#both fukurodani managers have been drawn now!!

[hinata-boke]

Drawing a randomly generated Haikyuu character (almost) every day until I give up

86. Suzumeda Kaori

[watevermelon]

Unrequited | Kuroo Tetsurō x Reader

✧ Summary: Years of unrequited feelings and longing looks toward your childhood best-friend Kuroo, it was only when he was in the arms of another that he realized his true feelings for you; when it is almost too late.

-> Tags: lots of fluff, angst, BokuAka, slight Akaashi x Reader, Yaku is an amazing friend  ✧  Navigation

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Almost everyone on the Nekoma volleyball team had a crush on the older Haiba sibling. Whether it was only aesthetic deep, no doubt from her striking green eyes, or a deeper infatuation from her cute, bubbly personality - everyone had a hint of feelings for the young woman, only two years older than the third-years.

Captain Kuroo was no exception.

You had seen the few times his gaze was drawn to her, the way his perceptive eyes would latch onto the woman cheering in the stands. Yaku was more vocal, often openly complimenting Alisa while the rest agreed in kind. And while they had every right to appreciate her good looks, to which you often admitted as well, it made you wonder if a certain someone ever saw you in a similar fashion.

Kuroo was your long-time friend and had long since convinced you to be the manager of the volleyball team. You had always wondered if it was to keep you close, Kuroo trying to keep your relationship close after all these years. When you had asked, he said it was simply because you were neat, organized, and got very passionate about the things you were working on.

Something had changed over the years, your nerdy best friend was more than just the fish loving idiot he was. He was the cute, smart, volleyball team captain that you felt your heart palpitate towards. There were times that had you questioning if he ever felt the same way, open flirting or smirks shot to one another.

That was, until you actually saw Kuroo flirting.

It was different and yet the same. Gone was the playful smile that he used with most people, replaced with a more serious smirk.

And it was never used towards you.

It only served to break your heart more when you heard the news at volleyball practice the next day.

Kai had his arms crossed while sporting a neutral smile. Lev was scowling, but you could tell that he was withholding an amused smile over the group. Kenma was in the far corner, playing something on his phone and not caring about the group of teens forming. Inuoka and Shibayama both looked excited, the former even jumping a few times to physically voice his eagerness.

“Kurooooo,” Yaku prolonged the name as he groaned, “You lucky asshole.”

“You better treat my sister right!”

“What does a college woman have in common with you?” Yaku continued complaining.

“She graduated high school last year, there’s only a year between us.” Kuroo responded.

“Bah.” Yaku whined, “But it’s you.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes before noticing you walking in the gymnasium. He smiled and walked over to you, “Hey, can I ask you a favor tonight?”

“What’s up?”

He raised a hand to sheepishly rub at his neck, “I have a date tonight and…”

What the fresh hell on earth was this? 

“And you need pointers talking to a female?” You teased to hide your pain.

“Please?”

You should say no. 

The love of your life was asking for help with another woman and here you were trying to help him?? Are you insane?? There was only one clear answer to this question.

“Sure, anything for you.”

“Thanks, (L/N)-chan.” He smiled, before ruffling your hair.

And true to your word, you went over to Kuroo’s house that night. Kenma was an unwilling member of the audience as well, sitting on the bed with his gaming console in his hands. You heard the telltale sounds of power-ups and scores, but the both of you were so used to it by now.

You watched Kuroo model two different outfits, trying to look casual as if he had not put that much effort into his clothes (which was anything but the truth). He wondered if he should try to tame his hair, but you stated that it was one of the things a lot of girls loved about him.

He thanked you before leaving saying, “You’re the best (L/N)-chan. I’ll treat ya to ice cream one of these days.”

You smiled and said it was not necessary, still sitting on his bed when Kuro closed the door behind him. You heard Alisa’s bubbly voice downstairs before the both of them left the house, the sound of the front-door closing also hammering itself down on your own heart.

You hadn’t realized how quiet it was until the moment dragged out. Kenma was looking directly at you, game off and tucked to the side as he sat-up in your direction.

“You okay?” He asked, patting the spot next to him for you to take.

The blond knew about your feelings for a while, not like you ever had to say anything. Kenma was the type to just know things. Whether from your overall behavior, from the way you spoke, anything was enough for the blond to tell your true feelings before you were even sure. He had urged you on two separate occasions to get over the captain, but had never truly pushed the situation.

“Yeah.” You bit out, less to reassure him, but more for yourself. “It’s just one date, right?”

“One date for now.” Kenma reasoned.

And while you knew he was not saying this to be mean, you almost felt a small crack in your heart. Kenma was being honest - it was not like Kuroo had ever expressed any interest in you at all. And now here he was, pursuing someone he was actually happy with.

You would support his happiness.

“Maybe you should get some distance.”

“Trying to get rid of me?” You joked, eyes already glistening with unshed tears.

Kenma smiled, a gentle hand reaching around your shoulders to lean you against him. He was never good at comforting you in these moments, but he would still be a shoulder for you to lean on. And in the quiet room of your childhood crush, you resolved to not think about Kuroo like this anymore.

You withstood it all: listening to Kuroo recount his date to the other team members, smiling and encouraging him to muster the courage to ask her out on another date, and even later congratulating him during their one-month anniversary.

It wasn’t just one date.

Not that Kuroo was forgetting his friends, he still hung-out with you and Kenma and upheld his responsibilities as captain greatly. But there were small changes, like Kuroo almost constantly texting his girlfriend on his phone, having busy weekends dedicated to dates, and just overall the schedule of a man newly in love.

In kind, you found yourself reaching out to your other friends more. You went out fishing with Kai  and Fukunaga. You accepted Lev and Inuoka’s invitations to go to the arcade in Shibuya. Yaku was someone you were often hovering around, the kind-soul inviting you out to dinner sometimes after school just the two of you.

Apparently, he had known as well.

It didn’t take much to figure it all out, Yaku stated not unkindly. From your constant flirting to the fact that you and Kuroo used to basically spend every free second together, he had thought long ago that you were already together.

Hearing that only hurt you more, to which Yaku immediately jumped out of his seat to sit next to yours. He pulled you into a comforting hug, not at all caring that the two of you were out in public at some random barbecue place.

It was strange to now always be in Kuroo’s circle from then on, but you honestly did try your best. You were still his friend, offering advice and hanging out with him (but usually only in groups). But there was an undeniable distance that you were putting with him. He had never questioned it, but you already had an excuse on the tip of your tongue if Kuroo ever did: you were giving him time and space with his girlfriend, it was only natural.

Time was moving forward and thankfully, so were you.

Seeing Kuroo and his girlfriend still brought that familiar pang, but it no longer rang in the depths of your bones. You simply watched and smiled, content that he was happy as you sorted out your own life.

That was, until a particular weekend training camp with Fukurodani.

You were long familiar with both Bokuto and Akaashi. Kuroo had tons of antics with both boys (and many other members of their team) to which you joined in. From hang-outs on the weekends to these annual training camps, you were on friendly terms with the captain and his vice.

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto greeted you at the onset, the setter was a little ways away behind him. Akaashi smiled and waved at you in greeting, before getting pushed toward you. 

You shot Bokuto a confused smile and Akaashi looked as if he would neuter the ace where he stood.

Bokuto scurried away just as quickly, causing Akaashi to sigh before turning to you. 

“How have you been?” He asked politely.

You always appreciated how friendly the setter was, no matter how attractive or intimidating he looked.

“Alright, school exams. A dozen different guidance counselors asking you about your future, the usual. How about you?”

“Much of the same.” He replied before moving to clasp his hands behind his back. “Would you like to go out for dinner after this?”

You accepted without thinking too hard, “Sure! Who else is going?

A small smile grew from the corner of his lips, “Ah, I meant… Just the two of us.”

“Like a date?” You asked, again without thinking.

He laughed before looking at you fondly, “Yes, exactly that.”

You smiled back, no real reason to say not to the attractive young man. 

“I’d love to.”

Akaashi reflected a similar expression back before reaching for your hand,  “Great, I look forward to it.”

He kissed the top of your hand, every bit of chivalry that he was known for pouring out in your shared interaction. You felt your cheeks redden, already slightly overwhelmed from affection the setter was so willing to give. Akaashi bid you farewell and turned to head towards the corner of the gym his team commandeered, but the expressions on their faces showed this was a joint effort.

Bokuto rushed to slap him on the back while Yukie and Kaori shot him a thumbs-up. Haruki was seen smiling at their vice captain and whatever Konoha said caused the setter to erupt in a blush. You were curious and for once, the raging butterflies that had long since disappeared were gradually coming back.

Your team tried to bombard you with questions, but you maneuvered them back to their warm-ups and said they had games to win.

There was one look from Kuroo you could not decipher, when you had initially turned away from Akaashi. It was long, like he had not even been looking at you, the depth of his gaze following you every step until he turned back to his team.

After the practice matches you were free game, Inuoka being the first to rush you after he finished mopping his section of the gym.

“Is Akaashi your boyfriend?” He asked as he jumped from your peripheral to right in front of you, “How could you keep this a secret from us?!”

“You and Akaashi are so cute! We had no idea!” Shibayama added as he walked up to you. With those two breaking the ice, it seemed that was enough for the others of Nekoma to crowd you as well.

Kenma patted you on the shoulder, a knowing, yet happy look in his eye. Yaku shot you the same expression, but offered you an out in any form of call or text if you needed it. Kai nodded in agreement while the others expressed other forms of their excitement for you.

All but one, at least.

Something did not sit well in Kuroo’s stomach.

He watched you get buried by the group, curious questions linking you to the Fukurodani setter that many girls called the perfect boy next door. He was soft-spoken and yet confident. Had a good sense of humor and yet not immature. Akaashi was a great catch and, if there was anyone in the entire gymnasium right now that Kuroo had to pick for you to end up with, it would without a doubt be the setter.

At least… that’s what Kuroo thought.

And when Akaashi left the locker rooms, fully showered and changed back into regular clothes, he approached the group and it parted like the red sea for him. Akaashi held out a hand for you to take, to which you blushed but accepted as he guided you away. He held your gym bag like it was nothing, the two of you walking out with a chorus of teasing behind you.

Akaashi would treat you right, no doubt. And from your rosy expression and earlier eagerness, it seemed you were genuinely interested in the setter as well.

So why did it feel so wrong to see you in the arms of another guy?

That was when Kuroo learned the complications of desire firsthand.

He was still dating Alisa and it ate him up inside that his thoughts were often wandering off to you rather than his girlfriend of months. It was not even that long ago that thinking of the grey-headed woman in front of him would cause the raging swarm in his stomach. Something had unknowingly shifted, the only feeling left was the sinking pit that grew every time he saw you and Akaashi.

Kuroo kept constant tabs on you, not wanting to ask you outfront how your relationship was going. He heard updates from both Bokuto and Kenma, how the two of you were yet to be official, but had gone on a few dates already. 

You were distant in an understandable way, spending time with your budding relationship but still available to him and the team. It was not like you had dropped off the face of the planet, still active as the team manager and even hanging out with the group after-school.

After a while, it was noticeable that something was getting on Kuroo’s nerves. He wanted to say something, but withheld it from seeing how happy you were. And so instead he went to the others around you, many of them very willing and excitable parties to impart details of what they heard.

You were his close friend and often, that was his excuse when other people asked. He wanted to make sure you were not played by these other foolish boys. But with a boyfriend like Akaashi, there was no one better, in Kuroo’s opinion, to treat you like you deserved.

So why did it feel wrong?

It was only when Kuroo saw his worries bleed into his relationship with his girlfriend that he realized that shit, he might have feelings for you.

You were always such a steady figure in his life that he never had to worry before that you would just… not be there. From volleyball to classes, you were always together with him and Kenma. From the late night study groups to the even later video game parties, these were some of his favorite memories throughout high-school.

Kuroo remembered the first time you all went to the beach together as a team. You had worn a bathing suit that he, for whatever reason, did not approve of and had to change before you all headed out together. He remembered playfully dragging you into the freezing, early summer water and you throwing hands with him right after.

And it was not like you were going to cut him off completely once you had a boyfriend. Akaashi or anyone else, you were still one of his closest friends and a relationship would not be the end of it.

So why did it bother Kuroo so much?

Because he wanted to be your boyfriend.

It was one of the worst types of epiphanies someone could ever come to. 

To realize you had feelings for someone you knew you should not have.

Kuroo’s true feelings must have surfaced on his visage, since Alisa ended it at the three-month mark. She invited him to a dessert place somewhere in Shibuya, but never took off her coat and only ordered a drink. It was enough to signify that she had to leave, that she was in a rush to not be here.

Her green eyes portrayed a sad smile as she said that they were better off as friends, since their minds were growing in different places.

Kuroo didn’t want to ask her to specify, worried that she was going to say an answer that he was not ready for. It was one thing to believe he had feelings for you, but hearing it out-loud would be the final nail in his coffin.

It was all too much at once - him realizing his feelings and coming to the conclusion that he wanted to act on it.

Every day was a reminder of things that he could not and should not have. At the next practice match with Fukurodani, Kuroo had to endure watching you kiss Akaashi on the lips. Sitting together at lunch entailed listening to you go on about your perfect boyfriend Akaashi. The others would even agree, complimenting Akaashi’s chivalry and expressing their gladness that someone was treating you right.

Apparently Alisa hadn’t told Lev, since no one on the team had yet to bombarded him.

At least….

Kenma had long noticed his best friend’s, Kuroo’s, prolonged looks on you. 

But that would not do. 

When given the chance, Kenma would say something.

And it came in the form of the two of them sitting outside at lunch, waiting for the others when they saw you with your group of female friends. You waved at the both of them before heading towards the other table. It would take a couple minutes before the other volleyball players would leave their classrooms and come here.

“(F/N) looks really happy these days.” Kuroo commented as his eyes followed you.

“Yeah. And you shouldn’t try to mess it up.” Kenma replied, not even looking up from his console.

Kuroo stiffened, but turned to his childhood friend. “And how would I do that?”

“(F/N)’s finally falling in love with someone else. Just let her be for now.”

“With someone else…?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice she was in love with you?” Kenma bit back, a frown forming on both his lips and the crease of his eyebrows.

“What?” The Nekoma captain turned to his friend more fully, looking at the blond more fully to make sure that he was being serious. “I had no idea…”

That was apparently not the reaction Kenma was hoping for, since he paused his game and placed it down. Instead, his sharp golden eyes focused and searched Kuroo in front of him.

“It’s not like it makes a difference now, right?”

Kuroo hesitated, his response drawn out. “Right.”

Kenma frowned, looking at his friend straight-on with an agonized look. He was Kuroo’s friend the longest, but the gamer still cared about you. And seeing you so down these past few years took rounds on his own mental state. He urged you on multiple occasions to say anything, if just to clear the air. But instead, you wallowed in your own feelings until you were finally able to move on.

And seeing you with Akaashi almost made him happy, reveling in the genuine cheerfulness he hadn’t seen so candidly on you in a while. Your natural, bright smiles were on display once again; rather than the tight ones Kenma had been seeing as of late.

But it seemed to have the inverse effect on his other friend.

Kenma long noticed the prolonged looks in your direction, the wistful smiles that Kuroo had whenever you laughed about something from the group. But what Kenma was not expecting was the pure anguish on his friends face after seeing you with your boyfriend.

Never had Kenma thought that Kuroo would reciprocate your feelings.

And yet he saw.

But you were both dating other people, this would do no good and only bring unnecessary drama when you were both finding happiness in other people. And so Kenma thought it was time he guided Kuroo back on the right path, back to Alisa where he was obviously interested before.

“How is your girlfriend?” Kenma asked (and while usually he would never actually care, it seemed Kuroo needed the reminder.)

Or at least, so he thought.

“She’s not my girlfriend anymore.” Kuroo responded, eyes scanning behind Kenma. But the setter knew better, he was looking for you. Whether consciously or not, Kuroo’s attention was drawn back to you.

It seemed you had it now, when you no longer wanted it.

Kenma decided not to push it anymore, Yaku and Kai coming up from the path and waving. They would be joining their lunch table soon and Kenma was sure he was just given a major secret, given how neither Lev nor Yaku had yet reacted to the news.

Was Kuroo developing feelings for you? Now of all times??

It seemed so when the situation only continued to drag on, Kuroo’s feigned smiles even enough for you to realize were a little too tight to be considered genuine. Eventually news did break out that the two of them were over. Lev glared at the captain for all of two weeks before his sister explained that they grew apart. Yaku asked if you were okay, but otherwise the team did not dwell on it much.

After all, for the first time in a while, you were happy.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like on the surface.

“Can I ask you something, honestly?” Akaashi asked you, the both of you lounging in his living room.

Akaashi was perfect in so many ways, there were times that it felt like he could read your mind over your needs and wants. So much so, that it often had you nervous or feeling inadequate in the eyes of the setter. There was always something that you thought you could improve on, always something that neither of you could see eye to eye to.

The setter made you feel adored, cared for. And while in the beginning it was exciting, to have a potential new love on the horizon after years of suffering in silence. When he kissed you, it felt nice. You reveled in the feel even, but never had you felt especially passionate. Never were there truly butterflies in your stomach. He made you feel safe, but not special.

And now, a month into your newfound relationship, there was something obviously missing to the both of you.

