Okay three people want to see it, I guess that’s enough. *hides* it’s under the cut. Thanks @yagami-rikuh and @suzumicchi who read it first and assured me it wasn’t too creepy.
Kuroko’s birthday party was in full swing. The tradition had been started a few years ago – a few games of street ball (everyone was included, not just the Generation of Miracles, although the rivalry between them was still the strongest) before everyone trooped back to Kagami’s apartment for dinner and general merriment. Although Kuroko was grateful to have his friends around him, he was feeling the absence of one particular person – his girlfriend Diana, who’d been studying abroad for almost half a year.
In spite of himself, he checked his phone one more time. No new messages, but Diana’s last message from that morning was the first thing that appeared on his screen.
Happy birthday Tetsuya! Know that I’m thinking of you and I miss you so much. I know we had plans to talk tonight after your party, but something came up and I won’t be around. Can we reschedule for later this week? I’m so sorry, but it isn’t something I can get out of. I hope you have fun today – can’t wait to hear all about it. I love you. ~ Diana
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he rejoined the party, dodging Kise for the millionth time that evening and calmly tuning in to an argument between Kagami and Aomine about one of today’s games. He tried to put Diana out of his mind for the time being.
“Oi, Tetsu.” Kuroko was roused out of his thoughts by Aomine, who clapped a hand to his shoulder, causing him to stumble forward. “What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Do you even have to ask? He’s thinking about his Diana-san. He’s always got that look in his eye when it comes to h-ow!” A sharp jab from Kuroko cut Kagami off very quickly, which caused Aomine to burst out laughing.
“That’s enough, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko’s voice was as impassive as ever, but there was a barely detectable edge to his voice.
“I think it’s time, yeah?” Aomine asked and Kagami nodded, pulling out his phone.
“Time for what?” Kuroko asked, getting suspicious quickly.
“Your last present, of course! We thought it might cheer you up-“
“Kagami-kun, if it’s one of those magazines that Aomine-kun likes so much-“
“Just go get your present, it’s in my room. Aomine, shut up!”
Kuroko sighed. Of course he would need to go get his own present. It was only after he opened the door to Kagami’s room that he realized he didn’t ask where it was. There was no obviously wrapped present on Kagami’s bed or on his nightstand, just an oddly familiar suitcase sitting at the end of the bed. Kuroko wondered for a minute if his friends were just messing with him. But before he could turn to go, a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders in the way that only one person’s did. He felt himself stiffen, his heart beating a little faster as he felt the warmth of another person behind him. She wasn’t here, she was in America, she’d texted him this morning. But a pale silver band on the person’s middle finger caught his eye – exactly the same as the one he’d given her before she left.
“Happy birthday, Tetsuya,” his girlfriend whispered and he could hear the smile in her voice. “Surprise.”
“Diana-san?” His voice was much quieter than he had intended as he turned around and met her eyes.
“Hmm?” Her smile was brilliant as her hands moved to clasp around his neck.
“Yeah, I am. Sorry about canceling those Skype plans, I figured I’d be a little bus-“ Diana’s teasing reply was cut off by Kuroko pulling her into his chest and burying his face in her hair. She still smelled exactly the same, of her shampoo and of something he couldn’t place, but that he knew was her. He felt her laugh and nuzzle into his chest as his grip only tightened around her.
“I missed you so much,” he murmured after a minute of silence.
“I missed you too. Everyday,” Diana replied quietly.
“But…how did you get here?” If Kuroko was honest with himself, it didn’t really matter. The fact that she was here was enough. But there was a part of him that had to know who to thank.
Diana looked up at him, smiling slightly. “Ah, well… it’s kind of a long story…”
One week earlier…
“Kagami-kun? You don’t normally call me like this. What’s going on?” Diana asked, shifting her phone to her other hand as she walked across the campus. “Nothing’s wrong, right?”
