After School (Kuroko no Basket Fanfic)

Destiny | Chapter 2 | Takao

Destiny | Chapter 2 | Takao

For the first time since I met Shin-chan I've spent my entire evening alone.

"Takao! Get your ass out here and help me cook dinner!" My mom yells at me from the kitchen.

I sigh. Well, as alone as you can get with my crazy family. "I'll be right down!"

I'm in a plain white T-shirt with a pair of plain black shorts. I suppose I never really stood out by my looks, which is where my personality got twisted to make up for the difference.

The walk down the stairs felt like the longest of my life. For some reason all I want is to lie in my bed and reminisce, even though I know it'll do no good for me in the end.

I scratch the back of my head, trying to shake the nagging thoughts away. "What do you need me to do?"

As soon as I walk in the kitchen my mother points to the kitchen sink where ten potatoes sit, ready to be peeled. So, without question, I wash my hands and begin to peel each one by hand with a knife. In the background I can hear my little brothers watching cartoons, chuckling at all of those corny jokes they always seem to make.

"What's wrong, Takao?" My mother dives straight to the point.

I don't notice it much, because I'm usually too busy with basketball or my brothers to have time to, but my mother and I hardly ever get time to talk like this. Still, even though she rarely talks to me, she can tell when something is bothering me. "It's nothing. I'm perfectly fine."

"You're perfectly idiotic," she snaps back. "Tell me the truth."

I don't even bother to argue: she always wins. I look over at her, and as I look at her face I begin to realize how old she looks. She was always young and radiant for as long as I could remember her, but now she's starting to get stray gray hairs and wrinkles on her face. Still, even with that, she still looks beautiful. I have a hard time not smiling when I think about that.

I look away, focussing on the task at hand. "I don't even really understand why I'm upset. It's not like you can stop someone from behaving a certain way, anyway."

My mother sighs. "Is this about your boyfriend again?" She taps her finger against her chin. "What was his name again? Shintaro-kun?"

"We're not dating!" I yell, cutting so fast through the potato that I knick my finger with the blade. A droplet of crimson forms from the slit in my index finger, falling into the sink. "And it's not like it matters anyway. We're through."

My mother sighs, taking my hand and placing a small napkin over the cut. She presses it down and I flinch as the pressure takes hold, keeping the blood from flowing. "You really are clueless, aren't you? If all you think about is him, and not being with him makes you this upset, then doesn't that mean you're in love with him?"

My eyes open wide, and I cast them downward. "Is that so?"

My mother removes the napkin from my finger and puts a bandage from her pocket in it's place, carefully wrapping it around the wound. "It's okay to feel that way. I felt that way once, too, and I've not once regretted it."

I frown, the memories of my father flooding through me. He left when I was only six years old, so I barely remember him, but I can always remember him slamming that door behind him, leaving me behind. Will Shin-chan do the same? "How can you not regret it? He left you, and he never came back! How can you not be bitter?!"

Even though I raise my voice my mother remains calm. "Because of him I have my greatest treasures." She puts a hand on my cheek, smiling brightly. "And I wouldn't trade that for the whole world."

Tears well up in my eyes, and I reach out to hug her tightly. "I'm sorry."

She pets the back of my head. "Idiot. This is where you say thank you, not apologize."

I bury my head in her shoulder. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome."

She grabs my shoulders and gives me a determined look as she pulls me away. "Now you've got business to take care of, don't you? Shintaro-kun's never going to know how you feel if all you do is stand here and cry!"

I wipe my tears, looking back at her with my mouth agape. "Huh?! It's the middle of the night! You don't honestly expect me to run down there and talk to him now?!"

She puts her hands on her hips. "Of course I do! You're my son! Be bold and resolute, damn it!"

My hand reaches and shakes my hair again as I let out a sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll go. But you have to promise not to say anything to anyone about this! Not a word, mother!"

Mother grins mischievously. "Of course not, dear."

"Why do I not believe that?"

As I grab my shoes I dash out the door, my mother calling out to me as I leave in the direction of Shin-chan's house. "Good luck! Go get me a son-in-law!"

A blush creeps it's way to my face. The image of a wedding between Shin-chan and I was just too embarrassing to think about. "You have no shame!"

I never expected her to be so open about all of this, but I guess she always knew my sexuality from the start. Though how Shin-chan takes this is the most important part of all. I just hope I'm not to late to at least save our friendship!