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On a cold night, their fates collided.
“God dammit,” Kagami mumbled under his breaths, which came out as white puffs in the air. He tucked his helmet even further down his face in a pitiful attempt to keep warm. Outside the firetruck, snowflakes raged down on the street in a blurry motion.
Across his seat, Makoto Tachibana, smiled, pulling on his thick gloves.
“It really is cold tonight, huh?”
Kagami grumbled. “Yeah. I used to live in LA, but I still can't stand the cold. I expected Tokyo to be much warmer.”
“The town I came from is pretty much right next to the ocean, so I guess you can say that I'm pretty used to it,” said Makoto with a sheepish grin on his face, and Kagami hummed out in response. Tachibana Makoto only transferred into his firehouse about three weeks ago, and he never really talked to the guy until tonight, this being their first shift together. From what he'd gathered, Tachibana gained the nickname 'gentle giant' from when he rescued a little kitten heroically from a burning house since the first day he arrived. And though Kagami didn't know the guy all that well, he had a feeling they would be able to get along.
Yet, despite his positive attitude toward Tachibana, their first shift together turned crap when a distressed call came in exactly six minutes before it was over. To make it even worse, it was snowing cats and dogs outside. Whatever rescue this was going to be, it was going to be long, and Kagami felt the bitterness welling up inside him, knowing that Aomine would probably be called to the scene too. There goes the night they wanted to spend cuddled together with Kuroko in their warm apartment while watching a bad episode of their favorite cooking show.
A glance at Tachibana, and the guy was all smile. But underneath all that, he could see his green eyes darting around, somewhat worried. He probably had a plan with someone too (in Kagami's case, it was with two people). He sighed, looking at other distracted firefighters; at least they were all in this shit together.
“All right, boys. Get you gears on,” shouted the lieutenant when the truck made one last turn to the right. Kagami smacked his helmet for a good measure, and Tachibana shrugged his thick jacket on more tightly.
The red truck stopped at their destination, then all jumped down to greet the sight of a wrecked restaurant with a truck, equally damaged, parked right inside it.
“Aww, shit.” Kagami mumbled under his breath when he recognized the sign which laid on the sidewalk; this was Kuroko's favorite restaurant. His Shadow would not be happy to hear about this.
A young girl, aged around 18 – 20, approached them with a phone clutched in one hand. He knew right away she was the one who called.
“What happened?” he asked, not beating around the bush.
“I'm not exactly sure since I saw everything across the street, but the truck slipped on the snow or something and just crashed right into the restaurant,” she answered smoothly. Then, looking thoughtful, added, “two guys were caught in it, but the ambulance already took them.”
Kagami nodded, and immediately, his team went at work. They made sure there was no gas leak, before sending him and Tachibana in to call for anyone who might be trapped in the wreckage. Working in a place like restaurants could turn dangerous quickly, due to the contents in the kitchen (gas, oil, knives, stoves... need he mention more?) but the team worked fast and efficiently, and he trusted everyone in his house. They were so focused that he didn't even noticed the police who arrived at the scene to conduct their own job, Aomine being one of them.
“Fire department, call out!” yelled Tachibana, peering behind the cash register. When there was no one after a few times, he nodded to Kagami. “Clear here.”
Kagami nodded back then moved carefully to the front of the truck through blocks of crumbling cement, expecting to see the driver slumped in his seat. Yet, strangely, the door on the driver's side was left wide open, and the seat was empty.
Kagami narrowed his eyes.
“Oi,” he called to the radio on his shoulder. “The driver is missing. He probably got out by himself. I don't see him anywhere, though.”
“Roger,” replied the other end. “Is it possible that he went through the kitchen and out back?”
“Well, that's most likely the case.”
A flash of light illuminated from behind him. He turned, and there Tachibana was, glaring worriedly at the puddle of blood on the floor which trailed into the kitchen.
Kagami felt his head throbbed as he spoke to the radio again.
“Case confirmed. Tachibana and I will see if we can find him or anyone else.”
Outside the freezing cold, Aomine grunted when he heard from his own radio that the driver was missing. This might quickly escalate into a crime case if the driver tried to flee the scene, which meant more paperwork for him.
There goes the night of cuddling with Bakagami and Tetsu. Good thing he set their favorite cooking show on record before he left the apartment - Tetsu would be angry if they had to skip yet another episode.
