AN: A continuation to the previous soulmate AU chapter. This is set after the ending of the fic, depicting future events not including LAST GAME events. 

Once again, this is not canon to the fic. If you're devastated by the choice of ships, you should skip this chapter! xD Enjoy this nonsense, fellow degenerates. 

I know a lot of you ship a lot of things in the fic, but for this chapter's purpose, I had to match everyone with someone, so unfortunately, the endgame ships for this chapter (not for the fic. This isn't canon to the fic) is AoKagaKuro, KiKasa, AkaFuri, MidoTaka, and MuraHimu. Which leaves Aisaka with NijiHai. 

p.s I'm bad at writing romance pls forgive me

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At birth, your soulmates are determined by the lines of words around your wrist, dictating the first socially meaningful words they say to you.

Everyone has a soulmate or three, or four. Half of them are usually platonic, a few of them would give you a bond that transcends anything else, but only one of them is the one you'll love forever.

Aisaka is the same.

But there's another step in the equation-- the maturity-- wherein, around the time people turn eighteen, most of the marks will begin to fade.

Their connections will eventually vanish as well, and on their birthdays, they can bond with their one true love, the 'loyally fated' per se.

People part from bonds and choose an individual outside of their circle, some settle down with more than one lover, and others choose to remain independent from a true love. It varied from pair to pair.

"Even if you say that, when my selection is full of losers, I'm kind of disappointed," Aisaka admits over his coffee, and Ogiwara chuckles out loud, his hand leaving the notepad as he tries to stifle his laughter.

"Don't say that," he says, keeping it as hushed as possible in the pop music ambience of his cafe, "Kuroko will be sad, you know."

Shortly after graduation, Ogiwara cranked open the dusty doors of his late uncle's cafe in Tokyo. Much like most of their peers, he had quit basketball after high school-- now he was rebuilding this cafe from the ground up, and his cheerful demeanor did him a ton of favours in the field.

The rest of the Miracles, however, went on to study in their respective colleges.

For now, only Aisaka and Aomine have made a clear decision to play basketball professionally in the future. They had scholarships and official scouts from American sponsors, and they even had Alex as their guarantee.

Nijimura and Kagami were also keen on that route, but Kise, Midorima, and Akashi had their doubts. Momoi and Kuroko, who knew they wouldn't make it far on a professional stage, were already making waves to head toward an Education major.

(Young adult age was really the tough decision-making time of life, wasn't it?)

"But we all know that Tetsuya has something going on with Mine or Taiga," Aisaka whines, sipping almost angrily on his coffee. "It's like everyone's running to get a boyfriend around here."

"Speaking of boyfriends," Ogiwara grins, "are Nijimura-san's soul marks gone yet? You two are roommates, aren't ya?"

Aisaka groans, "Ogi, I swear, if you quote that meme--"

"Oh, party pooper," Ogiwara pouts. Collecting the cake plate from the desk, he chuckles. "Well, I'm sure you'll settle on one of them eventually. They're your soulmates for a reason, after all."

Aisaka pouts.

Ogiwara had chosen his bonds early-- and that is, he identified as an aromantic. In line with that decision, his marks all vanished on his seventeenth birthday. It was a year earlier than the usual, but that isn't uncommon at all.

"Even if we have to choose, it's not like I'm particularly interested in having a fated bond or anything," Aisaka mutters into his hand, resting his chin in his palm. "My soulmates got me through everything thus far. That's what they do. They can stop doing it any time they want, like they did for you."

Ogiwara checks around the cafe, noting the nice atmosphere, nods at his pleasant waiters, and he decides that it's okay for the owner to sit down before his old friend for a chat about love and relationships.

"Well, I did have a proper conversation with all of them before splitting off," Ogiwara says, but he lets the words trail off.

"Like, I'm fine being independent from the bond, and I guess I'd be fine with one too, but," Aisaka's eyes flicker everywhere as he speaks and Ogiwara just smiles endearingly at him as he waits for the boy to continue, "would any of them even choose me? That's the question. I mean, it's not a one-sided thing, so if no one wants me, I don't ... really have a way to choose anyone either, right?"

Ogiwara hums, "you know Saka, you're always confident about your skills and talents, but when it really comes down to it, you're one inconsistent wreck, huh?"

