Archive of Our Own

“Your basketball can never win, Tetsu.”

The words still ring in Taiga's ears when he looks up from his friend sitting on the ground, to Aomine standing in front of them both, and he knows that he didn't just find an enemy, no.

He found a rival.

It's hard to see what Kuroko saw in the guy, or sees in him. Middle school friends and former partners or not, Taiga can barely associate the kind-hearted, sharp and forgiving Kuroko with the glowering, mean Aomine standing there. He glares them down, fierce and--

Taiga blinks.

Maybe he's imagining it, since he's not as good as Kuroko at reading people, but Kuroko did once say that he and Aomine are alike in their mannerisms. And what Taiga thinks he saw in Aomine's dark blue eyes for just the fracture of a second was pain.

He must've imagined it, Taiga decides when Aomine deals the finishing blow to their absolute loss only a few minutes later.

***

“What's he doing here?” Taiga spits when Aomine stares at him, unimpressed, standing beside Momoi.

She smiles. “Dai-chan wears the same shoe size as Kagamin, so he decided to give you a pair.”

"What?” Aomine snarls. “Hey, don't just take my Jordans without asking!”

Later that day, when Taiga sprints across the court in that pair of shoes, he can't help but grin to himself. Not only do they fit really well, but they're perfectly supporting his feet and ankles when he jumps, and he almost feels like he's more agile than before. It's like they were made for his playing style; Aomine's, too, by extension, even though that thought makes Taiga a bit uncomfortable.

"The shoes that jerk gave to me fit really well,” he tells Kuroko in the locker room.

Kuroko doesn't crack a smile, but Taiga sees amusement dancing in his eyes. Maybe he does get better at reading people, or at least better at reading Kuroko.

And Kuroko just looks at him like he knows exactly that Taiga didn't mean the 'jerk' part all that seriously.

Still, he has a reputation to uphold when it comes to Aomine.

Doesn't matter that Kuroko looks straight through him.

***

“You what?” Taiga turns around with wide eyes and his jaw dropping.

"I'll spend some time with Aomine-kun this afternoon.” Kuroko repeats like it's the most obvious thing in the world. “We agreed on going to Maji burger.”

Cue Taiga's stomach growling.

"Do you want to join us?” Kuroko asks, still unfazed.

Taiga scrunches up his face. On the one hand, seeing Aomine and having to deal with him. Taiga groans, already feeling the headache coming up. On the other hand, he's damn hungry, as per usual after practice. He could use three to thirteen cheeseburgers right about now.

If it was anyone but Aomine, he'd ask Kuroko if they would be fine with Taiga tagging along. Since it is Aomine, he just grunts out a, “Sure.”

"What's he doing here?” Aomine snarls as soon as Kuroko places his tray with his vanilla shake onto the table in front of him.

"They sell food. I was hungry.” Taiga deadpans, then puts his own tray down with too much force. He digs into his first burger immediately, getting so engrossed in it that he can't react fast enough to the sneaky dark-skinned hand that steals a wrapped burger straight from his tray. “Hey!” he complains with a glare at Aomine.

“I'm still hungry. You got food,” Aomine sasses him and Taiga is ready to jump across the table, already laying down his own burger when he's interrupted by Kuroko.

“Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun,” he sighs, “please don't fight. I'll pay for his burger.”

“Oi, I can pay for my own food,” Aomine returns. “I was just too lazy to get seconds.”

“I'm holding you to that,” Taiga demands with one eyebrow high on his forehead. “And stop stealing my stuff.”

“Oh, but they taste so much better.” Aomine's dark eyes glint with mischief as a lopsided grin spreads on his lips.

Taiga feels like blowing a fuse yet again. Damn that asshole and--

Kuroko snaps his fingers at Taiga's thigh under the table, hard. Get your act together.

So Taiga takes a deep breath, then picks up a second burger from his pile, flinging it into Aomine's stupid face. “You can have this one, but you're buying the next round.”

Surprisingly, Aomine does. He also behaves for the rest of the evening.

***

The first time Aomine sets foot into Taiga's apartment is a strange day.

In fact, the whole day has already been weird. Taiga had been doing unexpectedly well during an English test, then practice had been, well, weird, just weird, he almost hit his head on the rim of the hoop once, and really, Kuroko showing up with Aomine in tow is probably the least weird thing that happened today.

“Come in,” Taiga invites them, wiping his hands on a towel.

Aomine almost bursts out laughing when he looks at him, but ends up with his palm over his mouth, snorting into it.

“What?”

“You're wearing an apron,” the jerk snickers, and Taiga raises an eyebrow at him.

