I have seen The Force Awakens (it was released a whole day earlier than elsewhere across the world in France, lucky me), the new trailer for the next Star Trek is out, as is the one for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. My geeky little heart is content. Have a chapter that's been sitting around since late May on my computer.

Also, check out cywscross's new story, When Opposites Attract, it motivated me to edit and post this chapter!

The day after their match with Shuutoku, Kuroko shows up with a bruise that takes up half his face.

No, not quite, but still. Taiga has big hands – freakish oven mitts, Alex used to say – and the mark left behind by his fist covers Kuroko's cheekbone and spreads down to the corner of his jaw. It's turned an ugly dark blue overnight and Taiga knows from experience it must hurt like hell. Kuroko's punch has left a bruise of its own, but it is neither as large nor as deep, and it twinges both with sympathetic pain and guilt at the sight of Kuroko's face.

Taiga makes a noise like a wounded animal when he first sees it and keeps eyeing it all through math class.

The minute it's over, he rushes to apologize.

"I'm really sorry – I shouldn't have done that? It looks like it hurts – are you okay? Do you need some ice?"

Kuroko just looks back at him calmly.

"It's fine, Kagami-kun. Thank you for your concern."

Taiga wants to protest, but Kuroko has closed down the topic. Even though he winces through his entire lunch, grimacing every time he has to chew. Taiga swaps their lunches, handing over his soup and rice pudding without hesitation, and runs down to the nurse's to get an icepack.

Kuroko indulges him, looking faintly bemused – as far as Taiga can tell.

But one thing Taiga has vastly underestimated, in his focused fretting, is his teammates' reaction.

They walk into the gym and Kuroko does his usual "I'm-here-right-in-front-of-you", and Coach screams then does a second double-take and grabs Kuroko's chin, turning his face towards her.

"Is that –"

By this time, everyone has sensed something unusual and in the split second before they compute what they're seeing, Taiga only has time to think oh shit.

Then there's an explosion of noise, at the forefront of which is their captain, incoherent with rage. Taiga backs up against the wall, cornered, and looks for his usual back-up before realizing this is likely the one situation Kuroko can't defuse.

"That's enough!"

"It's fine, Coach. Kagami-kun also has a bruise from me punching him." Kuroko is saying as they all back away from Taiga unwillingly.

"Bakagami has a tiny-ass bruise on his face because you have the upper body strength of a seven-year-old and hands smaller than mine. You look like a domestic abuse survivor."

"Good thing for once most people can't see you," Hyuuga remarks sourly and Taiga flinches again.

Kuroko is directed to a bench and very firmly told to sit there and hold the icepack up to his face. He looks vaguely offended.

And then Coach turns to Taiga, and her smile is terrifying. Taiga ends up running laps around the court for the entire practice and guiltily circling Kuroko who blank-glares at him every time he comes near.

By the time they all trudge off to shower and change, the white-hot anger at what he's done has shifted to simmering half-hearted resentment. Taiga actually hears Izuki-senpai say to Hyuuga-senpai, "Stop glaring at him. Look at his face! He's like a kicked puppy. Trust me, he's feeling worse about it than you are."

Kuroko's stony silence, however, is the thing that intimidates him most.

"Why are you mad?" he blurts out, desperately. "You weren't this angry this morning."

Kuroko's glare manages to convey how unimpressed he is with Taiga's deduction skills.

"Because of Kagami-kun, I had to sit out the entire practice."

"That's why you're mad?" Kagami' asks, incredulous. "Not because I hurt you – but because you had to sit on the bench?"

Kuroko's glare is eloquent enough. Taiga sighs.

"Look, I'm sorry –"

"Kagami-kun has already apologized."

"I mean it. I'm sorry, because I was angry when I punched you, and I wanted it to hurt, and I shouldn't have. I know you were careful and didn't hit me as hard as you could have, and I didn't see that. It won't happen again."

He glances down. Kuroko is looking at him – he thinks? – curiously.

"You knew I didn't try to hit you too hard?

"Well, yeah, I saw your passes. I'm pretty sure if you'd put that amount of strength into your punch, I'd be sporting a bruise as bad as yours."

Kuroko is silent for a few minutes. Taiga is almost sure he sees a smile twitching on his lips.

"I forgive Kagami-kun. As long as he doesn't forget himself again."

Yeah, that's a promise that's easy to make.

"And as long as he stops looking like kicked puppy."

"Hey!"