The blunt statement stabs a critical hit right into Aisaka's heart. Oh, how it hurts.

"Don't blame me!" He whines, a little loud but he's near tears so he doesn't care, "I don't really-- care for things like that, so... and the author keeps projecting her insecurities into me! Blame her for my inconsistent personality!"

Ogiwara shushes him, though he's still smiling.

"I'm sure they want you," he says, knowing he sounds baseless, but confident all the same. "They love you. Just like I love my soulmates, platonic as we are. I'll fly over the country if they ever need me, even when we're no longer bonded. No matter how we turn out, love is always there-- whether it's eros, or agape, or everything in between. That's the beauty of the soulmate system, after all."

Aisaka pouts, but he doesn't say more.

-

Aisaka is unexpectedly the youngest of the Miracles in their age, due to the Japanese school year system. It's perhaps not so unexpected, depending on how you look at it.

It's early June when Kise came out to everyone and admitted he was going to permanently bond with the captain of Kaijou.

Haizaki had been more than happy to pawn off the 'parasite' as he called it, but Aomine and Kuroko gave their well wishes. Aomine proceeded to drag Kasamatsu into an isolated room and threaten him about the things he'd do if he ever hurt Kise or something, but Aisaka pretended not to know that.

(Aisaka didn't go watch it or anything-- he just felt it. The bond between him and Aomine kept this similar wavelength for them, so everything Aisaka felt like doing, Aomine felt like doing-- vice versa.)

Kise was going to continue his modelling and acting career-- but Kasamatsu was going to study. They would live together in a quaint apartment in Tokyo, like a blessed pair going a straight road toward their happily ever after.

Aisaka is a little envious.

He goes to the arcade with Haizaki after that.

And if Haizaki was annoyingly frustrated for some reason no one even knew, well, let's just say Aisaka didn't see the irritated tears too.

-

They were all turning twenty now.

Everyone was growing up, and soon, Aisaka will be left feeling his own emotions, thinking his own thoughts, and cultivating his own passions.

Somehow, that just felt very strange. He's lived without them once before-- in his past life, he was bonded to one. After the incident, however...

...well, he would rather not think of something so miserable.

-

Early October is when he gets called out to a very suspicious cafe for a not very subtle talk with Murasakibara and Himuro.

If the repeated writing of the date, time, and place on his arms isn't an indication, (Tatsuya, I thought we agreed on not writing somewhere I can't erase?) the panicked, gut-eating nervousness in the pit of his stomach really is.

(Atsushi hasn't been this nervous for anything, like, ever.)

So when he gets there, he expects the smiling Himuro and nervous Murasakibara, and he isn't surprised when the talk darts jarringly from how are you to what will you be studying to a startling left hook with okay so, about soulmates...

Turns out, Atsushi wants to bond permanently with Tatsuya.

(What a surprise.)

"You know, Atsushi," Aisaka leans over the table, resting his chin in both of his hands like a lovestruck schoolgirl, "I know more than anyone how happy you are when you're with Tatsuya."

Murasakibara blushes, ready to stand up and stop the boy before he says something embarrassing.

But Aisaka smiles and speaks. "Your chest gets all fluttery, and my head gets all light and giddy until I feel like I'm gonna cry, in a good way," he sings exaggeratedly, a hand held at his chest. "It's super cute! So I thought to myself-- well, this is obviously love, isn't it? Ah, youth! My Atsushi has all grown up now!"

He dodges Murasakibara's hand when it comes to clamp around his lips, and stands up. Spinning around to the other end of the table, he hooks his arms around both of their shoulders so he's between them.

"That's why, Atsushi," he says, "make sure you give these feelings properly to Tatsuya instead of me from now on, okay?"

Aisaka grins, leaning his head into Atsushi, ignoring the way the boy looks like he's ready to crush his hand to bits.

"...Yeah," Murasakibara says, his voice resolved.

Tatsuya's face is red and buried in his palms at this point, and Atsushi is ready to die of embarrassment, according to his emotions.

-

Aisaka is almost happy when the mark disappears a week later, but the sudden realization that he can no longer send feelings of joy through his link anymore-- that leaves a sinking pit in his gut.

The feeling of losing a soul mate, even a willing one, is something no one can ever get used to. Letting go of a soulmate is easy; being left behind is hard. That's why you always had to have a nice conversation and ask for consent, because that eased the pain of the loss, albeit just a little.

