Title: 90's Cliche Romance

Characters/Pairings: HanaKuro (Hanamiya Makoto and Kuroko Tetsuya), implied AoKaga, OgiMomo, and HyuuRiko

Challenge: 111- Rare Pair Battle

Summary: Kuroko is a normal, first grade teacher until he meets Hanamiya under unexpected circumstances ten years later.

Word Count: 20,000+ Words Total

Hurray, this is the last part. Thanks for reading! HanaKuro is strangely a very loved pairing by me, so it is nice that people want to read it too. I also liked writing a nicer Hanamiya that how I usually write him, because of the different timeline. He really is one of those characters that I feel is a real 50/50 chance of becoming a better person and staying the way he is.

*~...~*

Kuroko's muscles were aching and his bones were stiff; he had hardly any sleep last night because of the ferris wheel ride. He could not tell if it was the mattress or his own frame that creaked in the morning, but pushed through to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth. The Seirin graduate did not know what was worse, the throbbing in his head or the strain in his muscles.

Tetsuya could not understand why he would do that, to Makoto of all people. They were not even friends, and yet in that light and all by themselves, he could not help but want to. And Hanamiya... he kissed him back. It was not too hard to believe since the older man did earlier in the week, but the method he used to secure the transparent teacher, pressing Kuroko even closer to his body... it felt so real. The younger man sighed to himself and mindlessly brushed his teeth. If mind was wandering to a strange territory, pondering perhaps if he was the one that Hanamiya Makoto fell in love with and changed for. Maybe his theory of it being Momoi was wrong, despite the way the bad boy looked and acted around her, and how relieved the former Kirisaki Daiichi student was to know that the quiet man had no interests in the data specialist. He spit into the sink and washed the remnants of toothpaste down the drain.

The cyan-haired man had to cease all these thoughts. He was going to see the other within thirty minutes. Hurriedly, the unnoticeable male dressed, fixed his hair (the most time-consuming part of his routine), and drank some milk to fill himself up. Before he forgot, the shadow of Teiko fixed his canine-friend a meal of dog food and warmed leftovers, and prepared his bag for today.

Hanamiya did not have to even knock for Kuroko to know he would be there at the same time he had always picked up the phantom. Without even sending a glance in the elder's direction, the invisible, sixth man grabbed his hand and closed the door behind them. They rushed to the limousine, both in no mood to talk or even see each other.

"If I ask you something, will you answer it honestly, Makoto-san?" Tetsuya finally asked.

"Yes," Anything to get rid of this terrible atmosphere.

"Why did you react so oddly to seeing Momoi-san? Is she the one you are in love with?" The question startled Makoto, and suddenly his shoulders started to quiver. Laughter.

"Ha! You must be joking... no, I have no feelings for Momoi Satsuki." The transparent man was confused. Then... "I hate that woman because she, she knows who I am in love with, and she knew even before I knew it myself. If you think Akashi can look into the future, your old manager is really something else." So that was why Hanamiya was so defensive according to Yamazaki-sensei's story. "Do you mind going to work and back yourself for the next couple of days. I need to settle some business matters over the next couple days. I will pick you up from work on Friday afternoon and we'll pick up your friends at the airport." Kuroko nodded.

*~...~*

The days without Hanamiya passed by quickly, and it felt somewhat nice to have no distractions from his students. At least, that was what Kuroko told himself every time his hands felt empty and he felt his body tense up from missing the older man's chuckle.

Friday ended with the students pouring out of the classroom and onto buses or into their parents' arms. Tetsuya was excited about leaving the office as well. He was going to be meeting his friends he had not seen in a while (to the point that Murasakibara's huffs for food were missed). The shadow could not wait to see how much they had improved now that they were in the professional league, and growing in name and prestige. The eager, transparent man packed up his things - bringing his paperwork with him - and scurried out the door too, weaving passed a group of teachers that were gathered in the hallway.

As promised, Makoto was there waiting.

