i had a dream last night where pov you’re aomine lying face down on that beanbag and you notice kagami is reading bball monthly and you know you’re in that issue so you saunter on over, say “you reading about your boyfriend?” and he says “no” and he’s reading about kise. the page with you on it is bent around the back. he’s not only an animal in the way he holds magazines (what about the spine!!!!!!! yes it matters!!!!!!!!), he is also Not reading about you? he has chosen to read about kise instead? what the fuck?
i cant stop thinking about a garage band now from that quiz, and now all i imagine is wakamatsu being a drummer or something equally noisy and he brings posters of this gig he’s got to practice :’) and his team’s like :o you’re in a band?? and momoi says she’ll go, hoping that the others will too. aomine isn’t even pretending to show interest. then kagami swings by afterwards to pick up his loser boyfriend but said boyfriend is still changing so he starts chatting to wakamatsu whom i think kagami likes too. maybe there’s a one-on-one >>:) momoi tells kagami about the gig and he’s like >>:o you’re in a band?? COOL i’ll be there bro!!! and wakamatsu’s like “since when are we bros.... but ok”
anyway the kagami accidentally tricks aomine into going to the gig too because kagami wants to go and aomine didn’t know where it was so he doesnt realise until it’s too late that this is wakamatsu’s event ://///// but anyway waka is very cool very good and kagami has a GREAT time, which is the most important thing beyond that.
anyway in my aoka verse kagami believes that what is very much a crush is just appreciation for aomine’s skill as a player. and then he finds himself caring about what aomine thinks, wanting to cook for him, asking for his opinion on things. picking on him for attention. laughin at his jokes. stealing his hoodies. wanting to hang out all the time. the usual bro stuff. oh shit---------
here’s me dropping screenshots of kagami doing absolutely nothing special and still boosting my serotonin levels
his voice in my mind goes: :3
his voice in reality definitely goes: huh
AND THEN ( not in order but w/ ppl talking but this is all i care about )
and also it’s kagami, on the kagami + gom table:
“whys aomine, the ace of the generation of miracles, sitting with me and the generation of miracles ? why isnt he sitting at another table with the other Losers”
"anyway i’ve decided to ignore someone at this table. i maybe wont even talk to him. look at him. why is he here? i dont want him here”
here’s canon fodder talking about how kagami’s dad isnt even around on CHRISTMAS ????????????
KAGAMI CANT REMEMBER SHIT TOO SJDHSJDJHSD SAME BRAIN
plot: kagami is a nervous wreck as he meets aomine’s parents for the first time now that they’re dating.
word count: 4730
notes: sfw, based on my own hcs, and in this au kagami lives with nijimura. it is in the same universe where nijihimu become a thing, which is every universe imo. anyway. enoy!
“will your dad know if i have a criminal record?” kagami asked worriedly, twisting his hands together.
“what?” aomine’s cool demeanour switched to understandable surprise, “you have a criminal record?”
“i said if i had one.”
“well, do you?”
“i don’t think so? uh, at least, not in japan. but don’t cops have that... sixth sense?”
“that’s only in movies. calm down.”
“i am calm!” that was a shout.
“calm down more.”
the redhead shoved his hands under his armpits to stop them from fidgeting. his frown was just a mask to stop just anyone from knowing that this was the most stressful trip he’d had to make in a long time. meeting aomine’s parents for the first time, picture that! ugh! kagami almost didn’t want to, actually! he wanted to turn on his heels and flee. he’d never met a boyfriend’s parents before! he’d never had a boyfriend, either, so that made sense. god, the knots in his gut only got worse the closer they got!
“didn’t you hear me?” aomine bumped his elbow into kagami’s side, “i said chill. do you think i’d bring you over if it wasn’t gonna be fine?”
“i introduced you to my dad,” he defended quietly, arms dropping to his sides. yeah, that had gone badly. a lot of are you sure?s and it’s just a phase, you’ll get through its. it made him sick to think about.
“your dad loves me, he just doesn’t know it yet.”
“daiki---”
“taaaaiga,” aomine draped his arm around kagami’s shoulders. oh god, they’re coming up to his house! “it’s cool. they’re cool.”
“what if i say something stupid and upset your mom?”
“then i’ll kick your ass,” then he shakes kagami’s shoulders, “kidding. you won’t upset her.”
“are you sure?”