“In case you want something to eat, which was probably why Kuroko invited you over-” Taiga interrupts himself to look for a reaffirming nod from his friend, then continues, “- then you better not make fun of me or my cooking habits.”

"Like I told you, Kagami-kun cooks exceptionally well,” Kuroko states.

Ten minutes later, they're seated at the living room table, legs folded on the tatami mats, and Aomine moans – well, obscenely, for a lack of better phrasing.

“Man, Tetsu, you weren't joking,” Aomine grins at Kuroko, then proceeds to stuff his face with gyūdon, “This is delicious,” he adds, still chewing on his rice and beef.

“Didn't your mom tell you not to speak with your mouth full?” Taiga teases. “Thanks, but please. You're being gross.”

“Your face is gross, Bakagami.” The insult lacks its usual bite.

“House rules: If you want more of where that came from, Ahomine, you better shut up.”

Aomine grumbles and swallows. “You're enjoying this way too much.”

“Maybe,” Taiga smirks at him.

He's very aware of the dangerous, enticed look Aomine gives him.

Something in his belly decides to flip right then, and Taiga's heart does that funny thing where it jumps to a faster pace. He feels weird, Aomine's look feels weird, and Taiga has the feeling that if this tension would snap, it could destroy friendships. It's also making the pit of his stomach tingle in an all-too enjoyable way.

Doesn't mean he goes easy on Aomine later, when he's single-handedly kicking his ass at Mario Kart.

***

Somehow, and Taiga couldn't pinpoint it down if his life depended on it, hanging out with both Kuroko and Aomine became a thing. Well, Kuroko tended to opt out of a streetball match, and Aomine was more on Taiga's level anyway, playing-style wise.

Most streetball games ended at Maji burger, because they're still growing boys – or so Kuroko tells them while he sips his vanilla shake with a tiny little smirk.

Since they're usually exhausted, they then head over to Taiga's apartment, since it's a parent-free zone. Kuroko tends to do his homework, while Taiga pretends to study with the latest issue of Basketball Monthly inside his textbook until Kuroko finds out and scolds him, and Aomine doesn't even pretend to care about homework until Kuroko pinches his side and takes his gravure magazines away. Dysfunctional bunch that they are, that arrangement kind of works.

Playing video games and having dinner that Taiga cooks also slowly became a thing.

Taiga doesn't really mind.

Sure, Aomine is still more of a jerk than not, and they throw insults back and forth like it's actual conversation on the best of days, but Taiga kind of enjoys to have someone he can bounce off of, instead of Kuroko, who complements him when it comes to character traits. Kuroko is also way too less competitive outside of basketball matches. See, if Taiga wanted to race someone to the bathroom, Kuroko would just shake his head with an expression that says he's lost all faith in humanity. Aomine, though. Aomine jumps up with a “Just watch me, asshat!” and runs down the hallway.

It's stupid.

Taiga loves it.

Bickering or not, it has become an easy atmosphere between the three of them.

Sometimes, when Kuroko's parents are actually home for a change and demand some time with their son, Taiga ends up alone with Aomine on the streetball court, but it's not much of a difference. As per usual, they grab a bite at Maji burger afterwards and make a competition out of who can eat more cheeseburgers within five minutes.

At home, there's homework and a game of NBA on his Xbox and dinner, some time later.

Even without Kuroko, who often just watches and listens from the sidelines in silence, they're still 'Ahomine' and 'Bakagami'.

That's why one Monday, Aomine, brash and straight-forward as always, barges in through the genkan and into the apartment before Taiga. With an exasperated sigh, Taiga slips off his sneakers and into his slippers. Aomine has long dropped his jacket and school bag and runs around in his socks.

However, Taiga feels a little irritated when Aomine pokes his head around the corner, looking back at him with surprise and discomfort.

“Uh, Kagami,” he hisses through his teeth, “not that I mind the sight much, because holy shit, damn , but-- why is there a naked woman standing in your kitchen?”

For a moment, Taiga is torn between amusement and anger. In the end, he settles for a gruff expression, heads into the bedroom towards – yes, exactly there is the pile of clothes Alex always leaves in her wake – her clothes, then stomps off towards the kitchen.

“Alex, for the ten thousandth time, put some fucking clothes on!” he grumbles in lieu of a greeting in English, then throws the pile of whatever he just grabbed at her bare chest.

“Hello to you, too, Taiga,” she grins at him, but slips into shorts and a loose white t-shirt nonetheless before she rounds the kitchen island.

“Oh, no no no no NO!” Taiga protests, hugging her but keeping her face with her already puckered lips at arms' length.