"We better hurry, the traffic is terrible today." The Uncrowned King said after opening the door to the vehicle for the Miracle. Kuroko scooted inside the expansive car, and tensed a little when Hanamiya held his hand. There was a spark, faint but it was there. "Oy, did you really forget what it was like to hold my hand after four days? Tetsuya, you can be quite cold." The former Seirin student's ears twitched. His name sounded nice when the bad boy said it with that slight purr in his voice.

"It is only natural. The children have much smaller hands than you do." The calluses felt hard and warm.

The windows were drawn half-way down, filling the black car with new, Spring-sweet grass, yesterday rain, and the steel and glass of the city. It was almost a blur for Tetsuya, to be sitting in the vehicle with Makoto and holding hands once more. Vague, seamless, and flowing minutes passed with ease, the cruise in the steady limousine seemed like another barrier away from the outside world. Perhaps he was tired from the slow nights, where he was plagued with nothing but the recent memories that he made with Hanamiya, hazily ending on that kiss they shared and that no one else would know.

Tetsuya felt the bad boy's hand lower and thumb at his scarred palms.

"Have you been practicing?" Makoto wondered as he glided his fingers over the thickened flesh like Tetsuya had done to him. "Your hand feels harder than last time."

"Ah, I am going to be playing basketball with the others tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I had enough stamina to handle it."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot about that. By the way Tetsuya," The genius leaned over, his eyes fixed on his fake boyfriend. "Would you mind if I bring my former teammates with me on Saturday? I know your friends are only expecting me, but they want to meet you."

"Sure-" The elder suddenly pressed his forehead against Kuroko's.

"You know, it is funny but we've only been fooling people for about ten days and when I was away, it felt weird not dropping you off to school and picking you up." Hanamiya confessed, his eyes were closed so the phantom could not tell what he was really thinking. He just stayed silent; Kuroko felt the same, but ashamed by that. It was no use developing unrequited feelings for someone whose heart was already taken. They were tiny now though, so as long as he played his part to a minimum and convinced people enough for Hanamiya to want to end it, then he could forget.

The driver let them out of the car so he could park the car. The former basketball players waited by the baggage carousel designated for the Los Angeles flight. Seirin's shadow decided to distract himself with the thoughts of his friends arriving at any minute. Tetsuya kept an eye out for his friends, even though it would be hard to miss such tall men with colorful hair. Since they had been away from him, it would be hard for them to spot him.

"Oy Mine-chin, are you sure that you won't be able to convince Kaga-chin's mind?" The tallest man asked with a pout on his face.

"Nah, that idiot is set in his ways. He's going to do whatever he pleases." The tan male yawned and stretched his arms behind his back. "Damn airplane flights, even when flying first class it is uncomfortable. I am surprised that you're able to sleep well Murasakibara," Daiki groaned, sounding far too old to be saying such things.

"Hey! I'm not an idiot. You guys are just too blasé about this." Taiga growled and was tempted to kick his boyfriend on the rear. Tetsuya smiled and waved to the three men that were slowly approaching them. Makoto also waved at the trio (with less enthusiasm), hoping his added movements would attract their attention. The former Teiko players waved back, while the American crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Aomine wanted to smack Kagami in the back of the head, but restrained himself because he had not seen Kuroko in a while.

"Hello everyone," The phantom greeted. "It is nice to see you again,"

"So you brought your ball-and-chain with you Tetsu," The blue-haired athlete said while eying the older, basketball prodigy.

"I hope you don't develop a habit of calling me that. I don't really find that flattering, and we aren't married," The Uncrowned King said with a cocked eyebrow.

"For now," Kagami blushed and protested that Kuroko would never marry a snake like Hanamiya. "You never thought he'd date him either. I told you their fighting was sexual-"

"Please don't fight about this anymore. You already did that on the plane and that flight attendant lady was really mad." Murasakibara whined and ate a potato chip. The former Seirin ace pushed the lavender-haired man out of the way and made himself face-to-face with the bad boy.

"Heh, don't hurt yourself. You'll strain your eyes with that kind of stare."

