[ A Pity Fest ]
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Aomine was killing it and Riyo couldn't help but feel a little bit proud. She had to bite down the smile that threatened to break loose when she watched him play better and harder than in a long time. Just because she wished not to care about him didn't make it so.
Aomine and Kagami went at it on the court. Both entered the zone and pushed themselves to the limit. Both were furious, like beasts in the wild. And she saw then just what Kagami could've been if he had gone to Teiko with the rest of them. He would've been one of the Kiseki no Sedai. Another monster obsessed with winning and capable of casting aside anyone who got in the way of that.
Riyo watched as Aomine scored the formless shot she'd helped him perfect. He made it look so easy, effortless. A few minutes later he dunked with so much power the hoop was left clanging loudly. Show-off.
Whenever he had the chance, Aomine would shoot a glance her way. Most of the time Riyo managed to avoid eye contact but when his blue eyes met her brown ones she felt a longing that threatened to pull her under. He had been her world.
Aomine had been the person Riyo would call in the middle of the night for no reason, just to hear his voice. The person who'd made her laugh, even when all she wanted to do was scream and cry. The person who she would've trusted with her life. The person who'd taken care of her whenever she needed him to even though he liked to act all tough. He'd patched her up whenever she'd injured herself on the court.
***
"Uh oh." Kise gripped the railing. "Aominecchi is really giving it his all."
"Mmh. He must be overjoyed to have finally found an opponent who pushes him that far," Midorimacchi noted.
"You don't think he's just trying to impress Miyocchi?"
"Tsk. No."
"But you said he had a soft spot for her-ssu..." Kise pouted.
"He does, but he's never played basketball for her. I don't think that has changed."
"Mmh."
In the end, Touou won the game.
***
Kagami, Kuroko, and the rest of the team were left devastated after their loss. As the starters slowly sauntered back to the team's bench, Riyo caught Aomine's eye. For a brief moment, they held each other's gazes and had a wordless conversation. The only person who could beat him was himself.
Kagami's injury was worse and he could barely stay upright. As Riyo positioned herself under Kagami's arm so that she could support some of his weight, Aomine stormed out. She didn't watch him leave but she could feel his presence vanish from her vicinity.
"Can you walk?" she asked Kagami.
"Mmh." He nodded while holding back tears.
"Just lean on me. I can take it," she assured him.
As per her request, Kagami gave more of his weight to her. He was heavier than she'd thought but she didn't let it show as she helped him to the locker room. Even the air in the room was heavy with disappointment.
Riyo didn't belong in that room nor in the conversation that was about to ensue, so she escaped into the hall. Her stomach rumbled. It had been hours since she'd last eaten and even that had been a small meal of rice and curry chicken. She figured her best bet for finding food would be to hunt down a vending machine.
This place is huge, she thought while wandering around. She walked past other teams and enthusiastic basketball fans that had watched the game from the audience as well as parents and families. I should call mom.
"Miyocchi!" she heard her name called.
Turning her head she tried to pinpoint where the sound had come from but couldn't, there were too many people. That was until a familiar blonde and a green-haired shrew appeared, parting the crowd.
"Miyocchi!" Kise exclaimed again flashing one of his brilliant model's smiles that generally tended to make girls' knees go weak.
"Kise-kun." She tried to be polite and return the smile but failed miserably.
He didn't seem to mind though. Kise attacked her with a hug that she didn't know how to respond to. The last time they'd seen each other he'd been cold and left her on the floor with a stinging cheek. Riyo gave him an unsure pat on the back.
"I missed you so much!" Kise declared as he pulled away.
What?
"I... Uh... Missed you too...?" Her answer came out as a question.
"Tsk." Midorima averted his gaze from the other two.
"It's been so long since we've had one of our usual hangouts-ssu...." Kise whined.
Huh?
"Do you think Momoicchi could invite everyone over and we could have a movie night again?" He sounded almost hopeful.
"Uhh... I don't really talk to her anymore," Riyo admitted.
"Huh? Why?"
"Their signs are currently incompatible," Midorima threw in with a stern look.
"Ehhh?" Kise was about to tell him off when Riyo cut in.
"I guess we just grew apart."
More like, the Kiseki no Sedai grew into beasts that didn't have room in their lives for her anymore.
Kise frowned. "That can't be right."
"Come on, Kise. We should get going." Midorima pushed the blonde boy to make him move.
"But--"
"Let's go."
The two disappeared back into the crowd with Kise shouting, "It was good to see you Miyocchi!"
Shaking off the unexpected encounter, Riyo continued her search for a vending machine until she finally found one after two wrong turns and being pushed by a guy running towards an exit. She bought herself some snacks.
Though as soon as she opened the small bag of chips, her mind went to the time after one of Teiko's games when Aomine had bought her ten different bags of chips just because she'd been unable to tell him which ones she wanted. And when he'd told her if she ate them all she'd turn into Murasaki-kun, she'd thrown a chip at his head inadvertently firing the first shot in what would be an epic chip war.
Riyo caught herself grinning at the memory and instantly dropped the expression. On her way back to the locker rooms, she dropped the barely opened bag in the trash.
What a waste.
Riyo sighed.
With the Seirin locker room already in her line of sight, a familiar sensation made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Aomine. She knew instantly.
And there he was, exiting the next locker room over, wearing his school gear and carrying his bag over one shoulder. He glanced her up and down, lifted his chin, sneered at her, and then walked past her, forcefully bumping her shoulder leaving her off-balance.
What the hell?! Did he just body-check her?
Riyo glared daggers at his back but kept her mouth shut. A shouting match in the hall wouldn't do anyone any good. Shaking her head in disbelief she entered the locker room where the mood was worse than glum. The players sat in various spots in varying positions with their shoulders slumped and their gazes stuck to the floor.
A pity fest.
It fit her mood perfectly.
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[ AN ]
Would you want to read some steamy scenes between Riyo and Aomine, or nah?
All the best!
x Jen