Winter Date

Disclaimer:

Kuroko no Basuke © Fujimaki Tadatoshi

Winter Date © Ayano Suzune

"A birthday present?" Hayama blinked, his hands kept on tugging on the bag of potato chips, the same moment when Nebuya tried to get rid of it from the his grip and savour every last of it on his own. He stopped when he heard Mibuchi's demand, an idea or probably a piece of mind.

They were getting closer to the end of December, to the end of the year, they were getting closer to Christmas and they were getting closer to Akashi Seishina's birthday.

Mibuchi had no idea of what to give her, despite being her boyfriend ever since five months ago. Akashi never showed him a glint of what she needed, or what she wanted to.

"Do you think she would really tell if you were to ask?"

"And you expect an Akashi would ask for those which are tangible?"

The duo laughed, leaving Mibuchi deadpanned over them, still got no idea of what to provide. Hayama seemed to lose the bag of snack he clutched so desperately about before, but it wasn't the problem now he had a better entertainment.

At least for the time being.

O-oh, he took it back.

At least not until Akashi appeared out of nowhere.

"Reo," a light tap landed on the shooting guard's shoulder, making him to pay attention, looking upwards and there he could see the face of the empress'. The moment their eyes met, he bridged a smile across his face.

"Sei-chan, you're done already?" Raising to his feet, it wasn't like him to wait until Akashi nodded, took her hand already in a hold and swung it back and forth. In spite of comments nor protests, he didn't listen.

"Then we better get going now~!" Mibuchi waved his hand to the leftover teammates, before going off without releasing their intertwining fingers, and her bag clung on his shoulder, above his.

Hayama and Nebuya left with no clue, though their eyes were filled with jealousy at times.

"Is this what Reo-nee said by the-expression-of-Sei-chan-you-would-never-know?"

"That is no different than her usual self, there's got to be something more."

"Go find yourselves a girlfriend already," Mayuzumi exclaimed out of nowhere, unnoticed probably because he kept on the silent to himself with his light novel most of the time.

They walked side by side with Mibuchi being all stubborn in keeping her smaller hand on his hold, heating it warm enough from the world where snow kept on falling.

He didn't start a conversation, either did she. Nah, he hadn't.

"Sei-chan, what do you want for your birthday?" He pointed out, directly when he faced her, who was still maintaining her gaze to the front and not to the side where his presence was.

"You asked me last time, and I answered."

"That is not the answer that I want."

"Then what is the answer that you want?" Akashi needed to force herself to turn her head even just for a bit, no more of a tilt. Her gaze hinted nothing but the sternness on her face did.

She never exclaimed it loud of what she wanted, just like his thinking and just like what the others expected her to.

"Something I can provide for you?" Curving a smile on his face, Mibuchi wasn't knocked down by the blade on her eyes. He found it adorable when he saw his Sei-chan close like this, though.

"You provided me anything that I need already," Akashi decided to continue their marching which was put up on hold. It forced Mibuchi to keep walking, like or not, when the empress declared so he needed to gladly do as what her demand was.

"I provided you something?"

"Something," Akashi didn't see well enough the blink, the confusion drawn on his face which was the cause of her words alone. Perhaps she could barely figure it out that he was clueless about what she talked about.

The conversation dropped, the moment when Mibuchi didn't get the answers he wanted to in order to satisfy his curiosity.

Tomorrow would be her day, and he was still empty-handed to go on.

Desperately bumping his head to the wall, Mibuchi didn't have anything to prepare, not in her mind even for the smallest gift.

Time elapsed, clock kept on ticking with him doing the same pointless activity over and over. Until it was one past midnight, he regained back his common sense, and realized what today should be.

Mibuchi dialled a number, quickly pressed the phone to his ear. He knew she would stay up late, as if her day would make no difference than any other.

"Hello?"

"Sei-chan!" Couldn't careless about the volume rising on his voice, let alone it was midnight already when most people took their rests, calling it a day, Mibuchi greeted her happily. He gave her no chance to utter protests, as he proceeded to say the purpose of his call on this late of night. "Happy birthday!"

Silent filled in the atmosphere, less than five seconds before Akashi took control of the situation with her steady and solid voice. "Thank you."

"Am I the first one?"

"So far, yes." A smile bloomed on his face as he heard what he said, then an idea popped on mind. Something that he could provide—only he could provide for her birthday present. "Sei-chan, care for a date tomorrow—I mean, today?"

"A date?" Even though he knew she wouldn't be able to eye on him nodding, he actually did.

"Won't be that long."

"Alright. I'll hang up for now. Go get some sleep."

"Don't stay up too late."

That night Mibuchi could hardly scatter the curve upon his lips.

Snow would refuse to storm the supposed to be one of those bright days in December. But still, he waited for her, on the school gate, waiting for her to finish her things with papers and meetings and stuffs he better not know.

And there she was, half running half walking to his place, the expression again had impacts for the expression on his face.

The both of them started to march, decided to keep on sticking with their school uniforms.

"Where are we going?"

"To buy you a birthday present~"

"So you haven't figured it out?" Akashi raised an eyebrow, throwing the gaze upon his figure. And he realized, which he turned his head to the side just to see the expression of hers. A gentle smile had yet to elapse from his lips upon meeting their gazes together in a one firm line.

Their hands didn't link to each other, but somehow, Mibuchi felt warm.

"I got confused of what to give for Sei-chan's birthday~" He honestly stated so, no hesitance on his voice. "So I decided to let Sei-chan choose by herself, that is the purpose for today's date, no?"

"And oh, don't you like being on my side~?" Half jokingly, he shifted closer at her, pushing her a little bit when her small body interacted with the side of his arm.

She gave the kind of look, and he chuckled. When she turned her gaze to the front, that was when she replied. It was short, brief, but stiff as how she was.

"Your existence alone is enough."

He had never expected such words would fly from her mouth. Which caused her to be taken aback for a bit, but then the smile emerged back on his facial, as he again moved closer towards her.

This time, teasing the shorter figure with pleasure.

"Riiight~?"

.

.

End

a/n: Mind the grammatical errors and my lack of vocabularies. I'm sorry of how imperfect this fanfiction becomes, I don't know why would I make this at the first place.

[19.12.14] H-1 Akashi's birthday