Chapter 34

Aomine gingerly rubbed his chin, holding his phone up to his ear with his other hand and listening to it ring. Kagami got him good, he had to admit, wincing as he continued to probe the aching skin, assessing the damage.

Of all the responses he might have expected, when he'd refused Kagami's desperate advances earlier, being sucker punched right in the face hadn't even made the list. At least part of him had expected the advances themselves, though...he wasn't so dim as to completely miss the pattern, though it had caught him off guard the first few times Kagami had tried to force a resolution with a kiss or an impromptu fuck. Up until now, he'd just gone along with it, and maybe it took seeing him try to dismiss his own problems that way for it to finally click...the point was that this was definitely an ongoing issue.

Communication was a pain in the ass, and that was the only definite conclusion he had reached today. ...Or a pain in the chin, as it were. He snorted ruefully to himself. There he'd been, trying to be the mature one and work things out to maybe reach some kind of understanding with Kagami, and all he'd gotten for the effort was a fist in his face. And then Kagami had just...broken down in front of him, and that had hit him harder than any punch could have. He'd never seen him like that, so frantic and fragile and lost, and part of him hoped he never would have to again.

A mechanical click from his phone pulled him from his brooding thoughts, and he shifted where he stood, leaning against the railing of Kagami's balcony. Kagami's father's balcony. He tried not to think too hard about that; the whole situation surrounding that gigantic asshole still made him feel sick with rage.

"'S that you, Daiki?" His own father asked, his voice sounding groggy and a little annoyed, "It's early."

"It's almost 9:30," Aomine pointed out, suppressing a lofty smirk.

"That's still early for you, " his father grunted, sounding like he might just be getting up, "What's wrong?"

The amusement died away, and Aomine frowned, "...What makes you think something's wrong?"

He was stalling, and he knew it, but he hadn't thought while he was dialing that bringing up the enormous, complicated mess from this morning again , after finally putting it at least somewhat aside, would be so difficult.

Even the pause on the other end of the line sounded unimpressed.

"You never call unless there's some kind of crisis," his father said flatly, but Aomine could hear the trace of exasperated humor in it, "And it's before noon on a weekend. ..the sky isn't falling, is it?"

Aomine exhaled a laugh at that, his breath forming a faint cloud in the chill morning air.

"Fuck...it might as well be," he sighed, crossing his ankles and resting his weight on the arm he had braced against the railing.

"That bad?" A note of concern came through the tiny speaker pressed to his ear, all of a sudden, "Did something happen to Kagami?"

Aomine winced, the implications of that twisting unpleasantly in gut, and he wet his lips and shook his head, though his father couldn't see it.

"No, he's fine, he's...well…" He took a deep breath, and let it out in a slow, vaporous rush, "Okay, he's not really fine. Neither...of us are really..."

"What happened?" his father pressed, and Aomine could picture the worry and impatience mixing on his face.

"We got kicked out," he said bluntly, pushing aside the gross, tangled ball of feelings that came with that fact, "Of his dad's apartment."

His father was silent for a moment.

"For…?" he prompted warily, probably doing that arching thing with his eyebrows that meant he was expecting to be displeased by the answer. Aomine could remember being on the receiving end of that look, often, throughout his life.

He snorted indignantly, "It wasn't my fault," he said, before realizing how childish that sounded...and that it wasn't entirely true. "...Alright, it kind of was."

"So what did you do?" his father demanded, limited patience reaching its end, "Spit it out."

"Nothing! I just...told Kagami he should maybe try to call his dad," Aomine said, standing straight and snagging his free hand in his own hair. Then he let out a deep sigh, "He still didn't know about...any of this, and I just thought… It was so stupid though, he didn't even care -"

"Kagami told him he was pregnant?" his father asked, sounding surprised.

Aomine shifted uncomfortably, "No," he said, "I did. He didn't believe me."

He heard his father sigh softly, and his voice when he spoke again was low with dismay. "Of course he didn't. But then what was his reasoning for kicking you out?"

Gritting his teeth, Aomine swallowed down what he really wanted to say, which was 'because he's a fucking sociopath who doesn't give a shit about his son.' Lowering his gaze from the power lines criss-crossing the pale strip of urban Tokyo sky above the apartment complex, he let out his breath and tried again.

"He didn't...like that we were together," he muttered. Kagami's father had obviously tried to smooth over that fact and feign some kind of performative acceptance, but Aomine had still gotten the message loud and clear. So had Kagami.