“oh yeah.”
here they were, at his driveway. every muscle in kagami’s shoulders, arms, and back were tense. they should just get it over with, or not go in at all! this pause was no good. aomine, for fuck’s sake, why didn’t you know where your keys were?
then the door opened. kagami instantly smelt teriyaki burgers. frozen in place, he had to be dragged inside and, after removing shoes, he was pulled unexpectedly up the stairs. he’d already been over here, but always when aomine’s parents were out. he knew which door was the bathroom, which one was aomine’s bedroom. which one was the master bedroom. the kitchen smells must have meant that someone was in the kitchen, but thank god nobody saw them go up the stairs! kagami was mortified thinking about it, as if the two were not tumbling giants making massive amounts of noise wherever they went.
it was safer in aomine’s room. kagami dropped his bag on the floor, but that was as far as he got before he was pulled in for a hug. ah, that was better. he’d almost forgotten what it was like to be able to breathe.
“don’t tell my dad that you don’t have a criminal record,” aomine said before kissing kagami’s cheek. “just don’t mention it at all. until i ask later, when you have to.”
“i don’t think i have one. would i know?” kagami’s arms wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist, but he hadn’t fully relaxed yet. not even when aomine kissed his other cheek. “i’ve never been arrested properly.”
“you need to stop thinking about this,” aomine’s brows knitted gently together. they stared at each other in silence for another, long moment. it was pretty obvious that kagami was still fretting over this. aomine pinched kagami’s cheek. “i said stop.” but the pout made the pinching stop and nuzzling begin. “my mom’s seen us play together. she saw the vorpal swords match.”
“she did?”
“yep.”
“what did she think?”
aomine cracked a smile. “she didn’t, she doesn’t know anything about basketball.”
“oh.”
“dad does, though.”
“oh,” someone explain how this made kagami’s stomach drop? even though he knew he was great at basketball?
“he saw you in basketball monthly. ah, it’s kinda cool to be able to point out my boyfriend in a magazine.”
“you’ve had whole pages in it before---”
“who cares?”
“didn’t you just say---”
“let’s go out after dinner,” aomine was quick to interrupt, kissing kagami’s cheekbone. “i’ll beat you mercilessly at a one-on-one, and humble you for that magazine comment.”
“humble me,” kagami repeated in a grumble. aomine’s hands travelled to survey muscular shoulders and, as luck had it, they had relaxed considerably. “i’ll show you.”
“yeah,” aomine smiled as he moved away, “that you’re a basketball head through and through. come on, they’re waiting for us downstairs.”
kagami’s brow furrowed again and though they had detangled from the embrace, he was still within reach for aomine to push his thumb upwards against the rugged red brows. “bah!” kagami batted him away, but looked a little more relaxed yet. he was still tense, but that was fair enough given the occasion.
aomine led kagami downstairs by the hand until last minute. each step made his knees feel weaker and weaker, and by the time they had reached the living room, kagami’s hands felt shaky again. he tried to focus on the lovely smell of food, tried to focus on the warm light lamps lit before sunset gave the room. it made the place seem so homely. all the brick-a-brack around him made it feel homely, just as kagami imagined a house should. photos of aomine when he was young, photos of them all together. it should have helped, but it just made him more concerned. what if they hated him? what if they hated them? what if they were passive aggressive and unsupportive and doubted every word kagami had to say, just like his own father? his eyes watched the floor as it passed underfoot, in case it should give way into the black abyss he suspected his mind would fall into if he wasn’t very careful.
and there, when kagami raised his eyes, was mr aomine! he had been sat in an armchair with a newspaper, but stood to greet him. he was a tall man, fit for his age, with greying hair and blue eyes. he looked so stern at first, but his face wrinkled into a smile as he held his hand out to shake.
“it’s good to finally meet you,” he said warmly. kagami didn’t know what else to do but to shake his hand. he didn’t know what to say. “you’ve been giving daiki a run for his money, i hear?”
“uh,” what did that mean? kagami’s face heated up. oh, basketball! duh. fuck. “yes, sir.”
“steady,” daiki stepped over the coffee table to settle into the couch nearby. “i can still beat him.”
“i mean, it’s good to meet you too, sir. thank you for having me, sir.”
“alright, alright,” mr aomine patted kagami on the shoulder and nearly gave him a heart attack! “sit down, i want you to tell me what learning basketball is like in america.”
“oh?” kagami walked carefully around the coffee table to sit on the other side of the couch to his boyfriend. see? look at this respectful distance. please like him, mr aomine!
mr aomine sat back down in his own chair. “you were coached by a wnba player?”
