They met in the neighbor's playground when they were six.

Their mothers had introduced them to each other, since they had become acquaintances at their golf club.

The women left the kids to their own devices, sitting on a bench and discussing the next sport's season.

Hanamiya, exclusively Makoto at the time, analised the black eyed child. Ryuzaki stared back, unflinching. "Let's do something fun," the pale boy concluded.

"Okay," Ryuzaki agreed easily. He didn't have many friends - truth be told, he had none. For some reason, the other kids didn't really enjoy his company, and his parents were always working. Actually, such outing with his mother was quite rare. So the opportunity to play with anyone was very appealing.

In the end, it wasn't all that fun.

Ryuzaki was stuck on the water drainage for five hours until he was found and rescued.

When asked about the incident, he claimed to have acted alone.

….

Golf revealed itself a unifying force for the Shido and Hanamiya families.

Being a widower, Hanamiya-san expend most of her time working or taking care of her child. Golf had been one of her only indulgences.

The children often accompanied their mothers to matchs. Both Ryuzaki and Makoto had been, more than once, strapped to their mothers as babies while they played. However, the women's meeting had only happened recently.

That is why their second meeting occurred the first time both families were together.

The women moved to the shooting ranges, while Ryuzaki's father remained in the restaurant area, the kids in tow. He enjoyed the piece and quiet to catch up with readings.

There was a small playground area for the children to entertain themselves, so they were left there, the husband looking up to check on them every other page.

He saw the boys sitting next to each other on the monkey bars, a safe distance to the ground. He kept reading.

He heard a sudden thud.

Quickly looking up, Ryuzaki was on the ground cradling a badly scraped knee.

The boy would claim clumsiness

….

They met again, next time, in the Hanamiya residence.

The Shido family had been invited, among others, for a casual lunch of associate members of the community.

Many parents took their children. The older ones mingled with their parents. The smaller ones were entrusted to babysitters, occupying the extensive garden in group activities.

Makoto sat alone under the tree shade, a colorful book on his lap. No other kid wanted to join him. Most were afraid. Even the nannies were wary.

"Hi," Ryuzaki sat next to him, a red, soft ball in his hands. "Wanna play?" He smiled, offering the ball.

Makoto stared at the boy, eyes expressionless.

"Sure," he closed his book as he stood.

The Shido family left earlier.

They had to take their son to the hospital to get stitches.

….

"You forgot your ball," Makoto approached in the playground, his nanny scurrying after him.

The black eyed boy looked up from the book in his lap. He had a bandage tightly fixed on his right leg, engulfing his thin calf. The parting gift from his visit to the Hanamiya household.

"Oh," he smiled, accepting the profered toy. "I had your book, so it's okay," he glanced down. "There were some words I couldn't understand. Will you read with me?"

Makoto had lent him his least favorite book. It was about a lost lady bug that made many friends in her way home.

He hated it.

He had just wanted the adults to think he carried about his 'friend'.

"You were invited to my home yesterday," Makoto grumbled, brow frowned. "Why didn't you come?"

Makoto had requested his nanny call the Shido residency to invite the boy for a playdate. She had informed him that Ryuzaki wouldn't be able to see him.

"Oh," Ryuzaki murmured. "I was at my basketball training!" He exclaimed, grinning brightly. He had never smiled like that at Makoto.

"My dad enrolled me last week. It's so fun!" Ryuzaki promptly described all that he learned and did, speaking quickly in a way the other had never heard.

He talked about the exercises, the court, the positions, the teachers and other students. He happily told Makoto about the friends he was making there. "My dad is even getting earlier home to spend more time with me!" He added, breathless.

"So I might not have much time to play with you anymore," he concluded, more slowly. He gave the pale boy a leveled gaze that rubbed Makoto the wrong way.

The raven haired boy wanted to say he didn't care whether the boy wanted to see him or not, nor did he care about the other's activities. The stupid boy was only a distraction.