"I want a match against you, one-on-one." The red-and-black colored player demanded. Atsushi groaned that he would not be able to taste his Japanese-exclusive snacks until much later that night. To the former point guard and invisible man, the prospect sounded ridiculous. The Japanese-American was a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. There would be no way that the elder would be a suitable opponent for the pro, and if the Seirin light wanted to prove that the other was still a cheater and an untrustworthy person, why would he risk his body? "Kuroko is my friend and I need to test you myself."

"Kagami-kun..." Kuroko sighed. He was about to deny his friend, but Hanamiya chimed in.

"Fine, I accept. Just don't expect me to play at my best in a suit, this is pretty expensive." The Uncrowned King smirked. "Tetsuya, we'll play at the court by your apartment. That way you guys don't have to travel far when we're done." Kagami shivered. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"No, you saying Kuroko's name is so disturbing."

*~...~*

The sun was almost down when everyone was taken to the basketball court. The cheap, city lights were flickering, and the public court had a few cracks in it. The genius lightly stretched his limbs, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his long-sleeve shirt. Kagami only threw off his sweatshirt, and pulled out two towels - even if he was still suspicious of Hanamiya, Kagami was not impolite enough to not offer the other a towel - and a basketball for their match. Being a gentleman, Seirin's former power forward tossed the orange ball to his opponent, letting the bad boy have the first opportunity to score.

"Just five points Ba-Kagami! We're hungry!" Taiga's boyfriend and rival reminded him before plopping down onto the empty bench nearby. Kuroko sat between Aomine and Murasakibara on the bench, a little worried about what the outcome of this game would be. What does Kagami want to happen?

"Forget about your stomach for a couple of minutes! Sheesh, I swear you only asked me out because I can cook." Seirin's ace groaned before returning his attention back to the point guard. Hanamiya dribbled the ball, his eyes trying to calculate an attack plan. Kuroko's partner in High School was almost an entirely different player now that he made the sport his entire career. Taiga's defense was practically flawless.

"Neh Kuro-chin, why do you like Hanamiya? You used to dislike him a lot." The Center player wondered as he ate the last of his chips. The transparent ghost felt his stomach churn at the fact that he could think of several things to answer his Middle School friend's question. Thankfully years of practice had helped train him for moments of turmoil like this.

"You know, Makoto-san has a lot of good qualities that I never saw before when I was younger because of Seirin and Kirisaki Daiichi's feud. He has a good sense of humor that is surprisingly similar to mine, gets along with Nigou even though they didn't at first, hard-working, and... and he understands my needs really well and is respectful of them." Kuroko listed off, a little saddened by the thought of their date in the park. Even though the phantom was the one that stepped over their boundaries, he had kissed Hanamiya in a place where there could possibly no benefit for either of them, and had abruptly shoved away and ignored the older male as if the incident was the former Kirisaki Daiichi player's fault, Hanamiya was still kind enough to give the Miracle some space to breathe. "It must sound silly to you guys. Those things must sound trivial." They were superficial and stupid things to value so deeply.

"Eh, not really, Taiga would have probably thought of less things than that and I wouldn't say anything."Aomine yawned. He rubbed his eyes to stay awake. "You stick around because you like someone, and eventually you learn to like them even on bad days. Not really much after that,"

It was the last point. Kagami had taken the first four with ease, but it did not appear as if the genius had given up. His observant eyes now had some information based on the younger player's movements so far, and it was becoming easier to predict Kagami. He just had to wait for the right moment... when the power forward favored his right leg. The other's ability to react when he put his weight on that foot was just slightly slower, but it might be enough error to allow Hanamiya to break through and score. The Uncrowned King made sure to keep on his toes and to dribble the ball defensively so the younger man could not swipe it out of his hands. Just a little longer... there! Makoto whizzed by the man that was almost a Miracle, and just as Taiga turned around to block his advancement, the bad boy jumped back and took a shot. It was a perfect tear drop just as he did with ease when they were young. It went in. Hanamiya only let out a little sigh and walked towards Kagami's bag for a towel after that.

"Sorry that took so long Tetsuya," The forgotten prodigy said as he dried himself. "I'll give this back to you tomorrow after I wash it. I should be letting you guys catch up." Taiga stared at Makoto, his eyes softer than at the airport.