“you know a lot...” kagami thought aloud, sending an amused half-smile across the couch. daiki had the bottom of his face hidden inside the neckline of his sweater, looking away. somehow that made him feel a little better. kagami wanted to hear everything daiki said about him now! he turned back to mr aomine with more confidence as he talked about alex and how she’d come over recently to visit.
after a few minutes, mrs aomine walked through from another door with an apron on. her blue, braided hair tied into a ponytail, and her casual jeans + sweater outfit made her seem a lot less scary than whatever kagami had envisioned. she was tall too, but not quite as tall as her son or husband, with darker skin than daiki. she stood with her hands on her hips and stared at him. maybe she was just waiting for mr aomine to finish talking, but what was the point? respectfully, of course, kagami was now very much distracted and alarmed! her gaze softened and drifted to her son. kagami’s returned to mr aomine as he talked about a trip he’d taken in his youth to california. he realised now that he had mentioned all the babes, and kagami didn’t know how the hell to react! so he didn’t. he heard daiki say dad, with a laugh, and followed along with an uncomfortable chuckle.
“hello,” finally, mrs aomine found a moment to speak. she smiled and kagami noted that daiki got his smile from her. “nice to meet you, kagami!”
“nice to meet you too, ma’am!”
“if you’re bored of talking about basketball, i could use a helping hand in the kitchen.”
“bored?” both kagami and daiki repeated in varied levels of amusement. kagami had only muttered it as he stood, seeing no choice in the matter, but daiki snorted. he moved his legs to make it easier for kagami to step through. kagami sent him a look which said aren’t you coming too? and daiki settled deeper into the couch. betrayal!
“you looked more intense on tv,” mrs aomine announced thoughtfully as kagami came to stand in-front of her.
he rubbed the back of his neck. “sorry, but i’m not playing basketball right now. --- ma’am.”
“ah, true... let’s see if you’re more intense with a knife in your hand.”
it was a joke, he was pretty sure, so he smiled, but all he was thinking about was that time kuroko had stood in his kitchen holding a knife in low-lighting and never looked more threatening in his life. he followed mrs aomine silently out of the living room, through the hall, and into the kitchen.
“oh, i have to show you something,” she cooed, gesturing to the counter. she didn’t explain any further so it was up to the great detective, kagami taiga, to decipher her mysterious comment.
he saw a fruit bowl, a cookie jar, and a chopping board with spring onions waiting to be tended to. he saw a magazine ( not sports related so he didn’t look twice ), and a framed picture, and a flower he didn’t know the name of sitting in a crudely painted pot. panicking and unable to find what he was supposed to be seeing, he bit his finger. mrs aomine didn’t say anything, but she did decide to nudge the picture frame. ah. okay, he looked again.
it was a picture of the vorpal swords team after their win. everyone looked triumphant and happy, including daiki. kagami was there, of course, and it made him feel fuzzy knowing that they had a picture of him in their house. did dad have any pictures of him at all on display? he smiled wide.
“it was a good game,” he said. “and really cool to play as a team with him. i know it meant a lot to kuroko.”
she brought a bowl out of the fridge as he spoke, and set it on the side as she did. “nice to see him enjoy himself so much. i was on the edge of my seat! but i didn’t ask you through here to talk about any particular game. daiki says you like cooking?”
"yes, ma’am.” it was a moment of genius on his part, but he added with a nervous smile: “but nothing’s as good as your teriyaki burgers, according to him.”
“ah! one-nil to me, then?” mrs aomine returned to the door, unhooking an apron from its home on the other side. “would you like to help me with the salad? you don’t have to, of course.”
“i don’t mind,” kagami met her halfway to receive his apron and made sure to thank her for it, then went to the sink to wash his hands once he’d put it on. he still felt deathly nervous, more so than before any game, but there was something grounding about being in a kitchen.
mrs aomine handed him the vegetables to wash first and foremost, setting up two chopping boards behind him as he worked. kagami was completely blank on what to talk about. it wasn’t his fault, he hadn’t even spoken to anyone’s mother in ages! he was out of practice! she set about sharpening a knife meanwhile - the sound had confused him at first until clarified by a glance over his shoulder. she didn’t see him look, and just as well, because the sight really scared him! what if he said something wrong and she simply cut his head off?!
he didn’t stop thinking about that imagery until she’d given him the freshly sharpened blade. she moved calmly as she started breaking off the leaves from the lettuce. if he got passed his stupid nerves, she had only made jokes thus far, and made an effort to make conversation with him! she was nice. and she was just a person, at the end of the day. yes, she was a very important person, but she knew of him as her son’s boyfriend and she didn’t 1) hate him, 2) mistrust him, 3) show any kind of negative feelings towards him at all. kagami inhaled deeply, then exhaled, and focused on the task at hand.