He wanted to laugh and mock, to hurt and injure and say that he had hated him since the first day.

"What if I join your team?" Was what he proposed.

There were no more freak accidents between the boys.

….

They were eight and enjoyed watching cartoons together.

Makoto usually went to Ryuzaki's home after school to play, study and and watch television. The raven haired boy usually chose the channel, since he hated some programs and couldn't stand others.

"Oh," Ryuzaki said one day. His father was reading the newspaper on the background, the boys huddled in front of the tv with pillows and fruit. "Now there is an interesting anime on," he boldly reached for the remote, changing channels.

Makoto was speechless a moment. He then frowned, crossed. "What anime? If it's stupid, we are not watching," he warned.

"It sounded just like the thing we enjoy. My friend, Sakura-chan, recommended," he answered, settling down.

"What friend?" Makoto certainly had never heard of her, and he didn't think there was anyone with that name on their team.

"From school," Ryuzaki distractedly said. "She is new, and some people were teasing her about her hair." He explained, suddenly excited. "The tips were orange, it was so pretty, Mako-chan! I am thinking of asking my parents-"

"Sounds stupid to me," Makoto closed him off, directing bored eyes to the tv. The anime would probably be stupid, too.

Ryuzaki gazed silently at him. "Okay," he simply said, just directing his eyes to the telly.

Two days later, he would appear with his hair tips dyed blue.

….

They were ten and spent all their time together.

Makoto and Ryuzaki were an inseparable combo. If you saw one, the other wouldn't be far.

They still played basketball, prodigies, their parents were often told. Ryuzaki loved the game and the excitement of trying to best the other team.

Makoto was less enthusiastic, but he kepting going because he was much better than all the others, even Shido.

They were in a friendly match against another team. Makoto was dribbling, but the opponent was proving hard to pass through. The raven haired boy was getting annoyed.

He glanced at Ryuzaki, who was waving his hand, asking for a pass. Makoto would have given him the ball, except the other stood in front of the judge's vision exactly that moment.

The opponent bent in pain as Makoto ran through him.

There would be claims of foul play, but Makoto had learned how to act long ago.

When nearby players were asked, Shido said he saw nothing.

The next match, Makoto tried the same trick.

He faced off against another boy blocking him. He observed the players' and referee's position. He stepped forward.

Shido stole his ball, passing through the opponents like water.

After scoring - with an advanced move no less- Shido and Hanamiya faced each other. The black eyed boy raised an eyebrow, daring his friend to say anything.

Hanamiya twisted his lips in a challenging, feral smile, but there was no more rough play.

At least during that game.

….

They were twelve and loved eating ice cream on hot days.

They would walk together to the parlor near their school after practice and get their favorite flavours. Sometimes, Shido payed for them both. Hanamiya never offered, but neither commented his friend's action.

The raven haired boy always chose the same 100% chocolate. It was far too dark and bitter for Shido, who liked to try something new every now and then.

They were on the line at the counter, many other kids and teens also visiting the place.

A mother with two small children stepped behind them. She had a baby strapped to her front and was holding hands with a toddler. She was asking them what they wanted.

The boys turn came, they got their orders, moving to a side table.

Shido and Hanamiya were speaking of their weekend's plans, whether or not they would accompany their mothers to golf camp or if they would do something else, when the toddler spilled some ice cream on his table.

The mother told her son to go ask for more napkins, calmly taking things out of the way of the spilled sweet.

Hanamiya's eyes tracked the boy's steps, calculating and amused. As the child tumbled back, hands busy with tissues, Hanamiya innocently yawned, stretching a leg to the side.

Shido steadied the kid as he tripped, holding him up and crawling his head to protect him from the fall.

The mother apologized and thanked Shido deeply, scolding her son for not paying attention.

"That was not okay, Mako-chan," Shido said, dead serious, as they went home.