Beside him, an officer with red hair sneezed, equally pissed.
“What the hell,” he mumbled. “Just a few more minutes and our shift would have been done.”
“No point in complaining,” said the other officer, handing Rin a pack of tissue. “Let's get this done quickly.”
“Like we can with the driver missing and all, Sousuke. If this turns into a case, then we'll have to write a report on it! We're going to miss Cutthroat Kitchen!”
“I set it on record,” replied the guy named Sousuke, his teal eyes set on the back alley. “Now, they think the driver went out the back, and there is a blood trail. If he's injured, then he can't get that far, right? Question is, where would he go?”
“Where could he go?” Aomine interjected, vaguely recognizing the two. Due to his lack of enthusiasm to get to know other officers, he never quite remembered anyone's name, but clearly, all of them had the same objective, so he decided that three heads were better than two.
Matsuoka Rin (was that his name? Girly and unfitting, Aomine thought) turned to look at him in the eyes for the first time, red hair fluttering in the air. He'd then extended his hand out, introducing himself confidently.
“I believe we have never really talked before. I'm Matsuoka Rin, and this is my partner, Yamazaki Sousuke.”
“Aomine Daiki,” Aomine grunted in response.
Yamazaki spared the two's formalities with a glance. “It is nice meeting you and all, despite this shitty situation. So how about we get this done quickly?”
Aomine glanced back at the guy, then came to the conclusion that they would probably get along just fine. Yamazaki was on point, honest, and he didn't bother with formalities. And though Matsuoka was polite, but he also didn't drag on too much pleasantries. Together, they'd make a very boring and insensitive team, but at least they'd be efficient.
“Agreed,” Aomine nodded, concluding their short introduction. “So, if you were the driver, where would you go?”
All three stood still for a little while, scanning their surroundings. Then Matsuoka's eyes went wide when a realization dawned upon him. “If I were him and I was trying to run away, I would go to the vet instead of the hospital. But if he was just disoriented, then he'd probably be bleeding in some nearby alley right now. Let's spread out.”
“Calm down, Rin,” Yamazaki commented, his hand holding on the Matsuoka's arm when the dude was going to bolt into some shady alley by himself. “You can't just run off like that. Aomine-san, where is your partner?”
Aomine shrugged them a “dunno,” which was true. He didn't like the guy much, so he ditched him since the first week. Of course the supervisors had problems with that, but Aomine somehow managed to roll it off thus far.
Yamazaki sighed. “Then we have to stick together. Sorry, but protocol first. It would be a pain if you were to go off alone and get injured or something.”
Yamazaki was an earnest guy, and that was something Aomine couldn't bring himself to hate or defy, so he just shrugged again in agreement. Besides, the last time he went off alone and Tetsu found out from Kagami (that traitor), he was ignite punched in the stomach so badly he couldn't put anything through his digestive system for a day. To top it off, Kagami didn't make it easier by nodding along with everything Tetsu was saying. So, for the safety of his stomach, he was going along with this plan.
At the same time, Matsuoka brushed the large hand off his arm with a huff.
“Whatever, man. Let's find the driver and get out of here. From the preview, Kathy is going to make potato salad using only golf clubs, and I really don't want to miss that.”
“No sign of fire starting. We might have to watch out for some loose cords and the leaking gas from the truck, but other than that, the kitchen is untouched,” concluded the lieutenant to the rest of the team once they did the sweep through. They were all covered in dust, Kousaka's helmet got scratched from when the floor above coughed out a brick, but other than that, they were fine.
Kagami leaned against the truck, exhausted. A group of professional men went inside to tidy up the loose cords that dangled from the ceiling, but nothing could really be done until the proper tools to remove the truck without risking the building to collapse in a controlled environment arrived, so all they could do was wait it out. He hated this part of his job the most- the waiting.
Shortly after, Kagami was joined by Tachibana who looked equally distracted. In the end, he couldn't help but ask the guy:
“You have someone waiting?”
Tachibana blinked, then a gentle smile broke out.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah, sort of. I have someone... two, actually, waiting too, so uh, I get what you're feeling.”
Tachibana laughed, scratching his cheek. “Nice to know I'm not alone in all this. We were going to watch Cutthroat Kitchen together tonight, but I guess that's going to have to wait.”