“Aw, Taiga. Not happy to see me?” she pouts.

Taiga can't help but chuckle at that, arms still resting on her waist. “Of course I am, Alex. Welcome back. Just don't kiss me.”

“Oi,” Aomine interrupts them from two feet away. “You do realize I don't speak English? Like, at all? Well, all I understood was Kagami's whiny 'no no no', but...”

“Didn't I see him before? Who is he?” Alex asks, finally pulling away to check out an obviously irritated Aomine from head to toe. “Hello there, handsome. So, is he your boyfriend?” she teases with a smile at Taiga.

Taiga splutters. "Hell no. You could call him my favorite rival, but that's it. He doesn't even know I'm...” he breaks off in fear of Aomine recognizing the word even in English.

“Ah,” Alex winks at him, and why did Taiga even try to be subtle? Him, the most unsubtle person on earth if Kuroko was to be believed, being out-captain-obvious'd by nobody else than Alex Garcia of all people.

“Who's she?” Aomine demands. “Your girlfriend?”

“What, are you jealous?” Taiga shoots back reflexively.

“I'm not his girlfriend,” Alex adds, speaking Japanese now with a gentle smile on her face. “I'm his former basketball coach, but I think I've seen you before-- during the Winter Cup, haven't I?”

“Yeah, probably. It's been a while, though,” Aomine answers. “No offense.”

“None taken. It's nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Aomine answers and even mirrors her bow.

Taiga throws his head back. “Oh my god, you two, stop being so formal or tell me what you did to the real Alex and the real Aomine.”

Aomine just quirks an eyebrow at him. “Sure you wanna know?”

“Just shut up, Ahomine.”

“You're using that word way too often. Nothing more creative in that big head of yours, Bakagami?”

“That's it, you don't get NBA or food today.”

“Aw, but you were cooking Teriyaki burgers today!” Aomine protests.

“Because you insisted.”

“They're my favorite!”

“Then behave, you whiny bastard,” Taiga scolds him, then stomps off towards the kitchen.

Alex follows him with a smirk.

"What?” he asks her.

"You're sure he's not your boyfriend or anything? Because you two sure act like a married couple.”

Taiga raises an eyebrow at her. "Not that it'd ever happen, but if it would, I'll make sure to let you know.”

"You do that,” Alex laughs and leaves with a wink.

Women. Jeez.

***

It's been a quiet Saturday afternoon so far – Taiga avoided any and all invitations to do anything on purpose, since housework won't do itself and he's the only one here who actually cleans up the mess Kuroko and Aomine leave on a regular basis. Aomine more than Kuroko, for the record.

So that humid mid-July Saturday sees him in an old black tank top and loose shorts, the air conditioner rattling in the background. Something has to be wrong with it because Taiga is still sweating like a pig. Then again, it's July. God, he's looking forward to that cold shower when he's done cleaning the shower stall.

That's when the doorbell rings.

Taiga groans, drops the cleaning rug and quickly dries his hands.

“Sorry for intruding,” Aomine says flatly when Taiga opens the door and stares at him in surprise.

“Come in.”

Only then does Taiga notice the overnight bag that Aomine carries over his shoulder – it's stuffed full, clothes almost spilling over – and the weary, exhausted look in his eyes.

“What happened? And don't tell me there's nothing,” Taiga points a finger at him, then at the bag on his shoulder.

“Long story short?” Aomine sighs, rubbing his hand over his sweaty face. “My parents kicked me out, I need a place to stay, at least for a couple of nights, and I can't deal with anyone's parents right now so I can't go to Tetsu's, so here I am.”

He scratches the back of his neck, glares into the floor to Taiga's left.

“Uuuh,” Taiga stares at him, unsure if he heard right. “What?”

“I'm asking if I can sleep on your couch, asshat,” Aomine grumbles, gruff and definitely embarrassed.

Taiga finally finds his voice, then, and a couple of gears connect in his brain. “Sure you can, but I also have a spare bedroom with a futon, you know.”

“That would... actually be awesome.”

“Yeah, go ahead. I'm gonna need to tidy it a bit, but I--”

“Don't worry, I'll take care of it. 's the least I can do,” Aomine nods and heads towards the spare room. “Thank you,” he adds with emphasis, as an afterthought.

Taiga looks at the back of his retreating head in wonder. This behavior, all of it, is so not anything like Aomine, it's freaking him out.

“You know your way around, so make yourself at home,” Taiga says instead, trying to cheer him up.

“Will do.”

