Chapter Text
“When I moved out of my parents’ house, I thought I’d never miss it—but I’m glad to be back.” Kenma smiled fondly out the taxi window and up at his bedroom window on the second floor of his childhood home.
Kuroo reciprocated the smile as he recognized his own home right next to Kenma’s before he got out of the taxi and stretched his limbs. The train and taxi ride to their neighborhood proved to put quite a strain on Kuroo’s body but he was able to unload their luggage from the back of the taxi and pay the driver easily.
“I’ll see you in a little bit.” Kuroo pressed a quick kiss to Kenma’s cheek before shouldering his backpack and grabbing his suitcase handle. Kuroo fumbled in his pocket for his old house key before the door unlocked from the inside and he was wrapped up in his grandfather’s embrace.
“Tetsu-tan! You look like you’ve grown so much since I last saw you.” He bellowed, releasing him before clapping on the back. He quickly took Kuroo’s suitcase from him and ushered him inside the house.
“Oji-san, I told you to drop the ‘tan’. I’m not a little kid anymore!” Kuroo chuckled and stepped inside, inhaling the familiar scent of his home.
“Aw, you’ll always be my little Tetsu-tan.” Kuroo’s grandfather chuckled before ruffling his hair. “And you’ll always have the same awful hair.” He added before making his way up the stairs with Kuroo’s suitcase in his hand.
Kuroo narrowed his eyes at the old man’s back before following him up the stairs and into his old bedroom.
“We kept everything just the way you left it. Your dad refused to let us turn it into a home gym.” Kuroo’s grandfather dropped the suitcase on the bed, causing a cloud of dust to puff up from the sheet. “As you can see, we didn’t even wash the sheets.” He joked. Kuroo laughed and let his backpack drop to the floor before he flopped onto his bed, holding his breath temporarily to avoid getting assaulted by the dust.
“It’s perfect.” He could make out the faint green lines of the small glow-in-the-dark star stickers he had begged his father to put on the ceiling for him when he was little. They were so faded that they almost blended in with the white ceiling. He felt his grandfather sit down on the bed next to him and heard him sigh.
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring Ken-tan with you.” Kuroo’s grandfather observed after a beat of silence. Kuroo sat up abruptly, snapping out of his nostalgia and remembering that he had promised Kenma he’d be over in a little bit. It had been almost half an hour.
“Actually, I told him I’d meet him over at his house. We got here together but I just wanted to give him some time with his mom.” Kuroo stood up and brushed the dust off of his pants. “And to come see you, of course, Oji-san.” He patted his grandfather on the shoulder with a mischievous grin.
Kuroo’s grandfather smugly wiped the dust from his shoulder and chuckled. “How sweet.” He surveyed Kuroo’s room. “And yes, I’ll wash your sheets.”
Kenma sighed before walking towards his home. His suitcase trailed behind him as he struggled to bring it up the few steps in front of his home. He noticed only one car was home and noted that it was likely only his mother was home. He knocked on the door a few times before his mother opened the door with an excited squeal before enveloping him in a hug. He dropped his suitcase in surprise, but eventually wrapped his arms around his mom.
“Ken-tan! You’re finally home, I’ve missed you so much. Your father doesn’t appreciate my cooking like you and Kuroo-chan do.” Kenma’s mother greeted, keeping him captive in the doorway.
Kenma smiled into the embrace. They let go of each other before Kenma’s mother hurriedly grabbed his suitcase from the floor to bring it inside of their mom.
“Come in, come in. I’m in the middle of making dinner, will Kuro-chan be joining us?” She asked.
“Yeah, I think he’s gonna come by once he’s settled.”
“Perfect! Now, go settle in and I’ll call you when dinner’s ready. I wanna hear all about what you’ve been up to at university.” She replied, hurrying back over to the stove where she was frying mackerel.
“Okay. Thank you, Okaa-san.”
“You’re welcome. Anything for you Ken-chan.”
Kenma smiled at her before, once again, struggling to get his suitcase up the stairs to the second floor. He opened the door to his room and placed his suitcase and backpack on the floor before laying face down onto his bed. He sighed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. The last time Kenma had been in this room, he was riddled with anxiety about his future. Turns out, he had been worried for nothing. This semester was nothing like how he’d thought it’d be like, and he was thankful for that. He unlocked his phone and sent Kuroo a text about dinner before pulling out his PSP.
About 10 minutes later, Kuroo texted him that he was waiting at the door, and Kenma walked back downstairs to let him in.
“Hi.” Kuroo smiled.
“Hi.” Kenma replied, somehow feeling shy about their relationship status. Having him here in his childhood home as his boyfriend made Kenma feel embarrassed. He had yet to tell his mother about the change in their relationship, but felt that she would somehow notice it nevertheless.
Kenma opened the door wider, letting Kuroo walk inside his home.
“Kuroo-chan!” Kenma’s mother greeted, walking up to hug Kuroo.
“Okaa-san!” Kuroo greeted back, Kuroo had been calling her his mother for as long as they could remember.
“Kuroo-chan, how has college been? Has Kenma been alright? How is Sachiko?” She questioned.
