Title Bittersweet

Genre K

Warning unbeta'ed and ooc among other things

Disclaimer Any materials mentioned belong to their respective owners

A/N. A request from animefan106 (my gratitude to your continuous support!) I have finally gotten around finishing this oneshot after starting it over a month ago. This is my shot at a Aida/Hyuuga pairing, a couple that definitely needs more love out there! However, the plot has strayed far, far away from what I originally had planned ... The end product, well, lets just say half of it focuses on Seirin than the actual pairing I had in mind.

Nevertheless, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy and reviews are indubitably appreciated! :)

"When forever is through, then I'll be over you."

A plane soared overhead, its winged silhouette resembling a predatory hawk on the hunt. The thunderous rumble of its engine exhorted rabbits and squirrels alike to flee as they dashed in pairs into burrows and up tree trunks. When the plane disappeared into the horizon, there was silence once again. Birds chirped happily in their nests as a burst of water sprang forth from the fountain and into the cool air. In the distance, the parade of rowan trees swayed from side to side and they each entwined its branches with its neighbours as if to play ring a ring o' rosie. It was a serene day as nature emerged in blossoming daisies. The seething storms of the winter bane was long gone, dismissed by the warmth and ardor of the spring orchids. The sun had risen high up above the clouds, pulsing like a beating heart as its radiant glow struck at the quiet below.

"Hey hey! Have you heard ..."

"Sakamoto saw them ..."

"... can you believe it?"

Hushed whispers mimicked the wind, the silence that came with the absence of bouncing basketballs against the wooden floorboards beckoned for trouble. In groups scattering across the indoor gym, young teens clad in simple white shirts and dark shorts leaned in with intrigue. With wide eyes, they adorned a look of absolute disbelief as their ears, resembling those of a feline flickered up in anticipation.

"... Ne, ne did you know-?"

They came closer, all thoughts concerning the consequence of not training and their demon coach catching them edged out of their minds in an instant. They had all been practicing hard like every other afternoon when the door pushed open to reveal a cheery Koganei. Skipping happily with his trademark squirrel lips which seemed to widen to an impeccable 'w', he had hummed casually as he neared the other players. Immediately, they all felt something ominous crawl up their spines.

Koganei's lips were now tilted to a cunning smirk as his eyes narrowed, almost teasingly. "... that captain and coach are ..."

As though time had slowed, the group continued to strain their ears as they trained their eyes onto Koganei's moving lips in anxiousness. Their attention was a taut rubber band, stretching inch by inch and never lessening. It would inevitably snap as the tension heightened like a roller coaster, and it did when another voice spoke up, slicing across the hesitant suspense.

"Don't tease them, Koganei." The one who uttered seemed almost bored.

Koganei straightened and pouted, "that's not true, Tsucchi!"

Tsuchida ignored him, and left for the change rooms with a towel in hand. When the door swung shut, Koganei motioned for the group to come closer again. In their close proximity, they could identify each other's odour with astounding accuracy. Koganei hid a smile as he waited for them to fidget. And fidget they did. He grinned and opened his mouth ... and sucked in a breath- "... going-to-be-here-in-exactly-10-seconds!"

Without waiting another moment, he sped for the change rooms. The players, who were still standing in a circle blinked stupidly. Only two words came into mind when the entrance doors flew off its hinges to reveal a familiar figure with her hands on her hips. The devious glint in her amber eyes sparked shivers as they sputtered indignantly at being caught red-handed.

Oh crap!

...

Maji Burger seemed to reserve a significant portion of his life, ever since he had enrolled into Seirin High a little over a year ago. When he had stepped foot into the restaurant, Kagami had instantly known that this was his type of place. Contrary to the typical nutritious meals athletes tended to have, the redhead preferred the fast-food the restaurant offered in a casual and relaxed manner. Here, he could eat to his heart's content as he hurled burger after burger into his spacious mouth and down into his astronomical stomach. It was also here that he had met his teal-haired and extremely blunt mannered basketball partner. He still remembered the feeling that came over him, the absolute shock when the bluenette popped out of nowhere. He had been so surprised, Kagami almost fell off his chair in a hurry to stand up and flee on instinct. To his immense relief, he hadn't and had instead, pointed a finger at the 'assailant' with incredulity.

