "I could never do any of that," Kagami says, finally swallowing his food. "I'd be thinking too hard, and then when they took pictures, I'd just be scowling in all of them."

[goldenmiracle]

It really wouldn't hurt to ask! Or maybe Kise is just too inclined in making small talk and actually show interest in what is going on in his friend's lives! There was a reason as to why out of the whole squad, he was the most pestering one when meeting in person or in the group chat (even one time getting banned from said group chat for a whole week). Didn't matter if everyone tended to ignore him because Kise was just always there. Present... Lurking- Okay now that sounded like a threat.

Moving on, back to the present!

So there they were, playing the game that united them all. Kise made a score / Kagami returned said score by doing a dunk here and there / Kise was still surprised by those RIDICULOUS super high jumps of him. Really, it was just a good time between rivals.

"We should do this more often Kagamicchi!" Kise was mostly saying this because he was happy he won this friendly one-on-one! Well that and because it would be actually more fun if they had more people joining in, but this can make do because Kagami at least made the blond work for it and actually want to win and put more effort in it. He was even sweating a bit and even had to wipe off said sweat with the back of his hand. "Unless this loss was veeery humiliating for you~", nothing like taunting Seirin's ace. Very friendly of course!

[akaigami]

Despite being incredibly eager to play, Kagami's overzealousness and impulsiveness causes him to lose against Kise (wearing tight pants, no less)... this is the same thing that happened against Midorima at the training camp, isn't it? The whole point of basketball is that you have a team and aren't fighting alone, so it's only a little annoying that Kise managed to outsmart him. Plus, Kise has a scary weapon of his own, able to copy the skills of others after seeing them once.

Still, the loss fires him up to practice even more. He's not going to be a sore loser like some people he knows (most of which are the Generation of Miracles), but it still stings a little.

"Humiliating... nah, I gotta admit, you've gotten even better since the first time I played you. That just makes me wanna beat your ass harder next time!" In basketball, of course. Kagami may not be the best with words (in English or Japanese), but he's not actually a violent person. "And it wasn't that bad of a loss," he adds in a grumble. On a different day, Kagami thinks he could have won the same matchup. It depends on the moment. He doesn't regret playing Kise, though.

"You wanna go to Maji with me? Now that we've both worked up a sweat." Kagami had already eaten after school, but now he's ready to eat another plateload of burgers. "Unless you gotta, I don't know. Maintain your figure for those photoshoots or something." It's half teasing, but at the same time, he's not sure... maybe they really do keep him on some strict diet. But that wouldn't make sense, right? Since he's also an athlete.