CHAPTER 8: LUST

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket…

Can't you see
Ain't it clear, I don't care
Get closer to me
If you dare
I double dare
'Cause

I'm going numb, I'm going numb

-Rihanna

Onwards…

XOXOXO

Haizaki twirled his favorite switchblade between his fingers as he gave his best friend a deadpan stare. Sure, he wanted to cut Daiki's lies into ribbons, but watching the blue-haired man squirm was way too much fun.

They were seated across from one another on the covered balcony outside of Daiki's bedroom, the rain against the glass walls providing a comforting soundtrack. Haizaki leaned back in his cushioned wicker chair, eyes narrowed as he studied Daiki's expression. The man had an impeccable poker face, but Haizaki had long ago learned how to read between the lines.

"So…you gonna tell me who your friend is and why he seems to keep popping up at the weirdest times?" Haizaki used air quotes when he said "friend," just to get on Daiki's nerves.

As expected, Daiki rolled his deep blue eyes. "I hadn't really planned on it."

"Well, you know that's not an option, so…"

This time Daiki sighed and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "The only reason I'm going to tell you this is because you won't leave it the fuck alone if I don't." He paused. "Kagami is this kid I met a long time ago when I was still playing ball. He was pretty good, but I still kicked his ass. And even though he lost, he suddenly claimed that I was his rival and that we'd have to play again."

Daiki's voice trailed off as a ghost of a grin lifted the corners of his lips. Haizaki didn't know what to make of that. It had been a long fucking time since he'd seen his best friend interested in anyone enough to smile over memories. It was actually pretty eerie. Instead of letting free the sarcastic remark he had loaded in the chamber, he quirked his mouth and remained silent, hoping Daiki would get the picture and keep going.

It took a little minute, but Daiki quickly recalled that he had an audience and continued with the story. "After that, the next time I saw the guy was at Mirrored. He just popped up out of nowhere and demanded a rematch like no time had passed at all. Such a weirdo."

The ghost grin was back, and that was about enough of that. Haizaki let his chair drop into place and leaned forward, switchblade snicking shut with finality.

"Daiki…sweetheart…if I didn't know any better, I would think you have a crush on the red head."

Indigo eyes widened in shock for the briefest of moments before narrowing into dark, murderous slits. It was too late, though. Haizaki had seen and heard all he needed in order to form an opinion on the tall red head named Kagami. Not to forget that Daiki had mentioned something about the guy and his mother and aunt staying there for a while.

Staying.

There.

Just what the actual fuck?

And the audacity of Kuroko not to give away this little tidbit of juiciness. Haizaki completely understood the former rivals bit. Daiki was scarily competitive when he wanted to be, and especially when it came to basketball but…there was always a line drawn when it came to privacy and his personal life. So, who the fuck was this guy who seemed to be tossing all of Daiki's caution to the wind?

Daiki rolled his eyes again for the umpteenth time. "Don't be an idiot, Shogo."

"Oh-ho, no, Daiki, we are sooooo beyond that level of denial, it's not even funny anymore. What is going on around here? In fact, what does this kid have on you, huh? He got some devastatin' blackmail material or somethin'? Somebody catch you on camera wit' your dick out?"

For some odd reason that Haizaki was determined to find out, Daiki was being decidedly stubborn and tight-lipped about this whole Kagami and his family situation. It was irksome, but nothing a couple of days' worth of investigating couldn't solve.

Haizaki sat back in his seat with a huff, closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "Fine. Be that way. See if I care." The silence stretched until Haizaki peered at his blue-haired friend through one eye. "Do you really want me to investigate this on my own?"

That achieved the desired result. Daiki sat forward very deliberately and glared across the table. "Not unless you leave a suicide note."

Haizaki copied his friend's actions and leaned forward as well. "Deal."

XOXOXO

Kagami had been cooped up with his thoughts for far too long, so he decided to take a tour of his temporary yet extravagant quarters. He left his room, hung a right and traipsed down the hall. He hadn't seen his mom or Alex since breakfast, and while it worried him, he still relished the peacefulness. He hadn't realized just how much he needed a break.

