The mobile buzzes, moving across the bench, and Kuroko snatches it up before it fell to the floor. There's no way he has the money to replace it if it broke. He flips the device open and checks the Caller ID out of habit, an eyebrow briefly twitching up in question before he clicks on the 'answer' button.

Immediately, a whiny voice emits from the phone's speakers, so loud that it echoed slightly through the gym and manages to gain the attention of a number of Kuroko's teammates.

"Kurokocchi!" It's clear that the older boy was crying but that definitely isn't anything new. "Why would you choose Aominecchi over me? I want to go to England!"

Kuroko's eyes flicker towards his captain and then to Kagami. He was yet to inform them how he was using the plus that that Akashi gave them all when he invited them, for reasons currently (and perhaps forever) unknown, to England for a two week holiday. Luckily for Kuroko, neither of them had heard Kise as they were busy being yelled at by Riko. 

Good. He'll tell them later, like he'd originally planned.

"Kise-kun. Please stay calm." He tries to soothe the other's distress.

"Kurokocchi... You're making me cry!"

Kuroko sighs gently and keeps any thought of Kise being a big cry baby to himself. "Aomine-kun will be of more help to me. I want to improve my basketball during this holiday."

It wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't a lie either and so Kuroko let that ease his guilt. Kuroko wasn't sure why Akashi had invited only members of Serin. He was shocked when he discovered that none of their other teammates from Teiko had been invited on this mysterious holiday.

"Wah?" Kise whimpers. "Kurokocchi, so mean!"

More cries come from the phone and Kuroko talks to the boy for a few more minutes before the repeated cry of 'Kurokocchi!' begins to get on his nerves to the point he hangs up without a word. He does feel bad for being rude to his friend by not saying a farewell of any kind but Kise will live.

Koga and Mitobe stood to the side and when Kuroko stands, they quickly look away and do their best to pretend that they hadn't been listening to the conversation. Kuroko almost smiles. He doesn't mind at all that they'd been listening – it was a little hard not to when Kise was like that. He was just so loud!

Later that evening, when the last practise before the holidays ends and Hyuuga, Kiyoshi (Hyuuga's plus one), Kagami and Kuroko are all at Kagami's flat as it was 'closest' to the airport and cheaper for them all to get one taxi together considering how far Narita Airport is from Tokyo, he tells the other boys who he invited and he reserves a few stares. Then Kiyoshi, ever the optimist, comments that they'll get to learn more about him as an opponent and person, successfully relaxing any tension that may have been building.

When Hyuuga and Kagami weren't paying attention, Kuroko gave the other a thankful smile and nod of respect. Aomine isn't mentioned again until the next day... when he arrives five minutes before they absolutely had to check in.

"Where is that imbecile?!" Akashi growls, slamming his fist down on the desk and making the woman stood behind the check in jump. "I told him to be here at least three hours before the flight! How dare he defy me?"

Kagami smirks. "Aho-mine is going to die!" He practically sings the words.

Kuroko glances at him and frowns, making Kagami immediately lose the smile and scratch the back of head sheepishly. At least he respected Kuroko enough to feel guilty when insulting someone Kuroko is friends with.

If Aomine wasn't here two hours before the flight to check in then his ticket would be sold on to someone else. He'd have to purchase another ticket and go on a different flight. Akashi had paid for all their tickets, though, and Kuroko doubted that Aomine would pay for his own. On top of that, they'd need to get Akashi's older cousin to go to airport again to meet Aomine as he wouldn't be allowed to fly without an adult there to meet him at the other end.

Just as the woman manning the desk was about to open her mouth, no doubt to apologise and say they needed to put the ticket up for sale, Aomine's figure pushes through the crowd, rushing towards them and calling out.

"Tetsu! Akashi!"

With the exception of Hyuuga and Kagami, everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

Aomine jogs up to the desk and grins at Akashi as the red head glares and hands over Aomine's boarding pass. She smiles and does everything that is needed before they're allowed to go on to put their luggage where directed.

Akashi walks ahead with Aomine, giving the arrogant boy a talking to about manners and selfishness.

By the time they arrive at the waiting area, Akashi has finished with Aomine and the boy strolls over to where Kuroko and Kagami are sitting. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi were sitting by the window, watching the planes that took off and talking. They'd been very close of late and neither of the boys from Serin wanted to get in the way of the growing friendship (which was already as strong as steel).

"Hey, Tetsu." Aomine greets, falling into the chair beside Kuroko and putting his right arm over the back of Kuroko's chair.

"Aomine-kun." Kuroko greets with a nod.

"So, who'd you invite?" Aomine asks with a jerk of his head towards Kagami.

Kagami shrugs. "No one. I asked Tatsuya but he's busy."

"Probably on a snack run for Murasakibara."

Kagami doesn't even try to tone down his glare. "He wouldn't blow me off just for that!"

Kuroko puts a hand on Aomine's arm and the boy, who had been preparing to make another smart arse comment, leans back and doesn't reply.

