Budding Bromances
"Are you sure your parents won't mind?"
Aomine chuckled as he pushed the door open after locking up his bike. "They're not home, remember?"
"Oh right."
Aomine snorted as he wandered into the dark house. "Even if they were, it'd be fine. They're used to me having my friends over."
"Oh, right. Well thanks again for this."
"Honestly, any time. Want anything?"
"Whatcha got?" Haru hummed, following the taller man into the kitchen. He propped himself on the counter as Aomine wandered around the kitchen.
"Uhh the usual? Tea, coffee, milk, water, juice etc. Uh, we got snacks," He pulled out a bag of chips and Haru nodded.
"Sounds good. Can I get some water with it too?"
"Yea." Two glasses were placed on the countertop as Aomine popped the bag of chips open. "So, wanna tell me more about you?" Aomine wasn't the chattiest of the group, but since Haru was a near mute, he found himself having to drive their conversations.
"Whaddya wanna know?" He hummed as he munched on the chips.
"Nothing major, just so you're no longer a total stranger in my house." He chuckled and felt successful when Haru cracked a smile. "Like what do you do for fun that isn't swimming, favourite food, what's it like where you're from etc." He folded his arms and leaned on the counter. "Humour me." Haru's lips quirked up a little further as he hopped onto one of the barstools and mimicked Aomine's pose, leaning forward as he looked up thoughtfully. From this close, Aomine could make out the various shades of blue in the man's impossibly blue eyes - so reminiscent of Tetsu's yet so different.
"Well, I like art and I'm pretty decent at it."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmhm."
"What kind?"
"Any really. I've always had a lot of time on my hands so I decided to make use of it. I prefer drawing and painting but I'm half decent at sculpting and such."
Aomine's brows raised in honest surprise. For someone who seemed so repressed he didn't expect Haru to have such a creative side.
"If you weren't keeping me from being homeless for the night, I'd be insulted."
It took Aomine a second to realise he'd said that outloud. His dark skin flushed and he stammered uselessly, trying to backtrack, until Haru's stoic expression cracked and he snickered. Aomine shoved him. "Oh fuck off Haru."
The man simply spun on the chair from the push. "You invited me in. Vampire rules," He wiggled his fingers at him. "I'm your problem now."
Aomine just deadpanned. "Spare me."
Haru looked subtly amused at the response. "Mm. Art's a good time."
"Well," He began begrudgingly. "You'll have to show me sometime."
"Maybe."
"Stingy."
"Rude."
Aomine threw a chip at him. "Yeah yeah. What else?"
Haru pondered it for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. "Well home was significantly more quiet than here. I was practically adopted by my friend Makoto's family."
That gave Aomine pause. He lowered the hand that was guiding a chip to his mouth and closed said lips. A long moment of silence passed. "...Yeah?" He prompted softly when no further answer was forthcoming.
"Mm." He hummed, leaning back. Aomine's eyes narrowed as Haru's gaze became hazy and distant. "I honestly..." A soft derisive laugh left Haru as he shook his head. "It's just I," He waved a hand and Aomine's eyes narrowed further at the physical deflection. "Can't remember my parents' faces. They've been gone that long."
Aomine's mind stalled more notably this time, his mind rapidly turning over that phrase to make sure he had heard it right. In the end, all he could manage was an intelligent "Huh?"
Haru nodded, leaning his elbows back on the counter as he steepled his fingers, resting his chin on them. "My grandmother raised me since I could remember but she passed when I started middle school-"
Aomine suddenly held up a hand, cutting him off. "Wait wait wait wait wait. What??"
"What?"
"You mean you're telling me you've been living alone since you were 12?" Aomine uttered softly, disbelief clear in his tone.
Haru stared at him for a moment before he nodded again. "Yeah. But it was fine. I had Makoto, swimming, art. I was fine."
"...Haru," He began carefully. Just because the man's tone said he was fine, Aomine wasn't convinced.
