"Congratulations on graduating!!" Everyone cheered to celebrate the graduation of their third years. The basketball teams of Seirin High, Kaijō High. Shūtoku High, Tōō Academy , Yōsen High and Rakuzan High all gathered together to honor the retirements of their third years and aces of their teams.

"Kurokocchi! What are you going to do now that you're graduated?!" Kisa wrapped his arms around Kuroko's neck.

"I don't know. What about you Kise-kun? Are you going to continue with modeling and basketball?" Kuroko pulled Kise's arm off from around his neck.

"I don't know yet. Let's figure it out together Kurokocchi!!" Kise once again wrapped his arms around Kuroko's neck.

Kuroko and Kise weren't the only ones who didn't know what they really wanted to do now that they were done with high school. Kagami Taiga was also in a bind about it as well. He always saw himself playing college ball and then maybe going pro, but he also knew that Basketball would only get him so far.

Kagami let out a heavy sigh as he started to unwrap one of the many cheeseburgers he had ordered. Kagami was happy that he was done with school, he was never good at the whole school thing anyway. All he wanted to do was play basketball. It's his whole life.

"Oi, Kagami, what's up with the depressed look on your face?"

Kagami looked up to see Aomine Daiki with his own tray of an equal number of cheeseburgers stacked high on his tray.

"Piss off Aomine. I don't need any shit from you right now."

"Jeez, you're really in a pissy mood. What's you problem? Had another fight with Tetsu or something?" Aomine took a seat across from Kagami.

"Oi. I didn't say you could sit with me."

"Just calm down. There's nowhere else to sit. Man, you're a pain in the ass when you're like this."

Both Aomine and Kagami sat in silence, munching away on their tower of cheeseburgers. One by one as the cheeseburgers started to disappear and so did the people who came to celebrate at Maji Burger. Before they knew it, they were the only ones besides the employees who were left. Once they both finished their last cheeseburgers, taking his last bite Kagami stood up from his seat to throw away his wrappers, there was still a depressed look on his face, and Aomine was starting to notice. If Seirin's "Wild Tiger" wasn't going to tell Kuroko what was on his mind, then it was something that was going to explode if he didn't tell someone, and that someone was going to have to be Aomine.

Pissed out of his bloody mind Aomine quickly followed after Kagami out into the streets. Before Kagami could get too far ahead Aomine grabbed Kagami by the collar of his shirt and started pulling him in the opposite direction then where he was going.

"Oi, Aomine! What the hell are you doing you bastard?! Let go!"

"Quit your bitching Kagami! You've been moping around since the beginning of the party our teams arranged for us third years. There's something bugging you, I can tell and since I know you haven't said anything to Testu about it, you're going to tell me!"

"What makes you think I haven't already said something to Kuroko, and what makes you think that I'll tell you anything, Aomine?" Kagami growled, gritting his teeth.

"Because I've known Tetsu longer then you have. He basically tells me everything, and you are going to talk to me because whatever's bothering you is most likely going to come back and either bit you or someone else in the ass. Whatever's bother you, you need to tell someone before everyone you know goes off to start their lives as adults. Tetsu would've listened, it's one of his annoying and useful traits about him, but you didn't tell him. Why not?" Aomine suddenly threw Kagami up against the chain link fencing that surrounded the basketball courts. Aomine had dragged Kagami all the way to the park he would often practice with Kuroko without realizing it.

"Now talk, Kagami!"

Kagami hesitated at first, but he really did have something on his mind. It wasn't any of Aomine' s business what it was, but like Kagami, Aomine was an irritating, stubborn bastard.

"Fine, if it means I get to go home then I'll tell you. A week before graduation, I got a call from my old man who's living in the stats. He wants me to return as soon as possible, most likely to work for him. He didn't ask if I had plans after high school. He didn't ask if I got accepted to any colleges or not. I don't know if he even cares about those sort of things. When I moved to the states the first time, I was only in the third grade, I was a child who had no choice. But now..."

"Then just tell him that." Aomine calmly interrupted.

"Huh?" Kagami looked up at Aomine confused.

"Don't huh me! You're lucky I listened for as long as I did to your childish babble. Once you graduate from high school you're an adult. Your parents don't have any say of what you can or can't do. Those are decisions you make on your own. Just tell your old man that."

Kagami looked up at Aomine in shock. His rival was giving him some advice.