Not that it made the day any easier to wake up to for Aisaka, though. He spent the whole day in his hotel bed until Kagami dropped by with Kuroko and food.

He can't feel Murasakibara's emotions.

Himuro's warmth was always wrapped around his skin, like a raiment he could always grasp when he was nervous-- but now, it was gone, too.

He can't send feelings through the bond, and words would now show on no one's skin but his own. Guess he has to text them his well wishes now, huh?

(Two gone, four to go.)

(He doesn't want to imagine how losing the rest will feel.)

-

Aisaka returns to America after that, so he hears from grapevine about what happened to everyone else.

Akashi and Himuro were studying in the same college-- in the same courses, no less. The only difference being Himuro was majoring in Linguistics, and Akashi in Business-- they just had the other way around as their second major.

Yeah, because they were both crazy bastards that took second majors.

They apparently meet Kasamatsu around campus, and because of that, they hang out often with their fated pairs in tow.

That of course included Akashi's fated pair, Furihata.

Everyone expected Momoi and Kuroko, who attended the same college, to choose each other as their fated pair.

But to everyone's surprise, when Momoi's birthday rolled around-- she was the oldest, so that was long, long ago-- she hadn't even tried to mention it. In fact, she never did, and no one quite knew what happened to her soul marks.

She only had two-- the lowest amount amongst all of the Miracles, but certainly not rare at all in commonfolk standards-- which were very expectedly, Aomine and Kuroko.

Yet, she held both of their hands, and put it right into Kagami's.

Then she smiled, gave cryptid well wishes, and never mentioned soul marks again.

Apparently, she let go of her connections just as quickly, and now remained independent of any bond. It paid off that she was social outside of her bond-- because she functioned like nothing was wrong and nothing had ever happened.

That was... nice.

Yet again, sort of sad.

Every once in a while, they meet for tea-- and he's always so glad that Momoi is no less cheerful than before. She's the constant adoration he loves to meet every time he's in Japan, and he's secretly glad she never let her broken heart affect her.

-

He groans into the arm of the couch.

It'd been a long day of very bad, clumsy, horrible practice, and Aisaka was feeling the most miserable he'd ever been in ages.

Like, is it normal to miss every single shot? Even the dunks and layups? There were a few that seemed like they would go in, but then they were thwarted.

It wasn't even due to rough play or anything of that sort-- Aisaka was just out of it today. He wasn't playing like himself, and the coach even benched him halfway through, telling him to get his head back in the game before he came back in.

(He never went back in.)

Maybe the date had something to do with it. It's almost the anniversary of his dad's death, after all, that's hard to forget.

He was slightly glad, slightly disgruntled, that he could no longer vent out these emotions on Murasakibara. There was no one sending calming feelings back, no slight joy as someone gorged on snacks to distract him from everything.

It's all gone now. He had treasured that bond and-- ugh, what is he thinking? He should just honestly wish them well and stop thinking about it now.

"Hiroto," came a familiar voice through the telepathic connection.

He groans again as the familiar voice rings through his head. He has a migraine and can't say anything further than grumbling, so he answers in his head.

"What?"

"Turn over."

"Don't wanna. Head hurts. Light."

"They're dimmed," came the annoyed answer, "and keep your eyes closed."

Confused and irritated, he rolled over so he could rest on his back-- and was surprised to feel something damp and warm fall over his face.

A hot towel. Oh-- oh, that actually felt really nice.

He could already feel his fatigue ease out. His eyes were sore from the whole day, and the warm towel seeped through him, a comforting warmth soaking through his head and easing every strained nerve.

A sink in the couch, and Aisaka shifts his legs, lifting one over the other so Nijimura had a bit of space to sit.

"Feeling better?" the senior asks, verbally this time.

He could just hear the smirk in his voice. Aisaka rolls over, trying to hide the curve of his lips. He held the towel to his eyes, and curled over, trying to get comfortable.

"Yeah," he mutters, trying to hide his reddening cheeks, "I'm gonna sleep. Go away."

Nijimura's fingers card through his hair, but Aisaka pretends to not notice, letting the soothing motions lull him to a restful sleep.

-

Hiroto goes back to Japan for his father's death anniversary and holy crap, his house is ransacked.