"Whatever," Hanamiya shrugged. Shido grabbed his arm strongly, fingers digging into his friend's flesh, eyes both angry and pleading. "I'm serious, Makoto."

Hanamiya frowned, lips twisted in disgust. "Fine, you goody two shoes." He freed his arm, storming off.

….

They were thirteen and something was off.

Maybe the prospect of junior high was getting nerves rattled, or it could be something else.

They chose the same school, so they could be together. Hanamiya didn't really care if Shido was nearby or not, they still were neighbors, and it wasn't like he could get rid of his annoying shadow. But they had to be on the same basketball team.

As they got older, Hanamiya realised there were bigger fishes out there. Elementar y level was nothing compared to pre high. So, he wanted to step up. Grudgingly, he knew that working with Shido was the fastest way to hook and gut said fishes.

He still couldn't give two fucks about the game. Winning or losing was more about the feeling he got when he stepped out of the court than the numbers on the placar.

It just was that, usually, the bigger his team's score, the worst the other equip felt. So, better for Hanamiya.

However, recently, not even a crushing defeat was having the desired effect, not on Makoto, neither on the other teams.

He heard of other individuals just as good as him and Shido, already crushing people through shoots and dunks. The small fries were all numbed to losing. That should have happied the raven haired teen, but all he felt was annoyance.

"What's wrong, Mako-chan?" Ryuzaki sat next to him on their lunch break.

The pale teen bestowed him a leveled gaze, thoughtful. He inclined his head and took a lock of green dyed hair between his fingers, tugging gently.

Yes, maybe he was the problem.

"Nothing."

….

They were thirteen and a half and something was definitely wrong.

The feeling of emptiness and boredom kept eating at Hanamiya's mind. Not even watching other teens cry at being unable to score a single point was satisfying anymore.

He told himself it would be funnier if they were crying over something worthier than a lost game.

He told himself it was their own fault for being so weak and pathetic.

"Good game," Ryuzaki said, smiling, always smiling. He was in a good mood, as usual, mainly since they won another match.

Another boring to death match, that Hanamiya still couldn't care less. He couldn't even try to make things more interesting, since his accursed friend kept interfering.

He ignored the other, who had his hair tips dyed in bright pink that week. Makoto had tried mocking Ryuzaki for his color choice - hell, he had tried poking him about the dyeing since day one- but his friend remained unflappable.

Hanamiya gathered his things and made for the exit, teammates, coaches and opponents mingling about. A few moments later, he heard the tell tale of quick steps behind him.

Ryuzaki caught up to him, wisely keeping silent. The dumb oath was good enough for sensing his mood, at least.

Always the perfect one, always making friends with everyone, even evil, twisted Hanamiya who liked to hurt others.

It wasn't his fault they were so discartable. Like trash.

They started to descend a launch of stairs. Hanamiya fell one step behind.

Without thinking, he pushed him.

….

They were almost fourteen and Shido was still in the hospital.

It had been quite shocking, suddenly rolling down the stairs and suffering an open fracture. He was just glad he didn't remember much besides screaming in blinding pain and Hanamiya's paler than normal face.

Shido tried not to think too deeply about the accident. Oh, he was well aware that Makoto had pushed him, but he already had plenty to worry about.

Like the fact his tibia was infected and that the medical advice was amputation.

He and his parents had received the news that morning. It was almost nightfall, and they had already decided what to do. His parents had just stepped outside the room, his father's eyes shining with unspilled tears and his mother's face pale as a ghost.

He heard the door open and close. He didn't have to look away from the window to know who it was.

He always came at the same time.

"Your parents looked like shit," was Hanamiya less than ideal greeting. "You don't look so hot either." And that was the closest to a worried question he would get.

He didn't answer. He heard Makoto shifting, unused to being ignored by his friend.

Were they friends? Shido asked himself. He had liked to think so, at least.