“How do you feel… about us?” He asked, eyes boring into your own as he sat across from you on the coffee table, you on the couch.

“You’re perfect.”

“Me.” Akaashi looked down, a grimace on his face before returning back to you. “Perfection isn’t always what we want.”

“Is something wrong, Akaashi?”

“Ask me the same question.”

You paused, before asking. “How do you feel about us?”

“I really care about you and you’ve grown to be one of my best friends.” He answered candidly.

He cared, but there was something missing. You filled in the blank for him, “But you don’t love me.”

“No, I don’t.” Akaashi confirmed before continuing, “Do you love me?”

You hesitated, eyes searching his own and going back and forth for a good minute.

“No, I don’t.”

There was no sudden heartbreak, no reason to suddenly burst out into tears. You did not love Akaashi, not in the way that you wanted to. A part of you was screaming at you, telling you to look at the man in front of you and be happy for what he was willing to give you. But another, the one that had wallowed in sadness for years, told you that running away would only cause pain in the long-run.

Akaashi had a blank expression as he took in your words before continuing, “We have everything that should make a relationship work - the routine, the friends, the dedication on both sides. But we don’t feel that deeply about one another.”

“I’m so sorry, Akaashi.”

He had a slight smile, raising a hand to your cheek and cupping your face there. “Why are you sorry? I’m sorry I asked you in the first place, when my heart ended up not being here.”

“I wish I was in love with you.”

“Me too. I’m sorry.” Akaashi repeated, “ I owe it to you to be honest. I remember when I first thought I liked you, how you wished me a good match and treated me kindly during last year's training camp. But I think I was just looking for a distraction for my heart.”

You perked up at his last words, “Is there someone you’re running from?”

“No, at least I don’t want there to be.”

“Humor me, one of your best friends.” You tried to make light of the situation, a small smile on your face. Akaashi just looked at you with a wistful smile, before glancing away. “... Is it Bokuto?”

The setter sighed before leaning back, “Was I that obvious?”

“Wait; you guys are so close!”

“Yes and I will continue to be his friend throughout our lives.” Akaashi supplied, “But he does not have romantic feelings for me, or any male really.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Akaashi replied before moving to sit next to you. “I’m sorry if it feels like I led you on.”

“No, don’t think about it that way.” You quickly responded, moving a comforting hand over his.  “You had every right to try to pursue someone you thought would be enough. And honestly, you’re not the only one who doesn’t feel that spark.”

Akaashi upturned his hand and squeezed yours, “You’re the first person I’ve ever told about Bokuto.”

You turned to him and smiled, “Thank you for telling me. You know, it’s weird. But I still want to be really good friends with you.”

Akaashi was caressing around your fingers, “Me too. I always felt drawn to you, but I guess I know why.”

You flashed him a genuine smile before pulling him into a hug, “Thank you, Akaashi.”

And while you reassured each other that there were no hurt feelings, that did not mean you were entirely scott-free. Akaashi was still one of your close friends, someone you could be honest too without fear and get the same communication in return. But another part of you was especially hurt, wondering if Kuroo had ruined you for any other boy in the future.

On paper, Akaashi should have been the perfect boyfriend that would help guide you out of your feelings. But there was no spark there, nothing that ignited between the two of you to be all over each other and fall in love with one another. Would your heart be stuck on the one person you could never have?

The next day at school, this very thought continued to plague you. You were quiet through class and even worse during lunch, keeping to yourself and gazing out the window wondering if your heart would ever accept someone else.

Both Kuroo and Kenma had sent you prodding looks throughout the day, your childhood friends almost instantly aware that something was off. But you did not want to face them now, not when you were still unsure about life in general.

How’s your day going?

Akaashi had texted you a little after lunch. And while it should have been weird for exes to stay in contact, Akaashi did not necessarily feel like that. He was your friend, a really close one at that. And it seemed you were the only two people in-tune to a secret.

Absolute shiet. You texted back, And you?

Very much the same.

You sighed before typing, Existential crisis if you’ll ever love again?

Yes and it doesn’t help that Bokuto parades like a peacock.

But you love it.

… I do.

There was something comforting about talking about this with someone else. At least you had a close friend who understood what it was like. The others could listen and follow along, but Akaashi knew what it was like to have the heartbreak of a long, unrequited love.

You felt a small vibration after a few minutes and turned back to your phone.

Have you told the others yet?

Not yet, you?

I probably will today after practice.

That was another problem you did not want to breach. It would be hard to explain why you two had broken up, but at the same time it was not anyone else’s business. Regardless, that was a bandage you had to pull off later. And so you just kept staring outside the classroom window, hoping for this day to pass quickly.

Hearing you sigh for the ninth time in twenty minutes, Kuroo could feel himself almost physically itching in his seat to ask you what was wrong.

Did Akaashi do something wrong? Are you guys okay? Are you guys still dating?

But the look Kenma was shooting at him was enough warning that Kuroo should not interfere. You would come to the rest of them if it was important, but a bit part of him wanted to know now.

And throughout volleyball practice after school, Kuroo felt his gaze almost latch onto you in every free second he had. From when you were filling up water bottles to adjusting the scoreboard, Kuroo’s anxiety kept his eyes on you at all times off the court.

Yaku had even kicked at his knees for being so obvious.

But you said nothing, withdrawn like you had been all day at school. You were still physically present, but your smiles were noticeably tight.

It was only when the five of you had departed from school — Yaku, Kai, and Kenma audience to your quiet words.

“Akaashi and I broke up.”

They were nothing for a few seconds, Kuroo even hesitating in his step as he took in your words. Kenma put down his phone while Yaku moved closer to you, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“When did this happen? Yesterday?” The libero questioned.

“Yeah.”

“What did he do!? Did he hurt you?” Yaku continued, rising anger visible on his face. Kai looked equally worried to your left.

“What? No!” You stopped in your tracks and raised your palms in defense. “It’s not like that... It’s actually mutual.”

Yaku’s eyes widened and then narrowed in confusion, “What? But you guys were doing so well.”

“Maybe on the outside.” You replied, “But he didn’t feel like my boyfriend, only in name. We agreed that something was off, it didn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?” Kuroo asked this time, his cat-like gaze clinging onto your words.

“I couldn’t love Akaashi, not like that at least.” You explained, head down as you recalled the day prior.

“I’m so sorry.” Yaku put his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into a deep hug.

“I’m so scared.” You admitted to your close friends, feeling yourself tear up against the Libero’s chest.  “If I couldn’t fall in love with Akaashi who was perfect, what’s wrong with me?”

You felt something shift as Yaku maneuvered you around, a new set of arms wrapped around you.

“Nothings wrong with you.” Kuroo reassured, his taller stature dominating the hug as his strong arms pressed you into his chest.

“He should’ve been the one.” Your voice was near whispering, “And now it’s over.”

Kenma held one of your free hands, squeezing it as he looked at you. “I have ice cream at home if you want to share.”

You sighed out a smile, the first real one today. “Okay.”

Kuroo continued to hold your hand the entire way home, even after Yaku and Kai had waved off in a different direction. Kenma said nothing, not even typing away on his phone as the three of you took the train back.

You told yourself that Kuroo was just comforting you. He was one of your best friends, that’s all there was. There was no point in looking for more, especially when that overthinking is what got you so latched on in the first place.

But it was hard to think nothing of it when you were hyper-aware of Kuroo’s touch. It was more than just holding hands. It was the arm around you on the train, pulling you into his side. The feather light feel of his cheek against yours. The way his eyes lingered on you the entire night. 

God, Kuroo had you under his spell this entire time, hadn’t he?

It did not let up when you were eating ice cream in Kenma’s house and a part of you wanted to signal the blonde for help when Kuroo offered to walk the rest of the way home with you.

But Kenma knew you better than your own mind, offering you a mischievous smirk before waving the two of you goodnight.

Kuroo reached for your hand again and you pretended to be on your phone, occupied before he could make the move. But when you put it away, there was no mistaking it, he grabbed your hand then and the fight was over.

How ironic. 

You accepted a break-up with your boyfriend because of how hung up you were with the middle-blocker in front of you.

And now that you had his attention, it only made you want to run away.

“Thanks for walking me home.” You tried to pull your hand away once your house was in sight.

But Kuroo’s grip was relentless. “A lot of bad stuff can happen between here and the end of the block.”

And so you followed along, holding hands like two friends being bro’s, you screamed at yourself that that was all there was.

When he kissed your forehead goodnight? Nope. Just some homie love, nothing else. Who’s looking into this? Not you.

But it only persisted as the week went by. 

You broke the news to the rest of the team the next day, Lev offering to stomp him into the ground during the next practice match. But you reassured them by no means was Akaashi in the wrong. Still, the other members would coddle you in smaller ways. 

Yaku kept an eye out for you while Lev and Inuoka would pull you into sweaty hugs. Kai would offer you fruit packs time to time and Kenma had even let you place his newest game. They were all trying in their own little ways, but Kuroo was the most prominent of the bunch.

He was especially hanging around you, making arrangements to sit next to you at lunch, even when you started off the period with someone else. Any and all of your free time between periods was somehow spent together, whether in the classroom, the art room, or anywhere on campus. 

He was just being a good friend after all. You went through a breakup of all things, he was just looking out for one of his best bro’s. Right?

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know, but what for now?” You asked Kenma, his dead-panned face across the lunch table giving away nothing.

Once you had retreated to the roof just for a quiet moment alone, but he found you regardless. Tucked under his arm was some milk bread from the school concession and some juice packs.

He greeted you before motioning to his makeshift care-package, “Thought you’d like a snack.”

“Thanks, Kuroo.” You motioned to sit-up, but he took the seat on the bench next to you. “You’ve really been there for me this week.”

Kuroo paused before putting a gentle hand over your own, “I care about you a lot.”

“This goes both ways, y’know.” You replied, an honest smile reflecting back at him before you turned to put straws in the juice pack.

“I don’t want to rush you or anything….” Kuroo continued, “But know that I love you.”

“Aw, I love you too!” You answered back, offering a juice pack back to him.

Kuroo went through the motion and grabbed the juice, eyes narrowed in confusion as you easily reflected his words back at him. 

Were you really not getting it?

“No, I mean like.” Frustrated, Kuroo grabbed at his hair. “Here.”

He put both juices down, his free hand moving to your cheek, pulling you closer as he brushed his lips above your brow. You stilled at the motion, but Kuroo lingered for a moment before withdrawing enough to look you in the eyes.

“I’m in love with you. Please give me a chance to show you.”

You backed up immediately, hands flying between you as you stood.

“Woah, I— since when?!”

“A month ago.” Kuroo stood as well, “Just enough to realize I didn’t want to lose you to anyone else.”

You groaned aloud, “Kuroo, that’s not what love is.”

“Yes, it is. Love means I want to hold you and make you mine, to kiss you now and every day if I can.” He retorted, not moving in his spot and his eyes connected with yours.

“Kuroo, this… I don’t know!” You stumbled along your words, unable to hold his intense gaze as he bared his feelings. 

“I don’t mean to rush you, but I think it’d only be fair if you were aware of my feelings.”

You bit your lip, it seemed your life was full of ironies.

“I used to be in love with you for so long, Kuroo.”

He stopped then, eyes widening in surprise as you dropped your longest secret on your best friend.

“And then you were dating and in love with Alissa and I wanted nothing more than to move from you. And for my feelings to be nothing but a sad  memory.”

“I wasn’t in love with her.” Kuroo cut in.

“That doesn’t really matter, does it? Because I wasn’t enough for you to see then so what difference does it make now?”

“Wait.” Kuroo stepped closer and you took a reflexive step back, making him stop. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you were going on and on about her! All of you — the whole team talked about her like she was the perfect person for you.” You answered, getting visibly agitated. “And who was I to stop you from being happy?”

Kuroo sighed, a small wistful smile on his face as he heard of your struggles. “God, I love you.”

“What?!”

“She doesn’t make me happy. Not like you do.”

“Kuroo — !”

“Stop overthinking.” Kuroo took two wide steps before you could run away, grabbing at your waist and encasing you in his arms. “I’m sorry that I hurt you in the past, but I am begging you to let me show you how much you mean to me.”

“But what if—“

“No. Stop thinking about the ifs.” Kuroo interrupted, leaning forward to press his lips against your forehead. “Let me prove to you how much I love you.”

You felt the crease of his lips against your skin, slowly making its way down before connecting your lips together in a chaste peck.

He could feel your hesitation, the way your hands stayed balled at your sides. “I won’t rush you. But please, give us a chance.”

You closed your eyes shut, taking a deep breathe before raising a palm to his chest.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

You laughed lightly, “Yes, you big ole nerd.”

Kuroo shot you one of his honest smiles back, not one of the goading smirks he sent opposing teams or the charismatic one when we wanted something. One of the arms around your waist crawled it’s way upward, settling behind your head as it pulled you closer.

He kissed at your forehead again, especially careful before he made his way downward. Taking some initiative, you leaned upward to kiss him firm on the lips.

Kuroo recoiled back in surprise before smiling again, pulling you into his chest as he leaned down for another smooch. The skin of his lips was surprisingly smooth, silky as it moved against yours.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Kuroo.”

—xXxXxXxXxXx—

Extra:

Your break with Akaashi was so minimal that you were actually excited to see the setter during Fukurodani’s practice match.

If only your team felt the same.

You reminded them time and time again that your break was nothing to worry about and it should definitely not be the reason behind unnecessary drama. Especially since you were Kuroo now, not even two weeks after. But with the way Lev and Yaku were training, you were sure they were going to attempt a beat down.

When the Fukurodani team entered the gym the next day, you waved at the managers excitedly and it was Kaori that came up to you looking sheepish.

“How’ve you been holding up?”

“Honestly, really well!” You answered.

“Oh, so you haven’t heard?”

“Heard about what?” You asked back, only to light up when Akaashi neared you. Giving him a hug in greeting, you smiled happily at the two.

“Woah.” Kaori commented.

“How’ve you been doing?” Akaashi asked as he pulled away from your prolonged hug, still shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

“Good — I would watch out for Lev though. I think he wants to pummel you.”

Akaashi sighed, “Beautiful.”

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto cut in, literally in between the two of you and putting some space. “Who’s beautiful?”

The setter sighed before looking toward you.

“Don’t worry, Bokuto. We both can appreciate Akaashi’s beauty.” You joked, but the wing-spiker threw a possessive arm over his shoulders.

“Good — as long as you know he’s all mine.” Bokuto continued, pulling a red-faced Akaashi toward him.

You smiled before feeling an arm around your own shoulders.

“Am I missing out on the party?” Kuroo asked, playful tone contrasting with his hard gaze. He was trying a little too hard to look casual, but it was clear from his eyes that he was sizing up your ex-boyfriend.

“Nothing to miss out on.” You responded. “Just wanted to say hi to my good friend, Akaashi.”

Bokuto turned to the man under his hold and the setter nodded in agreement, “We text often, it’s nice to actually see each other.”

“You’re never this excited to see me!”

Akaashi smiled playfully before replying, “Bokuto-san, we see each other every day. Seeing her is special.”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes, evaluating the direction before leaning back. “Fine. Why don’t we catch-up too, Bokuto?”

“What? Are you crazy —!?”

But Kuroo was not paying attention, leaning down to give you a sloppy kiss with the other three as the audience.

He held the back of your head, guiding you back into him as you unintentionally moaned into his embrace. Kuroo particularly enjoyed ravishing you now, licking at your inner walls and relishing the slick of saliva that connected you two even after he pulled away.

“You asshole!” Bokuto exclaimed when Kuroo grabbed him, pulling him along as you stood there attempting to fix yourself.

Akaashi laughed at the display before turning to you with a smile.

“What a kiss.” Kaori had her hands to her face, secondhand embarrassment apparent from the blush. “Looks like Kuroo is every bit the jealous type as Bokuto.”

“Not usually.” You replied, still feeling the heat from your cheeks.

“I’m glad you found someone who makes you happy.” Akaashi stated, grabbing your hand and squeezing it. 

“I’m glad Bokuto came to his senses too.” You responded, squeezing in kind before hearing both your names exclaimed from across the gym. 

“5 feet away, minimum!” Bokuto was stretching out a space between his hands, pointing at the two of you.

Akaashi sighed before letting go, shooting you a tired but endearing smile. Kaori laughed, saying you two were so odd, but glad that the friendship between schools was preserved.

But it was the look on Kuroo’s face, as his narrowed eyes travelled from the setter than back to you, that told you just what was in store for you later.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[heyitsyn]

Keeping Up With Seijoh Ep. 3

a/n: uwuwuwuwu this is an au since yanno,,,, they didnt really make it to nationals :(

for more seijoh content, check this masterlist out!

