Author's Notes: First of all: holy crap 1000+ alerts? (falls into dead faint) I-I'm honestly speechless right now. I never thought my story would reach this level of hype and I have each and every one of you to thank for that. But this means more pressure for me to deliver well aaaaaah (hides in corner).

Secondly: (gasp) Can this really be an update? Yeah, I know I have a lot of explaining to do. I really have no exucse other than the fact that school has been so time-consuming that I honestly had no free time to myself, much less time to write. That, and major writer's block and laziness on my behalf. Still, thank you all for your support so far! Also, it might take me some time to reply to all your reviews, so if I don't get to it, please know that I still greatly appreciate your feedback!

Disclaimer: All the awesome characters of Kuroko no Basket belong to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. I do not own or claim to own anything.

Chapter 10: Fall Album VII - Bonding Times

After the sudden encounter with Haizaki, Aomine had the distinct impression that Kuroko was ignoring him. It wasn't obvious at first, but small signs, like Kuroko taking care not to interact with him outside of professional settings or meeting his eyes only when it was absolutely necessary, were enough to alert the rest of the group about their falling out.

"Aomine-kun." Said model froze in mid-step when he heard Riko call his name out in a saccharine tone of voice. "May I have a word with you?"

Uh oh. Trouble. Anybody who knew Riko well enough knew that they should run for cover whenever she brought out this particular tone of voice since it was a foreboding of hell just waiting to be released. Aomine hoped that externally he was doing a much better job of hiding the unease that he currently felt. The misleadingly sweet smile that Riko shot in his direction did little to assuage his fears.

"Uhh does this have to be now?" Aomine tried to think of a way to delay his inevitable fate. "I kinda have a..."

"I said, Aomine-kun, may I have a word with you?" Riko's smile turned ten times sweeter.

"Y-Yes?" No, his voice did not just tremble dammit.

"Excellent! Step into my office please." Aomine sighed and resigned himself. No use putting off the inevitable. He tried to ignore the pitying 'it-was-nice-knowing-you' look that Kise shot him as the ominous click of the door closing both literally and metaphorically sealed his fate.

As soon as Riko, Aomine, and Hyuuga—who was already in the office—were alone, Riko immediately dropped the sweet smile. "Okay, Aomine-kun, I'll be blunt: what happened between you and Kuroko-kun?"

Aomine averted his gaze. "S'nothing much."

"Aomine-kun~" Riko said in a sing-song tone of voice. "You of all people should know that I don't like repeating myself~" Her misleadingly bright smile was back and the effect was infinitely more frightening than when she had asked him outright. Hyuuga shot him a look that clearly said, 'please answer her for the sake of your own safety.'

"We..." Aomine shoved his hands into his pockets. "Had a bit of a falling out recently."

"Anybody with half a brain could see that," Riko snorted. "But what I don't see is why you couldn't have at least had the sense to keep your personal and professional affairs separate. If you haven't noticed, the rift between you and Kuroko-kun has proved to be detrimental to the work environment! Work productivity has dropped lately because everyone else has been influenced by your negativity!"

"Sorry..." Aomine grumbled.

"I'm not asking for an apology, Aomine-kun, I'm asking for a reason why you would let this get so out of hand, especially since our last photoshoot for the Fall Album is coming up soon. In fact, it's tomorrow in case you've forgotten! This is an important period of time and I do not need anything that can distract or lower the overall work morale of the group, understand?"

"So explain." Riko steepled her fingers together. "And you better have a good reason."

"We ran into Haizaki, okay?" Aomine finally snapped.

His answer was met with a suffocating silence. A dark mood immediately settled over the office.

"Haizaki?" Hyuuga was the first to break the silence. "As in Haizaki Shougo? That bastard is still around?"

Outwardly, Riko appeared to be unperturbed, but anyone who looked closely could see that she was gripping her paperwork so tightly that the whites of her knuckles were showing.