It's flat and emotionless, and when the door slides shut after Aomine, it doesn't open again for a long time. At least long enough for Taiga to scrub the bathroom from top to bottom, tidy the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. All of it with a murky feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Of course it opens right when Taiga leaves the bathroom after the long-awaited cold shower, clad only in a wet towel wrapped around his waist since he forgot his spare clothes in his bedroom.

“Um,” Aomine stutters, eyes trailing down his half-naked body in a rush. “Sorry,” and with that, the door closes once again.

Taiga stands in the middle of the hallway, rooted to the floor. He could've sworn he just caught Aomine checking him out. And there was something... almost regretful in his eyes, too.

Then again, if his theory about why Aomine's parents kicked him out is accurate, then that wouldn't be that much of a stretch anymore. However, Taiga also knows that if he'd encourage Aomine to talk about it now, he wouldn't get an answer for possibly even longer than if he doesn't ask. Aomine will talk to him when the time is right, and Taiga knows that, as kind-of frightening as the thought is.

After Taiga finishes getting dressed, he starts dinner in the hopes of luring Aomine out of his den with the promise of steaming red curry.

Sure enough, Aomine's head pops through the sliding door after ten minutes. “Oi, are you dressed this time?”

“Yes, I am,” Taiga smirks. “You didn't need to freak out, you know. You've been in a locker room before, right?” he adds, just to tease Aomine, then licks some sauce from his thumb.

“Right,” Aomine deadpans without a hint of a smile, eyes fixed on Taiga's thumb between his lips.

Huh, Taiga thinks. Hit crucial weak spot for maximum damage. Not that he intended to, but well. It only confirms his suspicions.

Aomine sits down at the breakfast bar across from where Taiga is busy cooking and watches him work in silence. Again, Taiga bites the inside of his cheek, but doesn't ask, just lets him sit there and wallow in his thoughts.

“When's the curry done?”

“Give it an hour to stew,” Taiga turns to him and gives him a tiny smile.

He expects to get a winy demand for food right back, but when Aomine doesn't answer, Taiga knows that there must be a lot wrong if not even food – or the wait for food – can get a rise out of him.

They play NBA on Taiga's Xbox without much enthusiasm until the curry is done, and even dinner goes by in relative silence. Aomine only once lets out something between an appreciating moan and a grunted “Delicious,” but that's good enough for Taiga.

Later, they sit on the couch and watch mindless TV. This is usually where Aomine hogs the remote and complains about anything and everything Taiga wants to watch. Today, he doesn't do either, just lets whatever is on TV wash over him, it seems. He endures in silence and more often than not, lost in thought.

It's past 10 pm and Taiga is about to head to bed when Aomine grabs the remote and turns the TV off.

“They found my porn stack, to answer the question you so respectfully don't want to ask,” he says, calm and seemingly unaffected, like he's talking about someone else.

“Oh,” Taiga breathes out and wonders when and how Aomine had gotten to know him that well. “So? That's not--” he breaks off in an attempt to not say something stupid like 'That's not a reason to throw out your child.' Then suddenly it dawns on him. “Wait. What kind of porn?”

“Well, gravure mags, mostly,” Aomine shrugs, then adds quietly, “And some issues of Basketball monthly in-between with... let's say clear proof of how I... made use of them.”

Taiga winces in sympathy. “I see.”

Aomine's head snaps up at that, dark blue eyes boring into his own. “You're not... appalled? I mean, I'm not gay, well, not completely. I still like girls, but... you get the picture.”

Taiga has never seen Aomine that flustered and embarrassed. It's kind of cute.

“Yeah, I do,” he states with emphasis. “So your parents didn't approve?”

Aomine shrugs. “They didn't so much throw me out than tell me I could come home whenever I made up my mind and realized that I was wrong. That the things I desired were, like they put it, 'perverted and socially unacceptable'.”

Taiga huffs out a deep breath, feeling anger well up inside of him as he listens to Aomine's bitter, choked-off chuckle. “You know, back when I still lived in America – they do have their problems with homophobia, but it's different from here. Tatsuya and I--”

Aomine raises an eyebrow.

“Himuro Tatsuya, from Yosen,” Taiga adds without a pause, and Aomine nods. “-- we constantly got picked on for being the 'gay Japanese couple'. They called us all kinds of names, but we never backed down from either basketball or from people at school. They didn't stop teasing us until our last year of middle school. However, that was also good practice. I wasn't half as scared as some people usually are when they come out, because I'd already seen one of the nastier sides.”

Aomine's jaw quite literally drops. “I never would've guessed that you're gay.”

Taiga shrugs. “I don't go around advertising it, but yeah.”

“And your parents?”