GUESS WHOS BACK! BACK AGAIN!

anon:

may i request a scenario where seijoh made it to nationals and atsumu flirts with reader🥺

CAN WE BLS STOP THIS SANGWOO/ATSUMU TYPA BEAT BC I HONESTLY DONT VIBE W IT AND IT LOWKEY SCARES ME A LITTLE :o

OMLOMLOML YALL MADE IT TO NATIONALS

to be honest, it was,,, unexpected

you were sitting there, on the bench and gripping it in anticipation as seijoh and shiratorizawa were once again at a match point thanks to kyotani’s angry spike

going past 31, they were now 31-30 with seijoh in the lead

you could tell ushijima was getting antsy despite him covering it up and encouraging his team with a one-liner

your own team was buzzing with both nervousness and hope and iwaizumi was clenching and unclenching his fists in anticipation for the last toss

when the ball went up, oikawa’s eyes flashed, arms moving to set and the red-haired spiky guy was now watching which spiker he was going to give it to

however

he tossed it to no one

instead, oikawa’s hand flicked and he dumped the ball

it was like in slow motion and as shiratorizawa’s players scrambled to the floor, 

it was too late

the ball bounced on yellow polished floor before rolling away, completely unaware of what just happened and the lives it just changed

your mouth hung open, eyes trailing after the rubber ball like every single people in the gym

then it finally hit you

‘YOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

a scream from iwaizumi lit the candle of happiness and you didnt even care, running out to the court to jump on your captain, tears flowing down his face and his arms squeezing you tightly against his chest

‘AKLDFJJSHKFEOIOWIHFSKESIFOEWIHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

it was all a jumbled noise from everyone, your team, your coaches, the fans in the stand, and even from that orange boy and his team

the boys were hugging each other and crying and sobbing but oikawa’s hold remained on you, your own tears mixing with his sweat and coating his neck

‘you did it, oikawa-san. you did it’

you whimpered and he laughed and you felt him nodding

‘we’re going to tokyo. nationals!’

he choked out 

‘OIKAWA!’

the entire gym rumbled and you basked in the joy that the entire team radiated before having to stand with the coaches so they could shake hands with shiratorizawa for a good game

the locker room was loud, even much louder than the gym, with kindaichi’s loud sobbing and mattsuhana’s loud celebratory singing and iwaizumi’s joking shouts and eventually joining in

iwaizumi held his arms out for you and you giggled, crashing straight into him

you wiped his sweat filled face and he sat down on the bench, with you standing between his legs and his large hands gripping your waist

‘it’s not a dream, right?’

he whispered, eyes closed at the gentle feeling of you caressing his face

‘no, iwa-san. nationals is ours’

you soothed and he let out another loud laugh before pulling you close and burying his face in your stomach, probably crying again but this time, out of joy

for years theyve tried

and now, they succeeded

well,,, nationals should be a good thing, right?

hmm,,, maybe the honor of going

but the other players??

oh god

it was obvious when miyagi’s representative entered through those doors and eyes immediately went to their manager

it wasnt like you were the only female manager but you were an unfamiliar team so you have never been seen before

uwu youre so pretty like bow down to the goddess

oikawa’s hold on your hand was tight and his eyes flitted to everyone who looked at them, as if signalling them to back off and you were his

‘wahh, oikawa-san! kageyama told me that the best of the best are in here! he told me to look for fukurodani and nekoma!’

seijoh’s eye twitched at the mention of your new-found friend who you’ve been texting back and forth and him secretly teaching you everything about volleyball since your own team has been too busy preparing for nationals

they watched you try and stand in your tippy toes to find the apparent red and black jerseys and the black, white and gold jerseys

hmm,,,, it seems everyone had the same colors

‘ne, y/n-chan, you trust our team, don’t you? if anything, we’re part of the best of the best! you got the best setter right here!’

oikawa grinned but you nodded distractedly

‘come on, we got to go unpack and train’

iwaizumi nudged so you had to stop looking and you followed your captain, who still held your hand

but this is a typical fanfiction ladies and gents

as you were walking towards the locker room, there was a team that wore maroon colored jackets and were walking towards you

again, this is seijoh’s very first nationals so nobody really knew of them

they were more familiar of the white and purple jackets of shiratorizawa rather than the mint green and white of seijoh

however, oikawa seemed to know them

‘ah’

he whispered out, making you look up at him but his sights were straight towards them, a hard and cold look

‘ara? fresh blood?’

you cringed at the weird analogy and the guy with the black tips, who you infered to be the captain, elbowed him

 ‘excuse us’

he nodded in greeting and you noticed the guy with the bleach hair and you did a double-take, blinking rapidly

‘oh sangwoo?’

KSLDFJKDLFJSLDK KILL ME ALREADY

watari coughed, knowing exactly what you meant and it seems nobody else did except for the sangwoo look-a-like

and he raised an eyebrow in interest

‘hm? you called?’

another guy with gray hair, who looked exactly like him, rolled his eyes and he pulled him forward to walk after their captain

but he didnt let off yet

as he passed you by, he leaned close, breath fanning your ear

‘but its miya atsumu, baby girl’

ON GOD I WANT TO COMMIT WITH HOW GROSS HE IS LIKE BLS

kyo, who was behind you, growled at him and pulled you behind himself

‘she has name, fcker’

atsumu faked a surprise and backed away with his hands up

‘alrighty, then. didnt know you had a bodyguard, girlie. but maybe,, later on, we could get to know each other. alone’

YALL THIS IS GOING TO GET BETTER LATER I PROMISE HES NOT A WEIRDO PERVERT AS HE SOUNDS

osamu was annoyed and dragged him away, leaving you with your team, who were also extremely pissed off, especially oikawa

‘heh, the best setter in the country and yet he acts like a horny dog’

oikawa seethed, a pointy smile etched on his face

‘eh? best setter?’

you wondered but not given an answer because your captain would be damned if that atsumu decided to show up again

the locker room was actually the same back home

but kindaichi was sobbing again

‘t-this room! the best of the best! i cant-too much-’

you were busy hugging him and wiping his tears to notice the third years huddling over by the corner

oikawa was sitting on the bench while iwaizumi was changing into his practice jersey and the other two were flanked beside the captain

‘of course theyve got their eye on her now’

oikawa mumbled, fingers laced together and touching his lips

‘what can you expect? y/n-chan is an extremely pretty girl’

mattsun shrugged

‘but ugh, if i see that cheese face again,, i will fight’

iwa threatened, angrily slipping his arms through the holes

‘he reeked nasty! gross!’

makki agreed

‘so we’re agreeing to keep her in our sights right?’

they agreed to oikawa’s question and were going to stick by that word

but,,,,

what can you expect from star-struck players?

maybe its because theyve worked for so long to reach this point that the fact that they’re even standing in the tokyo stadium felt like a dream

‘guys, i need to go and fill the bottles really quick’

they mumbled distracted agreements so you sighed and lugged the crate of bottles

thank god there was a fountain nearby and as you were capping the last one, a familiar voice rang from behind you

‘oh? baby girl?’

you flinched at the weird nickname and thought that if you stayed quiet, hed leave

‘chibi? hey?’

he asked and made his way to your side, you closing your eyes and looking off to the side

atsumu thought you were interesting, not like every girl who would spread their legs at him and press up to him

the fact that you even AVOIDED looking at him was so foreign to him and your dismissive attitude made him so drawn to you

‘look, im sorry if i made ya uncomfortable earlier’

he,,, apologized?

but you didnt know who he was so you didnt know how out of character it was for him to even say ‘sorry’

'miya-san, hello’

you mumbled, eyes now opened but still focused on the bottle you gripped

he cracked a smile and was he,,,, nervous?

usually, hed say something dumb or sarcastic to cut the tension, but it was like he was even,,, careful,,, with what he wanted to say next

‘how-um-you like it ‘ere?’

if osamu was to see him now, he’d think his brother was kidnapped by those aliens oikawa swore up and down were real and was replaced by some opposite dimension version of atsumu

you gulped, mustering up a small smile before turning to look at him

‘miya-san, dont take offense to this, but just know i have a very loud voice and i can lift 80 pounds. and im the first one to ever beat iwa-san in an arm-wrestling match’

you puffed your cheeks in intimidation with your eyebrows furrowed but accidentally looking more cute rather than scary

were you,,, threatening him?

atsumu paused for a second to assess the situation and really understand the underlying meaning of your words

then he laughed

a real hearty laugh that made him go for a whole minute

‘-ahahaha!! whew, chibi-chan, ya’r a rare one’

wait i dont know how to type you’re with an accent !!!!!

he let out a few more chuckles then wiped a tear that fell

you just stood there 🧍‍♀️ 

‘you think its funny, miya-san? yahaba-kun and i also have a supernatural telepathy phenomenon-’

‘chibi-chan, i swear i wont hurt ya’

he promised but you backed your face away, an eyebrow raised

‘thats what they all say. if anything, youre scaring me more so i’ll-’

‘wait’

he held out a hand out but he quickly curled it, pulling it back to his chest

‘i,,,, listen i know how basic this may sound but,,,, youre the first to ever be like this to me’

you rolled your eyes

‘you think i havent heard that before? i have oikawa-san in my team, for god’s sake! ‘youre one of a kind’ ‘youre not like other girls’ yadda yadda’ try harder, miya-san’

you tilted your head with a crooked smile 

were you,,, playing hard to get?!

atsumu’s eyes shined, wanting to finally do the chasing rather than being chased

‘well, first off, chibi-chan, i need to know your name’

he leaned forward with his hands buried deep inside his maroon jacket pocket

‘my name? what good will that do? you already call me something else dont you? a name is meant to help people call each other and youve been calling me ‘chibi’ so what’s the point of giving you my birth name?’

even with a straight face, atsumu right away knew of your teasing as your eyes were shining brightly and had a hint of amusement in them

oh my god hes in love with you

he was in disbelief of your attitude towards him so he nodded slowly and laughed again

‘what can i do to earn that name then, chibi-chan?’

ehehehe kuroo,,,,, im in danger

you crossed your arms and pouted, leaning forward

‘ehh? why do you want it so bad? do you call others ‘chibi’ too?’

your expression of suspicion was so adorable that he couldnt stop himself from lunging forward and squeezing your cheeks between his fingers

‘so cute. youre my only chibi, chibi-chan’

you hummed, swiftly wiping his touch away from you

‘doubt it. ive only met you today and you’re already acting like this. what makes you think i think youre genuinely interested in me, miya-san?’

‘fate?’

this time, you chuckled, head leaning down

and as you looked back up, your heart stopped

by the distance, there was a familiar-looking haired boy with golden eyes and an also familiar black hair and steel blue eyes

oh dear

your emotions went sour but you saw the black and white-haired male laugh and the steel eyed male shake his head in disapproval but had the hint of the smallest smile

they,, were now happy

‘fate, you say’

you mumbled distractedly

‘fate instilled magnets in us so i just cant help but be drawn to ya’

atsumu grinned but you averted your eyes to look at him, a soft and genuinely happy look

‘would those magnets be strong enough to draw us together, even if we were in another life? if we were fated, would we meet again?’

you looked up at him, your eyes still glistening but this time, with the slightest bit of hope

atsumu sent you a confused glance but he still shrugged

‘i guess so, if i’m so drawn to you right now. maybe in our past life we were,,, together?’

he tested out, expecting you to roll your eyes and walk away but you laughed

‘well, i just witnessed it happening so maybe its possible?’

you wondered out loud

atsumu blinked again, getting more and more interested in you

‘chibi-chan?’

he asked you and you jumped slightly to look at him with a smile

‘say, miya-san, what if i told you that i remember my past life? and what would you say if i told you that you were in it?’

you grinned but atsumu scrunched his face together before smiling

‘hmm, i dont know what youre sayin but it proves my point!’

he exclaimed but you cocked an eyebrow, a sad smile resting on your lips

‘now what would you say if i told you that you were my nurse?’

a/n: omg i actually hate how this turned out like bls blast me on this

a/n pt 2: during my break, i actually re-read ‘in another life’ and i wrote this up after i finished it again and can i just say? I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CREDITS TO LITTLELUXRAY ON AO3

a/n pt 3: hewwo im back again and since no one replied with a link, i can,,, guess??,,, that the book is gone??? or taken down?? but anyways, i just really wanted to post something and tbh, stuff like this cant be helped but i really do hope that it’s gone and if its not, dkasjdfkslf again send me the link

[buferfliz]

We Belong Together

So Kuroo is one of my faves and i wanted to write something for him. I will eventually write something for all of my favorites. For now i hope you all enjoy this. Thank you to my awesome sister @silentprincessofhyrule​ for this awesome banner.

Warnings: This is mostly fluff with some angst. Swearing, toxic person/relationship, happy ending

Key: I’m sure you all know this but just in case, y/n = your name and gf/n = girlfriend’s name

         Peas in a pod. That was what you and your two best friends heard most from your teachers, parents, even just neighbors when you were younger. They weren’t wrong, the three of you were always together from the very start.

         At first it was just you and Kenma. You lived on the same street and were the only two children. He was only a year younger than you and so you were just naturally drawn together.

         Kenma was quiet, kept to himself, but that was fine with you. He was sweet and kind and fun to be around. Besides you were loud and outgoing enough for the two of you anyway. Most of your time together was spent playing games and talking about whatever was on your mind. The two of you enjoyed each other’s company.

         When Kuroo had moved onto your street, you were the first to say hello. You thought he was cute even if he was on the shy side, not that anyone would ever be able to guess that nowadays. It hadn’t mattered though, you were friends with Kenma and so you were used to that sort of thing.

         The three of you bonded over games and eventually started playing volleyball together. You’d even managed to find some co-ed training camps so the three of you could play in actual games together. You always had fun playing with them even if they were way better at it than you were.

         When you started middle school, the two of them joined the volleyball team and you became their number one fan and biggest cheerleader. Sure you were sad that you couldn’t play on the same team with them, not that you had ever intended on joining a school team, but that didn’t stop you from going to every game and practice. After they were done with volleyball club for the day, the three of you would do your homework together then play games at Kenma’s or watch movies at your house or play a little volleyball in Kuroo’s backyard.

         The three of you were inseparable and that continued through middle school, on through high school, and even still now in college. Your schedules didn’t always match up perfectly but you spent as much time together as you could and every morning the three of you would commute to college together.

         You’d all chosen to live at home while attending college to save on money. Besides you all lived close enough to the campus that commuting wasn’t a big deal. But you all had also decided to do it so that all of you could still be close to each other and see each other whenever you wanted, just like it had always been no pesky dorm rules to stop you. The three of you truly treasured each other and the time you spent together.

            You rushed into the gym hoping to see your friends before their practice match with Fukurodani began.

         “There you are chibi-chan, I was beginning to think you got lost.” Kuroo says as he approaches you.

         “Yeah sorry about that. My professor went off on a tangent and kept us late.”

         “Well that’s ok, you’re here now.” He smiles at you.

         “Hey, Hey, Hey kitty cat.” Bokuto says when he spots you talking to Kuroo.

         “Hey Ko, how are you?”

         “Seriously bro? What’s with that nickname?” Kuroo asks him.

         “What? Your mascot is a cat and it sounds cute. She doesn’t mind that I call her that. I mean I could call her my baby owl instead.”

         “No. Kitty cat is bad enough and she isn’t yours.”

         You just laugh at the exchange between the friends.

         “Hey y/n, are those two at it again?” A calm voice asks from behind you.

         “Oh hey Kenny. You know they are but I think it’s cute.”

         “Cute? I think not.” Kuroo says.

         “The only cute thing here is you kitty cat.” Bokuto says to you in a flirty manner.

         “Aww, thank you Ko.”

         It was always like that with you and Bokuto. You were just friends but there was always flirty banter between you two. You never saw anything more to it than just a playful exchange. Bokuto then makes another comment that causes you to laugh and maybe that’s why you missed the look of jealousy that briefly flitted across Kuroo’s face.

         Turning your attention back to your two best friends, you give Kenma a hug and then you give Kuroo one as well. As you hug Kuroo, you feel as though his grip around you seems a bit tighter than usual but you decide to just enjoy the feel of it.

         “Good luck guys.”

You head towards the bleachers and find your usual seat in the front row. You can’t help but to think about the hug you had just gotten from Kuroo. You feel your heartrate pick up as you remember the warm strong embrace. The truth was your feelings for your two best friends had changed. They were still your best friends and they always would be. But while your love for Kenma had taken the sibling route, your love for Kuroo had taken the romantic route.

         You feel a little ache in your chest thinking about it because you have convinced yourself that Kuroo would only ever see you as one of his best friends. You’ve told yourself that you’re ok with it because he’s a great friend, but every day you can’t stop yourself from hoping that today would be the day. The day that Testsuro Kuroo, Tetsu as you affectionately referred to him, would realize that he was in love with you. No matter how unrealistic it might be.

            Kuroo throws the ball into the air, jumps, and hits it. Hard. Too hard actually, it goes sailing out of bounds.

         “Shit,” he curses to himself. “Sorry guys.”

         “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get the next one.” Yamamoto assures him.

         Kenma gives his best friend a concerned look as the coach calls for a time out.

         “Are you ok?” He asks him as they head over to the bench.

         “Yeah I’m ok, don’t worry.”

         In truth, he wasn’t ok. The way Bokuto so casually flirted with you earlier and the way you had laughed at whatever stupid thing he had said bothered Kuroo more than he would ever admit. And he knew it was ridiculous for that to bother him, you were both his friends and he wanted the two of you to be happy. If you were to get together, he knew that Bokuto would treat you right. But the thought of you with Bokuto, or anyone really, upset him because the one you should really be with was him. He would treat you so well, take care of you no matter what. He knew you better than anyone, with maybe the exception of Kenma. He knew what you wanted and what you needed and most importantly, he would love you more than anyone else ever could.