Ryuzaki was well aware that Makoto had issues. He just thought those conflicts wouldn't imper Hanamiya in sincerely befriending him. Now, lying in a hospital bed for more than two months, he wasn't so sure.

"Do you remember when we met each other," Ryuzaki started, not really asking as much as telling, "you convinced me that there were youkais down the sewage, and that if we found one, it would grant us a wish?"

Hanamiya stilled. "Oi-"

"What were you thinking when you did that?" Ryuzaki demanded, turning bottomless black eyes to Makoto. "Did you really want to just trick me, play a prank. Or did you actually want to see me hurt? What if it had been raining and I drowned-"

"You were asking for it!" Hanamiya viciously shouted. His fists were tightly closed and and rage burned in his eyes. "All desperate for attention and stupid enough to believe me!"

"My fault?" Ryuzaki numbly inquired, unbelieving. He sat straighter on the bed, directing a frigid stare at the other. "Was it Onoda's fault you struck him during our match? Was it that girl's fault you tripped her on the sandbox?!" He listed, voice leveled, but hands shaking in resentfulness and sadness.

"Yes!" Hanamiya busted, that feral look over taking his grey eyes. "They all deserved it, were asking for it. Had they been better, it wouldn't have happened!" He exclaimed, pacing restless.

"They are going to amputate my leg, Hanamiya," Ryuzaki quietly informed. The other froze on his tracks, eyes wildly searching Shido's, for the truth, probably. The raven haired teen always suspected others, even his best - only - friend. That shouldn't sting as much as it did, considering the circumstances.

The way Hanamiya's eyes widened and his mouth fell suddenly slack, seemed to tell Shido all he needed to know.

"Do I deserve it, Makoto?"

They stared at each other for a few moments. Hanamiya turned to go. He opened the door, but didn't step outside.

"You trusted me," he simply said. "So yes, for that, you deserve it."

He left.

….

Hanamiya changed schools. There, he knew no one and no one knew him. He could start over.

He entered the basketball team because he now would have the freedom to do as he pleased.

He also made friends with an older boy, with who he seemed to just click.

With narrow eyes behind glasses and an always present smirk, Imayoshi was very different from Shido.

When Hanamiya spoked of how pathetic someone was, the older teen would lightly caluje him, but not really mean it.

When he spoke of basketball plays that had nothing to do with special passes and dunks, Imayoshi listened and helped him execute them.

When he wanted to trip someone on the corridor, there was no one to prevent him.

He was much happier now than before, he told himself. No annoying overly good person to hold him back.

….

By the time Hanamiya was almost finishing junior high and looking for high schools, he already hated Imayoshi.

He was immensely glad the day his senpai went to high school. He was more than disgusted by that annoying, meddling bastard.

Hanamiya was ashamed of himself for being so gullible. What was he? A lost fool obeying a master like a dog?

Hanamiya realised he was being played because of, truth be told, something incredibly stupid and meaningless.

"So, who is this 'Colorful Stupidity' saved on your contacts?" Had been his senpai's disinterested question, the smug bastard not even looking at him.

The younger's lips had twisted in a smirk, though he had seethed inside. Since when had Imayoshi had access to his cell? There was only one person who new his password and he was-

"None of your business, senpai," he had snarked back. Guess he would just have to change his lock sequence.

"So stingy," Imayoshi had airly answered. He had suddenly looked at Hanamiya over his lenses, eyes minimally wider. "I thought it had something to do with one Shido Ry-" He ducked the punch aimed at his head with a laugh.

"Shut up," Hanamiya had snarled, teeth bared. He hadn't known what to think, all he had been sure about was that the bastard had nothing to do messing with his past.

"Oy, you wound me," he had sang with a smirk, eyes shining behind the glasses. "You always tell me everything, even the bad things you like to do," he had completed with a meaningful look.

It had dawned on Hanamiya the fact that he had had shared everything with his senpai. In his rush to abandon one devil, he had met another, telling every incriminatory thing to someone he hadn't even known all that well.

