A/N: My first story of the year will be a Kagakuro! And it is fluffy! I hope you enjoy it~
Lately, Kagami-kun's become more popular, Kuroko noticed, watching as a group of giggly girls crowded around the said red head, who began looking flustered and embarrassed. One of the girls, a cute, long-haired blonde, latched playfully onto his arm. Kuroko watched as Kagami's face reddened.
After they had progressed so far into the Winter Cup, the school had started to notice the basketball club. The coach had been ecstatic with the results, knowing that next year, they were guaranteed to have more members, and possibly more potential.
Of course, since Kagami was the ace of their team, he had garnered the most popularity. At lunch, he would be surrounded and swarmed by both their classmates and people from other classes. Boys would rave about his amazing jumping skills, and girls would nervously be ogling his muscles and height. Kagami had been overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. Kuroko could only be glad that Kagami's personality had not changed in the slightest.
When Kuroko felt his hands unclench, he realized that he hadn't even noticed that he had tightened them in the first place. He sighed, shook his head, and began to continue his way out of the school. However, once he had taken his first few steps, a voice called out to him.
"Oi, Kuroko!"
His eyes widened slightly before he turned around just in time to see Kagami walking towards him, after unintentionally shaking off the blonde girl.
"Kagami-kun, aren't you going to say bye to them?" Kuroko asked, looking at the girls, who appeared to be quite offended and startled. Kagami swiftly looked over his shoulder before uncertainly scratching the back of his head.
"Well…it's not like it'll be the last time I see them, since we go to the same school after all…" He trailed off.
Kuroko frowned. He isn't supposed to notice me. Most people don't notice me, Kuroko thought. But this person…always…
"Kuroko, let's go to Maji, okay?" Kagami asked, grinning obliviously.
This person defies all logic.
000
"Hey, guys! Guess what?" Koganei called out as he enthusiastically bounded in the gymnasium. Most of the club members stopped to give him their attention.
"Did something good happen?" Kiyoshi asked, smiling pleasantly. Koganei looked up at the ceiling, thinking.
"Hm…well, I guess you could consider it good?" He pondered. "Anyway, a girl just confessed to Bakagami! He was on his way here when a girl stopped him and asked to talk to him in private. And me, being a good senpai, decided to follow them and listen in for a while," he explained, beaming proudly.
Kuroko had put his full attention into the story at the mention of Kagami's nickname. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
"Eh…he really is getting popular. What did the girl look like? Someone we know?" Riko asked, looking extremely curious. Koganei shrugged lightly.
"I think she's a first year. She's blonde, and really cute," he replied. Kuroko frowned, guessing that it was probably the girl who had clung onto Kagami a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the other club members were excitedly gossiping over the news.
"How come I'm not getting any confessions?" Hyuuga asked rhetorically, sighing before picking up and basketball and resuming practice.
"And speak of the devil," Izuki commented as Kagami walked in the gym, looking tired. Instantly, they crowded around him. Kuroko stayed put, deciding to watch and listen from some distance.
"Kagami! I heard you got a confession!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, chuckling heartily as he patted him on the back multiple teams. Kagami glared at nothing in particular.
"It just happened," he muttered.
"Anyway, what'd you say?" Koganei demanded, since he hadn't eavesdropped long enough to actually hear the red head's reply. The other members, especially the first year bench warmers, stared at him in anticipation.
"I turned her down," Kagami finally bit out, dead pan. The first years leapt back dramatically, with their hands up in the air.
"Eh?! Bakagami! He really is Bakagami!" They shouted. Kuroko watched on in surprise. He blinked at him thoughtfully, wanting to know why exactly he had rejected the blonde. He hadn't really expected to Kagami to accept the girl's confession, but he hadn't expected him to be so blunt about it either.
"Why would you do that?" Koganei sighed in dismay. Kagami scowled at all of them.
"T-that's…well…" He glanced off to the side. Riko smirked as she carefully analyzed his moments. She placed her hands on her hips, taking an assertive stance.
"You already have someone you like, don't you, Bakagami?" She demanded cunningly, shocking the others with her statement. The way the red head blushed did not go unnoticed by Kuroko.
"Idi—! W-why would I"—
He stopped himself from talking any further, looking stubborn. He glanced briefly over at Kuroko, causing the blue-haired teen to jump lightly in his spot. However, just as quickly as he had looked at him, Kagami looked away.
"Don't bother me about this stuff anymore," Kagami told them, ignoring the first year's questions as he grabbed onto a basketball and began practicing.
000
"Kuro…ko…?"
Kagami muttered groggily as his eyes opened. When he had blinked his eyes open, he had been greeted by a familiar head of bright blue hair. It had startled him, and he couldn't quite grasp the situation until a few minutes later.
