Vicious || Aomine D.

Twenty-Nine

[ It wasn't the same ]
_____

On the way back from the street court Aomine and Riyo stopped by a pastel pink food truck offering crepes and ice cream. They got a strawberry-chocolate crepe for Riyo and a banana ice cream for Aomine, apparently, the taste reminded him of banana milk. Go figure.

Iverson kept flicking his gaze between their desserts, trying to guess which one of them was more likely to share, and licking his lips.

"Are you sure it's okay to skip practice?" Riyo asked in-between bites.

Aomine shot her a sideways glance while sneaking half a spoonful of ice cream to Iverson who lapped it up eagerly, his perfected puppy eyes settling on Aomine. "Who do you think I am?"

"An idiot."

"Hey!"

Riyo took another bite of her crepe, though she slightly miscalculated and it ended up being bigger than she thought, forcing her to chew in a manner surprisingly similar to a chipmunk. She saw the glimmer in Aomine's eyes and tried to put enough distance between them instantly but she was too slow. He poked her cheek, almost making her spit out the delicacy. Riyo grabbed Aomine's water bottle from the table and squeezed. Water spurted out splattering on his face and clothes.

The stunned look on Aomine's face would be imprinted in her memory forever. It was priceless and hilarious. Riyo had to hold in her giggle to swallow and only after her mouth was clear and empty did she let it break free. The laugh bubbled out of her, making her shoulders shake.

***

For revenge, Aomine considered dumping the rest of the water on Riyo but then he heard that laugh. It was the best thing he'd heard all day. Warmth spread in his chest and there was a flutter in his stomach. A smile tugged at his lips as he dried his face on the sleeve of his hoodie. He wished they could always stay like this. Talking, laughing, and playing basketball. If every day for the rest of his life was like this one, he'd never complain.

In that moment, he would've given just about anything to go back in time and change the past. He should've stuck by her when the rest of the kiseki no sedai turned against her. He should've kissed her on that court when they were screwing around, trying to take a picture. Maybe then, they wouldn't have wasted so much time being miserable and alone.

Riyo's eyes were glimmering with tears from too much laughter.

Knowing that she could still be this happy around him eased the ache in his heart a little. He'd really messed up but even after everything there was still hope for them. They'd become something new and different, something that would take time to figure out but he was in no rush. Aomine had all the time in the world now that she was back in his life.

***

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Riyo asked once her laughter had died down.

Aomine was staring at her and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was but his gaze on her felt different than before.

He averted his eyes, a pink tint to his cheeks. "No reason."

Riyo was tempted to pry but decided against it. Instead, she finished off her crepe, saving a piece for Iverson. She offered it to him and he gobbled it down eagerly, licking her fingers as he accepted the treat. Still, he kept gazing lovingly at Aomine. Riyo giggled. Obviously, she wasn't the only one who'd missed Aomine.