It's mostly used as the Miracle meeting house now, and they pass the two sets of keys around each other in shifts. If they don't, they're free to the spare key under the Amaryllis on the second floor balcony. Just jump.

LIke a not-so-terrible whirlwind had come to pass, the couch was skidded off its place, the carpet was folded at the edge, the table was overturned, and the pillows were everywhere.

The Miracles usually clean up after coming, so what the hell?

"I'm killing the bastards," he seethes.

Maybe half of his irritation comes from the fact that Haizaki apparently punched a wall yesterday-- his hand still stings, is the bone broken? Why hasn't the bastard gotten that looked at yet?

"What'd they do?" came Nijimura's reply.

He grunts. "Dunno, house is a mess."

But at least the damage seems to be limited to the living room. He follows the trail of destruction to-- oh hey, isn't that his old room?

He cranks open the door quietly and--

"Oh, nevermind," he says, "by the way, you up to teach me how to make that cream stew today?"

"Huh?" Nijimura's entirely confused at this point.

Aisaka chuckles, leaning against his door, arms crossed. "Seems like I'm babysitting tonight, and he'll be hungry when he wakes up."

Haizaki is curled up on the bed, jacket and all, snoring softly.

"Ah," he hears Nijimura shuffling around, "you know, you really ought to just write this down instead of asking me every time."

"Why would I need to when I have you?" Aisaka snarks.

"And what happens when I leave you?"

"Well, are you gonna leave me?"

There was no answer after that, so Aisaka walked into the room.

Aisaka sits by his bed, brushing the hair out of Haizaki's face. He knows there's a split lip there, but he doesn't expect the faint smudge of lipstick at the edge.

Well, someone's been busy.

(That kinda hurts.)

He lets his hand trail to Haizaki's. He winces, noting the split knuckles and deep bruises on his dominant hand. With a sigh, he decided treating this came first.

Thank goodness they still keep the first aid kit in this house properly stocked.

He goes around cleaning up the house, treating Haizaki's wounds-- he even takes a shower and changes out of his airport clothes, but the gray-haired boy is still asleep. He came to Japan feeling miserable, but now he feels pleasant.

Maybe it's because he likes taking care of Haizaki. It's calming, and because they've both got their pride-- taking care of him is just a shot away from taking care of himself with a violent friend in tow.

Seriously, how deep of a sleeper is this boy?

He's about thirty minutes into the irritatingly long cream stew making instructions when Haizaki staggers out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes.

There's a dull, throbbing ache of a hangover, and really, rich cream stew isn't something he likes to smell with this nausea in his head. But Haizaki is an idiot, so cream stew is what he gets.

And if he doesn't like it, he can eat cereal or something.

"T'hell?" Haizaki grumbles, "you a robber?"

Aisaka could've snorted, "what kind of robber breaks into a house and starts making dinner? This isn't Gintama, you know?"

"Just makin' sure," Haizaki yawns, waking into the kitchen.

His hair was disheveled, his clothes were all over the place-- and when he made it to Aisaka, he set his uninjured hand on the boy's shoulder and leaned his head in,

"When'd you get back?"

"Today."

"What're ya makin'?" His eyes were half-lidded, sleepily considering the simmering stew beside him.

Aisaka stifled a laugh, "cream stew."

"Oh really? Jackpot," he says, the muted excitement in his tone.

Aisaka isn't going to ask him what happened. Everyone knows Haizaki goes for flings every once in a while-- he flunked college entrance exams, screwed up his job opportunities, and was now nothing more than a deadbeat delinquent.

He's heard enough of shit for three lifetimes, and Aisaka isn't going to add on to it. He can do whatever he wants, and if he faces the consequences-- well, what kind of soulmate would Aisaka be if he weren't there for him?

"Go take a shower, you smell like sake," Aisaka tells him.

"A'ight," came the grumbled response, but Haizaki doesn't move, and Aisaka doesn't pester him either. They stay in that position for a few minutes, Aisaka patiently waiting for the stew to simmer enough for the next step, simply together in silence.

The dull headache is distracting, but at least Haizaki has Aisaka with him.

-

November came and went, but Haizaki never said a thing about his soul mark.

Aisaka worries for him, really.

