Aomine was out on patrol-as usual, however his boss had asked him to go down a different route this time, as there had been a number of thefts appearing down a certain road. Unknowingly going down this street would end up making his life a full 360 for the better.

He strolled down the street in his squad car, looking over the wheel lazily at any signs of trouble. Thankfully, everything seemed peaceful, so he stationed himself near a local preschool, leaning back in his chair as he closed his eyes momentarily. Life had just been so boring for him lately. Daily life was the same every fucking day, and no matter what he did, it was always the same. He'd dated girls, picked up some at the bar, gone out drinking with his buddies- none of it mattered. It was the same old, same old, and he just wanted something exciting in his life for once.

Aomine sighed, picking up his coffee, letting the caffeine jolt him slightly awake. If his boss caught him sleeping on the job again he'd probably get his pay cut. Not like he needed something more to go wrong with his life. It was then that as the dark bluenette spanned out across the scenery once again that his eye caught a certain person.

It was a young man about his age or so, with light blue hair that caught in the sunlight, causing it to shine an even brighter blue. He wore an apron, adorned with a little flower emblazoned with the name of the preschool that hung above the building, as well as a name tag that was too far for him to read.

Aomine leaned forward on the wheel, suddenly enraptured by the appearance of the other man. The preschool teacher held a watering can in his hands, and he squatted down, sprinkling the flowers with light drops of water, the man giving a soft smile to the flowers as he cupped a budding flower, watching as the drops of water dripped to the middle of the flower.

He was beautiful.

The cop could only continue to stare, unable to look away from him. He had never seen someone who was able to move, breathe, and live with such beauty in just a moment's glance. The teacher held himself with such grace, every movement careful and soft. It caused him to swallow deeply, the need to go over, go talk to him, know his name, filling his very body.

Finally, watching him was too much for him to bear. He moved his hand forward to the door handle, half way to pulling it open, before the light blue haired person he had been watching so carefully was called from the inside, leaving him alone in the outside once more.

His hand slipped from the door handle, leaving it to snap back with a loud snap. Aomine leaned his head back on the headrest, his job to make sure there was peace all but forgotten now.

When was he going to see him again? Was he going to see him again? And dammit, what was his name?!

The same questions ran through his mind over and over, bugging him continuously. The great desire to answer these questions filled his entire being as well. The only choice he had was to wait it out, looking at the daycare, hopefully looking for any chance to go and find a way to talk to him before his shift ended.

He never got the chance.

Thankfully, his boss assigned him to that route from there on out, parking at the same place every day, having his daily coffee as he watched from his spot, pulling over the speeders, and watching the front door during the lull times. He thought at times his actions were similar to those of a stalker in a way, but he just couldn't shake the way the other man had captivated him. He didn't personally consider himself gay, but for once… he found himself craving another man. There are always exceptions to the rule, right?

But finally, finally, after days and days of waiting, Aomine was able to get his chance.

Next door to the preschool stood a small family owned grocery store, and they happened to get robbed this particular day. Aomine smirked to himself, grabbing his gun pack, along with the Taser, getting out of the car. A situation always seemed to brighten his day, as it gave him something to do.

The suspect ran out of the store moments after Aomine exited his car, looking every which way at where to go, and had still not seen him by the car. So, he ran over to the preschool next door, looking for a place to hide himself in the garden – the same garden Aomine had seen that teacher he'd been waiting for caring to not a week before.

Aomine burst ahead at full speed to the suspect, tackling him from the back before he was able to reach the garden and crush those precious flowers that the light bluenette had been attending to with such care. He reached into the back of his belt pulling out his handcuffs while reading off his Miranda rights, cuffing his hands together. Aomine sat atop his back, crushing his back into the grass in the garden.

All of the noise outside caused a stir within the preschool, causing the teachers and scared little children trailing behind them to come out. The small preschoolers clutched onto the teacher's aprons in fear, glancing out from beside them, looking curiously at the two strangers while maintaining their distance.

Aomine looked over, momentarily distracted (yet kept a firm grip on the suspect) over at the group of teachers, his eyes locking onto the guy he'd been waiting for, his light blue eyes gazing wondrously into his.

The man was the first to break the silence, tilting his head at the scene before them.

"What's going on, officer?" He asked, his face a blank mask.

