It's been a few days since Aomine kissed Kuroko. Things had been... awkward, to say the least.

The first sign of awkwardness came sometime after the group had returned to Akashi's cousin's house. They'd decided against going on the London Eye during their first trip into London, choosing to return to the house to play some basketball and come back into London another day. So, they had lunch and then went out to the court in the back to play a three on three game. Akashi's cousin played with them and so Akashi was the referee.

The game itself was absolutely fine. It was after Aomine's team (Akashi's cousin, Kiyoshi and himself) won that it started. It was only a small thing but it impacted the way Aomine and Kuroko behaved for the next few days.

After winning, Aomine naturally bragged and poked fun at Kagami. Kuroko has smiled at his friend, pleased he was happy. Their eyes met and then they both looked away from each other.

From there, the evening seemed to get increasingly awkward for everyone. It was quiet in comparison to the night before seeing as Kuroko - the person that brought the members of the generation of miracles and members of Serin together - no longer started any conversations. Without his input, the conversations seemed to fall flat rapidly, dissolving without warning and leaving the room thickly layered in tension.

Aomine eventually kicked back from the table, barely having eaten. He thanked Akashi's cousin for the food before he disappeared upstairs to his room.

"Perhaps you should go speak with him, Tetsuya." Akashi had suggested, which caused Kuroko to shake his head, stand, thank their host for the food and then retreat just as quickly as Aomine had.

The day after this, more awkward moments occurred between Aomine and Kuroko. It affected the whole group, however. The pair would hesitate when seeing the others and avoid directly crossing paths if possible. They hadn't made any eye contact since after the game the previous evening.

After two whole day of this awkwardness, Akashi had had more than enough. It was a surprise that he even waited that long, really. It didn't take him more than five minutes to come up with a simple but effective plan in forcing the pair to talk.

He'd informed Hyuuga and Kiyoshi of his plan (Kagami was busy with shooting practise in the back garden) and they had agreed whole-heartedly. They may not know the issue, no one did, but there wasn't a single one of them that wanted this tension to continue for another minute.

For the second time during their holiday here, the group had come into the London Eye tourist area of London. The queue for the London Eye was long and it took them almost an hour to reach the front. It's here that Akashi puts his plan into action, doing something to shock everyone – even those in on the plan.

He hooks his arm through Kagami's and tugs him back, away from Kuroko.

"I wish to go on with Kagami." He announces.

Kagami splutters in shock. "Huh?"

It seems Akashi is out to completely surprise them all, because then he winks at Kagami and practically purrs the words "Don't panic. I don't bite."

They all stare in shock for a number of moments. Kuroko was the first to start chuckling, gentle laughs escaping him. At first, Kuroko was also stared at in astonishment but soon they all begin to laugh at the situation. Even Kagami and Akashi, whose arms were still looped together for some reason.

When they calm down, Hyuuga gives the line they'd earlier decided upon. "Well, if Akashi and Kagami get to go without the rest of us, we want to as well." As he says 'we', he makes a point of putting his arm around Kiyoshi.

"That leaves..." Aomine trails off, glancing at Kuroko.

The blue haired boy frowns, hurt by the way Aomine clearly didn't want to be alone with him. Granted, he'd been acting the same and was certainly reluctant to face the answers to some of his many questions. Having it pointed out to him, though, that Aomine didn't want to be near him, was painful. It made his breath leave him and his heart squeeze in a very unpleasant way.

"You two need to discuss whatever happened." Kiyoshi says with a smile before he leads his boyfriend over to the carriage.

Normally, larger groups would be put on each carriage but Akashi paid a handsome bribe when there wasn't anyone paying attention to him. He and Kagami go on next. Akashi is quick to drag the taller boy forward before he can protest to the pairings. He can explain to him once they're in.

In a matter of moments, Aomine and Kuroko are left alone together for the first time in two days before either has the chance to protest or fully grasp what's happening.

"So..." Aomine coughs after speaking, his body language clearly displaying just how uncomfortable he is.

Before Kuroko can comment or respond, they're being ushered on to the London Eye carriage. Sighing, Kuroko walks on and takes a seat. Aomine sits on the bench-like seats across from him so they're directly facing one another.

When he looks up, Kuroko's eyes meet his own. Kuroko can feel his cheeks heating up but he doesn't look away. Aomine doesn't look away either and he even manages a smile.

And it's that simple, in the end. The tension melts away. Just like that, with a single smile from Aomine, Kuroko feels ten times lighter and doesn't have any trouble keeping eye contact and smiling back.