“how do you want them?” he asked, referring to the bright red tomatoes sitting before him.
she hummed. she and daiki both did this a lot, like they had to make a noise to prove that whatever they were about to say was carefully considered. this wasn’t a criticism, it was just that he’d never thought about it before. it was kind of funny to see that daiki had absorbed his mother’s mannerism. “halved, then thin slices. what do you think?”
“okay,” he shrugged before he could decide whether that was rude, so he added a belated: “ma’am.”
chopping calmed him down quickly. the carefully practiced movements drummed a familiar beat, almost like a basketball bouncing between his hand and the floor. wasn’t the sound of a knife against a wooden chopping board so satisfying? the tomatoes sliced effortlessly with his sharp knife, too, so he was able to do it neatly and easily.
“who taught you how to cook, then?” she asked.
“nobody. i used to watch a lot of cooking tv shows so i kind of... learned from that. when i was older, alex helped me out. she was my wnba coach.”
“oho, i see. basketball is really ingrained in your life, isn’t it? that’s nice. i always thought it would be nice if daiki showed an interest in cooking, but when he’s got people around him who cooks for him, i don’t think he sees the point.”
and the lack of people around kagami growing up to cook for him provided the perfect excuse for him to learn. they were opposites. still, he smiled. “freeloader.” a shot of panic and his smile died, instead replaced by bright red cheeks. “uh, i’m joking of course! i don’t mind cooking for him, and i don’t think his other friends would either? i mean, he eats everything, so it’s not exactly hard.”
mrs aomine laughed, bringing her hand first to hide her grin, then placing it on his arm. “i know you were joking, please don’t worry so much. anyway, as you cut the peppers, you can tell me about any of your other hobbies.”
kagami’s bottom lip pulled downwards, grimacing.
“cut the peppers, then. it’s nice you like basketball so much, like i said. i imagine if you didn’t, then you wouldn’t have become so close with daiki.” she busied herself with the salad leaves again. “tell me, has anyone ever told you that they’d quit because you were too good?”
“yeah,” he replied quietly. “and i get called a monster sometimes, just like him.”
“he gets called a monster?”
oops. “yeah, out there during a game. it’s just annoying for me, i guess i don’t know how he takes it, but can you blame ‘em when you triple their score? like it ain’t disheartening when you’re trying to have fun, and the opponent just gives up.” he realises he just did a lot of talking, and added for politeness’ sake: “ma’am.”
“hmm,” she waved her knife with a flick of her wrist, “it’s hard on both sides, then.”
“i’m lucky i found opponents who force me to exceed my limits,” he felt like he was doing damage control, because mrs aomine hadn’t looked the same as before she knew about the monster thing.
“again, that’s true for both sides, i think. it’s kuroko tetsuya who is on your team, is that right?”
“yeah. we play similarly to how daiki and kuroko used to play in middle school.”
“i’m amazed he’s kept up with everyone for this long,” she lifted the chopping board she’d been using to scrape the lettuce into a salad bowl, then grabbed the tomatoes and peppers. “he’s an important player in his own way, hm?”
undeniably. kagami wholeheartedly agreed with that statement, though there was something troubling in the way that she’d said it. like she didn’t entirely believe it herself. “kuroko’s basketball is different to anything i’ve ever seen before, sure, but i wouldn’t have got this far without him.”
mrs aomine’s big smile was unnerving, like she was up to something. but she didn’t say anything, and kagami didn’t push it. he hoped he hadn’t upset her by disagreeing. luckily, daiki sauntered into the room at this point and he would be able to tell if his mother absolutely hated kagami! and he’d make some kind of sign about it too, right?
daiki made a beeline for the fridge, disappearing behind its silver doors momentarily. there was a chalkboard shopping list magnet on this door, and at the very top, in daiki’s handwriting, was:
more banana milk >:)
which kagami wasn’t sure he felt surprised about. maybe the little frowny face threw him off a little, but wasn’t it cute as hell, too? sure enough, when daiki shut the fridge, he was holding a carton.
“how’s it going in here?” he asked, leaning next to the chalkboard.
kagami didn’t know how it was going, actually, please could someone tell him? he stayed silent, despite mrs aomine looking at him with an expectant smile.
“oh, i think it’s fine,” she replied, “we were just talking about basketball.”