         His mind was racing, to the point where he couldn’t even hear what coach was saying. He knew that he really had to focus but the only thing that was currently on his mind was you. That wasn’t really anything new but he could usually focus on volleyball whenever he was playing. He found himself looking for you, knowing you always sat in the same spot whether it was normal practice or a practice match. Front row right behind the bench. He looks at you just as coach finishes talking and the team begins to head back onto the court.

         You give him a sweet smile and he feels his own smile spread across his face. Ah there it is, he thinks. The smile that lights up your face as well as the room and makes his heart race in the best way possible. He loved that smile.

         He heads back to his position with a new focus on the game. He doesn’t even let his mind wander when he and Bokuto are staring each other down across the net. Your smile had been just for him, even if it was just a supportive one from one friend to another, but it had been enough to chase away the jealousy that had overtaken his mind earlier.

            After the game, you said goodbye to Bokuto and Akaashi and waited for Kuroo and Kenma to come out of the locker room. As you waited, you thought back to the game. Kuroo had not been acting like himself, he seemed distracted and almost angry. You were worried that something was wrong but he seemed to get back on track after the time out. So maybe he was just too fired up at the beginning, it had happened before when they played Fukurodani. The competitive streak between him and Bokuto was always on full display when they played each other. Whatever it was, you were glad he had settled in after that.

         You were roused from your thoughts when you heard a voice speak.

         “Hello? Earth to chibi-chan.” Kuroo says as he waves a hand in front of your face.

         “Oh sorry. What was that?”

         “Kenma asked what you wanted to eat. Where were you?”

    ��    “Just spacing out. You guys took so long I was afraid I might fall asleep.” You tease them.

         “Sorry about that,” Kenma says, “Lev called Yaku short again and we had to make sure that Yaku didn’t murder him.”

         “I swear Lev must have a death wish to keep bringing that up.” You laugh.

         “Yeah tell me about it. And I get stuck breaking it up because I’m the captain.” Kuroo says with a sigh. “It gets tiring.”          “Aww but you’re such a good captain Tetsu, I’m sure the team appreciates everything you do for them.”

         “They damn well better. Anyway, food. I’m starving.”

         “How about we just get some take out and go play games back at my house? I’ve had enough intense activity for today.” Kenma says as the three of you leave campus together.

         In the end, that’s exactly what you ended up doing. Now with full stomachs you’re all playing a game together.

         “Damn it Tetsu! Stop saving all those fucking turtle shells for me, use one on Kenma for a change.”

         “But you react so much more to it than him kitten, it’s far more entertaining.” Kuroo laughs.

         “No. You don’t get to call me that when you keep knocking me off the road.”

         Kuroo laughs more and you end up getting hit with yet another shell.

         “I swear I’m going to kill you Tetsu!” You yell at him while giving him a little glare.

         “You both suck at this game, so what does it matter?” Kenma says with his eyes fixed on the screen, his character lapping you for the third time.

         “Shut up Kenny!” You throw a pillow at him and hit him in the back of the head causing him to drive off the road. “HA, now who sucks?”

         Kenma turns and gives you a look that promises revenge.

         “Oh shit.” You get your arms up just barely in time to cover your face from the pillow that Kenma has launched at you.

         “Ok fine, two can play this game.” You say before throwing a pillow back at him, the two of you laughing as you take turns hitting each other.

           Kuroo just watches the scene before him, well just you actually. He loves riling you up because your expressions are all so cute. Whether you’re laughing and smiling like now or pouting and scowling like you were before when he kept messing you up in the game, he loved them all.

         He didn’t really want to admit it, not even to himself though it was undoubtedly true, but he was hopelessly in love with you. It had been a few years already since he first felt it and denied it, though if he was being completely honest with himself he’d had a crush on you since you were kids. But kids don’t really understand the meaning of that or at least he knew that he hadn’t. Still he had managed to act the same as he always did around you, leaving you none the wiser to his changing feelings towards you.

         Even when he had first become friends with Bokuto, which led to you and Kenma becoming friends with him, he had managed to ignore the flirty way that Bokuto interacted with you. But now it had started to bother him. He just didn’t know why it now did. Ok he did know. He couldn’t lie to himself about his feelings for you anymore and there was a very real possibility that you could end up with Bokuto, the two of you got along so well and he wasn’t some jerk that you wouldn’t look twice at. So he couldn’t hold back his feelings but he couldn’t tell you either. What if he ruined everything? Too bad that didn’t stop the jealousy from rising up like it had before.

         As he sat there staring, he heard his phone go off signaling the arrival of a new text message. Before he could pick it up off the floor next to him, however, he was nailed in the face by a pillow followed by your laugh. The laugh that was music to his ears.

         “It’s your fault this whole thing started Tetsu, so don’t think you’re getting out of it.” You say to him.

         “Oh you’re in for it now kitten.” Kuroo says with a smirk before hitting you with a pillow.

         And so he was dragged into your pillow war as well.

            Fifteen minutes later, the three of you were all out of breath from throwing pillows but also from all the laughing. You always loved the time you got to spend with these two men. You glance over at Kuroo who has a smile on his face as he catches his breath.

         Oh how you loved that smile of his, how you loved everything about him really. You so badly just wanted to curl up in his lap and have him wrap his arms around you. Everything just felt so right when he would hug you, like you just belonged there, wrapped up in his arms.

         Of course that wasn’t likely to happen, he was super popular with the ladies and could have his pick of any one of them. He didn’t even have to make a move. Girls were always asking him out on dates but he would always turn them down. You figured he was just too preoccupied with volleyball and his studies. Still whenever you heard that yet another girl had asked him out, you would feel a pain in your chest and your stomach would churn as you waited to hear if he had said yes because you knew that one of these days he would. Just the thought of it devastated you but you knew that you would have to deal with it when it happened because you wanted him to be happy.

         Yeah happy with me, the little voice in the back of your head supplied. You know that you would love him more than any other girl could because you already did and you would take such good care of him too. But you couldn’t risk it. What if he didn’t feel the same and it ended up ruining your friendship? You couldn’t lose him from your life and so you remained quiet about your feelings.

         You tear your gaze away from Kuroo and see your phone blinking. Unlocking it you see that you have new messages. From Bokuto.

         “Oh hey guys, Ko wants to know if we want to hang out on Saturday. Also he told me to tell you that before you say anything, he texted you first Tetsu but you didn’t answer.” You say to him as he picks up his phone to check.

         “So he did.” Kuroo replies.

         “It’s fine with me as long as we don’t do too much, he has way too much energy.” Kenma chimes in.

         “Well you’re not wrong there.” You chuckle.

         “Yeah ok.” Kuroo adds.

         “Do you want to text him and let him know Tetsu? Or should I?”

         “I’m sure he’d rather hear from you than me, so you can do it.” He says a bit more sharply than intended.

         You raise an eyebrow but just shrug your shoulders and message Bokuto back.

            Kuroo makes his way to your house. It had been decided that they would all go there and watch movies.

         You lived alone now after your grandmother had passed away in your first year of college. She had left the house to you as well as whatever inheritance she had. He didn’t know where your parents were and he had asked you about them once but you said that you didn’t know where they were either. Your grandmother was all the family you’d had.

         It had been two years already since she passed. He remembered how upset you had been and how he and Kenma had stayed with you every night for a month. They helped you with anything you needed and took turns holding you as you cried. They also made sure you were taking care of yourself and they tried to keep you busy, hoping that it would help you with your grieving process and it had helped. He was happy that he had been able to be there for you and help you heal.

         That was also when he realized for the first time just how hard he had fallen for you. When he saw you cry his heart shattered and he wanted nothing more than to wipe your tears away, kiss them away really, and see you happy and smiling once more. He never wanted to see you cry again. He had no idea if you felt that way about him though and so he went back to denying and suppressing.

         Kuroo reaches your house and hears humming coming from the backyard. He pushes open the gate and finds you watering the garden. Your grandmother had started it when you were all younger and now you took care of it.

         “Hey chibi-chan. The garden looks great.”

         “Hey Tetsu” You happily greet him with a smile as you put the hose away.

         There it was again that smile, his smile. He was certain that you didn’t smile at anyone else like that, not even Bokuto. But maybe that was just him hoping that was the case.

         You come over to him and give him a big hug. He breathes in the coconut scent of your shampoo. He loved that smell, you’d used it for so long now and it was just so undeniably you. If he ever smelled it elsewhere it would immediately bring you to the forefront of his mind. You separate from him sooner than he would’ve liked but Kenma and Bokuto had arrived and so you went over to greet them.

         The night went by in a blur for Kuroo. There was food and movies, a couple of games, and you had all chatted about whatever. The only thing he could focus on, however, was the way that Bokuto looked at you, the way he made you laugh, the way he touched your arm and he felt that jealousy bubble up again. All he could think was that should be me. Why can’t I just tell her?

         Because you could ruin everything if you did, the sabotaging voice in the back of his head told him.

         He needed to get his mind off of you, needed to distract himself from his feelings for you. But do I really want to? He was unsure, that was until he saw Bokuto give you an innocent little kiss on the cheek when he left later on. It was no different than the friendly kisses on the cheek you would get from Kenma but it made him angry. And he knew it shouldn’t so he decided then that he did need to find a way to distract himself from his feelings for you.

            It had been a couple of weeks since the movie night at your house and Kuroo had been acting strange ever since. He didn’t hang out with you as much as he usually did and when he did hang out he acted distant. Things you would say or do that would normally have him laughing hysterically, now didn’t even really get a response like he wasn’t even paying attention.

         What was wrong with him? Did I do something to upset him? You had no idea but it was breaking your heart little by little. Now you were sitting in Kenma’s room, playing a game with him.

         “Do you know what Tetsu’s problem is?”

         “Not sure. He hasn’t talked to me about it but I don’t think his new girlfriend is helping.”

         “Girlfriend?” You ask with surprise.

         This was the first you’d heard of it and you felt your stomach lurch, threatening to spill its contents.

         “Yeah. I guess she asked him out a couple of weeks ago and he said yes but she isn’t a nice person so I don’t know why he’s dating her.”

         “Am I not worthy of hearing about this? I mean we’re supposed to be best friends.”

         “He didn’t tell you? That’s weird.”

         “I’m going to text that jerk right now.”

         You pick up your phone, open the text thread, and send him a message.

You:  “You have a girlfriend? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tetsu:  “Oh yeah. I guess I forgot.”

You:  “Forgot? We’re best friends and you just forgot?”

Tetsu:  “Yeah, sorry.”

You:  “Well do I ever get to meet her?”

Tetsu:  “I guess. Are you at Kenma’s? We can stop by there before we go out.”

You:  “Yeah I am.”

Tetsu: “See you in a little bit then.”

         You put your phone to the side.

         “They’re coming over here. Sorry Kenny.”

         “It’s fine but you’re going to hate her.” He responds as he continues to play his game.

            Ten minutes later you hear a voice come from Kenma’s bedroom door.

         “Oh wow, is this really your room Kenma? Are you sure you’re old enough to be in college? Because it looks like a 12 year old lives here.” Kuroo’s girlfriend says.

         Your eyes widen at how rude she just was. She’s pretty but Kenma is right she isn’t very nice.

         Kenma just rolls his eyes and ignores her as he continues to play.

         “Haha, yeah Kenma loves his games.” Kuroo laughs but you can tell it’s one of those fake ones people do when they’re embarrassed. “Anyway this is my girlfriend, gf/n.”

         You decide that you will do your best to be nice for Kuroo’s sake.

         “Hi, I’m Tetsu’s frien—“ Before you can finish speaking she cuts you off.

         “Yeah, yeah I know who you are.” She shoots you a glare. “Ok I met her. Can we leave now? I don’t want to look at this bitch anymore.” She says with disgust.

         You see annoyance flicker across Kuroo’s face at her words.

Oh hell no is she getting away with that, you think.

         “Excuse me? What the fuck did you just call me? If there’s a bitch in here then it’s clearly your rude ass.” You get up off the bed where you were sitting and go to approach her only for Kenma to stop you.

         “Calm down.” He says as he wraps his arms around you, hugging you to him to keep you in place.

         “Yeah ok. Let’s go.” Kuroo says as he leads her away from you and out the front door.

         Once they’re gone, Kenma lets you go.

         “I told you that you were going to hate her. She’s rude to everyone.”

         You clench your fists and let out a frustrated shriek.

         “What a fucking bitch! Why the fuck is he dating someone like that?”

         “I’m not sure.” He tells you though the look in his eyes suggests otherwise, still you decide not to press him for an answer.

            Kuroo sits on his couch. It had been a week since he’d introduced you to his girlfriend, gf/n. Ugh, that didn’t even sound right to him. The only one he wanted to call his girlfriend was you.

         Why was he even dating her? Oh right, to forget he’s in love with you. Too bad it’s not working. It’s making him think about you even more actually because he can’t help but compare the two of you.

         She was pretty. You were beautiful.

         You were sweet, kind, thoughtful, caring, funny, and smart. She had been nothing but rude and nasty to everyone, including him a few times.

         You fit so perfectly in his arms like it was where you were meant to be, He had to stop himself from pushing her off of him when she would hug him and he would always come up with an excuse to dodge having to kiss her.

         He felt an ache in his chest with every beat of his heart as he thought about you. He’d been acting like such a jerk to you too since he started dating her. He knew he needed to break up with her, you were right, she was a rude bitch.

         A knock on his door stirs Kuroo from his thoughts. He gets up and opens it, on the other side stands Kenma. He glances around before he speaks.

         “Is she here?”

         “Who? Oh, gf/n? No, I’m supposed to meet her later.” Kuroo tells him and lets him into the house.

         “Good. We need to talk Kuroo.”

         “What’s up?”

         “First of all, you’re being a jerk to y/n. She’s supposed to be one of your best friends yet you’ve done nothing but blow her off and ignore her. It’s messed up.” He looks right into Kuroo’s eyes as he says it.

         Kuroo flinches slightly at Kenma’s words despite already knowing it was the truth.

         “Second of all, you need to get rid of that bitch you’re calling a girlfriend. She’s not a nice person. She’s rude to everyone. The team doesn’t want her to come anywhere near them so tell her to stay away or you’re going to have a problem on your hands.”

         “Ok fine. I’ll tell her not to come to practices anymore. She’ll probably be happy about that actually.”

         “And lastly, not only is she rude to all of us but she gets downright nasty with y/n. I have to keep stopping her from punching your “girlfriend” in the face.” He says, using air quotes when saying girlfriend. “The other day we were eating lunch together and your “girlfriend” came over to us. She ignored me completely which I was fine with but she had the nerve to insult your other best friend. You remember her, right?”

         He winces at Kenma’s words.

         “The bitch told y/n to stay away from you and that you didn’t want anything to do with her anymore.”

         Kuroo lets out a groan and pinches the bridge of his nose as Kenma continues to speak.

         “I’m not really sure what you’re thinking but deal with it instead of running away from it.”

         Being called out on his bullshit causes Kuroo to get defensive.

         “I’m not running away from anything and her name isn’t bitch, it’s gf/n.”

         Kenma lets out a derisive laugh.

         “Yeah, funny how that’s all you call her by, her name. Don’t people usually have pet names for their girlfriends? Like kitten?” He pretends to think. “Or maybe, chibi-chan?” He gives Kuroo a pointed look before leaving.

         “Damn it! What the fuck am I doing?” He says to the emptiness of the room after Kenma’s departure.

         Damn Kenma’s observational skills. He loved them on the volleyball court but not when they were used against him.

         I can’t just let him think he can read me so easily so I won’t. He had his pride and he could be stubborn when he wanted to be. He was not going to let Kenma know how easily he had seen right through him.

         Kuroo looks at the clock and sighs. Time to get ready to see his “girlfriend.”

            The following Saturday you were sitting in your living room with Kenma and Bokuto. You invited them over to watch movies again and had hoped Kuroo would come too.

         “Is Kuroo coming?” Bokuto asks.

         You sigh.

         “No. I invited him but he said he had plans with that bitch.”

         That was her name now as far as you were concerned after the multiple times she had gone out of her way to be nasty to you.

         “Why is he still with her? I thought he was supposed to be smart. He must know that she isn’t worth his time. I saw her screaming at him outside the gym last week when we went there for another practice match so she isn’t even nice to him. Did you talk to him?”

         “I did.” Kenma answers. “He didn’t listen, obviously. Though thankfully she stays away from the team now. I think that’s what she was screaming at him about actually, I heard some of it. Apparently we’re jealous of how happy she makes him or some nonsense and he should stop being friends with us.”

         “He didn’t really respond to her from what I saw when I walked by, he didn’t even see me.” Bokuto says.

         “Yeah he just stood there and let her scream. He really needs to get rid of her.”

         “Are you serious? She just screamed at him? I swear I will knock that bitch out for treating him like that. I’m going to corner his ass after practice on Monday and try to talk some sense into him. Maybe he needs to hear it from someone a little louder.”

         “Yeah you tell him kitty cat.” Bokuto cheers.

         “Oh I will. Don’t worry. Now let’s pick something to watch.”

            True to your word, there you were Monday after practice waiting for Kuroo to emerge from the locker room. Once he came out, you grabbed his wrist and dragged him along to the now empty gym.