“They're fine with it. My parents are a lot more open minded and liberal, since they live in California. Alex knows, too, by the way. That's why she's comfortable sleeping in my bed and running around naked half the time.”

That, at least, makes Aomine crack a quick, bitter smile. “That's great. I wish-- ah, no. I, uh. I should go to bed.”

Taiga looks up at him in worry – yes, actual worry, and isn't that Weird with a capital W – and nods. “Yeah, um. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Kagami.”

***

Getting used to Aomine living with him is easier than expected.

Sure, his presence is annoying and he eats too much and spends too much time under the shower in the morning and runs around naked - “What, you do that too, and besides, I suppose you actually have been in a locker room before, right ?” - but Taiga can deal. If it means streetball matches anytime he says as much, he can definitely deal. If it means Aomine's boisterous laughter when Taiga messes up in the kitchen or during an NBA game, he can deal. And Aomine's presence is not that annoying. Most of the time at least.

Of course Kuroko notices after two days that Aomine is not just hanging out at Taiga's place all the time. “Aomine-kun, why didn't you tell me?” he demands after getting a shorter explanation than Taiga got.

“I didn't want to have your parents fuss over me,” Aomine scratches the back of his neck, looking sheepish and a bit embarrassed, just the way Taiga likes him best. “And to come here was shorter.”

“So, geographical laziness, I see,” Kuroko deadpans. “Understandable.”

Taiga sees the mirth dancing in his eyes and grins while Aomine splutters and sets out for another explanation.

"Relax,” Kuroko's lips twitch into a smile. “It's okay.”

Two weeks later, Taiga has established that he's going to have to cover half the housework, and if Taiga cooks, then that means Aomine will have to do the dishes. Plus, helping with laundry. That was a harder point to get across.

Which is also the reason why Taiga finds Aomine on the sofa one Sunday afternoon in late August, wearing nothing but his red boxer briefs and a Seirin basketball club shirt.

Taiga almost drops his cup of coffee at the sight.

“Really?”

“It was the only clean one lying around,” Aomine explains, eyes fixed on the TV.

Taiga snorts. “And guess who's in charge of separating the laundry?”

“Don't wanna,” Aomine pouts while he stabs at the controller in his hands with both thumbs. “It's Sunday, tell me who even does laundry on Sundays?”

“You do,” Taiga insists. “Not that I mind you borrowing my shirt that much, but--”

He lets his eyes roam over Aomine. The t-shirt is just a tad bit too wide around his shoulders and loose around his belly. It doesn't sit particularly well, but Taiga knows about the pecs and muscles it hides. He's seen them, after all.

Heat rises on his cheeks, makes his face burn up, and Taiga grabs a random pair of jeans from the floor – his, he notices – and throws them straight into Aomine's face.

“Chop-chop!”

“Don't speak English, idiot! And great, just great, now I messed up that level, thanks for that!”

Taiga rolls his eyes and leaves the room.

***

It happens one Saturday morning, when they're both still dazed and tired, and yet heading out to the streetball court near Taiga's apartment.

He just happens to grab the first pair of shorts, a dark jersey, and a hoodie from the bathroom floor, throws them on, and leaves. Aomine dribbles the basketball, already standing in the hallway, and Taiga scowls at him. It's not like his neighbor hasn't shouted at Aomine three times already just for making so much noise so early.

They play an increasingly intense one-on-one, until the early morning sun starts to warm up the asphalt to pre-midday heat.

Taiga signals Aomine to wait for a second and pulls the heavy hoodie over his head.

Which is when Aomine starts to stare at him, his jaw dropping.

“What?” Taiga snarls, throws the hoodie aside and takes a few gulps from his water bottle.

Aomine points at his torso. “You realize what you're wearing?”

Taiga looks down at the black top and tugs at it. “Some basketball jersey I found in the bathroom?”

“No, dumbass,” Aomine groans. “Look inside. You're wearing it inside-out.”

“Oh,” Taiga sighs, but then takes a look at the inside of the jersey.

Sure enough, there's dark red letters and kanji. Touou Gakuen, 5.

“Oh,” Taiga says again, realizing his mistake. “Sorry?”

This time, Aomine rolls his eyes. “At least wear it properly, since it's already soaked in sweat. I meant to put it in the washer anyway.”

So it's also Aomine's used jersey? Taiga sniffs at it. It smells of sweat, a lot of sweat, and a hint of Aomine's deodorant underneath.

Surprisingly, he doesn't mind the smell in the least. It's not half as bad as it should be.

Aomine's eyes are fixed on him when Taiga pulls the shirt off, turns it around and puts it back on.