Aomine blinked up at him several times, taken aback only slightly by his voice. It was crystal clear, not a hit of nervousness, or weakness.

Just as he imagined

He couldn't help to smirk a little at the thought of his guesses about the man before him being right.

Aomine got off the criminal, pulling him up with him by the handcuffs. He shook the man harshly causing him to stumble slightly.

"This guy just robbed the store next door," he said, jerking his chin over in the direction of the store. "Just catchin' the guy is all. He was about to hide in the garden here, so I thought I'd stop him quickly before he had the chance to. Didn't want him to hurt the flowers," he added at the end, giving the teacher a smile.

The teacher stared at the officer for a minute before giving a perfect 45 degree angle bow, with a straight back. The other teachers followed afterwards, giving him his thanks.

He straightened back up, looking at him curiously more, his light blue eyes never leaving Aomine's.

"Thank you. The Garden is a very precious commodity to our daycare. And thank you for your civil duty to our city. Is there anything we can do to repay you?" The teacher asked out of politeness.

Aomine could only smile, giving a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god was giving him luck that day.

"Your name," he answered, with all seriousness.

Such a reply caused the other teachers to stir about with questions, murmuring to themselves. The teacher in question only gave him that same blank stare.

"Name? You mean the name of the daycare?" He offered, looking up at the top of the preschool, where the Preschool name was hanging with bold red letters.

The officer only shook his head, giving a slight chuckle at the situation.

"No, I mean your name. The one your parents gave you?"

The other man only raised his eyebrows slightly, the only hint that he was the least bit surprised.

"I am not sure why you'd want my name, but my name is Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko reached into his apron pocket, pulling out a card, his name printed out on a card filled with pictures of suns and flowers.

Aomine willingly took it from his hand, giving himself a chance to slightly graze across the other's skin in the process. It was soft and cool to the touch. Though it was merely a graze, it managed to set off a slight chill down his back, one of excitement.

The touch seemed to affect Tetsuya as well, as his cheeks turned a slight pink for merely a moment, so fast that Aomine almost missed it, as well as the quick upturn of his head up at him. But Kuroko was fast, and managed to conceal his surprise quickly.

"I'm Aomine Daiki. Well… I have to take this freak over to the station," he said, pushing the criminal in front of him. "I'll see you around… Tetsu-Sensei."

Before Kuroko even had a chance to argue back at the sudden familiarity of his name, the officer took off, pushing the criminal in front of him until they got in the squad car, veering away.

He couldn't help but to look after the car, the dark skinned officer still clear in his mind. He had no idea then that the officer would remain in his mind for much longer than just that second.

Kuroko noticed that the same police car would pull up at the same spot, every day, as well as the exact same officer that had helped out the store next door.

He would watch from the window at times, noticing the subtle way he'd let his gaze linger far too long on the Preschool entrance before allowing himself to scan over the rest of area. It brought up a slight chuckle to escape his lips.

"Kuroko-Sensei?" One of the other teachers asked, looking over at Kuroko in surprise. Though that teacher had been there for years, she had never heard Kuroko let out as much as a chuckle. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied, his face instantaneously back to normal before resuming his view on the children – however that was not without a slight glance at the window once again, looking at the officer.

The teacher looked in the same direction, and she smiled knowingly, saying nothing more.

The bluenette teacher's curiosity grew more and more as the car would still pull up, whether sun or rain. He let himself inch a step closer in his view, having his superior allow him to water the garden at the same time every day.

With this, an unarranged schedule appeared before the two of them – the officer and the teacher- in which they both stole glances at the other, without knowing the other was looking. There were times however when they caught each other's eyes, eliciting a small smile from the both of them. Though they did this daily, they maintained their distance, the image of the other still engrained in their mind when they went to sleep, as well as they didn't see each other.

Maybe someday one of them would be able to step that boundary, and finally talk to each other. But these things took time; slow, progressive steps that led to a blossoming relationship. These tinny baby steps were ones that both were scared to take, but would with certainty take place in the future.

The day finally did arrive when Aomine stepped out of his car, and looked over at Kuroko for most likely the millionth time and shared a smile; a knowing smile between the two of them as they knew what was to happen next.

"Would you like to go get some coffee with me sometimes?" The officer asked, his lips still pulled up in a smile.

"I'd love to."