“mmm,” daiki smirked, “he does that.”
“don’t say that like you didn’t suggest going out to play a one-on-one after this!” kagami was embarrassed by that, for some reason! shut up, daiki, he’s trying to impress your mom!
“obviously. i like basketball, what are you trying to say?” why was daiki all embarrassed suddenly! shut up, idiot!
mrs aomine laughed ( a warm, maternal sound that kagami wasn’t used to. it made him bristle. did she definitely hate him? was he too stupid for her son? ). “i was just trying to get to know him, dai. buzz off and help your father set the table, why don’t you?”
buzz off? how come it had sounded so friendly when she said it? seriously, the more they hung out, the more kagami was seeing that daiki was just a teenaged boy version of his mother. kinda cute!
“i wanna hear if he says something nice about me, though,” daiki cooed on his way out.
“fat chance of that happening, pal,” kagami said before he could catch up with his words. it was easier to forgive himself for the brash language when aomine’s mother had just told him to buzz off.
and she hadn’t minded. they talked for the fifteen minutes until dinner was ready and while kagami still felt like he was being interrogated, she had an inescapably open, welcoming presence to her. his replies were awkward at the best of times, but it became less laboured over time. kagami was no conversationalist with anyone, after all. he wouldn’t be true to himself if he forced it.
she asked him about school. he told her that he tried his best, but basketball was where his heart was and it was kind of hard to concentrate on history when all he wanted to do was practise. she asked him about his team dynamics and was happy to hear that they were all friends. she knew what touou’s team had been like before, or maybe what they were still like. kagami was a little surprised that daiki hung out with a few of them outside of practise, but he supposed daiki had mentioned it. kagami just hadn’t connected the dots. she wanted to know if he was friends with momoi, and he said he kind of had to be if he wanted to hang out with aomine. he’d said it in a light-hearted, joking kind of way but his mouth was awkwardly tight and he hadn’t looked over.
she asked about how he felt about the other generation of miracles. for the first time meeting someone, she sure knew the questions to ask! he liked them, anyway. kagami liked them all just fine. some of them were more annoying than others ( and ordinarily to anyone who asked, aomine was definitely among the more annoying than others category, but he decided to miss that little dig given the audience bias ).
and then she told him about herself and the family briefly, as if an afterthought. she had met her husband in high-school. weird thought, meeting the love of your life so early on. kagami knew better than to even glance down the rabbit hole of wondering if aomine daiki was the one. he could freak out about all of that later. instead, when she had said that, kagami revealed that his parents had been college sweethearts-- if that’s a thing? she didn’t ask about his parents. daiki must have briefed her about that can of worms. mrs aomine’s life-long best friend was momoi’s mother. they all used to go on holidays together. kagami realised that he’d never gone on a proper holiday with his dad. he’d gone with him to work destinations, but never spent time together.
the interrogation was intense and by the time kagami was sitting at the table, he was too socially exhausted to get worked up about manners. he wasn’t rude or anything, but he temporarily forgot about the dream he’d had a few nights ago when daiki’s parents kicked him out of the house for eating too much food.
“did you show him the picture of the vorpal swords?” mr aomine spoke first, in-between mouthfuls of food.
“dad,”
“i did,” she smiled. both teenagers cringed and focused on their dinner.
“that was a good game. seeing you beat those americans was so satisfying-- no offence. do you count yourself as american, kagami?”
“uh,” he shrugged a shoulder, thinking about it honestly. his eyes averted. did he? “when i’m over here, i’m the american guy, then when i’m in the states, i’m the japanese guy, i guess.”
“that’s fair enough. your english must be good, huh?”
“it’s okay,”
“you should tutor daiki. i know if his grades get too low he won’t be able to stay in the club, we can’t let that happen! then what?”
“dad,” daiki implored, “stop talking.”
“i’m giving you date suggestions,”
kagami perished on the spot. he choked on his burger and had to accept the glass of still lemonade handed to him by mrs aomine as she patted his shoulder. not really helpful, but thanks for the gesture!
“so,” she began, “you live with dai’s old captain? how did that happen?”
once recovered, which was when she had posed her question, kagami cleared his throat and replied. he could tell she was trying to change the subject and he was very grateful for it. “so, he’s friends,” he side-eyed daiki briefly, “with my brother, tatsuya, who he met in america too. then nijimura came here and tatsuya introduced us.”
“and you get along?”
“yeah, he’s alright,” but kagami’s expression had brightened considerably and it was clear that his words were an understatement. nijimura was one of his best friends.