“This is so weird,” Aomine says, eyes trailing down Taiga's torso. “Fucking weird, but--” he shrugs, grins widely at Taiga, leers at him. “-- kind of hot, actually.”

And if he didn't just drop a bomb on Taiga, he turns around and dribbles towards the hoop, sinking the ball with a smooth layup.

Taiga just stares after him, completely gobsmacked.

He doesn't know how to pick up the subject of Aomine complimenting him on how good he looked in Aomine's jersey, so he doesn't.

Because if Taiga is honest with himself, he's kind of pleased. Just kind of.

***

As everything with Aomine seems to pan out, this does, too – loudly, with them fighting and bickering, and competing for something.

Kuroko is in the living room, waiting for them so they can start their Friday Night Shitty Movie Marathon, the only thing missing being popcorn.

“Don't you dare put salt on there,” Taiga scowls. “I'll throw your sorry ass out into the street, I swear to god.”

Aomine tries to take him by surprise, tries to slip past him in Taiga's kitchen with his incredible agility. “Freaking Americans and their freaky sweet popcorn,” he mutters, but Taiga catches his wrist before he can reach for the salt shaker.

“Na-uh,” Taiga grins, shaking his head. “Don't think so.”

“Oh, come on!” Aomine hisses and tries to free his hand with a hard tug, but only manages to stand even further within Taiga's personal space.

They end up almost nose to nose, Taiga's missing two centimeters barely notable as he glares up at Aomine. His dark blue eyes are sparkling with rage and a fire that makes Taiga's bones tingle, make shivers run down his spine. It's always been a competition for power between them, neither of them backing away from a fight, and somehow, this has become a staring match.

“Kagami,” Aomine snarls, his voice a low growl that doesn't particularly help Taiga's situation.

“Aomine,” he growls in reply, a warning for Aomine.

This is stupid, rushes through his head, we're fighting about popcorn. It's so stupid, but damn if I let him--

Which is when Aomine licks over his lips, closes the gap between them and kisses him.

For a second, Taiga is frozen, thrown off guard, and he watches in horror as Aomine pulls away with a bright grin, reaches the salt shaker, and effectively salts and ruins his popcorn.

Taiga gasps, “You fucking--” and the first and only defense that pops into his head is the one that he executes – payback. So he reaches for Aomine's hips, slams him into the corner of kitchen with his ass against the counter, kisses him right back. It's easy, since they're about the same height, and Taiga only has to lean forward and tilt his head just a bit to the side. Aomine's lips are soft, wet from the previous kiss, responding with surprising vigor and enthusiasm, pressing hard against Taiga's, until they're both panting for breath.

Then Aomine sinks his teeth into Taiga's bottom lip, none too gentle but not nearly painful, and Taiga is acutely aware of how hard he is.

“Fuck, what are you doing?” Aomine mumbles, and he sounds debauched and desperate and oh, Taiga never expected to enjoy hearing his voice so wrecked.

“Revenge for my ruined popcorn,” Taiga throws back, but can't help but huff out a laugh before he moves in once more.

This time, Aomine meets him halfway, his mouth open and willing and sinful where it moves over Taiga's. Taiga just about melts in his arms, especially when Aomine's hands grab his hips and pull him down onto the knee he lodged between Taiga's legs.

Taiga groans without holding back. The much-needed friction just feels so good, and now that they're so close, he can tell by the hard bulge lining Aomine's track pants that he's very much in on the plan.

“Kuroko's in the living room,” Taiga manages to mutter between more kissing, between nibbling on Aomine's lips and having Aomine's tongue tangled with his.

“He'll understand,” Aomine shakes it off, hands trailing down to squeeze Taiga's ass. “Oh, nice, Kagami.”

“Seriously, still with the last name when we're--”

They're interrupted by a very amused, but still polite voice. “If you excuse me, Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun, I think I... Oh. Have to go. Somewhere else. I mean, home.”

“Tetsu!” Aomine yelps, flinching under Taiga's hands.

Taiga jerks away from Aomine, hides his erection behind the kitchen counter and takes a few deep breaths. “I'm sorry, Kuroko.”

“Don't be. Enjoy yourselves,” from his expression, one wouldn't see it, but Taiga recognizes the spark in his eyes, the crinkles at their corners. If he was anyone else, Kuroko would be grinning at them. “Good night.”

He turns around and leaves, and Taiga drops his head back to stare at the ceiling as he lets out a relieved sigh.

Aomine has his arms wrapped around him, hands resting on his stomach, his mouth latched onto Taiga's neck in a second.