Kagami laughs. "He's got you whipped, huh?"

It was Aomine's turn to glare.

Kuroko spends the next two hours trying to prevent arguments between his best friend and his ex-best friend. The key word there being trying. He failed miserably, it was needless to say. They made jabs at each other until one hit a nerve and the other began to shout. Kuroko can't remember who did what, the insults just merged and he stopped trying to follow it.

They shut up when the speakers announced that their flight was boarding. Akashi gave Aomine a hard look as they all filed through, clearly not close to forgiving him for turning up almost an hour later than he was asked to.

Kuroko had seen the seats and he was thankful that the seats were paired off in twos over the whole plane, meaning that Aomine and Kagami wouldn't be sat together. Hyuuga would obviously sit with Kiyoshi, Kagami with Kuroko and then Akashi with Aomine.

Akashi ensured to take the pair of seats at the front, meaning that all the members of Serin could sit towards the back in the seats that were diagonal from each other. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi had taken the seats in the centre and so Kuroko heads towards the seats a little further back. Although, they were still close enough to talk to Hyuuga and Kiyoshi without disturbing others.

However, as per usual, Aomine was determined to go against the plan set before them. When they were getting ready to sit down, he stole Kagami's seat so he was sat beside Kuroko. He timed it perfectly too. He waited until Kuroko was sat by the window and Kagami was putting his bag in the overhead compartment before he smoothly slid between Kagami and the seat to sit down. Kagami tried to argue but Akashi clearly wasn't having any of it as he walked over to them and wordlessly dragged Kagami down to where he was sitting.

Kuroko has to hide his laugh at the display and Aomine glances at him, smiling at the fact Kuroko's amused rather than at the fact he'd irritated Kagami once again.

"I haven't seen you smile in a long time." Aomine comments with a heart-warming smile of his own.

"I can say the same thing about you, Aomine-kun."

"I miss seeing you smile..." Aomine admits, looking away from Kuroko's big, blue eyes.

A light blush covers Kuroko's cheeks and he looks towards the window. "I, uh, feel the same."

They look at each other, smile and then look away, both blushing. Silence covers them until the flight takes off. That's when Aomine suddenly elbows Kuroko and points towards Hyuuga and Kiyoshi with widened, stunned eyes.

Kuroko frowns and leans forward, into Aomine's personal space, so he can properly see what he's pointing at them for.

That he sees makes his own eyes go wide. Kiyoshi is leaning against Hyuuga with a small smile on his face, Hyuuga's arm wrapped around his shoulders. Kuroko watches as Hyuuga tilts his head down and presses a kiss to Kiyoshi's head.

Kuroko quickly sits back before he's seen and looks to Aomine.

"We should ask." Aomine decides.

Kuroko shakes his head. "It's none of our business. It's rude to ask such questions, especially to ask our two senpai."

Aomine seems to consider Kuroko's words before he shrugs and leans forward. "Oi! Serin captain and the other dude."

"Aomine-kun!" Kuroko scalds but it's too late.

Kiyoshi looks to him and blushes, obviously realising what he's seeing. Hyuuga leans forward so he's looking at Aomine fully and raises an eyebrow, not fazed by the fact he was being watched cuddling his best friend.

"Yes?"

"Are you two fucking?"

"Dating!" Kuroko quickly corrects, looking to Hyuuga and Kiyoshi. "He means dating."  

Hyuuga's eyes go from each of their faces, as if debating whether to get angry at Aomine's question or to just be mildly annoyed by it. Kiyoshi clearly wasn't going to answer as he was frozen, a bright blush on his cheeks as he looks at them. He wasn't ashamed of what was happening, however, that was clear from the way he curled closer rather than moved away.

"Not that it's any of your business," Hyuuga says, eyes on Aomine. "but we're doing both."

Aomine nods and sits back, looking to Kuroko. "See, he didn't care."

Kuroko sighs. "That's not the point, Aomine-kun. You don't ask things like that."

Aomine shrugs for what seemed like the millionth time within the past few hours they've been in each other's company. "The one without glasses is lucky. He has someone's lap or chest to sleep on." He huffs. "Only Akashi would decide to go somewhere involving a twelve and a half hour flight."

Kuroko nods and looks to the window he'd be sleeping against with a wince.

Aomine notices and continues "I don't mind being used as a pillow. I know it's hard for you to sleep upright."

Kuroko blushes again and looks back to his friend, nodding gently. "Thank you, Aomine-kun."

"S'alright, Tetsu. No problem. Just don't snore."

They laugh together and Kuroko smiles.

His plan is already working. He'd told Kise that he wanted Aomine with him to practise basketball but in truth Kuroko mainly wanted Aomine as his plus one because he desperately wished to be as close as they once were. Kuroko would never admit it to anyone but he missed their friendship horridly, wanting to be playfully tackled and hugged and laughed with by Aomine once again.

He hoped the next two weeks made it easy for them to reconnect. In fact, he was praying that it did.