He made it to the end of the wide hall and jogged down the stairs. He was almost afraid of running into Aomine and…whoever that other guy was. The thought of the rakishly handsome, silver-haired man made Kagami purse his lips, a deep frown creasing his brows. Even after hours of alone time, he still didn't know what to make of Aomine's companion. The pet names and embarrassment written all over Aomine's face had really thrown Kagami off. He didn't like it, but during his time of contemplation, he'd come to the conclusion that he was entirely jealous. And when he actually had time to analyze that weird shit, he also noticed that it was because he might be a teeny-tiny bit attracted to his old rival.

Kagami made it to the bottom of the stairs, where he paused, hung his head and sighed from his toes. How did that even happen, honestly? He'd never looked at guys like that. Hell, he was a tongue-tied idiot near pretty women! Where did this sudden…crush…on Aomine, of all people…spring from? Kagami sucked his teeth and continued toward the kitchen.

It wasn't fair. He didn't think he had the emotional capacity to deal with his mother's condition on top of what he might be feeling for his old rival. Another man. It was fucking mind-blowing is what it was.

He'd almost made it to the kitchen when he spied a large, wooden door next to it. He hadn't noticed that the first time around. Then again, he'd been half-asleep, and after that, too consumed with his thoughts. He gripped the old-fashioned handle with the thumb piece, pressed down and pulled, elated when the door swung open without a sound. He peered inside, his head tilting as he studied the carpeted stairs leading downward. The staircase, while narrow, was completely updated and smelled like fresh paint. The walls were a warm olive, the carpet a soft cream, and the banister was polished wood. Kagami saw light coming from the end of the staircase, so he followed it. There was a slight groan from the third step, but smooth sailing afterward until he reached the bottom, where he instantly froze.

For one thing, he hadn't been expecting the sheer size. The room, which could only be the basement, stretched for at least fifty feet. He'd unknowingly found his way into someone's man paradise. Cave just didn't do this place justice. Along the wall to his left was a TV that looked more like a movie theater screen than an actual household television. It was surrounded with DVDs and video games, too many to count. To his right, a stupidly big, soft-looking couch sat against the wall, black and covered with throw pillows of various shades of blue. There was even a dark-blue, plush, throw blanket draped over the back of the couch.

The thing had cupholders. Kagami swooned at the sight of the cupholders embedded into both arms of the couch, his soul doing a dance as he thought of all the movies he planned to watch. And then, he spied the popcorn machine a few feet away from the couch, along the wall. He literally squealed. Popcorn was one of his all-time favorite snacks, and the cart where the machine was perched was laden with all of the fixings. Flavored cheese powders, butter, seasonings – there was even candy on the cart.

"Holy shenanigans," he breathed, eyes the size of saucers.

But that wasn't all. No. When he let his eyes leave the popcorn greatness cart, he spotted a pool table further along that same wall. Instead of green felt, though, this table had dark-blue felt. Kagami rolled his eyes. Of course, it did. Still…he couldn't deny that Aomine had created the perfect man space.

And yet…there was still more! About twenty feet away from the pool table, there was a glass wall that separated the room he was standing in from what was obviously an in-home gym. That was where the carpet stopped because the gym's entrance was a fucking sliding, glass door. Talk about opulence. Kagami started towards the door but stopped in his tracks when he spied movement.

What the?

He couldn't believe his fucking eyes…in a few different ways. The first one: Aomine was injured, there was no way he had any business in the gym. The second: Aomine was shirtless, wearing a pair of gray sweats. And third: Aomine was sweating.

Kagami was rooted to the spot, and even though internally he was screaming at the idiot for being so reckless, he couldn't get past the perspiration shining on Aomine's back, shoulders, neck…dear God….

Aomine turned in Kagami's direction as he wiped a towel over his face. His abdomen, though marred with that bandage, was decorated with little beads of moisture that made Kagami's mouth run dry. His heart started banging behind his ribs as he watched his old rival's chest heaving, perfectly formed pectoral muscles flexing and downright gleaming. His hair was plastered to his head, completely soaked, and…wow. Kagami averted his eyes, one-hundred percent ashamed of himself for where his gaze and thoughts had gone.