Kagami's ears perked with interest. “Us too, actually. Are you on team Taylor, Dave, or Kathy?”
“Team Kathy all the way,” Tachinbana said, pumping his fist up in mini small cheer. “At least that's what Haru said. All because she made this mackerel in cream sauce or something for the first round.”
“Yeah?” Kagami mused. “Kuroko too. All because that sauce was made out of vanilla ice cream.”
The two chuckled. Kagami was mostly remembering the happy look on Kuroko's face when he saw vanilla as the ingredient. It seemed like Tachibana was remembering something similar as well.
“Haru was all sparkly when he saw what Kathy was doing with the shoelace... ah! I'm sorry, Kagami-san. I spoke as if you knew Haru all along!” Tachibana exclaimed, apologetic. Kagami shook his head.
“Nah, don't worry about it. Also, you can just drop the -san, you know. We're putting our lives in each other's hands on this job, so I don't see the point of being so distant.”
Tachibana's nodded in agreement. “I see, you can just call me Makoto, then. To be honest, since Haru and I just moved here, so we're a bit unfamiliar with the people. I mean, we have some friends in the police department, but we can't just hang off them forever.”
“Oh, right. You moved from near the ocean, right? Where is that, exactly? ” Kagami asked out of curiosity. Recently, Aomine and Kuroko have been complaining that they wanted to have a weekend off, and he had thought that a quiet town near the ocean might give them a break from the busy city life style they were leading. He might as well do some research.
“Iwatobi. It is a small city, but Haru and I were born there. We only moved about a month ago. Haru is a chef in a restaurant, you see. Though, since we just moved here, I haven't gotten a chance to visit Haru's workplace yet. I should have at least ask where Haru is working...”
“So you're married to your childhood friend, huh. Don't see a lot of that nowadays. Your wife must be worried sick at home now,” Kagami said. Though he was surprised that anyone would be married so young, the way Makoto had been speaking could only imply one thing...
... or not, according to the way Makoto sputtered and blushed furiously.
“I... it's...well, I mean, Haru-chan... Haru is a guy!”
Oops. Misunderstanding. Retreat, Taiga! Retreat!
“Oh. So, like, your friend.”
“Huh? Um... yeah! You could say that! Hahahaha...”
Awkward laughter hung between them. For a split second, Kagami thought that Makoto might be gay too, but then convinced himself that the only one who would want to get into their friends' pants was probably him... and Aomine... and Kuroko.
That's right, thought Kagami. What are the freaking chances? I'm just hanging around Kuroko and that Ahomine for too long. They make me feel like its completely normal to sleep with dudes. Especially your friends.
... I really need to take this vacation.
Makoto mustered another shaky laughter, forming white breath in the air. “You're right, though. It's getting really late. Haru would be worried.”
“Ahh, I just want this to be done with -”
Kagami's complain was cut short when a sound of his ring tone pierced through the air, screaming something about friendship, light, shadow, and hard work, featuring his two boyfriends together.
“Damn Kuroko and Aomine! They messed with my ring tone again!” Kagami shouted to no one in particular, fumbling for his phone. Then he turned to Makoto. “Sorry! Just gotta take this... God, why is it so loud and annoying?!”
“No, go ahead,” said the Makoto, clearly suppressing his laughter. Kagami blushed, but turned and picked up anyway.
“Is this you, Kuroko?! You little shit! Why did you and Aomin-”
“ Kagami!? ” yelled a panicked voice Kagami was familiar with, but could not recognized. He furrowed his eyebrows.
“Uh... who is this?”
“ It's me, Takao from Shuutoku! Damn, you're cold. ”
“Ah, right. Why did you call?” after at least a year of never seeing each other, he added as an afterthought. This was weird.
“ Oh, shit! Right! I should let you know that I work as a paramedic for Tokyo Hospital now! ”
“Okay...?” Kagami cocked his head. “What are you getting at?”
“ I just found out that Kuroko got into a car accident, along with some other guy! A freaking truck hit them, and he is in a hospital now! Shin-chan is seeing to them both, but Kagami... ”
All voices drained out from his surroundings.
Kagami's phone embedded itself into a thin layer of snow on the ground.
Seven minutes earlier:
“I found him, the bastard is running!”