He might want to keep having flings for the rest of his life, but that's not something a soulmate should encourage, especially if Haizaki's just going straight down the path of eventual ruin. Maybe Aisaka should ask Ogi to hire him in the cafe...

"Hi, Green?" he speaks into his phone, "do you happen to be within vicinity of a certain gray kitten in Japan? I might need your help with him a little."

Midorima makes a frustrated groan on the other end. There's a sound of shuffling, a muffled question of 'Shin-chan?' and then the jingle of keys.

"Do you happen to know--" a slight tap, probably glasses, "that it's near two in the morning in Japan right now?"

Aisaka smiles. Oops. "Sorry!" he says, absolutely not sincerely.

There's a click and the sound of a cabinet opening, so at least Midorima knows what to expect. "Give me the report, I don't have all day. Or night."

Midorima had gone for a medical field, to no one's surprise. He and Akashi were always the studious ones who, though they loved basketball, wouldn't think more than twice to leave it behind for noteworthy careers.

"Pretty sure a few broken ribs, a twisted foot, and well," Aisaka chuckled dryly, "that old concussion acting up again. Don't check the wrists."

Midorima swears loudly, "oh screw this, I'm calling an ambulance. He has no right to complain, got it?"

Aisaka laughs. "I'll warn him. Thanks Green. Love ya."

"I do not love you back," is the man's dryer than dust response, "and I'm hanging up."

He actually does, and Aisaka can't help but laugh boisterously.

-

Aomine slams the ball through the hoop. It's powerful-- more powerful than anything else Aisaka has ever felt-- too overwhelmed by the sheer force, Aisaka doesn't land on his feet. He winces as he crashes against the floor harshly.

He sighs in defeat as Aomine roars, cheering out in joy.

"I win!" he yelled, punching the air in excitement. "Yes, I finally fucking won against you!"

It's not as if Aomine has never won against him before-- it's just usually a tie, and they've been playing for nearly four hours straight today with Aisaka winning every round.

Why were they playing? Well, for fun is the first reason.

But the second reason-- was that Aomine wanted to let go of their bond.

People usually talked this out, like how Murasakibara did with his. Akashi gave his bonds luxurious resort tickets to break the news. Ogiwara made them sweaters and scarves to make up for it. Even Kise planned a hangout party.

But that just didn't match Aomine and Aisaka's vibe, so they duked it out on the court instead. And apparently, if Aisaka had won, Aomine had to keep the bond going.

Such an idiot. If he'd just asked normally, Aisaka would've been more than glad to let him go with well wishes.

He just had to turn everything into basketball, didn't he?

"We share strength, skill, and instinct," Aisaka says, taking the boy's hand as he lifts him back to his feet. Tier fists clench firmly against each others', and the smile is warm. "I'm letting all of that go, so next time on the court-- I'll be fighting the real you. Promise me that?"

Aomine knocked his forehead against his.

"Course, you fucking sap," he chuckles, "you better not get weaker, got it?!"

Aisaka grins, "look in the mirror, idiot!" he laughs. "And you better make my baby Roko happy, got it? Not accepting anything else!"

"Stop calling him that!"

"Nuh-uh, I call him whatever the hell I want."

-

January thirty-first was honestly the sappiest day Aisaka has ever seen play out in the world. He still gets goosebumps thinking of it.

Haizaki took one look at the house and noped right the hell out.

Nijimura dragged him back, though, so it was alright, but Aisaka needed to be pulled and negotiated and then convinced to come in by Momoi. He couldn't handle the amount of metaphorical cheese and roses in the air.

Seriously, they decorated the entire damn house for a proposal, what the hell. Kagami and Aomine were absolute fucking saps, give them the award.

Kuroko looked positively horrified and internally excited at the same time, even through his usually expressionless demeanor.

Needless to say, when Kagami and Aomine got on one knee, Kuroko cried.

Kise took way too many photos that day. Midorima looked at everything through one eye, and Murasakibara made it very clear he was only there for the snacks. HImuro and Takao kept an arm on them at all times to make sure they stayed until the end.

Aisaka didn't need to be told that his bond with Kuroko would disappear the next morning-- everyone knew Kuroko only kept it around for sentimentality's sake, anyway.

(If they needed to have a conversation, they can do it later.)

(For now, let them have their honeymoon or whatever.)