"Don't think I won't keep an eye on you,"

"Che, like I care about your eyes." The genius voiced with disgust. The former Kirisakii Daiichi student draped the towel over his shoulders and strolled quietly to the shadow. "I'll see you tomorrow. My friends and I might not be able to stay long, we also had plans for all of us to hang out at a bar later."

"That's fine," Tetsuya tried to keep his answers short. "Good night Makoto-san,"

"Good night," The bad boy whispered and lightly kissed the passing specialist on the forehead. As soon as the Uncrowned King was out of sight, Kagami and Murasakibara started walking towards Kuroko's apartment. Aomine let out a low whistle only the phantom paid attention to.

"Damn Tetsu, Hanamiya's still in the dog house after he agreed to Kagami's match? He must have been a dick earlier." The dark-skinned male said just above a whisper.

"I have no idea what you're talking-"

"Ah come on man, I know you. We used to be light and shadow, I know it is hard for other people to tell when you're genuinely happy versus your mask but you can't fool me. And if he's good at reading you too, then Hanamiya knows- OW! My ribs Tetsu!" Aomine shouted after the jab in the stomach grazed his bottom ribs.

*~...~*

With the others around, it was the first night of rest that Tetsuya had gotten in a while. He yawned and ran his hands through his - undoubtedly - messy hair. Nigou quietly pranced toward his master, making sure to avoid stepping on Taiga as he did so. The shadow softly ruffled through the thick fur, gently flattening down the puffy strays.

It felt good to bask in the mid-morning sun that shined through the window after a great night's rest. The sky-blue man closed his eyes and leaned his head so it rested on his right shoulder. The warmth and radiance of the sun felt amazing on his porcelain skin. A light breeze from the outside snuck through the cracked-open window; it was perfumed with shy, budding flowers, fresh concrete from the new construction work nearby, and of vendors selling food. This was the nice part of living such a simple life. You were surrounded by people and were never truly alone, even if they did not know who you were. Kuroko glanced at the clock. They should start eating and getting ready if they wanted to be there on time. Carefully the slender man removed the throw-blanket from his body and draped it over Murasakibara's exposed feet. Since Kagami was the better cook, the shadow decided that he should at least prepare the kitchen for his friend. Seirin's former small forward tip-toed around his sleeping, hulking guest, and without a sound, made his way into the kitchen. Nigou followed his invisible master, making sure his steps were as light as the phantom's exit from the living room. They quietly shuffled through the drawers and the fridge getting out the necessary ingredients and tools needed to make an American-style breakfast for his former teammates. It was nice to have a distraction from the hectic days that he had with the former Kirisaki Daiichi student.

"Kuro-chin, I don't really want hard-boiled eggs for breakfast." The giant drawled out childishly, knowing that was pretty much the only thing the transparent teacher could make. He ate his White Rabbit candy to get rid of the taste of morning breath in his mouth.

"Oh, I am not making breakfast Murasakibara-kun. Kagami-kun is going to make breakfast, I am just getting everything ready for him."

"Do you need any help?" Atsushi asked once the sugary treat dissolved in his mouth.

"If you would not mind helping me wash and chop vegetables, I would be grateful if you would." Tetsuya smiled. The giant nodded and lightly pushed Daiki away from him, sending the blue-haired Miracle towards Taiga. "You know that they will not like that when they wake up. They don't like to show affection in public or around others."

"Eh," Murasakibara shrugged. "Kaga-chin deserves it. He's dumb." The simple insult made Kuroko chuckle.

"Why would you say that Murasakibara-kun?"

"He still suspects Hana-chin after the match." The enormous player said while he rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think it is dumb of Kagami-kun to be mad at Makoto-san?"

