Fish out of water
The famous first year, Seirin duo was currently heading towards the gym for practice. Since all the GoM were in Tokyo they decided to all practice together when they weren't having group practises. The two were chatting away, Kagami doing most of the talking as usual, before they reached the outdoor basketball court near the gym. Both stopped when a certain blue eyed man appeared, stumbling down the path and leaning heavily against the metal mesh fence of the outdoor court, gripping his shirt over his chest as he panted, cheeks flushed with a rosy tint.
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Um, okay...?"
"Haruka-senpai!" Kuroko ran over and caught him as Haru's legs gave out and he started to collapse.
Kagami made a choked, surprised sound. "Kuroko!?"
"Ugh, Kagami-kun," He grunted, struggling to hold Haruka up, an arm around Haru's waist and one of Haru's arms over his shoulder as Kuroko held that wrist. "Stop staring and help me,"
"Ah, right!" Kagami ran over and wrapped Haru's other arm around his neck and stood up, taking most of the weight off Kuroko, and was surprised at how light Haru was despite his looks. He then wrapped his other arm around Haru's waist and took him off Kuroko before he picked up Haru bridal style.
"Thank you Kagami-kun."
"No problem. Who is this guy?"
"Haruka-senpai."
"Senpai? He looks our age."
"He's a third year."
"What!?"
"Mm."
"Well what's he doing here?" He asked, pushing back his shock.
"I don't know. We'll ask him when he wakes up. Right now we need to take him to the infirmary."
Kagami nodded. "Right." And he carried him to the nurse's office, accompanied by Kuroko.
-
Haru woke, blinking slowly as he adjusted to the bright light reflecting off the white walls. He looked around, silently taking in his surroundings and working out it was a sick bay of sorts and he assumed it was the school's one since he remembered collapsing outside the building. He gingerly sat up before swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He stilled for a moment before he pushed off the bed and walked out. He examined his surroundings again as he walked and slowed when he neared the gym. He peeked in and stilled, an unwanted feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach. He rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe the blur from his vision and when he looked back up again, he relaxed when he saw it wasn't his friends, but in fact people who looked vaguely similar with slightly disturbingly similar personalities.
Haruka's presence went unnoticed as the large group continued to play basketball with a friendly, but very intense air about them. Haru continued to watch with vague interest until he locked eyes with a benched Kuroko.
Kuroko got up and jogged around the court to him, a few eyes following him. "Haruka-senpai."
Haru gave him a brief once over, noting how he sounded slightly out of breath and his hair was a little damp with sweat.
"....Kuroko." Haru murmured after a moment of silence.
"You remember me." He said and Haru nodded.
"You played with Kisumi. Hard to forget anything about that guy." He muttered, expression becoming even flatter.
Kuroko let out a small breath of a laugh. "You're right."
"Oi Kuroko!"
Both looked over.
The others had paused the game and came over. "Who's this?"
"This Haruka-senpai." He said as Haru levelled them all with an even blanker expression than Kuroko, which most found surprising.
"Haruka-senpai?" Hyuuga asked.
"He's a third year," Kagami said resulting in collective, "EHH!?"'s, mostly from the Seirin group.
"But he looks so young!" Kise exclaimed making Haru frown slightly.
"I'm only 18." He murmured, looking away.
"We're 16 and 17 Haruka-senpai."
"Hmph."
They all fell into an awkward silence until Kise opened his mouth only to have Aomine start talking only to have Akashi talk over him.
"-"
"Does he pla-"
"What's your business here Haruka-san?" Akashi asked as Aomine fell quiet, silent bickering with Kise.
Haru glanced at him but remained silent.
When no answer was forthcoming, Kise spoke up. "He was here early this morning, running away from a group of people." Kise flinched back when Haru suddenly shot him a terrifying death glare. 'He's almost as scary as Akashi-kun...'
"Who were you running from Haruka-san?" Akashi asked but again, he remained silent.
Kuroko looked up at Haru for a few moments. "Was it Makoto-senpai?"
When Haru stared harder at the wall he nodded to himself.
"I assume they were friends of his."
"Who runs away from his friends?" Midorima inquired.
"What is your business here Haruka-san."
Everyone noted the change of tone in Akashi's voice and looked over at Haru for an answer but the man was stubborn.
"He's worse than you." Riko whispered to Kagami who blanched.
Kuroko tugged on Haruka's sleeve and the man glanced down at him before letting out a sigh through his nose and giving in.
"I'm in Tokyo for the swimming national finals." He muttered.
"EHH!?!"
Riko looked him up and down as Kagami tried to digest that.
'But he was so light??'
"Um, Haruka-senpai," Riko begun, stepping forward as everyone's gaze drifted to her.
He raised a delicate brow, expression remaining otherwise unchanged.
"Would you please remove your shirt?"
Everyone looked back at Haru who stared at her for a moment before easily removing his shirt. Everyone stared, Riko and Momoi more than anyone. Despite his stature, he was incredibly toned and muscled, almost even more than Kagami and the GoM.
"Whoa," Riko breathed.
"Mm," Momoi murmured in agreement.
When he was sure they'd looked at him long enough, he pulled his shirt back on before meeting their gazes, some holding awe and or envy.
"You must be an amazing swimmer," Momoi said.
"Hm."
"Haruka-senpai is amazing." Kuroko said with a slight smile that made Kise feel jealous for more than one reason.
"Doesn't matter." Aomine said, stepping up to Haru, a basketball under his arm. "Can he play basketball." He said, stopping right in front of Haru, looking down at him.
"I agree." Akashi said. "Can you, Haruka-san?"
The swimmer looked over at Kuroko who nodded. He turned his gaze back to Aomine. "Yes."
"He's good." Kuroko said.
Aomine gaze a smirking grin. "Right-"
"You should practice with us Nanase-senpai," Kise said, albeit a bit carefully, not wanting to piss him off again.
"Only if he's good enough to take me on in a one on one." Aomine said, grinning down, almost evilly at Haru.
"Dai-chan!" Momoi scolded. "That's not fair!"
Aomine shrugged. "So, what d'you say fish boy."
"Fine."
"Yosh!"
The others sighed, murmured comments or chuckled at Aomine's actions but moved to one side of the court.
Aomine started with the ball. "Try to keep up." He said, slowly bouncing the ball before he faked and suddenly changed his pace and sped past him. But what happened next felt like it was going in slow motion for the tanned male.
Haru moved as if he had fallen for his fake but as soon as Aomine went into his drive, Haru took a wide step, spinning so his back was to Aomine and before he even completed the turn, he reached back and touched the ball, fingers slipping between Aomine's and the ball, and when he turned around completely he had easily stolen the ball from Aomine, as if he was playing an amateur. He dribbled the ball once, twice, and as soon as he felt Aomine behind him he took a smaller step, deliberately allowing Aomine in front of him but as soon as Aomine was a step ahead of him him, he found himself looking at the back of Haru's head again, the man having suddenly turned around again, and watched as the ball left his hand as his arm only started moving. The ball swished through the net and Aomine knocked into Haru's back, which would've been a foul in a game.
Everyone watched, eyes wide, most jaws dropped.
Haru walked over and picked up the ball. He handed it to Aomine and awkwardly patted his hand before walking to get a drink, tired from moving so much on land.
The others watched as he left the gym to find a drinking fountain and as soon he was out, all stares turned to Kuroko.
"What? I said he was good."