"Yeah," Aomine grumbled. "He was flaunting his smug-ass face around. Brought up some bad memories." He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, deciding to omit the part where he snapped when Haizaki had threatened to hurt Kuroko.

Riko and Hyuuga exchanged a look. "You didn't let the situation get out of hand though, did you?"

"...Tetsu stopped me before it did." Aomine confessed reluctantly.

"Good," Riko let out the small breath she was unconsciously holding. "Thank goodness that Kuroko-kun was there then. We don't need another repeat of..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Anyways, I don't care what happened. You need to make up with Kuroko-kun. ASAP."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Riko shot him a pointed look.

"Fine. I'll try. Is this all you need me for?"

"Yes, you're dismissed." Riko said, making a shooing gesture. She waited a few minutes until after Aomine had left her office before she slumped tiredly on her chair. "Of all the people they could have run into..."

"It was definitely unfortunate. But, are you alright?" Hyuuga asked worriedly. "I know that that incident..."

"We can't change what has already happened, alright?" Riko snapped before she could stop herself. As soon as she realized what she had done, guilt overtook over her features. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Hyuuga. Haizaki just gets me so riled up, especially when I think about what he tried to do. And to think we trusted him too!"

"Don't worry, I understand. Believe me when I say that Aomine-kun isn't the only one who wants to teach that bastard another lesson." Hyuuga said, looking murderous for a moment.

Riko let out a tired sigh. "I just really hope that this doesn't mean anything in the long run..."

An uneasy silence settled over the van as it traveled up the isolated mountain path. Aomine pulled off his headphones and glanced around the spacious interior, hoping to break the suffocating silence that had settled upon them for the past two hours.

Upon seeing tense, tight-lipped expressions on the rest of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine sighed and retreated back to his music. It was obvious that no one was in the mood for conversation. He was aware of the fact that his recent disagreement with Tetsu had affected the moods of the others in turn, but he had no idea that it was this bad. Riko was right—he had to fix this thing with Tetsu, and fast.

"We're here, everyone!" Against the previous silence, Riko's cheerful voice seemed all the more jarring. "Look, you can see the location of your photoshoot."

"And where exactly is here?" Akashi drawled as the van sloped to a gentle stop. He followed everyone else as they filed out of the van, eager to stretch out their cramped muscles.

Hyuuga had on a contented smile. "Why don't you take a look yourself?"

Their van had stopped at a rest stop near the top of the mountain so they had an unobstructed view of the breathtaking scenery below them.

Tall majestic trees with leaves sporting shades of deep crimson red, vibrant sunset orange, burnished golden yellow, and even fresh green hues of the palest yellow-green or the deep earthy tones of a forest-green, stretched across the valley as far as the eye could see. A crystal-clear lake, reflecting the image of the cloud-dotted sky in its glassy surface, could be seen tucked away in an area of dense foliage. In another area, a lush waterfall churned and bubbled foamy white waters that gurgled happily into a thin ribbon of winding river. The gentlest of breezes wafted through the trees, playfully rustling the leaves in the wake of the crisp autumn air.

The sight of nature's beauty at its fineness was enough to break through the stony facades of the Generation of Miracles as they each expressed varying degrees of awe.

"Wow..." Kise breathed out. "This is just...amazing."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aomine was startled to hear Kuroko suddenly speak up next to him. "I have only been here one other time to take pictures for one of my albums, but once I saw it, I knew that this place would be the perfect location to end the Fall Album with."

"I can see why," Midorima said. "This place truly embodies the spirit of autumn."

"Great place, right?" Riko said. "I reacted the same way when Kuroko-kun first showed it to me. Now, for scheduling details." She clapped her hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Our photoshoot isn't until tomorrow, so we'll be staying at the lodging here tonight. Be sure to get a good night's rest because we're starting bright and early tomorrow. Other than that, the rest of the day is for you to do as you please. I suggest taking advantage of the attached hot springs." She added with a wink.

"A hot springs?" Kise exclaimed excitedly.