“himuro tatsuya, right?” mr aomine asked, and kagami nodded. “i didn’t know he was your brother. you don’t look much alike, sorry to say it.”
“we’re not blood related,” kagami was unphased by the statement, “did you say you met him?”
“yes!” mrs aomine grinned, “he’s a lovely boy! older than you, i think?” kagami nodded, “yes, he’s been around here before, anyway. did you know he was kagami’s brother, dai?”
“obviously,” he replied without any venom, “he hung around nijimura and kagami a lot so i tagged along. they’re both pretty good at basketball too.”
“pretty good like nijimura can’t keep up with you,” kagami rolled his eyes, then remembered - biased audience! he salvaged himself ( not that aomine’s parents had been offended by the comment like kagami believed ) by saying that he liked playing as the four of them because he had to push himself to keep up. mrs aomine would say that she was glad that daiki had found someone who liked the challenge, mr aomine said that it gets lonely at the top.
it gets lonely at the top. he said philosophically. he scratched his chin as he’d said it. kagami looked at him quizzically. but i’m glad he’s got you.
daiki pulled his hood up and tied the strings so that his face was encased in fabric. he groaned. he didn’t get to see the way that kagami smiled. the pure, raw happiness of feeling truly validated and appreciated. he wouldn’t let himself consider the contrast between the kagami / aomine household. not right now. this moment was special. it was not to be tainted. kagami turned to look at daiki and saw him come out of his shell reluctantly. the hood was untied, eyes checking the surroundings to ascertain if the embarrassing father had disappeared. he had not. he had started talking about a hiking holiday he saw advertised. this man never stopped talking, but it wasn’t annoying. it was chatter. it felt familiar, even though it shouldn’t have done.
mrs aomine put her hand on kagami’s shoulder again and asked if he liked hiking. he didn’t know, he’d never tried it. well a hiking holiday was a good way to find out, she said. the way she spoke sounded like an invitation to come along with them. he didn’t get his hopes up until daiki said that kagami was a surfer, then she said oh, we can go on a beach trip and you can teach us! we’re a very... sea-loving family. we like to rent a place sometimes-- oh, you should definitely come with us, dear! let’s go this summer.
what had kagami ever been afraid of? by the end of the evening, he was too tired to play basketball, and his mind was too full of everything they had all said. but he shook mr aomine’s hand before he left, and mrs aomine kissed his cheek! so neither hated him! daiki walked him to the train station. they hugged goodbye as the train approached.
“your parents don’t hate me, right?” he asked quietly.
“no,” daiki smiled, fixing kagami’s fringe as it blew in the breeze. “we all love you. now get your ass on that train and text me when you get home.”
“yeah, yeah, yeah,” kagami pulled away and called over his shoulder as he dashed for the doors. “tell them i had a great time, please!”
“okay, okay. bye taiga.”
“bye, daiki.”
i love you went unsaid, but it showed in their soft smiles. the doors closed, kagami kept his eyes on daiki until he was out of sight. he had had his fair share of embarrassing moments tonight, times when he wished he hadn’t said what he had, but overall, he was happy. and unless they were really good liars, it felt like they were happy with him, too. we all love you. kagami nestled into the corner of the standing area and texted nijimura about how it went. he was glad to have someone to talk to about it. he felt overall so happy.
I'm going to bed but I was just thinking about this fun aokaga thing where they would have an argument and how aomine would think they've broken up so he would not talk to kagz anymore and kagz would not talk to HIM because he doesn't want to reach out first they had an argument!!!! So they go ages not talking and then they see each other again or kagz finally texts him or something and he's like "why don't we talk anymore I miss it let's get Majis" and aomine is like "well we broke up" so and kagami is like "WHAT"
momoi shifts , carefully drinking her bubble tea. today , she was waiting on sakurai to show up for their bi-weekly shopping trip and had seen kagami out of the side of her eye so of course, she had to say hi! leaning back in her chair , she gets a flash of lunch with aomine wondering about fate. " hey , kagamin, " she starts, " do you believe in fate ? " / from momoi <3
@peachmuses
kagami is watching a tall girl across the mall cafeteria demonstrate, without a ball, how to shoot a basketball. he assumes it's a basketball. she's laughing as her friends have a go, none of them caring that they're in public and everybody could see them. one friend says something as she puts her wrists together, it looks like she's talking about volleyball or something. he wonders what it's like to have friends with different hobbies. he hasn't given it much thought since finding a love for basketball, but he'd still be a loner if not for that. not everyone is as out-going and friendly as tatsuya used to be. the girls sit down at their table again, and he loses interest. he wonders, briefly as the thought is soon interrupted, whether putting all his chips into basketball is the right idea. maybe he should join a cooking class or... run a cooking class ( inspired by present company ).