         “Why did you drag me in here?”

         “Because we need to talk. Look I’m just going to say it, you need to dump that nasty bitch.”

         Kuroo sighs.

         “Look just because you don’t like her doesn’t mean I should dump her.”

         “That isn’t even it. She isn’t even a nice person. You deserve someone so much better than her. Someone who is sweet and caring like you. Someone who is smart and funny like you. Someone who will take care of you and treat you like the amazing guy that you are. Someone who will love you for you. And I’m sorry but that isn’t her. You deserve someone who makes you smile and happy every day not someone who screams at you and treats you and all of the people you care about like shit. You’d be so much better off without her Tetsu.”

            Kuroo listens to all you have to say. You were right of course. He knew this. He knew it before Kenma had even spoken to him. It had been nothing more than an experiment and it had failed miserably. Maybe that made him a jerk for using someone like that but he had gone into it genuinely hoping that he could find someone else he liked. He should have known that it would never work though, he was way too in love with you. Even if he had found a sweet girl who he liked he still would never have been able to be with anyone but you.

         This had all taken way too long for him to truly understand. He had just been way too worried, or maybe it was scared, that it would all blow up in his face and so he did exactly what Kenma said. He tried running from it instead of dealing with it and now here he was. His feelings for you had only grown more intense and it was just his sheer stubbornness that was preventing him from doing what needed to be done.

         He felt beat up and drained from this “relationship.” He needed to get out and he needed to tell you how he felt.

Your voice brings him back to reality.

         “Tetsu, I’m one of your best friends, I want you to be happy. And I’m not the only one who’s worried about you either. All the rest of your friends are too, Kenma, the guys on the team.”

         He knew it was true that you and Kenma and everyone else were concerned about him. He knew it was time to end this before it got even worse and it was already terrible.

         “Even Bokuto is worried about you. He doesn’t even see you as often as the rest of us but he knows you’re not happy.”

         Bokuto, yes he must have gotten together with you by now, he thought as he remembered all the laughs and flirtation that went on between the two of you. He told himself he could be happy for you both, you were his friends, even if it also broke his heart. And yet he still felt the slightest glimmer of hope that maybe he still had a chance. It was that little bit of hope that was keeping the jealousy he felt simmering in his gut from rising up. That is until you blindsided him.

         “He agrees with the rest of us, how you deserve someone better. We were talking about it the other day when he came over my house.”

         His mouth went dry and he could hear his heart thudding in his ears. Bokuto had been at your house. Alone with you. He felt his stomach drop and his heart clench as his mind wandered, led astray by the jealousy that he’d only had a tenuous grip on.

         What had the two of you been doing in your house? Cuddling? Kissing? Had he touched you? Had the two of you done something even more?

         He couldn’t control it, the jealousy had taken over and his anger surged. He was more angry at himself than anything else, he’d lost his chance because he had been too chicken to tell you his true feelings. Unfortunately, he let it come out and he directed it straight at you.

         “Is that all? Why are you even here? Just to lecture me? Shouldn’t you be under Bokuto somewhere instead?”

            Your mouth drops open at his words. Had he really just said that to you?

         “What the fuck did you just say?” You feel your pulse quicken as your own anger rises.

         “Oh I’m sorry, is it Kenma’s turn then?” He replies in a mocking tone.

         Your anger surges and before you even realize what’s happening, your fist connects with your best friend’s face. You didn’t even register the pain in your hand when you shoved him after.

         “I came here because I care about you and I’m worried about you and that’s what you say to me? Go to hell Kuroo.”

You turn and run from the gym refusing to let him see the tears that had begun running down your cheeks.

            Kuroo regretted it all as soon as he said it. Regretted it even more when you punched him in the face. Who knew you had such a vicious right hook? But the fact that you called him Kuroo instead of Tetsu hurt him more than any punch to the face could. You hadn’t called him that since you first met when you were kids. He had fucked up badly and all because he couldn’t be honest with you or himself. This whole situation could have been avoided.

         He knew he deserved all of it though, including the black eye you’d given him. That had been three days ago now and he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of you since. He ended up dumping his “girlfriend” that night and it was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He would have felt happier than he had in a month if he hadn’t said what he did to you.

         He should never have let it go on for as long as he had, maybe he could have gotten his chance with you. Instead he was lamenting the fact that he had hurt the one person he loved more than anyone, the one he had never wanted to hurt. What a fool he had been.

         Laying on his bed, he stares up at the ceiling when he hears a familiar yet less cheery than normal voice enter the room.

         “Hey” Bokuto says as he stands in the doorway and leans against the frame.

         “What do you want?” Kuroo asks in a somber tone.

         “What did you say to her bro? She was so pissed but I think she was more sad than anything.”

         Kuroo feels his heart clench at the thought that he had made you sad. Your anger he would gladly take. But your tears? He couldn’t handle that.

         “It doesn’t matter.”

         “Look I know she went to talk to you about, uh, gf/n. Right? Anyway, she’s just worried about you and so are the rest of us. She isn’t a good person for you, she’ll just drag you down. You deserve b—“

         He cuts Bokuto off.

         “I deserve better than her? Yeah well unfortunately the one who’s best for me is with you.” Kuroo says in a dejected tone.

         Bokuto furrows his brow in confusion.

         “What are you talking about?”

         “You know who I’m talking about, you’re always flirting with her and shit. Congrats, I’m happy for you. Just make sure you treat her well.”

         “Wait, do you think y/n and I are a couple? Just because I say flirty stuff to her? That’s just for fun, it’s not serious. Besides why would that bother you…oh I get it now. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

         “What difference does it make? You can stop lying to make me feel better. I know you spend time at her house, she told me herself that you were there the other day. I’m sure you two got really close while you were alone together.”

         “Dude, seriously? We watched movies and I wasn’t alone with her. Kenma was there too, you can go ask him yourself. I’ll just wait for you to come apologize to me afterwards for being such an idiot. Don’t worry I’ll forgive you because I’m a great guy like that.” Bokuto tells him before flashing a confident grin and leaving Kuroo’s house.

         After Bokuto leaves, Kuroo goes rushing over to Kenma’s house and bursts into his room where he finds him playing a game. Kenma glances away from the screen at Kuroo’s entrance before looking back at it.

         “You were at her house with Bokuto?” He asks, slightly out of breath from running over.

         “Wow, you’re so dumb Kuroo. I thought you were supposed to be so smart. Yes I was there with Bokuto and you should have been too but you blew her off again and went out with your “girlfriend” instead.”

         “Shit! I can’t believe I forgot about that.” Kuroo says as he sits on Kenma’s bed and puts his head in his hands.

         “Yeah, well, you were preoccupied. Where is the bitch anyway?”

         “How should I know? I dumped her three days ago.”

         “Well that’s good at least. Honestly you should have just told y/n that you loved her from the start, geez.”

         “I know but I was too scared that she might reject me and then never want to talk to me again.”

“You know that she would never do that, she cares about you too much.”

         “I know that I should have dumped that girl after you talked to me too but I didn’t like how easily you saw through me and I didn’t want you to know that you were right. I really am dumb.”

         Kuroo lets out a sorrowful sigh.

         “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me, Kenma?”

         “Of course she will but you better beg for her forgiveness and finally tell her the truth.”

            Two more days passed and Kuroo had apologized to Bokuto for being an idiot and Bokuto forgave him just like he said that he would.

         You, however, had expertly evaded all of his attempts to get ahold of you and he was starting to wonder if he’d ever even see you again let alone talk to you. He still hadn’t caught a single glance of you, you wouldn’t answer his calls or respond to his messages, when he went to your house you would ignore him.

As he left his tenth message of the day for you, he made his way over to Kenma’s house. When he entered his friend’s room, he was greeted with his first glimpse of you in nearly a week.

         “Sorry Kenny, I have to go.” You say as you get up and head for the door but before you could leave Kuroo catches you by the wrist.

         “Wait chibi-chan.”

         You just look down and shake him off before disappearing out the front door.

         “She told me what you said to her. You fucked up so bad Kuroo. You totally deserved that black eye.”

         “Yeah I know I did. But how am I supposed to talk to her and apologize if she doesn’t want to be anywhere near me?”

         “I don’t know but you better figure out something before you lose your chance for good.”

            Tears roll down your cheeks as you water your garden. You didn’t know what else to do after you fled Kenma’s house. You weren’t even sure how you felt anymore, aside from sad at the whole situation. Sad about what had happened between you and Kuroo, you knew he couldn’t have meant what he said he was just upset but it still hurt you, and sad that he was dating someone so awful. He was far too kind, thoughtful, and caring to be with someone as vile as that girl. Most of all you just missed him, your best friend, the sweet goofy guy that you had fallen madly in love with.

         You swipe at your cheeks to rid them of the tears when you hear that voice, the one that you loved so much.

         “Hey chibi-chan, can we please talk?” Kuroo asks. Closing the gate behind him, he approaches you.

         You stop watering and look at him.

         “Are you even allowed to? What would your “girlfriend” say?”

Just as you are about to put the hose down and go into your house, locking him out, his voice stops you.

         “I dumped her. You were right, you all were. I was just being stubborn or stupid. Maybe both.”

         “Definitely both. I’m glad you started thinking with your brain again instead of something else.”

         Kuroo laughs to himself.

         “Yeah, funny thing is I never even kissed her. Forget about anything else.”

         “Wait. Are you serious?”

         “Yeah. There’s only one person I want to kiss and it wasn’t her.”

         Before you can process what he just said, he rushes on.

         “I am so sorry kitten. I never should have said what I did. I didn’t mean it at all. I know you’re not like that.” He moves in front of you and gets on his knees. “Please forgive me, I’m begging you. I wouldn’t be able to handle losing you.”

         He looks up at you with pleading eyes and remorse written all over his face.

         “You hurt me when you said that shit Tetsu.”

         He felt some relief at hearing his name, at least he wasn’t Kuroo anymore.

         “I know I did. Let me make it up to you. I’ll do anything. You can punch me again if you want, which by the way where the hell did you learn to hit like that?”

         You couldn’t help but laugh at that.

         “You didn’t mean it?” You ask even though you already know he didn’t.

         “No, of course not.” He says before mumbling under his breath, “I was just being stupid.”

         “What was that?” You ask having not quite caught what he just said.

         “Nothing. Please forgive me chibi-chan. I need you in my life.”

         You let out a sigh. You knew he was being genuine and you loved him too much to not forgive him.

         “Well lucky for you, I don’t want to lose you either. You’re too important to me.”

         Kuroo’s face brightens.

         “Does that mean you forgive me?”

         “That depends. Are you back to being my Tetsu? Or are you still the jerk that you’ve been for the past month?”

         “I’m your Tetsu, I promise kitten.”

         “Hmm..” You pretend to be lost in thought looking at him before a mischievous grin breaks out across your face.

         Kuroo raises an eyebrow at you and then you’re spraying him with the hose you still have in your hand.

         “Oops, my finger slipped.” You laugh as he shakes his arms to get some of the water off.

         “Oh you’re going to pay for that.”

         You let out a little shriek when he rises to his feet. You drop the hose and run.

         Kuroo chases you around your yard, both of your laughs echoing off of the nearby trees. It doesn’t take long before you feel a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist, lift you up, and spin you around. This causes the both of you to fall onto the soft grass. You land on your back and Kuroo somehow manages to land on top of you, using his forearms to brace himself so he doesn’t crush you.

         Hovering above you, he stares deeply into your eyes with a serious intensity.

         “I want to kiss you so badly. I have for a while now.” He glances to your lips before returning his gaze to your eyes.

         Your eyes widen with his confession, your heart racing in your chest.

         “So what’s stopping you then?”

         A big smile spreads across Kuroo’s face and then he’s pressing his lips tenderly against yours.

         You lose yourself in the kiss, lips parting slightly allowing him to slip his tongue inside your mouth and begin a dance with yours. Your one hand finds its way into his hair while the other one rests against the back of his neck. Your heart pounds and your mind races. How many times had you imagined what his kiss would feel like? A countless number it seemed and yet the real thing was so much better than anything you had ever imagined.

         You could feel all the love and care he was pouring into this kiss and you did the same. It seemed like hours and yet seconds at the same time when he separated from your mouth.

         “I’m so in love with you chibi-chan. You fit so perfectly in my arms and I know that it’s where you belong. I want nothing more than to hold you close each and every day. I’m just sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was afraid that I might lose you if you didn’t feel the same. I’m a dumbass.”

         “Oh Tetsu, I’ve been in love with you for a while now and I thought the same damn thing as you. So I guess we’re both dumbasses.” You let out a chuckle and he does too.

         “I guess we are, but that doesn’t matter now. Will you be mine chibi-chan?”

         “Nothing would make me happier.”

         “Good then I’m going to hold you close every day. You’re mine and I’m yours from now on.” He says with a smile.

         “Always and forever, my Tetsu.” You say with a smile before he captures your lips once more in another loving kiss.

[bokutosworld]

mine | kuroo tetsurou

a kuroo x f!reader one shot loosely inspired by taylor swift’s dancing with our hands tied. 

wc: 3k words, in which kuroo finds himself head over heels in love, in secret, with his project partner. contains manga spoilers!?

-- 

it started like any other modern school love stories: being project partners.

with the tokyo prefectural qualifiers inching closer, kuroo was getting busier with morning and after-school practices. being the captain of the nekoma volleyball team was not a walk in the park and he knew that very well as he was always dealing with the loud and playful, yet very reliable team. but as devoted as he was to the sport, kuroo was also still a student. and when he's not in the gym, he would be spotted in his classroom with his nose stuck in a science book or writing formulas for a chemistry project. he was a bright kid and he always excelled in anything he put his mind to, be it sports or academics.

but he was baffled with anything related to literature. the boy almost always fell asleep in class whenever their teacher would go on about hamlet, or catcher in the rye, or, romeo and juliet. he wasn't failing english literature but he wasn't technically the best at it. which was how he found himself right now in the library, various reference books about english authors laid out on the table, with a girl right in front of him.

y/n l/n, a graduating student just like him. also an accomplished individual in her own right, she was a nationally recognized violinist, a prodigy one might say. kuroo's heard of her, that's for sure, he's known that she's represented their school countless times in music competitions and recitals ever since middle school. it would be a lie to say he hasn't been keeping his eye on her because the truth? he thought that she was interesting and he respects her and her many accomplishments.

he did not realize that he was staring and not getting any work done until she called him out on his behavior. 'stop staring and get some work done,’ she said without stopping her typing on her laptop. she couldn't afford to get a failing grade in this final paper, so if it meant doing everything by herself, she'd gladly do it. but kuroo wasn't having any of it.

'you're probably thinking you don't need me to do this paper, aren't you? do i look unreliable to you? i am hurt.' that got her attention. bingo, he thought. she looked up at him, eyes wide open, and for a while, she studied him. granted she wasn't the most outgoing and social person in school. she mostly kept to herself and the few close friends that she has. some might say that she was very intimidating to talk to, hard to reach, out of their league. what they didn't know was underneath that calm and quiet exterior of a top-class violinist, she was a cheeky girl with a sharp tongue and witty demeanor.

she smirked, 'i'm sorry if i made you feel that way. but if you really bothered with our paper, you wouldn't just be sitting there, gawking at me for the past thirty minutes.' he was stunned, and was about to say something when she continued her little tirade, 'i don't know what is going on in that head of yours, but it better be about the analysis of the postmodern romantic literatures.'

he laughed and shook his head. she got him and he was falling hook, line, and sinker. the seeds of admiration planted in his heart from when they were in middle school were now slowly blossoming into something more. he didn't know what it is or how he would deal it. but right now, he was going to focus on their paper. so he stood up from his place on the table and settled on the seat next to her, and the two delved into conversations about their project, losing track of the time as they finished their paper until the daybreak arrived.

to everybody's surprise, the pair got a grade of 98 on their paper. the teacher remarked how he had his doubts about putting them together, but was glad that they were able to collaborate and pull through. after that period, she came up to him and thanked him for being a good project partner, 'you exceeded my expectations, kuroo. i am actually glad to have worked with you even if it was for a short while.' he felt the same, and being the awkward persons that they are, they shook hands and went on their separate ways.

yet somehow, even after finishing their paper and having nothing else to do with one another, kuroo found himself wanting to speak to her, to see her, to be with her. he'd grown to like her company so much. he thought she was comforting. he'd liked how she always had something to say to his playful quips, how she was able to keep up with his banters, and how being with her just felt so natural. they'd formed a bond, they shared a chemistry, and that much he acknowledges but he wonders if she also feels the same.

the night before their first game in the national qualifiers, kuroo was restless. he was anxious. he had high hopes for their team, especially now that he was on his final playing year. what if they drop out on the first day? what if their trainings and preparations weren't enough? what if he wasn't enough? constant doubts plagued his thoughts that he wanted nothing more than to talk to someone and let it all out. so without a second thought, he reached for his phone and dialed her number.

she answered on the third ring. 'kuroo? what's up?' he swears his heart skipped a beat at the way his name sounded from the other line. he closed his eyes, not saying anything, because at this moment, just hearing her voice already brought tranquility to his raging thoughts.