"Would there be food as well?" Murasakibara asked.

"Trust that to be the first thing you ask," Riko said wryly. "Don't worry, there is a full cuisine prepared just for us."

"Well then, would that be all for now?" Akashi said.

"Yes. Go enjoy yourselves!" Riko said.

Akashi shot her a look. "If you haven't noticed yet, we are here for work, not to play around."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that you can't take a little bit of time to relax in the hot springs, does it?" Riko said in an exasperated sort of tone.

"I suppose. I merely caution us not to forget what our true objective is." And with that last remark, Akashi strolled past the front doors and into their lodging place.

The rest of the Generation of Miracles quietly followed their leader into the lodging house. Aomine lingered near the back when he caught sight of Kuroko walking in front of him. He opened his mouth to call out to him, only to chicken out last moment. A disappointed 'tch' escaped from him when he realized that he had missed his chance. He would have to try again later.

It was late afternoon by the time everyone had unpacked and most have already followed Riko's suggestion to take a soak in the hot springs. Only Aomine and Kuroko remained in the now silent lounge room. Aomine chanced a look to see that Kuroko was still in the room, scribbling in what appeared to be a journal.

It was now or never. Aomine took a deep breath before calling out. "Tetsu..."

"What is it, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko replied without looking up.

"Do you want to..." A gulp, then he forced the rest of his words out. "Do you want to go to the hot springs with me?"

A pause. Then, "Sure. Let me get my things first."

"Yeah, take your time." Aomine inwardly cringed at how awkward his words sounded. Get a grip, Daiki! He mentally chastised. It's just Tetsu.

"I'm ready, Aomine-kun."

"Huh? Okay, cool. Let's go then."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them as they walked the short distance it took for them to reach the hot springs.

"Tetsu, I..." Aomine started haltingly. "I owe you an apology."

Kuroko cocked his head. "There's nothing to apologize for, Aomine-kun."

By now, the two of them had reached the hot springs area. Silence once again permeated the air as they methodically stripped down and washed their bodies before entering the hot springs. After washing, the two of them walked out and slowly submerged themselves into the open water. The warm waters immediately soothed the aches that Aomine wasn't even aware he had and he took a moment to sigh quietly in contentment.

Aomine became vaguely aware of the presence of the rest of the Generation of Miracles lingering around in the expanse of the hot springs, but he didn't let that deter him in the slightest. If anything, it made him all the more determined to get the rest of his words out.

"No, Tetsu," Aomine started again. This time, probably due to the shift in Aomine's tone of voice, Kuroko looked over. "I do need to apologize. I'm sorry for how I acted when we ran into Haizaki last time."

Aomine heard sharp intakes of breath from the rest of the Generation of Miracles when he dropped that name. Clearly, they weren't privy to the exact details of what had occurred between Kuroko and himself.

"It's alright, Aomine-kun. I realized later that meeting Haizaki again must have triggered some bad memories for you."

"It still doesn't excuse the fact that I acted like a total jerk. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you." Aomine sighed. "It's just that the thought of Haizaki just gets me so angry that I can barely think straight."

Kuroko was quiet for a moment. "Would you mind telling me what happened between the two of you in the past?"

Aomine clenched his fists. "...I can't, Tetsu. I..."

"No, I understand. I won't push you until you're ready."

"Thank you." A pause. Then a hesitant, "So are we cool now?"

"Yes, Aomine-kun." Kuroko looked amused. "Though there wasn't anything to make up for in the first place. I was just giving you some space to yourself."

"So that's what you were doing?" Aomine exclaimed. "Man, and I thought that I had pissed you off or something."

"You didn't anger me, no," Kuroko seemed to contemplate over his words. "Though it did upset me to some extent when you were so quick to demean the modeling world. You see, there was a point in time when I myself had wanted to be a model."

"You wanted to model?" Aomine looked incredulous.

