In Shadows
Chapter Eighteen
Time Together

Winter was definitely making itself known as Gina trudged her way toward the gym, a bag of newly bought sports drinks in her hand. She pulled her jacket closer to her body as she walked underneath a tree bare from any flower or leaf. It was plain, grey bark, nothing exciting about it or pleasing to look at anymore. Only a few scattered, dried leaves on the floor showed it had foliage on it once at all.

Gina really wished she was able to drive a car - walking in the winter air, where the chilled breeze attacked her exposed skin and freezing her to the bone - from here, to the shops and back... it wasn't exactly the nicest journey she'd ever made. She had almost cheered once she spotted the gym, where she'd be taking shelter from the cold for a long time.

Planting each foot carefully on each step, Gina made her way up to the doors of the gym, her pace quickening once she'd passed the disastrous stairs. Her ankle had healed nicely since the incident that occurred only last week, and it wasn't exactly an experience she wanted to endure again. The fuss that came along with it was unnecessary, too. Gina had groaned aloud when the others had put up protests when Riko had asked her to buy drinks for the end of the training session. She appreciated their concern, but she could walk perfectly fine on her ankle now, almost as though she hadn't injured it in the first place.

It had taken a bit of convincing and bright smile on her part to convince them that she'd be fine, and that her ankle hadn't been bothering her since the incident. Now she strode confidently back into the gym, plastic shopping bags in her hands and her gaze daring anyone to look shocked she'd made it back in one piece.

"I'm back!" she called. She was met with no reply; everyone was panting and wiping sweat from their brows. Kuroko looked as though he might pass out any moment.

Right. Sports drinks are needed. Now.

Riko's dad announced they could all take a break, and Gina went around offering everyone a drink, her earlier irritation forgotten. They took each one gratefully. Kuroko was the furthest away from her, so unfortunately he was the last to receive a drink.

"Here you go. Drink up, it looks like you need it." Gina just about forced the drink into Kuroko's hands.

He took it and smiled at her. "Thank you."

Gina shivered, though it had nothing to do with the cold. Ever since that night they'd watched the movie together, Gina couldn't help but feel like they'd grown just that little bit closer. She noticed everything about Kuroko now, and whenever they were together it was like an electric shock passed through her body. All it took was for Gina to think of Kuroko and she'd smile or blush.

Gina didn't know if Kuroko felt the same way about her. She desperately hoped so. She'd hate to be the only one feeling this way, and to be the only one who felt their bond increase. She'd hate to be the only one whose heart broke a little whenever their conversations came to an end and they had to part ways for the day. She'd hate to be the only one whose heart soared whenever she first caught sight of her blue-haired friend.

Everyone else in the team stood around, gulping down their drinks and recovering their breath. After a quick, silent agreement, Gina and Kuroko wandered over and sat on the steps to the gym where there was a little more privacy.

Sitting on the steps exposed them to the cold outside, along with the nippy winter air. Gina shivered and moved a little closer to Kuroko for warmth.

"How's your ankle?" Kuroko asked suddenly.

Gina flexed it subconsciously. "Better. Riko's advised me to give it another day before I start running or doing anything like that again, just to be on the safe side, and even then she's only told me to lightly jog." She laughed. "Not like that's a problem for me, since I dropped the track team. I'll just have to be a little more careful of stairs from now on."

Kuroko chuckled, and she joined in, their soft voices lost in the wind, which had suddenly picked up. Gina shivered again, which caused Kuroko to look over at her with furrowed eyebrows. "Gina, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kuroko, really. It's just a bit of a chilly breeze." Gina shrugged. "It's nothing to worry about."

Gina gasped as something was placed around her shoulders, something thick and warm. Looking at it, Gina felt the blood rise in a rush to her cheeks as she realised, it was Kuroko's jacket.

"K-Kuroko! You need this too, you know, you need to keep warm! You can't catch a cold before the Winter Cup, Riko will murder you!"