He had cut ties with Imayoshi after that.

As said, a stupid reason. The past should stay there.

He spent his last year playing basketball his way, no one contradicting him. That Teiko team proved itself a true annoyance, so there wasn't much his teammates could do.

He wasn't lonely, he told himself.

He didn't miss speaking of books and novels. He didn't miss watching horror and romantic movies. He didn't miss eating 100% chocolate ice cream.

He certainly didn't miss hair tips dyed in a thousand colors.

….

High school was heaven.

Kirisaki Daichi proved itself a great revelation for Hanamiya.

Finally free from his senpai's shadow, finally completely away from that person.

His comrades easily enough bent to his ways and ideas. His web gaining shape since day one. The coach quitted a few weeks after his enrolment.

Everything went accord to plan. There truly were good teams on interhigh. It was tremendously satisfying bringing them all down.

Seirin, particularly so.

Kiyoshi Teppei had played against Hanamiya in junior high. Only at the time, Shido had already been hospitalised and Hanamiya was too rusty to play rough. The center wouldn't see what hit him.

The Iron Heart was a goody two shoes that believe in team effort and dreams. He believe in friendly competition and hand shaking regardless what happened. He believe in being good.

Hanamiya hated him more the he ever did anything else.

When he gave the execution order, his finger snap wasn't loud enough to cover a constant voice in the back of his head. He wouldn't regret this, he had never regretted anything.

He didn't miss sitting quietly at the park. He didn't miss entertained laughter at his philosophical jokes. He didn't miss discussions about new animes. He didn't miss sitting on the subway station and making up stories for the people walking by.

"Cheating his wife with-" Hanamiya would start.

"-his long lost love."

"Running away after killing-" The raven haired boy would try.

"-his hunger."

"Living a dull life-" Makoto would propose.

"-filed with small moments of happiness."

"Sitting next to the most annoying person on the earth-" He would huff.

"-who likes you the most." Shido would finish, taking his friend's hand.

Hanamiya didn't miss any of that bullshit.

….

His second year in high school was complicated.

Until the Winter Cup, everything had been fine. Kara was proving a great addition and good company, too.

Kentaro was lazy, but kept quiet, so he was fine, too, in Hanamiya's book.

Truth be told, he felt well connected to everyone on his team, which was strange. He had never had so many people who didn't make him feel like ripping his eyes and ears out.

He figured being the black sheep on the white flock brought people together.

Everything was fine.

Until Seirin's game.

He had heard of the two rookies and wasn't intimidated by them. He had a plan, and he was going to execute it.

He had found that people were disturbed by his ability of sounding deeply concerned and sincere one moment, and mocking the other.

So he did just that.

He knew the players were onto his rough game, so he goaded them.

He knew they would try to retaliate, so Hanamiya wanted them to stoop to his level, to destroy through something other than scores and numbers. He tested them.

He knew they would see right through his attempts of irritating them. He did it anyway.

Seirin endured. How they fucking did.

Hanamiya was appalled by their perseverance. He had never met anyone that could ignore him for so long and keep doing things their way. Even Imayoshi couldn't drive him from his antics and actions.

And that accursed Kiyoshi, standing on harms like a bloody mártir. Standing up to Hanamiya, who was evil, twisted and liked to see others fail.

As that invisible brat, Kuroko, launched a fast pass right next to his face, Hanamiya realised he had met someone just like that.

It was definitely Kiyoshi's, the team's fault, they were that way.

The thing was, it also was Hanamiya's fault. He pushed them first, they were merely pushing back.

Shido had just been pushing back.

….

Just a few days after that fateful game, Hanamiya visited the Shido's household.

He rang the bell, when before he would have entered without knocking. It was times like these he realised how close he and Ryuzaki had been.

No one answered.

Hanamiya turned away and walked down the street. He didn't have a plan in mind, nor did he know where to go. He hadn't decided what to tell Ryuzaki, anyway.