Kuroo chuckled to himself, bringing a hand behind his head.
“Okaa-san, please don’t assault him with questions he literally just walked through the door.”
“Aw but Ken-chan, I missed Kuroo too! Besides, he’s more likely to give me an update on you than you are.” She chuckled..
Kenma pouted in response, sitting down at the dinner table. Kenma’s mother began to bring the food she had made to the table as they all sat around it.
“Where’s Oto-san?” Kenma asked.
“Oh, your father had to work late today, so he’ll be here in a couple hours.”
Kenma nodded, bringing a bite of fish up to his lips. Kuroo and Kenma’s mother chatted idly about things like volleyball and Kenma’s adjustment to college and living with Kuroo.
“Kuroo-chan, you never answered me! How’s Sachiko been?”
Kuroo coughed awkwardly into his arm, the pressing question making him feel uncomfortable. Kuroo and Kenma hadn’t really talked about telling their parents about their new relationship, and Kuroo didn’t want to tell Kenma’s mother about them being together if that wasn’t what Kenma wanted.
“Oh, um. I wouldn’t really know, we broke up in August and haven’t spoken since.”
“Oh, I am so sorry, Kuro-chan. That must’ve been really hard for you.”
“It’s alright, it was gonna happen eventually. We wanted different things.” Kuroo responded, glancing at Kenma momentarily.
Kenma’s mother nodded knowingly, looking between the two.
“Well, I’m glad you had Ken-tan there to comfort you.” She smiled.
Kenma peered down at his fish, hoping his mother wouldn’t recognize the warmth that wouldn’t leave his face. He dragged his fork around the plate, trying not to give anything away.
“Yeah, I’m glad he was there, too.” Kuroo smiled, looking at Kenma.
“So, how’s your relationship been, then?” She tested.
“W-what do you mean?” Kuroo asked, completely caught off guard by the new question.
She sat back in her chair smiling at the two. “Well, you’ve obviously grown even closer. I’m surprised you’re not tired of each other.”
Both Kenma and Kuroo began to answer at the same time.
“Okaa-san…”
“Shh, dear, I want to hear what Kuroo has to say about it.”
Kenma glared at her. She had obviously figured out what was going on between them, but wanted to see how much she could embarrass them before she admitted she knew.
“Uh, well—”
“Kuro, you don’t have to answer. She already knows.” Kenma sighed, leaning back in his chair. Kuroo sighed and relaxed his shoulders a little bit.
“Oh.”
She laughed at the two. “I’m honestly happy for you! I feel like I've been waiting for you guys to get together forever. You two had been dancing around each other for so long it was bound to happen. I remember this one time Ken-chan came home from your house and—”
“Okaa-san…” Kenma warned.
“Shh, dear, I want to hear what your mom has to say about it”
Kenma glared at Kuroo from his chair as his mother giggled at the two of them.
“Fine, I won’t embarrass you anymore, Ken-chan. But, seriously, how long have you been together?”
“A couple of weeks. It’s still pretty new.” Kenma responded, refusing to meet either of their gazes.
“Nonsense, ‘still pretty new’? You guys have practically been together for years! I don’t think too much has changed other than the fact that you finally admitted your feelings.”
“I guess.”
She smiled contentedly at the two, deciding that she had interrogated them enough and rising from her chair. The two boys quickly helped her clean up, until there were only two plates left.
“Why do you have two plates prepared?” Kenma questioned.
“One is for your father, and the other is for Haiko-san down the street. I bring her dinner and help her out the days that her daughter isn’t there. I’m gonna go visit her for a while, though, so I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
Kenma nodded. “Okay, be careful.”
“Aw, Ken-tan, being with Kuro-chan really has made you more caring.” Kenma’s mother ruffled Kenma’s hair and grinned, earning a scowl from her son.
“Okay. I'm kidding, I'm kidding.” She relented, pulling her hand away.
Kenma’s mother left the house, locking the door behind her. Kenma and Kuroo finished up cleaning the kitchen before heading up stairs to Kenma’s room.
Kuroo followed Kenma into his room and breathed in the familiar scent of nostalgia and his teenage years. He recognized the gaming setup in the corner of Kenma’s room, where Kenma would spend hours upon hours of gaming. He recognized the dresser drawer, where he had found countless sweaters and hoodies that had been missing due to Kenma hoarding them. He smiled gently to himself as he took it all in.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Kuroo said thoughtfully, sitting on the edge of Kenma’s bed and glancing around the room. Kenma crawled into his bed and laid his head in Kuroo’s lap, pulling the hood of his jacket tight around his face.
“What’s weird?”
“Well, the last time I was here...we were sitting just like this...and I was getting ready to leave for university.” Kuroo smiled fondly at the memory of Kenma shedding a tear or two when it was time for Kuroo to move away. He ghosted his thumb over Kenma’s cheek and continued. “But we weren’t dating. The last time I was here...we weren’t together.”
“And what about it?”
“I don’t know, kitten! I just think it’s weird that we’ve always been like this but we were never together. Hell, I didn’t even know I liked guys and I was still so affectionate with you.”