"Yeah, I guess I could do that. I figured my old man would try getting me to work for him after I was done with high school. You most likely don't know this Aomine, but..."

"Stop right there Kagami. I already know that your family's loaded (rich). Your dad is a Consultant for big companies in America. I know because of Satsuki, she's good at what she does. Just because your family has money doesn't mean you have to use it. Earn your own money. Show your old man you don't need handouts to get through life." Aomine turned his back to Kagami. With a heavy sigh he stretched his arms over his head before turning his head slightly back around. "I never want to see that depressed look on your face again. See you around, Kagami." Aomine waved his hand, saying farewell and made his way home.

Kagami stood there on the basketball courts that he spent so much time on to sharpen his skills as a key player at Sierin high, along with his shadow, Kuroko. With a small smile Kagami pulled out his cell phone to make the call he had been avoiding for a week.

"Hey dad, we need to talk."

That all happened five long years ago. Kagami did end up making a deal with his old man. He would return to the States and work with him for a year, after that he would be free to do what he wanted. After the year was over, Kagami returned to Japan where he started tacking college classes in the morning and working part time at night as a bartender and had basketball practice in-between the two.

"Kagami-san! The tables in the back need to be wiped down for the new turnover of customers! Can you take care of that while I deal with the customers we have now?!"

"Sure, thing Shunin-sha (manager)!"

Kagami had gotten use to this routine he's now in. Waking up around six o'clock a.m. to get to his college classes by eight, after his classes end at two o'clock p.m. he goes to early Basketball practice until five-thirty. He then goes home to eat, take a shower and get ready for work that goes from nine o'clock p.m. to one-thirty a.m. Kagami's life is in constant movement.

After cleaning off the back tables for the next turnover of customers, Kagami went back behind the bar to tend to the customers who were waiting to be severed. One by one Kagami passed out drinks for both men and women. There would be an occasional girl who would hit on him, but he would just brush it off. He didn't have time to think about such things.

"Oi, Kagami-san, are you alright? You look down." A fellow bartender asked in concern.

"I'm fine Tommoi. Just thinking about somethings from my past. You know, old friends." Kagami tried to put on a fake smile.

"You mean you basketball friends? It must be hard making bonds like that only to have them broken after you leave high school. I didn't have any friends to make those bonds with, so I don't know what it's like to have such a feeling."

Kagami looked curiously at his younger and much timid fellow bartender. Tommoi looked pathetically sad.

"Don't be like that Tommoi. You're a friendly enough person, you just need to gain more confidence to interact with other people.

"More confidence? Then Kagami-san... will you... be my first friend...? Tommoi timidly asked.

"Me?"

"Please Kagami-san! I know I sound desperate, but I've always wanted to approach you and ask. I'm sorry if I sound strange and annoying, but if I start by getting one friend then maybe I'll be able to ask more people."

Kagami was a bit surprised at Tommoi's sudden request, but after working with the small and awkward fellow, Kagami couldn't help but have taken a liking to him.

"Sure thing, Tommoi. You can count on me as being your first friend."

"Th-thank you Kagami-san!"

"Tommoi-kun! Go tend to your tables! Kagami can handle the bar on his own!" Kagami's and Tommoi's manager yelled.

"Y-yes Shunin-sha! Thank you again Kagami-san." Tommoi bowed and then quickly rushed back to tending to his tables.

Kagami also went back to his work of working the bar. Cleaning glasses and giving customers their drinks that they had ordered. Suddenly, a new customers took a seat at the bar right in front of Kagami.

"Welcome! What can I get to tonight?"

"I'll have tonight's special, on the rocks, Kagami."

Kagami looked up, and to his surprise a familiar face was sitting in front of him.

"Aomine?!"

"Long-time-no-see Kagami. So, this is what you've been doing since the last time I saw you. I guess this is alright."

"This is just my night job. I'm taking classes during the day in the early morning as well as having basketball practice right after. This is just so I have money in my pocket. Here, here's your drink." Kagami placed Aomine's drink in front of him on the bar counter.

"Well thank you Kagami," Aomine threw back his first drink with no problem. "Another Kagami."

"Don't rush it Aomine. Anyway, what are you doing back in Japan ? Last time I heard news about you, you were in the states playing ball." Kagami placed another drink in front of Aomine and took the now empty first glass.

"Taking some time off. Haven't had a strong opponent since you. So, I decided to come back to Japan, see how everyone's doing these days."

"Is that so."

