Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Summary: Alternate POV of "Touch of Blue" chapter seven. Because reality never matched up to his desires; so he resorted to his dreams instead.

Pairing: (One-sided) Kuro/Kagome

Suggested Listening: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall

Once Upon a Dream

Kuro grinned widely at the couple. He had to admit it. They were cute. Oikawa nearly tripped over himself three times in his attempt to impress his new girlfriend. The previous Captain of Nekoma felt something bittersweet bubble at the back of his throat. It wasn't quite jealousy but perhaps envy?

He stood to the side as Kagome smiled and laughed at something the setter said. It was funny really. He'd tried so hard throughout high school to get her attention. He'd done everything from talking to her, texting her and walking her to and from school. Yet she never really seemed to look his way. He had always been 'the friend'. No amount of flirting ever helped his case either.

Well that wasn't exactly true. He'd managed to convince her to go out with him once. Their relationship lasted a grand total of five months. It wasn't too short but not as long as he'd wanted it to last either. His eyes drifted towards the couple. They definitely looked happy. Kagome didn't bring her potential boyfriends around him that often. The few times she did was when things were fairly serious. He observed Oikawa a bit more.

The setter would alternate between being overly affectionate with Kagome and giving him a side eye. It was clear that he didn't trust his intentions and Kuro felt no inclination to correct his assumption.

The guy was rightfully suspicious of him. He and Kagome had always been physically affectionate towards one another. The end of their relationship hadn't tempered the bond that'd formed between them. It'd stand to reason that prospective boyfriends would be a bit turned away by their antics. Oikawa wouldn't be the first one to feel threatened by his presence in her life.

Kuro rolled his neck, releasing the kinks that'd formed there. At the end of the day it didn't matter whether a guy was jealous of him or not. What was important was making sure she found someone that could accept her for who she was. He wouldn't allow for some wanna be playboy to drive a wedge in her friendships because he was jealous. Not ever.

In the time since their break up, he could've wallowed in self pity, wondering what it was that he lacked. But where was the fun in that? He wasn't going to change himself and Kagome seemed perfectly happy to accept him as the person he was. She just wasn't attracted to him. Unfortunately as that was, he couldn't necessarily change her taste in men. So he did the next best thing.

He friend zoned himself.

Those first few months were the worst. It was hard working past his own jealousy when she started seeing other people. One in particular always managed to out maneuver his usual goading. But like the rest of them, that relationship also came to an end. He was surprised they'd lasted so long in the first place. They'd been complete opposites. He looked towards her new boyfriend once more. This guy seemed a bit different though.

When she looked at him her smile became just a tad bit brighter. He was both glad and a tad bit envious. It was a shame. The one he really wanted walked away from him and never looked back. Now it seemed that she'd found someone who'd interested her completely.

He should know. He spent the last few weeks listening to her ramble on about the 'cute guy'. Kuro hadn't missed the opportunity to tease his ex relentlessly on her tastes. From him, to the stiff as a board neighbor she had and now this guy. Her interests were widely varied. Once she told him who the person was, he briefly joked that she only ever seemed to be keen on dating volleyball captains. She didn't appreciate the joke as much as he did.

"So," He stalked up to her the moment Oikawa was pulled away by Kenma. "I get why you said he was cute. He can't keep himself straight around you."

Kagome laughed lightly. He still loved that sound. His expression softened as her palm case to rest on his arm.

"I told you! He's cute!" A bright flush went across her nose in all the excitement. Once he'd been the cause of that, now he was just happy to be next to her. "Although please don't rile him up. It's too soon for you to be pulling stunts like that, okay?" She tucked her hands into a pleading motion.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kuro smirked.

Oikawa was glaring at him with the hatred of a thousand members of the undead army. It was too late to not piss him off. He'd already done it during the game. It'd only meant to be a joke but he allowed his competitive nature to get the best of him.

"Sure." Kuro agreed smoothly. She smiled up at him again, this time more brightly than before.

"Thanks, I don't want him to feel jealous when there's no reason to be." The young woman gathered up her items. He wanted to contest that proclamation. Oikawa had every right to feel a bit jealous of their relationship. Most guys wouldn't be too enthused about an ex maintaining a friendly relationship with their girlfriend. Kagome hadn't mentioned how far they'd gotten, but it was safe to assume that the setter was feeling particularly threatened by him. Kuro couldn't fight the smirk even if he wanted to.

"Jealous? Of little old me? No!" He teased her. The young woman shook her head. "Besides, I'm starting to feel a little envious. When do I get a cute girl to gush about me like that?" He was trying to push her buttons. Perhaps that sort of personality was what led to the end of their romantic relationship. However it still gave him the chance to bond with her in a way no one else had. He was satisfied with that.

"Whenever you find a girl who can out match your wit." Her hand dropped away. "Come on the others are waiting." Instinctively he placed his hand at the space between her shoulders, leading her back to the group.

Kagome had been trying to place a small amount of physical separation between them. She'd known that allowing him to touch her familiarly would likely set Oikawa off and make him feel insecure. Touch had been a natural part of their friendship even before they'd briefly dated. So it was difficult for him to watch himself.

The second he felt a sharp glare on him, he knew he'd screwed up. Oikawa had his sights set on the hand he had on her back. The other man's lips thinned in visible displeasure. Kuro wasn't the type to get nervous easily. In fact there wasn't much about Oikawa himself that set his nerves alight with worry. What did get him though was the brief thought that maybe, just maybe, he pushed the new boundary too far. He'd feel like utter shit if her new relationship broke down because of him.

Kagome didn't date often but when she did, she was serious. Letting his competitiveness get in the way of her relationship was an unthinkable taboo. Yet he'd done it. Maybe there was some left over jealousy? He couldn't quite place his finger on it but Kuro knew that this was only the first sign of the trouble to come. He dropped his hand. Kagome hadn't noticed.

Instead she went straight to Oikawa's side. A happy smile upon her lips and a bright blush over her cheeks. She was definitely into him. The only person her eyes saw was him. The setter took hold of her hand somewhat possessively. The other male swiftly pulled her away into the crowd of their group. Before they slipped away entirely, he'd thrown a suspicious glare in his direction.

Kuro dropped his grin for a moment. This was bad. He screwed up.

"Damn," The previous Captain muttered to himself. "He's got it bad." The young man scratched the back of his neck. He'd have to talk to Oikawa later. Chances were that Kagome wouldn't understand why he was upset. He'd have to clarify his relationship with her to him if things were going to work.

Kuro sighed, "I hate being the nice guy." He lifted his palm to glare at it traitorously. It'd betrayed him. Now she was going to have to deal with a overly jealous boyfriend. He couldn't even make it through one game without touching her. He sighed again.

He glanced at his palm a second time. Still, he couldn't deny that it'd felt good having it there. A small smile tugged at his lips. Their relationship was over. Their romance had ended amicably, but that didn't mean that his feelings had been erased completely. His expression softened as he curled his fingers inward into a fist. At least he was here. That was more than he could say for others.

A small amount of hope filled him. Besides, that didn't mean he'd lost out completely. He was her rock and support no matter what. He was her closest confidant. That had to mean something. For the rest, well, at least he still had his dreams.

Kuro tucked his hand back into his pocket. Now, to set that jealous boyfriend straight. He couldn't let her heart be broken over something so simple. After all, that was his job right? He strolled forward, his confidence restored back to where it had been before. His fist clenched from within his pocket eagerly.

Oikawa wouldn't be the first guy he had to set straight. He only hoped that he'd be the last.