Dreaming On - Kuroko no Basket

Head-On

A/N: Hi! I know many of you are probably wondering, "where the heck has author-san been?" Well, news: I JUST GRADUATED FROM UNDERGRAD!!! Whoo! I've been so busy with that, and I'm currently in the process of applying to graduate schools for med school (which is a struggle). Anyways, I just want to congratulate those who have also recently graduated from high school and college. You're about to enter a new chapter of your lives, so just remember to study smart and have fun.

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"Come entertain me!" Aomine's deep voice called out. Kagami and I glanced out of the corner of our eyes at each other with a smirk. Our eyes slid back over to our main opponent on the side opposite to us. Kagami's relaxed stance was similar to mine; my legs were shoulder-width apart and my knees bent with my hands hovering slightly above my thighs. I was crouching in a position that signaled I was ready to lunge. Almost immediately, Aomine darted towards the left, enticing Kagami to follow him. With a quick jerk, Aomine spun around, flying past Kagami's defense on the right.

Despite his giant stature, Kagami quickly regained his footing and darted back in front of Aomine. A feral grin made itself known on Aomine's face, quickly hinting at some sort of plan. My instincts kicked in and I hovered near Teppei, who was guarding under the net and Wakamatsu. Aomine forcefully slammed the basketball against the court - the ball flying between Kagami's legs, angled for a high bounce.

"No way! Is that an alley-oop with Wakamatsu?!" Izuki cried out in disbelief. Although basketball was a game of height, being shorter than the rest of the players on the court had its advantages. I sprinted towards Teppei and jumped, resting a hand on his shoulder to launch myself up at the descending ball. Before the others could register what was happening, my palm met the orange ball with a sharp CRACK! Aomine's dark blue eyes met mine, narrowing in concealed disbelief. I smirked, wiping the sweat along my defined jawline with my sweatband.

"Are we entertaining you yet, Ah-ho-mi-ne?" The recipient of my joke only heatedly glared at me before jogging after the ball that I had deflected out of bounds. Wakamatsu stood just behind the white line, bouncing the ball to Aomine, signaling the play back in. In an instant, Kagami was on the Touou's ace.

At this rate, Kagami won't be able to stop Aomine. My feet shifted themselves toward the dueling aces, ready to assist Kagami. Sakurai immediately threw his arms out in a block, preventing me from moving forward. My eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing in anger.

"I-I can't let you interfere! S-s-sorry!" He squeaked out. In retaliation, I brought my arms up in a defensive pose, throwing an arm to catch the shooting guard in the side before ducking under his arm. Sprinting toward the two giants, I could tell that I wasn't going to reach the ball in time. Aomine had already dashed past Teppei and Kagami, hurling the ball at the hoop from behind him. Still, my hand flung out in an attempt to knock the ball off course. Three centimeters too short, the ball breezed by my fingertips.

Murmurs turned into full-blown cries of cheers and incredulity.

"No way! Did you see that? Aomine made that shot without even looking at the basket!" Grimaces were apparent on my teammates' faces, causing me to clench my hands into fists. We have to win!

The play restarted with Hyuuga passing the ball to me. Almost instantly, Aomine was on top of me, blocking my path toward the hoop. Izuki neatly slid behind Aomine, creating the perfect opportunity to screen him for me to charge forward. I took the chance and darted right, hoping that Izuki could hold against Aomine as a screen. However, the tanned giant was quick on his feet. He twisted around Izuki from the left and bolted behind him, running toward me. I nimbly crossed the ball between my feet, catching it with my left hand. Izuki quickly slid between me and Aomine, halting the giant in his path to get to me. I deftly skipped backwards before jumping into the air. Leaning my upper body backwards, I neatly shot the ball into the hoop.