Ah…that's right. He came over to help me study last night, Kagami remembered, glancing over at the table in the middle of his bedroom, which was littered with notes and text books. But how exactly they had fallen asleep together on the same bed, he still did not know.
Kuroko sleeps like a girl, Kagami thought amusedly, gazing at that peaceful face, and the way Kuroko tucked both of his arms under his cheek and drew his knees up to his chin. Absent-mindedly, the red head reached for the blanket and pulled it over his small body, making sure to tuck him in properly.
Unconsciously, he had begun to comb his tanned fingers through Kuroko's silky locks. He leaned in and nuzzled his face into the smaller boy's hair. When he breathed in, the overwhelming smell of vanilla clouded his senses. With half-lidded eyes, he gazed down at Kuroko's sleeping face, trailing his cheeks and lips with his eyes.
"Kuroko," Kagami muttered very softly, lightly pressing his thumb against the tip of Kuroko's nose. He sighed as he nuzzled his face into his hair once more. "…I like you," the red head said.
Kuroko replied only with his rhythmic breathing. The basketball ace smirked slightly as he sat up. He glanced over at the clock and ruffled the back of his head. "I should go and make breakfast…" He said to himself, standing up from the bed.
He adjusted the blanket on Kuroko once more before leaving the bedroom.
A few seconds later, Kuroko opened his eyes with a nervous gulp. His fingers touched the tip of his nose, where Kagami had pressed his thumb. It was a strange show of affection, in his opinion. But it still managed to make his heart stir.
Blushing quietly, Kuroko stuffed his face into the pillows. He pulled the blanket completely over his head, and resigned himself, listening to the sound of frying eggs and Kagami's mellow whistling.
000
If Kuroko were to list the reasons why he liked Kagami, he was sure he would have a textbook's worth of words.
He liked the way Kagami was arrogant on the court, but modest whenever people complimented him in class. He liked the way Kagami wouldn't understand any of the perverted jokes the boys in class would tell him. He liked the way Kagami didn't know very much kanji, and bought grade school books to try and understand them. He liked the way Kagami could be gruff, yet tender at the same time.
What Kuroko didn't enjoy about the basketball ace was the fact that he did things that made Kuroko even more attracted to him, without even meaning to, and without even knowing. It was amusing, but it could also be quite painful at times.
Kuroko's eyes flickered upwards, to look at his most beloved person, who was currently passed out on his living room couch. The room was quiet, besides the ticking clock and Kagami's deep, even, and soothing breathing. Except for the slight downwards tilt of his eyebrows, Kagami looked entirely peaceful. Kuroko soon found himself quietly closing his book and placing it on his coffee table.
His face flushed when he recalled Kagami's "secret" confession. He felt as if their situations had suddenly reversed. He bit on his bottom lip in an attempt to keep a straight face. Even though Kagami was asleep, he didn't want to look vulnerable.
"Kagami-kun," Kuroko muttered, looming over the red head's sleeping figure. This feels somewhat criminal, he thought vaguely. "…Kagami-kun, I also like you," he said, and was startled at how easily the words came out. He reached out to touch Kagami's face, but halted when he noticed how the red head's cheeks were gradually becoming more and more red. Kuroko blinked in confusion.
"Kagami-kun, are you…awake?" He questioned, sucking in a quick breath. Kagami gulped nervously before hesitantly opening his eyes. Kuroko immediately felt the back of his neck grow hot.
"W-what's with you…" Kagami muttered. "That time, you heard me?" He demanded, almost looking worried. Kuroko could only nod back and watch as Kagami let out a short sigh of frustration.
"I'm sorry," Kuroko said in his usual monotone voice, although it had taken a bit of strength to maintain that tone. Kagami frowned back, scratching the back of his head in uncertainty.
"Well, it's not like you did anything wrong," he replied, awkwardly. "Ahh, dammit," he sighed, shaking his head. Kuroko noticed that his face was still bright red. He smiled softly at him.
"Kagami-kun," he called out, causing the mentioned male to turn towards him. "We'll take things step by step, so everything will be okay," he told him. And before Kagami could do anything, Kuroko had already leaned forward and given him a tender peck on the cheek.
Kagami's face reddened even more, if possible, before he abruptly stood up. "I-I'll go make lunch," he stuttered. He ruffled Kuroko's hair, murmuring quite confidently, "And of course things will be okay."
Kuroko muffled a laugh behind his hand.
Ah, I really like him, the two thought simultaneously.
A/N: To me, nothing beats out fluffy Kagakuro (fluffy Aokuro is pretty close though). I hope you all enjoy the first day of the year!