Taiga groans, the soft suckling kisses pressed beneath his earlobe making his knees turn to jello. “Shit, at least wait 'till he's--”

He breaks off as Kuroko's blue head pokes through the door to the kitchen once more. “Use a condom,” he deadpans, and throws two attached packages right at Taiga's chest. With that bemused expression still on his face.

And he ducks out before Taiga can think of a good comeback.

“That little shit,” Aomine mumbles fondly, then chuckles.

“Seriously, what's wrong with our taste in friends?” Taiga can't help but start laughing, too.

“Asking myself that almost every day.”

Taiga searches for Aomine's eyes over his shoulder, finds them staring at him, wide with amusement and laughing crinkles around them. Without Aomine's arms dropping from around his waist, Taiga turns to kiss him once more. This time, they manage to head into the dirty territory withing seconds, and a shiver of excitement lets Taiga's every nerve sizzle with need. Aomine groans, deep and frustrated and with barely hidden appreciation.

The kisses they share are still lacking in finesse, mostly from inexperience, and they're a bit too wet, a bit too messy. Despite that, Taiga kisses Aomine until he's reduced to a shivering, trembling mess.

Aomine suddenly breaks away, and looks at Taiga with firey eyes. “Your dick, my ass, now.”

“Woah, what?” Taiga blurts out, still busy talking when Aomine is already dragging him towards his own bedroom by his hand.

“You got a problem with that?” Aomine challenges him with a smirk over his shoulder.

Taiga feels heat rush into his cheeks as he stutters out, “No, not at all, I guess I just never thought of you as a bottom. I guess I thought we're gonna have to argue about it.”

“Obviously not, if you're cool with it,” Aomine grins right when they've reached Taiga's bed, pushes Taiga down onto it with two strong hands placed on his shoulders. “But for the record, I don't mind it the other way around either.”

“Uh, yeah,” Taiga shrugs. “I wouldn't know.”

“You've never had sex before?” Aomine raises an eyebrow, already stripping his clothes off right there, standing in front of Taiga.

“No.”

“Alright, we're going to change that, if you don't mind.”

Taiga lets his eyes trail down Aomine's body, down hard muscles bulging underneath tan, dark skin, down the trail of hair that leads beneath the pair of pants that Aomine is currently pulling down his legs. Those end up on the floor with his black boxer briefs on top in no time.

Aomine is as shameless as ever when it comes to his body.

Taiga can't just watch him flaunt himself around so easily. It's not like he was ever self-conscious about himself either, and he can prove it. So he strips as fast and efficiently as possible while still lying on the bed.

Aomine watches, transfixed, eyes roaming his body as if he'd never seen it before.

“Come here,” Taiga says softly, waves Aomine over.

He steps onto the bed on his knees, crawls towards Taiga like that, and as soon as he's within reachable distance, Taiga wraps his hand around his hard cock. He can't help but think of it as pretty; light curve upwards, uncut, so Taiga rolls his palm over the head a few times, tugs the foreskin over it, until Aomine is shuddering.

“Fuck, you're killing me here,” he complains.

Taiga smirks, but doesn't answer. Instead he gets his hands on Aomine's shoulder and hip, manhandling him to lay him down. After rolling them over, he reaches into the space between his mattress and the headboard, finding the bottle of lube there easily.

Aomine groans at the sight and knowledge of what's about to happen.

Taiga shoots him a questioning look, and Aomine answers it with a short nod. “Do it.”

So Taiga does as he's told, slicking up his left hand and returning his right one to stroking Aomine's dick.

“Do you know how?” Aomine asks when Taiga trails his fingertips around his entrance. The muscle is still puckered and hard, and Taiga massages it softly to loosen it.

“Experimented on my own a couple times,” Taiga winks.

Aomine sinks back into the pillows with another groan. “Fuck, that's hot.”

“You're welcome for the mental image.”

At that, Taiga nudges his middle finger into Aomine, who closes his eyes in pleasure and sighs. And Taiga didn't lie about having some experience of his own, so he makes it slow and sweet for Aomine, lets him get used to the feeling of the intrusion before he adds his index finger and really starts to prepare him with sure, long strokes in and out of Aomine's body.

Aomine is mumbling incoherently at this point, covering his face with both hands.

Taiga smirks and leans down, intending to take Aomine's cock into his mouth and blow him.

Aomine growls like he's in actual pain, and a hand cupping his face holds Taiga back from doing as he's planned to do. He's almost disappointed, but then Aomine rasps out, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I wouldn't last two seconds. Another time, okay?”

Taiga is overwhelmed with a wave of pleasant need and arousal, Aomine's words lingering hot and heavy between them.