He heard the well known sound of a basketball bouncing on the ground. He saw himself on the neighbor's park, where a concrete court stood.

Ryuzaki was there. Almost four years since they last saw each other and yet, he hadn't changed. Well, he had.

Hanamiya's eyes were immediately trained on the prosthetic leg. Of course the bloody dumb would-

He took a deep, calming breath. In nothing his temper would help right now.

The other teen wasn't alone. There were two kids playing with him, boy and girl, probably siblings.

"Now pass to Naguisa-chan, Ryo-kun," Ryuzaki instructed, blocking the boy.

The ball flew, quite off course, and the girl was unable to intercept it. It rolled in Hanamiya's direction.

"It's okay!" Shido consoled the disheartened child, lying a hand on his head. "Let's try again, yeah?" And he was jogging after the ball.

They both froze.

Hanamiya expected many things from Ryuzaki. Anger, sadness, frustration and even fear. Maybe indifference, actually, the captain was hoping for it, since he was sure any other emotion would only be counter productive to what he wanted to achieve. Whatever that was, anyway.

He definitely wasn't expecting a smile.

"Well," Shido started, sounding just as happy as he did before. "Look what came back," he approached, the leg clicking and adding bounce to his gait.

It was oddly fitting of him.

Shido had his hair tips dyed in cyan. The sight warmed Hanamiya strangely inside. He felt disgust at himself, for caring so much, for relying so much.

He repressed his own revulsion. Shido was someone who he had enjoyed being with, someone even he could see was worthy. There was no need of such reaction.

"Do you wanna play with us?" Was the unexpected request. "We have odd numbers, so it's kinda complicated."

Makoto searched the others expression. He seemed nothing more than genially amused. A mask, then. Ryuzaki had never done or felt things half measured.

They played. Or, at least the kids thought they did. That simple bounce and pass and shoot was nothing like a real game, not even their elementary games were that dull.

They looked happy enough, though, and knowing Shido, that was his only concern.

Not even an hour later, they sat alone on the playground's swing.

"Do you remember when we met," Shido started, more telling than asking, "you convinced me there were youkais down the drainage and that, if we found one, it would grant us a wish?"

Hanamiya holt his breath, unsure. He had no idea what to say.

Black eyes turned to him, and he braced himself for the same question from that fateful night at the hospital.

"Do you know what I would have wished for?" Was the unexpected question. Hanamiya gazed at him, open mouthed, speechless in a way he rarely got. He barely managed to shake his head.

Shido smiled brightly, stretching both legs ahead of him, the metal of the prosthetic glinting in the weak winter's setting sun.

"I would have wished to have Mako-chan as a friend for the rest of our lives, since he was so nice and shared secrets like that with me."

"I am sorry," Hanamiya spitted out, immediately.

They stared at each other, Shido now emotionless, Makoto enraged, disgusted, ashamed, a jumble of conflicted emotions he couldn't grasp one from another, nor pinpoint cause and reason.

"I didn't want to hurt you this badly. I mean-" Hanamiya backtracked, since he had decided this day was the day to be completely honest, even if mortification ate him alive. "I wanted to, but it was an impulsive reaction, I just wanted to do things my way and you were holding me back!" He exclaimed, frustration permeating every word.

He stood and passed restless, shaking his hands eloquently.

"I know things would be much worse if you had let me do whatever I wanted. Hell I-" Hanamiya gave a sudden, maniac laugh. "I look back and feel shame of the things I would have done if you were not there. Some things are just so stupid !" He laughed again, dragging a hand across his mouth.

"I know I blamed you," he continued, looking down and digging his nails into his flesh. "I blamed everyone," he said more quietly, before training his eyes into shadow pools. "But we both knew it was my fault." He confessed.

They were silent.

"I can't compensate you for what I have done, but I can acknowledge it." Makoto explained. "I can't ask for forgiveness, but I can try to make things less wrong." He proposed.