Leaning back into the booth, the Seirin ace grinned as he recalled the rest of the events of that day. Sitting directly in front of him, Kuroko blinked at him impassively as he continued to sip on his milkshake. The others, namely the rest of the team besides the coach and their captain paid him no mind and carried on with their conversations.

In between mouthfuls of meat, Kagami managed to relay, "where's the captain and coach?"

"They already informed us yesterday after training, Kagami-kun," Kuroko deadpanned, albeit with a slightly mocking tone.

"Ah. They won't be joining us today because they are planning our next training menu," Izuki answered when no one did without lifting his pen off the page. His eyes darted across the page, rereading his work before he closed the pun book with a snap.

Kagami, however seemed to not have heard anything he had said as Kiyoshi grabbed onto the hem of the redhead's shirt with barely concealed amusement. Kagami reached for Kuroko in annoyance, who ducked and remained indifferent to the upheaval he had caused. "Damn you!" His arm shot out to grab the bluenette in vain, "you bastard, Kuroko!"

"Ma ma!~ Calm down, Kagami," Kiyoshi grinned goofily. In the restaurant, customers began to edge away from the group as the noise escalated. The pun master sighed before lifting his eyes to the silent individual seated near the duo. Nodding, Mitobe motioned to his partner soundlessly. Koganei smiled cheekily.

"Speaking of the coach ..." His voice brought momentary order to the players as he intoned with a whisper, as if afraid they would be overheard, "who do you think would be most suited for the coach?"

In unsion, the group blinked in confusion. Kagami in particular was beyond bewildered as his extended arms hung in midair. Cocking his head, he blurted. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Izuki winced when the deafening exclaim reached his sensitive ears. Where was Hyuuga when they needed him?

"You see, the coach's demon ways have basically made her the most undesirable woman in the whole school," Koganei added, a thoughtful look fleeted across his features.

"And so, you want to know who would be able to endure her?" Kagami pitched in with an eyebrow lifted. He could see where this was going ... and he wasn't going to like it.

Izuki, being the most logical and sensible one after their clutch captain joined in, "well ... I can see why Koganei's interested in who will be able to tolerate her unique perks ..." He, however sighed inaudibly when there was a flicker of confusion on the redhead's face. "Look at it this way, Kagami," to which the redhead nodded tentatively. "If the coach becomes smitten with her new man, her demonic ways would most likely change and she'll become a lady ... which means we," Izuki gestured towards the whole group, "would not need to fear for our lives every minute of every day."

This revelation brought hope to all their hearts until Koganei waved away their dreams of better painless days for the next year or so, "but who would like the coach?" It was true, who would like a basketball maniac pulling at their ears with a wicked smirk who resembled a black-hearted and cackling witch?

"Riko's just unique. She might be a little violent but she's a lovely girl!~" Kiyoshi reassured his team with a smile, seemingly oblivious to Koganei's disbelief at the statement and even went as far as to pat him on the head. "I'm sure all the boys at school are falling head over heels for her!" Kiyoshi chuckled with his goofy grin plastered onto his face. The rest gawked at his statement. Their jaws dropped and their heads jutted out at a queer angle, almost comically as they insisted inwardly, 'no you're absolutely wrong! Who would like that demon coach?!' On the other hand, Kuroko continued to indulge in his paradise of vanilla, apparently ignorant to the sudden silence. Kagami scratched his head awkwardly, his twitchy movements hinting his discomfort.

