Seven Minutes in Heaven ||°Kuroko no Basuke°||

Atsushi Murasakibara

 "I really hate to have to say this, but so far, my idea hasn't really seemed to help the game out at all. I'm not ready to give up though. I want to give it one more shot before I try to figure something else out." With an overwhelming look of resolve on her face, Riko stood in front of the shrinking group and began scouting for the next player. After quickly assessing the remaining participants, she came to stand directly in front of Atsushi. "Get up, you're going to be playing next."

Busy snacking on a large bag of potato chips, it took Atsushi a moment to respond. "Hmm, is it my turn already?" Looking anything but excited, Atsushi lazily pushed himself from the floor and continued walking towards the closet. He hadn't even attempted to pick out a partner. "I'm just going to wait in there for someone to pick me. That's okay, right?" Without waiting for a response, he passed through the doorway and dropped to the floor.

Sitting in silence, the remaining players weren't really sure what to make of his actions. No one was volunteering to be his partner either. Unwilling to let the game end just yet, Riko quickly grabbed you by your upper arm and helped you to your feet. "You're his partner. Get in there." Giving you very little choice in the matter, she escorted you to the closet and shut the door.

"Someone finally came. I was getting really bored just sitting here alone." Still crunching away on his bag of chips, Atsushi reached up, grabbed your wrist with his salty hand and pulled you to a seated position beside him. "Stay sitting down. I don't like when girls are taller than me."

"Oh, I see. I guess that's understandable." Trying hard to ignore the loud crinkling sound his bag made each time he reached into it, you cleared your throat and made yourself comfortable. You hadn't planned on trying to pressure him into playing, but unfortunately, he didn't seem at all concerned about the time limit. Actually, he didn't even seem interested in the idea of being here. Hoping you wouldn't regret it, you attempted to get his attention on the game. "Are we going to do anything in here, or am I just going to watch you eat?"

Turning his focus from the salty snacks, to you, Atsushi looked down at you with an expressionless face. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean we're supposed to be doing something in here, and you're just sitting there, eating. This isn't exactly all that fun for me." You could tell that your argument wasn't going to win him over before you'd even finished your sentence. Knowing that your current way of thinking wasn't going to get you anywhere, you changed your tactic and wished for the best. "You're not too embarrassed to play along with me, are you?"

Obviously annoyed by your blatant taunt, Atsushi's expression hardened. "No."

Sure you had him exactly where you wanted him, you continued on with your teasing. "Are you sure? Because if you were embarrassed, that would explain everything." Smiling in the kindest way you knew how, you gave his now clenched hand a pat. "It's okay. Being embarrassed is nothing to be ashamed over."

Atsushi's violet eyes narrowed in the darkness. Though his expression was still terribly flat, you could tell that he wasn't happy with you. "I'm not going to say it again. I'm not embarrassed."

"I honestly don't know why you're trying so darn hard to convince me of this. It's really okay." Maintaining your sweet, understanding facade, you smiled again. This time, however, your smile was more of a smirk. "You don't have to try to cover it up. I'm not going to tell anyone, so just relax."

Dropping his bag to the floor, Atsushi turned his body towards you just enough so that he could wrap his strong hands around your forearms. "I already told you, I'm not going to say it again. So I'll prove it." Suddenly pulling you to his chest, he placed a rough kiss directly on your lips. Honestly, you had been expecting a lazy, half-hearted kiss, not this. Not at all prepared for this, heat filled your cheeks, ears and even neck. Though his point had been proven, at least to you, Atsushi continued to kiss you. After a moment, his lips left yours and he began slowly trailing kisses down to your neck. Wanting nothing more than to get you back for teasing him earlier, he didn't stop until your face burned. Smirking, even though you couldn't see it, he gently nuzzled his nose against your collar bone. "I told you."

Hardly able to think, let alone form a complete, coherent sentence, you nodded weakly. "Y-yes you did tell me. I was very wrong and I apologize for not believing you before." Glad he'd been able to remove any doubt from your mind, Atsushi finally released your arms, freeing you from his hold.

Right on cue, there was a loud knock on the other side of the door. "Time's up, I'm coming in." Clipboard in hand, Riko shoved open the closet door and turned on the light. As soon as the door was opened, Atsushi grabbed his bag, stood to his feet and meandered back into the gymnasium. Not at all worried about Atsushi, Riko helped you to your feet and asked you the same question she'd asked so many before you. "On a scale from one to ten stars, what would you rate your turn."

Positive that you were still a bit red from Atsushi's kiss, you quickly attempted to compose yourself before leaving the closet. "Hmm, I don't know. Let me just think about that for a second." Gently tapping your finger on your chin, you pretended to think about her question. After a couple of seconds, you gave her an answer, though it wasn't at all what she wanted to hear. "I'd rate my turn somewhere between one and ten stars exactly."