Dreaming On - Kuroko no Basket

┆56┆The Kissing Fiend┆

A/N: Sorry about the late update! The last 4.5 months had been really hectic for me. I broke up with my boyfriend of 2.5 years because he made me choose between him and my education (for those that don't know, I'm currently a second-year in med school). So I let him go because he was such an ass about me studying all the time and not having "enough time for him." LMFAO. Sorry, but if you're not contributing to my education or paying for my education, loans, apartment rent or groceries, then BYE. 

My birthday was also just two weeks ago, which was spent studying for three exams, so there was that. I'll try to edit the previous chapters to make the story more consistent sometime in the next couple of months. I just realized that there were inconsistencies regarding Masami's height and size, the timeline was kinda jumpy in the beginning, and the structure just didn't go as smooth as I thought. 

Anyways, here's the long-awaited update! Let's hit another 50 votes before the next chapter! 

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"Y-your place!" Hyuga trailed off as everyone gazed around Kagami's apartment in disbelief. "It's huge!!" Surprisingly, I had woken up - still being carried in Kagami's arms - halfway to his apartment. Having already been to his place several times already, I wasn't as flabbergasted as the rest of the team.

"Kagami-kun, you really are a despicable guy after all," Kuroko deadpanned. "I'm not going to be your shadow anymore." Kagami whirled around, swinging me with him as my legs flung out, almost knocking Kuroko out.

"Why would you say that?!" I wiggled in Kagami's arms, trying to jump down. He gently set my wobbly legs downs onto the hardwood floors.

Izuki scanned the room with a critical eyes, observing, "Minimal furniture, a basketball, and magazines. Wow~." Teppei entered the living room just as Hyuga began bickering with Izuki. "Where's Riko?"

"She headed to the kitchen with our ingredients," Fukuda responded, unaware of the implications of Riko being in the kitchen. Instantly, the entire team screeched, horror dawning on their faces. Even Hyuga's glasses cracked.

"You can't be serious!!" Hyuga roared, looming in front of the first-year point center. I watched with amusement as Koganei, Mitobe, and Izuki surrounded the quivering Fukuda as Teppei slumped in a corner, mumbling his last wills. "Do you not remember what happened over the summer?! We're not going to recover; we're going to die before tomorrow even comes!"

Riko's unsuspecting voice rang into the living room as she called out, "Dinner's ready!" Kagami, Kuroko and I snickered behind our hands as the others turned deathly white. "It's my special hot pot recipe!"

When the coach went to go lift the lid, we were all caught off-guard at the surprisingly normal outlook of the hot pot. I silently whispered a prayer for Izuki who was already leaning forward to peer into the hot pot, clapping my hands twice in front of my bowl as Izuki broke apart his chopsticks and went to grab a bite of the concoction. 

"Well, thanks for the – "

"Wait!" Hyuga interrupted his friend, desperately wanting to save him. "Kuroko-kun, you try a bite first." I held my breath, trying to shrink in on myself in hopes of becoming invisible from Hyuga's line of sight. "I'm not going to force Kagami-kun to eat first since this is his place, and Masami-chan did very well at the tournament." I exhaled softly, grateful for my friend's sacrifice. Kuroko shot me a look of stoic dismay, slightly narrowing his blue eyes at me.

"The way you're talking is really shady," the bluenette muttered, picking up his chopsticks with reluctance. "Thanks for the food, then." His chopsticks hesitantly hovered over the normal-looking hot pot that sat in the middle of the table. The rest of the team held their breaths with anticipation, leaning slightly forward in their seats.