"This is absolutely insane ..." Izuki muttered under his breath as the image of Aida whipping out her fan and whamming it into Koganei's face in one swift motion flashed across their minds. As one, Seirin gulped as they shot up in their seats. It would do them well if they were compliant to the former's proclamation. After all, a flattened nose would do nothing but ward off the young maidens. "Well, maybe not every boy at school ..." Furihata laughed weakly, his voice dipping when he emphasised on the 'every.' He grimaced at the thought of their coach finding out that they discussed her love life behind her back. Quadrupling their training menu... fighting grizzly bears... running laps up a vertical cliff... Hell.

"... but I-I'm sure there a-are guys who would love to date the coach, ne K-Kawahara?" Furihata stuttered, nudging Kawahara not so subtly in the ribs.

"O-Oh!" Kawahara, immediately catching on grinned with his thumbs-up, "the coach is s-sweet and uh .. caring. She's observant and c-cooks very well!" By the time he had listed the coach's 'supposedly' good qualities, the teen was sweating buckets and huffing with passive exertion. Kiyoshi merely hmmed, staring off into space with his chin propped up onto his palm. Kuroko regarded the stammering players with aloofness before placing his finished cup onto the table, amused. Wondering how much more interesting it would be if the missing pair were present, he let a faint smile grace his pale lips.

The sounds of city life around them were familiar as trains sped along their tracks, halting momentarily to allow the influx of people through their opened doors before they slid shut again. Towers housing innumerable offices bursted from the ground like the sturdy trunk of an oak tree. Grasping their briefcases, gentlemen in formal attire hurried into the buildings that overlooked the city as smoke curled up from factory chimneys across the river. The streets were bustling with people, a common occurrence in the city of Tokyo as children gripped onto the hems of their mother's dress, afraid they will be lost in the swarm. It was loud, the sounds of different voices speaking up in thunderous tones over the hushed whispers that filled the shadows of the alleyways. Ladies in short skirts and high heels fought amongst each other like harpies over a feast for the best bargains as business owners hid behind curtains, cackling at the buckets of gold coming their way.

Amidst of all this, a duo sat comfortably at a booth in a sparsely crowded Italian cafe near the corner of the region. They had chosen this place specifically for its infamy, the lack of customers due to its unfavourable location. As an escape to the teeming streets, the pair had quickly agreed to seek shelter. The dim lighting was endless doses of alcohol, beckoning them to sleep as drowsiness washed over them in surges.

"Why did you choose today to do this, coach?"

Placing her order in fluent Italian, Aida turned to her companion to see an eyebrow lifted curiously. With her keen intellect, she quickly detected the implied accusation that came with it. You knew this would happen, didn't you? She chose, however to ignore it altogether in favour of watching the waiter make her coffee at the bar. Originally, she had intended to get the business finished in a mere hour or so but it had been so long since they had spent time together. Interhigh and the Winter Cup had taken up their afternoons and eventually, an imaginary line was drawn between them. It separated them, distanced one from the other in a matter of days. They didn't spend that much time together and going out for a cup of tea became scarce. Aida knew it was going to be a busy weekend and so she had deliberately picked now to do it. She missed being in his company because unlike the others who were constantly rowdy, Hyuuga was collected and unfazed by her exterior. He understood her to an extent and accepted her disposition with a shrug. For that, she was grateful.

There was a long silence, where only the sounds of glass clinking against spoons and water sloshing over the rim of a cup could be heard. Then, there was a heavy sigh of defeat. "You don't have to tell me, but we should really get started on the training regime," Hyuuga suggested, his hands still tucked into his pockets.