"Do you think that Akashi-kun saw us in the London Dungeon?"

Aomine shrugs. "Dunno."

"Do... Do you care if he did?" Kuroko curses himself for the hesitation.

"Don't see why I should. I could do worse than you, probably have done a few times." He chuckles to try and avert Kuroko's attention from his growing blush.

Kuroko sees the blush but doesn't comment, knowing that he's also blushing and that his face turning a light shade of pink was much more noticeable than Aomine's thanks to their difference in skin tone.

"That's... good. Thank you, Aomine-kun."

"Why are you thanking me?" Aomine asks curiously, raising as eyebrow.

"For not being ashamed of it." Kuroko blinks, his face and tone as bland and as difficult to decipher as ever.

Aomine takes a moment to carefully think about his response. A surprising number of people assumed that because Kuroko showed little emotion, he's strong and able to take comments lightly but anyone that knows him will know that this isn't the case. Aomine knows very well that Kuroko can be sensitive. Especially to things that are said to him. They linger with him. The phrase swirls around his mind and they stick.

"I've never been ashamed of you, Tetsu, and I doubt I ever will."

Kuroko's eyes widen in surprise. He's said before that Aomine is a person that is physically affectionate rather than affection through the art of speech. He didn't have much skill in that area, really, and yet... here he was, connecting with him through words. Kuroko had been expecting the other to sit beside him and perhaps wrap an arm around his shoulders, wordlessly.

This is certainly a nice surprise. A very nice, heart-warming surprise that definitely did not aid him in his quest to stop blushing.

"Thank you..." He whispers the words, breath caught for the second time today but this time in a more pleasant way.

Wanting to take advantage of the situation in every sense, Kuroko slides to the end of his bench so he can look out the window and observe the city around them. 

After a moment's hesitation, Aomine copies Kuroko and moves to sit by the window on his side of the carriage. They look at one another for just a moment, eyes meeting, and they smile.

"Why do you think Akashi brought us here?" Aomine asks. 

It was Kuroko's turn to shrug. "I'm unsure. If there's a reason, I expect that Akashi won't be telling us." 

"He only invited people from your team. Maybe he's trying to see what he's up against."

"Perhaps." 

"Or maybe he's just curious about who your friends are now. I wouldn't put it past Akashi to organise a whole trip just to do that." Aomine hums gently, trying to think of other reasons for Akashi bringing them all here. 

Kuroko smiles. "Don't think too much. You look almost in pain." 

Aomine gasps and exclaims "Hey!" 

Kuroko chuckles, turning his face away in a poor attempt at hiding the fact he's laughing at Aomine.

Surprisingly, when he looks back to the other boy, Aomine doesn't look annoyed like he would if someone like Kagami, for example, was laughing at him. Instead, he has a gentle smile on his lips that made Kuroko want to lean forward and kiss him again and again and again.

"You've smiled and laughed during this trip more than I've seen for a long time." Aomine comments.

"Didn't we already have a similar conversation to this, Aomine-kun?"

Aomine nods. "Yeah. On the plane. Just about smiling, though, not laughing."

Kuroko rolls his eyes, making Aomine laugh. The laugh made Kuroko smile, which made Aomine smile back. Their eyes are shining and neither realise how long they hold eye contact for. Nor do they realise how much happier they seem around each other compared to normal – well, Aomine more than Kuroko, but Kuroko was showing his happiness a hundred times more than he usually would.

"You look nice when you laugh." Aomine blurts.

Kuroko's face quickly colours and Aomine's eyes widen in realisation at the words that left his mouth without permission. They look away from one another for just a second before they glance at each other and their eyes lock.

Kuroko has never seen Aomine's eyes this way. They're burning into him and the longing, the desire, there cannot be denied. Kuroko had spent a lot of time observing people and he knows that he's not just seeing what he wants to see. Aomine wants him. Perhaps not in the lustful way the words make it sound but Aomine certainly wanted him in a romantic way. Only a person in love or falling in love had eyes that burned so brightly, so happily, the way Aomine's are right now.

His heart is pounding. His cheeks are red hot. Aomine's gaze is sucking him in and he can feel his fingers twitching, wanting to be curled in Aomine's hair or t-shirt. Lips pressed together. Air being shared. Soft pants filling his ears.

Kuroko has never wanted anything so much... It might even just beat his desire to prove his basketball as the superior, happier basketball.

"Tetsu... If you keep looking at me like that..." Aomine trails off, not finishing his sentence.