Kagami and Aomine continued on their conversation about what they had been doing since they last saw each other five years ago. Aomine had gotten himself a Basketball scholarship that eventually took him to the states. Just recently he was awarded MVP.

Kagami though, didn't end up doing what he originally planned after high school. After working for his father for a year Kagami got himself into a Community college that had a basketball team. Just like Aomine, he had yet to find a worthy opponent since Aomine.

"Kagami you really are something else. Dumb ass!" Aomine threw back his fourth drink. Amoine isn't any good at hold his liquor. "Another!!"

"You're cut off Aomine. You're drunk you damn idiot. Drink some water to get yourself sober up." Kagami handed Aomine a glass of water which he angrily glared at.

"What the hell?! I said I wanted another!!"

"And I said you're cut off! You're not going to come back here to Japan to get drunk and make a fool of yourself. Just drink that water and be quite until it's close to closing time. It should be soon."

"Tch!"

Kagami let out a heavy sigh as he took all of Aomine's glasses and started to clean them.

"Why did this have to happen? Aomine coming back like this. Only coming here to get drunk and irritate me to no end. But still, how did he know which bar I work at anyway? The only person I told was Kuroko." A light fuse suddenly snapped inside Kagami's head. "Kuroko."

As Kagami continued to give Aomine glass after glass of water to help him sober up, Aomine suddenly past out on the bar counter.

"Oi! Aomine, you can't sleep there! Hey, are you listening to me Aomine?!" It was no use, Aomine was completely out cold.

"Kagami-san, this man here is a friend of yours?" Kagami's Shunin-sha asked as he come up behind the bar.

"Um... well, sort of. I know him from High School. We didn't attend the same school together, but our schools played basketball against each other.

"Basketball huh? Well, the night is almost done, so why don't you go on ahead and clock out early to get your friend home."

"Are you sure Shunin-sha? I can finish up my shift."

"It's fine Kagami-san. It's pretty dead now that it's so late. You go on ahead and get on home with your friend.

"Thank you Shunin-sha."

Kagami did what he had to do to punch out to end his shift at the bar, after which he then called for a cab to take him and Aomine back to his apartment. Remembering to lift with his legs, not his back Kagami slowly forced Aomine to his wobbling feet.

"Damn it Aomine. I told you to slow down on the drinks, but noooo! You looked at me like I was some kind of idiot who was talking to a child." Kagami mumbled out loud to himself.

"Damn you Kagami... why did you have to look so hot in your uniform..." Aomine started talking in his sleep in a drunken state.

"Did he just say I looked hot in my bartender uniform?" Kagami looked at the drunken, sleeping Aomine.

"Why Kagami? Why didn't I go to the states while you were there?"

This continued all the way back to Kagami's apartment. Constant drunken babble that Kagami didn't understand why Aomie was saying it. Like how much he missed Kagami for the past five years and a lot of other words that Kagami did understand.

When the cab arrived at Kagami's place he thanked the driver, paid him and apologized for anything Aomine might have said. Pulling Aomine out of the cab Kagami carried Aomine up into his apartment. Stepping into the doorway Kagami suddenly tripped and boom, both Kagami and Aomine were flat on the floor.

"Damn it Aomine!! Wake up already! We're back at my place so you can rest up here until you're ready to get going, but I refuse to drag your ass around anymore. Know get up and go sit on the couch!"

Kagami angrily stood up and stomped off towards the bathroom to take a shower to get the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke that was now on his clothes. Turning on the hot water and letting the room fill up with thick steam Kagami couldn't help but think about all the ramblings Aomine was spewing all the way back to the apartment.

"Kagami... why did you have to look so hot in your uniform?"

"Why did he have to say that? Now, of all times why did he have to say that? Even if it was in a drunken state."

Kagami pulled off his bartender uniform and when he did he got a slight sniff of the fabric. It smelled like Aomine's cologne. A smoky, musky smell that gave the usual smell of Aomine a hint of maturity.

"My shirt, it smells like Aomine. It's been a long time since I've been able to smell that smell."

Braking from his imaging Kagami continued to undress and stepped into the shower so he could go to bed. He was lucky enough to have the day off from classes the next day, but he still had basketball practice to go too.

While Kagami still in the shower Aomine was slowly coming to. His throat was dry from all the alcohol, even though he had several glasses of water. Waking up Aomine found himself still laying on the floor of Kagami's entranceway. At first Aomine was confused of where the hell he was at, but after looking around the apartment he realized that it was Kagami's place.