What was happening to him?! Why was he looking at Aomine's print through his sweats?! God, he felt like such a pervert.

Kagami gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists that he kept clenched at his sides. His face was burning with embarrassment and his heart was thundering like a race horse, but he was still able to hear the slight "swoosh" noise the door to the gym made when it opened and admitted one Aomine Daiki.

"Wasn't expecting to see you down here, Bakagami."

His voice made everything worse.

Kagami refused to look his old rival in the eye. There was no way he'd live down the stigma.

But then, Aomine drew closer and Kagami was able to smell him. Of course, there was sweat, but it was a pleasant mixture of Aomine's customary, darkly-sweet scent. Biting back an unexpected groan, Kagami shuffled his feet and tried to discreetly edge away from the slightly taller man. No dice. It was like Aomine could sense that there was something up with Kagami. Not that Kagami was making that endeavor difficult to begin with.

"What's up?" Aomine continued in that god-awful voice of sin. "You look weirder than usual."

Well, that shook the coconuts out of the tree. Kagami's head shot up as he glared at Aomine. "What do you mean 'usual', asshole?!"

Aomine flashed his signature smug smirk as he entered Kagami's space, steps silent and unnoticeable. "There he is."

Kagami rolled his eyes when he realized that Aomine was in one of his notorious trolling moods. He started to brush past and inspect the gym when Kagami was reminded of Aomine's injury. Full of fire, he whirled to face the blue-haired man, nostrils flared with outrage.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Aomine's right eyebrow arched with amusement before he snorted. "What are you screaming about now?"

"How could you work out in this condition?! What if you tear your stitches or something?! What if that thing gets infected?! Then what?!"

"Jeez, honey, I didn't know you cared so much."

Kagami's acid retort faltered as "honey" drifted through his brain. He knew for certain that Aomine was just teasing, but for some reason, that endearment settled too nicely within him. His face warmed as he averted his eyes yet again and his heart picked up pace. Still, he had to put up a front.

"I-I don't…dumbass."

Silence followed his statement and lasted for way too long. So long, in fact, Kagami risked a sideways glance at the blue-haired man. Aomine's expression was blank, his stare even and giving away absolutely nothing. It was fucking maddening. Kagami hated the man's impeccable poker face.

What was Aomine thinking?!

Suddenly, the tension spiked, leaving the room devoid of air. Kagami was acutely aware of Aomine's movements this time around. He watched the other man ease forward, all grace and silk, their eyes locked, but Aomine's expression unchanging. Any time they were this close to one another, Kagami cursed the height difference, wishing he could literally knock Aomine down a peg or two. Aomine's dusky-brown skin was emanating heat like a radiator, and his scent was making Kagami breathless. And then, Aomine slowly raised his hand towards Kagami's face as he edged closer still. Kagami didn't realize he was holding his breath until Aomine's knuckles brushed past his cheek, the man's long fingers plucking at something near Kagami's left ear. They were damned near mouth-to mouth, for sure breathing one another's air, when Aomine's hooded indigo eyes lowered to Kagami's lips.

"You've got something in your hair, Bakagami," he murmured, voice thick as molasses.

And just like that, Aomine ended the spell he'd cast over Kagami. Kagami blinked before air rushed out of his lungs like he was blowing out candles. His heart was pounding, and he was probably shaking. Meanwhile, Aomine's expression was still blank as he took a couple of steps back.

"Forget to brush your hair today?"

Kagami frowned at the jab but was too busy getting himself together after what had to be the most harrowing experience of his life. He'd never felt anything like that before. His hands were clammy, and his throat and mouth were sandpaper dry.

What just happened?!

XOXOXO

Aomine inhaled quietly, heart positively thudding behind his ribs. He watched Kagami fidget and shuffle in place, inwardly knowing that it would have been child's play to just close that miniscule space that had existed between them a few seconds ago and claim those soft-looking lips. Hell, he still wanted to. He was reminded of the moment he'd experienced with Kagami in the Staples center lot and how badly he'd wanted to kiss him then, too.

To hell with Satsuki and her clairvoyance.