"Because he's too dumb to see Hana-chin is in love with you." The answer startled the transparent man. Hanamiya's acting must have fooled them. "And you love him too. So he's either being really mean or dumb to be acting this way towards Kuro-chin's happiness." Yosen's former ace said so casually while washing spinach. "Even Mine-chin thinks that way, so Kaga-chin is being unusually dumb." Even though the purple-haired man was insulting his best friend, the light-blue colored player could not help but beam a brilliant smile. Though he was not in an actual relationship with the bad boy, the thought that his friends were so supportive of his feelings and cared for him so greatly to look passed their former prejudices - to the point of standing up against someone who opposed his happiness - made Tetsuya feel content. "Do I have to break the stems off these spinach leafs?" When the sixth man nodded, the tallest Miracle groaned and almost huffed in annoyance.

"Don't worry, I can help you with that. Then you chop up the spinach while I wash and dry the mushrooms." The shadow suggested. Kagami soon walked into the kitchen, lightly scratching his head. "Good morning Kagami-kun, Murasakibara-kun and I are still getting the vegetables ready for you. Why don't you brush your teeth or shower while you wait?"

"Ah, it is fine. I'm going to cut the sausages then." Seirin's former light sighed and inched his way around the shadow and giant. They worked away in silence; Kagami snuck a couple glances at his former partner, but said nothing every time Kuroko asked him what was wrong. It was not until the ingredients were ready and organized did the power forward say anything to the trump card. "What makes you think he's different now? After everything he did to Kiyoshi-sempai and the rest of the team, I still can't imagine why you would care for that asshole. You were the one that hated him more than any of us too." At least the red-and-black haired male was trying to understand everything.

Despite how many times Kuroko had given this reason, he never felt so sure as he did now.

"Would you believe me if I gave you the answer?" The former Seirin ace nodded. "He says that he has changed because of love, and I believe him." Kagami sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"... I still don't like him."

*~...~*

Everyone grouped into five teams of five. Surprisingly on the Blue team, Kuroko and Hanamiya were paired together with Kise, Himuro, and Sakurai. They played on the first court against Akashi's team with Kiyoshi, Hyuuga, Yamazaki, and Imayoshi, while Midorima, Kagami, Nebuya, Furihata, and Furuhashi were going against Aomine, Hayama, Kasamatsu, Mayuzumi, and Seto. Despite the men no longer being in high school, their stares were intense.

"Nah Junpei-kun, stop staring down Hanamiya. Honestly... you and my father are exactly the same." Seirin's former Coach groaned and wiped her forehead of sweat. Satsuki laughed.

"Men can be such predictable creatures," The pink-haired woman laughed and Riko agreed with a disappointed nod. "Good luck everyone," She greeted, her eyes directed towards Ogiwara. Aomine rolled his eyes at his childhood friend's attempt at flirting and gave her the middle finger. "Oy Dai-chan! I'm going to tell your mother you raised that finger at me!"

"Oy Satsuki, don't do that! That is so uncool! Taiga does that all the time!" The blue-haired professional whined. Momoi only stuck her tongue out at her friend and abruptly turned her attention to Kuroko and Hanamiya. She waved cheerfully at the two. The bad boy's face twisted at the sight.

"Come on, let's get to our side of the court. I don't want to have to look at her smug face." Makoto grumbled and grabbed the phantom's hand. Tetsuya could tell that the older man was angry, and was impressed that his grip was gentle. They were so accustomed to holding hands that their palms glided perfectly to position that was comfortable for both of their calluses. "I have a feeling that you won't be able to use your quasi-emperor eye against Akashi now?"

"No, while I used to be teammates with Kise-kun, I still do not feel comfortable enough in my knowledge towards yours, Himuro-san's, and Sakurai-kun's styles. The information I have on your plays are especially old."

"Ah, it is fine. After all, it is just about entertainment..." Makoto stopped once he saw that Akashi and Imayoshi were on the same team and were chatting with each other. "Good lord, the thought of those two bonding makes my stomach queasy." Ah, Tetsuya had to admit, Shoichi did seem like a darker person than he let on at times. It did not help that the former Touou Captain had that painted smile that was like a creepy mask rather than a natural expression...

*~...~*

"Oh Kurokocchi, are you okay?" Kise wondered. Kuroko pursed his lips together, unsure how to answer. He felt a bit dizzy, but it was only the third quarter.