She would never tell him, ever. His head was turned to his side, seeming to be watching something on the wall with odd intent. Aida let her eyes settle onto his short onyx hair, jagged yet trimmed at the same time. She still remembered how Kiyoshi had bugged him to create the basketball club together and how Hyuuga had patently refused with a deep scowl. He had long blonde hair then, that fell to his eyes and an arrogant look that made people want to punch him without reason. Aida pursed her lips as she held back the giggles. He had tried so hard to be a delinquent but he had looked nothing like it. Her eyes fell to his glasses and she saw her reflection in the corner of the slightly rounded lenses. In their second year of middle school, he had arrived at school without his usual spectacles. Instead, he had begun using contacts to which he complained that his eyes watered every hour or so. She still recalled the first time she saw him that day, she had teased him mercilessly. The next day, however he had turned up to school back in his glasses. Inwardly, Aida had been a little disappointed but only a little.

She didn't know when it started, this foreign feeling within her. She had been frightened at first, having never experienced something so intense before. In time, she had accepted these emotions but wariness was never far behind.

He was wearing a navy blue jacket with a hoodie, unzipped to reveal a plain regular shirt. Slightly slouched in his seat, Hyuuga wore dark blue jeans and standard black converse shoes. It made him look more mature, passing the borders of adulthood. On the contrary, the peaceful expression on his face as opposed to the normally stern creasing of his brows gave a casual and younger look. He looked like he was at the seaside, just enjoying the faint ocean breeze. He looked free of life's incessant worries. She knew it was rude to stare but it had been a while since she had looked at him up close. He looked tired, exhausted even. His cheekbones were now more protruded, his jaw became more angular. Had he lost weight? Was she working them too har-

Aida averted her eyes when his face tilted back towards her. She felt his gaze burn into her and she fought the urge to fidget. There was a pair of footsteps and then a clink on the table in front of her. Lowering her eyes to the coffee, she thanked the waiter before quickly grabbing hold of the cup and indulging herself in its alluring fragrance. 'Coffee worked wonders indeed,' she thought as she lifted the cup to her mouth. Grateful for the distraction, she sipped and sighed as the liquid slid down her throat and warmed her instantly. Smiling in bliss, Aida didn't notice that her companion had yet to take his eyes off her.

...

He could feel her eyes on him, never lingering on any part of his body for more than a few seconds. She thought he hadn't and wouldn't notice, but he has. Over the past few years, he has taken note of her every glance to his way. The first time, he had been wholly confused. His precipitous surprise had resulted in him missing the mark and earning a hard slap from a fan they had all by now become comfortably acquainted with. The bashful and almost shy look his coach had directed to him from across the gym had been so staggering that he eventually came down to the conclusion that it must have been a ridiculous and wild figment of his overly-inventive imagination. It had been the only explanation at the time, but now he knew better. He hadn't had the slightest clue back then so when the looks continued, Hyuuga had been agitated and uneasy himself. What was happening? Was she ill? Did she catch me not finishing her homemade cooking? He gulped, that was it wasn't it? His mind drifted towards the direction of extra training ... her devilish grin, showing a row of pointy sharp teeth ... He blanched. It must be the calm before the storm!

With the months that glided past, he grew less wary when nothing happened. Eventually, he was completely lax, the bane pushed back to the edge of his mind. But this incident had changed him. He became more aware of the coach, of her expressions, of her just being there. The slight crease in her brows meant she had been taken by surprise, the frown on her lips indicated her distress when the other team's players were physically more experienced than them and the frequent twitch of her fingers in the morning expressed her long late night. Slowly, he learned the way her body spoke. Even the momentary delay in an action spoke to him in waves. Subsequently, the way his eyes strayed to her when she prepped their team or when she reached out to her clipboard to jot down some notes became an unconscious habit. He himself had absolutely no idea that it became so.

That was why when she had shifted to the left with her face tilted down moments before, Hyuuga had known it before she had. Spontaneously, he had turned to his right with the apparent intention of observing the painting adorned on the wall when her chocolate eyes landed on him. Not once had he brought it up, and it would remain this way. In his pocket, his hand was fisted tightly. From the beginning, he had known but he would not do anything to change the way things were. His eyes slipped shut, he knew he was being selfish.

He had noticed her every peek, her every wistful smile and not one would slip past his observant gaze ... because he had been doing the same for years.