Requested by kazuhikonaori
Hi, Reader-chans!
//proceeds to kneel and bow a million times//
I'm so sorry (ㄒoㄒ)
I know, this request is wayyyy overdue! Like years overdue! I also apologize if this one shot isn't exactly like what you requested for. Still, I hope you enjoy it ♡
___________________________________________
43. Aomine Daiki
~ After So Long ~
Aomine is known to be a very straight forward and downright confident person. At times, he could get a little bit too confident in his abilities.
But, his confidence seemed to fail him when it came to you.
He had a crush on you.
He forgot when these feelings even started to surface.
His feelings just kept growing until he was barely able to hold them in anymore.
There was just something about how your cheerful and kind nature that drew him in.
How you earnestly cared for everyone around you.
Your gentleness and sincerity always made him too nervous to confess.
He liked you too much that he couldn't say it out loud.
He feared that he wouldn't be able to protect you properly.
Wow, for even Aomine Daiki to deem himself unworthy.
So, he never confessed.
Years passed and life happened that he felt those feeling fade.
Or did they?
• • •
"Papa!"
He watched his little girl run towards him with arm open wide, ready for a hug.
"Hey there, little panther."
The navy blue haired man lifted his daughter up in the air making the girl giggle in delight. He gave her a hug before letting her stand next to him.
"Ready to go home?"
"Yup!"
That's when he noticed something was missing.
Ran's school bag.
"Ran-chan! You forgot you're bag."
A H/C haired woman ran out of the school building, holding Ran's bag. Her eyes frantically searched for the said girl.
Aomine froze.
That gentle worried expression.
"L/N?"
Your eyes met and a warm fuzzy feeling embraced his heart.
"Aomine-kun?"
• • •
You looked even more graceful than when he last saw you. The way you sat with your back straight, eyes focused and a smile on your lips.
"How've you been, L/N? I haven't heard anything from you since we graduated high school," he asked as the both of you watched Ran play street basketball against the other kids on the court. She inherited both his hair color and basketball skills.
"I studied abroad for a few years then, I came back for a bit after I graduated. Then, I worked abroad for a while before finally coming back to Japan earlier this year."
"No wonder we rarely heard from you. You didn't even come to my wedding."
"Sorry about that. Satsuki actually e-mailed the invitation to me but, I only saw it a month later."
"Seriously?" He leaned his elbow on his thigh, intrigued by your sudden reveal.
"I worked at school in a rural village deep in the mountains, Aomine-kun. I only went to town once a month. I'm really sorry."
"It doesn't matter though."
"Eh?"
"It was a short marriage. Ran was only two when we divorced."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
You glanced next to you and saw a sad smile etched on his lips.
"It's fine."
Your eyes followed his line of vision and saw Ran shooting the ball into the basket even when she was guarded by two other players.
"You raised her well."
"That coming from you really makes me happy."
You exchanged looks and laughed. You both miss this familiar atmosphere.
• • •
That was only the beginning.
He thought the warm feeling was merely familiarity; the close friendship that you and him shared.
But, more and more..
His long buried feelings resurfaced.
He keeps thinking of your smiles whenever you come across each other.
He keeps feeling proud whenever he watches you play basketball with Ran; knowing that he was the one that thought you the basic years ago.
He loved how Ran would tell him stories of your caring nature. He loved the look of adoration in his daughter's eyes whenever she talked about you.
All of this.
It makes his heart swell with joy.
Come on.
Don't run away this time.
"L/N."
He looked at you and you stared back at him.
"Hm?"
It was during a field trip.
Parents, teachers and the children were all sitting on picnic blankets for lunch.
Ran was off running around with her friends after helping Aomine clean up. He invited you to sit with him and rest.
That was when he decided.
He wanted to confess already.
"You know.. I had a crush on you in high school."
Was that a good place to start?
"Oh," you said, looking at your fingertips. You didn't know how to reply.
"And now.. I think I fell in love with you all over again."
He was surprised to see tears suddenly pooling at the corners of your eyes.
"L/N?"
"Don't go making me cry in public, silly."
"Ah, I'm so-"
"I've always liked you too," you confessed, wiping the corner of your eyes. You couldn't help but smile.
Heat rose to Aomine's cheeks.
Was he hearing this correctly?
"Papa!"
Ran came running and hugged her father's neck.
"Did you tell sensei you love her yet?"
She can already tell from the matching smile on the both of you.
_________________________________________
I hope you enjoyed~
~kimmie_ryren
[17/09/2020]