But it was becoming alarming how much he wanted to sample Kagami's lips, wanted to embrace the idiot whenever his eyebrows creased, and his mouth turned down at the corners. He wanted to make sure that Kagami was…happy.

Aomine gritted his teeth and glared at the red head's broad back. As if it wasn't bad enough that Kagami was turning him into a sappy pillow, he now had to worry about Haizaki digging into his business. It was a small mercy that his best friend had decided to go back to the city for the evening to "take care of some business." Aomine was aware that that was simply code for getting laid. Haizaki would definitely be back with a vengeance. Hopefully, before then, Aomine could figure out what the fuck this was going on between him and Bakagami.

Speaking of which…

Aomine focused on the sliding door to the gym and quirked an eyebrow when he saw Kagami standing next to a bench press, eyes distant and cheeks dusted with pink. That was another frustrating aspect of this dangerous situation. Kagami didn't seem to have a problem with Aomine in his space. In fact, Aomine would be tempted to say that Kagami actually wanted to be kissed. Just a minute ago, Kagami's blood-red eyes had drifted shut, his chin lifted a fraction in open invitation, and his lips…

Aomine swallowed and exhaled noisily. What was he going to do about this? While he was indeed a strong man with willpower to rival British sentries, he also went after what he wanted. And it appeared that at this moment in time, he wanted Kagami "Bakagami" Taiga in a very bad way. He started towards Kagami in the gym and froze when the red head licked his lips and left them parted, eyes still staring off into the distance. Kagami tugged gently at the collar of his t-shirt, and damned if the idiot wasn't almost panting. Again, Aomine gritted his teeth as he watched. He was trying really hard to convince himself not to ruin the tentative friendship he'd built with Kagami, but Kagami was making that entirely too difficult.

I want to kiss him so fucking bad.

The thought was downright terrifying, but it was also thrilling. He wondered what it would be like to have Kagami at his mercy, pressed against a wall, probably falling apart beautifully in his arms. Aomine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was no saint, and this test of will was something talked about in biblical stories. He opened his eyes, and everything seemed to move in super slow motion.

Kagami, cheeks still charmingly flushed, was now facing him, red eyes bright with what could only be described as lust. Aomine was no stranger to that look, but what almost amused him was the fact that Kagami was more than likely unaware of what he was projecting. It wasn't going to stop Aomine from staring right back, his own gaze smoldering with possibilities. Kagami licked his lips, and Aomine could see all the way from where he was standing how Kagami's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed with more force than was strictly necessary.

Did that idiot even know what he looked like right now? Did he even realize what he was doing to Aomine? Places were stirring in ways Aomine had never felt. Sure, he'd lusted after women and even reveled in their bountiful breasts, but this…this was different. Heat rushed through him and made him restless. He wanted to shove that innocent moron against the nearest flat surface and do unspeakable things to and with him. It was such a hungry reaction – one he'd only ever experienced on a basketball court. He'd argue that this was more intense. His heart was beating at the back of his tongue, arousal flooding him with adrenaline. Just as he balled his hands into fists and resigned himself to an awkward yet satisfying fate, a quiet voice coughed beside him.

He nearly hung himself from the ceiling fan, he jumped so hard.

He turned and glared at the shorter, pale-blue haired man standing next to him. Tetsu's expression was decidedly blank, but Aomine suspected he saw a ghost of a grin flit away at the last second.

"I apologize, Aomine-kun. I called you several times, but you didn't answer your cell phone."

Aomine was still trying to wave away the thick fog of want in which he'd been treading. His cell phone had been the least of his worries. Tetsu continued, unfazed.

"I wanted to check your bandages."

After what felt like forever, Aomine finally realized that Tetsu was trying to have a conversation with him. He spared one last glance for Kagami and grimaced with disappointment when he found the red head studiously avoiding eye contact with him.

The moment had passed.

Goddamn Tetsu and his piss-poor timing.

"They were changed already," Aomine grumbled under his breath as he continued to watch the fascinating red head moving confidently around the gym.

Kagami's eyes were wide and almost innocent in their awe of his surroundings, and Aomine was having a hard time not smiling. As a matter of fact, he was so caught up in his internal musings, he forgot that he had a whole guest who was way too perceptive for his own good.