“kagamin,” he repeats with a grumble as she continues speaking, more to himself than to her. what is it with these people and giving out nicknames like it’s christmas! all these generation of miracles do it, just about. it’s so annoying! kagamin, kagamicchi, bakagami, even! will they ever stop?
but this thought, too, is interrupted before he can make a scene with it. kagami’s got an expressive face, and every emotion sparked by the random question is displayed clear as day. surprise: raised eyebrows, opening mouth as if to speak but with nothing yet to say; incredulousness: squinting eyes, now a frown; contemplative: downturned lips tightened into a line, averting his gaze. does he? why the hell is she even asking? without having given it much thought, he sighs.
“where the hell did that come from?”
“nowhere,” she smiles, then taps her chin with her index finger, “it’s just, dai--- aomine-kun brought it up the other day, and i haven’t gotten it out of my mind.”
“dai-chan brought it up?” kagami deadpans, “no way did that idiot come up with a thing like that.”
“oh, but he did! he’s impulsive, which sometimes comes across as inconsiderate or inattentive, yes, but he thinks about these things a lot.”
“what did he say?” he sits back in his seat, careful not to kick her. kagami folds his arms across his chest.
momoi lowers her drink and hides behind her hand, suddenly acting all embarrassed. “maybe i shouldn’t say!”
“now you have to, saying a thing like that! i won’t tell anyone.”
“he said-- he said!” she’s playing up her embarrassment, right? there’s nothing dai---- aomine could have said that would make her go all... gooey... right? unless-- he didn’t confess to her or anything? no...
“momoi,” he grumbles, “come on.”
“very well!” she sets her drink directly in-front of her on the table, frowning seriously. her hands grip the edge for a moment before lacing together. when she looks up at him, her eyes are cold and calculating -- but gentle. “i trust you, so i’ll tell you. aomine-kun believes that it’s fate that you met.”
here comes the incredulousness again. it distorts his face into a squinting grimace. “he didn’t say that.”
“he did.”
“about me?”
“about you,” her hands release and then fold again.
ah. his cheeks are the first to betray him. in fact, his blush is currently his only reaction, besides downturned lips. does he have any thoughts right now? kagami is short-circuiting. momoi’s eyes are putting him off, so he stares out the window finds nothing easier to look at there. fate, huh? fate. alright. he’s got to say something. or leave. fate. stupid idiot aomine said he thinks it’s fate that they met? what the fuck? what the fuck! alright. alright. alright! alright? alright. alright! that’s a song, right? an american song or something, it’s in english at least. there’s a hook he’s got stuck in his mind now. it’s something else to think about, anyway. alright, now fellas! what’s cooler than being---
“please don’t be upset with aomine-kun,” she says quietly, “or bring it up. he’ll only deny it.”
“no-- no, i--” he sits forward, “i’m not upset. i told you i wasn’t gonna tell anyone so i won’t. he really said that about me? specifically?”
“yes! how you met us at exactly the right point in time, how you happened to join tetsu-kun’s team, the best you could have met first. wouldn’t things be different if you had joined some other team?”
“this is a lot to think about,” he rubs his temple, “you mean aomine thinks like this all the time?”
“well, not all the time,” she reaches into her bag to bring out her pink phone, and replies to a text as she speaks, “but he does talk about you a lot.”
“me? what’s he say?”
“mmm,” she looks around the room searchingly, tentatively standing. no, don’t leave now! what kind of fate is this?! in his desperation at the fleeting moment of opportunity, kagami also stands. as he does, he notices a guy a full head and shoulders taller than most other people around them. speak of the devil! somehow, seeing aomine’s frown dissipate into a smile ( even if that does turn into a smirk ) makes everything worse for once. “oh! what’s he doing here? i guess i’ll see you around, kagamin!”
“huh?!” he feels like he’s being left behind, and stands helplessly as she runs over and greets her friends. sakurai says something, momoi says something, and aomine walks straight passed them. kagami stands straighter, shuts his gaping mouth, and returns to that downturned look of embarrassment.
“oho, what did she say to you?” he’s smirking, but he’d probably just leave if he knew the truth! kagami’s resolved to not say it, of course, but it’s too much to look at him right now! kagami picks up his backpack and pulls it over one shoulder. when aomine repeats his question, it’s with a touch of horror in his voice. “what did she say to you?”