"He sounded like he was really disappointed in Kagami," he went on, when his father didn't respond, "Like he was ashamed of him, or something, and at some point he must've said something that just…" He trailed off, unable to get the utterly shattered look on Kagami's face out of his head.

His father made a quiet sound that may have been sympathy, and then changed gears, "So what's the situation? Are you still in the apartment now?"

"Yeah," Aomine scowled, scuffing his socked foot on the balcony floor, "He was like...all cold businessman about it; said we were evicted and we've got a week to get out before he calls the cops."

"A grace period," his father murmured, thoughtful, "And I suppose that's not an empty threat, if the impression I'm getting of this gentleman is correct. What are you going to do?"

Aomine caught the delicate sarcasm he laid on the word ' gentleman' , and it made him smile, despite himself. It was reassuring, somehow, just knowing that he had an ally in this. It made the situation itself seem just a little less awful.

"I dunno," he said, as it occurred to him that he might have jumped the gun a little bit. But then, the reason for his call should have become pretty self-evident by now, and his father didn't seem to be shutting him down...maybe he was playing dumb in order to make him ask outright. It wouldn't be the first time. "Is it...too late to ask if the offer to stay with you and Mom for awhile still stands?"

He must have struck just the right tone of exaggerated formality and chagrin, because his father laughed in response. Aomine didn't join him in it.

"That offer always stands," his father said, more seriously, "You gave your independence a valiant try, Daiki, but you know it's never too late to ask to come home, don't you?"

"What about Kagami?" Aomine asked, planting his feet firmly where he stood.

His father exhaled, short and soft, "What, you expect me to turn him out on the street? I know I was hesitant before, but...it seems my concern was unfounded, and once again, I'm sorry for the grief it caused you. You're both more than welcome here."

Aomine let out a long sigh, and probably a couple days' worth of stress, his shoulders sagging heavily.

"Just for a little while," he said in a rush, straightening again, "'Til we can figure something else out, it's just -"

"Stop. You can stay as long as you need," his father interrupted, "Your mother and I can make sure Kagami is comfortable here...until it's time."

"You - " Aomine swallowed past a sudden inability to breathe, "You want us to stay until…?"

"It would be most ideal," his father said, slowly and deliberately, "As the due date draws closer, for Kagami to always have someone within reach, or at least within shouting distance, I think...just in case."

"...Right," Aomine agreed, with a flash of unease, "But -"

"Not to mention after," his father went on, dismissing his protests impatiently, "After surgery, he's going to be largely out of commission for at least the first week while his body recovers...and believe me, when that time comes, you're going to want all the help you can get. Both of you."

Aomine digested that in silence for a moment, shifting uncomfortably as he forced himself to face it, and not shy away from the uncompromising picture of his and Kagami's future. He thought about Kagami, laid-up and helpless after being cut open, unable to fend for himself, let alone the kid, even if he wanted to. And he realized that his father made a very good point.

"Is he…" he began, his voice coming out as a hoarse rasp. He coughed and tried again, "Is he going to be okay?"

His father hummed quietly, encouragingly, "He's strong. That much I could tell on the outset, I don't see why he shouldn't make a full recovery. ...You're probably going to have to hold him down and make him rest, though."

Aomine snorted, but he couldn't stop the wholly relieved grin that spread across his face if his life depended on it.

"Yeah, probably."

.

.

Kagami glanced out the balcony window at Aomine's silhouette, dark and slouching against the railing with his back to him, before bringing his phone up to his ear for the second time this morning. He was a good deal calmer now, since the explosion and the subsequent, tentative resolution between them, but even so, he still felt a faint stir of trepidation when the person on the other line picked up.

"Hello," Kuroko said politely, as though he were standing in the room, "What is it, Kagami-kun?"

"Hey Kuroko," Kagami sighed, bracing himself, "You busy?"

There was a momentary pause.

"...Not currently," Kuroko murmured, sounding cautious, "Why do you ask?"

"I think...I need to talk to you."

He envisioned Kuroko raising his eyebrows, his inscrutable face giving no other indication of surprise away. Only a hint of it made its way into his voice when he spoke.

"Alright..." He must have recognized, probably even better than Kagami did, how rare it was for him to admit something like that upfront, "What's on your mind?"

Kagami hesitated a moment, because there were a lot of ways he could answer that. A lot he could say, a lot he had meant to say, for a long time. I need help. I can't do this alone. Thanks for not turning on me when I told you. I have no one else to turn to.