"Yes, when I was a bit younger. Of course, I found out soon enough that I was not suited for modeling." Were Aomine's ears deceiving him or did Kuroko sound slightly...bitter?

"That's when I tried photography and found that it was where I could best make use of my skills." Kuroko continued as a faraway look entered his eyes. "Still, there are certain times when I wonder how it could have been. So, I ask that you remember how fortunate you are to have the opportunity to model and do something you enjoy, Aomine-kun. There are many people who wish that they could be in your shoes."

Aomine was stunned into silence by Kuroko's words. "Tetsu..."

"I think I'll go dry myself off now. Excuse me." Aomine didn't say anything as Kuroko passed him. He leaned his head back against the hard rocks and let a long sigh escape from him.

"I didn't know that Kurokocchi wanted to be a model." Kise's soft voice broke through the silence.

Aomine craned his head and found the rest of the Generation of Miracles' eyes on him. "So you heard, huh?"

"Yep." Murasakibara spoke up.

"Hard not to." Midorima said.

"I must admit, I find myself surprised by what Tetsuya had just confessed." Akashi said.

"So there are people who wish that they could model, but can't huh?" Aomine said. "Man, doesn't this make us feel like jerks? I mean, all those times we wrote off modeling like it was nothing."

"It's their fault for not having the talent to make it far," Akashi sniffed.

"Still..." Kise started slowly. "Kurokocchi's right. We shouldn't just take modeling for granted."

"It's true that we probably wouldn't have gotten as far as we did just on talent alone." Midorima allowed. "We should count our lucky stars."

"Alright, you've all made your point clear," Akashi said. "Now do you plan on staying in here all night long? I, for one, feel that I have spent far too long here already."

The Generation of Miracles followed their leader as he got up from the hot springs. They toweled themselves off in the locker room and donned the yukata that was provided to them before retreating back into the lounge room. There, they saw Riko, Hyuuga, and Kuroko situated around the sitting table.

"I see that you guys are finally back. Did all of you enjoy yourselves at the hot springs?" Hyuuga asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah! I feel so refreshed!" Kise exclaimed. "And my skin feels so nice and smooth now, like a baby's bottom! Someone feel it!" As usual, everyone ignored his request.

"Well, now that everyone is nice and relaxed," Riko said cheerfully. "Why don't we have a little fun before it gets too late? You know, play a game or two?" Everyone was suddenly understandably wary, especially when that particular gleam entered Riko's eye.

"Do we really have time to be engaging in such frivolities?" Akashi said.

"Don't be a spoilsport now, Akashi-kun!" Riko chided. "A little game never hurt anyone."

"Famous last words," Midorima muttered darkly.

"Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun, I promise!" With Riko's continued coaxing and much reluctance on their part, the Generation of Miracles finally conceded and sat themselves down around the low table.

"What game do you have in mind for us, Riko-chin?" Murasakibara asked.

"Fufufu...I'm so glad you asked, Murasakibara-kun." A shit-eating grin split across Riko's face, making everyone immediately regret their decision. "Have you all heard of 'Never have I ever?'"

A cacophony of groans and scoffs followed her statement. "Are you serious?" Aomine muttered.

Riko didn't let their reaction deter her in the slightest. "Well, for you gentlemen who don't know this game that well..."

"Who doesn't?" Midorima scoffed.

"Here's how it is played," Riko continued as if she were not interrupted. "We go around in a circle with each person saying a statement that starts with 'never have I ever'. If anyone else has done what the person says they have not, they have to take a penalty."

"So what's the penalty?" Aomine asked in an almost bored tone of voice.

Riko's smile turned a fraction more manic. "This." She slammed a stack of small cups down with one hand. "And this." Her other hand set down a large bottle of sake.

"No way." Aomine said.

"No way." Kise echoed, but the beginnings of a wide smile was making its way up his face.

"Really Riko?" Akashi cocked an eyebrow. "And here I thought you wanted us to be able to function for tomorrow's photoshoot."