"Tch, hasn't changed one bit since high school. Guess he's not really the type to change anything if he doesn't need to."

Aomine took a seat on the couch that sat in the middle of the apartment. Right as he sat down a sudden feeling of queasiness took over.

"Shit! I'm going to puke!" Aomine rushed to where he remembered the bathroom was. Not thinking of knocking Aomine rushed right inside, startling Kagami who was still in the shower.

"God damn it Aomine! Knock before barging in!" Kagami peeked out of the shower to see Aomine face first in the toilet, puking his guts out. "I told you to take it easy with those drinks at the bar. You're lucky I have and understanding Shunin-sha. He let me clock out early so I could get your drunken ass out of there. If you still feel sick, take a shower after I'm done and just stay over tonight, you can barrow some of my clothes to sleep in."

"You're talking like you use to when we were still in high school. You know, before we broke up." Aomine wiped away the puke he had on the corner of his mouth before leaning up against the bathroom wall.

"Whose fault was the brake up. I gave you a choice Aomine, you chose someone else instead of me. The break up was on you."

An awkward silence filled the bathroom like a thick layer of steam. Kagami and Aomine did secretly date during their second and beginning of their third year of high school. Up until something happened that the two promised they would never bring up again.

"You know what happened, about a minute after I made that decision Kagami?" Aomine pulled back the shower curtain on Kagami, so he was looking at him instead of talking through the curtain.

"Oi, what are you doing?! Close the curtain right now so I can finish! If you want to take one, you have to wait!" Kagami snapped.

"What happened was that I realized just how stupid I was for turning away from you. When I saw how depressed you looked at our graduation party everyone threw for us, I thought someone had hurt you. I wanted to know who did it, and once I did I was going to kill them. But then you told me it was parent drama. It gave me some relief, but I also felt that I could've done more to help." Aomine ignored Kagami 's outburst for looking into the shower.

"That's old news Aomine. We've both moved on with our lives. I'm going to school, playing basketball and have a good paying job. You're playing Pro ball now right? To me, it looks like everything is going good for the two of us."

"But that's not true, is it Kagami!" Aomine suddenly stepped into the shower with his clothes still on.

"Aomine?!"

"There's still one thing, well, one person I don't have. The one person I let slip through my fingers. It's one of the biggest regrets I have ever made. My regret of letting you go, Kagami." Aomine pushed Kagami up against the shower wall, pinning his arms over his head so he couldn't escape. Kissing his neck before trailing to his lips.

"Ao-Aomine-- your clothes... they're getting wet. You'll ruin them." Kagami panted through Aomine's teeth.

"Don't worry about my clothes. I've been waiting for five years to see you again. I had to get Tetsu to tell me where you worked after returning to Japan . When I saw you standing there behind the bar with that coworker of yours I got jealous."

"You, jealous?"

"That's right, even someone like me gets stupidly jealous." Aomine removed his wet clothes and threw them on the floor. "It's been a while for the both of us Kagami. I've missed seeing this body of yours." Aomine gently kissed Kagami's stomach.

"Aomine, wait... not in here. It's too small. Wash up first, you stink of alcohol."

Kagami finished his shower first, leaving Aomine to finish his own alone. While Aomine was finishing up in the shower Kagami threw his and Aomine's clothes in the washer. Standing in front of the washer he couldn't help but think about all the events that led up to Aomine coming to his apartment.

"Why? Why did you have to show up like this? Just when I was getting use to not having you around. Just when I started to get use to not hearing your voice, feeling your hands on your body, the taste of your lips. Damn it Aomine."

In the hall that lead to the laundry room Aomine had just finished his shower and heard everything Kagami had said. Guess he wasn't the only one who was feeling messed up. Aomine went to Kagami's room, where a spare pair of clothes were waiting for him on Kagami's bed. Once dressed, Aomine started to look around Kagami's room. Just like the rest of the apartment Kagami's room pretty much looked the same as it did back when they were together. Pictures from high school were still where they were five years ago, Kagami's basketball metal from winning the Winter Cup as a first year with the other Sierin High players was hung up on the wall with a picture of the Seirin team next to it, and then there was a small area that had pictures of just Kagami and Aomine from before, during and after their relationship.

"We did have some good times, the two of us. But being the idiot that I am I screwed it all up. I didn't put you first Kagami, and I'm sorry for that."

"Don't be."