Gina tried to remove the jacket from her shoulders, but Kuroko rested a hand on one shoulder. 

"I'll be fine," he said. "Our break only lasts for a few minutes. I'll be back inside soon, it's not long enough for the cold to affect me."

Gina shivered again, but not from the cold. A smile twisted her lips upwards and she looked down, hoping that Kuroko didn't notice the soft blush on her cheeks. "Thanks," she whispered.

"It's okay."

Riko called a warning that they only had two minutes of break left.

"She's pushing you guys really hard," Gina chuckled. "Well, the Winter Cup is upcoming... oh! " a thought struck her, something she definitely needed to address. "Speaking of the Winter Cup, what day is your first game?" She turned her entire body abruptly around so she looked directly at Kuroko.

Kuroko's eyebrows knitted together. "Why do you ask?"

"The date for Saki's concert has been released. My mum has already bought tickets for so she and I can go see it, and I just wanted to know if it's on a game day so I can tell Riko I won't be there..." Gina looked across at Kuroko, a flicker of hope in her eyes. She had been praying that the date allowed her to go to both Kuroko's match and Saki's concert. She only had this one opportunity to see Saki perform this year, and there was no way she was missing out on it. Still, she'd prefer to see all of Seirin's games.

"What's the date of her concert?" Kuroko asked.

Gina told him.

Seirin's phantom thought about the date and then looked up at her. "That's the day after we verse Touou. We won't have a game that day, even if we win."

Gina gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Really? Ah, that's great!" She could've jumped up and down with the silliest grin on her face but she held it in, instead throwing her arms around Kuroko. He hesitated, caught off guard, but soon returned the gesture "I don't have to miss either of you now, thank the heavens!" She'd been worrying about it for a while. She didn't want to miss out on either of friend's events. The two of them meant so much to her, and she'd have been shattered if she had to choose one over the other.

When Gina pulled away, she calmed herself down by inhaling deeply. "But Touou, huh?" she mused. "You'll be up against both Aomine and Momoi... but, you'll do it. I know it." She grinned. "You guys are all getting stronger. And Kagami's doing... whatever he's doing in America."

Kuroko chuckled. "He's doing something, at least."

"Something's better than nothing."

Just then Riko called the team back over to recommence training. Gina and Kuroko stood up, Gina starting to shrug his jacket off her shoulders and hand it back to him.

But Kuroko was shaking his head. "Keep hold of it, Gina. You'll be needing it more than me."

Gina blinked, staring at him. "A-Are you sure?"

"I am. I won't be needing it until practice finishes, any -"

"Kuroko-kun!" Riko yelled, sounding impatient. "Hurry up! And Gina, stop distracting him!"

Gina cowered a little under Riko's fierce gaze. Normally she got along with the coach just fine, but Riko wasn't someone you wanted to get mad. She turned frightening easily.

"Go, before she murders the both of us," Gina laughed.

"That might be a good idea." Kuroko smiled before he rejoined the team. Gina watched him, a chuckle passing her lips as she ambled over to stand on the sidelines. She watched the team play with a large grin on her face.

And somehow, Kuroko was entirely visible to her throughout the entire practice.

*          *          *

Just before training finished that day, Saki phoned Gina up, asking if she'd like to come over and hang out. It had been a while since they'd last properly hung out, so Gina eagerly agreed. She loved the basketball team, but Saki was her oldest friend at Seirin. Gina missed her often.

When thry walked home, Gina had to part ways with Kuroko just a little bit earlier. Her heart sank slightly as they parted, but she reminded herself that she was going to see Saki and she brightened up a little. Still, she watched Kuroko go until he was no longer in sight.

The moment she arrived at the bakery, Saki pounced on Gina, as though she'd been lying on wake. After exchanging greetings with Saki's family, Gina's friend led her upstairs to the family's overhead flat, where they crashed in Saki's room and instantly started to talk, check out Saki's infinite collection of magazines, and catch up.