"Kagami-kun seems comfortable." Aomine was still kind of adrift in his own world, until Tetsu went on. "And so do you, Aomine-kun."

Aomine slowly, deliberately turned to face his long-time friend and business partner, eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to imply, Tetsu?"

Tetsu's crystal-blue eyes were round and – if one didn't know any better – naïve. The sight made Aomine quirk his lips in a sarcastic grimace. He knew that face, and he knew exactly what Tetsu was up to. As if it wasn't bad enough that Aomine was highly attracted to his temporary housemate, now, he had all of his friends trying to "hook him up" it seemed.

"I wouldn't imply anything that wasn't true, Aomine-kun."

Before he could respond, an unnaturally high-pitched squeal echoed through the room, scaring the ever-loving shit out of him…again. With an irritated scowl, he turned to the source of the noise. She was standing at the bottom of the basement stairs, stars in her fuchsia eyes.

"Dai-chaaaaannn! It's been so longgg!"

Aomine immediately glared at Tetsu. This was all his fault.

"Tetsu…"

"Aww, Dai-chan, don't be like that! I was worried after hearing what happened to you! You should have told me! I know how to change bandages, and I could have cooked for you!"

"No fucking way, Satsuki. I didn't die before; I'm not about to let you kill me now."

Tetsu gave his infamous sigh that indicated he was holding back laughter and didn't want anyone to know about it.

"Dai-chan! Don't be rude! And that's not fair! My cooking skills have improved!"

"Right. I'll just take your word for it."

Satsuki poked out her bottom lip and crossed her arms over her generous chest in true brat fashion before her eyes focused in the distance and lit up rather ominously. Aomine cursed when Kagami chose that moment to exit the gym, the sliding glass door whooshing open and shut. Aomine wanted to hide him away, tuck him into a safe corner of the house, but was intrigued by the look of open curiosity the red head was sending in Satsuki's direction.

"Oh, it's your girlfriend," that fucking Bakagami uttered.

The silence that followed was too epic and awkward to describe. Kagami shuffled in place, obviously confused and flustered as hell, but the more astounding part was Tetsu's shaking shoulders. Aomine's old friend was actually laughing. Satsuki, on the other hand, was red as a tomato, eyes wide with horror and hands clapped over her mouth. Aomine snorted and shook his head, at a loss for words. Kagami didn't have that speech problem at all.

"What?"

"She's not my girlfriend, genius."

"I would never!" Satsuki blurted.

Well, excuse the hell out of him.

"Hey!" Aomine snapped with a frown as he turned to face his pink-haired friend. "I'm hot, ok? Don't say it like I'm gross."

Tetsu's shoulders shook harder as he lowered his head and hid his face with his hands.

Kagami continued, completely oblivious. "Am I missing something? Wasn't she at your club that night?"

"We're business partners!" Satsuki wailed as she stomped a foot and clenched her hands into fists. Her heart-shaped face was pinched with frustration. "And Tetsu-kun is the only love of my life, Kagamin!"

Aomine's shoulders sagged as Kagami's puzzled frown deepened. Satsuki had gone and done it. Who the fuck told her Kagami's name anyway?

"…Kagamin?" Kagami parroted as he looked from Aomine to Satsuki, then back to Aomine.

Aomine didn't know how to answer that. In fact, this entire situation had gotten completely out of hand.

"Tetsu, this is all your fault," he grumbled.

Tetsu finally came up for air, eyebrows slightly raised, which was more facial expression he'd seen from the other man since they were kids. The unspoken question of "how" hung in the air between them, but Aomine refused to give Tetsu the satisfaction. Like he'd thought before: he knew exactly what Tetsu was up to.

XOXOXO

Haizaki stared down at his phone, unsure of what he was seeing. At best, it had to be a joke. A mean one, but a joke, nonetheless.

[I need you! Come to my apartment RIGHT NOW!]

What was the date? Was it April 1st? This couldn't possibly be real.

[…are you drunk?]

Haizaki casually lit a cigarette as he waited for a reply. He was glad he was alone because he would absolutely hate to admit that he was anxious as hell. After a couple of deep pulls of nicotine, his phone dinged in his hand.