"...I talked to my dad, today," he said at last, letting his eyes fall closed. He heard Kuroko inhale, the sound of it sharp, as he immediately grasped the significance behind the otherwise simple statement.

"I see. ...What did you talk about?" he prompted softly, already prepared to console, already thinking two steps ahead, like always.

Kagami opened his mouth, and then closed it and shook his head slightly, "Well, he did most of the talking. I just wanted to...let him know what's been going on…"

Kuroko made a reproachful sound, like he didn't quite believe that.

"Alright, it was Aomine's idea," Kagami admitted, returning to the sofa and sitting down slowly, maneuvering himself with difficulty and trying to get comfortable.

"Ah," Kuroko said, "That explains it."

Kagami frowned, "How's that?"

"Aomine-kun expressed some concerns to me before our meetup at the street court the other day," Kuroko explained, "He seemed rather insecure about his ability to help and provide for you, and sounded like he wanted to do more. Perhaps that was the conclusion he eventually arrived at...I'm not sure I agree with it myself."

"If he was trying to help, he sure did a shit job with that," Kagami said bluntly, before remembering his earlier conversation with Aomine, and regretting the remark. "...That's not fair, is it?"

"No, it probably is," Kuroko said, without inflection, "How bad was it?"

With a sigh, Kagami adjusted his position where he was sitting, resting his free hand on the apex of his rounded belly.

"About what I expected," he said, gritting his teeth, "I don't know why I even went along with it, he just made it sound like…"

Kuroko waited, until it became clear he wasn't going to finish that thought, and then spoke.

"It may not be so obvious now, but there was a time when Aomine-kun could be quite optimistic...to a fault," he added, the tone of his voice hardening only slightly, "From what you've told me about your father, though...personally, I would have advised against it, at least for the current moment."

For some reason, that was surprising to hear. Maybe because Kuroko always seemed to be the one reaching for solutions to conflict, taking action to solve disputes and bring about reconciliation. It wasn't like him to suggest silence or distance.

"Huh. Why's that?" he asked, though it was a pretty moot point to keep belaboring now. Over and done with; the bridge wasn't getting any more burnt.

"Because right now, the last thing either of you need is more cause for stress," Kuroko said matter-of-factly, "You especially, Kagami-kun...are you sure you're alright, after that?"

The corner of Kagami's mouth twitched up slightly, "I didn't even tell you what he said."

"You don't have to," Kuroko murmured, with a knowing edge that Kagami had grown used to, over the years, "I can only imagine. However, am I right in assuming that the deal he struck with you in high school has expired now?"

"You mean the apartment?" Kagami asked, glancing up at the ceiling with a short sigh, "Yeah, he kicked us out. Pretty fast, once I told him...we were..."

Kuroko made a quiet, sullen sound in his throat, "Well, that was always a possibility…you said yourself that you were hesitant to introduce Himuro-kun to him, for that reason."

"Yeah," Kagami agreed, "I guess part of me just hoped he might…accept me anyway..." He exhaled a bitter laugh, "Shit, I didn't even get the chance to give him the whole story, and he wouldn't take it from Aomine."

He didn't know if it would have been any more believable coming from him, but in any case, there was no way his stoic, pragmatic father was going to take the word of his son's most recent homosexual partner that he was pregnant. Which was probably for the best. One less reason for him to despise Kagami, and want him out.

"Aomine-kun spoke to him?" Kuroko asked, sounding interested, "What did he say?"

Kagami shrugged, "I guess...he tried to defend me?" he said, like a question, before rolling his eyes to himself, "Fat lot of good that did."

If anything, Aomine's intervention had probably only served to seal their fate. Though Kagami doubted he could have salvaged any part of the relationship on his own - not that he would want to, not after all that - he might have at least been able to prolong their sentence. Buy them some time. He supposed it didn't matter now, and anyway, it had been oddly touching to see Aomine immediately leap to his defense like that, even if it had ultimately been a futile effort.

"Of course he did," Kuroko mused, a subtle glow of fondness in his voice, "So...what are you going to do now?"

"Well…" Kagami said, hesitating, and glancing at the balcony again absently, "Aomine says he thinks his parents will let us stay with them for awhile…"

"Or you could stay with mine," Kuroko offered, and Kagami blinked, not least because that was pretty out of the blue for him, "If you wish...that is, you shouldn't feel obligated or like you have no choice in the matter. It's up to you; I'm sure my family would be glad to have you."