About half an hour later the two of them lay of the floor, old magazines lying open and discarded nearby. Between them were two plates, now devoid of food apart from the crumbs. They'd been eating some of the leftover food from the bakery that night: a mixture of biscuits, scones and small cakes.

That was one of the benefits of Saki's family owning a bakery: they often got to eat small amounts of whatever that was leftover afterwards. The rest was donated to charities.

"Good news," Gina said presently, once their previous talk about schoolwork and clubs was over. "Mum secured the tickets for her and me to come watch your concert!"

Saki's eyes sparkled. "Ah! That's great! I'm so glad you an come, Gina!" Her smile faded slightly. "It's... not on the same day as one of your friend's basketball matches though, right?"

"No. They're not playing on the day you're performing."

Surprisingly, Saki's shoulders sagged as they lost tension. "That's a relief. I'd love for you to come, but not because you had to miss your friend's match to come and see me perform."

"Don't be silly," Gina scolded playfully. "You've got one concert, while they have multiple games. I wouldn't have missed out on that much, if you think of it that way... Speaking of the concert, how's practices going?"

Saki chewed oh her bottom lip. "The intensity of each practice only continues to increase," she murmured. She laughed faintly and turned her gaze to the window. "The nerves are starting to hit home."

Gina smiled. No matter how carefree and careless Saki may appear to everyone, deep down she really was passionate about her music and wanted to succeed. Many people didn't see just how much Saki really cared; they only saw the careless exterior she projected out to everyone.

Gina placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm. "Calm down. You're going to kill it, and you will bring the house down."

Saki shifted uncomfortably. "That's overstating things, Gina -"

"It's not," Gina insisted. "I speak nothing but the truth." She reached up and grabbed the cup of water on the table and had a sip.

"If you say so..." Clearly uncomfortable with continuing the topic, Saki hastily said. "So, are their any cute or hot guys on the basketball team?"

Gina choked on her water. She had to spend at least a minute coughing before she recovered, her eyes stinging as she glared incredulously at her friend. "What sort of question is that?" she squeaked.

Saki rolled her eyes. "Come on, you're a manager for an all-boys team! Surely there's one person you're attracted to! And don't hold back on me, I want the truth!" She folded her arms, awaiting an answer.

Gina flushed, averting her gaze. "Well, I guess a few are quite good-looking..." 

"Yeah, but do you like anyone?"

"I-I don't know, Saki, you can't just spring that question on me so suddenly -"

Saki rolled her eyes. "You diverted your gaze, your cheeks are flushed, you're tripping over your words. You've got a crush on someone, Tsukino Gina."

Gina felt her cheeks grow hotter. She didn't know why, but her mind flashed instantly back to the time she walked home from practice that day. She'd given Kuroko his jacket back as soon as practice had finished. They had to walk home, and she'd rather that she catch a cold than watch Kuroko catch one. At least he had accepted the jacket.

She'd been on the bus with Kuroko, Hyuga and Izuki, but they'd had to go separate ways soon, left with her and Kuroko walking back together. She recalled how it had almost been a struggle to turn and head to Saki's place.

Gina was pulled back out from her thoughts when her friend very pointedly cleared her throat. Gina jumped and snapped her head a tough to look at Saki, only then realising that she'd been stating out of the window.

"Saki, honestly, I don't know..." she stammered, but her friend was laughing.

"You like someone," Saki sung. She grinned, a devilish glint to her eyes. Gina gulped. That was Saki's game face: you knew that once Saki had that look on her face, she wasn't going to back down until she had what she wanted. "I'm going to find out. That's my new mission, to find out who you like."

"S-Saki!" Gina buried her face in her knees.

"I wonder, is it a senior? Or perhaps Kuroko? I know you spend a lot of time together, I don't know if that's only because you're in the same class -"

Gina threw a pillow at her.

"Saki, shut up."