'i'm sorry, i just... couldn't sleep. and i-'

'you have your first game tomorrow, right?' how did she know, he pondered. 'everyone at school has been looking forward to nationals qualifiers. my friends say our school is one of the strongest. they've also been telling me that the captain is quite the catch.' there it is. her classic friendly flirtation. he could detect a hint of smile as she said that last statement and he couldn't help but hope that maybe there could be something more between them.

'will you be going to the arena tomorrow?'

'do you want me to?'

'yes, i'd like that very much.'

'then i'll be there.'

the opening ceremonies were done and the nekoma team was now warming up for their first game. while the rest of the players were doing their stretches, practicing their services and receives, kuroo was standing in the sidelines, his eyes scanning the benches for that familiar face. and when he spots her, making herself comfortable in the seat, he feels a huge load being taken off his shoulder. and when their eyes make contact, he finds a new strength and determination that he was going to win this game and make every point for her.

while they lost to fukurodani in their morning match, they were able to win their second game in straight sets and clinched a spot in the nationals. she was floored with how the team was able to overpower the opposing players. she's always known their school volleyball team was a powerhouse. but now seeing them in action and watching him in his element, she found herself being drawn to kuroo more, wanting to learn more about him, wanting to be the one to ease his worries, to be there for him in his victories and in defeats. she felt so proud of him and was overwhelmed with these emotions that she couldn't stop the smile that was showing on her face. he looked up at her in the audience, giving her the slightest wink, and she reciprocated with a flying kiss. cheesy, she thought, but it was worth it when kuroo suddenly blushed and looked away.

kuroo was making his way to the players' waiting room with the team when he saw her silhouette passing by the gym doors. he ran, muttering an excuse to kenma that he forgot something in the bleachers, and caught up with her. he took her wrists in his hands, spinning her around, and dragged her away to the back of the arena. when they arrived at a secluded place, they were catching their breaths. through ragged breaths, she managed to say, 'congratulations. you were great.' those words were enough to open a dam of emotions inside kuroo, those words were all he needed to confirm the growing affection that he was feeling towards her.

so he hugged her, so tightly as if he didn't want to let her go. finding comfort in the embrace, kuroo uttered the words that he has kept inside since that day in the library. slowly he pulled himself away and looked in her eyes, 'i like you. would you go out with me?'

the moment he asked that question, it was like time suddenly stood still for kuroo. no one told him that when you like someone, you're risking exposing your vulnerabilities to them. no one warned him about the possibilities that the potential lover would look at you differently, that expressing your love would drive them away. but she proved those theories wrong as she pulled him down by collar of his team jacket and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek.

'yes, i'll go out with you.'

and thus began their hidden relationship. secret glances in the hallways, discreet touches when passing by in the school grounds, and stolen kisses in the rooftop. it wasn't that they were ashamed of being seen together, they weren't just ready to be public yet. for sure, both of their friend groups would pester them with questions. they would be the topic of conversations of the entire student body, the mischievous volleyball captain and the quiet violin star. for now, they were content in loving each other in secret, in their after-school hangouts and weekend home dates and sleepovers. in fact for kuroo, he was more than okay with keeping the relationship to themselves because he did not want to share something so precious and so dear to others.

but of course, there were times that the couple almost exposed themselves. one time when the team's practice went into overtime, kuroo had texted her to go ahead and that he'd meet her at the park near her house. he didn't know that she also stayed behind, putting in another hour to practice the i giorni piece. so by the time she had read the message, she decided to wait by the school gym and wait for him. an hour passed and the doors to gym were opening, she jumped to her feet and searched for kuroo among the people who were going out. if kuroo hadn't spotted her first, she would've run and hugged him but he found her first. the team had questioning looks on their faces, kenma sizing her up and yaku looking like he already knew what was up. they barely escaped the situation unscathed if it weren't for lev, a big fan of classical music, who fanboyed and diverted the conversation toward her next music competition.

another instance was during nationals. when they lost to karasuno, despite enjoying the game against their friendly rival, the team were down in the dumps. the ride back to the campus was quiet, no one dared to speak, and for the seniors, they knew it was their last trip to the nationals. usually after a match, they would have post-game meeting but the coach allowed the boys to go home early and rest. at that moment, kuroo wanted nothing more than to run to her house and curl up in her arms. he said his goodbye to kenma, much to the second year setter's surprise because they always went home together. he was getting ready to leave when lev asked, 'where are you off to captain? that's not the way to your home.'

'i'm going to see someone first. see you guys tomorrow.' unknown to him, the team had shocked look on their faces, asking each other the one question: does he have a girlfriend? yaku actually proposed to follow him home, but kenma stopped them, 'let him go. he's not gonna be happy if you guys showed up somewhere he clearly doesn't want you to be.'

'but aren't you the least curious if he's hiding something,' lev inquired, earning him a smack on the shoulder from kenma, 'i am. but i am sure that he will tell us when he's ready. let's just let him be.'

however, the team couldn't contain themselves. since that time, whenever kuroo went out of the gym or the classroom without telling anyone, they would always have someone following him. mostly it was lev, the helpless and clueless first year. then one day, lev saw kuroo heading up to the roof top and in his excitement, he texted his teammates telling them what he was up to. almost simultaneously, the boys went to the fifth floor of their building and crouched behind the roof top door, listening in on the conversation happening behind the door.

it was one of their rooftop lunch dates. since he got a taste of her bento last time, he's been asking her to cook for him. she gladly took up his request, making all sorts of meals that he loved and putting them in cute bento boxes. they were having a great conversation, enjoying the breezy atmosphere, and obviously oblivious to the crowd that has gathered outside. but the nearing graduation was looming over them. they've always avoided having the talk. they were scared what would happen to their relationship if they brought up the topic. but kuroo knew there was no point avoiding it.

'what are your plans after graduation?'

she smiled, already knowing where this conversation was going. 'i want to pursue my music,' she reached a hand out to cup his cheek. 'it's special to me, you know.'

he put his hand on top of hers and leaned to her touch. kuroo understood. as important as volleyball was to him, her music was something she held dear in her heart. he was almost scared to compete. he knew that world-class musicians trained hard and often traveled for concerts and recitals. was this hidden relationship doomed since the beginning? didn't they stand a chance to be out in public as a couple and proclaim their love freely? why did they decide to keep themselves private in the first place?

she sensed that a million thoughts and doubts were clouding his mind once again. smiling, she pulled him in a tight embrace, with him encircling his arms around her waist and burying his face in the crook of her neck. but his worries were gone in an instant when she said, 'you're part of my future too, tetsurou.'

immediately, he detached himself from her and looked at her, not believing what he just heard. 'what did you say?' she laughed and tackled him to the ground, almost straddling him and gave him a kiss. 'i said, you're in my future too. if you think that our secret relationship will be over and thinking of breaking up with me the moment we graduate, you are so wrong, mister.'

'but, your career. wouldn't you be going to music school? you'll be so busy and-' again, she interrupted him. he was always no match for her, completely, he was a fool in love for her.

'and yes, i will be busy. but i am willing to make our relationship work. i want this to work. you're the best thing to happen to me and i have been thinking. i'm quite tired of playing hide-and-seek with my friends about our relationship,' she laid on his chest, hearing the erratic beating of his heart. 'i want to be able to call you mine in public,' she looks up at him, narrowing her eyes, 'i wouldn't want others thinking they can have you. in case you don't know yet, i am quite possessive.'

it was unfair, how she held so much power over him. how with mere words, his heart would be moving so fast that it was threatening to beat out of his chest. as she said that, he broke into a loud laugh. not being able to contain his happiness, kuroo caressed her cheek and gazed at her lovingly, and finally said those three words, 'i love you.'

and just as they were about to share their second kiss in the rooftop, the door swung wide open, with his teammates tumbling down like bowling pins in the process. like deer caught in the headlights, the boys sheepishly stood up, looking over their captain who was obviously pissed. if she hadn't gotten off him and went to his teammates, he would've chased them already. but she laughed it off, finding the situation amusing. 'well, i guess now we don't have to worry about how to tell our friends about us.'

she stood up, leaving kuroo in the concrete floor, and went to introduce herself to his teammates. sitting up, he observed the scene in front of him. over the course of their relationship, he learned that she wasn't much of a people person. his heart warmed at the sight, seeing her fit in instantly with his friends, giggling at their jokes and trying to get to know them better. he thought that he was a lucky one.

their story might have started like any other high school love stories, kept secret from prying eyes, but it wasn't facing the the threat of ending in graduation. after all, they have a future to look forward to.

[the-black-birb]

congrats on 200!!! & these hc are SooOOo cute!! can i get how they would confess with iwaizumi, kuroo, yaku, and akaashi

A/N: i made this more story like than headcanons and got a little carried away cjwjfjjw but alas!! Here we go. It is a lot to read ehehe

Iwaizumi Hajime

Iwaizumi spent so much time pissed off at Oikawa for getting distracted by girls he doesn't know what to do when he sees you

Catching feelings?? In this day and age??? Who has the time for it.

Not to mention his best friend got broken up with for not making time for his girlfriend with volleyball

So he tries to suppress his feelings for you. He tries reeaally hard

But there you are everyday, totally beautiful and kind and loveable

Oikawa notices Iwaizumi starts keeping an eye in the stands during games or at the girls during practice and points it out

Soon Makki and Mattsun are teasing him about it, too

They don't know who it is that has Iwaizumi smitten but they can tell something is up

One day, he gets fed up with their constant chatter. It's just a practice and you go to watch, like many other girls, but your eyes are on someone entirely different from them

It's Iwaizumi's turn to serve and the third years are all looking at him with shit-eatting grins. "Get a good serve in for your crush~" Oikawa coos.

Iwaizumi breathes in deep and looks straight at you off to the side. "[Y/N], this is for you."

Cue a killer serve that the other side can't recieve. He does it twice more before they're even able to get it up in the air, and each time he looks to you beforehand

The girls around you are freaking out because 'how romantic'

You go up to him after practice and place a huge kiss on his cheek. "So that means you like me too?" he asks dumbfoundedly.

You're grinning ear to ear. "Why do you think I watch your practices?"

Kuroo Testurou

Kuroo knows, as captain, he doesn't necessarily have the time to process things unrelated to volleyball. He does minimal studying for classes, lets his mother make his meals, and does not, at all, pay attention to his feeling.

So when he first meets you, he doesn't really get that was he's feeling is affection.

It starts off as harmless teasing, really. He ruffles your hair or pokes you in the back. He tickles you mercilessely.

This quickly progresses to flirting. Suddenly, his touches linger. He'll push your hair behind your ear or wipe a crumb off your lip (usually there's not actually anything there).

Sometimes, he'll come up behind you and whisper in your ear, the warmth of his breath on your earlobe always sending shivers up your spine. He'll place a hand on your waist to move past you (he once asked you if you minded affectionate touches "from friends" and although you said no you didn't mind, what you meant was that you didn't mind if it was him)

And one day he catches you looking at him strangely, eyes calculating, and he smirks at you. "If you keep looking at me like that I might have to kiss you," he promises.

"Why don't you?" Isn't the response he expected. You're looking at him with a grin of your own.

"If you want to, of course," you concede.

His eyes are wide as he stutters for word. "I'd like that?" He comes up with.

You're laughter is melodic, even if it is at him.

"Me too. Let's go on a date?"

Yaku Morisuke

Yaku has always been jealous of school's with female managers (or managers at all). Karasuno and Fukurodani both mock him for it relentlessly

But he's not ready for the reality of you joining as their manager

Now, he gets to see you in your full beauty everyday for hours at a time

And, he realizes when Taketora and Lev see you walk in the other gym, so do the other guys

At first, he subtly tries to keep them away from you. "Focus on practice!" he'd scold. "Shouldn't you be working on recieves, Lev?"

But there's only so much he can do to keep his jealousy at bay.

One day, you approach him about it. "You're pretty strict on the boys, huh?" Your smile is innocent. He thinks you don't suspect a thing.

"I guess," he agrees, hoping to change the subject away from anything but his fervent jealousy.

"How come?"

"I want you all to myself." The words are leaving his mouth before he even notices it. Quickly, he's apologizing for being so innapropriate and so daring.

You're calm and quick to tell him there's nothing to apolgize for. "Why didn't you say so?"

The next practice now that you and Yaku are official, no one goes near you.

Akaashi Keiji

Sweet baby boy realizes there's a very cute girl in his class and he isn't sure what to do.

One day, he hears you mention a favorite snack to a friend and suddenly he's got an idea.

The next day, the snack is in your locker with a "good morning!" note stuck to it.

The day after that, it's on your desk. "In case you get hungry in class," the note reads.

He switches between the two rotations to spice it up, changing notes as the days go.

"Your hair was different yesterday, it's very cute."

"Your presentation was enthralling. I couldn't take my eyes off you."

One day he goes to put a note in your locker and sees you've left a note for him, instead.

"Talk to me?" you ask.

"This is more fun," is his reply.

You start having conversations with his notes and snacks. You start leaving snacks for him, as well, and it makes his heart bloom.

One day you leave a note that surprises him. "Are you Akaashi Keiji? You've had the snacks the same snacks as the one's I've been leaving for a week now."

Oh. So his cover is blown. Now that all is on the table...

"Yeah, I like you. Go out with me?" He leaves a box next to yes and no.

He's surprised to see you in the gym after school when he goes to practice. You'd been chatting with some of the players, but when you see him you're immediately bounding towards him.

"Here," you hand him a paper and a snack. "I hope you don't mind."

He unfolds the note. Yes is checked off, with a heart drawn in next to it.

[n1sh1n0ya]

Hi hi ! Can i have some headcanons for Sugawara and Kuroo having a "fall in love at first sight" moment when they meet reader that is an artist (in their free time as a hobbie, they are high-school student like them), and will draw and sketch the team while they play, for potential posters or banners, reader is quite reserved but seem to have their eyes on Sugawara/Kuroo especially, Thank you !

Suga and Kuroo x artist! reader

a/n: I was literally thinking about writig some headcannons for this exact scenario before you requested this anon, great minds think alike? :)

Sugawara Koushi

When you poke your head around the corner of the Karasuno volleyball gym for the first time, he swears you’re the most beautiful person he’s ever seen before

He just stares for a second, before he realizes that everyone else is a bit preoccupied practicing, so he heads over to speak to you

“Hey there, what’s up?”

You quickly explain to him that you’re doing an art project where you’re studying movement and anatomy, so you were wondering if you could sit in on a few of their practices and games to draw some sketches

At this point you hear Daichi speak from behind you, as he’d seen you speaking to Suga and headed over to listen

“That should be fine, I mean, there’s no reason why not! We’ll be happy to help you”

You internally thank every god you can think of, because honestly, it took a lot out of your courage to walk into the boy’s gym

Hopefully they don’t catch on to the fact that you could have asked the girls team with much more ease, you just REALLY wanted to get the chance to talk to the cute grey-haired boy you saw going in and out of there sometimes

So you start sitting in on the boys’ practice, and sitting on the bench during some of their practice matches

Kiyoko and Yachi explain the rules of volleyball to you in so much depth that you feel like you could play it yourself, given the opportunity

You’ve been attending the majority of their practices for over two weeks now, and you’ve managed to create quite a lot of art, from Kageyama’s precise setting to Tanaka’s ruthless spikes

Because he spends a lot of time off the court :’), Suga and you talk a lot, and he’s always super complimentary of the artwork that you’ve made, so you eventually start hanging out outside of practice as well

You two grow super close, but it doesn’t really feel right to confess to him, so you keep it quiet and just continue the way you two are, being super close friends

Little do you know he’s actually feeling the exact same way, he doesn’t wanna confess to you in case he scares you away

So because you’re both stupid and in love in with each other, you never actually have a moment where either of you confess, there’s not point where you officially become a thing, but your meet ups become dates slowly and gradually

Kuroo Tetsurō

Kuroo first notices you in the upper levels of the gym when Nekoma is playing a practice match against Fukurodani, you with sketchbook in hand, intently watching the game

At first he brushes you off as a fangirl of one of the players on the court, because let’s be realistic, Oikawa’s not gonna be the only one with his own fanbase

But after the first time he sees you, he starts to notice you at almost all of the practice matches held at Nekoma, and most of the games that they play, but you never come down to talk to the team afterwards like Oikawa’s fangirls do

He’s totally not jealous, he just wants to talk to you to ask why you watch all their games, not for any other reason no no

So he takes the responsibility as captain to go and speak to you, and see why you’re so interested in the team’s playing

He heads up to the upper level of the gym to find you still sat where you had been for the last few hours, trying so desperately to remember what Yaku’s form had been like when he had received that spike

When he sees you, he can't help but peer over your shoulder into the sketchbook resting on your lap, and he’s shocked and impressed to see some pretty amazing sketches of his teammates spread across the double page you were working on

It bothers him slightly, however when he sees sketches of Yaku, Kenma and even Lev, but he doesn’t see himself anywhere on the page

“I can’t believe you would choose to draw Lev over me”

Hearing his voice so close behind you makes you jump about a mile and a half in the air, given the fact that you thought you were alone after all the players left the building

He laughs at your reaction a little, as you spin around to look at him, while closing your sketchbook to hide what was drawn inside

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just curious as to why you had been coming to see all our games, so I came to speak to you”

You were pretty embarrassed that you had been so engrossed in your work that you hadn’t heard him approaching, but reopened your sketchbook, flicking to the correct page before handing it to him

There were three sketches of him across the two pages, one spiking, one receiving and one blocking, and you giggled when you saw a little bit of a blush across his cheeks upon seeing that you had, in fact drawn him as well

“These are amazing, is this what you do when you’re in the stands of all our games?”