"That's…" Kagami began, before cracking a small smile, though Kuroko wouldn't be able to see it, "Thanks, Kuroko, that's really...thoughtful of you. I'll keep it in mind if Aomine's plan doesn't work out." Or even if it does...it's kind of nice just to have options.

"You're welcome," Kuroko said, and paused for a moment, thoughtfully, "You shouldn't sound so surprised that you have people who are willing to support you. I'm your friend, of course I'm going to be there for you, whatever you decide."

Kagami lowered his gaze to his lap, and the considerable projection of his stomach, and sighed, "It doesn't...feel like I have very many left," he admitted, perhaps more candidly than he would for anyone else. But this was Kuroko. He had always been an exception, as long as Kagami had known him.

"Friends?" Kuroko asked, a strong, audible note of concern in his voice, "Kagami-kun...you have many people in your life who care deeply for you. I know what happened today - and perhaps this entire experience - has shaken you badly, but if you truly think everyone you know will abandon you over this, I'll have to ask you to think again."

"What does that mean?" Kagami grumbled, scratching at the upper swell of his stomach lightly.

Kuroko sighed, though not unkindly, "It means your friends can't offer you their help and support if you never let them know you need it."

Kagami didn't say anything, for a long moment, watching his own hand splaying over his belly, his shirt that rode up a little more every day pulled tight beneath his fingers. What Kuroko was saying made sense in his head, but the idea of spreading this thing further, of contacting anyone else to let them in on the situation, was not just a highly unnerving prospect at the moment, especially after the morning's drama...he was fairly sure it wasn't strictly allowed.

Part of him didn't really give a rat's ass what Dr Kishima had told him about secrecy and protection of the public during that first initial visit, but on the other hand...part of him also understood why that front of secrecy was in place. He was already dealing with enough prying and scrutiny and banked disbelief from the people who did know about this, he wasn't sure if he wanted to invite in any more.

"I apologize if I am overstepping here," Kuroko interjected, when Kagami had remained silent for almost a minute, "I can't provide any significant insight for how to handle your predicament, because I haven't experienced it myself, but I can still offer my advice, as your friend…"

"It's fine," Kagami muttered, attempting to cut the painstaking preamble relatively short so Kuroko could get to the point. It worked, sort of.

"In my experience," Kuroko said meaningfully, "During times of hardship, when you are feeling isolated and insecure, a support system of people who know you well, and have been with you through other trials in your life, can be extremely beneficial."

It clicked, finally, and Kagami looked up from his lap, "You're talking about Tatsuya?"

He could almost hear the faint, approving smile in Kuroko's voice, "Among others. I think you're on the right track."

"But…" Kagami began, wrestling with the idea, the possibility, of a repeat experience. Of Tatsuya shunning him completely from his life, like his father had, "I...don't know if…I just -"

"Have a little faith in him," Kuroko urged him gently, "Your relationship has held strong through many previous difficulties, it can withstand this too."

When Kagami didn't respond, still unconvinced, Kuroko went on, "He's your brother by choice, Kagami-kun…the situations are not congruous. Don't let past failure discourage you from trying again, you're stronger than that."

Kagami blinked, and then breathed out a soft, resigned laugh. Somehow, Kuroko always knew just what to say. It worked too, already he was feeling a little less hopeless, a little less deserted, just from listening to his calm, steady voice as he laid out the facts.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot," he conceded at last, straightening where he sat and allowing a small, grateful smile to cross his face, "Thanks...again."

At that moment, the glass sliding door to the balcony shifted, and started to slide open, announcing Aomine's return from his interlude with his father.

"You are welcome again," Kuroko replied, sounding amused, "Don't forget, you have me in your corner, whatever happens. And Aomine-kun, as well."

"Yeah…" Kagami said, catching Aomine's eye across the room, "I got it."

TBC

((Lots of technicalities in this chapter...but I feel like it needed to happen before we get back to the action.

After a long, long hiatus, I think I'm coming back to this story for real...it's getting close to wrapping up now, believe it or not, and I finally have a more concrete plan of sorts for how that's going to go down. Hopefully that'll give me the push I need to give it the proper conclusion it deserves.
Again, thanks so much to all of you that have stuck with me and these idiots for so long...your support means so much to me.
Comments, as always, are a joy. It really helps to know people are still invested in this story and want to see it through. 3))