"Ah, I think the heat and humidity are getting to him." Hanamiya said while wiping his sweat with his own shirt. "Oy Akashi, do you mind if Tetsuya sits out?" The sixth man wanted to protest, but he could not argue that he was bothered by the intense sun.

"Yes, it is fine. Do you want to sit out with him as well? We can have one of our teammates play for your team until you two are rested." The red-head asked. The bad boy nodded and secured an arm around Tetsuya's shoulders to make sure the other did not unexpectedly fall. As soon as Imayoshi dashed over to the other side of the court, both passing-and-stealing specialists quietly walked towards the tree just outside of the fence. "Here, drink some water." Makoto said and kissed the younger man on the forehead. Kuroko did not react and only rested his head against the tree bark. He closed his eyes and took a gulp of water. "Do you want to come with us to the bar later? Losing might not seem so bad if we have a drink."

"We are only behind by two points," But both of them knew that Akashi might be setting up something later. "And no thanks, I will stay with my friends."

"I see..." The point guard leaned back against the tree. "Did you ever find out who I'm in love with?"

"You said that you only said that to toy with me."

"Che, so you haven't figured it out. Ha! Guess I was good at concealing it." Hanamiya smirked at the little victory. "You know, despite not having a bad brain and for being rather observant, you can have your stupid moments." The statement was random. There was nothing new that Kuroko could gather about Hanamiya's loved one. "Did you ever wonder why I chose you out of anyone I knew? Even if I needed that person to be a Seirin player, I could have asked Kiyoshi to help me with this scheme, but I thought of you first. Don't you think that is strange? Also, have you ever thought about why I hated Momoi so much?" Kuroko nodded.

"Yes, but that still doesn't tell me anything." The genius sighed.

"How about this then?" And instead of more words, the former Kirisaki Daiichi Captain suddenly swooped in and pressed his lips firmly against the cyan Miracle. The elder male's hands were almost desperately dug into the phantom's shoulders, his eyes closed in bliss as the euphoria washed over him. Tetsuya tried to resist the numbing shockwaves of pleasure tumbling and crashing through his frame and ignore how wonderfully Makoto's lips felt against his own. But his walls were broken so easily when the Uncrowned King's tongue snaked inside and tantalized his own. Seirin's shadow shivered and bowed in delight; he mewed and his hands shakily reached up and gripped hard at the collar of the bad boy's shirt. Hanamiya moaned at the feeling off the other reciprocating. His body rolled closer, their chests pressed together and their hearts thumping and vibrating heavily. Instinctively, Kuroko's legs spread slightly to make room for the elder, but as soon as he thought of surging his hips upwards toward the bad boy, the transparent man lightly pushed the other away and averted his gaze. "... You know, when you kissed me on the Ferris Wheel, with just the two of us alone in the sunset, I mistakenly thought that you liked me too. But you looked at me with such disgust afterwards and you couldn't look at me, like you're doing now." Tetsuya could feel his throat clamp up. He was the catalyst to Makoto's transformation? "Now you know why I never told you."

"If you liked me back then, why did you act so aggressively towards me?"

"Do you think I really liked the idea of having feelings for someone like you? Trust me, I have been trying to forget about you since you became my obsession." Hanamiya confessed. "But that damn woman got in the way. When she told me that she found out about my feelings, she offered me a deal. If I was not able to confess to you before I turn thirty and learn to suppress my sadism in healthy ways, she was going to marry you. The thought that... I might have a chance made me hold onto you even when I couldn't see you. It is so pathetic..." The former Kirisaki Daiichi chuckled, but it sounded like he might cry (but he never would do that with so many of the others nearby). "I didn't think this fake-dating was so bad. Would you mind thinking about it?"

"Thinking about dating you?"

"Yes,"

"I can't," Hanamiya swallowed his sadness.

"Oh, fair enough-"

"I don't have to think about it." Ouch. "I know what I want." And the younger man pulled Makoto into another passionate kiss.

"Oy! If you have enough energy to make-out, I think you're ready to play!" Imayoshi teased, but Hanamiya only flipped his middle finger in the air, not even bothering to break free from Kuroko as he did so.

THE END