"Daiki." He countered, looking back at the man across from him. There was a sharpness that edged his tone, something Aomine hadn't experienced from the man before and it stopped him from saying whatever he had planned next. "What about you? What makes up the infinite Daiki aside from basketball and, if Tetsu is to be believed, your porn mags."
Aomine blushed darkly and Haru actually let out a small laugh. While he was glad whatever tension had shattered didn't mean he had to be happy about the fact it required his pride being wounded. "I swear I'm going to kill that brat!"
Haru munched a chip and wagged a slim yet strong finger in his face. "That's child abuse."
"He'd deserve it!" He snapped hotly as he slammed a hand on the table but Haru merely snorted. "They are not porn mags, they are idol mags and the girls just happen to be gorgeous!" He clicked his tongue when Haru none to delicately flicked his forehead.
"Manwhore."
"Yeah yeah, like you're an angel." Haru didn't respond as he shoved a handful of chips in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Well, I enjoy streetball, naps, long walks on the beach-" Haru shoved him again and he snickered. "And reading, believe it or not."
This time Haru paused. He looked Aomine over thoughtfully before nodding. "Alright, I'll believe it."
The pair continued talking for the next hour or so, with Aomine driving the conversation. Their topics were light, easy, and dumb boyish humour - nothing nowhere near as serious as the topic of Haru's parents although that statement was not going to leave Aomine's mind for a while. Aomine was also learning that, like Kuroko, Haru tended to say more when he wasn't saying anything at all. His silences were very telling and his eyes very expressive, even if the rest of his face was largely stoic. In short...
It was fun.
Haru yawned and Aomine immediately followed soon. He tapped his phone screen and it lit up, showing it was much later than either boy thought, if the slight widening of Haru's eyes were any indication. "Guess we should head to bed huh?"
Aomine dumped the empty chip packet in the bin as he pushed off the counter top. "Agreed." He yawned as he stretched his arms above his head, the vertebrae of his spine popping with a satisfying sound. The action caused his shirt to ride up, briefly exposing his narrow waist with defined v-line hip bones under dark skin. Aomine shook himself, feeling looser after the motion, unaware of the eyes that had been watching both curiously and intently. Aomine nodded towards the hallway he was walking to. "Come, I'll show you the guest room."
Haru followed with a quiet nod but Aomine just put it down to Haru being Haru.
"This is my room." He stopped by his door and quickly popped in. Haru poked his head in and was looking around until he was struck in the face by something soft. The swimmer looked at what he'd been struck with and held up a pair of sweat and an old sweatshirt. "You can sleep in those, they'll be more comfortable than what you're wearing."
Haru nodded. "Uh huh. Thanks." He continued along behind Aomine, humming in acknowledgement when he pointed out the bathroom.
"This is you."
Haru pushed the door open and stepped in. "Thanks Daiki."
"No worries."
Haru shook his head slightly and Aomine found his gaze tracking the motion of the man's hair. "I mean it. Thank you."
Aomine felt his chest slowly begin to warm and coughed gruffly into his hand, willing the sensation to not reach his face. "No worries." He mumbled. "Any other questions or anything, you know where to find me."
He turned to leave but Haru called out to him. "Wait."
"Mm?"
"I do have one more question."
Aomine turned around at the serious tone of the man's voice, his brows drawing together in concern.
Haru's gaze panned the floor for a moment before their gazes locked. The corner of the man's lips twitched ever so slightly and Aomine realised it was a trap too late. "Why the hell do you have a mirror above your bed?"
Aomine blushed darkly before he could control it. His initial reaction was to cuss Haru out and storm off, but Haru's smirk had Aomine's own lips quirking upwards. Briefly fighting off the embarrassment, he turned to face Haru, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he stared down at the man. "Maybe on day you'll find out Nanase." His voice had dropped but how Haru's eyes widening and his cheeks going ever so slightly pink had Aomine breaking character and a laugh bubbled up out of him. He waved lazily over his shoulder as he turned back down the hallway. "Night Haru."
Aomine heard a soft chuckle along with the sound of a door clicking closed. "Goodnight."
Aomine grinned as he shut his bedroom door behind him. Haruka Nanase. This was going to be fun.