“Yeah, you’re worse now that we’re dating, though.” Kenma remarked, giving a pointed glance at Kuroo’s thumb tracing circles into his cheek. Kuroo blushed.
“But I just can’t help it!” Kuroo leaned down to pepper kisses all over Kenma’s nose, cheeks, and forehead. “You’re just so cute and I’ve got you all to myself.” Kuroo accentuated his claim with a chaste kiss to Kenma’s lips. Kuroo didn’t mean for the kiss to linger, and Kenma didn’t mean to loosen the strings of his hoodie. Kuroo’s fingers moved on their own as they carded through Kenma’s hair, as did Kenma’s fingers when they splayed out across Kuroo’s cheeks and pressed themselves into the soft, flushed skin.
Kuroo broke apart from the kiss for just a moment to carefully move Kenma’s head off of his lap and onto the bed, getting on his hands and knees and caging Kenma in on the bed with his arms on either side of his head. One of Kuroo’s arms moved on its own to push up Kenma’s shirt, and as Kuroo’s head dipped back down to recapture Kenma’s lips, Kenma pressed his finger against Kuroo’s lips to block the kiss.
“Wait, are we really about to have sex for the first time in my childhood bedroom?” Kenma raised his eyebrows, earning a pensive look from Kuroo.
“Uh...yeah.” Kuroo gave a definitive nod and smirked down at Kenma. “Romantic, am I right?” Kenma scowled at Kuroo’s remark. “I mean, unless you don’t want to. All you have to do is say the word and I’ll stop.”
“I—it’s my first time. With anyone.” Kenma blushed and averted his gaze from Kuroo to the ceiling above Kuroo, feeling like he might explode from the embarrassment. Kuroo’s cool hand soothed Kenma’s hot skin as he cupped his cheek and smiled down at Kenma.
“It’s my first time, too. With a guy.” Kuroo winced at the memory of the bartender he had brought to the apartment that one night. “I never—” Kenma pressed his finger to Kuroo’s lips for the second time that night and offered him a small smile.
“I know. Thank you.” The couple grew quiet, unsure how to proceed.
“So...are you sure you’re okay with this?” Kuroo prodded, adamant on receiving a response before he made any plans to continue.
After a quiet and shy ‘yes’ of consent from Kenma, Kuroo slowly lowered his head to meet Kenma’s lips once again, and Kenma got to work sneaking his fingers under the hem of Kuroo’s sweater.
Kenma pressed into Kuroo’s side on the train to avoid bumping into strangers and relaxed once Kuroo wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him closer.
“Is it stupid that I’m kinda nervous to see them?” Kuroo chuckled.
“Why?”
“I dunno how they’re going to react.”
“To what?”
“Us.”
“So are we gonna tell them about us or are we gonna let them find out like my mom did last night?” Kenma raised an eyebrow at Kuroo and Kuroo scratched the back of his head with his free hand.
“Listen, your mom can obviously read minds, it wasn’t my fault.”
“Whatever. We can tell them if you want.”
“We’ll only tell them if you want to, kitten.” Kuroo looked Kenma in the eye, searching for any signs of uncertainty or fear.
“It’s okay. I trust them.” Kenma gave Kuroo a reassuring smile. The rest of the train ride was blissfully quiet, but both Kuroo and Kenma were going over all the ways it could go wrong when they told their friends about their relationship. They both knew how understanding and accepting the team was—after all, everyone was happy for Lev and Yaku when they got together.
“Kenma-san! Kuroo-san!” The couple braced themselves as the tall, silver-haired Russian barreled toward them with his arms outstretched. He captured them both in a tight hug before getting ripped away by Yaku, who glared at his stupidly chaotic boyfriend.
“Give them space, you behemoth!” Yaku reached up to grab Lev by the ear and dragged him to where the rest of Nekoma sat at a table, beckoning for Kuroo and Kenma to follow. They greeted their former teammates before joining the line to order their ice cream.
Kuroo’s hand circled around Kenma’s waist as they waited. He felt the lingering stares of their former teammates momentarily as he leaned down towards Kenma.
“Is this okay?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.” Kuroo smiled, bringing his other hand around Kenma’s waist as he leaned his head on his shoulder. They reached the front of the line before ordering their ice cream and Kenma’s hand looped around Kuroo’s arm instinctively as they reached the table. As the pair drew closer to the table a symphony of wolf whistles and ooh’s and aah’s made them blush.
After they finished their ice cream, the group of boys went outside towards their old favorite hangout spot to catch up. As they walked outside of the ice cream parlor, Lev immediately began gushing about a new video game to Kenma, who was surprisingly interested in the conversation.Yaku caught Kuroo by the elbow, pulling him away from Kenma’s side.
“Tetsu-kun…” Yaku lilted, jabbing his elbow into Kuroo’s side with a grin and narrowed eyes. “I’ve never seen you in love before, dude.”
“Listen, the only man that I love is my dad.” Kuroo lied quickly. Yaku narrowed his eyes even more.
“You’re such a terrible liar, idiot.”
“Yeah, I am.” He said, glancing at Kenma.