Started and Ended With You

The Cook

It was a mess. His wallet was more barren than a desert. He had never felt so pissed in his life. A hungry Aomine was not a happy Aomine. Everyone seemed so happy to mooch off of him but no-one seemed to consider even leaving him a bit to nibble on. The moment he reached for something someone would immediately attack the item out like wild street cats who found a feast in the garbage. He was sure not he would not be about to have dinner for the next few days. So much for team-mates. At least Sakurai gave him apologetic glances every time he took something to eat, at least someone noticed at he was going to be bankrupt for a while. However, Imayoshi had taken it upon himself to rub salt into Aomine's wounds when he would force eye contact with Aomine and eat the food and make hums of satisfaction, knowing it was going to piss Aomine off a lot. Luckily Wakamatsu was on the other side of the table with Satsuki, after all, Aomine still had to show that even if Wakamatsu became captain of this team Aomine was not going to listen to him even if it was the doomsday and world hinged on Aomine listening to the bastard.

"Sakurai taste the steak, it is really good!" Wakamatsu called from the other side and that just made Aomine snap. He stood and sent a glare to every single on of this teammates, not missing out Satsuki or the coach who had not said a word against Satsuki for taking his wallet and stealing his money. He grabbed his bag and left without a word. Now dressed in a casual marine polo shirt, a thin black parka lined in blue tied around his waist, a pair of grey skinny jeans and his usual air jordans. It would be sick if he had to go round in his sweat-soaked jersey and shorts. He was hygienic for godsakes!

Coming across the usual basketball court he pulled out a basketball from his bag, he never left without it anywhere just in case he was bored and needed to pass the time in some way. He dropped his bag and parka onto the ground near the benches placed on the outskirts of the court and closed his eyes. The cool nightly breeze caressing his skin while crickets chirped in the thick bushes surrounding the fence of the court. It was the silence he liked. The sound of the ball bouncing on the concrete while the odd chilly breeze swept away all his doubts. His mind allowed to drift to anything and everything.

But this time it chooses to wander like a lost child back to the basketball game. He was still like a stone garden statue but his mind was a haywire of panicked yet somehow organised thoughts. He wanted to recreate the thrill he felt when playing against that red-headed, easily riled up, idiot. Cursing aside he had to hand it to Kagami, he had never reflected on a game, never even remember who he was playing against. But the game against Seirin was literally imprinted with a hot iron into his memory. The sound, the sight, the emotion which all encompassed the memory seemed to hit him like a train.

He moved nimbly across the concrete, his mind shutting down to tune out everything else so all he could concentrate on was an imaginary Kagami standing in front of him. His furiously blazing red eyes scorching Aomine's skin as the imaginary figure widened his lips into a grin.

"Block." He bounced the ball and dribbled in a untamed fashion, but paused again, "Blocked," after that one match he had been about to flesh out some of Kagami's obvious traits and manner of thought. But it was not enough, he needed the real man himself to stand in front of him and challenge him. "Free," mumbled and fell into a fast break towards the hoop and aims and shoots. "Blocked." He ended. The figure of Kagami swooping in in front of him and knocking the ball out if its course, his smile stretching into a smirk when he landed.

But there was the telltale sign of the ball entering the hoop and bouncing in its place. He was sure Kagami had blocked it so why had the ball reached the hoop. Kagami wasn't real. The figure giving him the same roguish grin as his image dissipated into nothing. Aomine groaned and pushed his fingers into his blue locks. He turned around after having collected the ball and paused.