Imperfect match // Daiki Aomine (Kuroko no Basuke)

32. Wanna play?

"Right Princess! Wanna play?" Kuroo asks, once she has greeted them all.

"Yes!" She says, a fist in the air, noticing Aomine's face. "Oh. What were you doing here by the way? Is everything okay?" She asks him.

"Yeah." He says looking away, not wanting to admit that he was checking on her, convinced she was making out with a random dude on the beach.

"Are you not playing anymore?" She asks seeing the others still on the court.

"Umm... I'm too hot. Having a break."

"Wanna watch me play?" She says excitedly, hung onto his arm.

"Show me what you can do." He says now amused by her fidgety state.

"Come on Captain! Let's show them what we've got!"

Taking her bucket hat and shirt off, now in her bikini top and shorts, she drops them on the side with her trainers, before going on the 'court'.

They are facing a new couple who look much more serious than the previous ones. It won't be an entertaining round like the one she witnessed earlier.

Kuroo and Satori greet the other team and whisper in each other's ears, Aomine noticing that Kuroo's hands are very comfortable smoothing her back and caressing her shoulder.

To an untrained eye, this is just standard, but Aomine has a feeling that Kuroo is after his old partner, both on the court and off.

He observes them cautiously.

As he watches the game, he notices the complicity, understanding and symbiosis these two have and he doesn't like it. Kuroo trusts her in her serve and she sets for him.

They are leading the game and you can see their competitiveness matching. They pump each other up and seem high of adrenaline.

Even though she looks gorgeous and irresistible in her attire, there is no gender on that court, just athletes. No one is making it easier on the other.

Something more visible that bothers him is their proximity. When they score, they high five or hug. When they miss, they tap each other's ass in an encouraging way. Aomine would do that with his teammates but seeing Kuroo doing it to her just really annoys him.

"Be careful." He hears, looking down on his right at Kenma.

"Pardon?"

"Kuroo."

"Why should I be careful?" He asks knowingly yet interested with what Kenma has to say,

"He knows Satori by heart. He had a good thing going with her and always wanted to make it official."

"She's not like that."

"I know him. He's not given up."

"She can do what she wants, we're just casual." Kenma scoffs seeing right through him.

"You and Kuroo are the same."

"I'm nothing like him." Aomine retorts annoyed.

"Around her you are."

"You don't know me. You don't know our history."

"Ah history... So you do like her but she's not into relationships. Yet you will do what it takes to spend time with her anyway, hoping to be the only friend with benefit she needs because you are actually in love with her. You've told her and said you are okay with her staying the way she is and that it's your problem if you have these feelings and not hers. You just want her to be happy but you still can't stand the idea of her sleeping with another guy... you're right... nothing like Kuroo."