“No, no, nothing’s wrong, don’t worry!” Diana held the phone slightly away from her ear, wincing slightly. Even across the ocean, Kagami was loud. “We wanted to know your thoughts on something.”
“Yeah, I’m here with the guys. Except Kuroko, before you say anything. We’re planning for his birthday.”
“Oh, hi everyone!” A chorus of hellos answered her with varying degrees of excitement.
“Anyways, we called to ask if, uh, if you could come home for Kuroko’s birthday. He’s been in kind of a slump lately. He tries to put on a brave face, but…we can all tell. He really misses you.”
Diana sighed. “If it was up to me, I’d say yes immediately, you know that, Kagami-kun. I…I really miss him too. But I can’t just jump on a plane from here. I don’t have the money for that.”
There was a muffled conference that Diana couldn’t quite catch, then Kagami came back on. “What if we all pay? If we ask everyone, even his former teammates, we could probably get enough money for a flight for you. Would you come?”
Diana couldn’t help but smile. “Of course I would. I can pay for part of it too, if I need to…”
“Great, it’s settled then! I’ll call you with more details later this week, okay? And don’t you dare tell him!”
“I won’t, who do you think I am?! I can’t wait to surprise him!”
“So everyone pooled their money and got me a flight here. I still kind of can’t believe it, to be honest,” Diana finished, smiling sheepishly at him. “And it was so hard to keep it a secret from you, but I managed it somehow.”
“Thank you,” Kuroko managed to reply. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
“I don’t know if I’m the one you should be thanking, honestly. It was everyone out there who made it happen,” Diana replied. “But I’m really happy to be here too.”
“I’ll go thank them in a minute, but right now, I just… I need you here. Besides, if we go out there, I’ll never get you alone again and I won’t-”
Diana interrupted him with a quick kiss, her lips meeting his for the briefest of seconds. “We don’t have to go yet. I’d say we still have about five more minutes before assumptions are made that aren’t particularly…you know.” She smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Besides, I still have to give you part of your present now…”
“Oh, okay.” Kuroko considered saying he didn’t need another present, but he chose to stay quiet.
“Close your eyes, okay?” He nodded and did so, removing his arms so she could move to get the present. Instead, her hands found his left hand, lifting it up to her face level. He felt the sensation of Diana’s lips meeting his pinky finger, just for a second. “One,” he heard her whisper, feeling the faint rushing of air over his fingers. Then she kissed his ring finger. “Two.” She repeated for every finger on both of his hands, counting up to ten. Then he felt her draw closer, her hands winding around his neck again.
Diana’s lips pressed against the base of his neck for barely a second. “Eleven.” Her voice was measured and even, but Kuroko could feel the heat from her face so close to his, which caused him to smile slightly. A kiss to his ear was twelve, his forehead was thirteen, his closed eyes were fourteen and fifteen. The very tip of his nose was sixteen, his cheeks were seventeen and eighteen and he waited with bated breath as he felt her breath on his lips.
She kissed right below his lips. “Nineteen.” And finally, her forehead pressed against his and his arms wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Happy birthday, Tetsuya.” Their lips were millimeters apart when the door flew open and the lights turned on.
“Alright, what the hell are you two doing in here?!” Both Kuroko and Diana blinked from the sudden light as Aomine stood in the doorway, with the rest of the party crowding around him.
“Aomine-kun…” they both said, self-consciously stepping apart slightly, Kuroko keeping Diana’s hand tightly in his.
“You can’t hide in here all night, you know. That’s what the after party is for, you two.” Aomine raised an eyebrow, not attempting to hide his smirk. “Come out here and enjoy the rest of the party.”
“Sorry,” Kuroko apologized. “But thank you so much everyone. I don’t know what else to say.” His smile was real and grateful and it made everyone else smile just seeing it. Diana squeezed his hand gently, her eyes telling him they’d finish later. The couple followed everyone else out to the main room, only sneaking one last brief kiss before the party resumed in full force.