Aomine turned around to see Kagami standing in the doorway, holding two mugs of coffee in his hands. Aomine walked up and took one mug from Kagami and then sat on Kagami's bed, in silence. After a while Aomine finally decided to say something.

"I really am sorry Kagami, about what happened between us five years ago. I was selfish and wasn't thinking about you and your feelings. After the break up, I didn't think much of it until I realized that I was a fool for doing what I did. Kagami, please forgive me." Aomine bowed his head for forgiveness from his ex-boyfriend.

"Aomine I forgave you a long time ago. There's no reason for you to be asking me for forgiveness for something we both had a part in." Kagami placed his mug on the floor and took Aomine's free hand in his. "That night, at the graduation party at Maji Burger when you dragged me to the park to talk with me I was happy that you were so concern. That you thought someone had hurt me in some way. That's when I knew that you still cared, thank you Aomine for that night."

"Kagami?" Aomine placed his own mug on the floor next to Kagami's. "That night, I wanted to embrace you so badly. I wanted to tell you to come stay with me, let's try again and be a couple. I wanted to keep you from leaving Japan when you said your old man wanted you to retune to the states, but I knew that would only make the relationship we have worse. But now, after five long years I get to see your face, hear your voice, touch your skin and kiss your lips. I want to have that again, Kagami. I know I was awful to you, and again I'm sorry. I'm so sor-"

Kagami pressed his lips against Aomine, not allowing him to finish his sentence.

"Aomine, I already told you, you have nothing to be sorry about. I tried to move on without having you in my life, but each day was hard on me in the States. There were times when I wanted to call you, but I didn't want to distract you since you were playing ball, you had to focus on that, not an old relationship from high school."

"Well, I'm on break now and I don't see you as a distraction or an old relationship from high school. I see you as someone I let slip away."

"Aomine."

Aomine wrapped Kagami in his arms, pulling him in close, not wanting to let go of the person he let slip through his fingers, his Wild Tiger.

Kagami gripped onto the back of Aomine's barrowed shirt, like he was trying to rip through the fabric to get to Aomine's coco brown skin. He missed this. Even though Kagami came off as being the rugged tough type person, Aomine is one of his weaknesses that he could never get over.

"Kagami, I've missed you and I still love you." Aomine softly whispered in Kagami's ear, sending shivers down Kagami's spine.

"I've missed you too, and I still love you too."

Sheets were thrown aside off the bed. The sound of a creaking bed thumping up against the wall. Aomine and Kagami were locked in an embrace that they hadn't been in for a long time. Beads of sweat dripped down the bare skin of the two reunited lovers.

"Aomine?" Kagami called like he was begging for Aomine to touch him.

"Hold on, I have to put on another one before we can continue." Aomine tumbled around to put on another condom for round three.

"Here, give it to me. You never could put these things on properly." Kagami took the unwrapped condom from Aomine and slid it onto where it needed to go. Right away Kagami felt a stiffness coming from Aomine's happy place. "Well, someone's happy down there." Kagami teased.

"Shut up!" Aomine pushed Kagami back down on the bed. "You said you didn't have classes to go to in the morning, but you still have practice to go to, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's make this the last round. You need the rest, so I'm not blamed if you get your ass kicked."

"Why you little--" Kagami suddenly paused when there was a slight pain going up his back and through his hips.

"Kagami, there nothing little about me."

"Y-you... co-cocky... bastard..." Kagami panted.

"I love you too." Aomine leaned over Kagami, pressing his lower half closer to Kagami and pressed his lips against his.

Aomine's eyes started to slowly open. Looking over to Kagami's alarm clock to see that it read 3:45 a.m. He sat up carefully, so not to wake Kagami. When he looked over next to him, Kagami was still fast asleep with one arm wrapped around his. As he continued to admire the sleeping face of the one he had loved Aomine come up with an idea to commemorate them getting back together. He reached over to the nightstand where he placed his phone. He leaned in close to Kagmi and quickly took a picture.

"That's a nice selfie. Can't wait to show it to Kagami, my Wild Tiger." Aomine gently kissed Kagami on the forehead as he set the new photo as his wallpaper to his phone and slid back under the sheets. Pulling Kagami in close to fall back to sleep.

"I love you Kagami, and I always will."

*After Note: During Aomine's brake from Basketball Kagami got him a job at the bar he works at, where Aomine would often teas Tommi when Kagami wasn't looking*