Kuroko smiles, glad he wasn't the only one feeling the weight of their eye contact.

"I don't plan on stopping." Kuroko informs him.

Aomine swallows and stands, moving to sit beside Kuroko. He turns to face his friend, their eye still locked apart from the occasional blink.

Neither of them say another word. Kuroko feels a hand against his and then his fingers are being squeezed as Aomine links their hands together (Kuroko's tiny compared to Aomine's large paw-like hands).

Aomine moves forwards just an inch or two. He's not even close enough for Kuroko to smell his aftershave or anything like that but his breathing hitches anyway with the movement. They share smiles once again and Kuroko briefly wonders if he'll have sore cheeks from grinning so much and so often.

Aomine starts to move forward again and, annoyingly, stops when his face is just hovering in front of Kuroko's own. Kuroko can feel Aomine's breath on his face, a very slight warm, soft wind on his upper lip with every exhale.

His skin feels alive, tingling all over in anticipation. Kuroko was certainly a patient person but right now, two seconds of being this close and not having those lips on his own was far, far too long. His eyes have slid closed without him realising and his hand grasped Aomine's in a near painful hold.

He waits, growing more impatient with each second.

Finally, he's had enough waiting. He blinks, opening his eyes.

"Aomine-kun, please—"

The words are barely out before his mouth is covered. His eyes automatically flutter shut once again and their hands part, Aomine's going to the back of Kuroko's head and Kuroko's fisting Aomine's soft, grey t-shirt. He was waiting for me to ask, Kuroko realises.

Aomine tastes like the peach yogurt he had for breakfast and Kuroko can also detect something else. He has no way to describe it perfectly other than saying it was just Aomine.

Exotic, addicting, delicious. Those came close to describing the taste but... they didn't hit the nail on the head as accurately as 'just Aomine' does.

Now... the feeling. Well, that's something else altogether. Kuroko doesn't even know where to start. If he were to write an essay the feeling he'd likely just repeat words such as 'amazing' and 'perfection' over and over. There was no way to put the feeling into words that truly conveyed the meaning of it.

It makes his mind go blank. Electrified. Explosive. Just a sudden burst of emotion that made his heart stop and his breathing to halt for just a moment.

It was scary, really. One kiss and he was completely powerless, leaning into Aomine and kissing him back enthusiastically.

The first few kisses were slower, their lips being pressed together for long, drawn-out, wonderful moments. Aomine's hands in his hair would gently press on his head, bringing him closer. His fingers in the cotton t-shirt would flex and pull.

Things heat up when Aomine tenderly sucks Kuroko's lower lip into his mouth, teeth just lightly running over the flesh, inducing a gasp from Kuroko that allowed Aomine to deepen the kiss. Their tongues swirling, flicking and rolling.

Aomine's hands are fisting Kuroko's hair (but not in a painful way) and it keeps their faces closer, allowing Aomine to easily resume kissing Kuroko after they'd part to catch their breath.

When they've lost their energy and truly need time to collect themselves, Aomine presses their foreheads together and they both grin. Kuroko's eyes shine as he looks at Aomine before closing them again, relishing in the feeling of being close like this. It felt incredibly romantic to sit with their foreheads pressed together after all the kisses.

Aomine's grips on Kuroko's hair had loosen and now his fingers ghost over Kuroko's neck, very lightly stroking the skin. It's such a gentle caress. Kuroko's heart pounds in his ears, unsure how to deal with all these sudden joyful bubbles of emotion within him.

"Tetsu..." Aomine whispers, voice slightly husky. "I think I'm already addicted to that."

It wasn't the most romantic, nor sweetest thing to say but it was still pretty darn cute. Especially for Aomine.

Kuroko smiles and nods in agreement, his hand moving up to his neck where Aomine's hand is. He rests his smaller palm on top of Aomine's hand.

"I believe I am too, Aomine-kun." He admits, a little shyly.

"Daiki." Aomine corrects. "Call me Daiki."

Kuroko hesitates. "Uh..."

"When you're ready," adds the other with a smile, the poster boy for an understanding human (when it came to Kuroko, anyway).

"Thank you, Aomine."

"No –kun?"

Kuroko shakes his head. "No."

"That's a start."

They laugh and Aomine kisses him again.

This wasn't quite what Kuroko had in mind when he invited Aomine on this trip to get closer to him. He certainly wasn't complaining. They still have ten days left here in England and Kuroko is definitely interested in seeing how close he can get to Aomine during the remainder of their holiday.