Within seconds of hearing Matsuoka's voice, Aomine and Yamazaki dashed from where they were and spotted the red-headed officer charging for the driver who was trying to climb over the chain link fence. With their speed, agility, and muscle, the other two hurried after him and dragged the squealing suspect down to the cold ground.
Quicker than lightning, Yamazaki produced his handcuff and locked the driver's wrists together behind his back.
The driver whimpered. “I didn't mean to... I didn't...”
“Yeah, right,” Matsuoka scoffed, using the back of his hand to wipe a drop of sweat from his cheek. “You stink of booze, man. No wonder you ran. How much did you have to drink, ha?”
Aomine sighed.
Mission accomplished. Alas, he can go home and watch Dave get his ass beaten by Kathy. All he needed at the moment is Kagami and Kuroko and Nigou and a bowl of popcorn...
From the corner of his eyes, the officer spotted a zip-lock bag filled with white substance falling from one of the driver's boots.
Oh hell no...
“What is this?” Aomine inquired, waving the packet in front of the driver who was suddenly filled with even more fear, if that was even possible. Yamazaki took one look at it and smirked.
“Let's see... Drunk driving, possession of drug, fleeing the crime scene...”
Matsuoka growled. “you piece of...”
“Rin, we need to get him to the hospital first,” said Yamazaki, noticing the bleeding from the driver's leg, most likely from when he crashed his truck. Glancing at Aomine for approval, Matsuoka rolled off the driver (who is now the suspect) and pitched in his radio.
“Ah, we got the driver who was trying to flee the scene. Anyway, just send us an ambulance... and since it seems like this is becoming a case, I might as well ask for the name of the two victims involved.”
“Roger. Just give us a minute.”
Matsuoka slumped back against the wall. And though he looked exhausted, he managed to offer Yamazaki a toothy grin and gave him a fist bump anyway. Watching them, Aomine cocked his head.
Could these two be...
“We're sending one ambulance your way right now,” interrupted a sound from the radio, snapping Aomine out of his thoughts.
A small cry escaped the driver.
“As for the victims involved... the report said that their names were Kuroko Testuya and Nanase Haruka. They were both admitted to Tokyo Hospital...”
“Wait, what!?” Aomine choked, mouth agape as he pushed himself up from a crouching position. Before he knew it, he was next to Matsuoka, yelling into his radio.
“This can't be right,” he growled. Yeah, he thought, there must be an error or something. “Tetsu is supposed to be at home. He was going to pick up dinner...”
Dinner...
“Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun, what do you think of the fish from my favorite restaurant tonight?”
As officer Aomine sank to his knees, Rin and Sousuke snapped out of their daze. Shocked and shaking, Rin yanked the radio on his shoulder closer to his mouth and hissed into it.
“What are you talking about?! There's gotta be something wrong with...”
“Did you not hear me? Their names. Kuroko Tetsuya and Nanase Haruka...”
Rin offed his radio with a click as though he didn't want to hear anymore. A heavy silent drew upon them.
“Shit,” muttered Sousuke from under his breath.
Rin flinched back, and all of a sudden, his hand was on his phone, dialing someone he wished to see the least right now.
“...Makoto...”
“Kagami, are you alright?” Makoto asked, peering at the man who was frozen stiff worriedly. But when Kagami didn't respond, he decided to take a step toward the man.
“Kagami-”
The sound of Makoto's own phone cut in his sentence, startling him and making him fumble for it in his thick pocket. He was going to hang up, but then the flash of shark tooth appeared on his caller ID.
“Rin?” Makoto mumbled under his breath. This was odd. Rin never called him at this time.
He picked up.
“Hello? Rin?”
“... Makoto... ”
There was a deafening pressure at the other end of the line, so very unlike Rin. Makoto's brows began to knit together in a concerned manner.
“Rin, what's wrong?”
“... It's Haru.”
It's Haru.
The most difficult part of anything was the waiting.
All three officers came that realization after they arrived at the hospital, and were put on wait in the lounge.
“Fuck!” Aomine growled, a hand running through his short blue hair. Minutes earlier, Matsuoka, Yamazaki and himself have come running in with pale faces for reasons other than the cold. Apparently, the two of them were friends with the other victim.
