#my cheeky aokaga drabble is DONE now it's time for bed

[tenacityreturns]

“ i know i’m a monster, but you look at me like i’m a man. ” / aomine

prompted // @peachmuses

kagami can’t catch his breath. sweat drops from every pore on his goddamn body despite the chill in the air, he’s run out of water, he’s not sure he’ll make it past the gate if they try to leave now. he’d thought playing a one-on-one with aomine after a shit day just kept getting worse would cheer him up. playing basketball against impossible opponents usually did -- hanging out with aomine usually did. but he noticed a shift in the way he’s staring at touou’s ace. it’s as if the butterflies in his stomach are reliant on a good mood, and if anything disturbs that setting, they die.

no, not die. they rest. he still stared in awe as, in mid-air, aomine unleashed one of those formless shots against one of his high jumps. it goes straight over his fingertips in a high arc. impossible. it’s hard not to smile sheepishly if aomine ever compliments his moves. compliments his outfit ( then kagami will realise he’s wearing aomine’s gifted shoes and will fight him on it - a welcome distraction from a bad saturday morning ). 

kagami still wants to be around aomine, but he also wishes he was alone to process his thoughts. instead, he’ll have to put them on the shelf and focus on the game. for a while it works. the formless shots, the steals, the dunks, it’s all just what he’d needed to feel better. he’s even smiling during the height of it. but the pressure he’d put on himself earlier with the mood drop results in frustration that he still can’t keep up. he’s taken on more training than ever lately, determined to get faster and stronger to beat him in these one-on-ones, but it’s no good. as kagami trains, aomine trains, and kagami had only won with seirin when aomine hadn’t been training much. had been out of sorts, not fully expecting to have to try. it sucks to lose.

it really sucks to lose.

still. kagami doesn’t know the meaning of discouragement. he’ll just have to pour even more of himself into his favourite sport. maybe go on runs before school if he can get up early enough?

all this time, kagami has been hunched over with his hands on his knees. not the best posture to recover, but he’s so fucking tired that he can’t stand up properly right now. his empty water bottle is discarded on the floor. he’s come to glare at the floor, dwelling on the problems he’d been so eager to shelf earlier.

a blue water bottle pops into view nearby. it’s aomine offering his. kagami doesn’t think anything of it as he takes it and has some.

“thanks,” he nods. after he’s had some, he returns it. no use finishing aomine’s drink - what about him! “i think i’m dying right now,” almost a smile, “good game.”

“yeah, you’re improving.”

is that a jab? his smirk is teamed with a roll of his eyes. kagami doesn’t have the energy reserves to fight right now. “shut the fuck up, i’ll win next time.”

“i don’t get it,”

another jab? he pushes himself to stand, and expects to see a shit-talking rival sneering at him. but he doesn’t. aomine is standing half turned, a few paces away, absently knocking his water bottle lid against his lips. ( the butterflies return - kagami’s mouth had been there moments ago! ) aomine looks thoughtful, kagami feels a lecture coming on and sighs.

“i’ll bite,” he says, “what are you talking about?”

“don’t take it the wrong way,” their eyes meet, “why do you always insist on playing me if you lose so much? how do you not let that get to you?”

“i’ll win next time,” kagami repeats with gritted teeth. “are you rubbing your victory in my face or asking me a serious question right now?”

“what’s the point of doing that?” it’s almost offensive that kagami should ask! but it isn’t clear which answer this is about.

“which one!”

“the first one, idiot! winning is enough, i wouldn’t do that.”

“oh,” he takes a deep, stabilising breath, and sits on the floor. part collapses, part sits, but this gives him more space to think. he’s quiet. aomine tosses his water bottle over and sits, too.

“finish it, i don’t want anymore.”

“ ‘kay,” kagami unscrews the bottle, holding the lid. thinking of aomine. looking at him, watching him stare expectantly, waiting for an answer to his question. oops. right. he drinks first, trying to word it. “why do you think i play you?”

“to improve your skill, i guess,” he shrugs.

“you’ve kind of got a big, fat head, don’t you?” kagami is annoyed again! aomine’s surprise is unexpected. so that’s just what he thinks? kagami meets up so much to practise? “i don’t do it for that.”

silence.

“you like basketball, and you’re strong, big headed about it or not.” kagami blushes, frowning as he looks away. “jeez, you’re embarrassing. it’s fun playing against difficult opponents, right? that’s what it is. and i know i’m gonna be stronger next time, and i’ll win then.”

“why are you sulking about it?!” aomine exclaims, “you’ve said just as much before, in games!”

“so what! if it’s so lame meeting me knowing you’re gonna win, then how come you do it?”

“huh?”

“what do you mean huh!”

“well-- i don’t know! sure not ‘cuz you’re fun to be around, or anything, dumbass!”

that poorly masked compliment went over kagami’s head. he launches to his knees, ready to make his way over and attack the victor, but it tires him out and, groaning, kagami will instead fall backwards onto the cold floor.

“ugh, i’ll fight you when i’m less dead.”

aomine chuckles to himself about something. kagami does his best to even out his breathing. the sky is grey, almost a blanket of white above him. will it snow soon? when will spring come around again? he can’t wait for the warmer weather. he misses the beach. misses the l.a. heat a lot today.

“i guess i play you because... i know i’m a monster, but you look at me like i’m a man.”

that catches kagami off guard. the sincerity is scary, almost. it feels a little too close to his feelings being discovered to be comfortable. moments pass and the only thing he can hear is his own breathing.

“forget it,” aomine says after the wait becomes too long. he won’t. kagami will not forget that under any circumstances. ever.

“oh, i think you’re a monster alright,” he’ll say it lightly, because he’s been called that too, and it’s a sore point. “but i’m never gonna give up on beating you.” that’s not embarrassing to say, it’s true! kagami rolls up again, hunching over against the cold. “you’re not untouchable, you know.”

it looks as though his rival takes that to heart. his smile is contagious. damn, where had that bad mood gone? kagami can’t find it in himself to get worked up about his dad’s stupid phone call anymore. and those butterflies that come and go, maybe it’s not so bad that he can enjoy the other basketball player’s company as a friend might, too. maybe loving someone isn’t just about the romantic side. their eyes meet again, and for a second, nothing needs to be said. the way aomine’s looking at him makes it obvious that he likes hanging out with kagami, despite what he says, and the same goes for the redhead in return. it’s a short-lived moment of transparency before they’re both frowning and looking away.

“you say some embarrassing shit, bakagami,” is said in unison with kagami’s less eloquent grunt. 

maybe he’s right. kagami stands, offering a hand to help aomine up with. he doesn’t think about doing it, but is somehow surprised when aomine accepts. if he’s ever done this before, it hadn’t felt as magnetic as this. their hands part ways quickly, he has to pretend that it hadn’t been a big deal, but he can suddenly think of hundreds other embarrassing things he could say.