[What are you talking about? HURRY!]

"What the fuck is goin' on here?" he mumbled.

It was like a weird dream that he couldn't wake from. Excited and hiding it, Haizaki resigned to his sudden fate. He walked briskly over to his Range Rover and hopped inside, heart jumping around in his chest. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but what else was he supposed to think with Kise fucking gorgeous ass Ryota sending him such mouthwatering text messages? It was like the opening scene to his filthiest fantasy.

The SUV's engine started with a low rumble before Haizaki edged away from the curb and merged with the traffic. He set his cell phone in one of the cupholders of the middle console and almost ran off the road when the phone dinged again. He hated texting and driving, but Kise was too important to ignore. He rolled to a stop at a red light and glanced down at the message highlighted on the screen.

[You're the only one I could think of to call for this…]

Haizaki's thoughts ran wild. After all of those months of pestering the blond attorney, Kise was finally, at long last relenting. He wanted to fist pump, but the light turned green. Instead, he turned off of the main road and flew through the side streets like a fighter jet. He was playing with fire, knowing that the district was crawling with law enforcement at this hour (they chose the late-night hours to patrol since there was a higher likeliness of catching someone up to no good), but ask him if he cared. Police could suck his dick right now; he was busy.

Haizaki made it to Kise's apartment in record time. The building reached into the sky like a languorous stretch, most of the windows dark, but the penthouse was blazing away. He hurried into the underground garage and parked. God, he hadn't felt this antsy in an eternity. He rushed to the elevator and stabbed the call button, relieved when the doors slid open immediately. Once inside, he pressed the bell for the penthouse and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After too fucking long, he reached into his pocket for his phone and was about to text Kise, when the elevator started moving on its own. With a smug grin, he relaxed against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. So…this was actually happening. It was about fucking time, to be honest. Kise and his teasing had just about driven Haizaki insane. His thoughts had taken a turn for the decidedly naughty when the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.

It had to be his birthday. Had he somehow forgotten?

Kise was on the other side of the doors, long limbs and toned body on display underneath a sleeveless, white tee and a pair of gray boxer-briefs. He was tapping his foot, his generous lips pulled into a petulant pout and arms crossed over his chest.

"Took you long enough! It's in here!" Kise snapped as he reached for the sleeve of Haizaki's leather jacket.

As he was pulled out of the elevator and down a long corridor, he ignored Kise's statement in favor of watching the blond man's ass move enticingly beneath his underwear. Haizaki really didn't know what he'd done to deserve such incredible fortune, but he'd take it.

And then Kise's words sank into his lust-addled brain.

"Wait…what's in where?"

Before Kise could respond, they were standing in the doorway of a lavish, white-on-white bathroom. The water in the sink was running and steam had taken over the mirror above it. What the fuck was happening? Was Kise showing his kinky side, wanting their first time to be in the bathroom? Did the blond have a thing for shower sex or something? Haizaki turned to his object of desire, face contorted with confusion and hands opened in question.

"Kise…what the fuck?"

Kise sucked his teeth and gave a disgusted scoff as he shoved Haizaki further into the bathroom. "It's! Right! There! How can you not see it?!"

Haizaki was really starting to get frustrated. He had no fucking clue what this gorgeous idiot was talking about…until he finally decided to take a closer look at where Kise was fervently pointing. At the top of the cabinet styled mirror, perched on the very corner was a large, poison-green praying mantis. He and the praying mantis stared at one another, disappointed rage bubbling in Haizaki's blood with each passing second until he couldn't take it anymore. He whirled on his heel to face Kise, and the look he pinned the blond with was enough to keep dragons away from a pile of gold.

"You called me here…for a bug?"

Kise nodded as he bit his bottom lip, amber eyes wide with fear. Now, any other time, Haizaki would have found the sight endearing and probably would have seduced the attorney. However…his utter disappointment was so crushing, he could feel it in his lungs. He flattened his lips into a thin line and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Afterward, he brushed past Kise, eyes focused on the door to the elevator.

"Bye, Ryota," he drawled, voice a monotone.

Thank you for reading! Til next time!