“nothing!” kagami blurts, “nothing. you--- uh, you’re not hanging out with them today?”
“maybe i will,” aomine takes a step away, like sand through fingers, “you’re being weird.”
“uh-- yeah,” his brain is in overdrive right now. “i am? sorry.”
“look, half what she says is bullshit to get a rise outta you. i know it doesn’t look like it, but she likes pushing people’s buttons too.”
“no, no-- i don’t think it was like that.”
“okay,” he turns and starts off in the direction of the others. he must have been able to sense that kagami was off ( no, you fucking dumbass, it’s literally so obvious that you’re uncomfortable and don’t know up from down. cute to think you were being subtle though ? ).
well, that’s no good! if aomine leaves now, kagami doesn’t know how long it will be until he can face him again! better to conquer the fears and awkwardness and butterflies -- however the fuck he’s feeling right now -- and grab the bull by its horns! or, in this case, to catch up and throw his arm around aomine’s shoulders, steering him away.
“no way, you think you can get outta playing a one-on-one with me?” kagami’s trying to be normal, but aomine’s scrutinising glare is a lot to deal with. he gives his best toothy smile, and gets shrugged off but not in the don’t touch me, you weirdo kind of way. hopefully?
“maybe losing will knock some sense into you,” aomine grumbles. “wait, you don’t even have a basketball?”
“uh,” yep, hadn’t thought of that. “i could just buy one-- ?”
“nah, let’s go to the arcade and i’ll whop your ass in there.”
kagami does his best to bury the whole fate concept, which has clearly done little else but freak him out, as they make their way to the arcade. he doesn’t have it in him to talk shit, though, so there’s no reply to that last comment. kagami isn’t sure if he believes in fate, but it’s weird knowing someone else thinks that about him. he’s got butterflies he can’t shake, and he finds himself fighting the urge to reach out and touch him. like that would help anything! instead, he balls up his fists and shoves them into his hoodie pockets. just as he can feel a frown forming, he glances at aomine and notices the familiar red hoodie. kagami’s red hoodie. just as kagami is wearing one of aomine’s. what. that’s--- that’s kind of funny, actually. they could just swap back right now, and that would probably be the normal thing to do, but it looks so good on aomine. kagami’s smiling before he can do anything about it.
“what the fuck are you looking at?” aomine’s alarmed when he spots the change, and instead of sounding insulting or argumentative, his question just sounds surprised.
“nothing, dumbass!” kagami elbows him, giving in just a little. aomine hits him straight back, even as kagami’s continuing. “that’s my hoodie, is all.”
“yeah, so what? you’re wearing mine.”
“you think i don’t know that?”
“you ain’t getting it back, pal,” aomine looks away again, with the excuse of looking around the arcade as they walk inside.
finally, kagami pulls his eyes away. what is it aomine talks about when kagami isn’t around? is it his cooking? his basketball? what does he think of him? usually, kagami doesn’t care-- or at least, he pretends not to. and he cares a little bit about how aomine feels about him... naturally, his eyes settle on the basketball hoops in the corner and he grabs aomine’s arm to drag him over. aomine shrugs him off again.
“what the-- oh kagami,” it’s a groan, but aomine’s smiling. “you just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“loser buys the next game!”
“better get your money ready, bakagami.”
“like hell i will!”
he isn’t thinking about it anymore, but maybe it’s fate that kagami noticed that they’re wearing each other’s hoodies at such a crucial moment. it frees him up, somehow, to enter the present. soon enough, fate is completely out of his head, and he’s playing the hoop shooting game backwards because the two of them can’t help but show off. then they’ll play racing, kagami pays, and a platform game, and then kagami’s talking about the arcade he used to go to as a little kid with tatsuya. then they’re talking about something else. something else. nothing and everything. maybe it’s fate that he wasn’t carrying a basketball today, so that they could have whatever today had turned into.
oh my god i just realised i had a dream last night with aokaga and it was literally them at a gym or maybe kagami’s house or something idk and kagami’s PUMPIN IRON (bicep curls) and aomine comes over like “i bet i can do more reps than you” and kagamis like “youre on” (obviously) so they sit at opposite benches and pick up their weight off the floor and while kagami can pick it up no problem, aomine struggles. he doesn’t do weights, he struggles. but despite his straining voice and inability to do like 5?? reps?? he still says “holy shit--- this is so easy-- could do this in my sleep”