Shido said nothing.

Hanamiya dry swallowed, pushing his hair back and covering his face, realisation dawning heavily on him. There he was, trying to apologize to a guy who had lost a leg because of him in hopes that they could, what? Make up and be happy together forever?

He wanted to laugh hysterically, to give up this stupid make up plan and tell Shido he was kidding, that he didn't mean it and that he was glad the other was crippled forever and would never play basketball well again and never would bother him any-

He felt hands holding his trembling shoulders. Pathetic, he was disgraceful, shaking like a leaf and crying like a loser. That is what he got when he didn't think plans through.

"B-baka," Hanamiya attempted, words empty. "L-like I w-would ever say s-something li-ike tha-"

"I missed you, too, Mako-chan," Ryuzaki confessed, embracing the other. "I'm glad you realised those things," he put a hand on Hanamiya's head, shushing him. "I was very angry at myself for liking you. I was more crushed when it came to me how much you had purposely tried to hurt me," he told him.

They stood in each other's company in piece. Shido had always hugged him, back when they were friends, which annoyed Hanamiya to no end. Now, he was just content.

"You said you couldn't compensate me, and that you would try to make things less wrong," Shido accused, suddenly. "Did you mean it?"

They separated, locking gazes. It had been years since Hanamiya last cried, the tear tracks strange and foreign on his face in a disconcerting manner. "I did," he promised.

"Let us start then," Ryuzaki concluded, putting his hands on his hips and raising his head with a grin.

Hanamiya turned dubious eyes at him. He felt old and known annoyance chewing at him, that always appeared just before Shido did something overly goody.

"Just like that?" Hanamiya couldn't hold back. "All I had to do was apologise and say I was to blame, which was a given, and we are back?"

"You tell me," Shido returned, head cocking to the side. "Do you think we can go back?"

They gazed again in silence at each other. Makoto sighed, closing his eyes, unbelieving with himself and the situation.

"Not back," he admitted, reaching to take Shido's hand. "Forward."

….

Shido transferred to Kirisaki Daichi's third year, quite uncommon.

When asked, he would say he was chasing his long lost flower.

….

The day the basketball team finally agreed, wholeheartedly, to stop foul playing, Ryuzaki kissed Makoto on their way home.

Since then, they would usually be seen holding hands.

….

They went to the old ice cream parlor. Hanamiya got his bitter poison and Shido caramel.

The raven haired boy made his companion pay, since he had been the one to drag them there.

Shido agreed after receiving a kiss in the cheek

….

Shido would never tell Hanamiya who he met at the mountain's trak, nor from whom he had stolen the Special Robot Samurai Limited Edition.

But he did tell him how he had found a lost little girl in lolita dress.

"Sounds cute," Makoto mumbled, half asleep next to Shido on the bed.

The idea of facing the ace of another team had been Hanamiya's.

….

They were eighteen and trying to win the Winter Cup together. For that, they had to pass through Interhigh with a high position.

Since Seirin was already a competitor for winning the year before, Tokyo would have three representative schools. So, they had to fight for one of the two seats.

They had to be one of them. So, they started their season with full force and a touch of drama.

Having a third year amputee walk into the court among Kirisaki Daichi had that effect.

"It won't matter, whatever they are up to," Hyuuga just finished, as they started to stroll to the bus stop.

"Seirin, wait!" Someone called, rushing in their direction. It was enough to freeze them in their tracks.

Shido came running, prosthetic leg clicking, but most eyes were drawn to what he was carrying. Or better, who.

"Nigou!" Riko exclaimed, bending slightly to be on the same high as the dog. Yes, it definitely was their mascot, all uniform jersey, blue eyes and dopey smiles.

"Oh," Kuroko murmured, looking down at his bag, where he usually carried the dog. "His presence is really weak, I didn't even realise when he left," he deadpanned as usual. "Impressive. I can see now why you guys never see me."