Truth to be told, Aomine did not remember much. He recalled Matsuoka making a call to someone before helping him , but the one shoved the suspect into the back seat and drove had been Yamazaki. Everything else passed in a blur after that. Though, now that he thought about it, Matsuoka might have held him back from assaulting the suspect a few times once they got off the car, and Yamazaki got the bastard out of his sight the moment they arrived, presumably handing that undeserving trash to the doctors.
What are the fucking chances? He thought bitterly as he glanced at the other two officers who were whispering quietly to each other. But right now, he couldn't careless. Tetsu was hit by that goddamn truck from a drunk driver, and Aomine would make sure the driver pays for it, protocols be damned.
And God, how should he face Kagami?
As if on a cue, the wailing siren sound of a firetruck outside pulled Aonime out of his dark thoughts. His head perked up toward the hospital door.
He had expected Kagami to come dashing in and was not disappointed, but there was someone else too. Together, the two firefighters sped in like storms of red and green.
“Kuroko!” Kagami yelled, his voice booming and startling the receptionist. “I'm here to see Kuroko... Kuroko Tetsuya. Where is he? Is he okay? Please tell me that he is or I swear to God I will...”
“Kagami,” Aomine called out, suddenly more relieved and more exhausted. Kagami turned to spot him, then proceeded past the receptionist to his side in three long strides.
“Aomine, Takao called and told me that Kuroko is-”
“I know,” interrupted Aomine quietly. “I know. I also heard.”
Kagami recoiled. He opened his mouth as though he was going to yell, but then noticed Aomine's trembling lips. Knowing that he was not in this alone, he gripped Aomine's hand silently.
“Did you hear anything yet?”
“Nah. I only heard that he was in good hands... Midorima's got him. But they wouldn't tell me anything else.”
Letting out a shaky sigh, Kagami leaned against the wall beside Aomine.
“He was out to get our dinner,” Kagami mumbled, mostly to himself. “That's why he was there, you know? Shit. If only I had not forgotten to buy the groceries yesterday, he wouldn't have...”
“Don't even try, Bakagami,” Aomine snarled under his breath. “This is not your fault, okay? If you want to blame someone, blame the fucking driver. He was drunk as shit and had the gut to try running away. Blame someone... blame me if you want, but don't you dare do this to yourself.”
Kagami looked to Aomine, perplexed. “Why would I blame you?”
“I'm the police, dumb ass. It's my duty to keep this from happening...”
“Now look who is being the dumb ass,” Kagami scoffed. “No one could have stopped this other than the driver himself. Don't take this upon yourself.”
Silent drifted between the two of them, heavy and dark in their fear as both imagined the worst. Their heads were filled with Ifs... and it wasn't helping them to get the better grasp of the situation. But at least they had each other.
Looking to Makoto for the first time since they arrived, Kagami let out a shaky breath.
“You see that guy? Tachibana Makoto. His close friend is the other victim.”
“No shit,” Aomine mumbled, distracted. “Other two officers with me happened to know the other victim as well.”
The two gripped each other tighter.
“What a crappy night for all of us.”
“Rin, what happened?! Is Haru okay?! Oh my God, I can't... what if Haru... I...”
“Calm down, Makoto,” Rin said, his voice calmer than he thought it would sound. But he needed to be strong. Makoto had no one else to rely on at the time. “I haven't heard anything yet.”
Trembling, Makoto slumped against the wall. His face was pale white as he thought of all the things that might happen to Haruka... his beautiful Haruka...
“R- Rin... I don't think I'll be okay if something happened to Haru. I don't think I can... I mean, Haru was still with me this morning! He was saying that we should go to the Aquarium together this weekend, and he was packing my lunch...”
“Get a grip, Makoto. Haru will be fine,” Rin said, intentionally sounding a bit snappy and annoyed, though fear invaded his heart like a murky darkness. Makoto needed someone to calm him down, to mellow the situation, to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Rin had to be the pillar. He had seen Makoto this afraid once... when Haru almost drowned in that river. The look of immeasurable fear Makoto had on still etched in his mind to this day.
He would be afraid to point of losing his mind too, had the Sousuke not been by his side.
Sousuke offered Rin a bottle of Coke from the vending machine. Then, turning around, he popped the cap off his own.
“It will be okay,” he reassured them, sounding more steady than the situation could ask for. “Nana... Haru is a stubborn guy. He will pull through.”
“But...” Makoto choked, remembering the destroyed restaurant that was collapsing into itself. God, that was Haru's workplace. If Haru was in there...