-

Maybe the concept of love was lost on Aisaka. He understood it, but rarely felt it for himself. He did know how it felt-- his past life was a testament to it-- but in this life, there just wasn't that spark.

And he was beginning to think that was fine.

Looking down at the marks on his wrist-- only Nijimura and Haizaki left now-- he sighs. Haizaki was still a wreck, Nijimura was getting a damn job, and Aisaka was too busy with the scholarship program to bother with anything else.

Seriously, Nijimura and Haizaki should hook up already.

"I heard that, you brat."

He jumps. He didn't mean to send that through the link.

"Both of you brats are such handfuls," Nijimura snaps, "seriously, every time I turn around and one of you's a mental wreck. Can't have a fucking break around here."

Aisaka can't help but laugh at that.

"Sucks to be ya, Shuzo," he says, "maybe you should've let us go a long time ago. Seriously, you and Shougo ought to have talked about the bond at some point, right? If you two decided on what to do, just drop me a note and I'll be fine to cut off the connection anytime--"

"Huh?" came the loud, annoyed response, "are you dense, you purple fuck? Why else would we be keeping around your bond? Your birthday's all the way in March, you dolt!"

Silence.

Aisaka's face quickly heats up. "...uhm. Shuzo? Was that a--"

"Shit," Nijimura's response comes hurriedly, "that sounded better in my head. I'm begging you to please forget it."

"What was that-- Don't leave me hanging, Shuzo!" there was no response. "Was that supposed to be a-- hello??"

Silence.

Aisaka's face was so red he was genuinely gonna get a heat stroke from embarrassment. He's abruptly reminded of their first meeting, and he buries his face in his hands, dying internally.

"You're seriously telling me that's the confession I get?! Answer me! HEY!"

-

"So you ran all the way to Japan? What kind of rich-people tantrum is this? Ya makin' fun of me?" Haizaki groans, slamming the fridge door with his foot and peeling off the lid of the ice cream with the wooden spoon between his teeth.

"But, he's got to be kidding!" Aisaka whines, "he's been ghosting me ever since! Do you have any idea how it sucks to be ghosted telepathically??"

"No, because unlike you and Tetsuya, the rate of telepathic bonds in us actual commoners is like, two percent overall," Haizaki grumbles, "that's like a fucking Relicanth in Pokemon Emerald, Hiroto. Shuz and Kagamitch are all two percent in this city."

"You're speaking so convolutedly, people aren't gonna understand what you're saying. What the hell is Kagamitch?"

"Kagabitch but easier to pronounce," he elaborates. "And if they don't understand, maybe they should stay confused. Fuck them."

"...Like you're fucking all the girls you can get in bed with you?" Aisaka snarks, "don't know how many times Shuzo's beaten you black and blue for it, but he can feel it through the bond when you get high, if you remember."

"Oh shut the hell up, you virgin."

"Excuse me?!" Aisaka blows, blushing madly at the name-calling that absolutely backfired, "hey! I still feel the muscle sores, so we do know exactly when the hell you get it on, okay? We would prefer you not!"

"Oh, sorry," Haizaki sneers sarcastically, "bottom."

"HEY!" Aisaka chucks a box of tissues at him. "We have kids reading this!"

"You act like they don't already know what it means!" Haizaki dodges it, wooden spoon still between his teeth.

"Think of the CHILDREN," Aisaka throws his hands up exasperatedly, "seriously! How on earth does an asexual author manage to put in so many dirty jokes?! Go to horny jail, you loser!"

At this point, Aisaka leaps over the couch, ready to strangle the absolute embarrassment of a college dropout if only to rid his existence from this world.

"Plus, that is MY ice cream! Why are you casually eating it right in front of me?!"

Haizaki grins, lifting it over his head. "Finders keepers, midget!"

"You're only three centimeters taller, don't get snarky!" Aisaka jumps for it, but Haizaki's reflexes are quicker, dodging his hand with a jesting laugh. "Damn it! Why are you only quicker than me when it's for dumb shit?!"

Haizaki swings by his lunge, hopping past he couch and whirling around the TV.

At some point, Aisaka realizes he's smiling.

When Haizaki reaches past Aisaka and takes him by the wrist, Aisaka hesitates just a second too long and loses his chance to kick Haizaki in the shin.