"He followed us," Shido explained, rubbing the malamute's head before giving him back to Izuki, who was the closest. He had been gazing at his green uniform distrustfully.

The point guard discreetly ran a hand over Nigou's torso, back and belly, checking to see if something was off. The dog threw him what would be considered a disapproving look.

"Aida-san, Hyuuga-kun," Shido nodded to them both. They awkwardly responded in kind.

"These are my friends," Kiyoshi stepped forward, swiping a hand in his team's direction. Seirin had divided emotions, some seeming uncertain, others on the cusp of angers, a few were politely neutral. "This is Shido-kun, guys."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Shido bowed slightly. Some heads bowed back, most just nodded cooly. The team was tense.

Hyuuga cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. "Congrats on your game," he murmured. "I heard it was your first since…" And he waved gracelessly on the leg's direction.

"Thank you!" He sincerely said. "I can't wait to play against you." He earnestly informed, winking in Kagami's and Kuroko's direction. "I heard plenty of you already."

"Right," someone mumbled doubtedly.

There was a pregnant pause.

"Would you like to join us, Shido-kun?" Kuroko proposed, suddenly. "We were going to get Magi burguer."

The black eyed teen gaped a bit, clearly caught of guard. "Oh, hum…" He hesitated briefly.

"Let's go, Ryuzaki!" Came Hanamiya's irked voice. "How long does it take to return a mutt?" The captain was many meters away, clearly unwilling to approach the others, if his twisted lips and deep frown were any indication. "I am leaving you behind, baka," he warned after a few instants, as if it was a second thought.

"I will meet you at the restaurant, Mako-chan!" Shido called back, entertainment shining in his eyes. "Order whatever you like," he added, going as far as making a shooing motion.

Seirin observed it all flabbergasted, a few mouthing Hanamiya's nickname, others looking between the two. The raven haired teen huffed, murmuring something that couldn't reach them, but did leave.

"I wanted to thank you all, actually," Shido confessed, as his partner got out of earshot. "Whatever happened last game, was enough to get our lives back on track," he explained, eyes down cast. "This game, today, was only possible because of you," he gazed deeply into all their eyes, his pupiless orbes earnest.

"We thought maybe you were the one changing him," Koganei chirped in.

Ryuzaki laughed, not unkindly.

"Oh, no," he mused. "I could never change Mako-chan, he is too stubborn for that," he smirked, mysteriously. "Only he could change himself."

And he left, with an upbeat wave. "I will be seeing you."

o.O.o

"Thank you for looking out for him," Shido genuinely said.

"Well, I did what I could," Imayoshi shrugged with a smirk. "He is damn stubborn," he chuckled lowly, adjusting his glasses. "And for all the good his high IQ is, he is a bloody baka, " he concluded.

Ryuzaki laughed along, eyes kind. "Yes, he is." They sat together holding fishing rods. Right after his surgery, during healing and physiotherapy when he still couldn't use a prosthetic, he and his father had found something to do outdoors while, well, sitting.

Fishing in small pounds it had been, where he met an older boy, with who he could bond in a place filled with middle aged uncles and dads.

With narrow eyes behind glasses and an always present smirk, Imayoshi was very different from Hanamiya.

When Shido asked for color suggestions, Imayoshi named things actually useful.

When Shido asked what his favorite thing about basketball was, he didn't say, untruthfully, it was watching others fail.

It had been a surprise learning they knew the same Hanamiya.

"Pity I couldn't play against you, senpai," Shido mused, pulling his line and standing. "The fishes aren't biting, I'm going," he huffed a laugh. The animals never bit his hook.

Imayoshi's line was immediately pulled. He smirked even more as he prepared to yank. "I will see you, Shido-kun." He stood, feeling a fight, eyes wider fixed on the dark waters. "Say hi to Hanamiya-kun for me, and good luck on Interhigh." He distractedly dismissed.

Shido left with a last wave.

The End.