Sousuke pressed a bottle of hot chocolate into his trembling hand.
“He will be fine,” he repeated.
The three then stood in silent: Makoto pale as a sheet, clutching onto the warmth in his hand until it burnt. Rin internally battling his own imagination, stuffing back his own fear for Makoto. And Sousuke, who seemed most calm, was constantly reminding himself not to let slip his own nervousness.
All feared for the worst, but hoped for the best.
After what felt like eternity, Midorima finally stalked out along the dark corridor, exhausted. All five men rose from their seats and went straight to him, surrounding him in a semi-circle.
Aomine grabbed his shoulders. “Where are they? Are they okay?”
Midorima shot him a glance and swatted Aomine's hands with a clipboard. “Unhand me.”
“But are they okay?” Rin asked.
“Kuroko'd better be alright...”
“The guy... name's Nanase... how is he?”
“Doctor...”
“Enough!” Midorima held up his hand, halting all of them. “I will take questions, but only one at a time. It has been a long night for me.”
“Where are they?” Kagami shot, annoyed and worried sick. Midorima pushed up his glasses up while glancing at his clipboard.
“Kuroko and Nanase Haruka, yes? They're in my office right now.”
“Are they okay?” Makoto asked quietly. “Please. Are they okay?”
“They're...” Midorima waved his clipboard in the air now. He looked more irritated than ever. “You may go take a look at them yourselves. But only family...”
“You know about me and Tetsu,” Aomine shouted, running past him. With the agility of a former basketball player, he was out of sight long before Midorima could say anything.
“And you know...” Kagami didn't even finish his sentence before speeding past the doctor.
“I'm his...”
“You don't need to explain yourself. Makoto. Just go!” Rin ushered Makoto past Midorima. “And I'm.. ya know... I am made up of 80% water. That makes me related to Haru. Close enough.”
“Sorry about this,” Sousuke apologized, but not at all apologetic. He stalked to the right and headed after Rin and Makoto who were already running after the other two before them.
At last, Midorima was left alone in the corridor.
He grind his teeth.
“TAKAO! THIS IS ALL BECAUSE YOU STOLE MY LUCKY ITEM NANODAYO!”
They all expected many things...
Two bluenettes snacking on chips while sitting together on the white hospital bed was not one of them.
Nonetheless, Aomine and Kagami tackled Kuroko while Makoto hugged Haru in his arms.
“Kuroko, what the hell!” Kagami yelled emotionally. “Do you know how worried we were?!”
“Get off him Bakagami! Tetsu! Why didn't you call us, you... you... idiot!”
Kuroko Testuya, for his credit, was doing well for someone with two grown men who were buffer than himself hanging off him. He only winced a little, subtly pushing the two away unsuccessfully.
“Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun, it hurts,” he said, putting a hand up to his bandaged forehead. “I apologize. I wanted to call you, but my phone...”
Meanwhile, Makoto (who finally peeled away) was shaking Haru's body in every direction possible.
“Haru! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! What happened?!”
Slapping Makoto's hand on his shoulder away casually, Haru mumbled. “Makoto, you're being loud. I'm fine.”
“But you're not fine!” Makoto yelped once he saw Haru's bandaged arm. “You're hurt! Haru, we should go see the doctor...”
“We're in the hospital, you idiot.”
“Then let's call the doctor over here again!”
Away from the chaos on the hospital bed, Rin let out a quiet sigh in relieve. Sousuke, however, just full out gave an exasperated sigh at the scene.
“Oi, Haru,” Sousuke said, taking out a small note pad from his breast pocket. “I'm glad you're okay. And look, I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm sure we're all tired and want to go home to catch up on Cutthroat Kitchen. May I have your brief statement?”
“Would you need mine too?” Kuroko inquired, shoving the two arguing idiots away from himself. Sousuke nodded.
“Yeah, that'd be great... uh... Kuroko-san.”
Haru turned to Kuroko. “Would you like to go first, Kuroko-san?”
“Only if you're fine with that, Nanase-san.”
Everyone's ears perked at that. Though the way the two addressed each other was formal, the tone and the expression they shared clearly showed familiarity. Haru nodded, one hand patting Makoto who was still going on about seeing doctors again on the head.
Kuroko looked up thoughtfully.
“Yes. As I remember, I came to the restaurant for takeouts...”