It was your turn to blush at that, you hadn’t realized that he had noticed you at EVERY game

You explain to him that you’ve been trying to capture the full movement and form of someone playing sports, but you couldn’t quite get it right from still pictures, so you decided to come and watch some of their games to really understand the movement of the players

You decided to omit the detail that you would have only needed to come to a few of the games, rather than almost every one for over a month now, but there was a certain spiky-haired middle blocker that caught your attention

You two chat for a little while, about both playing volleyball and drawing the players, when you hear a bored voice call up the stairs

“Hurry up, Kuroo, I wanna go home”

“I’m on my way down Kenma”

He’s about to stand up and leave, when he turns back and tosses a little piece of paper onto the top of your sketchbook with a smirk

When you open it, you find a number scrawled across it, ‘call me’ written in print just underneath

You look up to make a sarcastic remark about him always carrying his number around on pieces of paper, but he’s already gone

You don’t need to know that he wrote that especially for the day when he spoke to you for the first time

[engekihaikyuu]

Jan. 16, 2019 (x)

Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu!!

Good evening ☆

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last updated.   It’s a New Year for my blog too!   Please continue to support me in the New Year!!!

I had so much I wanted to write that this ended up being really late, but I’d be so happy if you would read it!  

Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu – The Strongest Team...

Wrapped up its schedule on December 16, 2018!   To everyone who came to the theater, to everyone who watched in a live viewing theater, to everyone who’s supported us, thank you so much!!

And thank you so much for all the letters and presents!  I always get a lot of strength from them!   I am truly sorry that I’m so late in saying my thanks.   I kept writing my blog entry for Engeki Haikyuu and erasing it and rewriting it, and then before I realized it, it was the new year... lol Please forgive me, I’m very bad at speaking.

Once again, I have nothing but gratitude for being able to be Kageyama Tobio for a year and a half, for three productions total, and to be able to play volleyball with everyone on Karasuno.  Thank you so much.

I’ve always been a fan of the original manga series that’s published in Shounen Jump, and I’ve always been into Kageyama Tobio, who shares my surname.  I came to love him as a character because of his awkwardness, his attitude toward volleyball, his relationship with Hinata, and I was quite drawn to his growth and development as a person.  

I still remember even now talking to my manager about definitely wanting to audition for this production. I could see the results of the audition in my dreams over and over, and every time, I’d swing back and forth between being happy and sad.   When I got the part, I was really so shocked. And happy, so happy.   But at the same time, I felt enormous pressure about representing a character I loved.  

I’m not strong mentally, and I kept wondering to myself if it was ok that I play Kageyama Tobio, and I would get depressed over and over. Even as I got more experience with the production, this dark side of me would appear again and again and I worried a lot as to whether or not I’d be able to continue acting even.  

I mean, Kageyama Tobio has such a huge presence, and Kimura Tatsunari’s Tobio was such a huge presence... Engeki Haikyuu is a truly special place where you have to think for yourself and you have to take charge otherwise you will disappear on that stage.  It’s a place where you need a lot of power as an individual.  You have to strategize with the people around you and consider the things you can do, the things you can’t, and all the things you’re lacking as an actor.  It was a really hard balance to strike within my own heart.  

But in those times, the people who supported me and lifted me up were my friends, my family, the people in my agency, everyone in the staff, everyone involved with the production, the Karasuno members, everyone in Gekidan Haikyuu, and every one of you who supported us.   Our director Worry-san always believed in me. And I love Worry-san’s Engeki.  

To Wada-san, Our composer Wada-san supported us with his music.  I was so happy that we could have his music live for The Strongest Team and that we could talk about Engeki together.

To our choreographer, Tsuto-san, I was always so happy whenever he’d praise me. His Engeki volleyball was the best.

To our sound crew, our lighting crew, and everyone on our staging crew, The reason that I could stand on that stage as Kageyama was because all of them were there for us, and because we created this production together with them.  

And to everyone on Karasuno...

Keita-kun He was always so reliable and always gave great hugs.  Knowing that Keita-kun was behind us made me feel secure; he was such a reassuring captain!

Ken-chan When it was my first time with the production in Summer of Evolution, he was always looking out for me.  Ken-chan’s kindness saved me so much.  

Naoki I’ve known Naoki a long time, and it made me really happy to be able to talk together and create something together.  I was able to do all of those acrobatics because Naoki was there.

Hiroki We’re the same age, and he has such an easygoing attitude, that he was really comfortable to be around.  Thank you for traveling with me and for being so nice to me professionally and personally.  

Jas-kun Gekidan Haikyuu’s Idea Man.  Jas-kun’s attitude toward Engeki was really wonderful. He really was the Ace figure who’d finish things out for us.  

Kazuma-kun We’re both from Shizuoka originally, and we had generally the same feelings about a lot of things, and he was always giving me advice.  Thank you for always looking out for me from every angle.  

Shio-san He was like a captain of a special attack unit, and was always in the vanguard for acting and commenting on everything. I really loved tossing to Shio-san’s Tanaka-san.  

Fucchi We started together with Summer of Evolution, and he’s the guardian deity that’s overcome a lot together with me.  Thank you for doing extra morning practices with me. He made me laugh a lot.  

Shouhei-kun When I first saw that first production, Nishinoya was the one I liked most.  His form when chasing after the ball, his receives, I loved it all.  

Kairi I first met him in high school, and I was really surprised to see how big he’d gotten.  He played Yamaguchi’s story so sensitively, so carefully, and he was always so supportive even when you couldn’t see him.  When I see Kairi’s Yamaguchi, I think that when the first-years become third-years, that Yamaguchi would be captain.  

Ryoutarou As our characters, he and I are like cats and dogs, but normally he’s so sweet, you can’t hate Ryoutarou.  I feel like we really shared a lot of the same energy and atmosphere when acting together.  It was a lot of fun to create the relationship between myself and Tsukishima who really is annoying.  

Tatsunari Because Tatsunari was Kageyama first, I was able to be Kageyama after.   Even now, Tatsunari’s Kageyama is so vivid in my mind, I can see him so clearly in front of my eyes.  I’d love to be able to relax and chat with him over a drink soon.

And Kenta I really do think that I was extremely privileged to be able to act together with him and to face Kenta’s Hinata.  I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused.  Hinata says to Kageyama in Act I, “As long as I’m here, you’re invincible.”  And when he says that, it really saved Kageyama and it really saved me too.  Thank you.  

And to everyone who supported us Your support really was our strength.   At times when I thought I would break, it was because everyone made the effort to come to the theater, and because everyone was thinking about us that I was able to keep going after the ball.  I am really bad at expressing my feelings honestly, so I think I might have worried some people a lot.  But because you believed in me even so, I was able to perform to the end.  Thank you so very much.  

It was thanks to the help of everyone who was involved that we were able to make it to the finish line. There are some sights that you just can’t see by yourself, and I was able to see so many of them.  

Life is different for everyone, and there are all sorts of viewpoints and you never what’s going to happen.  But to be able to spend the time that I could with everyone is my treasure.  

Engeki Haikyuu really helped me to experience a lot of new things.  It was like a dream, thank you so much.  

From now on, as an actor that carries the renown of Gekidan Haikyuu, I want to keep working hard so that I can make people say those guys that came out of Engeki Haikyuu are awesome or crazy.   Today marks one month since the final performance of The Strongest Team.  

To me, Engeki Haikyuu is The Strongest Team. I’m going to work diligently so that I one day work on another production together with those Engeki maniacs.     Engeki Haikyuu will continue onward.  

Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu – The Tokyo Battle

To everyone on Nekoma who fought together with us, to everyone on Fukurodani, and to everyone newly joining on Nohebi!  I’m looking forward to seeing you from the audience!! Please connect the ball as you always do!  

This has gotten really long so thank you for reading to the end.   Even though I’m like this, if you could continue to support me from here on, I’d be so happy!!

My next stage will be “Dororo.”   It’s my first time doing stage combat with swords so a new challenge will start soon!  If you can, please come see it!!!

See you again ☆

———

Translation by @nimbus-cloud If you love the work I do for this blog and the translations I provide, please consider donating a ko-fi~  (x)    

[kythen]

Haikyuu!! - Slow Dancing [1/?]

Title: Slow Dancing (Chapter 1)

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: Kurodai

Summary: A hybrid and masquerade AU. Courtship, like dancing, is best done slowly.

Lord Oikawa of Aobajousai is hosting a masquerade party and all are invited to partake in three nights of masks, finery, and of course, dancing. Kuroo Tetsurou of Nekoma finds himself enraptured by a crow he chances upon while looking out for his young lordling. On the other hand, Sawamura Daichi of Karasuno is drawn in by a cat who seems intent on flirting with him. Welcome to the masquerade, where everyone is everything and nothing they seem to be.

Also found here on AO3.

Word count: 5,312

[Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4]

"We, um, lost Kenma," Inuoka reports, his ears flat against his head and his tail switching nervously. Beside him, Lev displays none of the same nervousness Inuoka has, standing tall and earnest, despite doing what Kuroo had explicitly told them not to do and lose Kenma.

Kuroo sighs, putting down the reports he had been reading and smoothing them out against the surface of the table. "I'll go look for him. One of you wait by Kenma's room in case he returns and another of you go and tell the others to search for Kenma."

Inuoka and Lev nod in unison and barrel back out of the door. Kuroo follows them out, locking his door behind him before he sets out in search of Kenma.

They have only been in the Aobajousai castle for a day but Kenma has already managed to disappear on them twice. They found him the first time after one of the Aobajousai folk tipped them off and Kuroo had told the rest of Nekoma to keep an eye on Kenma so that he didn't disappear again before the ball. Even so, Kuroo has had a bad feeling about this and it turns out that he was right. He should have watched Kenma himself instead of trying to catch up on paperwork while away from home.

Kuroo checks the lower levels first, where they had found Kenma the first time, scouring the dark and quiet corners for a familiar splotched head of blond and black. It is unlikely that Kenma would be outside the castle, even with the weather being as fine as it is, and it is just as unlikely that Kenma would have been taken by force. As far as Kuroo knows, everyone gathered here in the castle was friendly, or under truce, and kidnapping the heir to another fief would only bring the wrath of everyone else down on them. No, it is more likely that Kenma had run away to avoid attending tonight's ball—not that Kuroo would let him.

The Aobajousai castle is absurdly huge and Kuroo sticks to the south wing once he sees the rest of Nekoma fan out all over the castle. It is an old and inherited property, passed down through ancient lines of tradition to Oikawa, who took it upon himself to improve the castle once it had come into his hands. In addition to its sprawling inner quarters and outer courtyards, there were now false doors that led to nowhere and windows that opened up into outdoor walkways, all constructed haphazardly into its original structure. While maddeningly frustrating, it was a clever move on Oikawa's part to deter would-be intruders and assassins, which he had in spades. And seeing the number of social functions Oikawa liked to hold, Kuroo wouldn't put it past him to have done it for the sake of messing around with his guests.

The castle tries Kuroo's patience as he searches it, looking into every nook and cranny that Kenma could possibly fit himself into. He climbs a spiral staircase in a narrow tower only to find himself at a dead end, seemingly one of Oikawa's frustrating designs. Kuroo stops on the top step and looks carefully around him. Light spills through a lone window behind him, starting to fade as evening draws near. But it is still bright enough for him, barely, to make out a low door to his side, built at an odd angle to the steps. Kuroo stoops and tugs at its handle and it opens for him easily, leading out into the ramparts.

This high up, the wind is strong and Kuroo's hair whips against his face, obviously ruined for appearing at social functions anytime soon. He can fix it later but now and more importantly, he has to bring Kenma back with him. Kuroo isn't alone on the ramparts and he sees Kenma crouched against the parapets, hiding from the wind. There is another boy beside him, who has bright orange hair and a pair of large, black wings, which marks him out as someone from Karasuno.

Kuroo stops before the both of them and Kenma looks up at him, irritation creasing his brows.

"Hello!" says the Karasuno boy, balking slightly when he catches sight of Kuroo's face.

Kuroo smiles and it does nothing to settle the Karasuno boy down. If anything, it makes him more nervous and Kenma has started to scowl at him.

"Kuroo," Kenma says as he stands. The Karasuno boy follows suit and the wind catches on his wings, almost knocking him off balance.

"We've got to go," Kuroo says. "The ball will be starting soon and you can meet your new friend there."

"Kuroo, you know how I feel about this," Kenma mutters.

"I do, but duty is duty."

Kenma looks mutinous but he steps away from the parapets, looking back at the Karasuno boy as he says, "I'll see you later, Shouyou."

The Karasuno boy waves back at him, spreading his wings, and Kuroo hears the beating of wings against the wind as he returns to the tower with Kenma in tow.

"Secret tryst?" Kuroo looks over at Kenma as they head back down the stairs.

"We just met."

"Interesting place for a first meeting."

"He was flying. He stopped on the ramparts because the wind was too strong."

"Will he be okay out there? He's pretty small."

"He'll be fine."

Kuroo glances over at Kenma again, caught off guard by the certainty in his voice. "Oh my. You sure it wasn't a tryst?"

"It was not."

"Sure." Kuroo smirks and Kenma doesn't bother looking his way.

Kuroo takes Kenma back down into the depths of the castle, which are still swarming with frantic Nekoma folk. Kuroo grabs a frazzled Shibayama on his way past them and tells him to call off the search, which Shibayama receives with obvious relief.

"It should be you in my place, Kuroo," Kenma says quietly as Shibayama scurries off to relay Kuroo's orders.

Kuroo knows how much Kenma hates this, but duty is duty, and birthrights are birthrights. Even if Kenma and his bloodlines were crossed, that would not entitle him to anything that Kenma was born into. Kuroo was fortunate enough to be taken in and brought this far, and he is content with where he is now in Nekoma, right by Kenma's side and just out of the spotlight.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Kenma. The people of Nekoma adore you."

"That's all your doing. Yours and Yaku's and Kai's. I haven't done anything."

"Oh yes, like the relocation plan after the south district caught fire wasn't your idea. Or opening the castle's stores during the food shortage of last winter."

"Those weren't perfect solutions. You were the one who worked them out with the rest and carried them out."

They reach Kenma's room and Lev brightens up when he sees them, straightening up from where he had been crouching on the floor. Kuroo shoos him off and rests a hand on the door handle. "Look, Kenma, I'm not going to argue with you about this again. You know why. But we have a ball to attend in less than an hour and if you don't show up Oikawa is going to want to know why."

The look on Kenma's face says it all and Kuroo chuckles, pushing the door open and ushering Kenma in.

"No running off again or I'll send Oikawa after you next time."

"You wouldn't."

"I would. It's his castle after all."

---

"Welcome, one and all, to the world-famous Aobajousai masquerade balls!" Oikawa proclaims from the top of the stairs, preening as he draws the attention of everyone in the ballroom.

"Show off," Kuroo mutters under his breath as Oikawa descends the stairs with a flair only someone of his caliber could muster. He is blooming, vines stretching along his arms and curling along his sides, roses bursting open in his chestnut hair like natural adornments. Unlike Kenma, the Lord of Aobajousai loves parties, which is why they were all gathered here from across the kingdom for three nights of festivities.

This time, Oikawa had decided on a masquerade theme, making it mandatory for everyone attending to show up in a mask. The first night was for the different fiefs to acquaint themselves with each other and everyone was decked out in formal wear in their fief colours, distinctive animal or plant features displayed proudly. Costumes were a must for the second night, by Oikawa's decree, and free dress was for the third night. While masks were to be worn for all three nights, the different, fief-unique features were useful in identifying where someone came from.

Those with cat ears and tails like Kuroo had come with him from Nekoma while those with plants dancing along their skin were in their home territory of Aobajousai. Across the ballroom, Kuroo sees the eagle-winged folk of Shiratorizawa, whom Oikawa had probably been forced to invite for the sake of good relations, and the owl-winged folk of Fukurodani. The snake folk were from Nohebi, the monkey folk from Jouzenji, and the bear folk from Date, all scattered around the ballroom along with others sporting their own distinctive features.

Kuroo's eyes fall on another group of winged folk, their wings a solemn, solid black in contrast to the eagles and owls. There is a head of orange mixed in amongst them and Kuroo steps forward to nudge Kenma in the back.

"There's your crow-winged friend," Kuroo murmurs in his ear. "Looks like he made it down safely. Wanna go say hi?"

"Later," Kenma mumbles, keeping his eyes down. But the tip of his tail twitches, betraying his interest, and Kuroo smiles indulgently.

"Looks like Oikawa's big introductory speech is over," Kuroo remarks as polite applause fills the ballroom. Oikawa is on the ground level now, conversing easily with his guests, and the different groups of folk have started to disperse, filling the ballroom with a mix of colour. "We could go for the food first. Unless you want to dance?" Kuroo teases.

An elbow flies into Kuroo's side and Kuroo coughs, turning watering eyes onto Yaku, who had come up beside him while he wasn't paying attention. "Stop bullying Kenma. He's nervous enough as it is."