“Fuck me already,” Aomine demands, desperate now.

“How about you ride me? That's easier, right, more control for you? I read that somewhere,” Taiga babbles.

“Yeah, sure, if you want,” Aomine sighs, seeming like he'd agree to anything at this point, so eager to get off. It's a good look on him, Taiga decides.

They flip over, and Aomine straddles Taiga's hips immediately, his moves still as fluent and graceful as if he was moving on the court. Taiga barely has time to roll on a condom and slick himself up with the excess lube before Aomine is already positioning himself, pushing down.

Taiga's cock slips right into him and he's ready to come just from the sheer heat and pressure that surrounds him all of a sudden. It only gets increasingly intense the deeper Aomine sinks down onto him, and by the time he's sitting in Taiga's lap, they're both trembling with the urge to move, Aomine's hands jittery where they support his weight against Taiga's chest.

“Fuck, Kagami, it's--”

“Jesus fucking Christ, I'm balls-deep into you, just call me by my first name already,” Taiga blurts out in a rush.

Aomine grins from above him, then lifts his hips to slide back down, and Taiga is already five seconds away from losing his mind when Aomine tilts his hips just so, fucks himself on Taiga's dick once more and groans out, “Sure, Taiga.”

He's never heard his name out of Aomine's mouth, and it makes the whole thing even more intimate than it already is. Heat spreads in Taiga's stomach, curls into a feeling so maddening in his lower abdomen that he feels just about ready to burst.

Aomine leans down, wraps his arms around Taiga's shoulders, his thrusts steady and rhythmic now, driving Taiga insane. Their lips find each other's, and just when Taiga thinks that he's going to have to stop any second now because he just can't take it any more, Aomine does it again.

“Come for me, Taiga,” he whispers into Taiga's ear, and that's it, game over, he's done.

For a second, there's only blazing white behind his eyelids, and he hears himself groan as his orgasm hits him harder than ever before. Taiga claws at Aomine's back – no, he called him Taiga, so he's--

"Daiki,” Taiga moans in bliss, and feels Aomine stiffen above him.

Aomine sits up, his expression open and vulnerable and maybe a bit shocked, but altogether very pleased. Wordlessly, he starts to move again, grinding on Taiga more than thrusting, and when he seems to have found the right spot, he groans. “Again, say it again,” he begs.

Taiga reaches for his thigh, strokes it softly. “Daiki?”

“Yeah, c'mon, say my name.”

Taiga smirks, closes his palm around his dick again, stroking him in time with Daiki's thrusts. “Like that, Daiki?”

“A bit faster.”

Taiga pumps him faster, watches in delight as Daiki falls apart, writhing, shuddering, clenching around him as he hits his climax, come splattering over Taiga's chest and stomach. He's gorgeous like that, his back arching, muscles going taut as he screws his eyes shut. Taiga falls just a bit more for him in that moment.

When they've both caught their breath again, Daiki lifts up, lets Taiga's soft cock slip from his body and flops down beside him.

“So that was kind of awesome,” he yawns.

“I dunno, I think I might need a repeat performance to confirm that,” Taiga grins at Daiki's offended face, before he starts to laugh, too.

“I think we can do that.” He's beautiful when he laughs, really laughs, not just the smirk he usually wears.

Side by side, they lie there for a while, until Taiga gets up to fetch some tissues to clean them both up.

“So, I've got a suggestion,” Daiki starts when Taiga is back on the bed, lying on his stomach with one arm thrown across Daiki's torso and his eyes closed, the sheets pulled up to their waists, Daiki's fingers toying with his hair.

“Mmh?” Taiga hums, too lazy to move.

“Next time we play one-on-one, loser has to bottom.”

“Nah, I don't wanna win if you let me,” Taiga teases, then glances at Daiki.

“I'd never let you win,” Daiki huffs, but there's a blush on his cheeks and he avoids Taiga's eyes.

Taiga grins. “Anyway, we can do that, but just so you know, you don't need to lose to me to get my dick in your ass. Just ask, Ahomine.”

Daiki pouts. “I like the other nickname better.”

“Aomine-cchi?” Taiga teases.

“Don't talk like Kise when we're in bed. It's not cute.”

“Mine-chin?”

Daiki just about splutters.

“Dai-chan?”

That gets him a slap to the shoulder.

"Taiga,” he grumbles, and okay, Taiga is a big old sucker for his begging puppy dog eyes, a trait he never expected Daiki to have in the first place.

“Yeah, Daiki?”

“There we go,” Daiki breaks into a grin, leans over, and kisses him.

THE END