"It's just a little bit of harmless fun, Akashi-kun," Riko said. "Unless...could it be that you're afraid that you can't hold your sake?"

"What Riko means to say is," Hyuuga quickly interrupted an incensed Akashi. "It's not often that we have free time to spend together like this. Besides, it's very very light sake. I made sure of it."

"Fine. Let's play then." Akashi stated. "I'll go first. Never have I ever lost before." Everyone exchanged a glance, before wordlessly drinking a cup. There were just some things that are better left unsaid, especially when you were dealing with a certain Akashi Seijurou.

Midorima cleared his throat before stating, "Never have I ever crossdressed before." To everyone's surprise, Kise, Hyuuga, and Kuroko all drank a cup.

"Oh, this is rich!" Riko laughed. "What's the story behind this?"

Kise pouted. "When I was younger my sister liked to dress me up in her old clothes and stuff. 'Ryouta-chan!' she would say. 'You make such a cute girl! You look just like a doll!'" He shuddered visibly at the memory of his traumatizing experiences. "My manly pride!" He wailed dramatically. "Gone!"

"Can't say I'm surprised," Midorima sniped. "It's not as if you had a lot of it to spare in the first place."

"Ouch! That hurt, Midorimacchi!"

"And what's your story, Junpei?" Akashi asked, an interested gleam in his eyes.

"...I lost a bet." Hyuuga muttered darkly.

"And to me, no less!" Riko chuckled. "Who knew that you could make such a cute girl, Junpei-chan~"

"Shut up!" Hyuuga snapped, red-faced.

"And now for you, Kuroko-kun." Riko turned to address the photographer. "Spill."

Instead of answering, Kuroko chose instead to give Aomine a pointed look.

"What?" Aomine grumbled. Kuroko continued his impassive staring. "Okay, fine, fine." Aomine muttered before tossing the tiny cup of sake into his mouth with a single gulp. "Happy?"

Everyone looked flabbergasted at this sudden twist. "Both of you. Spill. Now." Riko all but demanded.

"It was when we were still in middle school," Aomine said. "We were dared into give each other makeovers. It wasn't a big deal or anything."

"No, Aomine-kun, it was you who dared me into letting you give me a makeover," Kuroko corrected. "Naturally I had to reciprocate."

Aomine scowled. "But did you really have to dye my hair blond?"

Kuroko cocked his head thoughtfully. "You looked surprisingly good with blond hair. Remind me to try it out on you again sometime."

"Hell no!"

By now, everyone was either holding back snickers or, like Riko and Hyuuga, had succumbed to their laughter. "Alright, alright, let's move on," Hyuuga finally managed to get out between laughs. "Murasakibara-kun?"

Murasakibara looked thoughtful for a moment. "Never have I ever kissed another person before."

"Do indirect kisses count?" Kise asked.

Murasakibara shrugged. "Sure, why not?" This time, everyone but Midorima drank a cup.

Riko looked surprised. "Akashi-kun?" In response, the redhead shot a pointed look at Kise who immediately looked away, a large blush covering his face.

"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident! I swear that I didn't know that that drink was yours, Akashicchi!" Kise stammered out.

"In any case," Akashi tried to divert the attention from himself. "What about you Riko? And Junpei? Is there something that you aren't telling us?"

Hyuuga coughed and suddenly seemed to find the corner of the room very interesting while a blushing Riko shot back. "T-That's none of your business, Akashi-kun! Why aren't you asking about Aomine-kun and Kuroko-kun instead?"

Aomine looked unperturbed at all the stares that were suddenly aimed in his and Kuroko's direction. "What? We did a lot of stupid things when we were in middle school." He gave a slight smirk. "But in my defense, it was Tetsu who initiated."

Kuroko actually looked a little offended. "I did no such thing, Aomine-kun."

"Sure you did. I mean, just because I had some vanilla shake on the corner of my mouth doesn't mean that you should just help yourself..."

"Okay!" Riko quickly cut in. "Next!"