"Hey, if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to help him relax," Kuroo protests, holding a hand to his wounded side.

"By winding him up even more?" Yaku scoffs. "Kuroo, provocation isn't the cure for everything."

"Neither is violence," Kuroo retorts.

"Kenma's gone," Kai observes calmly, breaking up the argument between the both of them with practised ease.

Kuroo whips back around and Kai is right—Kenma isn't there. His tail lashes out crossly behind him, angry at him for not keeping an eye on Kenma.

"He's fine," Kai assures him, directing him to look across the ballroom at where Kenma has made contact with a familiar orange-haired crow.

"He's talking to a stranger," Yaku says, his voice filled with wonder. "He never does that. Usually we'd have to drag him out from the corners of the ballroom."

"They grow up so fast," Kuroo says with emotion.

"It is his duty, even if he doesn't like it," Yaku points out. "Someday, he'll be the Lord of Nekoma and he'll have to do whatever Oikawa is doing—or at least, the basics of what he's doing. You can't coddle him forever, Kuroo."

"I do not," Kuroo says and both Yaku and Kai look at him disbelievingly. "Not that much?"

"Go and have fun, Kuroo," Kai says sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder. "Kenma will be fine."

"Go get laid for all we care," Yaku says, less sympathetically. "After all, that's the purpose of these parties, isn't it?"

"Wow, Yakkun, is that concern for my love life that you're showing?" Kuroo raises an eyebrow at him.

"What love life?" Yaku snorts before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

"Kai, I may never recover," Kuroo mutters, staggering against him. "Has it really been that long since I last slept with someone?"

"Unless you count the reports you've been taking to bed as of late, yes." Kai pats him on the shoulder again and props him up on his own two feet before he follows in Yaku's footsteps.

"I feel unjustly insulted," Kuroo mutters to himself. "I've been busy."

He had been busy, sorting out an influx of reports in Nekoma once the older advisors started retiring one by one. Like the elderly cats they were, they did as they liked, letting their work spill down to the younger generation without much warning. Officially, Kuroo didn't have a place in the advising council yet, but unofficially, he was pretty much the one holding it all together with the help of Yaku and Kai and Kenma, along with the inner circle of cats he had urgently recruited.

But as Yaku and Kai had said, since he was here, and technically free of all responsibility by virtue of being free from the Nekoma castle, maybe he should leave all the paperwork aside for now. Let Nekomata and the other surviving advisors back in Nekoma handle it all for a while. He is going to have fun and let loose—while still keeping an eye on Kenma.

Kuroo slinks towards the food table, watching the middle of the ballroom fill up with all manner of folk, teeth and claws and wings and tails meshing together in dance. Kenma is still with the Karasuno boy, the both of them keeping to the side of the ballroom as per Kenma's usual habits. He'll be fine, Kuroo assures himself as he tears his eyes away from them and turns his attention fiercely onto the food spread out on the table.

"Oh, do you want that?" A hand retreats from the platter directly before him and Kuroo glances across the table.

He sees black crow wings and a man smiles at him apologetically, holding a full plate in his hands. Like everyone else in the ballroom, he wears a mask, velvet black and simple, which obscures the top part of his face.

"Oh, no." Kuroo gestures to the last piece of something on the platter. "Feel free."

"Are you sure?" the crow says. "I have to admit, I've probably tried each of everything and it looks like you've just arrived to the food table."

"I'm not that hungry," Kuroo insists. "Go ahead."

"You know," a drawling voice interrupts the both of them, "we do replenish empty platters here at Aobajousai, polite gentlemen." Kuroo and the crow startle as a man with pale pink hair saunters towards them with a slow-growing grin on his face. He taps the edge of the table and says, "One of you take it already so we can replace the platter."

Less than a minute later, Kuroo finds himself slinking away from the food table, a frantically filled plate in his hands and the crow right next to him, muted embarrassment hanging in the air between them.

"It looks like you're particularly hungry," Kuroo clears his throat, breaking the awkward silence. He eyes the mound of food balanced on the crow's plate pointedly.

"Not particularly," the crow replies shortly.

"Big eater?" Kuroo raises an eyebrow, dropping his gaze to the crow's body.

He doesn't look especially big-sized, even though he has a solid waist and firm legs framed by the clean-cut black of his clothes. He is about a hands-width shorter than Kuroo but he carries himself well, his shoulders squared and his posture straight, making up for the height difference between them with impressive presence. Even though Kuroo can't make out his whole face under his mask, he gets the sense that his newfound crow companion is attractive in spite of his deceptively plain first appearance.

"It's normal," the crow insists, trying to sound nonchalant even as his steps quicken, betraying his annoyance over Kuroo and his questions about his food choices.

Kuroo grins, widening his strides to keep up with the crow. "You mean all crow folk eat this much?"

"It's a long way to go between Karasuno and Aobajousai," the crow says defensively. "Anyone would be hungry after travelling that distance."

"You're right," Kuroo agrees with him amiably.

The crow shoots him a suspicious look like he had expected Kuroo to keep at it and Kuroo smiles back at him winningly. He is about to ask the crow if he can join him at his table when a flash of blond and orange catches his eye and his attention trails off to the side. He is close to the pillar that Kenma and the crow boy from Karasuno have sought refuge at and his footsteps slow, caught between wanting to stop to check on Kenma and wanting to follow the crow to his table.

Kenma catches his eye before he makes a full stop and Kuroo thinks it would be a good idea to keep walking when the crow boy catches sight of him.

"Hi again!" the crow boy chirps, recognising him even with his mask on. The crow boy's mask dwarfs his face, black and orange in his fief colours, and he adjusts it when it slips down over his nose.

Kuroo raises his shoulders in a slight shrug to Kenma, grinning as he stops before the both of them. "Hey there. I didn't get your name the previous time."

"I'm Hinata Shouyou!" the crow boy says.

Kuroo doesn't recognise that name and he mentally files it away for later reference. He isn't too familiar with the crow folk from Karasuno, seeing that he has never had any reason to cross paths with them.

"Have you and Kenma tried the food?" Kuroo asks him, holding up his plate.

"I did but, uh..." Hinata glances at Kenma.

"We can go to the food table now," Kenma interjects. "Seems like it's less crowded now."

Kuroo twitches at the less than obvious jibe at him and he waves his tail at the both of them as they head away from him. Maybe Yaku and Kai were right and he was hovering too much. Kuroo has been antsy ever since the Lord of Nekoma started talking about retirement and Kenma started his own series of small rebellions so that the position of lord would be put as far away from him as possible. Kuroo would tell him that it didn't work, seeing that he was the only one eligible for that particular position by blood, legal blood, but he doesn't want to give Kenma even more ideas.

"Okay, no. Party time," Kuroo whispers to himself, reminding himself of where he is as he puts Nekoma politics out of his mind and looks around for his crow companion. "Dance, flirt madly, hopefully get laid..."

The crow is gone and Kuroo droops. Obviously, he wouldn't wait around for Kuroo.

There are so many other people Kuroo could approach in this ballroom other than the crow, each more exotic than the next, but the crow had been intriguing in his own way, with so much of him yet to be known under his mask, and Kuroo is nothing if not determined.

---

"Mind if I join you?" Kuroo grins down at his crow after finally locating him at an out-of-the-way table with a decent view of the dance floor.

"Go ahead." If the crow was startled he keeps it out of his voice and body language well as he gestures at a chair across him.

"Nice view you've got here," Kuroo remarks as he wolves down a sandwich and something that looks like a bird wing. Chicken, maybe.

There is an empty plate on the table before the crow and he looks sated, his posture more relaxed than it had been around Kuroo previously. "Just trying to make sure that nobody from Karasuno wreaks havoc here. Oikawa would have a field day."

"He would forgive you magnanimously, and you would owe him for half your lifetime."

The crow chuckles. "Sounds like someone has experience dealing with the Lord of Aobajousai."

"Don't we all. He practically rules this kingdom. It's been hell trying to catch the fine 'not-technically-illegal-but-very-advantageous-to-him' print on each and every agreement."

"I can't tell if I'm envious of his way with loopholes or just plain annoyed," the crow agrees.

"With great power comes great craftiness," Kuroo intones. "Or maybe it's the other way around."

The crow looks at him sidelong. "Speaking from experience again?"

"Who me?" Kuroo grins and bites into a chocolate eclair.

The crow grins back at him, fully facing Kuroo now as he nods towards the eclair. "Those are good."

"Oh," Kuroo says through a mouthful of delicious chocolate and tries not to flash any teeth at the crow. "Speaking from experience?"

"Yes," the crow replies, not taking the bait. "I was fully prepared to fight you at the food table for it, just so you know."

"If your definition of 'fight' was to duel me with politeness, I'll have you know you'd probably have won if we weren't interrupted."

"Thank you. Now I can sleep at night knowing that I have another victory secured under my belt."

"Ah yes, the ancient art of politeness on display again. You, my fine crow, are a champion at this." Kuroo polishes off the rest of his plate. He hadn't realised how hungry he was until he started eating. Maybe the crow was right about hunger and travelling distances. "How about a rematch?"

"At the food table? You must be particularly hungry," the crow remarks, a smile in his voice.

"Nah, I probably won't be able to beat you in that department either." Kuroo pushes his plate aside and leans an elbow on the table. "How about on the dance floor? Would you like to dance, sir crow?"

"Oh," falls from the crow's lips but he recovers quickly. "You'll get indigestion, dancing on a full stomach."

"I will have no such problem," Kuroo says confidently. He has done more than dance right after eating before.

"I don't really dance," the crow admits.

"I could teach you," Kuroo offers, holding out a hand.

The crow smiles back but doesn't take his hand. Kuroo can read another apology on his lips when a flash of silver appears right above the crow's head and Kuroo opens his mouth in warning just as the newly arrived crow slaps his crow between the shoulder blades.

His crow squawks, his wings flaring out behind him and nearly sweeping the crow behind him off his feet. Spread wide, his wings tower above Kuroo, sleek black feathers laid out along a sturdy bone structure, strong enough to bear the weight of a human body. They are beautiful, stealing the air right out of Kuroo's lungs as he gazes up at them.

Quick as they had come out, the crow folds his wings against his back, some of his feathers ruffled after the sudden movement and he smooths a hand over them as he turns back with a glare. The silver-haired crow that had startled him drops into a chair next to him, unapologetic and windswept from dancing.

"Alright, s' your turn," the silver-haired crow says breathlessly, looking between the crow and Kuroo. "Oh, look, you've already got yourself a partner. Nice."

"I was in the middle of being turned down," Kuroo tells him, sending a silent, telepathic prayer for help over.

"Whatever for?" the silver-haired crow says in amazement, turning to the crow. "Was he being a jerk to you or something?"

"Yes, at first, but he's slightly more tolerable now," the crow says wryly and Kuroo's heart flutters with hope.

But he doesn't want to push too hard and end up right back in the intolerable range so he concedes. "Don't feel like dancing? I'll drop it if you aren't in the mood."

The crow hesitates.

Understanding dawns on the silver-haired crow in a flash and he leans forward to look Kuroo in the eye, his silver eyes glinting through the holes in his mask. He has a fancy one on, the edges trimmed with a stiff lace that threads through the sides of his hair. "He's probably worried about stepping on your feet," he whispers far too loudly. "He's not so good with footwork, this one, but he dances nicely enough if you hold him really well."

"Hey," the crow says indignantly, although his face flushes in a way that makes Kuroo think that the silver-haired crow is right.

Kuroo nods knowingly. "Don't worry, I'm really good at avoiding stray feet and guiding wayward crows through the dance floor. You'll be safe with me, promise." He offers his hand to the crow again with a small smile. "So, once more, would you like to dance?"

The crow glances at his hand, then at his friend and back again before taking Kuroo's hand with a huff.

"You couldn't have come at a worse time," the crow mutters at the silver-haired crow as he stands.

"You mean a better time," the silver-haired crow corrects with a grin. "Have a good time, the both of you!"

"On a scale of one to ten, how likely am I to be stepped on while dancing with you?" Kuroo asks lightly as they wait for the current song to end.

"Ten. It's too late to regret it," the crow informs him.

"Aren't you bird folk supposed to be light anyway? You know, hollow bones for better flight?"

The crow shoots him a look and says, amused, "You wish."

The song draws to an end and they take up a recently vacated spot on the floor, fumbling for a moment as they try to figure out whose hand goes where before the next song starts up.

"I'm taller," Kuroo says smugly, his hand resting on the crow's back and brushing the underside of his wings.

He swears he sees the crow roll his eyes as he rests his hand on Kuroo's shoulder. "Not for long," he mutters under his breath.

The song starts up, and it goes well. The crow isn't as bad of a dancer as his silver-haired friend makes him out to be, even though he spends more time glancing down at his feet instead of looking up at Kuroo.

"Hey," Kuroo says, by way of catching his attention.

"Hm?" the crow answers without looking up.

"Eyes up here?" Kuroo suggests. "I think your feet are doing fine even without your supervision."

The crow shrugs but he tilts his chin up to meet Kuroo's gaze. "It's your loss."

Almost instantly after he looks away, a heavy weight crushes Kuroo's foot on their next step and Kuroo bites down on his lip to keep himself from yelping. He still emits a pained whimper anyway, his fingers digging into the crow's hand, and the crow backs away from him, his gaze snapping downwards again as he steps off Kuroo's foot. He would have taken another step back and slammed into another couple but Kuroo holds him fast, dropping his head onto his shoulder as he sucks in a quick breath of air. They are lucky that it is a slow song, which allows them to come to a near stop in the middle of the floor.

"I'm sorry," the crow apologises, his face flushed as Kuroo lifts his head from his shoulder after the pain fades to something more tolerable, "but I told you."

"It's fine, I'm fine," Kuroo breathes, exhaling heavily as they start moving again. "Keep looking up."

The crow gives him a doubtful look and Kuroo brings his tail to the front, curling it around the backs of the crow's thighs. The next time he makes a misstep, Kuroo knows to bring his foot away instead of letting it get crushed under the crow's foot. They end up with a slightly different variation of the dance, with Kuroo dodging the crow's feet every few counts, but Kuroo thinks it is fine as long his feet are safe.

"You're pretty good at this," the crow admits. "Most people would have given up on me by now."

"That would be such a waste." Kuroo smiles at him in what he hopes is a most charming manner.

"Do you like dancing?" the crow asks thoughtfully.

"I do when I have a charming partner."

"Then you must be forcing yourself now," the crow says wryly.

"On the contrary," Kuroo meets him with a grin, "I'm enjoying myself immensely."

"You weren't enjoying yourself a minute ago when I stepped on your foot," the crow points out and Kuroo winces at the reminder.

"That was in the past— hey, don't step on me again." Kuroo sidesteps a particularly wayward foot, guiding the crow aside with a firm hand on his back.

"Honest mistake, my apologies."

There is nothing apologetic about the barely concealed mischief in the crow's eyes or the twitch of his mouth and Kuroo smiles despite himself. It was not just flattery on his part when he had called his crow partner charming because he is charming, playful beneath that seemingly stern front. His mask covers the top half of his face, set over a strong jaw and firm chin, but his mouth is inviting, soft and well-used to smiling. Through the eyeholes in his mask, his eyes are a warm brown in the light, sparkling with a mirth that warns Kuroo to watch his feet again.

Instead of dodging this time, Kuroo tightens his grip on the crow, swinging him around easily and dislodging his steps. The crow's wings ruffle behind him, spreading slightly to catch his balance as he rights himself in Kuroo's hold.

"Change of pace," Kuroo says innocently as the band segues into another song with a count twice as fast as the previous song. "Keep up."

"You keep up," the crow retorts, lifting his head in challenge to Kuroo.

Kuroo smirks, tightening his hold on the crow. "Oh, I will."

---

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Kuroo says breezily, loosening his collar as he leaves the ballroom.

"It looked like you and that other crow were trying to beat each other up on the dance floor," Kenma comments. "Don't you usually save that kind of thing for the bedroom?"

"I didn't expect us to become a spectacle." Kuroo grimaces. One moment they were trying to outmanoeuvre each other in that tight space between the both of them and the next moment half the dance floor had cleared out rather than get caught up in their spontaneous competition.

The both of them had broken apart the moment they noticed that they had somehow become the centre of attraction and Kuroo had slunk towards the shadowy sides of the ballroom before he realised that he had lost his crow companion. Even with some cautious searching after the attention on them had dispersed, he had not managed to find his crow again.

"It was entertaining at least," Kenma says, the corners of his lips quirking up, which was his way of laughing at Kuroo. "You can look for him tomorrow night."

"I hope so." Kuroo sighs, longingly remembering the press of the crow's body against his, pushing back when Kuroo tried to take up more of his space, his legs tangling in his when the crow tried to trip him up. There had been so much promise in what they had building up between them. Something fun, something special, something more that Kuroo had been looking forward to.

He sighs again.

Kenma says nothing, not even bothering to give him the stink-eye as he usually would, which makes Kuroo think that Kenma's night with Hinata had gone exceptionally well. He is envious of them. Happy for Kenma, but still envious. Kuroo hadn't even managed to get a name.

Tomorrow then, as Kenma had said. He will look for the crow and ask him to dance again, unusual footwork or not.