“Around what time was that?” Sousuke asked, scribbling down on his paper.
“Um... I believe it was around 10:30 PM. To be honest, I didn't have much hope of the restaurant being open, but Nanase-san was there.”
“The restaurant was closed, but I was cooking mackerel for my own dinner tonight,” Haru supplied helpfully when he was given a side glance by Sousuke.
“Right. So I was about to leave, but then he offered to cook my dinner anyway. He said that anyone who wanted mackerel in creamy sauce like the one we saw in Cutthroat Kitchen can't be that bad.”
At that, Makoto gave Haru an awed look. He always knew that Haru was into mackerel, but to think that he would go this far...
Haru gave one look that shut Makoto up.
“I cooked one hell of a mean dish,” Haru said proudly. “When I was done packing that for him, he said he would stay with me to close up because it would be rude to just leave. So we left the restaurant together.”
“It was really good, Nanase-san,” Kuroko nodded. “I can't get the aroma of the vanilla sauce out of my mind...”
“I used a bit of onion as well.”
“Ah, so that's why...”
Letting the two quiet yet air-headed guys who seem to get along surprisingly well go off about their food together didn't sound like a very good idea, so Sousuke promptly cleared his throat.
Kuroko gave him a blank and innocent look. “I'm sorry. I got carried away. We left the restaurant at about 11:10 PM, and we were heading separate ways in front of the store, but then I saw the truck heading directly toward us from the street.”
Kagami and Aomine gasped internally at this.
“Did you get hit, Kuroko?” Kagami asked sternly. Kuroko shook his head.
“No. I was able to push Nanase-san and myself to the side. The truck came really close, but we didn't have any direct contact with it,” he rubbed his bandaged forehead. “However, I was careless and hit the ground a little too hard. I banged my head on the fire hydrant.”
Kagami and Aomine could face-palm. Of course he did.
“Then what about you, Haru?” Makoto touched Haru's right arm carefully. Haru cocked his head to the side.
“Ah. The restaurant sign was falling. A scrap of it was about to fall on us, so I used my arm to shield it away.”
Makoto scrunched his eyebrows together. “Does it hurt?”
Haru gave Makoto an annoyed look. “Makoto, it was only about a size of a book. It scraped me is all.”
“Then we waited for the medics,” Kuroko said, concluding the story that wasn't as bad as it seemed. Just then, Takao bounced through the doorway, giving them a sunny smile.
“Yeah, yeah!” he laughed, defying the “please be quiet in the hospital” sign which hung outside the door completely. “My friend who went to pick you up told me all about it. You guys were quite the star. Apparently, when they arrived, the two of them were sitting on the curb, eating fries and mackerel together.”
Kuroko turned to Aomine and Kagami to give them an apologetic look. “The box was crushed and the food was getting cold. We had no other choice but to eat it then.”
Aomine snorted. “Who cares about that, idiot? I'm just glad you're okay.”
“Yeah,” Kagami supported. “You got here safely, that's all that matters.”
“Actually, they forgot Kuroko-san on the sidewalk,” Haru pointed out blankly. “I told them and the car needed to circle around to go back and pick him up.”
Takao flinched when Kagami and Aomine gave him a sharp look.
“Oi, how exactly does this hospital operate, huh? I will sue your asses off.”
“Now, now,” Takao brushed it off, laughing. “They're okay, aren't they? Shin-chan patched them up real good!”
Then, as if one a cue, Midorima appeared from the back and grabbed Takao from around his neck, making Makoto and Rin (who was standing closest to the door) jump in surprise at his dark aura.
“TAKAO~”
“Ough... Shin... chan...”
“The driver... no, suspect... needs someone to patch him up too. And since you took my lucky item, you allowed him to ruin my day. Come and help me. Now.”
“Help you?” Takao choked out. “Help you... with what? You're... capable enough...”
Midorima smirked, his expression sinister. “Oh, who knows. Apparently, his horoscope is Taurus, which was ranked number eleven today. No one would suspect a thing if a medic who was helping the doctor accidentally mixed a few things up, like spilling rubbing alcohol on the wound or swapping painkiller for laxatives.”
“Wait... Shin-chan, you want me to...?”
“I didn't say anything like that,” Midorima cut him in coldly. “Maybe he just has a bad luck today. It is all in the stars.”
