In Shadows | Kuroko no Basket Fan Fiction

23. Quick Celebration

In Shadows
Chapter Twenty-Three
Quick Celebration

For a moment, there was stunned silence, as the weight of the scores sank in. Then the stadium erupted into cheers . Gina was beaming as she watched her friends celebrate, pulling each other into hugs and cheering at the top of their lungs - it was only the first match of the Winter Cup, but their opponent had been a challenge. Relief and joy passed over the team as they relished in their success.

Of course, Gina couldn't help but feel for the Touou players, who watched Seirin's celebrations with blank, devastated expressions. But she was so happy and proud of her friends; she wanted to run on court and pull them all into tight hugs.

Kuroko had started to collapse, but Kagami caught him just in time, leaving them face-to-face with Aomine. Kuroko seemed to have gotten what he wanted, anyway: Aomine had started to play with a smile on his face, and now, after experiencing defeat for the first time, Touou's ace returned returned Kuroko's fist bump. Gina couldn't help but smile at the sight. She didn't know too much about Aomine and Kuroko's past together, but figured that was important. Looking across at Momoi, who was watching the scene with tears in her eyes and a bright smile on her face, she figured that yes, it had been very, very important.

Gina wanted to go over and talk to Momoi, but Seirin was starting to head back to their locker room, and so was Touou. Touou's manager caught Gina's eyes and they exchanged and apologetic glance, with a promise to meet up later.

When they returned to the lockers, exhaustion seemed to hit the team at once. Gina slumped down by the lockers, resting her head back against the lockers and breathing out heavily. I've never seen a match that exhausting. She had been on the edge of her seat the entire time, all the while willing Seirin to crawl back from behind and win. It had been emotionally exhausting, too; her heart had been broken when she'd seen Kuroko so distraught, had anxiety gnawing in her stomach the entire time, and she'd cried with joy when they won. The match had been an emotional rollercoaster, and she hadn't realised just how exhausted it had made her until now, when she'd settled back and closed her eyes.

"Gina..." Kuroko muttered, sliding down beside her. His eyes blinked heavily, drooping with tiredness.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice caught between a laugh and a yawn.

A soft, tired grown came from Kuroko, and Gina turned to see him collapse against her, his head resting on her shoulder as he dropped off to sleep.

Kagami groaned and collapsed on the other side of her. "I don't know how I managed to remain standing for so long," he slurred out through a yawn. "I can't..." He leaned his head back against the locker door and closed his eyes. A minute later, he too was fast asleep.

She chuckled softly, careful not to make any sudden movement should she wake her two friends. They deserve a bit of a rest, though. They worked so hard, and that was a tough match.

Looking up, she was a little surprised to see that Hyuga, Kiyoshi and Izuki had also crashed, succumbing to tiredness. A soft yawn passed her own lips as she looked at them, and her tiredness hit her all at once.

Damn, she thought. Her arm wrapped around Kuroko, and her head dropped to the side of fall on Kagami. Who knew watching a match could be so emotionally taxing?

Then she decided to give in the her mounting tiredness as well. Squished between her two best friends, her head resting comfortably on Kagami's side and one arm wrapped around Kuroko, she closed her eyes and let sleep pull her under.

*         *         *

When Gina's eyes fluttered open, the first thing she noticed was that she was sitting on a freezing surface.