"If we know your weaknesses, anyone can beat you," Haizaki tells him, quickly cornering him against a wall. He even sets the half-eaten ice cream on the cabinet to show off his free hand. "See? Can't do anything."

Aisaka struggles against the grip on his hand, but alas-- in raw power alone, Haizaki could even pin down his good wrist, and his bad wrist is definitely not enough to punch his nose in.

"I could kick you in the balls right now," Aisaka responds dryly.

"Ha ha," Haizaki tells him, leaning in uncomfortably close, setting his other hand on the wall so his arms box him in. "I have a better suggestion, Hiroto."

Aisaka's face immediately heats up, realizing what the delinquent is implying.

"I'm going to bite you if you come any closer," he threatens, shrinking back against the wall. "I'm not joking."

Haizaki grins.

"Save all that energy for when Shuzo gets angry at us, alright?"

He closes the gap between them.

-

"The bonds I have left?" Nijimura asks, absent-mindedly nursing his coffee while working on his thesis on his laptop. "A mind bond with Hiroto, and a passion bond with Shougo. Why do you ask?"

"A passion bond, huh..." Ogiwara says, setting down the plate of cake before the man. "It's the one where you share adrenaline rushes, right? Saka and Kuro's bond was a passion bond."

"Yeah. Aomine's and Kise's was a passion bond too," NIjimura says. "They already let those go, so why do you ask?"

"Ah, no no," Ogiwara says, flustered, "I was just curious. I only have physical bonds, so I've always wondered how mental bonds felt. And coincidentally, you only have mental bonds left, so..."

Nijimura chuckles.

"They're not all that different from normal bonds, it's just a little more annoying," he shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. "Especially with Shougo. He gives no shits about me when he's up and doing... something... like... what are those two-- wait."

He trails off.

Ogiwara looks at him confusedly. "Doing something what?"

Nijimura doesn't manage to compute an answer. He barely sets the coffee cup down on its dish, and then his hand is desperately trying to hide himself as his face goes bright red.

"...What are those two doing?!"

Ogiwara still doesn't understand what's happening, but he doesn't get to ask again. Nijimura's ringtone goes off, and Ogiwara checks his own phone to notice there's a message from Haizaki, sent to The Cult.

Nijimura plucks his phone from the table and-- makes a muted screeching noise.

Ogiwara clicks into it-- and his jaw drops.

Haizaki had sent a picture of a pair of intertwined hands. It didn't take a genius to figure out whose hands those were-- and the absence of the very familiar wrist brace was the most scandalous thing in the situation.

HAIZAKI:

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Shittymura's too fuckin' gutless
So I took the initiative.

We're waiting for the ring, bitch.

Ogiwara makes an excited squealing sound.

The rest of the cult were already screaming, responses varying from "Holy shit Haizaki" to "AJSLKAJSLKA Congratulations" to "uhm about TIME" to "please use protection" and "what the fuck Tetsu".

Nijimura is dying of embarrassment.

"Why are they like this?"

Ogiwara beams. "Congratulations, Nijimura-san!" he says cheerfully, flowers of moe blooming around him.

NIjimura sputters at him, "why are all of you just accepting this like it's normal? Were all of you expecting this all along?!"

Ogiwara smiles, "I mean, you've been holding onto the rings for like, three years now, sir," he says without missing a beat. Then, "we even had a betting pool and all."

Njimura chokes on his own saliva. "WhAT?!"

"If you go now, Himuro-san and Murasakibara-san will win the bet."

"All of you are absolutely obnoxious!"

-

Needless to say, Ogiwara laughed as he scrambled to get his things together. Leaving behind half-drunk coffee and half-eaten cake, Nijimura dashed out of the store with his two velvet boxes in his hands.

And the rest of this story?

It's a mess, of course. Kisses and happily ever afters just aren't realistic. Joy is short-lived, and love falters. They're still mental wrecks, they're still clumsy adults, and all of them are roughly pieced together by each other.

But that's fine as well.

Nothing in this world is meant to be a perfect story. It's the bumps and the shakes that make a road trip all the more interesting. It's the faults in a person that makes them so worthy of being loved.

"Hey you fucking morons. At least lock the fucking door when you fuck."

The laughter that bubbles out of Aisaka's throat is so natural, so exasperated-- he can't resist spreading his arms and making room for one more.

"Why do we need to when we have you?"