"Yes, it's my turn!" Kise exclaimed happily. "Uhm, let's see...never have I ever gotten a tattoo?"

This time, Midorima, Murasakibara, and Kuroko drank in response to Kise's statement.

"What?" Midorima looked slightly alarmed at the stares in his direction. "I was told that I would have great luck for the rest of that month if I were to get a tattoo."

"Ooooh, so what did you get, Midorimacchi?"

"I fail to see how it should concern you in any way."

"Ahh, I remember this tattoo you speak of now." Akashi smirked, looking positively predatory. "Why don't you show them that nice tattoo of the cat you got, Shintaro?" Midorima scowled in Akashi's direction, but the damage was already done.

"You got a cat?" Aomine snickered. "Somehow that seems to fit you."

"Yes! A cute cat for cute Midorimacchi!" Kise agreed enthusiastically.

"I will end you." Midorima seethed.

"So, you got a tattoo as well, Atsushi?" Akashi asked.

"Yes. I saw this pocky tattoo one day and thought that I should get it since I really like eating pocky." Murasakibara said easily. Everyone was quiet. No one quite knew how to question that logic.

"Well," Riko said uncertainly, before she brightened considerably when she turned to address Kuroko. "I see that it's our worse offender Kuroko-kun again."

"Indeed," Akashi said. "I must say that I am quite surprised. A tattoo, Tetsuya?"

"Three, actually," Aomine drawled. He draped an arm over Kuroko's shoulder. "You see, Tetsu here was a real rebel back in middle school."

"I would ask that you refrain from sprouting untrue facts about me, Aomine-kun." Kuroko deadpanned.

"Sure, sure, whatever you say."

They played in this manner for a while and a few rounds later, everyone seemed to be in a much lighter mood. A cheery, comfortable atmosphere settled over the room as laughter rang out every few minutes.

"Hey, Tetsu? It's your turn now." Aomine prompted Kuroko. Said photographer failed to respond as he remained unmoving, his impassive expression ever present on his face. "Tetsu?" Aomine looked worried now. "Are you okay?..." He gently nudged the other's shoulder and yelped in shock when Kuroko suddenly keeled over without warning, his expression never changing.

"Tetsu?" Aomine was panicking now. "What's going on?"

Hyuuga quickly came over to examine him. "No worries, Kuroko-kun's just sleeping. Probably passed out from all the drinking." A light snore from the fallen form further confirmed his diagnosis. Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe Tetsu just passed out like that." A light snicker fell unbiden out of Aomine's mouth now that the crisis had passed. "I mean, he didn't even have like ten cups yet."

"Did you see? His expression never changed either." Kise was chuckling now too.

"How does one even pass out stoically?" Midorima asked incredulously.

"Trust only Kuroko-kun to pull off something like this," Riko said with a laugh.

When the sheer absurdity of the situation finally dawned on them, everyone found that they suddenly couldn't hold back their laughter. And in that moment, as they all sat there laughing uproariously at Kuroko's condition, Aomine thinks that he has never felt closer to the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

Author's Notes: I know this seemed more like a filler chapter than anything, but it's nice to see the GoM goofing off and having fun once in a while, isn't it? Besides, they needed some lightheartedness to go along with all the previous drama.

Next chapter is when the modeling really starts, and boy am I excited. If you couldn't tell from my descriptions of the photoshoot setting (google images of fall trees—they are absolutely gorgeous!), Fall is my favorite season, so I can't wait to write about how the GoM plan to model with nature's fall beauty.

Hopefully, this means that the next update won't be nearly as long as a wait. I'll try (emphasis on try) my best to update faster, but I make no promises since school as starting again and next semester is shaping up to be as bad or even worse than the first semester yeesh. In any case, thank you all so much for sticking with me for so long.

Please let me know what you thought. Did you have as much fun reading about their 'never have I ever' game (and the light shipping hints) as I did writing it? Thanks everyone!

-Bird of Dreams