“Yeah, you go and deliver judgment to the bastard,” Aomine cheered. Midorima turned and gave him an unflinching stare.
“Aomine, since he has to stay here for alchohol and drug testing as well, you might want to figure something out with your supervisors. You need to get Kuroko home and give him some medicine I prescribed. He has a minor concussion, after all.”
He turned to Makoto. “And you need to give him some painkiller. Make sure the area doesn't get wet, or it will be infected.”
Dragging Haru up to his feet, Makoto bowed to Midorima. “Thank you, Dr. Midorima. I will see to that.”
Nodding, the doctor gave them all a hard look that said “I don't expect to see you guys here when I get back” and walked off, dragging Takao who was choking to death behind him.
“Doesn't get wet?” Haru narrowed his eyes, sounding incredulous. “But its bubble bath night tonight.”
“Come on, Haru!” Makoto pleaded. He'd then turned to Rin and Sousuke appreciatively. “And thank you, both of you. For staying with me. I'm really grateful.”
“Nah, it's okay,” Rin said, waving his hand dismissively. “What are friends for? I'm glad you're okay, Haru.”
Haru grumbled, but then turned to give Kuroko, Aomine and Kagami a polite nod. “I'll see you soon, Kuroko-san.”
“Yes,” Kuroko said just as blankly. “I will eagerly wait for the creamy vanilla sauce recipe you talked about in the ambulance.”
Makoto gave Kagami a smile, then the two walked out. That was when Sousuke heard Haru's mumble, faintly and nearly audible, but surely:
“Thanks for being here for Makoto.”
“Oh,” he said as an acknowledgment. Then the two was out the door.
Rin pushed himself off the door frame. “Sousuke and I will just go drop off their testaments at the station and call it a shift. The radio just came in and told us that the next shift is already waiting in the front to receive the driver. Need a ride, Aomine-san?”
“Nah, I'm good,” Aomine said, stretching. “The chief is here, right? I will just go tell him that I know Kuroko, and hitch a ride back with these two. My car at the station can wait until tomorrow.”
“Gotcha,” Rin said as Sousuke nodded. The two were about to leave, and they heard Aomine grumbled.
“Thanks... Matsuoka, Yamazaki.”
Rin turned and shot him a smile, showing his shark-like teeth. “No problem.”
After they walked out, Kagami yawned tiredly. The time was really affecting him now. “Well then, we should go home as well, Kuroko.”
“I agree. I'm dirty all over, and I need a shower,” Kuroko said. Then, regretfully, “ah, but we don't have dinner.”
“We'll pick something up from Maji Burger on the way back in. I'll even get you the vanilla shake. Good thing its Friday and you don't have to go to the kindergarten tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Kuroko said, hopping off the bed. His eyes sparkled at the mention of the shake. “Let's go home.”
“Wait for me for a bit, I'll go talk to my superior real quick...”
“Move your damn ass, Ahomine! I wanna go home! By the way, I call the left side of the bed tonight.”
“Screw that! I already called dibs like two days ago!”
Walking out, the three left Midorima's office empty. And they all headed home where they belonged.
That night, four distinct sounds buzzed through the city, unnoticed by the rest of the world
First was the sound of two men. One insisting for a bubble bath and the other countering it with reasons and logic. Soon, the latter relented, only giving a laugh. “You can't be helped, Haru-chan. Here, at least let me go in with you... and keep the plastic bag over your arm, please!”
The second was of the two police officers arguing in their apartment. “What the hell?! How do they expect her to cook a potato salad with a golf club and no salt?! I swear Taylor is out to get Kathy... are you listening, Sousuke?! Don't you dare doze out on me!”
The third was the sound of three people shuffling on the relatively big bed. They managed to fit in snugly, but every now and then, phrases like “get your feet off me leg, dumb ass” and “stop hogging Kuroko, idiot” or “would both of you please shut up” could be heard. Lovingly, of course.
And lastly?
The last was the sound of a drunken man in a hospital who howled shrilly as a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol was spilled down the cut on his leg, and the sound of a doctor screaming over at a medic.
“I'M TELLING YOU THAT KATHY WILL EMERGED VICTORIOUS! SHE IS A CAPRICORN! SHE WILL NOT LOSE TO A SCORPIO LIKE DAVE! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL WE GET HOME, TAKAO!”